Misbehaving Under the Mistletoe

CHAPTER SIX

‘READY for your candy now?’ Jace growled, his voice husky with lust and humour as he kicked the door of the suite shut.

Cassie giggled, adrenaline and desire coursing through her veins. Her back hit the lobby wall with a soft thud, the hard lines of his body flattening her breasts and making her belly throb.

‘Yes, please,’ she flirted back, sinking her fingers into the silky waves of his hair.

Don’t think, just feel. And enjoy. Although relaxing was out of the question, seeing as she was about to explode.

They’d kissed and touched on the ride home, stoking the need to fever pitch, but through their clothes the caresses had been as frustrating as they were exciting.

He fastened his lips on her neck, his hands parting the flaps of her coat. The caress roamed over her hips, tugged up her tunic to settle on her behind. He dragged her towards him, grinding the hard bulge in his jeans against the swell of her stomach. ‘You’ve got too many clothes on.’

Cassie ran her hands inside his leather jacket. Lifting the hem of his sweater, she finally touched bare skin. ‘So do you,’ she moaned.

Her fingertips explored the soft line of hair over washboard-lean abs, the warm skin like velvet over steel.

He shuddered, huffed out a laugh and stepped back. ‘Let’s remedy the situation.’

Shrugging off his jacket, he threw it on the floor. Then reached for her coat. She twisted to help him pull it off. Crossing his arms, he grasped his sweater and struggled out of it.

As he tossed the light jumper away Cassie stared, transfixed, at broad shoulders, beautifully defined pectoral muscles and the curls of dark hair that stood out in tufts under his arms, outlined flat brown nipples and then trailed down to bisect the ridges of his six pack and arrow beneath the buckle of his belt.

Her breath backed up in her lungs. That was one seriously gorgeous chest.

She watched him toe off one of his boots, then bend down to hop on one leg while yanking it off.

What was she doing? She should get naked too. She kicked off her own boots, then grasped the hem of her tunic just as his second boot hit the floor.

He grabbed her wrist, stopping her before she had raised the tunic past her midriff. ‘No.’

She let go, the boldness fading. ‘What’s the matter?’ Didn’t he want her naked?

He swore softly, grunted the single word, ‘Bedroom,’ then started hauling her down the corridor.

He shoved open the door into a large, luxuriously furnished room with an enormous king-sized bed in the centre. Releasing her, he crossed to the bedside table, rummaged around for a second and then flung a cellophane-wrapped box onto the gold bedspread.

‘Condoms,’ he said unnecessarily. ‘I figured I should locate them before I lost the ability to think.’

She smiled, ridiculously pleased to see he was as eager as she was. But when she went to take off her tunic again, he shot back across the room and took both her wrists in his, holding her hands manacled to her side.

‘No. Wait.’ He touched his forehead to hers, pressed his lips to her temple. ‘There’s no rush.’ He breathed in her scent, eased out a steady breath. ‘Let me do it.’

‘Okay,’ she said, surprised to feel an odd catch in her chest.

Taking the bottom of the tunic in his hands, he lifted it gently over her head, tossed it over his shoulder.

She sucked in a breath as the green of his eyes turned to a shining emerald. His dark gaze roamed over her, touching her skin like a physical caress, burning a trail of fire from her cheeks, to her breasts, blazing into her sex and sizzling right down to her toes.

He slid his thumbs and forefingers under the straps of her simple cotton bra, then tugged them off her shoulders. Her breasts became heavy, the nipples swelling into hard peaks as he peeled the cups down, exposing her to his gaze.

The dark arousal flared. ‘Damn,’ he murmured. ‘You’re perfect.’

The little catch in her chest clutched at her heart. No one had ever thought she was perfect before. Let alone said so.

Reaching around her waist, he drew her closer. His lips buzzed her shoulder where the strap had left a red mark as he released the catch on her bra. He dragged it free, flung that away too.

His eyes met hers as he cradled the weight in his palms, circled her nipples with his thumbs. Then he bent to fasten his lips on one aching peak.

Cassie threaded her fingers into the hair at the side of his head, and arched into his mouth, the hot, wet suction sending her senses into overdrive. He suckled strongly, drawing her into his mouth, then pulling back to flick his tongue over the tip, massaging and teasing her other breast with his fingers.

A sob escaped as she writhed. It wasn’t just his fingers that were talented, it seemed. She’d never realised she was so sensitive there. The raw nerves pulsated as moisture flooded between her thighs.

The pressure built and intensified at her core as sparks of fire originated in her nipples, fanned out across her breasts, then darted down to her centre. She shut her eyes, her legs like wet noodles as he transferred his mouth to her other breast.

He stopped the devastating caresses briefly to tear off her tights and panties, then as his mouth returned to her pounding breasts he flattened his palm against her stomach, pressed the heel of his hand onto her aching centre, then delved into the curls at the apex of her thighs.

He circled for several agonising seconds, then flicked his finger over the heart of her. She cried out, bucked against his palm, the sparks triggering an explosion of need that reared up and crashed through her as he continued to rub the swollen nub. She dug her nails into his shoulders, braced herself as her legs gave out and the final waves of pleasure drained her body, leaving her as limp as a rag doll.

He gave a strained laugh, and bent down to lift her onto his shoulder. ‘Come on, Cassidy,’ he said, his hand patting her bare buttocks. ‘Time for bed.’

Her stomach rode the ridge of his shoulder blade as he strode across the room and dropped her on the mattress. She watched in a daze as he kicked off his jeans and boxers and climbed onto the bed.

Shock reverberated through her, widening her eyes and slicing through the haze of afterglow, as she stared at the massive erection that prodded her thigh when he settled beside her.

As if in a dream, she reached out and touched her nail to the tip. It bobbed towards her, as if it had a life of its own.

‘You’re perfect too,’ she whispered. A strange combination of euphoria and excitement tightened like a vice around her heart. And for the first time ever she let instinct take over, the heady endorphins of her recent climax making her yearn to give him the same pleasure he had given her.

She trailed her finger down the line of hair on his belly, then wrapped her hand around the solid length of his erection. It felt hard and smooth against her palm. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. She pushed at his shoulders until he lay on his back. He thrust his fingers into her hair, as she ran a trail of kisses across his magnificent chest.

His fingers flexed, massaging her scalp, as she inched lower, sliding her tongue over his six pack, licking at the ridge of his belly button, then delving within. The muscles of his flat belly tensed as she encountered the powerful erection at last. Darting her tongue out, she licked up the length of him like an ice lolly, then took the swollen head between her lips.

He swore, shuddered, then, cradling her cheeks in his palms, yanked her off him as he jerked into a sitting position.

Colour flooded into her cheeks as she scrambled back onto her knees. She’d done it wrong. ‘Sorry, you don’t like that?’ she said, the euphoria fading as inadequacy flooded in.

Lance had always told her what to do, had hated it when she took the lead. Why was she so rubbish at sex?

He gave a strained laugh, then reached for her. ‘Are you kidding? I love it,’ he said, sliding his palm over her shoulder to pull her closer. ‘But we’ll have to save it for later or I’m not going to last long enough to get inside you.’

‘Oh, I see,’ she said, feeling gauche and yet ridiculously relieved. She hadn’t done it wrong after all.

Shifting over, he reached for the condoms. Tearing the cellophane, he dumped the contents out on the bedspread. He grabbed one of the packages and fumbled with it. ‘Someone ought to tell the manufacturers they use too much packaging,’ he grumbled, finally ripping it with his teeth.

As he flipped out the rubber she took his wrist. ‘Do you mind if I do it?’ she asked, the urge to touch him again overwhelming.

‘Do I mind?’ His eyebrow rose a fraction. ‘Of course not.’ He smiled and passed it to her. ‘Be my guest.’

Lying back on the bedspread, he crossed his arms behind his head, and watched her with heavy-lidded eyes, the desire in them so palpable her heart pounded against her ribcage.

Holding the slick contraceptive in her fingers as if she were handling nitroglycerine, she gave a faltering sigh, anticipation and trepidation colliding to make her heart beat double time. Her eyes feasted on the beauty of his body, wisps of dark hair highlighting the masculine planes of sleek muscles and lean sinews. Then her heart throbbed right into her throat as she focused on the magnificent evidence of how much he wanted her. He was all hers for tonight, and she didn’t want to muck it up. She didn’t want this to be going-through-the-motions sex, or, worse, bad sex. Just this once she wanted what Nessa had promised her. She wanted really amazing sex.

‘Cassidy, I hate to rush you,’ he said, jerking her out of her stupor. ‘But if you keep looking at me like that, I’m not going to be responsible for my actions.’

The sensual threat made her smile.

Do not overthink this.

She rolled the lubricated latex down the thick length with careful fingers, confidence surging through her as he sucked in a shaky breath and the muscles of his abdomen quivered.

Taking her by the shoulders, he swivelled round, so that she would be lying beneath him. But she reared up. ‘Could I be on top?’

He gave a tense laugh. ‘Absolutely,’ he said, then framed her face with his hands. ‘I’m always happy to oblige a woman who knows what she wants.’

He rolled to reverse their positions, then skimmed his hands down to cradle her bottom as she kneeled over him, lifting her above the enormous erection. ‘Climb aboard, candy girl.’

She laughed, the compliment burning away the last of her inhibitions in a rush of pure unadulterated pleasure. Directing the powerful shaft to her entrance, she lowered herself onto him.

He was big, bigger than she had expected, and her bottom lip caught on her teeth as she tightened around him. She tried to force her hips down, but the pleasure dimmed, the penetration too full, the stretched feeling unbearable.

‘I can’t do it.’

‘Shh, relax,’ he crooned. ‘Take it slowly. You’re tensing up.’ He lifted her, sat up, deftly adjusting their positions so that his lips could fasten on her breasts while seeking fingers touched her core. The hot suction of his mouth, the clever caresses had pleasure returning in a rush. She sobbed as she began to move, her hips undulating to relieve the pressure, then sinking down farther to let it build again. Instinctive, basic, she gloried in the ability to control the penetration, throwing her head back, and clasping his shoulders.

‘That’s it, Cassie.’ He lifted his head from her breast, his fingers continuing to circle her clitoris as his other arm banded around her bottom, urging her into a devastating rhythm. ‘You’ve got it, sweetheart. Once more. You’re almost there.’

She plunged down, the encouragement spurring her on, and took him in to the hilt at last.

The huge erection bumped her cervix and touched a place deep inside, the waves of pleasure quickly swelling into an uncontrollable torrent.

His ragged breathing rasped in her ears as she rode him frantically, driving them both to completion. The contractions held her body in a vicelike grip for what seemed like an eternity and she cried out, revelling in the sheer joy of the wild ride. He shouted out his release as she tumbled into the abyss, shattering into a billion quivering shards of light.

She fell forward, knocking him back, their sweat-slicked bodies collapsing onto the bed.

He hugged her, holding her on top, his deep, satisfied laugh brushing against her ear lobe. ‘Cassie, that was …’ he paused, his hands stroking her back, the still-huge erection pulsing inside her ‘ … amazing.’

Her heart flipped over, afterglow turning into the sweet glow of triumph. ‘No, it wasn’t,’ she said, a wonderfully smug smile curving her lips. ‘It was really amazing.’

He brushed her hair back from her face, the confidential smile on his lips reminding her of the secret joke they had once shared on a stairwell. ‘Yeah, really amazing,’ he said, and her heart soared.

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘WAKE up, sweet cheeks. Dinner’s here.’

Cassie’s eyes fluttered open to find Jace sitting on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her cheek with the palm of his hand. He wore one of the hotel’s monogrammed robes, but the wisps of chest hair revealed in the V of pristine white towelling had sensation shimmering across her skin. Heat rode up her neck as she felt the unfamiliar tenderness between her thighs—and the recollection of what he’d done to her, of what they’d done to each other, came flooding back. ‘I fell asleep?’ she asked, her voice groggy and confused. All she could remember was lying curled in his arms, feeling sated and better about herself than she had felt in a long time, her bottom butting his softening erection and his hands resting on her belly.

‘We both did,’ he said, his thumb running down her neck and over her collarbone, then slipping beneath the edge of the fine linen sheet to touch the tender skin of her breasts. ‘Really amazing sex will do that to a person.’

She stretched, stifling a yawn, and luxuriated in the feeling of triumph.

It had been really amazing. Hadn’t it?

But then her nostrils caught the sent of tarragon and roast meat and her stomach grumbled audibly, making the flush spread.

He chuckled. ‘Unfortunately, really amazing sex also makes you ravenous.’

She lifted up on her elbows as he stood and walked across the room.

‘I ordered us some fancy French chicken dish to keep our strength up,’ he said as he lifted another monogrammed robe off an armchair.

A quick grin lifted her lips. He wanted her to keep her strength up. That sounded promising.

He returned with the fluffy white robe, held it up for her. ‘But you have to put this on first, or I’m liable to start ravishing you instead of the food.’

She pushed back the sheet, and made herself hop out of bed, concentrating on her hunger to stave off the silly spurt of shyness about her nakedness. Which was patently ridiculous given what they’d been doing before she drifted off.

‘What time is it?’ she asked, shoving her hands into the sleeves.

He wrapped the robe around her, tying the belt from behind and then hugged her round the waist. His nose nudged the top of her head. ‘Nearly eleven.’

She’d been asleep for three hours!

She pulled out of his embrace, swung round, dismayed and desperately disappointed.

Would he expect her to go home? She had no idea what the etiquette for one-night stands was, but she had a feeling staying until the morning might be awkward.

He frowned. ‘Damn, you’re a vegetarian, right?’

‘No, I …’

He took her chin, his brow creasing. ‘Then what’s the matter?’

She swallowed. She might as well ask. She had a right to ask. ‘What are we going to do after dinner?’

‘After dinner,’ he said, his lips quirking. ‘Well, now.’ Gripping her hips, he tugged her easily towards him. ‘After dinner, I figured we could try out the whirlpool tub in the master bathroom. Considering the rates this place charges, I haven’t made nearly enough use of it. And then—’ he wiggled his eyebrows comically ‘—I thought lots more really amazing sex wouldn’t go amiss.’ The teasing expression sobered a little. ‘If you’re not too sore, that is,’ he added. ‘You weren’t kidding when you said it had been a while for you, were you?’

The thrill of arousal rushed through her, tempered by the little clutch in her chest at the concern in his eyes. She’d always thought of him as being dangerous. And he was. Even more so now she knew how devasting he was in bed. But how could she have guessed that he would also be such a considerate lover?

‘I’m not sore,’ she said, deciding to ignore his probing question. She certainly didn’t intend to tell him how long it had been. Or why.

She placed her palms on his bare chest, felt the thunder of his heartbeat matching hers. ‘But you may still have to persuade me,’ she teased, twirling one of her fingers in his chest hair, the fine art of flirtation and temptation coming as naturally as breathing.

He laughed, taking her finger and bringing it to his lips. ‘Don’t worry, I intend to.’ He gave it a nip, then groaned as his stomach growled loudly. ‘But first we better eat. We’re likely to need it. For stamina.’

She let all the deliciously dangerous thoughts of what the night ahead might hold drown out any doubts as he led her into the suite’s living room. But her steps faltered, her bare feet sinking into the silk rug, when she saw the ornate table laid with gilt-edged china plates covered with silver domes, a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice-bucket and a single tapered candle illuminating the table with the help of the fire glowing in the open hearth. Her heartbeat slowed at the romantic scene, but she quashed the sentiment as he held out her chair for her.

She propped her elbows on the table and forced herself not to overthink things as she admired his darkly handsome face in the flickering light.

He was only hers for one night. That was all she wanted. One night of really amazing sex, which she wasn’t going to ruin—as she had so many times before—with misguided hopes of romance.

‘Voilà!’ He whisked the dome covering her plate with a flourish. ‘Tuck in.’

Taking a sighing breath of the delicious scent rising from the plate, she lifted the heavy silver knife and fork, intending to do just that.

Jace watched Cassie lick the creamy tarragon sauce off her lower lip and felt the now familiar heat pulse in his groin. Diverting his attention to his own plate, he sliced into the succulent chicken breast, let the rich aroma of butter and herbs go some way to dispelling the spicy scent of her that seemed to have invaded his senses.

Problem was, he wasn’t just hungry for food. He took a swallow of the delicious dish. And controlling his appetite for Cassie Fitzgerald was proving to be more of a challenge than he had anticipated.

After waking up with her curled in his arms, he’d lain awake for twenty minutes. Torturing himself with the feel of her plump breasts rising and falling against his forearm, her soft buttocks pillowed against his reinvigorated erection, and recalled their lovemaking in every exquisite, excruciating detail.

He pictured her gorgeous breasts after he’d taken off her bra. The large, rosy nipples rigid with arousal as he teased the swollen tips with his teeth. Then her pale cheeks flushed with colour, her lips slightly parted, the harsh sobs of her orgasm as his fingers sank into the wet heat at her core. Her limp body draped over his shoulder. And at last, the incredible feel of her full lips caressing his erect flesh.

He’d never seen a more erotic sight, and had been forced to stop her before he went off like a rocket. But he’d instantly regretted it when she’d lurched away, the desire and excitement in her eyes snuffed out by regret and panic.

He’d never met a woman who was so effortlessly seductive, who could turn him inside out with lust without doing much more than breathing and yet was so unsure of herself.

Some guy had clearly done a number on her. That could be the only answer. And as he’d listened to her sleep and resisted the urge to wake her up and ravish her all over again, he’d felt his curiosity—and his anger—grow.

He’d struggled to get a grip on both before he did something idiotic. So he’d eased her out of his arms, and climbed out of bed to arrange dinner.

While he’d run a bath in the enormous whirlpool tub, then sat in the lounge waiting for their meal to arrive, he’d contemplated exactly how he was going to play things for the rest of the night, and had come to a few important conclusions.

Cassie Fitzgerald was sweet and sexy and just what he needed after his dry spell. He’d spent far too many months recently sweating over the direction of his business and more specifically figuring out the best way to cut the last of his ties to his ex-wife—and his sex life had suffered as a result.

Maybe he wasn’t anywhere near as prolific as he had been in his teens, but he wasn’t a man who dealt all that well with months of abstinence. His explosive, uncontrolled reaction to Cassie in the first place was evidence of that.

That Cassie was the complete antithesis of the women he usually chose to date, who were as jaded as he was in the sack, was the only reason why he found her so captivating—and so refreshing. But making an issue of it by satisfying his curiosity about her past wasn’t an option. It had been quite a while since he’d had a one-night stand, but he knew that mixing sex with intimacy was always a mistake.

This trip was about correcting the mistakes of his past, his marriage being the biggest one of all; getting involved with anyone would kind of defeat the purpose of the whole enterprise.

He planned to enjoy this evening, and he wanted Cassie to enjoy it too. From her fragile confidence and her touchingly insecure reactions when they made love, he suspected she hadn’t got to enjoy sex nearly as much as she should have in the past. And maybe it was arrogant of him, but while he’d never professed to know what women wanted emotionally—and didn’t intend to find out—he’d made it his life’s work to know what they enjoyed in bed.

Cassie’s sexual liberation was a little project that he was more than happy to dedicate himself to. Especially as Cassie seemed so receptive to the idea. Anything else wasn’t going to happen. So he wasn’t about to risk encouraging her to think this was more by asking her personal questions.