Without Limits: A BWWM Collection of Passion and Desire, page 99
I laid my hand over hers. “Yes, Mom, you’d love Vaughn. She’s funny, sweet, independent, and I love her. She also has a daughter who’s a bright little thing.”
“You know I’m concerned because I don’t want to see you hurt a second time.”
I squeezed her hand. “Trust me. I’ll be fine.”
Her eyes watered and she blinked hard. Then she nodded. “I’ll pray things work out for you.”
“Thank you,” I said, turning her hand to kiss her palm.
She pulled my head down to hers and kissed my forehead. “I love you, son.”
“Love you too, Mom,” I said, before pulling her to my chest for a hug.
She kept a hold on me for close to a minute, while I thought about this new complication. The fact that I loved Vaughn slapped me in the face when I sat on the plane as it was about to take off from the airport in Kingston.
I couldn’t spring that discovery on her with six hundred miles between us. I’d wait until I got back to Jamaica to tell her. I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear me say I loved her, but I didn’t want to waste any time. Something deep inside me said Vaughn and I were meant to be together. No matter what I had to do, I’d convince her of that.
As much as I enjoyed seeing Rhys and his family and now Mom and Dad, I couldn’t wait for it to be Monday, so I could get the seminar over with and fly back to Jamaica to be with my woman.
Chapter Seventeen
I buried my nose in Scott’s neck and inhaled him. He gave off that same earthy combination of vanilla, leather, and musk that had become familiar in the past few weeks. My lips connected with his neck in a sloppy smooch.
He turned his head and claimed my mouth in a heady kiss. It reminded me of all I'd been missing since he left the island on Friday evening.
We separated and under the fluorescent light outside the airport, I cupped his cheeks while smiling into his eyes.
He stroked my skin with his thumb while cradling my head. His other hand pressed me to him in a tight hug. “D'you know how much I missed you?” he mumbled into my hair.
“Maybe as much as I missed you?”
We grinned at each other, while I thought this scene was crazy. Butterflies swirled in my stomach and heat raced over my skin where Scott's hands rested.
“Let's go,” I said, “before people think we've lost our minds.”
“Nah,” he said, swinging his case into the trunk of the Honda. “They'll guess we want to be together more than anything else, after being apart.”
His words triggered a tiny alarm in my mind, but I was so exhilarated with having him back, my blood flooded thought my veins and it was like Christmas came early. What made my reaction so out of character was that we'd spoken every day since he left.
Yesterday was even longer than Saturday, although we spoke late into the night. He'd shared stories about the mischief he and Rhys got into as boys and how he ended up in hospital with a broken arm after a skateboard stunt.
When he called me at lunchtime to say he'd finished the seminar by early afternoon and was coming back this evening, I didn't ask him the reason. I simply agreed to pick him up from the airport. After we ended the call, I arranged for Mom to collect Angel from school and stay at my place until I got home.
On the ride toward Scott's place, I told him Angel had sent greetings and we talked about how the seminar went. In twenty minutes, we were at his place. He got the travel case out of the car while I opened the door with the key he'd put in my hand.
He walked inside seconds after I flipped the light switch. His house was neat, with nothing out of place other than a computer magazine left on the center table. A far cry from the way I first imagined he lived.
He dropped the suitcase, shut the door and slid his arms around my waist. “What's so entertaining?”
“Your house.” I said, sliding both arms around his neck.
“Huh?”
“It's clean.” I hid a grin, before adding, “When I first saw you, I pictured you in an apartment filled to the brim with empty pizza boxes and other trash.”
He strung kisses from my neck to my forehead, sucking my skin at intervals. “I should be offended, but I know you've learned all about jumping to conclusions.”
I grazed his cheek and his downy beard with my lips. “Uh-huh.”
Just before our lips touched, he said, “That's not an apology.”
Slowly, I arched one brow. “Who said I was giving you one?”
He scattered kisses on my cheeks, nipped my earlobe and whispered, “We'll see about that.”
I didn't have a clue what he meant. He was busy sucking on my earlobe and then the skin below my ear, which had my belly twisting and whirling in a way I hadn't experienced in forever.
I'd had enough of him teasing me and brought his lips back to mine for a deep kiss. The slight rasp of his tongue against mine had me hanging on tighter to him.
His hands across my back and slipped under the waistband of my jeans. As our tongues dueled, Scott pulled me tight to him smashing his hardness between us as though he wanted to leave me in no doubt that he wanted me.
He raised his head and stared deep in my eyes, asking a question without words.
My answer was to remove the band that held his hair together and pull his head toward mine. Our exploration of each other went from hard and demanding to soft and tentative. I grasped his hair in both hands to keep him connected to me, while he undid my shirt with unsteady fingers. He pushed the shift off my shoulders and dropped soft pecks on my neck and chest.
Impatient, I unbuttoned his flannel shirt and let it fall to the floor, baring his chest and pressing my face against the soft hairs covering his skin.
Scott tipped my head back with a finger under my chin and met my eyes. “Are you sure?”
My hands massaged his chest and traced the hairs delineating his stomach. His gasp from my soft touch pulled an answering moan from me as I nodded.
“Come.”
With his arm around me, we entered his bedroom. The light from the living room threw shadows inside the doorway. Additional lighting came from the window, covered by sheer drapes.
Scott opened the louvers and returned to sit on the bed in front of me. He pulled me between his legs and kissed the middle of my stomach while he undid the button on my jeans. My eyelids floated down as he paid homage to my legs and thighs while removing my pants.
When I stood naked before him, he gently drew circles around my breasts with his fingers, avoiding my areola but absorbing my response to his gentle stimulation in the dim light.
He hurriedly removed his shoes, and when I stepped away, he stood and undid his jeans and slid them down his legs. He kicked the heap aside and pulled me to his chest, kissing my forehead and then tipping my head up to join our mouths.
Having him like this with his skin next to mine made me feverish. I gripped his hair and our movements turned urgent, but we continued feeding off each other as if we needed what the other was giving.
Growling, Scott grabbed my arm and urged me onto the bed.
I reached for him and he grunted in his throat. “Gimme a minute.”
After switching on a bedside lamp, he flung the closet door open. A zipper cut the silence and I figured he was trying to find a condom.
“You all right over there?” I asked when he continued rooting around.
“Uh, yeah.” He shoved the case back inside the closet and dropped on the bed. As he cradled me close, my throaty laughter surrounded us. With my lips next to his skin, I murmured, “I didn't plan to go anywhere.”
“I wasn't about to risk it,” Scott said, as his mouth grazed the tips of my breasts. I arched into him and pressed his head closer.
The delicious sensations spreading through me from his mouth and fingers had me on the edge of release. I pulled him closer and traced his ear with my tongue. “Now.”
“Are you sure?” he asked with his hand resting on the inside of my thigh.
With a sultry smile, I asked, “Isn't it obvious that I need you?”
“Say no more.”
He chuckled and lay on his back, sheathing himself. Then he rested on his side and let his hand traveled everywhere, bringing me back to the pre-orgasmic state I'd been in moments ago.
I closed my eyes when he stopped playing with my nipples and hovered over me.
Dropping kisses all over my face, he asked, “You okay, honey?”
A slow smile spread over my face, my eyelids fluttered open, and I circled his neck. “Yeah, I'll be fine if you hurry up and make love to me.”
The amusement died from his eyes that narrowed and then closed as he urged my thighs apart with a wordless sound low in his throat.
I sucked in my breath as he joined our bodies, taking his time until his hips were wedged against me. He rested there, as if savoring the moment but I needed him now.
Sinking my nails into his skin and wrapping my legs around him, I urged him to move. That's all it took. Scott swung into action, moving with the same urgency I felt. As he ground against me, perspiration popped out on my forehead and dewed my entire body. Each time I clasped and released him, I climbed higher, clinging to him with all my strength.
Scott rode me harder, as sweat poured in rivulets down his forehead.
The continued friction threw me over the edge and my muscles gripped him as I arched and twisted under him.
Scott howled and threw himself against me, prolonging my orgasm.
My cries joined his as we rode the tide of our passion.
Eyes closed, I let out a long breath as he withdrew from me and slumped on the mattress. A few minutes later, he let out another groan and lifted the wet strands of hair from my forehead.
“You okay?”
Stroking his chest, I smiled; a gesture I'm sure conveyed my deep satisfaction. “You keep asking me that.”
His hand skimmed my waist and hip. “I was a little rough, so I wondered.”
I cupped his cheek and kissed him on the mouth. “Trust me, I'm good.”
“Great.” His voice was soft and his touch gentle. He sat up and went to the bathroom, leaving me wanting his arms around me again.
When he came back, he said, “I'm starving. How about you?”
“I could have something, but I'm not ravenously hungry. At least, I wasn't before.”
He came and wrapped himself around me, laying one arm across my belly. “And now?”
I turned, stretching my hand behind me to knead his scalp. “Now, I want some more of you.”
This time our lovemaking was just that. Him paying homage to all of me. He was slow and thorough, touching everywhere he'd missed the first time. When we came, I swore Scott told me he loved me, but I was too far gone to make out his words and I didn’t want to think about what they might mean for us.
When we sat at his table later, eating ham and cheese sandwiches, he continued touching me. His need for contact made me feel he thought I'd disappear if he didn't keep hold of me.
His affectionate gaze left me in no doubt that I'd heard him correctly that last time he was inside me. I knew beyond any doubt that I was in love with him. I just wasn't ready to admit it to him, especially since I’d only discovered that on the weekend. I didn’t want to face what being in love with him meant and how it could possibly change my life.
As our gazes collided, Scott used his knuckles to brush my cheek. “You're thinking too hard.”
“How d'you know what I'm thinking?”
“I can see it in your eyes. You're worried as all get out.”
“I am not. You have an overactive imagination. ”
“Whatever. All I'm saying is, relax and enjoy the ride with me.”
Sitting back in my chair, I laughed. “I intend to do just that.”
He squeezed my arm. “Good girl.”
After munching on my sandwich, I licked a dollop of mayo off my lip. When Scott’s eyes went dark, I shook my head and looked at my watch. “I have to go home soon. It’s almost eight o’ clock.”
“A little loving isn’t going to take all evening.”
I swallowed a mouthful of lemonade and then laid the glass on the table. Letting my smile come through, I asked, “What are we waiting for?”
Chapter Eighteen
By the time I got home, Mom had just put Angel to bed. I tiptoed into her room and kissed her forehead. “G’night, baby,” I whispered, inhaling the baby powder she still sprinkled liberally on her skin.
She yawned and drowsily said, “G’nite, Mommy. Did you tell Uncle Scott I said hello?”
“Yes, honey and he said, ‘Right back at you.’”
“Cool.” She yawned again. “’Nite, ‘nite.”
“See you in the morning, love.”
She snuggled under the sheet and closed her eyes. In another minute, she was fast asleep. I was glad I caught her before she went to sleep. As much as I enjoyed Scott, I didn’t want our time to interfere with Angel’s life.
She’d been the most important part of my existence for the last five years and I didn’t want to upset that balance too much—even if it meant postponing my happiness.
I pulled her room door close to the jamb and went to talk with Mom, who was watching a comedy rerun on cable.
As I sat, my phone buzzed in my bag. I got it out and saw that Scott had sent me a text.
You home, babe?
Safe and sound.
Dream of me.
After tonight? Maybe I will. :D
I have more where that came from. Happy to oblige any time.
I’ll hold you to that. Good night.
Talk to you in the morning.
I was smiling when I raised my head. “Thanks for watching Angel for me.”
“There’s nothing I love more than spending time with my favorite granddaughter.”
I rolled my eyes at that and we both laughed.
“Are you hungry?” Mom asked.
“No, I ate with Scott.”
Mom’s gaze cut to my handbag. Spilling out of it was a stuffed rabbit with super-long ears. Scott told me to give it to Angel. I hadn’t asked him any questions, but figured it came out of her badgering him about his work with the guys at the studio.
When Mom looked at me, I said, “Yeah, he brought it for her. She’ll love it.”
“Yes, and it’s good seeing you out and about. Except for your get-togethers with Rita, you’re home all the time.”
“Says the woman who only gets out once or twice a week.”
“I’ve been going to that law office for forty years without fail. Retirement meant freedom and make no mistake, I enjoy doing exactly what I want on my schedule.”
I understood what she meant. She’d worked as a paralegal for as long as I could remember. It meant long hours and me spending most evenings with my dad, which I didn’t mind.
Since Nolan lived overseas, I doubled up on the time Angel got. Thankfully, she didn’t mind me being out with Scott.
“How much longer is he going to be here?” Mom said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “And how d’you plan to manage things when he leaves?”
“Another six weeks and then he’ll be doing some work for us, which will probably take another couple of weeks.”
I deliberately didn’t answer the rest of her question. Instead, I got to my feet, picked up my handbag, and kissed her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you, too, baby,” she said, touching my cheek.
“I’m going to hit the shower and then go to bed.”
“I’ll lock up, so don’t worry about that.”
I yawned and rubbed my eyes. “Thanks. I think I’m gonna have an early night.”
The moment I stepped in my room, I took off my clothes. I was in two minds about showering. I’d already done so at Scott’s place, but since I was wearing the same clothes I'd worn to work, I was inclined to have a quick wash-off.
I wasn’t quite ready for bed, although I was pleasantly tired. Scott had given me more of a workout than I’d had in, well, forever. Making love with him was very different from how things worked between Nolan and me. Scott was interested in pleasing me and that was an exciting change.
I used warm water in the shower, because already my muscles were a little sore. They probably wouldn’t feel much better in the morning, but I was sure I’d be in a good mood. That had to count for something.
Since I got out of Scott's bed, I’d been smiling, although the thought of being in love with him scared me senseless. I needed my rest and that would only come if my mind was at ease, so I relived the pleasure I’d had this evening.
I’d worry about everything else tomorrow.
Sitting this far from Scott was making me antsy, and I suspect he knew. His gaze was filled with longing—more specifically, the desire to make love to me again.
I wanted what he wanted, but it was the middle of the day and there was no time for that. Today being Wednesday, he’d invited me to lunch. We’d walk back to my office when we finished eating, for his session with the animators.
He rested his hand over mine on the table and smiled into my eyes. I returned his smile, even though his steady assessment told me more than I wanted to see.
Being in that bed together had taken things up by several notches, which I didn’t think we were ready for, but I still didn’t regret our time together. It was out-of-this-world awesome and there was no way I could ignore the significance of that.
Also, I didn’t feel any kind of awkwardness with him. The only thing I felt was a sense of rightness. As if, right here with him was where I belonged. Despite what my mind was telling me about the independence I’d worked hard to keep, I didn't want to fight where my relationship with him was going. I just needed time.
Scott wasn’t the kind of man to demand that I give up anything for him, so I didn’t know why my mind kept running down that track.
Scott lifted his hand from mine and picked up his fork. He watched me as he popped a seasoned fry into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, still focused on me.
