Fixed Asset (Downrange), page 10
Catarina shrugged. “The more you know . . .”
“The less likely you are to participate in your favorite pastime,” Ryan finished with a lifted brow.
“That, or you’re less likely to come away with a bad—”
I squeezed Cat around the middle. “Baby, please don’t encourage them.”
Catarina shifted to look down at me and smiled. “I’m trying to educate your friends on an important topic.”
There was that smart-ass who had hooked me.
“I’m pretty sure Ryan’s well educated on the topic.”
Her smile widened and her gaze slid back to Ryan.
The guy was good looking. In the time since I’d been in California, I’d seen firsthand just how good looking the women who patronized the bar he co-owned with the rest of the team thought he was. If he didn’t want to go home alone, he didn’t.
“I can see it,” she muttered.
“See what?” Fallon was staring at Ryan with a frown.
“How he’d be well educated on women.”
Fallon relaxed back in his chair and crossed his arms. All he was missing was a beer in his hand and it would’ve been a sight I’d seen a lot over the months. It was his ‘I’m settling in for a long shit-talk session’ look.
Something he excelled at.
I glanced at Pete, Ryan, then landed on Mase. All of them were smiling at Cat. But Mase’s lips were twitching. If I didn’t shut this shit down, Mason would edge the conversation on for his own personal amusement.
“What about Ryan makes you think that? He had to google vaginosis.”
“Actually, I use DuckDuckGo,” Ryan corrected.
All eyes flew to him.
“What? I like the name. It makes me laugh.”
“Fine,” Fallon conceded. “But you still had to look it up.”
“Don’t be salty, ol’ sailor. Just because she thinks I’m more educated than you doesn’t mean she thinks you’re completely uneducated. She just recognizes refined talent.”
Mason’s shoulders started shaking in silent laughter.
And here we go . . .
“You two are cute,” Mase started, then waited until Fallon cut his gaze in his direction. “Fear not, brother, when we get to the topic of ropes and cuffs, it’ll be your turn to shine.”
I knew before she spoke Catarina was going to latch on to that like an octopus and wrap her tentacles around it until she’d squeezed every last bit of fodder she could gather.
“Really?” She giggled. “I didn’t see that coming.”
Mason sat back, damn proud of himself he’d given Cat something to chew on.
“Should I be offended?”
“I don’t know, possibly,” she told Fallon, then went in for the kill. “You’re all big-guy cuddly like a teddy bear. If I had to guess, I’d say Pete . . . probably, Mason, definitely like tying up their women.” She stopped for a moment, tilted her head, and stared at Fallon. “Wait, I can totally see it—you’re one of those service Tops I’ve read about. You like the cuddly aftercare part.”
The men around the table erupted into laughter. I buried my face in Cat’s neck and shook with humor.
Aiden came into the room asking, “What’d I miss?”
“Cat here thinks Fallon’s a cuddly service Top,” Mason supplied through his laughter.
“That was quick,” Aiden noted. “But it’s good she’s got him pegged—”
“No one’s pegging me,” Fallon groused. Then added under his breath, “I do the pegging.”
Pete pushed back from the table, stood, and clapped Fallon on the shoulder, thankfully ending the conversation. Though he wouldn’t be Pete without getting the last word in. “Just because you say it out loud doesn’t make it the truth. Now, who’s hungry?”
All eyes went to Catarina. Hers skidded to me.
“Are they looking at me because they think since I have a vagina, I should cook dinner?”
“Favor, baby. Don’t talk about your vagina in front of the guys.”
Her eyes sparked, and I knew what came out of her pretty mouth was going to be more sass. To stop this, and because I wanted to, I straightened and silenced her with a kiss.
It was closed-mouthed and too damn short, but it did the trick.
“I’m cooking,” I announced.
“You can cook?” she breathed.
“Yup.”
“Jackpot!” She threw her arms in the air and wiggled her fingers. “I knew you were a keeper.”
I got up, helped Cat into the chair I’d vacated, and was walking to the fridge when I heard Fallon mumble, “What do you know about service Tops anyway?”
I paused to hear her answer.
“What can I say? I’m educated too.”
The men all laughed again.
I didn’t.
I was eager to hear more about this education . . . but that’d have to wait until after dinner and we didn’t have an audience.
“I can’t remember the last time I ate that much food,” Cat said.
The bed dipped next to me, and I opened my eyes.
“Sorry, were you sleeping?”
“No, just resting my eyes.” I adjusted my arm in a wordless invitation.
Cat accepted and cuddled into my side. With her head on my chest, her fingertips started making mindless patterns over my stomach. Every few seconds, she’d stop and press her fingertips into the muscle before she continued her exploration.
Exhaustion had set in. The last few hours after we finished dinner I was running on fumes. Still, if Cat’s hand didn’t stop inching lower, I’d manage to rally.
“You tired, baby?”
“I could sleep for a week,” she yawned.
I tucked her closer. I’d never been the type of man who could sleep with a body draped over my chest—but that body being Catarina’s, I’d sleep better than I had in years.
“We have a lot to talk about,” she said into the darkness.
“Yep.”
“But I’m too tired.”
I gave her a squeeze and ordered, “Sleep.”
“I just want to tell you one thing first.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll move to California.”
My arm twitched in an effort not to crush her to me.
She read my shudder wrong and quickly rushed out, “I mean if that’s where we’re going and you . . . um . . . want that.”
“I want that.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
Her fingertips glided up my chest, stopping at my left pec, then her hand flattened and she left her palm there.
“Good night, Jack.”
“Night, baby.”
A few minutes later, I found I was right. In a tiny bed, in a villa on the beach, I slept better than I had for years, with Catarina Keys in my arms and the knowledge she was coming home.
Chapter Thirteen
I woke before Jack. I took the opportunity to study his features while he was still asleep and relaxed. He looked the same—all chiseled good looks and hot body—but his big-guy energy was shut down. I knew at the slightest sound he’d come alert and that vigor would spark to life.
But before that happened, I wanted to spark something else to life.
It was early. We had time, so I was going to explore.
My hand glided down his hard chest. A sprinkling of coarse hair tickled my palm, just enough to be sexy, not enough to need a tutorial on manscaping—in other words, absolutely perfect. I continued down over the ridges and valley of his upper abs and felt them jump under my palm. I pressed a kiss to his pec, decided my exploration should be multisensory, and added my lips and tongue to the study of the hard dips and crests that made up his ripped stomach.
“Catarina,” Jack rumbled.
Mm, morning-grumbly Jack sounded delicious.
Since he was awake, I shifted my leg over his thighs, came up on my knees, and yanked the T-shirt I’d worn to bed over my head and tossed it to the side.
“Morning, Jack.”
I meant for my greeting to come out sultry and seductive, but I was pretty sure I missed the mark and sounded like my lungs were starving for oxygen. Which they were. I could barely breathe when his dark eyes dipped to my chest and his body vibrated with a rumble. If I had any doubts about my bold move, or sitting astride Jack with my breasts bare and on display, that growl would’ve cured me.
But since I had no doubts—I mean, the guy had ripped my panties off and had not hidden he wanted me. If that didn’t make a woman feel sexy, nothing did—what it did was embolden me.
I hooked the elastic of his boxer briefs and tugged them down. I walked back on my knees, pulling the boxers down his thighs, while at the same time praying I didn’t get caught in the sheets and fall off the bed in the middle of my seduction attempt. Thankfully, I made it to the edge of the bed, shifted to my booty, and pulled the material free. I threw those too.
Only when the threat of taking a humiliating tumble off the bed was over did I allow myself to take him in—muscular thighs, long, thick cock topped with a thicker head nestled in closely trimmed hair, abs that were the thing dreams were made of, dime-sized dusty nipples, pecs that were fantasy inspiring, broad shoulders, corded neck. Then there were those navy-blue eyes that never failed to make me pause to take in their beauty. Now was no different.
“I think it was your eyes that I first noticed,” I whispered, rolling onto my hands and knees.
Since I was staring directly into those beauties, I saw them fill with hunger. I crawled over his legs, halting when my hands got to his hips.
“I thought they were black. Then the light caught just right and I saw they were actually blue. I’ve never seen eyes so beautiful.”
“Catarina.”
I shivered.
“You’re perfect, Jack Donovan. Top to toe, perfection. But it’s more than that. You’re more than this.” I balanced on my left hand, lifted my right, and used it to motion to his frame. “You’re everything I’ve been waiting for. Everything I’ve ever wanted. I don’t know what I can give you that’ll make fighting who you are so I can be me worth it. But I promise you, I’ll spend every day trying to find ways to show you.”
“Baby.”
Low. Rough. Raw.
“This morning, we’re gonna start with me blowing you, then later I’ll try to think of something sweet to give you.”
I glanced down at his erection resting on his stomach, felt my panties dampen, then bent forward and glided my tongue over it from root to tip.
“Fuck.”
I smiled against his cock. Spent time toying with the tip with my tongue before I started my way back down, taking my time, getting his shaft nice and wet. This time on my way up, I reached between his legs and gently cupped his balls. Jack’s thighs went stiff. His groan was low and hungry, so I tested the waters and gave them a firm roll in my palm.
“Catarina.”
The desperate plea made my pussy spasm.
I stopped teasing him and sucked the head into my mouth. I slowly took him as far as I could, adding more suction on my upstroke. Over and over I bobbed up and down, keeping a leisurely pace. It was torture but I wanted him mindless. I wanted his control to snap. And the longer I worked his cock, the more his body vibrated, the hungrier his sounds became.
“Goddamn,” he moaned.
I hummed my appreciation and, on a downstroke, took him deep and forced myself to take more, and only pulled back when I felt my gag reflex kick in.
His hands came off the bed, drove into my hair, holding my head at my temples.
“Again,” he demanded.
I sucked in a breath and dropped my mouth down. His hips flexed up. The pads of his fingers dug into my scalp, I took him as deep as I could, and he only let me free when my noise turned desperate.
“Good fucking Christ.” His growl slithered over me, down, and pulsed between my legs. “You swallow?”
His filthy question sent another wave of excitement through me.
With a mouth full of cock, I did the only thing I could do and nodded.
“Keep going, baby. I’m almost there.”
I doubled my efforts and kept going. He didn’t release my head as he bucked his hips, matching my strokes. I worked him with my mouth. My hand on his balls massaged and tugged until he shot off down my throat on a low, feral moan. That didn’t wash over me—it burned over me.
“Fuck,” he grunted.
I swallowed.
Then before I knew what was happening, Jack’s hands went under my pits and he was hauling me up his body.
“Face.”
I couldn’t process his demand or my new position, but to stop myself from falling forward, my palms landed on the headboard. Jack’s hand landed on my ass with a slap.
“Scoot up, pussy on my face.”
Um.
“Jack.” His name came out wobbly because I wasn’t so sure this was a good idea. I’d never done this before. I didn’t know how to do this.
I didn’t need to know how. Jack slid down, gripped my hip with one hand, used the other to yank the gusset of my panties to the side. I heard the fabric tear right before he pulled me down onto his awaiting mouth.
Then he ate. No, then he commenced devouring me. Jack didn’t eat pussy—he overwhelmingly, spectacularly, with brilliant precision ate pussy. His tongue was magical. The stubble on his chin chafed in the best of ways. His thumb found my clit with aim that should’ve been impossible.
“Oh my God,” I breathed.
I might not have known what to do, but my body sure did. All thoughts of smothering him or doing it wrong flew out the window. I rocked my hips and rode his face, reaching for a climax that was lingering just under the surface. My nipples pebbled. My belly got warm. My toes curled.
I was whimpering, so close, it was right there . . . then Jack’s thumb was gone.
I whimpered again, this time unhappily. His tongue swiped up and circled my clit. His teeth grazed the sensitive spot. My whimpers turned into groans. He sucked my clit so hard, my back bowed, and I came on a chant of his name, or a call to God, or maybe it was a string of nonsensical words. I’d never know because I was flying apart. Amazingly flying apart, so high I was out of my body. I could do nothing but feel.
The only thing keeping me upright as pleasure tore through me was Jack’s hands on my ass. He slowed his ministrations, gently kissing and licking me while my orgasm waned.
“Scoot down, baby.”
Impossible.
“I would if I could get my legs to work.”
I felt him chuckle against my pussy, sending aftershocks up to my clit, making it pulse.
Jack turned his head, kissed my thigh, then did all the work as he dragged me down while he sat up. I ended up sitting on his lap. His back was to the headboard, and we were face-to-face.
“That was . . . amazing,” I told him.
He smiled.
“No, that was super-duper ah-maz-ing,” I amended.
His smile broadened.
God, Jack. So handsome. I brought my hands to the sides of his neck, sat there in the morning quiet, and just stared.
I wanted this, or a version of this, to be how I woke up every morning. Jack next to me, smiling. I wanted to give this to him—happy, smiling mornings.
His hands on my thighs traveled up to my hips, farther up to my waist. His gaze dropped, and I saw his eyes following the path of his hands. Feather-light glides of his thumbs under the swells of my breasts. My nipples peaked, his thumbs grazed there too. Soft touches. Gentle caresses. It was sweet after the wild we’d shared.
Finally, his hands slid back down and settled on my hips and I got his beautiful eyes back.
“You just being you makes it worth it,” he told me. “There’s nothing you need to do. Nothing more you need to give me. What’s inside me is mine. Don’t take that on, baby. I don’t think there will ever come a time when I don’t worry about your safety.”
There. He was giving me more when I was trying to balance the scales.
“You know I worry about your safety too.”
“Then it’s good you gave me a morning blow job to take the edge off, so I can concentrate on the mission instead of thinking of all the ways I wanna fuck you.”
“Now who’s the smart-ass?”
Jack’s hands moved down and around to squeeze my booty.
“That’s still all you. Great ass . . .” He leaned forward, pressed his lips to mine in a quick kiss, then finished with, “Smart mouth that luckily for me is better at giving head than it is with a comeback.”
My lips twitched. “Aren’t you all hearts and flowery compliments,” I teased.
“How’s this for hearts and flowers? You’re gorgeous. You’ve got great tits. You give world-class head. Your cunt’s so tight and wet, the second I got inside of you, I was ready to come. Never have I ever had to fight so hard not to blow. You’ve got the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen, soft, silky hair that feels good in my hands and pooled in my lap. I just had your pussy on my mouth and I want to taste you again. But if there was none of that, and all I got was humor, your intelligence, your cute, and your attitude, I’d still be right here.
“But seeing as I’m lucky, I got your smarts, funny, sweet, and your pretty pussy, great tits, and—it’s worth the repeat—your smart-ass mouth that gives the best head I’ve ever had. I’d say I’m coming out a winner.”
“You’re turning me on again,” I warned.
“Then slide down and sit on my dick.”
Was he serious?
Surely he needed more recovery time.
I didn’t verbalize those thoughts but still Jack answered.
“You don’t believe me?” His knees cocked up, one of his hands left my ass, the other gave it a slap, and he demanded, “Lift up.”
I lifted.
I felt the head of his dick at my entrance and had my answer.
He was serious, and no, he didn’t need more recovery time.
“Slide on.”
I slid down.
