Chapter 48

The scent of pears invaded his dreams along with the most annoying buzzer that wouldn’t stop. He curled into the scent, her silky soft skin, murmuring into the line of her neck as he finally started to wake. He’d spooned around her in the night, burying his nose into her neck where she smelled the sweetest.

He smiled into her hair when she blindly fumbled for his travel alarm until she found the snooze bar. He nuzzled the line where the short hair started to stack up the back of her head.

“Tired,” she mumbled when the tip of his tongue tasted skin just below three rather pretty freckles. Ignoring her plea he followed the line of skin to the gentle dip between her shoulder blades, tracing each tic of vertebrae. His fingers skimmed over her naked hip and followed the line to the seam of her inner thigh. He rubbed tiny circles along her mound until he heard the small moan just before a tremor flashed through her system.

Her gasp was followed by his name and his touch firmed, sinking into her warmth, skimming over the slick folds of her. She backed up against him, the cheeks of her bottom rubbing along his morning erection until he hissed. Dipping two fingers inside of her he coated both his fingers and her sex, finding the jewel inside of her plump and ready for him. Parting her lips he teased her until the idea of sleep was a distant memory for both of them.

Holding her back from the orgasm he knew he could coax from her with little more than a brush of his fingers he eased her to her knees. She lowered the front of her body and arched her back leaving his mouth dry.

The heart shape of her ass high in the air with her pink lips so full with need drove him from morning wood to straining madness. When she looked over her shoulder and braced her elbows he knew he’d never seen anything sweeter.

Her green eyes were like flicks of flame when they met his. “Fuck me,” she said in a low voice that he could barely recognize.

An ounce of sanity prevailed and he grabbed a condom from her bag before he stuffed himself into her so hard and so fast that her head fell forward and his name strangled free.

Tessa’s fingers gripped the mattress then the headboard as he drove into her. With each slap of his flesh against hers, she pushed back aching for more. Her body was already abused from another night of loving but still she wanted him, needed him, even yearned for him.

She arched low and pushed up against him, her body betraying her as she screamed into the pillow. His fingers gripped her hips, leaving his imprint as he delved inside of her again and again.

Her breathing hitched with each thrust as she looked over her shoulder. His face was a study in concentration as he watched each glide of his cock inside of her. She rolled her hips on one slide and felt him fill each inch of her. His gaze strayed to hers and his jaw clicked as she copied the move.

Jon felt the roaring inside his head as she continued her cock teasing turns. With each thrust he felt her walls closing in tighter around him, realizing she was doing it on purpose didn’t ease the strain. Needs took over as she arched to take him deeper and what little control he had shredded.

He slammed into her like an animal. The slap of his balls against her wet lips and his merciless grip horrified him a little, but he couldn’t stop. She took him, grinding back against him, matching him stroke for stroke until the roar in his head tumbled from his lips.

He came with a ferociousness that never ceased to surprise him. Her smell and her skin left him longing for comfort, but the witchy eyes had dragged him into madness. He pulled from her, his heart stuttering when she collapsed inside of herself, hugging her knees as she rocked forward to press her forehead to them.

Rubbing her back he took care of the condom and pressed kisses along her hip, where he’d left marks, dragging her close to him. His arms slid around her, under her breasts as he pulled her flush against him. Burying his nose in her shoulder he drew in the calming scent of her.

She’d said nothing only because words couldn’t even be formed in her brain right now. Would it always be like this? Would she survive if she lost it? Even the lovely and sweet loving came with a storm that often left her feeling like she’d barely survived.

“Tessa,” he said into her ear on a near whisper.

“Mmm?” She rolled her head against his shoulder until she could press her cheek to his.

“I-“ the words could have tripped right off his tongue. He felt them, knew it with a sureness that he hadn’t felt in a long time. But it wasn’t the right time to tell her. Not in the aftermath of sex like that, where it would just sound like pillow talk. “I don’t want to go, but I have only an hour to get ready and get Richie moving to get to this meeting.”

Nerves in her belly released. She’d felt the hesitation in him, even in the way his heartbeat drilled into her back. “I know, Jon. Seriously, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll take a bus into-“

“You will not,” he rolled away from her, and she slid onto her back blinking up at him. “My woman doesn’t ride a bus.”

Tessa arched a brow. “Your woman?”

He frowned. He hadn’t meant to put it quite that way. “You know what I mean.”

“No, really…enlighten me,” she said with an eerie calm.

He sat up and tunneled his fingers through his still sweaty hair. “You aren’t taking a bus, end of story that’s all.”

Tessa tucked the sheet around her and scooted next to him. “I know you’re not giving me an order, right?” She reached up and caught his chin easing it her way to meet his eyes. “That tone in your voice is all in my imagination.”

Jon caught her wrist and pulled back from her touch. “You’ll have a car at your disposal. My driver is here with me in Nashville and will be happy to get you wherever you need to go. If you want to walk around from there, that’s fine.”

She slipped her hand free from his hold. “I see.” She scooted back on the bed until she could lean on the padded leather headboard, threading her arms around her knees.

“This shouldn’t be a problem, Tessa.”

He stood and faced her, all the sinew and muscle that made her mouth water was there right before her, but all she could see was the closed off face that was normally so open and animated. “You would think it wouldn’t, huh?” she asked quietly.

He stalked to the bathroom and the door clicked shut ever so gently. She knew she was getting her back up a bit, but she didn’t take orders from anyone. If he’d asked her if she wanted a car she’d have happily said yes. She hated busses as much as the next person. But the way he’d tried to control the situation didn’t sit right with her.

And the way he’d completely changed…pulling away from her as if she’d told him she was going to run outside naked. She tucked her chin into her knees and twisted her ring until the metal was warm with it.

She was still sitting in the same spot when he came out with a pair of dress slacks on and a deep red shirt hanging open, his bare toes lost in the thick carpet. Without a word he popped his knuckles and sat next to her on the bed.

She sat up warily, her back tight to the headboard. One hand covered her knee as he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips. When she didn’t respond to him he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Words she wasn’t expecting broke through the hurt. She lifted a hand to his cheek and sighed. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and the clean smell of him eased the last of the bands strangling her.

He kissed her softly, no passion just easing the hurt he’d inadvertently caused. “I know I’m a hardass and there’s no excuse for it. I’m just used to doing things a certain way.”

She pulled back and met his eyes. “If you’d offered your driver, I’d have taken you up on it.” She rubbed her thumb across his bottom lip, kissed him again softly then met his eyes once more. “I don’t take orders, Jon. I’m not one of your employees or one of your lackies. A certain caveman, “my woman” could get your ass kicked depending on the tone, but the whole you do as I say thing. I’m telling you here and now that’s not going to fly with me.”

He met her sober green eyes and pulled her forward. Starting all over again wasn’t going to be easy. As much as they gelled when it came to passion and chemistry he was beginning to see the strong woman lurking beneath the fun. He should have known better than to try and control her. Hell, he didn’t want that again.

“I’m not going to promise that I won’t be a dick about things in the future, Tessa.” He took her hands in his. “I’m a man who’s used to a certain way of doing things, but you’ll never hear an order out of my mouth again.”

She maneuvered herself to her knees and smiled at him. “That’ll do for now.” The bands that had been suffocating her eased. “We’re both just starting to learn about each other, Jon. I don’t expect it to be perfect. I’m old enough to know that fairytales are for books and not real life.”

He slid his hand inside the sheet and eased his fingers around her waist, coasting down her butt and back up before the sheet pooled around her. She curled around him until she was flush against the strip of skin at the row of buttons he’d yet to do up. He groaned into her ear, “I have to go.”

She knee-walked to the edge of the bed and dragged him back to her mouth. He snuffed out a breath as her tongue slid through his lips and tangled with his. When he heard a pounding on their door he managed to break free.

“That can’t be good if Richie’s telling me it’s time to go.”

Her fingers slid into the not quite buttoned up slacks, he hissed when she found him without error. Hating himself and the obligations that pulled at him he took a big step back. “You are not going to drag me back into that bed.”

She stepped down off the mattress and moved forward. “No?”

He took another step back and another, until he reached the door. She was gloriously naked. Her copper cap of hair mussed from sex and sleep tore at him and his fingers itched to dive back into the silk, but it was determination on her face that made his gut clench.

She pressed a knee between his legs and plastered herself to him until she was on tip-toes and she could brush the edge of his jaw with her lips. “Have a good day,” she said simply and traced her finger down the center of his chest along the ridge of his abs until she reached his belly button. She breathed him in, letting her fingers whisper along the silky trail of hair at his belt, then she let go.

She turned and walked to the bathroom and Jon sagged against the door. The pounding of Richie’s fist kicked him into action and he swore ripely as he buttoned his shirt. Tucking the tails into his pants he pushed down the erection he was pretty sure he was going to sport most of the day. Jamming his feet into socks and shoes he cleared out.

“Are you done fucking around?” Richie asked when he came out.

Jon rubbed his jaw where her kiss had landed, hoping to rub away the buzz she’d left behind. He’d never be able to concentrate if he thought about her waiting for him all damn day. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Richie palmed the back of his head and pushed him toward the door. “Uh huh, come on loverboy.”