Chapter 120

Lifting her hand back to slide into his hair she held him closer arching against his questing hand. “Don’t wait. Touch me,” she breathed out. “God, I need you to touch me,” she whispered as his hands slid over the cashmere of the dress coasting along her hips.

His knees brushed the back of hers as he started tugging the material up. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, nosing along the nape of her neck. His breath heavy along her skin as the air caressed her thighs first.

Whimpering as he drew it over her hips her head fell back against his chest. The slowness was almost worse than the waiting. She wanted to rip the dress up and over her head, but her feet were cemented to the floor and her arms were too heavy to move. His lips slowly traced the scooped neckline that widened over her shoulders.

She gasped as the cool air washed over the scrap of lace she wore. He watched over her shoulder as more and more of her was revealed. His right hand raked lightly over her thigh then teased his way up the seam of skin that met leg and center. Barely touching, he traced his fingertips over her belly, flattening his palm over the quivering muscles there. Arrowing down, he pushed his fingers just into her panties and held her there.

Teasing with the lightest of pressure, but he didn’t move any lower. Groaning, she pressed back against him. “Tease,” she groaned.

“All night,” he whispered. “This night isn’t going to end until one of us begs for mercy.”

His other hand slowly drew the dress up and over her head leaving her pendant to thud against her chest hot as the way he made her feel. Still leaving that one hand hovering over the heart of her his other hand roamed over her hip first, then up her ribs until he found the underside of her matching bra.

“Were you thinking of me when you put this on?” he asked letting his middle finger coast over her nipple.

“Yes,” she managed to whisper.

His right hand slid just a touch lower into her panties as his teeth scraped over her the flesh stretching between her shoulder and neck. He crouched lower and raked his nails down her left thigh, over the stretchy tops of her tights. “You know these make me insane, right?”

Surprised that a laugh could come out of her now she nodded, “I like making you crazy.”

His right hand left her panties leaving them to snap against her skin lightly. Groaning she made a move to turn around, but he stilled her with his hands on her hips. “Stay,” he murmured and his heat disappeared.

Standing in the middle of the floor as the music suddenly came into focus she hissed when his touch started at her ankles. She heard a rustle of clothing and something hit the floor. Soft, haunting strings of a song she didn’t know filled the room and her eyes filled as it spoke of home.

His hand circled her ankle then widened to cup her calf and up to her knee. His nose and lips brushed the back of her knee leaving her vulnerable and achy. Swaying a little as her legs tried to buckle his hands gripped the back of her thighs. Moved up once more his breath was hot and distracting as it blew across the high curve of her cheeks peeking from the black lace.

His thumbs traced the crease where thigh met rounded flesh. “You’re so soft.” His voice buzzed low and deep against the dip of her waist at the top of her cleft. Her insides quaked as his tongue followed each dip and line of her spine until he reached the snap of her bra.

Standing now, he released the catch and inched the straps of her bra down her arms. “It never ceases to amaze me how velvety smooth your skin is.” His fingers slowly lowered the bra until her breasts swung free. Her head fell back again as her entire body was pulled into him.

Heat, man and the springy hair of his chest burned her. Wanting to hold onto the tiny shred of sanity she had she took a slow breath. Haunting strings seemed to accentuate the way her entire body hummed. His hands slid around her waist again and up over her breasts cupping her until she flowed up from his fingers and the tight tips of her nipples burned in the center of his hands.

“Tessa,” he said against her ear. Shuddering she turned her head to find his mouth. The kiss was achingly slow as lips brushed over lips and the butterfly touch of his tongue against the corner of her mouth left her unable to think at all. Her left hand reached back to find the coarse material of his jeans as she held onto his thighs gripping against the slow destruction he was causing.

His right hand slid down her ribs to her belly again and she distantly heard his own groan when he finally drifted down into her panties to find her smooth. Nothing hid her from him and he pressed his middle finger lower until she jerked against him. The kiss went hot as his tongue thrusted into her mouth in time with his fingers.

Crying out, she opened herself to him her hand raising to his face drawing him closer as the kiss spun out and they had to break apart for breath. His mouth moved back to her neck and she could feel his eyes on her as he watched himself pleasure her. Arching she rubbed her ass against the tight rise of his cock. “Jon,” she panted. “Please.”

Suddenly his fingers slowed. “No,” he said and the gentle glide of his fingers stopped the free fall, instead, leaving her dangling on the edge.

“God,” she whimpered and tried to push herself against him.

“Shhh…I wanted this to be slow,” he took a deep breath of his own. “Slow and soft. I need your soft,” he said on a low voice.

Unable to deny that kind of request she forced her quaking body to still. “Sloooow,” she breathed. She wasn’t sure what it was about tonight that brought this out in him, but she would kill herself to try and give it to him.

His fingers drifted away and he walked around her. His eyes were dark and intense as he looked at her. She swallowed with a little difficulty as she took the rest of him in. He’d trimmed again, leaving his chest hair fuller at his the upper part of his chest and smoother, finer along his belly and down into the V of his jeans. Worn jeans hugged him showing the tight shaft of his cock arrowing up toward his belt. A wide silver buckle and plain black belt accentuated his cinched in waist.

“The way you look at me,” he groaned. “It makes me so hard I can’t think.”

She reached forward her fingers sliding over the rigid line of his shaft and up to the buckle. “Don’t think. Touch me,” she sighed and flipped out the end from his belt loops and tugged until it loosened. “The way you want me,” she watched his eyes heat, “it makes me feel like I can’t breathe sometimes.”

She jerked it free and let the belt thunk to the floor. Gliding her palm up his rock hard belly to the crisp hair of his chest where it curved into his pecs she sighed. Tracing her thumb over the diamond hard nipple nestled in there she brushed back and forth. “Just touch me,” she breathed.

~

Jon felt the ache low in his gut. This woman and her constant giving humbled him every time he touched her. She made him want to give more and live more. The week in the studio had drained him.

Songs and creating usually energized him, but the words and the loss that was careening its way through this album made him cherish her all the more. He’d started as lost as Richie was feeling, but found this woman and this love that he’d never thought he could find again. After pouring his guts into one of the saddest songs he’d ever written and recorded he’d needed her healing touch.

He needed this night of just them and just the connection that healed him. The mood of the night was heightened by songs he could control and giving her as much as she gave to him. Taking her by the hand he circled the couch to find the pallet of blankets and pillows he’d put near the fire.

He wanted to give her romance. Wanting to show her just how much she meant to him was paramount to getting through this week for him. And as Marc Broussard’s voice rasped over the speakers he pulled her down with him.

He wished he’d written the song. It was the heart of Tessa and the soul of the song was his now as he laid her down. Her hair was fire on the green and gold throws he’d set on the carpet. The words were her, the epitome of everything she was to him.

There's a soft, sweet space on the back of your neck

(smells like rain)

There's a way you look at me, baby

(heals my pain)

Now, I've studied every inch of your body

(baby, what's on your mind)

The touch of your skin just pulls me in

(every single time)

He curled her underneath him, letting their legs tangle as he eased on top of her. The tips of her nipples teased him as he leaned into her. The restless movement of her hips against his jeans just echoed everything he felt for her. Hot, restless…needy. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had brought him to that place.

There's a silent conversation

Filled with hidden revelations

In your eyes

He watched her face as he touched her reverently. Firelight and heat surrounded them as his lips feasted on her flesh. Each quiver and response brought him higher. Each time she whispered his name he sunk further into her.

Baby, I'm so into you

Every whisper from your soul to my heart

Baby, I know it's true

You're a sweet, little mystery

Sent to me from the stars

And that's the beauty of who you are

Oh yeah

There's a faith you're saving for a rainy day

I could use right now

There's a way you move my soul to sing

Only you know how

As her hands slid up his back and her fingers gripped the muscles there he rose to meet her mouth. Her taste was everything and he let it tumble him into the gentleness of her heart and the giving soul he couldn’t live without.

You are sensual salvation

With the holiest temptation

Baby, I'm never, never, never gonna be the same

Her hands lowered to the band of his jeans and her fingers eased around to free him. She pushed the denim over his hips and her nails coasted over his ass squeezing until a touch of laughter sweetened their kiss.

He looked down at her, the green of her eyes going smoky with that indefinable love she offered him again and again. Even without words he could see the forever in her eyes and he held onto it. He wanted forever. Wanted it so bad he could feel it in his guts and like a seed of hope he let it grow. He would make forever with this woman, no matter what it took.

Backing off of her to kick off his jeans he slowly peeled her panties down laying a soft kiss at the center of her but no more than that. Disposing of the tights he watched her open for him and he knew this was right.

Just her tonight.

Nothing between them but skin and the scent of pears reaffirming that love could happen again.

That the loss he felt coming off of Richie and bleeding into their songs could be taken away because of her. Kissing his way up her soft skin he curled his hand under her back and lifted her up as he glided home.

Her gasp of pleasure fed the climb as he kept the pace slow. Each fisting push and release was more intense than the last. The fine sheen of sweat that glistened on her skin in the fire reminded him of the connection of that first night.

Even then his body knew and even now he knew he’d fight hell to keep her. Losing this wasn’t an option. And the soft keening cry of his name on her lips let him finally take what his body was craving.

He took from her all that she offered. And the aftermath was a whole heart that only Tessa could give him.

Chapter NOTE:

All the songs can be found in the Soundrack section.

The songs are :

Blake Shelton - Home

Mazzy Star - Into Dust

Marc Broussard - The Beauty of Who You Are