Craving Jess Read online

  Her work clothes made her look out of place in the room filled with scantily clad women. He enjoyed the way the long skirt clung to her hips. Did she know her attempt at hiding her body actually showed it off? Probably not.

  She glanced at a few of the patrons and abruptly turned on her heel, exiting the building. Damon started forward, but his curiosity got the better of him. She obviously hadn't been looking for him, but rather at the women. What was she up to?

  Her reappearance twenty minutes later answered his question. He stood behind one of the weight stations, spotting the bar for a middle-aged man. Damon tilted his head sideways and took in Jess's change of clothes.

  Gone was her all-encompassing skirt and moleskin jacket, replaced by black spandex leggings and a sports bra, covered with a spaghetti strapped exercise shirt. Almost at once, his brother Rick, who'd all but ignored her the first time she'd come in, moved smoothly around the reception counter and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. She smiled up at Rick and blushed at something he said.

  Damon snapped his fingers to get the attention of a nearby weight lifter. “Spot him, okay?” At the guy's answering shrug, Damon rushed toward Jess and Rick.

  When he reached them, Rick scowled at him. “She says you promised her a free membership?"

  Damon glanced from one to the other and realized Jess's blush had been one of embarrassment rather than flirtation. She blinked expectantly, staring only at him. Not at Rick. What, were they both blind?

  "Jess, this is my brother Rick."

  Rick's eyebrows shot up and he mouthed an ‘O'. “Sorry. You should've said so."

  Damon narrowed his eyes at her as she giggled in Rick's direction. Why the sudden interest in exercise?

  "I should have called. I just had a horrible few hours at work. I need to de-stress.” Jess lifted her hand to his, but let it drop before he could grasp her fingers. “You said this would help."

  He tried to read her emotions. Jess never skipped out on work. Why now?

  Rick coughed and widened his eyes in Jess's direction over her head. “I'll just get back to what I was doing. Damon, why don't you show Jess how some of the equipment works?” He glared at Damon once more before returning to the computer at the reception desk.

  Jess studied her feet before releasing a heavy sigh. “Look,” she began and lifted her gaze to his face. “I've gotta do some research about people who work out. It's for my job.” She cocked her head sideways and looked at him from beneath her long lashes. “I gotta get it right or I'm in deep doodoo."

  Damon laughed and swung an arm around her shoulders. “You copywriters always know the most eloquent things to say."

  He led her to an open rowing machine and patted the seat. “Sit here.” He taught her a light workout with ten machines. At first he did his best to keep his hands from her, but by the sixth machine, he found his hands on her waist at every opportunity.

  After the tenth exercise, she slapped his behind and grinned. “What else ya got?"

  "I don't think you should overdo it on your first day.” He faced her, his hands resting lightly on her ribs just above the black spandex.

  She rose onto her tiptoes, her hands pressing his shoulders for leverage. She didn't quite make it eye to eye with him.

  "Yeah, I could tell by the measly amount of weight you gave me.” She released him and sauntered to the crate of clean towels. She lifted her long hair and draped one across the back of her neck, her hands holding either end from the front. “I don't have time to experience everything slow and gentle, Damon. I'm on a deadline.” The tiniest quirk of her left eyebrow let him know she'd intended the double entendre.

  He lunged toward her, but she was already moving. “Where's that room you said you do self-defense classes in? This way?"

  So she wanted to play? Their agreement lent a whole new dimension to her usually innocent flirting. He smiled as he followed her to the room, his eyes riveted to the sway of her backside. Spandex really left nothing to the imagination.

  Two women occupied the far end of the mirror room, using the barre to help stretch. Jess nodded at them before turning to Damon. “So what sort of stuff do you teach in your self-defense course?"

  Damon frowned. “Actually, one of my employees teaches that class. But I can show you a few things.” She blushed and dropped eye contact. His chest warmed. Although he hadn't meant that in a sexual way, it seemed that was where Jess's mind was. He decided to see how much of a game she planned to play.

  He led her to the small padded area, moved behind her, and slipped his arm around her neck so her chin rested on his elbow. “Let's say you worked late, and on the way to your car someone grabs you from behind."

  "Does he smell like you?” She pressed backward, her round bottom brushing against his groin.

  Startled, Damon shot a glance at the mirror. Jess's eyelids lay closed and she had a small smile on her pinkened face. “No. He smells like feet."

  She burst out in laughter and dropped to her knees. The two women from the other side of the room left and Jess composed herself.

  "Are we taking this seriously or not?” What would she do if he pushed her back on those gymnastics mats and made love to her right here, right now?

  "What? I got away, didn't I?” She sent a triumphant smirk up at him.

  His mouth opened and he snapped it shut. He went to his knees beside her and sank his fingers into her thick hair. “Now how would you get away?"

  Her breathing slowed, but her chest rose higher with each breath. Her eyes darkened. She eased closer. “I don't want to get away.” Her lashes drifted down and she pressed her soft lips to his mouth.

  A bolt of desire rocketed through his body. The kiss went from sweet to sizzle in a matter of seconds. He moved a knee between her thighs and let one hand slide down her back to the rounded behind he'd wanted to grab for the past two hours.

  Her barely audible groan as she dug her fingers into his shoulders threatened his control. If he wasn't careful he would make love to her right here where anyone could walk in.

  But he didn't want to share their first time with anyone.

  Damon cast a wary glance at the doorway and considered closing it, but the glass panel wouldn't stop anyone from peeking in to see why the room was shut off. He might be adventurous, but he didn't know if he could really risk being caught in the act at his own gym. He had to work here.

  "Where'd your mind go?” Jess kissed his lower lip and sucked it between her teeth.

  The door forgotten, Damon gripped her hair in his fist and kissed her. Her sharp inhalation through her nose told him how hot she was for him. Her hands shoved his t-shirt up, and once given access, she splayed her fingers wide, coming just short of clawing his skin.

  Keeping his hand in her hair, Damon turned her away from him. He stood behind her, facing the mirror. Jess stared at her reflection, the pink in her cheeks deepened, and she reached for the barre that ran the length of the mirrored panels.

  She pulled herself up enough to stretch her feet to the sides. Standing with her legs spread, she bent at the waist, held on to the barre, and wiggled her behind just enough for him to feel her brush the front of his pants. The sensation made his cock even harder and he cursed the lack of locks and shades on the door.

  Damon's blood throbbed in his temples. One hand kept her hair in his grip, the other went to her waist and jerked her against him. He instantly regretted the gesture. The vision of her naked in front of him while he pounded into her sweet sex nearly made him come in his pants. He closed his eyes and ground his teeth to try to maintain some control over himself. He wasn't a teenager for heaven's sake! He should be able to resist.

  Jess tilted her head and arched her back, grinding into him. A small moan came from her parted lips.

  Damon tugged gently on her hair, pulling her to a standing position in front of him. His hands went to her breasts and he whispered hotly into her ear.

  "Come home with me. Now."

  She no
dded, her eyes hooded and dazed with heat.

  He took her hand and led her through the facility, keeping her just in front of him so he wouldn't shock the whole place with his raging hard-on. In less than fifteen minutes, she'd be naked and beneath him. He couldn't wait.

  * * * *

  Ordinarily Jess would freak out at the thought of leaving her car downtown. How would she get to work in the morning? What outrageous fee would she be charged for the overnight spot in the deck? What if they towed her?

  But this day, she was with Damon. Or rather, she would be. If she had any doubt about his desire for her, he'd squelched it when he ground against her in the gym. Anyone could have walked in. And he hadn't cared. It was like they were the only two people in the place.

  She licked her lips and smiled at him. As if he felt her attention, he reached across the gearshift and squeezed her thigh. He left his hand there, the warmth driving her crazy.

  Once they left the highway and turned onto the smaller street leading to their neighborhood, she realized his hand was moving. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat, hoping he couldn't see the tight grip she had on the door guard.

  He angled his hand and his smallest two fingers grazed the center seam of her pants. He paused.

  Just as Jess began to relax, the fingers traced small circles. Her breath caught audibly. The sweet pressure made her sure he could feel the wetness through her workout clothes. If she'd been wearing anything else, she'd have been tempted to take it off or pull it up to give him better access.

  Thank heaven they were almost home. Damned spandex.

  Damon's house, unlike hers, had a garage. The car jolted to a halt inside, darkness descending as the outer door closed behind them.

  The leather seat on the driver's side creaked. Damon inhaled, but before he could speak, Jess pushed herself toward him and found his lips. She kissed him hard, hoping he wasn't about to offer her a way out of his bed. She had no intention of missing this opportunity. His answer was a kiss just as powerful. Her toes curled in her sneakers.

  Damon smiled beneath her mouth and the door opened slightly behind him. He climbed out of the car, pulling her along by the hand. She clambered over the gearshift and awkwardly launched herself through the driver's door.

  She couldn't see Damon, but his pulse pounded through the hand that held hers. Or was that her heart pounding in her ears?

  As her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light, she followed him up the three steps to his mudroom. Once inside, he flipped on a light switch, bent to her waist and lifted her. He placed her on top of the washing machine and stood between her knees.

  One hand brushed her hair from the side of her face, his thumb settling near the edge of her mouth. She tried to rotate her head to kiss his thumb, but he held her fast.

  She peered up at him, her hands locked behind his neck. Damon's gentle eyes, the color of tiger's-eye stone, focused on hers. He seemed to be looking for something inside her. If she only knew what he wanted, she'd give it to him freely.

  The corners of her lips quirked and she tilted her head. “What?” She stroked his prickly hairline with her fingers. “Change your mind?” A small worry sparked to life in her gut. She was sure of Damon, wasn't she?

  One side of his mouth lifted. He pulled her to the edge of the machine, pressing between her legs. “Just trying to be honorable."

  "Screw ‘honorable'.” She hooked her ankles around his waist and raised an eyebrow in challenge. She needed him to want her. Not just any guy. It had to be Damon. If he turned her down again—

  He chuckled deep in his chest and swung her down. She emerged from the mudroom into the small area at the bottom of his stairs. Tired of the thin straps of her shirt tickling her neck, she wrenched it over her head and threw it backwards.

  She twisted aside to let Damon go up first, but he pinned her against the wall, holding her hands over her head.

  He angled his head down, his nose next to hers, his lips a breath away. Jess arched toward him, but he evaded her attempt, dipping his head to her neck to trail kisses the length of her throat. Fire shot through her groin.

  Damon dropped to his knees, delving his fingers beneath the sides of her sports bra. It took Jess a few seconds to realize she could move her hands. Her knees grew weak and she used the wall to keep herself upright.

  Damon's fingers streaked perilously close to the bottom of her breasts. Only the cold air told her he'd lifted the fabric. She was too lost in waves of sensation to be aware of more than his tongue on her skin.

  Soon her legs gave way and she slid to face him on the carpet. He slaked his lips over hers, then pulled back to remove his shirt. Jess took the opportunity to peel off her sports bra.

  Damon growled and smiled wolfishly before springing forward.

  She scooted back, her shoulder blades touching the carpeted stairs. He lay over her and she accepted him into her arms, his weight like heaven wrapping around her.

  The texture of the stubble on Damon's cheeks was a welcome roughness against her soft skin. He balanced on one elbow, using his free hand to knead her breasts. Her head tipped back as she gave herself to his touch.

  He placed a quick kiss on one nipple and looked up at her. “Not that I'm complaining, but these stairs are going to get mighty uncomfortable in a minute."

  Jess gave him what she hoped was a leer as she extricated herself and backed up the stairs to the landing. Facing away from Damon, she deliberately rolled the spandex pants down her legs, wiggling her rear a bit more than necessary. She bent to remove them from her ankles and sensed Damon's approach. With a shrill giggle, she took the steps two at a time.

  He caught her at the door to his bedroom, enveloped her in his arms and kissed her. His tongue traced her bottom lip. She closed her lips on it and gave a teasing suck. She grinned at his sharp intake of breath.

  He stepped backwards toward his bed and reached for his waistband.

  Jess tried to keep up her bravado, but turned her head when the shorts came down. She crossed her arms self-consciously over her breasts.

  Damon cleared his throat, drawing her eyes to his face, and crooked a finger at her. She was powerless to stop herself.

  He sat on the edge of the mattress and grasped her hips, settling her between his legs. She watched his handsome face as he closed his mouth over her right nipple. She had only a second to wonder how she'd gotten so lucky. Her best friend. Her gorgeous, god-like Adonis of a best friend wanted her. And if anything, she knew for sure and certain that she was not cold. She was on fire from the inside out.

  When his forearms tightened, she heard fabric rend. He lifted his head, lay back, and pulled her on top of his chest. Flesh touched flesh and she discovered the noise had been her thong underwear falling victim to Damon's strength.

  Shock slammed through her. It was daylight, for heaven's sake! She'd never been quite this naked with a man. Once, as a teenager in a foolish attempt at acceptance, she'd been semi-naked, but she'd never considered a hasty deflowering in the back seat of a car much to brag about and had put the notion out of her mind for years.

  But this heat between her legs had nothing to do with the slick folds of her own sex. No, that swollen, hot flesh was all Damon. There was no way that thing was going to fit inside of her. Good lord, what had she been thinking?

  As if he sensed her withdrawal, Damon tipped so that she moved into the bend of his arm. He touched his forehead to hers. She thought he would take the chance to back out, but instead of speaking, he gave her a slow kiss that warmed her to her toenails. His tongue eased into her mouth, and her insides turned to liquid.

  Her panicked thoughts fled like dandelion seeds, wisping away in slow motion. She sighed and touched his chest with her hands.

  Damon's penis still stood out from his body, but he'd somehow maneuvered so that it rubbed between her legs. A sweet ache blossomed there, growing until she wished he'd just throw her onto her back and plunge deep inside of her.

&nb
sp; Her pelvis ground against him as she tried to draw him inside. His breath, now ragged and warm against her throat, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

  One of his hands lingered on her waist, then spanned her barely rounded stomach before two fingers dove to the triangle of curls and stroked her most sensitive spot.

  She cried out, surprising them both by coming so easily. Her insides clenched and quivered, the ache for him starting anew.

  She bit her bottom lip and reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his sex and squeezing slightly.

  Damon groaned and rose on his elbows. She spread her thighs, slipping one leg beneath and around his to trap him right where she wanted him, hot and ready and pressing against her.

  His eyes narrowed briefly before he closed them and took her mouth. Jess's breath caught in her throat as he drove himself inside of her. And stopped.

  "You're so goddamn tight.” His voice was somewhere near her ear, she couldn't be sure. She didn't know where her own body was, much less his. She'd become this boneless, smoky creature, made of wanton urges and freefalls.

  She strained under him, wanting him to move, to end the dulcet torture. “Please, Damon,” she whispered.

  Her next words were lost as Damon began to rock back and forth, each stroke building the ache again, until she heard his voice again.

  "Oh, god, Jess, I'm gonna come inside you."

  Immediately her control snapped. She went over into the abyss. Wave after wave of glorious sensation swept over her, driven on by the knowledge that Damon still pulsed inside her.

  Eventually she became aware of a sheen of perspiration covering their skin and shivered. Damon rolled to his side and drew a sheet over their legs. When he kissed her temple, she snuggled against his neck.

  Jess's breathing evened after a few minutes. She hovered between sleep and wakefulness, exhausted from Damon's lovemaking and from her stress-filled day. She'd almost fallen asleep completely when she heard him speak. They were words she knew he'd never meant for her to hear. They'd been whispered, more breath than actual form. But she'd understood.