Winters' Thaw Read online

“Just shoot me now,” she groaned.

  The chest beneath her began to shake before she heard his laughter. Great. Her big moment and she goes ass over teakettle in her underwear. Oh wait, she was still technically wearing her pants. They were wrapped around one ankle.

  Kevin, of course, was fully dressed.

  “Damn. I suppose I should be glad you have good reflexes,” she grumbled. “Hate to show up in the ER where I work having to explain that one.”

  That got his laughter going all over again. “You okay?”

  She couldn’t look at him. “I’m fine. I should be the one asking if you’re okay.”

  “Oh yeah. I’m right where I want to be.”

  That was not a third hipbone poking her lower belly. He was still aroused and while that had been the intention before her little acrobatic feat, the mood was broken for her. She wanted nothing more than to inconspicuously get up, get her clothes back on and rebuild her confidence.

  Her moving was obviously not what Kevin wanted. His heart thundered beneath her ear as his hands began a sensuous slide down her lower back to curve over her cheeks. Prickles of heat instantly radiated from his palms through the thin silk of her panties.

  His chest vibrated again, this time due to the groan that rumbled from his throat when he ground his cock against her.

  She dared to lift her head to look at him for the first time since making a fool of herself.

  “Sorry.” He closed his eyes and let his let his head fall back. His Adam’s apple took a hard bob. “You seem hesitant and I’m trying to hold off to give you what you need but you feel so damn good,” he admitted.

  Okay, so maybe she could leave her clothes off and rebuild her confidence right here where she sat.

  He wanted to give her what she needed. For some reason, he thought that meant waiting to have sex even though that was what he was there for but it was still really sweet.

  She didn’t want sweet. She wanted what he was holding back from her, that all-consuming passion she’d never felt or driven a man to feel. Until now.

  For the first time in her life she had the overwhelming urge to make a man come. To see him, touch him, taste him to her satisfaction and she wasn’t going to waste another second before making her wish come true.

  Kevin had to get hold of himself. He literally couldn’t see straight. Apparently it wasn’t jerking off that could make a guy go blind, it was not doing it that caused the problem. The thought would be funny but shit he was close.

  Maybe if he opened his eyes and stopped caressing her ass…

  Yeah, his fingers curved as he ground her against his cock again, that was going to happen.

  Christ, it hadn’t been that long since he’d had sex. A year, tops. What the hell was happening here? His body wanted in her, now!

  He knew he hadn’t said that out loud but she sat up, tearing another groan from him when she settled that sweet ass over his aching cock, his hands still molded to her curves between them. He felt her undo his belt and slowly unzip his jeans, before she lifted off him to drag them down his thighs. The boxers came along too.

  His palms slapped to the carpet as her fingers wrapped around him and all movement stopped. He needed a few steadying breaths before he finally opened his eyes.

  Elle was looking at his cock through half-shuttered lids, that mouth with its lush lower lip slowly closing the gap between her and his already leaking slit. Her tongue poked out at the last second.

  Oh fuck! “I’ll come,” he managed to gasp.

  “I’d like that.”

  The first swipe of her tongue was tentative. Watching as she did it again, feeling that wet heat and seeing her tongue retreat, taste and come back for more made him forget how to breathe. Within a minute he went from wondering if she was experienced to wondering why she’d held back when she so clearly knew how to drive a man mad with her mouth.

  Her other hand scraped down his stomach, his thigh and her fingertips began to explore his balls as she concentrated slow licks and nibbles to the sensitive crown of his cock.

  Holy shit!

  He hoped to god she really did want him to come because he had about ten seconds until detonation. His shaft pulsed a warning against her hand and the last thing he saw was her smile so carnal it needed a warning label. Then she engulfed his entire cock in the soft wet heat of her mouth and sucked.

  He went off like a rocket. Heat suffused him from head to toe as his entire body stiffened and it was all he could do to try to dig his fingers into the carpet fibers as he jerked with each pulse of release.

  She didn’t stop. And there was no warm splash on his stomach, no mess.

  “Jesus, Elle! Stop! Stop!”

  She took him deeper and he came again, every muscle in his body tightening so hard it actually hurt but fuckin’ A, it hurt so good.

  It took a long, long time to relax his body, one muscle at a time, when she did let go. She didn’t go far. He could feel her watching him and when he opened his eyes, he saw her intense scrutiny in double vision.

  He’d been treated to blowjobs before, great ones but he’d never had his mind blown along with it and he’d never come twice like that. Until now.

  “Fuckin’ A,” he grunted. He’d meant to say it but his voice was too hoarse, making him wonder just how loud he’d been.

  “Fuckin’ beautiful,” Elle murmured.

  He jackknifed to a sitting position when it looked like she was going to reach for him again. Hell no! It wouldn’t do either of them any good if he passed out. Besides, it was her turn. Christ, it was her day, week, month and year.

  Just as soon as he could breathe right again.

  But Elle stood up and then damn! She left the living room and came back a minute later wearing a black silk robe. It was sexy but her message was clear, especially when she sat on the couch.

  Playtime was over for the moment.

  Kevin very carefully slid his boxers and jeans up and fastened them. He pulled the belt free and tossed it near his bag. Getting up to sit with her on the couch took a lot more effort with his muscles feeling like jelly but he made it. And he wasn’t letting her get away with a nonverbal delivery. They’d started things off on honest, open footing and he liked it that way. He liked it a lot.

  “Do I get to return the favor after we eat?” he asked as casually as he could, considering he sounded like he’d just sung backup for a death metal gig.

  “I don’t know,” Elle admitted in that straightforward manner he appreciated. “I really like how I feel right now and I don’t want it to go away.”

  “You like how you feel right now? Did we just have the same encounter? Because I’m remembering something pretty one-sided. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing but only one of us got the prize. Twice.”

  She shook her head and reached for her wine. “I don’t know if I can explain it but I won too. I’ve never done that before. I mean, I’ve done that before, just not with the same results.” He watched her take a healthy swallow of her drink, knowing there was more to what she wanted to say. “I wasn’t sure I was capable of making you lose control and I want to savor my victory.”

  The admission surprised him enough into saying the first thing that popped into his head. “Your ex is a fool.”

  Shit. He was about to apologize for bringing it up again, let alone in a sexual context, when she smiled that little smile that made him wish he were back on the carpet for round three.

  “Yes.” She handed him his sandwich and began to unwrap her own. “I’m truly beginning to understand that.”

  Chapter Six

  It was kind of nice having Kevin around for dinner. Elizabeth generally made large portions whenever she cooked something, then froze the leftovers in single servings so she didn’t have to cook every night. It was quick and efficient. It also made for lonely mealtimes.

  She knew she’d get used to it over time but it was her younger daughter’s freshman year at college. It hadn’t been too long since she’d
had someone there to share their day and those meals had been completely different. She highly doubted Kevin was going to bubble over with who was dating whom, which college his friends had chosen and which boys may have caught his eye. Likewise, she wouldn’t be asking him if he had enough money for the night and to make sure he was home by curfew.

  So what should she discuss with a guy she’d just been remarkably intimate with? Never thought I’d say this but you taste good. That’s a turkey club you’re eating, right? Care to share your diet with the rest of the male population?

  Right. Best save that one for after dinner. Or never.

  Kevin lifted his sandwich and the tattoo peeked out from under his sleeve. It banded around his biceps and had some red in it but she couldn’t tell much else from what was showing. She was curious and hey…

  She frowned at him. “You never took off your shirt.”

  Thankfully she caught him after he’d swallowed his food because he gave a bark of laughter. “I lost my underwear while you kept yours on,” he pointed out. “But I’m willing to play again. I’ll lose the shirt if you’ll lose the robe.”

  That was a no-brainer. “Pants too,” she said, then added, “and no, I don’t have to take the bra off,” when he opened his mouth to speak. “It’s underwear.”

  “So much for equality,” he grumbled.

  “You could have worn a bra.”

  “Nah, my lacy one was in the wash.” He grinned as he reached up and over to fist his shirt from the back.

  Yum. She’d always loved it when guys yanked off their shirts that way. Very sexy.

  “You sure I can’t convince you to lose the bra?” he asked as he tossed his shirt over the back of the couch.

  Huh? Oh, right, she was supposed to be taking off her robe. Damn, his chest was fine. How could she have left it covered earlier?

  His skin was smooth and golden, the muscles on his chest and arms pronounced but not overly so. Just enough to form mounds and ridges and to know he’d be hard to the touch. He wasn’t hairy. A fine line ran up the middle and scattered across his chest, so light a brown it was barely visible. It got heavier and darker farther down, where it traced to his bellybutton and lower, before disappearing into the waistband of his jeans.

  “Elle,” he said softly. “You were going to take off your bra?”

  Right. She slowly got up, slid the robe off her shoulders and reached for the front clasp, still taking in his perfection before she realized what he’d said.

  “Hey!” She sat back down, bra still on.

  He shrugged and offered no apology, those green eyes dancing with humor as he finished off his sandwich. The full tattoo caught her attention as he leaned forward to pour them more wine.

  Elizabeth reached out and traced the ink with her finger. It didn’t band around his arm as she’d originally thought but stretched across about three inches long and two and a half inches wide. It was a black cross, quite a simple one, with a vine bearing red rosebuds climbing up the vertical post and one red rose in bloom at the cross. To the left of the open rose on the horizontal was the number nineteen, to the right the number fifty-four. Odds were the numbers combined to form a year.

  She’d seen a lot of tattoos as a nurse and while this was well-done and cared for, it was not new.

  “It’s beautiful,” she told him. “Is this your only tattoo?”

  He nodded and sat back again, leaving his drink on the table. He was trying to appear relaxed but she could feel the tension in him. He didn’t want her to ask what the tattoo stood for.

  It made her more curious. Instinct told her the explanation was a huge part of what made him tick and it was surprising how much she wanted to know his secrets. Besides, she’d been more than forthcoming about a few things she’d rather have kept to herself.

  “You don’t want to tell me what it means,” she said. It wasn’t a question. She put the rest of her sandwich on the coffee table to give him her full attention.

  “It’s not something I usually talk about,” he admitted. “And it’s been awhile since anyone has asked.”

  “Yet you display it for all to see.”

  “You’re not going to let this go.” He looked at her for a pregnant moment and then sighed. “Okay, yes, at first that was the idea. My mom died of cancer when I was twelve. I got the tattoo in her honor the day I turned eighteen.”

  There was more to it than that. It wasn’t instinct guiding Elizabeth this time, it was years of seeing patients and their families deal with terminal illness. There was a whole world of pain behind his three simple sentences.

  “Was she sick for a long time?” she asked.

  Again, she got the flat answer. “No, it was pretty quick. About four months from the time she was diagnosed.”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t get more time with her before she died. I’m sure she wanted more time with you.”

  That obviously wasn’t what he expected to hear and she doubted he realized he’d given himself away by crossing his arms and stroking the tattoo with his thumb. “Thanks. Yeah, I do know it was better that she went quickly but at the time it felt like she was there one day and gone the next.”

  “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth repeated more softly. “You created a beautiful tribute. Did you design it?”

  He nodded. She didn’t think he was going to say anything more but he surprised her. “I didn’t do it for the right reasons. I wish I had but I didn’t. I began designing it a year after she died, the day my father married my stepmother. If I legally could have, I would have had it tattooed up the side of my face right then and there. Thankfully, by the time I was old enough to get it done I had mellowed to putting it on my arm.”

  “Oh, Kevin.” She had no trouble picturing him then, one hundred percent hurt little boy.

  “I got what I wanted. It drove Esther crazy every time she saw the drawings in my room and it really drove her nuts when I got the actual tattoo.”

  “Until you left for college and Esther wasn’t around anymore.”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her in wonder. “Not too many people would get it but you do, don’t you?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “You were left with a reminder of your spite for your stepmother instead of your love for your mother.”

  “Shit. This is a real mood killer, you know that?” He made a sound that would have been a laugh but it held no humor. “The one smart move I made was to put my mom’s date of birth instead of the date she died. I wanted to celebrate her life, not mourn her death.”

  “I’m sure she would have appreciated that.”

  “Yeah, well my stepmother sure didn’t. Ironically, that’s the part she hated most.”

  Elizabeth put her hand over his thumb that stroked the tattoo. “Sometimes we see things that aren’t there, especially as children. I’ll bet she’s forgiven you.”

  This time he did laugh but she didn’t get the joke. “She, as in Esther? Sorry but no. Her first rule was that my mom was never to be mentioned in what was now ‘her’ house. I don’t give a flying fuck what Esther thinks.”

  It was Elizabeth’s turn to be shocked. She could live to be one hundred and never understand the motivation behind cruel behavior, especially toward children. “Then again, sometimes children see more than adults do,” she said, reversing herself. “Sounds like you had her pegged from the start.”

  “Damn. Are you sure you’re not a therapist?”

  “I’ve learned to read people. It helps with my job,” she shrugged, trying to lighten up. If she was reading him right, he really had dealt with what he’d told her.

  “Just so you know, we’re not doing the one-sided thing again,” he warned her. “By my estimate, you now owe me three questions in the red zone and another three in green or orange for everything I divulged. Possibly more.”

  Oh god. He wasn’t going to ask her if she’d had oatmeal for breakfast. He was an astute man and she didn’t doubt he’d know exactly where to delve. That could be a good thing, conside
ring her issues had to do with feeling like a sexual failure. When they had sex, she’d find out if the cruel things her ex had said were true. She wouldn’t believe them for a second if her one attempt before Phil hadn’t been dismal too.

  Wouldn’t it be great to not give a “flying fuck” what Phil thought?

  Kevin, on the other hand, was a great guy and being closer to him before sex could only help. She braced herself for the roller coaster ride and looked straight into Kevin’s gorgeous emerald eyes.

  “What is it you want to know?”

  * * * * *

  Kevin needed to regroup. He had friends he’d met in college who didn’t know about his parents and he’d met Elle a week ago. What the hell?

  He should be running for the door.

  Fuck that. Less than an hour ago he’d come twice in her amazing mouth, yet he was ready, willing and able to come again. They were sitting in their underwear. He should be stripping off that underwear and coming inside her anywhere she’d let him enter, not spilling his guts.

  If he did either of those things, he’d never learn her secrets. There was still that hesitation he hadn’t been able to put his finger on and he’d bet his prized Ibanez bass that it was every bit as deep and personal as what he’d told her.

  It was a piece of her puzzle he craved.

  He took her hand, surprised to find how comforting it was. Those caramel brown eyes of hers, filled with curiosity and genuine concern, had already pulled at him to say more than he’d intended. Even though she did understand, it was all old news. He’d found his own way after college, hooking up with the right therapist at the right time. It had taken a while but he’d laid his anger to rest. It was what it was.

  “You sure you wouldn’t like to lose the bra first? I could be easily distracted before you open yourself up to everything, right down to your first make-out session.”

  “Nice try. Wayne Collins when I was about eight. He was a couple of years older and we were neighbors. He stuck his tongue in my mouth and I told him that it was wet and gross. For some reason he never kissed me again. That counts as your first question, by the way.”