Understood Read online

  She put one knee between his legs and worked her way over until she knelt between his thighs. Then she leaned, placing her hands on either side of his waist. She stared him in the eye, her mouth swollen from sucking his cock.

  “Can I ride you, Jake?”

  He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose so, wench. You won’t be happy until you’ve completely ravished me.”

  She laughed, a beautiful sound, so open and free. She bent down closer and kissed him. He allowed her to dictate the motion, and he enjoyed the fact that she took so much pleasure in exploring him.

  When she started to mount him, he put a hand to her waist. “There’s a condom in the nightstand drawer.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want one. Unless you do?”

  “Hell, Ellie, that’s like asking a starving man if he wants a carrot. Of course I don’t want to wear one. Men never do. But we suck it up and do it if we don’t want to lose a testicle.”

  She grinned. “Well, I’m the boss in this seduction, and I don’t want one.”

  He arched one eyebrow at her. “Well then, far be it for me to argue with the boss.”

  The words nearly strangled him as she sank down on him in one fluid motion. Holy hell in a bucket, the woman was going to kill his ass. Why did he ever think he was going to have to treat her with kid gloves when he convinced her to go to bed with him?

  Her fingers rested on his abdomen. She wiggled slightly as she tried to accommodate his size. Then she let out a long sigh of pleasure. Really, was there anything in the world better than the sound a contented woman made? Especially when you were the guy satisfying her.

  “Ellie, if you don’t start moving, this is all going to be over before it gets really fun,” he said in a strained voice.

  Her hips began a sensual rotation. She rolled and undulated then pushed herself upward. Her hips rose until he nearly slipped from her pussy before she sank down again, taking him as deep as he could go.

  He was looking at a goddess. She sat astride him, head thrown back in abandon. Her breasts thrust forward, the nipples tight beads. Her curls spilled over her shoulders, bouncing as she began to ride him faster.

  He reached out, desperate to touch her, needing to feel her. He cupped her breasts, wanting to give back the pleasure she gave to him.

  His thumbs brushed across her nipples, and she jerked in reaction. He smiled. “Like that, do you?”

  “Mmmmm.”

  He leaned up, wrapping his arms around her back. He caressed her bare skin, lowering until he cupped the globes of her ass. He squeezed and massaged, lifting her before letting her fall back onto his cock.

  “You’re magnificent, Ellie. I swear to God, you’re going to kill me if we keep this up.”

  She opened her eyes. “Want me to stop?”

  He smacked her on the ass. “Smart-mouthed wench. You stop and I’ll tie you to this bed for a month.”

  She continued to ride him and let out breathy, desperate sounds. “Jake, that isn’t exactly a threat. Will I still get paid for missing work?”

  He laughed. God, he loved this woman.

  Her breathing sped up. “Help me, Jake,” she pleaded. “I can’t hold out much longer.”

  He relaxed back onto the bed and gripped her hips. He could feel the storm building.

  “Relax, sweetheart. Let me do the work for a while.”

  She braced her hands on his forearms as he ground her down onto his cock over and over. The contractions started deep in her pussy. Soon she trembled all over.

  “Jake!”

  Her body tensed into one long, continuous spasm. He felt a sudden burst of wetness within her as she slumped onto his chest.

  He held her tightly, smoothing his hands up and down her damp back. She lay like a rag doll across him, her chest heaving.

  Finally, she raised her head, regret simmering in her blue eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “What the hell for?” he demanded.

  She blushed. “You haven’t even come yet.”

  He grinned and flexed his hips, driving his cock deeper within her. “Well now, sweetheart, we can fix that if you’ll roll with me for a minute.”

  He rolled her over, taking her underneath him. He repositioned himself between her legs and thrust. She let out another contented sigh, one that nearly had him spilling right then and there.

  He moved back and forth, allowing the rocketing pleasure to take over him. Sweat beaded his brow, and he closed his eyes to the unbearable tension building in his groin.

  “Goddamn,” he muttered.

  Once, twice, then once more, he sank into her, and finally he erupted. He held himself tightly against her as he ejaculated deep into her womb.

  He leaned down to kiss her then shifted to the side of her, flopping with an exhausted sigh onto the bed.

  She turned, curling herself into his chest just like she belonged there. He wrapped both arms around her.

  “That was incredible,” he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.

  She yawned and nodded, her head rubbing against his chest. She nuzzled closer, and he felt her eyelashes brush over his skin as she closed her eyes.

  “Hold me?” she mumbled.

  He smiled and squeezed her a little tighter. “I’m not letting go.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ellie awoke to warm, sinful kisses. Jake’s lips burned a trail over the curve of her shoulder to the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck.

  “You’re awake,” he murmured.

  “Like I could sleep when you’re doing that.”

  She turned in his arms until she faced him.

  “Let’s go shopping,” Jake said.

  She blinked in surprise. “What?”

  “Shopping.”

  “Jake, you hate shopping. What are we shopping for, anyway?”

  He sat up in bed, his naked body, his gorgeous naked body, slipping from the sheets.

  “A Christmas tree.”

  “You already have a Christmas tree,” she pointed out.

  He reached over and flicked her nose. “But you don’t.”

  She frowned. “I don’t want a tree.”

  “Ellie, you love Christmas, and you’re letting that bastard ruin it for you. Now get your ass up so we can go buy you a tree. I’ll buy you lots of nice colored lights to go on it.”

  She glared at him as he got up from the bed. “I want white lights.”

  “That’s so boring,” he said. “What you need is something that blinks.”

  She managed a horrified look. “I am not putting flashing lights on my tree!”

  He chuckled. “Come on. Let’s take a shower. I’ll let you talk me into white lights, but I get to pick out the ornaments.”

  She swung her leg over the side of the bed, marveling at how easily he’d won that argument. He could charm the scales right off a snake.

  “No,” Ellie said. “That one’s not quite right either.”

  Jake shook his head in exasperation and set aside yet another tree. He dug around for a moment before pulling out another. He stood it up and slowly rotated it around for her to see.

  “How’s this?”

  She drew her eyebrows together in thought. It wasn’t bad. No large holes. And the symmetry was good. She was a freak about symmetry. It was tall without being too tall, and it was fresh and green.

  “I like it.”

  Jake cocked an eyebrow. “You sure? Because we can keep looking.”

  She smiled at his patience. They’d been looking for an hour, and he’d been a good sport as she refused tree after tree.

  “No, that one’s perfect, I think.”

  He hoisted the tree up over his shoulder and headed for the cashier stationed outside the home improvement store in the lawn and garden section. He leaned it against the register and then dug around in his back pocket for his wallet. He flipped the cashier his credit card then glanced back at Ellie.

  “Wait here and I’ll pull the truck around.”
r />   Jake let out a grunt as he righted the tree, the stand firmly affixed to the base. Ellie stood back and stared intently.

  “Is it straight?” he asked.

  She nodded. They’d gotten the tree through her front door. Barely. Jake had set it up in the far corner, and she had to admit, she was glad she’d gotten it now. She couldn’t wait to see it all aglow with the tiny white lights they’d bought.

  “I like it when you smile.”

  She blinked and looked up to see Jake staring at her.

  “I didn’t realize I was,” she said sheepishly.

  He grinned. “Okay, hand me the boring-ass lights and I’ll get them strung.”

  “They are not boring,” she protested as she reached for one of the boxes.

  “They’re white. And white. Oh, and white,” he grumbled. “No fun at all.”

  “You’re still stuck back in your childhood,” she teased.

  “When it comes to Christmas, everyone should be a kid.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. Sometimes being an adult hurt too much.

  She took one end of the lights as Jake began unraveling them from the box. “Let me guess. When you were a child you had lots of colored, blinking lights.”

  “Damn right.”

  She giggled.

  Thirty minutes later, her tree was aglow with over nine hundred lights. She stood back to admire their work and realized how much she’d missed the spirit of Christmas. She’d been so determined not to observe the holiday, not to remember.

  “You like it?” Jake asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I do. Thanks for going with me to get one. It makes me happy.”

  “I want very much to make you happy,” he said softly.

  She cocked her head to stare sideways at him, but he stared straight ahead at the tree. He reached up to hang one of the wooden ornaments they’d purchased as if he’d never uttered such a provocative statement.

  An hour later, they were done. A glimmer of delight rushed over Ellie as she took in the brightly decorated tree. It did make her happy. She felt lighter than she had in a long time.

  Jake slid an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “I’m starved. You wore me out. When are you going to feed me?”

  She gazed up into his eyes, her stomach doing a series of flip flops at what she saw there. “What would you like?”

  “Now that’s a loaded question,” he drawled. He checked his watch. “It’s too late to go out and get anything, and to be honest, what I’m most hungry for is you.”

  She swallowed as her nipples hardened. “I could fix us something. Or you could just…”

  “Fuck it,” he growled as he swung her into his arms. “We’ll eat later.”

  He hauled her toward the bedroom and dumped her onto the bed. His hands went to his jeans, and her gaze fastened greedily on the area he was about to expose. She licked her lips.

  “Goddamn, woman. Stop that or I’ll never get my damn jeans off.”

  “Need some help?” she asked innocently.

  He crooked his finger at her in answer.

  She slid off the bed and sauntered over to where he stood. He let his hands fall to his sides as she reached for the zipper. His cock strained and bulged against her fingers as she worked the zipper down.

  Finally she reached in and gently drew out his erection. As she palmed the rigid shaft, he yanked at the waist of his jeans until they fell the rest of the way down his legs.

  Not waiting to see if he’d take over, she sank to her knees until his cock was but an inch from her lips. She placed her palms on the front of his thighs and slowly took him in her mouth.

  He uttered a low groan, and his hips jerked spasmodically as he thrust forward. She loved that she gave him so much pleasure. It gave her power in a way she’d never enjoyed before.

  She closed her eyes and let her lips and tongue glide over the smooth head. Fluid spilled on her tongue, and she moaned in reaction.

  “You’re killing me, sweetheart. I swear you make the sweetest sounds.”

  He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer. His hips worked back and forth, driving deeper into her mouth. Finally he pulled away, his chest heaving with exertion.

  She glanced up at him in confusion.

  “If you pulled on me one more time with that wicked mouth of yours I would have gone off like a rocket,” he said. “I’m not ready for this to be over when we’ve only just begun.”

  She dragged the back of her hand over her swollen mouth and started to rise. Jake reached down for her, easily hoisting her into his arms. She circled her legs around his waist, locking them together in the back

  He walked her backward until his legs bumped against the bed. Their lips were close. He bent his head, nudging his mouth against hers. They touched, retreated, then touched again.

  Soft kisses, feather light, danced across her lips. He lowered her slowly to the bed. She clutched at him as her back pressed against the mattress.

  “You’ve got way too many damn clothes on.”

  “You could always do something about that.” His fingers worked at the buttons of her shirt. Soon the material fell open, baring her lacy bra.

  “God, that bra looks good on you,” he said hoarsely.

  He worked to her jeans, easing the zipper down before peeling the denim from her legs. When he’d pulled the pants away, he bent and pressed his lips against the silky underwear covering her mound. His touch seared straight through the material, and she twisted restlessly beneath him.

  “Don’t tease me, Jake. I want you so much.”

  “That’s good, sweetheart, because from now on it’s only going to be me.”

  A shiver worked over her skin. Jake wasn’t one to screw around. He was straight-talking and made it a habit of going after what he wanted with relentless determination. It scared the hell out of her that he obviously wanted her. For more than just sex.

  “I don’t like that look, Ellie. Whatever the fuck it is you’re thinking, just stop it now. Look at me. Tell me who you see. Tell me who’s about to love you like you’ve never been loved.”

  “You are,” she whispered.

  “Say my name, Ellie.”

  “Jake.”

  He pulled at her panties then slid her bra straps down her shoulders. Soon she was naked beneath him, breathless with the force of her desire.

  He bent down and pressed his mouth to her stomach. His lips worked lower, leaving a burning trail. She parted her legs even as he inserted a hand between them.

  She knew she looked like a wanton, all sprawled out before him, ready for him to take. His gaze worked up and down her body, and she delighted in the desire she saw there. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  A wildness took over her. Like a prisoner breaking free from long-endured captivity. She wanted to feel everything. Touch, taste, experience her newfound sexuality. Jake delighted in it every bit as much as Ray had tried to squash it.

  “I burn when you look at me like that, Ellie. I swear I’ve dreamed of you looking at me the way you are now.”

  “Come here,” she ordered, crooking her finger at him as he had done at her.

  He lowered his big body over hers, and she hugged him to her. She didn’t wait for him, she meshed her lips against his, kissing him hungrily.

  Her mouth worked hot over his, and their breathing became heavier as their tongues clashed and dueled. His hands slid down her waist, dug underneath to cup her buttocks.

  His cock nudged impatiently between her thighs. He worked his hands down to the backs of her legs then spread her further. In one hard push, he was inside her.

  She sucked in her breath. It caught in her throat then expanded her chest as a rush of electricity surged through her veins.

  “God, you’re so tight,” he groaned. “You feel so damn good.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper. Gone were her fears of accommodating him. She wanted every inch buried just as dee
ply as he could go. He stretched her. Stroked the insides of her pussy until she squirmed and bucked beneath him.

  Before she could register the build of her orgasm, it exploded on her with earth-shattering force. She went wild. She buried her face in his neck, chanting “oh God” over and over again.

  Jake held her tight, rocking into her as currents of fire streaked through her abdomen. Every muscle in her body strained against him. Finally she gasped as her orgasm eased. She relaxed in Jake’s arms and melted into the bed.

  Above her, Jake chuckled then kissed her. He was still rock hard, buried in her pussy.

  “You sure were in a hurry,” he said as he kissed her again.

  “You make me crazy,” she said. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

  He held himself slightly off her and reached with one hand to stroke her face. “I’m glad.”

  He moved his hips, retreating for a moment before sliding back into her. She let out a small sigh of pleasure as the tiny tremors of her orgasm subsided.

  He thrust in a slow, sensual pattern. Back and forth, taking his time.

  She shoved at his chest. “Turn over.”

  He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “I want on top.”

  He grinned and gripped her hips. Then he rolled over in one swift motion, and suddenly she sat atop him, his cock buried in her pussy.

  She wanted to make it as good for him as he had for her. Wanted to make him crazy. Make him beg for mercy.

  She leaned forward, letting her hair fall over her shoulders as she kissed him. He framed her face and kissed her back. Hungry. Hot. Needy.

  Her hips shook against him as she moved. Jake closed his eyes as she pressed her hands into his chest and slid up and down on his cock. He reached for her hips, helping her as she rode him.

  She curled her fingertips into the hard muscles of his chest. Slid them down