A Reclusive Heart

  lips, “is fun.”

  “Fun?” she repeated, too curious to pretend otherwise.

  “Mmmmhmm,” he said, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips again almost as if he couldn’t help himself, which pleased her greatly. She liked the idea of a man like Nick wanting her, even if it meant nothing. “We can enjoy each other during this tour,” he said, cupping her chin between his fingers and gently giving her a nudge to look into his eyes, “but you need to understand that this isn’t going to lead anywhere, Jamie. I can’t be the kind of guy that you need. All I can offer you is a little no strings attached fun and I’m not sure that would be enough for you.”

  Jamie thought about what he was saying as she absently snuggled closer to him, needing his warmth. When he pulled her the rest of the way she laid her hand against his warm chest. “So what you’re saying is that you’re not looking for any sort of commitment and that I shouldn’t expect one from you, because you don’t want a relationship, but you’re willing to spend time together during this tour,” she said, summing it up.

  He nodded slowly. “I can’t promise that this will even last to the end of the tour, Jamie. I don’t do relationships and even that might be more than I can handle.

  If we do this I need to know that you understand everything going into this or we can’t do this, Jamie. We work together and I don’t want any drama at work. Do you understand?”

  “Meaning I shouldn’t expect anything or get upset if you lose interest tomorrow,” she said, shoving away her disappointment. She was on this tour to experience things and if she only had one day with Nick then she would simply treasure the experience and move on. She knew he wasn’t the type of guy to settle down and she wasn’t going to expect it.

  Nick sighed heavily as he leaned in and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

  “I’m sorry, Jamie, but that’s all I can give you.”

  “Okay,” she said, deciding that she wasn’t going to worry about tomorrow, but enjoy him now. “Just understand that sex is not an option,” she said, knowing that without sex he would lose interest a lot quicker.

  “That’s fine,” he said, slowly smiling. “There are other things that we can do,”

  he said even as he leaned in to kiss her again.

  “Other things?” she asked against his lips, too curious to focus on the kissing.

  “Mmmmhmmm, other things,” he murmured against her lips as his hand slid between them and cupped her breast. “A lot of other things,” he said softly as he gently guided her onto her back.

  “B-but no sex,” she reminded him even as her body trembled.

  “No sex,” he repeated smoothly as he leaned in and kissed her again.

  Lying on her back like this, she felt exposed and had to grab the floral comforter to stop herself from covering herself up. She’d never been very comfortable with her body and having a man like Nick, who’d probably been with more beautiful woman and probably found her lacking, made her even more nervous.

  “Beautiful,” Nick said as he teasingly traced his fingers up and down her stomach. It was only then that she realized that he’d stopped kissing her. Worrying her bottom lip, she glanced to the left to find him kneeling by her side as he ran hungry eyes over her body. The way he looked at her, made her feel warm and helped ease some of the tension out of her body.

  That tension came right back when he ducked his head and took one of her sensitive nipples into his mouth and suckled, hard. She gasped as she reached up instinctively to push him away, but then she realized that it felt really good and didn’t want him to stop. Not sure what to do while he gently ran one hand over her stomach and down her leg while he licked and sucked her breast, Jamie decided that since this might be her only chance with him that she was going to do some touching of her own.

  She reached out with her right hand and slowly ran her fingers through his hair, loving the way it felt, but more importantly encouraging him to keep going. It felt so good. Never in her life had she experienced anything that felt better. A moment later that opinion changed when he released her left nipple to work on her right nipple just as his fingers lightly brushed over her panties, making her gasp.

  When he did it again she fought against the urge to shut her legs together tightly and forced herself to open her legs wider. His growl of approval sent waves of pleasure through her nipple and down between her legs and she couldn’t help but moan and run her free hand over his back. He felt so good beneath her hand.

  “You’re soaking wet,” Nick said tightly as he cupped her through her panties, making her arch her back into his touch. From everything she’d read she knew that was a good thing, but that didn’t stop her from being embarrassed.

  Her embarrassment didn’t improve in the next second when his hand snaked beneath her panties and he teasingly traced her wet slit with his fingertips. Writing about sex hadn’t prepared her at all for this, she suddenly realized. She’d used what she’d learned from reading romance novels to create the sex scenes in her books and now realized that they hadn’t been adequate, not at all. She wrote about the mechanics of the act, but had never truly expressed how it felt to be touched by a man, but now she knew. She really couldn’t help but think that doing this with Nick might actually improve her writing. Of course when he ran the pad of his finger over her clit and traced her core she decided to stop thinking and just feel.

  Nick kissed and licked his way back up to her mouth. This kiss was different from the others. It was wild, hot and intensified the pleasure between her legs.

  When he suddenly reached back and caught the hand that had been exploring his back by the wrist and lowered it she became a little nervous. Maybe he didn’t want her to touch him. Was she supposed to just lie here while he explored her?

  The selfish part of her didn’t have a problem with that, but the other part of her, the curious part, wanted to explore, touch and learn him. This was something new for her and she knew she wouldn’t be satisfied in just lying here. She need to”Touch me,” he pleaded softly against her lips as he brought her hand between his legs and placed it against the straining erection in his underwear.

  Not needing to be asked twice she ran a hand slowly, cautiously over his cloth covered erection and as much as she liked it she needed more. When she reached the buttons on the front of his underwear she quickly undid them and reached inside and couldn’t help but moan when her hand came in contact with something hard as a rock and hot. She took a steadying breath as she wrapped her hand around his erection, noting the silky smooth feel of his skin and slowly pulled it out.

  She didn’t need to see it to know that it was large, very large. When she went to wrap her hand around it she discovered that she could barely do that because it was so thick. That pretty much confirmed her decision to hold off on sex for now.

  There was just no way she was going to be able to lie there with this thing coming after her, she decided as she began to explore him.

  “Don’t stop,” Nick said against her lips before he pulled away and sat up putting that monster between his legs right above her chest.

  For a moment she could only stare at the large dark pink almost purple appendage in her hand, but then Nick just had to go and slide a finger inside of her.

  He groaned as he slowly worked his finger in and out of her and it wasn’t long before she was running her hand up and down his length as she moaned softly in pleasure.

  As he worked his finger inside of her she was torn between watching that and what she was doing to him. When several drops of liquid seeped out of the tip of his penis she looked up to find him watching her intently. Using her curiosity, she pushed aside her nervousness and pulled his erection closer as she tilted her head to the side, never taking her eyes off of him, and licked the drops of liquid away.

  His bucked hard in her hand and worked his finger harder and faster in her as his thumb came into play and gently pressed against her clit. She continued to work her hand down his shaft, but now
she couldn’t help but lick and suckle the large head. He tasted so good that she couldn’t help it.

  “That’s it, baby,” Nick said, groaning.

  She couldn’t help but moan when he shifted slightly so that the bottom of his shaft near the head was pressed against her hard nipple. It felt so good. Every time she stroked him his erection brushed against her nipple, sending wave after wave of pleasure through her body until she was left half-sobbing/half-moaning as she rolled her hips, riding his finger as she licked and stroked his erection almost wildly.

  Just as she thought that she couldn’t take anymore her body suddenly tightened and exploded into what felt like a million pieces. She was barely aware of her screams of pleasure or his. The only thing she knew was that she never felt anything that good that is until the hot liquid shooting across her sensitive nipples set her off again.

  Suddenly she found her hand empty and Nick’s mouth back on hers as he slowed his movements between her legs. He swallowed her content little moans as her hips slowly came to a stop, leaving her panting content and weak. He pressed one last kiss against her lips before pulling away.

  “Go get cleaned up. We have to leave for the airport in an hour,” he said absently as he tucked himself back in his underwear and headed for the bathroom, leaving her feeling a little used and unsure, but then she reminded herself that it would be stupid to expect anything else.

  This just might be their only experience together and she wasn’t going to wreck that by feeling anything but the pleasure he’d just given her. Although she really hoped they did it again, she thought with a content little sigh as she began her search for her clothes and apparently a wash cloth.

  Chapter 16

  “Aren’t you cold?” Nick asked through clenched teeth as the asshole standing next to him checked Jamie out instead of the airport’s arrival board like he should be doing.

  He sent Jamie’s sexy tattoo another glare. Why the hell was she walking around with her jeans low on her hips and her shirt ending just below her breasts like that? She should only be wearing those types of things when he was around, which brought him right back to why he was pissed.

  After fooling around with Jamie this morning he should have grown bored immediately, especially when he realized that was all he would ever get from her.

  They could fool around for months and she would probably never let him between her legs. Jamie was a good girl whether she wanted to be or not. Fooling around with him was one thing, but losing her virginity to him was quite another.

  Even knowing there was no chance in hell to slide into heaven he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wanted to touch her and make her come again, but this time while she screamed his name and he sure as hell wanted her to touch him again. It had been the first hand job he’d received since he was a kid and undoubtedly the best. He’d never come so hard in his life and knew that if she ever fully took him into her mouth it would probably kill him.

  “No,” Jamie said, looking around and not bothering to look back at him, which was probably a good thing since he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her tattoo and ass. “It’s warm in here and we’re going to Georgia so I doubt I’ll be cold.”

  He sent a glare at her ass before he forced himself to look away. “Too much sunlight isn’t good for your tattoo,” he reminded her, hoping she’d just take the damn hint and cover up before he had to break the jaw of the bastard practically drooling next to him. What the hell was wrong with this asshole checking Jamie out when she was clearly with him?

  Maybe the asshole didn’t know that Jamie was with him, he decided since the damn woman was a good five feet in front of him instead of by his side where she belonged. He threw the bastard a glare as he stepped up to Jamie’s side and threw his arm around her shoulders. Jamie threw him a curious look but didn’t say anything.

  Smart woman.

  Right now he was torn between kissing the hell out of her and spanking that sweet ass of hers. This was all her fault. He shouldn’t be feeling like this. In fact, he hated feeling like this. Instead of standing here with her he should have followed through with the brush off he’d automatically started this morning and right now he should be flirting with the hot stewardess that kept shooting him welcoming glances.

  What in the hell was wrong with him?

  “Are you still cranky?” Jamie asked.

  “I’m not cranky,” he bit out even though he was feeling pretty damn cranky at the moment.

  “Uh huh,” she said as she looked around the busy airport until her eyes landed on the small cafe. “Well, while you’re doing whatever it is that you’re doing I’m going to get something to drink and eat while we wait to board.”

  Before he could stop the damn woman she was stepping out from beneath his arm and heading over to the cafe. He of course took note of every guy that stopped what they were doing to stare at her ass. That was his ass they were all staring at and he wasn’t having it. Until he was done with her that was his ass to enjoy and he was damn well going to enjoy it, he decided as he stalked over to her and took her back into his arms where she damn well belonged.

  At least for the moment.

  ******

  “Where are you going?” Nick asked as she headed towards the front exit of the large convention center.

  She gestured towards the door where most of the fans were heading. “To grab a taxi and head back to the hotel,” she said, frowning since he was the one that said they were ready to leave.

  Nick gestured towards the back exit of the building. “The RNL was so pleased by this year’s turnout that they decided to treat you to a limo for the night,” Nick explained as they walked towards the back exit.

  Jamie wondered if this was going to be the moment he chose to clear the air between them. Even though she’d already figured it out for herself it would be nice to hear it from him. It wouldn’t be the first time she heard the rejection speech, but it would probably be the most painful one. She wasn’t looking forward to hearing it, but she knew this morning that it was possible that this little love affair of theirs wouldn’t last throughout the day. She already had her experience with him and she wasn’t going to ruin it by being sad about it ending before it really begun.

  “Here we are,” Nick said, gesturing to a sleek black limousine parked less than ten feet from the door.

  Jamie sent the driver, an older man with short brown hair a polite smile as she accepted his help into the limo. Once she was inside she of course had to look around since it was her first time in the back of one these things. There was a lot more room than she thought there would be. There was plenty of room to seat eight adults comfortably, a flat screen television and even a mini bar in the sidewall.

  Being given the kiss off by Nick would definitely be memorable, she thought with a frown as she watched a black divider suddenly slide up, cutting off her view of the front seat and the driver. Privacy was probably for the best. She’d really hate to have anyone witness this.

  “Come here,” Nick suddenly said, drawing her attention from the mini cans of Coke to the backseat where he was lounging as he pulled his tie loose. When she hesitated he reached over and grabbed her hand and gave it a little yank until she was up and somehow found herself straddling his lap.

  “Much better,” Nick said, sounding pleased as he pushed her hair away from her neck as he leaned in.

  Her eyes closed of their own accord when his mouth landed on her neck and his hands on her bottom. “Um, what’s going on?” she asked, wondering if perhaps she’d misread his crankiness. She did seem to make him especially cranky lately.

  He chuckled against her neck and holy heck did that feel good. “What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked teasingly as he readjusted her on his lap until she found the bulge in his pants pressed tightly against the spot that ached for him.

  “Um,” she said, licking her lips as she tilted her head back to give him more room to work, “confusing the heck out of me.”
>
  “What exactly are you confused about?” he asked, grabbing her bottom and grinding her against him. The move robbed her of the ability to speak so she had to contend herself with just grabbing onto his shoulders and holding on for dear life when he did it again.

  “Uh, nothing?” she said, not really sure what the question was or more importantly what the answer should be. Not that it mattered she decided a moment later as he slipped one hand down the back of her pants while the other one slid beneath her shirt and bra to cup her breast.

  This was heaven, she thought with a moan as she ground herself against him. She leaned down and kissed him as she moved frantically on his lap, desperate for the release he’d given her that morning. When she found it he swallowed her screams and she swallowed his curses.

  ******

  “Everything is canceled,” Nick announced as he tossed his cell phone on top of his open suitcase. “The signing and the interviews have all been canceled thanks to this storm,” he explained unnecessarily.

  The truth was Jamie hadn’t been looking forward to braving this weather and for the past hour had been contemplating faking her own death to get out of it.

  She didn’t know what was worse, the thunder and lightning, the buckets of water was being poured down from the sky or the hail that occasionally snapped against the hotel window. The only thing she knew for certain was that she didn’t want to go out in it.

  One good thing came out of this horrible day, she got a day off. Granted she couldn’t do anything fun. They’d be stuck in their hotel rooms all day. If it got too boring she could always grab her laptop and head downstairs to the bar and have lunch. She had been planning to hit a bar tonight since they hadn’t had the chance to and she was dying to try it and not chicken out like she had at the club. With Nick by her side it should be a lot easier.

  Speaking of Nick……

  She looked up from the file she was working on to run an appreciative eye over the man as he sorted through folders on the desk. Maybe they could use this time to try out a few more things. After the incident in the limo last night they hadn’t had a moment