His mind fragmented. Heart stopped. Surroundings faded. The only thing that registered was the agonizing pleasure seizing his body.
When he finally regained the use of his mental and physical faculties, he became aware of something ringing.
“Phone,” he mumbled.
His reaction time was slower than usual, but he managed to stagger off the couch in search of his cell, glancing at Jen over his shoulder. “Sorry, but it could be the—”
“Base,” she finished. “Don’t worry, I know the drill.”
It took him a moment to remember that both her father and brother were military.
Her brother. Oh shit.
Cash quickly pushed all thoughts of Carson from his mind as he headed for the kitchen counter and grabbed his phone. He’d deal with the threat of drowning later.
Fortunately, the call wasn’t from his CO. He almost didn’t pick up when he saw Dylan’s number on the screen, but changed his mind at the last second, answering before the call kicked over to voice mail. “What’s up?” he asked in lieu of greeting.
“Just doing my sponsor-ly duty and checking in to see how you’re holding up,” Dylan said. “Or should I say, how you’re holding out.”
Cash’s gaze moved to the couch, where Jen was pulling her black panties up her legs. Her bare breasts swayed as she bent down to search for her bra.
“Let’s just say you’re the worst sponsor ever,” he muttered.
A hoot sounded in his ear. “You caved? Already? We saw each other two hours ago.”
It had only been two hours since he’d left the guys? Wow. Apparently he had even less self-control than he’d thought.
His friend’s laughter continued to fill the line.
“Is there anything else you wanted?” Cash asked through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, to remind you we’re having beers on Monday. You know, when my guys beat the shit out of your guys.”
“You mean when my guys clean up the field with yours?”
“You wish, bro.” Dylan threw in a few expletive-laced heckles, then said, “So we’re still on for the Monday-nighter?”
“Definitely.”
“Cool. See you then.”
Cash hung up and saw Jen’s quizzical expression. She’d put her tank top and shorts back on, and was in the process of tying her hair into a ponytail. “What was that about?” she asked.
“Football rivalry,” he explained. “Arizona’s playing San Fran on Monday, so Dylan’s coming over to watch my team kick his team’s ass.”
“Dylan? As in your go-to ménage buddy?”
He scowled at her. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Me? You’re the one who’s naked.”
Shit. She was right. Ignoring her mocking look, he crossed the room and gathered up his clothes. As he bent over to pick up his shorts from the floor, he heard Jen gasp.
“Holy hell,” she breathed. “That’s hot.”
Cash had to grin. “Didn’t realize my bare ass was gasp-worthy.”
“It’s not. Well, it is. But I was looking at your tattoo.”
He tugged his shorts up to his hips, jumping when he felt Jen’s warm hand on him. There was nothing sexual about the touch—she was tracing the tattoo on his upper back, which spanned from shoulder to shoulder—yet his dick jerked at the contact.
Get yourself together, he ordered the big guy.
Jen’s finger danced over the bumps of his spine. “What’s the date underneath the eagle?” she asked curiously.
“The day I got my SEAL trident.”
“Nice.” Those fingertips continued to travel over his skin. “Is it weird that this tattoo really, really turns me on?”
Smothering a groan, he ducked out of her grasp and quickly pulled his T-shirt over his head before turning around to face her. “Jen,” he began.
Her expression grew cloudy. Perching her hands on her hips, she searched his face, then frowned as if she didn’t like what she saw. “Don’t you dare tell me what happened just now was a mistake. You know you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
He couldn’t deny that even if he tried, but that didn’t alter the fact that he’d totally screwed up. He’d promised Carson he wouldn’t touch Jen, and horn dog that he was, he’d caved the second she’d placed that dainty hand of hers on his dick.
“It can’t happen again,” he said in a firm voice.
“Like hell it can’t.”
Frustration jammed in his throat. “I’m not good at relationships. And I’m not looking for one right now.”
“I don’t want a relationship either. I already told you, I don’t date military guys. So relax, okay? All I want from you is more of what we did on the couch right now. Sex, cowboy. Just sex.”
“Sex,” he echoed warily.
“Look, I’ve had three lovers and the sex sucked with all of them.” Aggravation creased her forehead. “I don’t want someone who’ll hold my hand and shower me with sweet words or kisses. I want someone who’ll fuck my brains out.”
Cash blinked in surprise.
“I just dated a psycho. Do you honestly think I’m in the mood to open myself up to another guy right now? This won’t be a relationship, cowboy. I’m not handing you my heart and pleading with you not to break it. I’m asking you to rock my world for the next few weeks.”
He choked out a laugh. “Is that all?”
“No.” She arched one brow. “I also want you to teach me how to rock your world. I want us to do all the things I’ve always wanted to try, and pretty much see how many times we can make each other come in three weeks.”
Cash swallowed. Hard.
“Three weeks,” she said flippantly. “It’ll just be a little fling, Cash. We’ll have sex, hang out, and then I’ll move out and we say goodbye.”
He hesitated. If his lower body was in charge of making the decision, it would be a no-brainer. Fling. Sex. Make each other come. That’s all his dick had needed to hear.
But his brain told him this was a bad idea. Not to mention ridiculously unrealistic. A fling with an end date? Every fling he’d ever experienced, the woman ended up pushing for a relationship no matter what the initial agreement had been.
And even if Jen didn’t end up wanting more, he didn’t feel right about using her this way. Well, they’d be using each other, he amended, but still…it didn’t sit right with him.
Truth was, he liked her. He liked her a lot. He’d never had a woman worry about him before, the way Jen had when he’d come home feeling exhausted and suffering from a pounding headache. She’d given him a damn temple massage, for chrissake. A woman like Jen deserved to be worshipped, not fucked for three weeks and then discarded.
“I can see that sexy brain of yours working,” she said in irritation. “Don’t overthink this, Cash. Three weeks of sex, nothing more, nothing less. If it makes you feel better, we’ll even agree to remain friends afterwards.”
He cracked a smile.
“Come on,” she coaxed. “You know you want to say yes.”
And then, evil seductress that she was, she stepped closer and pressed her index finger to his chest, drawing little figure-eights between his pecs.
Cash groaned. “Carson’s going to kill me.”
“He’ll never have to know.”
“Fuck.”
She smirked. “Is that a yes?”
“No.” He cleared his throat but it still felt like someone had jammed a handful of gravel in there. “I mean, maybe.”
“Maybe?” Humor tinged her voice.
“Yes,” he said with a sigh.
“Yes?”
Smothering a curse, he yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her long and deep, then pried his mouth away and repeated himself. “Yes.”
Her laughter tickled his chin. “Glory hallelujah.”
“So ’fess up, why are you really single?” Jen asked later that evening.
She and Cash were lying on the couch again, naked beneath a fle
ece blanket that he’d haphazardly wrapped around them. She still couldn’t believe he’d agreed to have a fling with her. She’d figured it would take a lot more convincing, but it appeared that all you needed to do was give a man a BJ and presto—he caved.
And thank God he had, because sex with Cash was everything she’d known it would be. A little rough, a tad demanding, a lot awesome. And nobody could accuse the man of being a selfish lover. He didn’t take his pleasure until he made sure she got off, and he seemed to really, really enjoy getting her off. Earlier, he’d had his head buried between her legs for a good forty minutes, bringing her to the brink only to retreat and start the slow, teasing torment all over again. The resulting orgasm had been more powerful than any she’d ever experienced.
Which raised the question she’d just voiced—why on earth was this man still single?
“Cash?” she prompted when he didn’t respond.
His hand absently toyed with a strand of her hair. “Like I said, I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“Why not?”
She felt his pecs ripple beneath her cheek as he shrugged. “I don’t think I make a very good boyfriend.”
“Right, because you can’t talk to women. Which is total bullshit, by the way. You talk to me just fine.”
His voice sounded troubled as he said, “Yeah, I guess I do. But that’s not how it normally goes down. Usually I screw up by saying the wrong thing, or not saying anything at all. I got tired of hearing women complain about how I don’t ‘talk’ to them.” He paused in thought. “Being single is probably a good thing. For now, anyway. There’s still a lot of stuff I want to do with my life, stuff I couldn’t do if I settled down.”
“Is this about your parents? Because they had you so young, you don’t want to make the same mistake?”
“Yeah, maybe. My folks didn’t get to do all the things they wanted to do in life.”
She lifted her head from his bare chest and shot him a mocking look. “With ten million dollars in the bank, they couldn’t do what they wanted?”
Cash smiled faintly. “Big spenders they ain’t. They’re very practical, those two. They used the lotto money for the basics—putting food on the table, a roof over our heads, and clothing on our backs. Dad always wanted to be a mechanic, so he bought a garage and started his own business. After that, they set aside some money for my college fund and invested the rest. They both grew up poor, so spending money on pointless luxuries isn’t in their DNA. Neither is hiring a nanny for their kid. They were hands-on parents, so thanks to me, neither of them got to enjoy their teens or twenties. The moment I left for college, they started making up for lost time. They’ve been traveling a lot. Dad joined a football league. Mom got her GED and enrolled in college.”
The pride in his voice brought a rush of warmth to Jen’s heart. She was a total sucker for men who adored their parents.
She propped herself on her elbow. “So what are all the things you want to do?”
“Well, when I was a kid I wanted to either play professional football or enlist in the navy.”
“And you chose the navy.”
“Actually, no. I chose football. I went to Notre Dame on a full athletic scholarship.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “I was the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish during junior year, and then senior year came along and I injured my shoulder, right before the draft.”
“Oh. That’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it was,” he said gruffly. “I was out for eleven months, and then I threw myself back into training. My shoulder healed perfectly, but it was clear I wouldn’t be able to play at the same level anymore. Pro football is damn competitive, and by the time I got back in shape, a whole new crop of talented players was graduating and my chances of being drafted weren’t that great anymore. So I enlisted.”
“Okay, then you’re still living one of the dreams. What else would a relationship hold you back from?”
His features creased with unease. “I don’t know what other things I want to do yet, but I’d like to have the freedom to do them. Traveling, for one. I doubt a serious girlfriend would appreciate me dropping everything and leaving town if I suddenly decided to do it.” He paused. “I don’t want to be tied down yet.”
“Relationships don’t have to tie you down,” Jen pointed out.
Before she could blink, Cash flipped her on her back, his strong body hovering over her. “This conversation is getting too serious. Let’s do something to lighten it up.”
“Interesting. Like what?”
He swept his tongue over his bottom lip as he pushed the blanket away to expose her naked body. “Well, I’m hungry.”
“We just had all that leftover pizza.”
“Not that kind of hungry.” A predatory gleam entered his eyes. “I think I’ll nibble on you for a bit.”
Lord. Clearly the S in SEAL stood for stamina. Not that she was complaining. In fact, she wasn’t complaining at all as Cash buried his face in her neck and kissed her feverish skin. A moan slipped out when he sucked hard enough to leave a hickey, and little pinpricks of pleasure danced along her flesh.
Cash’s rough hands teased her breasts as he dragged that hot mouth along the curve of her neck. His intoxicating scent surrounded her, spice and aftershave and pure man. The heavy weight of his cock on her belly made her shiver and arch her hips.
“Your body is perfect,” he murmured as his hands and mouth continued to explore. He cupped her breasts and sighed with masculine pleasure. “So full.” His fingers skimmed down to her waist. “Such tiny hips, and then this round, tight ass.” He reached underneath her to squeeze said round, tight ass. “These sexy legs.” His callused palms traveled down her thighs, her knees, her calves, before returning north and parting her legs.
Jen gasped when he pushed one long finger into her core.
“And then this sweet, wet paradise,” he rasped.
His finger slid out and he gently stroked her clit in light circular motions that made her squirm. How did he know exactly how to touch her? She’d never had a man so attuned to her body and its responses, and she couldn’t control her shock when his skilled ministrations swiftly brought the first ripples of orgasm to the surface. Three past lovers and not a single one had brought her to climax with his touch. One day with Cash McCoy, and she’d come so many times she’d lost count.
The man just might be her new hero.
“You’re close, aren’t you?”
She met his eyes, floored by the naked passion glittering there. From the moment she’d met him in that coatroom, she’d known he’d be like this, capable of making her go up in flames with one heated look, one sinful touch.
“Well, we can’t have that,” Cash said after she nodded in response.
A disappointed groan lodged in her chest as he moved his hand away.
His husky laugh made her shiver. “You’ve gotta learn some patience, sweetheart.” He flung out his arm and grabbed the condom sitting on the coffee table. “Besides, I want you to come while you’re riding me.”
A thrill shot through her. The thought of straddling his big, powerful body and having this big, powerful man at her mercy was hot as hell.
Heart pounding, she sat up and waited for Cash to sheathe himself. When he got on his back and beckoned her, she climbed up with no hesitation, encircled his thick shaft with one hand and brought it to her core.
Their eyes stayed locked together as she lowered herself on his cock. When she was fully seated, they let out simultaneous moans.
Shockwaves of pleasure seized her clit but she stayed motionless, keeping him trapped inside her as she bent down to kiss him. God, his mouth was pure heaven, his lips firm, his tongue demanding. They shared long, drugging kisses, each one hotter than the last. And still she didn’t move. She felt Cash’s heartbeat thudding against her breasts. His breathing grew ragged, coming out in sharp bursts that she swallowed with her lips as she continued to kiss him. br />
“You okay?” she teased when he cursed against her mouth.
“No.” Sweat bloomed on his forehead. “I need you to start moving.”
Jen squeezed her inner muscles.
Cash swore again, loud and tortured.
“Like that?” she asked sweetly.
“Among other things.”
She squeezed again.
He groaned.
“You know, this is really fun,” she remarked. “You’ve got this vein in your forehead that looks like it’s about to burst.”
“That’s not the only thing about to burst,” he grumbled.
“I thought we were practicing the art of patience.”
“I thought you were going to fuck my brains out,” he countered, those blue eyes blazing with pure agony.
She laughed. “Nobody said anything of the sort, cowboy. I was only instructed to ride you.”
Cash dug his fingers into her hips, bringing a sting of pain. He tried thrusting upward but she locked his thighs between hers and made a tsking sound. “Quit being a pain in the ass, McCoy. If you don’t let me do my thing, I’ll climb right off you and make myself come in private.”
He immediately stilled.
Jen grinned. “That’s what I thought.”
And then she started to move. In earnest. Lifting off that rock-hard cock then slamming down on it. Over and over, fast and furious, until the couch springs protested to the ferocity of her movements. Cash reached up to play with her breasts, pinching her nipples, rolling them between his fingers. His hips came up to meet her. Their breathing became labored, choppy, as she rode him hard.
The throbbing between her legs took a critical turn. “Touch my clit,” she said, surprising herself with the bold order.