As he arched into her, she let her head fall back on his shoulder. “Bobby.” It was a whisper, because it was all she could manage. So intense were the feelings he evoked, her lashes fluttered to her cheeks.
His hand moved to cup her breast while the other one stayed on her stomach keeping her tightly pressed against him. “I want to taste you, all of you. It’s been so long.”
In her mind she thought what she couldn’t manage to say.
Please.
Without warning, a man and woman burst into the room, clinging to one another. Jennifer stiffened, appalled at how they must look.
Bobby looked over his shoulder as the couple turned to make a quick departure.
But relief was nowhere in sight, as Marcie emerged through the door in a fit of giggles. “Jennifer?”
Jennifer cringed. They were so busted. Bobby whispered into her ear, “We’ll finish this later.”
Stepping to her side, and moving away from her, she felt the loss in every inch of her body. He leaned a hand on the counter, his body angled towards her rather than Marcie.
She turned to face him, and her eyes traveled down his very nice chest, just below his belt. The evidence of his arousal was still quite evident.
Thus why he was hiding from Marcie’s full view.
Try as she might, she couldn’t hold back the tiny smile that played on her lips. One of his brows inched upward as his eyes locked with hers.
The shared secret of what had just happened between them, seemed to pull her further under his spell. It reminded her of their many intimate little secrets of the past.
“What are you two, ah, up to?” Marcie asked with a naughty tone to her voice and a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Jennifer gave her a dirty look. Marcie laughed harder. “We’re going to play truth or dare. The maid of honor has to participate.”
Bobby’s face went blank as he stared at Jennifer through now heavy-lidded eyes. She stared back at him, but spoke to Marcie.
Her words were spoken through clenched teeth. “No way.”
Marcie stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “I’m getting married. This is supposed to be my final big party time. The maid of honor should be right by my side enjoying this.”
Jennifer shut her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. She opened her mouth to decline, but her words were cut off by Marcie’s plea.
“Please,” she begged, and was suddenly by Jennifer’s side, her arm around her back.
Jennifer’s eyes popped open and locked with Bobby’s. “Fine,” she said weakly, knowing she was trapped.
Bobby’s face showed no reaction.
Marcie smiled brightly. “Great!” She grabbed Jennifer’s hand, then Bobby’s and tugged. “Bobby’s playing, too.”
Chapter Seven
Bobby and Jennifer exchanged looks as they were herded towards the living room. Neither of them wanted to play truth or dare, but what could they say?
A circle of about fifteen people had formed in the living room. Marcie scooted in next to Mark, and patted the rug next to her. Jennifer sat down as directed and watched as Bobby squeezed into a spot directly across from her.
“Okay,” Marcie said to the group. “This is how this works. We are playing a game called Rock and Roll Truth or Dare. It’s the adult version.” Her eye brow wiggled.
Jennifer’s eyes darted to Bobby’s. What did adult version mean? He shrugged in response to her silent question, seemingly unaffected.
“Simply roll the dice,” Marcie instructed, pointing to a flat board sitting in front of her, “and if you get an odd number, you choose a card from each pile. One truth and one dare.” She indicated the two decks sitting by the board. ”You get to pick one or the other. If you don’t want either, you have to strip off one item of clothing.”
Jennifer shook her head and started to get up. Marcie grabbed her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said to Jennifer, and then to the room, she added, “The maid of honor is trying to run out on us, you guys.”
The group all started talking at once, with a general consensus that she had to stay. Jennifer looked at Marcie. Her expression was murderous.
Marcie smiled, ignoring the look Jennifer was frostily giving her. “You have to do this.”
For several seconds, Jennifer didn’t respond. Then, because she had no choice, she said, “Fine.”
“You can go last,” Marcie said in a low voice for only Jennifer’s ears. Then to the group, “Mark and I will go first and pass the board around the circle.”
Marcie rolled the dice. Even number. She slid the board to Mark.
Mark rolled the dice. Odd number. He drew two cards.
Marcie giggled with anticipation. “Read the cards to everyone,” she said anxiously.
“Truth card,” Mark said. “Who is the best lover you have ever had?” He grinned and looked at Marcie. No need to answer. Everyone knew what he would say.
At least if he was smart.
Marcie smiled. “Read the other one.”
“Dare card,” Mark said. “Perform a striptease for the room.” His eyes widened. “I’ll take the truth. Marcie is the best lover I have ever had.”
Everyone booed, yelling it was too easy for him. “I’m the groom. That’s how it should work,” he said with a grin as he bent down and gave Marcie a quick kiss.
The next person to play was Sally. She rolled an odd number, and drew two cards. “Truth, have you ever used a vibrator?” She crinkled her nose. “Dare. Choose someone in the room and kiss them. Must use tongue.”
Everyone stared at her.
In Jennifer’s mind she wondered what she would do if Sally or anyone else chose Bobby. Jennifer didn’t like this game one bit.
Sally bit her lip and then said, “Truth. Sometimes a good vibrator is better than a man who doesn’t know what he is doing.”
The room filled with laughter from the women, and complaints from the men.
The game continued, resulting in one guy mooning the room, a girl stripping off her shirt, leaving her in her bra, and two people Jennifer thought hated each other kissing.
Now it was Bobby’s turn.
He rolled the dice. Odd number. His eyes met Jennifer’s from across the room. Anticipation thrummed through her veins.
“Truth,” he said, reading the card. “What is the kinkiest thing a person of the opposite sex has ever done to you, or with you?”
A slow smile spread on his lips, but he didn’t look up. She knew exactly what kinky thing he was thinking of, and felt her cheeks redden.
Once, years before, they had played their own private version of sexual dares. Surely, he wouldn’t tell.
“Dare,” he said, reading his next card. ”Kiss someone of the opposite sex. Must use tongue.”
His eyes went to Jennifer, fixing her in a stare. What did he intend to do? She didn’t want him to kiss her, but it would kill her to watch him kiss someone else.
If he took clothing off, that would be bad. Everyone would be checking him out.
“Truth,” he said slowly, his eyes still locked with her. She didn’t want him to tell their secrets. They were private, and still special in some way. If he told any of them, it would taint their relationship. Surely, he knew that.
Suddenly, he started unbuttoning his shirt. Several women, including Sally, started making noises, cheering him on.
Jennifer’s eyes slid shut. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with seeing his naked torso, let alone deal with the rest of the room doing the same.
The women making sounds of appreciation told her the deed was done.
Forcing herself to open her eyes, she found Bobby, as expected, without his shirt. Resistance was futile. She had to give him a thorough once over. He looked so broad, so muscular, and so sinfully perfect, she could hardly breathe.
A slow, mischievous smile appeared on one corner of his mouth. He knew she liked what she saw. Still, she reasoned with herself, it meant nothing.
All
the women in the room liked how he looked. The next player rolled the dice, and she used it as her excuse to break eye contact.
Jennifer listened and watched each person as they took their turn, nervously hoping no one would choose to act out a dare with Bobby.
She wasn’t sure she would react well.
Finally, it was her turn.
She rolled the dice. Nine, and odd number. Damn it. Now she had to risk drawing truth and dare cards. She read the first card, hoping and praying it wasn’t a bad one. “When was the last time you had an orgasm, and who or what gave it to you?”
She almost choked.
“Dare,” she said. “Straddle the person of your choice while giving them tongue action.”
Could it get any worse?
Oh, yeah, she could choose to get naked. Not. Her jumpsuit and her very tiny bra was all she wore. Several people had tried taking off shoes and that had been ruled unfair. To get her bra off would mean unzipping down to her waist.
Her heart raced, her temples throbbed, not to mention a few other critical parts of her body. She stared at the dare card, not even considering looking at Bobby.
But he was watching her. She felt his eyes like a heavy blanket.
She didn’t know what to do.
Damn Marcie and her childish, stupid games. The group started yelling at her to make a decision. Still she stared at the card.
A swish of movement drew her gaze just as Bobby reached her, on his hands and knees. He sat back on his heels in front of her.
“What are you—“She never finished the question. Bobby lifted her, seemingly without much effort. Seconds later, she was straddling his lap.
“Bobby—" Her words were lost again as his mouth came down on hers, his tongue sliding against her own in a soft caress.
Her fingers touched the warmth of his bare shoulders as his hand slid to the back of her head, and into her hair.
Thinking didn’t occur. Melting did.
God, how she wanted him.
She kissed him back, deeply, hungrily, oblivious to the room of people. Her arms laced around his neck, her lips clung to his.
Long moments later, he ended the kiss. He made a sound resembling a growl and pushed to his feet, her in his arms.
Marcie’s voice registered in some far off place in her brain. “Second door at the top of the stairs. It locks.”
* * *
Bobby carried Jennifer up the stairs as she buried her face in his neck. After everything that had happened between them that morning, and then in the kitchen, it upset him she had resisted coming to him when she drew that card.
Yet as soon as he kissed her, she had responded without hesitation, even clinging to him.
That, at least, represented progress.
He took the stairs, rapidly making his way to the door Marcie had indicated. He stepped inside the dimly lit bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. Slowly, he eased Jennifer’s legs to the ground.
His hands settled on her waist. “Why didn’t you come to me, and kiss me of your own free will?”
His mind raced with ways to tear down the layers of resistance she clearly had erected. She looked at his chest, and let out a shuddering breath. Capturing her chin with his thumb and forefinger, he gently forced her eyes to his. “You wanted to, but you didn’t.”
Her lashes went to her cheeks and then back up. “I’m feeling very confused and….” Her voice trailed off abruptly. Her eyes shut.
Gently, he urged her to talk. “And?”
He wanted to know her feelings so he could deal with them. Screwing up with her again would be hell. No, it simply wasn’t an option. Part of him just wanted to take her, to make love to her until she admitted she still loved him. But even as his body burned with need, he held himself in check. This was too important to rush.
Her eyes opened, meeting his with a flash of defiance. “I’m still mad as hell at you, damn it.”
His stomach twisted in a painful knot. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but she wasn’t ready to hear them. If he could just get her to open up to him, he would make the past up to her a hundred times over.
His voice was an understanding caress as he slipped his hands into her hair. “I know you are, sweetheart. You have every right to be. I can’t change the past. God knows I wish I could, but I’m here now and I need you, Jenn.”
She opened her mouth to speak, torment flashing in her eyes, and she shut it again. Slowly, he bent his head down and brushed his lips over hers, savoring the flavor that was so uniquely hers.
He took some measure of comfort in the fact that she seemed to lean into him rather than pull away. He knew she wanted him, but he needed her to give herself to him. He didn’t want pure desire to dictate her actions. It had to be based on more.
“I’ve missed you,” he said as his lips hovered over hers. “Let me show you how much.”
He wanted far more than the physical from her. He wanted, no, needed her to open up to him emotionally.
Surprising him, she slipped her arms around his neck and leaned more fully into him. “Yes,” she whispered. “I need you tonight.” She hesitated. “I wish I didn’t, but I do.”
Relief flooded his mind. Even though he didn’t like the second half of her statement, she was willingly coming to him.
In a smooth movement, he slipped his arms under her body and was lifting her. He carried her to the bed, gently laying her on her back, and then slipped between her knees.
Resting his weight on his elbows, he looked down at her. His soul cried out to her. He wanted to wash away her pain. Knowing he had caused the turmoil in her now glassy baby-blue eyes made him ache.
He trailed a finger over her creamy, white cheek. ”Let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” she asked cautiously.
“Tonight we focus on here and now, and start making new memories.” He nuzzled her temple. “Will you give yourself to me that freely?”
“You ask a lot.”
“Yes,” he said trailing light kisses across her cheek, and then looking at her. “For that I can’t apologize. I want a lot. Will you give it to me?”
For a long moment, she searched his eyes. Finally she said, “Yes.”
Chapter Eight
She needed Bobby.
Having him on top of her, his body pressed to hers, was like a dream come true. Though her mind was filled with a confusing mix of thoughts and heart ached with emotions, her body was quite clear on its needs.
Bobby.
He filled the hole in her heart, and answered the calling of her body.
At least for now.
As his lips settled on hers, kissing her with sweet, sultry passion, she moaned with fulfillment. She kissed him hungrily, trying to sate the insatiable desire somehow unleashed.
Her hands clung to his neck, but she wanted to free them to touch his body.
It had been far too long since she had experienced the freedom to know him so intimately. Now that she had decided to experience this, she wanted it all.
To touch him, taste him, and feel all that he offered.
He explored her body with delicate precision, as if he cherished her like some sort of fine gift. She could feel it in his touch, and the way he kissed her. He seemed to savor each moment.
Her head rolled backwards as he feathered kisses on her neck, and trailed towards her collarbone. She was quickly sinking into a heady cloud of desire.
He was both tender and demanding. It was a combination she found absolutely consuming. With each brush of his lips, each lap of his tongue, he made her yearn for more. And where his lips weren’t, his hands seemed to touch.
His voice was husky, his eyes hot with desire as he leaned on his elbows and looked at her. “You have on far too many clothes.”
Their eyes locked as he began pulling down the zipper that ran straight down the middle of her jumpsuit. “I never stopped wanting you,” he told her hoarsely. “Never.”
Her ha
nd went to his cheeks, her eyes softening in response to the emotion she heard in his voice. “Nor I, you,” she whispered, wishing it weren’t true, but knowing it was.
He went still for a long moment. His eyes glistened with arousal, lust, and to her pleasure and surprise, some deeper emotion. Did she dare to think it might be love?
She shoved the thought aside, afraid of what the answer might—or rather, might not—be. And as if he knew she needed reassurance, he kissed her. Deeply, passionately, and with such urgency she could hardly breathe.
When he ended the kiss she wanted more, and he didn’t disappoint. Slowly, he kissed his way back down to her zipper and slowly began dragging it downward as his mouth followed.
Her hands went into his hair. His warm breath trickled along her skin, leaving goose bumps in its trail. Once the zipper was past her stomach, he flattened one hand possessively there.
“God, you're beautiful,” he said with appreciation in his eyes.
He made her feel beautiful. He always had.
Kissing her stomach, he teased her with his tongue, dipping it into her navel and then pulling the zipper all the way down to the top of her blond curls.
He looked up at her, and smiled. “You still don’t like underwear, I see.”
She laughed, but passion made it a short, husky sound. And he moved, leaving her without his touch, and searching for more.
“Let’s get rid of your boots.” He slid off the bed, and then wrapped his hands around her legs. Careful not to hurt her, he pulled her down, until her knees hung off the edge of the bed.
With rapid, urgent hands, he unlaced her boots and discarded them. As he watched, she sat up and slipped her arms out of the jumpsuit.
His eyes seemed to grow hotter as they lingered on her black, lacy bra. Then he moved, urging her to lift her hips, clearly wanting barriers removed. She settled flat on her back, and allowed him to pull the jumpsuit from her legs.
Taking her hand, he lifted her back to a sitting position. “Let’s get rid of the bra, too.”
He unhooked it, and she shrugged out of it, and tossed it to the floor. His eyes hungrily explored her body. His gaze lingered on her nipples, making them harden with the need for his touch.