An Opportunity Seized (7 page)

She was working herself into a frenzy trying to decide what to do. One-night stands or even relationships were not her field. She was flying blind and had no one to turn to for advice. Deciding that a shower was at least the first step needed, Toni quickly washed and dressed. Just as she was putting on her sandals, there was a knock at her door.

Hopping, one shoe on and the other dangling from her grasp, Toni opened the door.

“You didn’t even look through the peephole,” Jason growled at her. “Don’t you have any kind of self-preservation instincts? You never think of your own safety. I know, I’ve seen it first-hand over the last few days. For God’s sake, Toni, it’s written on the back of your door not to open without checking first who it is. And that is advice for everyday folk, not just bloody heiresses.” Jason pushed past her and stormed into her room.

He was so angry with her that Toni unconsciously took a step back, putting more space between them. She’d never been yelled at like that before and Jason was frightening her. All she’d done was open the door. Anyone would think, the way he was carrying on, that she’d walked into some gangster’s house with a loaded weapon and demanded their drug money. When he’d pointed out the heiress part, it was as if a barb had struck her heart. She didn’t want him to see her that way—ridiculous really, given that he was hired to protect her and all. Not that it really mattered what he thought anymore. It was clear her luck of the previous day had run out.

“Don’t yell at me,” she finally managed to blurt out. “I can open the door or shut the door however I like. I can do and go anywhere I decide too—without your permission or advice. You do not get to lecture me. I get lectured enough by my parents. I do not need to hear it from the person that was hired to follow me and, might I add, without my knowledge or my approval. And not counting the attentions of the low flying goose with a significant bowel condition yesterday, I’ve managed to remain free from the clutches of evil and chaos all on my own accord.”

The instant the words had spilled from her mouth, Toni wanted to capture them all and reel them back in, but it had been too late. She didn’t know what had got into her. She never argued or caused a scene. Hated confrontation. But for some reason Jason had caused her to erupt.

The change in Jason was immediate. Her words had scored a direct hit. It was obvious by the way he straightened to his full height, the way his eyes became cold. Eyes that Toni had gazed into, taken comfort and joy from the warmth they had shown her, were now looking like icy glaciers. There was no emotion apparent on his face. It was even scarier than him shouting at her, the change in him. Toni could almost feel the wave of cold indifference hit her as he stared her down.

“I’m sorry, Jason… I didn’t mean to—” she began to apologize.

“No, you’re right. This is why I should not have made contact with you. It’s crucial with the work I do not to get personally involved with a client. It can cloud your focus, your judgment. Be a distraction. I overstepped the boundaries. It’s my responsibility to see to your safety. I had no right to speak to you that way. In fact, I have no right to converse with you at all. It won’t happen again.” Jason’s reply was delivered without emotion, his voice flat and to the point.

Toni wanted to cry. This was not the way she had wanted today to go. She had been hoping that they could at least be friends, travel companions—that he could share in her excitement as they visited the many historical landmarks still on her itinerary.

Yes, she would have gladly fallen into his bed again but understood she had blown that opportunity. The idea that she had ruined any chance of their continued friendship was more than she could bear. Try as she might, Toni could not stop the flow of tears that were now rolling down her cheeks.

As he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, Jason guided her head to his chest, but still she could not stop blubbering.

“Shush, luv, don’t cry. I’m sorry, so sorry. Please stop the tears,” Jason pleaded as he rubbed the back of her neck. “I overreacted. I didn’t mean to upset you or come on so strong. It’s just when you’ve seen what I’ve seen, know what people can do, what sick sons of bitches roam this world… It makes you jumpy. I just don’t want to see you get hurt… Not doing so great with that so far…huh?”

Between the sensation of Jason’s fingers gently kneading her neck and the words he was whispering to her, Toni started to regain control. Her tears stopped, the joy of being held in this man’s arms taking hold of her emotions. It felt so good to lean against him. Her nose buried into his chest, she could smell his scent, strong, masculine. Toni wasn’t sure if it was Jason’s cologne or just him, but she liked it. He was so strong yet, at that very moment, tender toward her.

“I don’t regret for a minute that I let it get personal with you, luv. I really want to get the chance to know you, spend more time with you. The problem will be that it’s a new experience for me. I’ve never felt this way before. I might become a little overbearing. Can you handle that, Toni? Will you forgive me? Give me another chance? Last night was amazing, waking up and seeing you lying next to me, holding you in my arms… I want that again.” Jason paused for a moment.

Toni lifted her head from his chest, looked up. She saw the truth of his words reflected in the warmth of his eyes as he gazed down on her.

“Do you want that too, Toni? Can you see us spending time together? Or have I blown my chance? Am I relegated back to following you around in the background again?”

Toni’s head was spinning. She was so confused. She’d thought she’d driven him away, yet here he was begging her to give them another chance. She’d been prepared to work to retain Jason’s friendship. He was offering her more than that, talking about getting to know her and waking up with her in his arms. It was more than she could have wished for. But still a tiny voice in her head was telling her to slow down.
Will he feel the same way when it’s time to go home or is this just a holiday fling for him
?
How will you cope when he says goodbye? You’re already head over heels for him
.
What will your parents think if they find out?

She didn’t care. Ignoring the voices forecasting doom inside her head, she reached for him, pulling his head down toward her so her lips could reach his. Toni kissed Jason for all she was worth, hoping her actions were answer enough to his questions.

Jason cupped her face with his large hands and a shiver went up her spine.

“Judging by the heat of that kiss, you want to spend more time with me too, luv.”

That was exactly what Toni wanted—more time with Jason in and out of his bed. She popped open the first button on his shirt.

“Let me show you just how much,” she said, as she pressed her palms against Jason’s chest, rubbing circles around his flattened, dark nipples with her finger.

“Mmm, I’m liking where this is headed,” he replied.

Toni loved the firm contours of Jason’s chest, the slight covering of hair that narrowed toward his hips leading a path to his cock. She wanted to get him naked, see his body in all its glory and worship it. He had other ideas, though.

Jason gripped the bottom of her T-shirt. “Let me help you with this, luv. You won’t be needing any clothes on for what I have in mind for you today,” he said, grinning wickedly.

Standing naked in front of Jason in the stark light of day was making Toni feel uncomfortable. Her hands involuntarily sought to cover her body from his view.

“Don’t hide from me. You are beautiful. I want you, need you,” Jason said, his voice gravelly as he pulled her hands away from her breasts. “Look at my cock if you need any proof. I’m as hard as a rock.”

He tipped her chin up and his lips reclaimed hers. He licked and nipped at her mouth until finally his tongue swept inside. It was so glorious Toni forgot her anxieties the second their bodies met. Mouth to mouth, skin to skin, every nerve in her came alive and sang out for Jason’s touch. He broke from their kiss and fell to his knees before her. “One day I will have you on your knees in front of me, just like this, as I feed my cock into the warmth of your mouth,” Jason said just before his lips made contact with her skin. He licked a trail around her belly button before journeying even lower across her hip bones.

It was as if time stood still, Toni aware of his every touch, her pussy, her clit throbbing with need. Jason’s words and actions both fueling her desire. Soon she was writhing and pushing her body against his.

“I need more…” she begged.

“Tell me what you need, Toni.”

There was no time to feel self-conscious. If Jason didn’t do something soon Toni feared she would lose her mind. “I need you to touch my clit. Make me come, Jason. Please.” Toni moved her left leg a step to the side, widening her stance, eager to feel the touch of Jason’s fingers enter her throbbing cunt.

He didn’t make her wait long.

The moment he rubbed over her clit, Toni’s pussy clenched and an orgasm swept over her hard and quick, like a tidal wave crashing over the earth. Her body shook from the force of her climax and her knees went weak. Jason did not relent. He continued to tease and rub her clit, not giving Toni a chance to recover. At first she tried to step away but Jason kept his hand firmly placed on her backside, keeping her locked into place and at his mercy.

“Come again for me, baby. I know you’ve got it in you.”

“No I can’t,” she cried, her head thrashing from side to side. “It’s too much.”

Just when Toni thought she would die from Jason’s unyielding, sensual torment, another orgasm began to build, the pleasure slowly growing inside her. Her toes curled as the yearning intensified. Once again she shattered, splintering into a million fragments of pure white light and paradise.

She was still recovering, basking in the pleasure she had just experienced as he lifted her onto the bed. Toni was vaguely aware of the sound of the condom packet being ripped open just before Jason positioned himself over her body, his cock nudging the lips of her channel. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he entered her in one quick thrust. Clinging to his shoulders, she reveled in the weight of his body on hers—a sensation that Toni had, only a few minutes before, feared she’d never experience again.

Jason’s cock rocked in and out of her pussy slowly, a maddening pace, but rubbing against all the good spots as it did. To her surprise, Toni felt the fluttering of another orgasm begin to grow, the familiar clenching of her pussy walls as she strove to climb that peak to ecstasy. She buried her head against Jason’s chest, her lips making contact with his nipple.

“God, you feel so fucking amazing, Toni. I could stay buried inside you all day and still not want to let you go, but I can’t hold on any longer. Come with me…”

Jason’s voice sounded strained but his words made Toni’s heart sing. She moved her hips in unison with Jason’s. She wanted him to feel the same pleasure that she was experiencing, enjoying. As her third orgasm in less than ten minutes hit and rocked her world, Jason’s body tensed and he thrust inside her one last time before he stilled, shouting her name as he found his own completion.

Chapter Eight

“Lincoln is so beautiful, Jason. I had no idea it was such a historic town. The castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror.”

Toni was so pleased they had decided to ditch her original itinerary. When she had made her travel plans, she’d decided on using bus tours to travel around the country. She’d felt a bit nervous at the thought of driving by herself. When Jason had brought up the option of hiring a car, not at all worried over the thought of taking on the unknown roads, she’d more than happily agreed. They’d set out on the M1 and headed north, stopping where and when they wanted.

“Neither did I, luv.” Jason stood in front of Lincoln Cathedral, reading a plaque on the wall. “Come and take a look at this, Toni. It’s a memorial to Sir Joseph Banks. He was born in the area.”

Toni walked over and slipped her hand in his. “This is amazing. I never knew that. I’m going to take some photos. Grade three students learn all about Captain Cook and the
Endeavour
. How our Great Southern Land was discovered and the coastline mapped. It will make it so much more interesting for the kids if I can say I’ve seen the memorial to the botanist that named so many of Australia’s flora and fauna.”

Jason laughed. “You think so, luv? Or are you just as excited to find something so linked to our Aussie history? I don’t think it would have made much of a difference to my interest in schoolwork when I was eight. Botanists were nerds. I would have wanted to be the captain and carry a sword as I went exploring the unknown.”

“Are you making fun of me, Jason Beck?”

“Maybe, sweetheart. But I do love seeing you get so excited by every castle, cathedral or Roman ruin we discover. Do you realize that you actually jump up and down and make these sexy little squealing kind of noises when you find some new piece of information that interests you?”

Toni tried to discount that Jason had just mentioned the word love in connection to her.
It’s just a figure of speech. There is nothing more to it.
Toni was falling in love with Jason, she had tried not to but every minute they spent together, he wormed his way into her heart more deeply. She hadn’t been able to get him to discuss their future. On more than one occasion over the last few days, she’d tried to talk to him about what would happen when they both returned home. Jason always changed the subject. He was gifted in the art of distraction and his aversion to speaking about anything to do with their future was frustrating Toni.

“I seem to recall discovering a few new things at night, Jason. Do I make the same kind of noises then? What did you call them…? Squeals?”

“No, they were more like sensual moans of pleasure, luv.”

She grabbed his butt and gave it a squeeze. “What say you take me back to our hotel and see if you can get me to make those sounds again and we can decide what to name them?”