CarnalHealing (6 page)

“Then prove it. You were telling me about your novel. What’s
it about?”

“It’s just, you know, a novel.” Leonore took another bite of
the pasta and determined that her stomach was going to cooperate. Suddenly she
was ravenous.

“No, I don’t know,” said Jeff. “I read all kinds of novels,
everything from horror to romance. What’s yours?”

“
You
read romance novels?” Jeff nodded, and Leonore
continued. “I’m surprised. Most guys wouldn’t admit it. I picked you for
medical thrillers.”

“My life
is
a medical thriller. People leave stuff
around the doctors lounge, and residents work all kinds of crazy shifts.
Believe me, the last thing I want to do after spending a day with medical
personnel and dying kids is read about doctors and sick people. A good old,
sappy romance novel is the perfect escape.”

Leonore grinned. “Sappy?”

“I mean that in the best possible sense. Good wins the day,
the guy gets the girl…” He raised an eyebrow over a bite of food. “Does this
mean your novel is a romance?”

“No,” said Leonore. “It’s more of a…a book about an ancient
quest.” She had a little more of the excellent wine. “Tish says it’s a wannabe
autobiography—how I would have been if I’d lived in the sixth century.”

“Tish?”

“Letisha. My…friend.”
Gawd
, had she just mentioned
another Leonorean to a virtual stranger? Leonore eyed the wine bottle to see if
they’d had more than she thought. Nope, still half full.

What is it about this guy?
Her arms were still
literally tingling from where he’d touched her a few minutes before. Maybe it
was affecting her mind.

“So your protagonist is a woman, and she’s on a quest in the
sixth century. An historical adventure, then? I’d like to read it.”

Leonore wondered if he was just being polite, or if he was
really interested.

“I don’t generally let people read unfinished work.”

“Except Tish?”

Touché.

“Tish—Letisha—is more like family than a friend. And she
badgered me into it.”

“I’m prepared to badger.” The way he said it, with an
exaggerated eyebrow wiggle, made it sound like an indecent proposal. Leonore
laughed.

“Maybe,” she conceded.

She realized she was completely relaxed again. The disquiet
caused by his revelation about the research was still there, but another voice
seemed to be telling her not to worry, that no bad could come from being with
this man.

It was a completely new sensation.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Jeff said, standing up, “I have to
get out the heavy equipment for the
pièce de résistance
.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see.”

He moved to the kitchen island and opened a cabinet
underneath. He removed a metal canister and put it on the bar with a clunk.

“Is that a blow torch? Are you planning on welding
something?”

“It’s a chef’s torch. Probably doesn’t get hot enough for
welding, but I haven’t tried it.” He turned to the refrigerator and took out
two shallow white dishes and placed them on the counter next to the torch.

“Crème brûlée,” he explained. He removed a striker from a
drawer, turned a lever on the can and lit the gas coming from the nozzle.
Leonore watched, fascinated.

“It’s trickier than it looks,” he explained as he began to
move the flame over the surface of the custard. “The idea is to harden the
sugar on the top, browning it without burning it. You should be able to break
through it easily with your spoon, but not too easily.”

“Sort of an edible miniature skating rink,” she said. “I’m
impressed. I’d probably catch my hair on fire.”

He was doing the second dish now. “It’s easy to look like an
expert after dozens of failed attempts. But now…” He turned off the torch and
set it aside, then carried the two dishes to the table. “
Voilà!
Sweets
to the sweet.”

Leonore rolled her eyes but found she didn’t really mind the
corny expression. She was about to plunge her spoon through the crust when
Jeff, who had come around to sit next to her, took it from her hand.

“Allow me.” There was an audible crunch as the spoon broke
through the delicate crust, then he placed it in her mouth.

The warm crust combined with the cool creamy custard was
perfect, and Leonore’s eyes almost rolled back into her head in ecstasy. She
savored it for a moment before swallowing.

“Amazing,” she said. “Truly amazing.”

“Have another,” he said, spoon hovering. She opened her
mouth to accept the bite. Before she could swallow it, Jeff had put down the
spoon and leaned forward to kiss her. Leonore, who had closed her eyes to truly
appreciate the flavor of the creamy dessert, was startled at first. Then, she
relaxed as his tongue slid into her mouth, capturing some of the custard.

He pulled back and licked his lips. “Ummm. And I though
kissing you tasted good before.”

“Eat your own dessert,” she said, only pretending to be
annoyed. “This one’s mine.”

“I’ll eat my own, if you let me use you as a plate.”

Leonore gauged his expression to see if he was serious. He
was.

“That,” she said, putting her spoon down slowly, “is a
wonderful idea.” His kiss had set the magic in her buzzing. She glanced over at
the sofa.

“Oh, no,” he said, following her gaze. “Not here. We’ve had
sex on a car and a desk. I told myself that if I made love to you tonight, it
would be done properly. In a bed.”

Made love?

Before Leonore could think about what this meant, Jeff was
pulling her to his feet. “Come on.” She started to stumble toward the stairs,
suddenly clumsy with desire.

“Wait!” he said, and she looked up, puzzled.

“You’re forgetting the crème brûlée.”

Chapter Five

Upstairs, Jeff just managed to carefully place the dessert
plates on the nightstand before reaching to pull Leonore’s blouse over her
head, revealing the lacy bra that Ludmilla had bought her for her
birthday—months earlier—and she was wearing for the first time. He paused for a
moment, stepping back to look at her appreciatively.

Leonore felt oddly self-conscious. Dozens of men—hundreds,
really—had seen her body, at least in the brief glimpses she allowed them before
getting down to business. She hadn’t minded or worried that they would find her
attractive. She knew the power a lush, healthy woman’s body could hold. It was
a power she’d used to her advantage many times.

Now, she warmed under the huger in Jeff’s gaze. “Wow,” he
said. “You’re beautiful.”

“I…thank you.” Leonore didn’t know what to say. She’d heard
the compliment before. She just hadn’t really paid much attention. She lowered
her eyes, then focused on what was right in front of her. His crotch. With a very
big bulge, not much camouflaged by the drapey fabric of his trousers. She
reached for it, connecting. He groaned.

Leonore’s tantalizing view was blocked as he again leaned
forward to kiss her, his hands sliding under the bottom edge of her bra until
his thumbs and forefingers found her nipples. Her magic rushed to the points of
contact, tingling along breast, lips and tongue. His cock throbbed in her
hands, and she fumbled for his zipper. She got it open, pulled at his underwear
and, finally, it was free.

“Let me…” she said, pulling back so she could see her prize.
“Ah, yes.” She leaned forward, intent on taking it in her mouth.

“Wait,” said Jeff. “Let’s take the rest of our clothes off.
It’s high time we actually got naked together.”

“I—” Leonore almost argued that she had something she wanted
to do first, but suddenly laughed. He was right. They’d had sex twice without
removing more than her panties. And she wanted to see his body. All of it. She
released him, then reached behind her back to unhook her bra. She straightened
to unzip the long skirt she was wearing and realized Jeff was standing
stock-still.

“You’re not undressing,” she said, as she slithered out of
the skirt. “And it was your idea to get naked.”

He broke out of his trance. “You’re right. It was. I was
temporarily frozen in awe. Forgive me.” He stepped out of his trousers—
when
had he gotten barefoot
?—and started unbuttoning his shirt. When he finally
got it off, Leonore was treated to an expanse of chest that was truly worth the
wait. She stared.

Now it was Jeff’s turn to laugh. “We’re standing here
staring at one another like a couple of virgin teenagers who’ve never seen a
member of the opposite sex naked before.”

Leonore felt herself blush. “I’ve seen plenty of naked men
before. But I’m not sure I’ve seen one quite so…”
Perfect.

“So what?” Jeff stepped closer, and Leonore felt his breath
on her forehead.

“Never mind. You’ll get a swollen head. Oops!” She grasped
his cock in her hand and squeezed lightly, making him gasp. “Looks like you’ve already
got one.”

“Careful,” he breathed. “You don’t want this to be over
before we even get started.”

“Oh, I’ll be careful,” Leonore replied. “I—”

She got no further because his mouth closed over hers.
Instantly, her magic swelled like a rising tide, rushing to all points of
contact as he pulled her body against his. She managed—just—to keep at it
within the confines of her skin, but she tingled at every spot where they
touched.

Leonore pulled her head back, gasping, and his lips began to
move over her throat. She ran her hands up the sides of his back, appreciating
the feel of powerful muscles rippling under smooth skin.
Maybe if I
concentrate on giving pleasure, I’ll have a better chance at keeping my magic
under control.

She pushed lightly at his chest, and he looked at her,
questioning.

“Here,” she said, moving so that the two of them would
rotate until the bed was at his back instead of hers. “Lie back. And give me
one of those plates of crème brûlée while you’re at it.”

“I think I see where you’re going with this,” said Jeff,
spreading himself backward on the bed and reaching toward the nightstand where
the desserts sat. “And I like it.”

“Oh, you’re going to more than like it.” Leonore took the
plate from Jeff and set it on the floor next to her feet, then sank to her
knees and dipped a finger into the still-warm custard. She grasped his cock in
her other hand and spread the creamy substance over the head and down the top
of the shaft. Jeff groaned.

“That feels—” His words were cut off as she started to slowly
lick up the sweet confection. She pulled the head into her mouth, applying just
a little more pressure than was needed to clean it of the last drops.

“I think I need a little more dessert,” she said, and began
dipping and applying a second helping. This time, she let her lips glide a
little farther down, pulling more of his cock into her mouth and toward the
back of her throat. Jeff shuddered and moaned.

“Mmm,” purred Leonore. She was thoroughly enjoying Jeff’s
reaction. Her magic, although bubbling just below the surface, was staying
easily in check as if it too, was enjoying this teasing game. “One more
helping, I think.”

Again, she applied the custard and again, she plunged her
mouth over his organ. This time, she swallowed the dessert, then opened her
throat and slid the head all the way in. She’d never deep-throated anyone with
a cock this big before, and had been unsure she’d be able to do so now.

Not, however, as surprised as Jeff, judging by his reaction.
“Oh god, I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”

“Go ahead,” Leonore surprised herself a little by saying.
“What’s a little more custard?” She again sucked the big head all the way into
her throat, then started up a rhythm.
Let’s see how long you can last while
I’m doing this.
Her magic gave a funny little undulation, as if it was
amused by Leonore’s game.

She started to count mentally.
One…
She plunged,
sucked, pulled back just enough and surged forward again.
Two…

She had made it to twenty when her magic gave a sudden
thrust outward, spilling into Jeff. Or maybe surrounding him, she couldn’t
tell. “Ah-aaaahhhh!!!” He almost shouted, and Leonore felt a great throb,
followed quickly by a second, and his seed was spurting into her mouth. She
steeled herself for the taste she had always found mildly unpleasant, and was
surprised when it was instead quite…what? Not good, exactly. More…
right
.
He pulsed a third time and she swallowed again.

Leonore felt her magic retreat, just as Jeff’s cock started
to soften. She released him, finally able to look up at his face. He was
staring at her with an expression she couldn’t quite name. Shock? Amazement? He
seemed unable to speak.

Leonore was a little amazed herself. She’d given men plenty
of men head, but mostly in order to get them hard and keep them that way, so
that they could serve her purpose. The few times they’d come in her mouth, it
hadn’t been her idea, and the primary emotion she’d experienced was annoyance
at having to start over, to get them ready to give her what she needed. And, if
her magic had been affected by the act, it had only been to telegraph urgency
to get it over with and move on to the main event. This time, both Leonore and
her power had felt…what? Playful.

“Come here.” Jeff had apparently recovered his powers of
speech, and he was gesturing for Leonore to get off her knees and join him on
the bed. Making sure she didn’t step in the dessert plate, she complied, and he
pulled her into his arms. Letting her head nestle against his shoulder felt
both odd and comfortable at the same time.

“I hope you don’t think we’re done,” said Jeff, a little
huskily. “Although that was the most amazing blowjob I’ve ever had.”

“I have the feeling you have pretty good powers of
recovery,” said Leonore. Her magic purred silkily just under her skin, as if agreeing
with her and, thus, willing to be patient for the moment.

“And, by the way,
I
was supposed to be using
you
as a plate.”

“I didn’t use you as a plate, exactly,” said Leonore. “More
like a…a popsicle stick.” She giggled.
Gawd, did I actually just say that?
And I don’t think I’ve ever actually giggled in bed before.

Jeff, who had no way of knowing how uncharacteristic the
joke was, chuckled appreciatively.

“Well, lucky for you, your intuition is good.”

“Hmmm?” Leonore was distracted by the vista from her
position against Jeff’s shoulder, which afforded an excellent view of his chest
and abdomen. He’d draped a corner of the sheet across his loins, but she could
see the beginning of the dark line of his pubic hair.

“About my powers of recovery. You said you had a feeling
they would be good.”

“Oh?” Leonore looked more closely at the sheet. Sure enough,
a trace of movement stirred the soft cotton folds. She rolled a little farther
onto her side so that she could reach a hand down and slip it under the smooth
edge of the sheet. His cock was still mostly flaccid, but there was an
unmistakable swelling, and she felt Jeff tense a little as she tested it. “Very
nice.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Jeff’s hand cupped her breast.
“Because I’ve barely gotten to show you what I can do with it.”

Leonore felt her magic jump, or was the tingle of
anticipation just her healthy body’s response to the promise of more pleasure?
She was finding it increasingly difficult to separate the two. Maybe this was
why the magic kept getting away from her.

Her musings were interrupted as the shaft in her hand
swelled noticeably. She squeezed again. “Just what do you plan to show me?” She
could hear the unfamiliar teasing tone in her own voice and liked it.

Jeff pulled himself up onto an elbow and reached down,
slipping a finger into the cleft of her pussy. “You’re soaking wet.”

She was. Leonore felt his finger slip in as easily as a
knife through butter. He straddled her, but didn’t settle his weight against
her, and Leonore stretched luxuriantly against the soft pillows. She felt
herself open, ready for him. His fingers made feathery movements along her
clit, teasing her. Her magic prickled but did not threaten to erupt, seeming to
enjoy the titillation along with her.

He moved back far enough to use his hands to spread her legs
apart, and positioned the thick head of his cock at the wet entrance to her
cunt, then put his hands on either side of her head. Leonore started to close
her eyes, but Jeff protested.

“No, look at me.” And she did. Staring into pupils so large
they almost hid the intense blue of his irises, Leonore kept her gaze locked as
he leaned forward, slowly forcing his huge cock into her pussy. Her body
clenched, but she was so wet and he was so hard that he continue to slide and he
thrust all the way into her in one single, long, excruciatingly slow stroke.

Just as he reached the point where he could go no farther,
he put his mouth over hers, kissing her and probing with his tongue. She
responded in kind, their tongues dancing and tasting, entwined. She felt his
cock slide slickly back and thrust again, this time not as slowly. Still the
kiss went on as Jeff found a rhythm, and Leonore was lost to an interior world
where drumbeats seemed to keep time to the pounding in her cunt.

Dimly, she realized she was hearing the response of her
magic but it seemed to be content to join the dance while remaining in her,
which was good because, as Jeff continued to hammer into her, she suspected she
was helpless to control it. And she didn’t want to think about her magic right
now—she wanted to give herself over fully to the wonderful, aching breadth of
his cock and the cadence of his thrusts.

The building tension that portended her orgasm suddenly
intensified, and Leonore had no time to prepare for explosive burst before it
was upon her. Her back arched and she lifted her ass from the bed, despite
Jeff’s not insubstantial weight. She pulled her mouth from the kiss and cried
out inarticulately.

Jeff’s plunges slowed but did not stop. “There you go,” he
said, his voice almost normal. “That’s what I like to hear.”

“You can—come if—you want to,” she managed to gasp in
response.

He chuckled. “Oh, not yet. Not this time.” He pulled out of
her abruptly, causing her to almost whimper. She felt as if her power was
reaching through her cunt, trying to pull him back. Then, he was lifting her,
turning her around, so that she was on her knees and facing away from him. She
could feel the hot juices running from her pussy, and knew them to be unmingled
with his.

Have I ever been this wet?

Again, she felt the head of his cock pressing against her,
thrusting inside her. She was so wet and open, and he slid in so easily that,
in this position, it felt as if he was even deeper inside her. One hand reached
around and circled her mound, then found her clit. It flicked and circled,
intensifying the pleasure. She could hear the slap of their bodies joining as
he drove into her again and again.

“Oh…oh…OH!” She was coming again, her inner muscles grasping
tightly against his rock-hard shaft. In and out, in and out. He seemed
tireless, barely winded. Her magic sang against the surface of her skin. She
opened her eyes and the very air around her seemed full of dancing colors. She
wondered if Jeff could see them, too.

Again, he withdrew. “Having fun?” he purred in her ear.

“Oh, yes!” was all she could manage to say before he spun
her around, pulling her so that her ass was even with the edge of his tall bed.
He stepped back and came to stand between her spread legs, which he grasped and
lifted so that her calves rested on his shoulders. He was back inside her in
seconds, resuming his rhythm. The angle made the top of his cock press against
her clit as it slid with an increased tempo, and yet another orgasm rocked her.
How many times can I come?