Forbidden Fruit (8 page)

“I’m pretty sure we’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“I’d rather you tell me about your life. What was it like in New Orleans with your dad?”

“Ah, New Orleans is a magicallplace. It’s like no other city in the world. It’s steamy and dark and a little sad, even at Mardi Gras. But it’s also colorfulland beautiful. And being there with my dad was always exciting. As I said, he’s a jazz musician, and his friends are all musicians and artists. The most fascinating people.”

The waitress came back and set platters on the small table, crowding their plates; meat and vegetable dishes, sending scented steam wafting into the air.

“This is
alubias verdes con ajo,
” Jagger told her.

“Basically green beans with a lot of garlic. And this is some
chorizo,
just sausage and peppers. It’s spicy, so you have to drink plenty of wine.”

“Are you sure you don’t have an ulterior motive?” Mia asked, laughing.

“Would you mind too much if I did?” He grinned at her and she couldn’t seem to argue with him, despite the alarm bells going off in her head. “Ah, here’s our
patatas a la importancia.
You’ll love these potatoes. They’re fried. You’re not one of those women who’s always on a diet, are you? No, never mind, I don’t think you are. You’re more of a sensualist, like me.”

“Jagger, I’ll explode if I eat all of this.”

“You have to try a little of everything, at least.”

She shook her head while he spooned food onto her plate. “You were going to tell me about your father.”

“Ah, well, he’s an amazing musician. Plays sax and piano, mostly, but he can play a little percussion, too.

He’s a good man. He used to take me around to the clubs when he had a gig when I stayed with him in the summers, sometimes a few nights a week. I’d hang around backstage, or out in front if one of his friends was there to sit with me at a table. I remember that smell of cigarette smoke and beer, mixed with a little perfume.” Jagger took a bite of the potatoes, chewed for a moment. “And the women.

There were always women around. That’s where the perfume came from, I guess. But I learned to appreciate a beautifullwoman. Dad was always a killer with the ladies. Still is.”

“That’s where you get it from, I suppose.”

Jagger’s features tensed, went a little dark. What had she said? But just as quickly his expression cleared. He picked up his sangria, drank, smiled at her, if a little tightly. “I guess so.”

“And your mother? You told me she was an artist.”

“Yeah, she’s still here, in Berkeley. Still painting. She travels a lot, has friends all over Europe. She’s there right now.”

“No siblings?”

“Dad had two daughters after he and my mom split up, but they’re kind of spread around. Serena is in Miami, Celia’s in New York. I don’t really know them.

Their choice. What about you?”

“No. I’m an only child. I always wanted a sister. When I was really young, I used to pretend that I had one, in the way small children imagine things. It would have been nice, especially now, with my grandmother gone.”

He reached out and curled his fingers around hers.

“Sorry, Mia Rose.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay.”

He looked at her for severallmoments, his gray eyes dark, unreadable. Then he lifted her hand to his lips, brushed them over the back of her fingers. A warm chill ran through her. She wasn’t sure what it meant: that look, him kissing her hand so gently. But it seemed to mean something. Or was she reading too much into it? She had no sense of objectivity where he was concerned.

The waitress stepped up to their table and cleared the platters away, refilled their glasses. They drank quietly for a few minutes, lingered over the rest of their meal, talked of inconsequentiallthings.

“Why don’t we walk some of this food off?” Jagger suggested.

He stood, held her chair for her, and they went out into the coollnight air.

“That was an amazing meal, Jagger. Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. I have dessert back at my place.”

“Oh, I don’t…I don’t think I should.”

“You’ll be ready for something sweet by the time we get there. Or we can sit and have some more wine first.”

“No, I don’t mean…Jagger, I shouldn’t go back to your place. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I need to figure some things out before I…” She trailed off, too unsure of what she needed to say, what she needed to do.

“It’s alright. I understand. I’ll walk you to your car, then.”

She nodded, half gratefullhe hadn’t argued the point with her and half wishing he had.

God, you really are a mess.

They moved down the street, the night air coollon her face, but Jagger’s presence was warm next to her.

As they walked, he took her hand, just a gentle twining of fingers around hers. It felt good. Better than it should have, and the sensation wasn’t entirely sexual. It was
more,
a different kind of heat that moved through her chest, loosened her up inside.

Opened her up.

They reached her car, a silver Mini Cooper, parked only a few doors down from Jagger’s building, a little too quickly.

“This is me.” She tried to drop his hand, but he held on.

“Come upstairs with me, Mia Rose,” Jagger said softly.

She wanted to. Every cell in her body wanted nothing more than to go upstairs with him, to let him kiss her again, touch her. She blew out a long breath, leaned again, touch her. She blew out a long breath, leaned back against the passenger door of her car.

“I can’t, Jagger.”

“Alright. But I’m not going to let you go without kissing you.”

He leaned in, and she found herself lifting her face to his, her mind emptying even before his mouth met hers. Then it was just the cool, plush texture of his lips on hers, that soft press of flesh upon flesh. Her hands went around his neck, his skin so hot and smooth there, and he moved in closer, leaning in to her, the weight of his body pressing her into the car.

When his tongue moved her lips apart, he slid inside. She went soft and loose all over, her breasts aching for more than the hard press of his chest against hers, with the layers of sweater between them.

In moments she was panting, wet. And he deepened the kiss, the heat of his mouth making her crazy. She wanted him. Wanted him to fuck her. Right there.

Right
now.

His hips were hard up against hers, and that solid ridge of flesh pushed against her belly.

God.

Her hips tilted, her sex filled, throbbed, wanting, wanting. But she wasn’t supposed to be doing this.

She was
not
supposed to be doing this.

He kissed her harder, wet and hurting, bruising her lips. His hands gripped her waist, his fingers biting into her, and all she wanted was more. God, she could almost come if he only kissed her long enough, just kissed her like this.

He pulled back, brushed her hair with his lips, with his cheek. He was breathing as hard as she was. He still had her up against the car, his body pressing her against the cold steel. His hands slid down over her hips, dug in again. She couldn’t have moved even if he hadn’t been holding her so tightly. She could barely breathe. She didn’t want to.

“Jagger…”

“Fuck. I’m sorry, Mia Rose.”

“No. That’s not it.”

“What, then?” He looked down at her, his eyes glittering in the silvery light of the streetlamp a few feet away.

The words came out on a half-whisper.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

Karalee stood at the front of Gideon’s car, leaning against the hood. It was a 1968 Mustang. Black and sleek. Fully restored. Not what she might have expected him to drive. No, he was more the BMW

type. The man was a mystery.

Even more mysterious as he paced in front of her, his steps echoing in the nearly empty parking structure. The smell of motor oillwas in the air, the faint scent of old exhaust. If she looked beyond him she could see the lights glinting on the tall buildings of the Embarcadero, the stark beauty of the Bay Bridge, the velvet dark of the sky. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night, but she could hear the muffled sounds of traffic moving below. And yet she felt safe here with him, even though she knew full wellwhat he was asking her to do.

He wasn’t impatient. No, he was pacing off the energy that made his dark eyes glitter, that gave him such a sense of immediacy, of energy. She was shaking just a little. But she’d known instantly what her answer would be. Her entire body had swarmed with lust the moment he’d suggested it. He was the one who insisted she take a moment to think about it.

“Gideon?”

“Yes?” He stopped in front of her, stepped closer.

“Do you have your answer, Karalee?”

“Yes. I want this.”

He smiled. “I thought you might.”

“You knew I wouldn’t say no.”

He nodded silently, then before she could think anymore he gripped her waist with his big hands and spun her around. She steadied herself, the hood of the car coolland smooth beneath her palms. He didn’t have to ask her to lean over the hood, to spread her legs for him. She simply did it, her body following his lead.

He moved in close behind her and lifted her narrow black skirt. Heat shuddered through her when she heard him unzip his slacks. She was soaking wet already.

There was no preamble, which was exactly what she wanted. Just him spreading her pussy lips before sliding inside.

She moaned as he pressed his cock deep inside her, spreading a little more for him. One last hard thrust and he was buried deep.

“Fuck, Karalee.”

“Oh, yes…”

She pushed back against him, wanting more, wanting all of him. He pulled out, let just the tip of his cock rest inside her, and held himself there, untillpleasure spread through her system like liquid heat, her sex aching with need.

“Gideon, please…”

He slammed into her, jarring her, pulled out, then rammed hard into her again. One sharp thrust after another, and she was panting, gasping, as her body thrummed with desire, with the need to come.

His hand went into her hair, gripping hard, yanking her head up, and that moment of totallcommand made her go weak all over. She would have fallen if not for his arm slipping around her waist, holding her right up against him.

“Jesus, Gideon. Just fuck me. Do it.”

His hand moved down, pressed against her clitoris.

“Oh…”

He pushed into her again, ground against her mound with his hand. Her climax bore down on her, making her shiver all over, hot, intense. When he pinched her clit hard between his fingers she came apart, whimpering, panting, biting her lip to keep from crying out. Pleasure moved through her, shook her to the core. And still he pumped into her in long, devastating strokes, driving her orgasm on untillshe wasn’t sure she could take it anymore.

And then he stiffened all over, pausing for one long moment before shoving into her harder than ever with a deep groan.

“Fuck, Karalee. Need to fuck you. Just fuck you…”

She collapsed onto the hood of the car, his arm stilltight around her waist. She felt as limp as a rag doll, as entirely helpless. But she felt wonderful.

He was still inside her, still half hard.

His hand loosened its grip on her hair, slid down to caress the back of her neck, sending a chill down her spine. And it was only then she realized she hadn’t thought for one moment since he’d bent her over his car that they might be caught, that someone could drive by, see what they were doing. Right now she hardly cared.

Finally he pulled out of her, tugged her skirt down, turned her around, and pulled her in for a brief kiss.

“Very good, Karalee.”

She smiled, feeling dazed, sleepy, yet invigorated at the same time. She could have fucked him again right at that very moment if he’d wanted to.

The low groan of a motor sent a shiver through the pavement beneath their feet, and a car turned the corner, cruised past them. Gideon smiled down at her, a wicked, crooked grin, and a new wave of pleasure swept through her.

Oh yes, he was dangerous, this man. But he’d given her a taste for danger. And there would be no turning back.

MIA BROKE AWAY FROM JAGGER, HER

BREATH COMING IN short, sharp pants.

“Jagger…”

“Tell me you’re not changing your mind now, Mia Rose,” he groaned, “because I don’t think I can take it.”

“Jagger, we’re in the middle of the sidewalk.”

“Yeah. Come on.”

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her the few feet to his building, took her inside, keeping their bodies pressed close together. The elevator was open and waiting, and they got in. The door was barely closed before his arms were wrapped around her, his mouth on hers, that wet, sensuallmouth. He opened her lips with his tongue, plunged inside, backing her against the wall while the old elevator creaked upward. She could feellhis erection against her belly again, wanted it, needed it, inside her.

His hands were in her hair, his tongue delving deeper, his hips pressing into her, seeming to push the pleasure through her in a warm rush.

The elevator reached the top floor, and he was stillkissing her as he backed them both out and into the hallway. He pulled away long enough to mutter, “Where is my damn key?”

Then they were pushing through the door and into his apartment, and his mouth came down on hers again.

His hands were on her, tracing the curves of her body, gentle for a few moments, then kneading her flesh: her shoulders, her waist, her hips. He pushed her back, up against the door with a heavy thud. She didn’t care. All she knew was the hard planes of his body against hers, his hands moving beneath her sweater to cup her breasts through the sheer fabric of her bra as fire raged inside her, making her wet and weak with need.

When Jagger pulled his mouth from hers it was to draw her sweater over her head, then his own. She saw the smooth contours of his chest for the first time, the rounded muscles of his shoulders, those tattooed armbands really doing something to her.

Beautiful. And his nipples were dark and dusky, succulent. Her own hardened. She licked her lips.

He pushed her aching breasts together in his hands, bent his head, and laid soft, moist kisses on the curve of flesh there. She moaned, her body quaking with desire. She could hardly believe she was there with him, that he was touching her in the way she’d fantasized about all too often.

“Take it off, Jagger. Just take it off.”

He unsnapped the catch and her bra fell away.

“Lord, you’re beautiful, Mia Rose. I knew you would be.”

When he drew one nipple into his mouth, she cried out, desire lancing through her. She buried her hands in his hair, knew the texture of the silky curls as though she had touched him before, held on as he sucked her flesh into his mouth. Her sex went hot, absolutely burning. And her nipples were so damn hard they hurt.

Again he stopped, this time to draw her jeans down over her legs, leaving her in her damp lace panties while he tore his own jeans off.

She had one moment to see that he wore dark gray tight-fitting boxer briefs before he sank to his knees before her. With one hand he pressed against her stomach, holding her against the door. With the other he tore the scrap of lace down her legs, spread them apart.

“So beautiful,” he murmured once more.

She shivered, watching him look at her, waiting for him to touch her, to kiss her there.

He moved closer, his breath warm against her curls.

But he didn’t touch her. Her sex was so hot, swollen.

Needing him. A single drop of moisture trickled down the inside of one thigh.

Finally, he bent and brushed his lips across her mound.

“Ah! Jagger…”

So good already, she could hardly stand it. Absolute torture that he didn’t just dive in, take her hard clit into his mouth.

Oh yes…

He blew on her skin, and her clitoris swelled impossibly. She moaned, tilted her hips toward him, braced her hands against the smooth wood of the door behind her.

He used his fingers to open the lips of her sex, and even that gentle pressure was driving her crazy.

“I’m going to taste you now, Mia Rose,” he said softly.

“Yes. Oh, please.”

His mouth came down on her, warm and wet, and she pulled in one gasping breath as pleasure knifed into her body. She was shaking all over the moment his tongue darted out, shook even harder when he licked along her wet slit.

“God, Jagger.”

She could come at any moment, but she didn’t want it to be over so soon. Not with him, with this man she’d been wanting as she’d never wanted anyone before.

He licked her once more, that long stroke of his tongue teasing her swollen flesh. Then again, and again. She’d never been so wet in her life. When he put his fingers inside her, sliding right into her aching heat, she cried out.

God, so good…

And then he closed his mouth over her clitoris, drawing it into his mouth. Her fingers scratched against the wood, searching for something to hold on to.

“Jagger, please. I can’t…oh God…don’t stop.”

He sucked on that hard nub of flesh, pleasure driving deep into her body. In moments she was on that verge, her hips thrusting into his mouth, his fingers plunging inside her. And he kept sucking, sucking, untillshe exploded in a fury of heat and desire. Her vision blurred, pleasure poured through her, drowning her, untillshe could barely breathe.

She slid down the door, and Jagger eased her onto the floor. He was kissing her again: her neck, her face. Then his mouth was on hers once more and allshe wanted was him inside her.

“Jagger, I need to feellyou. I can’t wait.”

“Ah, Mia Rose.”

He picked her up and carried her to his big bed, laid her down a little roughly. He moved around the bed, and she turned to watch him pull a condom from the nightstand drawer, watched as he stepped out of his briefs. Then he stood for a moment beside the bed, looking down at her, and she saw him fully for the first time.

His cock was so beautiful, it almost hurt to look at it.

Large and swollen, she swore she could see it pulsing. And it was covered in the most beautifullbrown skin. Her sex throbbed simply looking at it.

“Mia Rose, wait here.”

“What? Jagger?”

But he was moving through the half-dark apartment toward the kitchen. Muted light shone in through the tall windows, casting red and gold shadows across the floor, but it was too dark at the kitchen end to see what he was doing. She didn’t really care. She simply needed him to come back.
Now.

When he did he held an open bottle of red wine in his hand. She pushed herself up on her elbows.

“Jagger, I don’t want to drink any more. I just want you.”

He said, “You’re not going to drink it. I am.”

He placed one knee on the edge of the bed, held the bottle over her. And she realized suddenly what he was about to do.

Her sex squeezed and her mind went absolutely blank for severallmoments. All she knew was the keen edge of anticipation, of the realization of her deepest desires.

And then he tipped the bottle, and a few drops of the wine flowed over her breasts. She moaned, almost wanted to cry. He bent over her, and she let her head fall back as he began to lick the wine from her skin.

His tongue was so hot and smooth. The scent of the wine was dizzying. The combination was devastating.

She could not believe this was happening. And somewhere in the back of her mind was that memory of Ben, the sweet scent of the whipped cream, the flavor of it on his tongue when he kissed her after licking it off her body.

But this was Jagger she was here with now.

He poured again, and the slide of the liquid over her skin sent tremors of desire deep into her body, arrowing into her sex, as though his wet mouth were there once more. Her hips tilted, her sex clenching tight, her fingers gripping the bedcovers.

“Ah, Jagger.”

He was sucking on her skin now, on the full flesh of her breasts, working the wine into her skin with his tongue. And all she could do was writhe beneath him.

He poured once more, this time down the length of her stomach, and followed with his lips, his tongue.

She was shivering, needing to come again. She couldn’t hold still, couldn’t stop moaning. She didn’t care.

He lifted his head. “I didn’t think you could taste any better, Mia Rose. But you do.”

This time he poured the wine directly into the folds of her sex.

“Oh! Please, please…God…”

She was coming even before he touched her, just the sensation of the wine, the awareness of this exquisite fulfillment of her fantasies. His tongue dove in, plunged into her, his mouth sucking and hot, driving her climax on.

“Jagger, Jagger, Jagger…” Pleasure shafted through her, overwhelmed her. Her mind was spinning, her body reeling.

Jagger raised his head, using his hand to gently massage her clit, the lips of her sex. Small ripples still coursed through her.

“Jesus, Mia Rose. You’re shaking. You came so hard. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He paused. “I want to make you come like that again.”

She was still coming, tiny waves undulating through her body. She couldn’t seem to stop.

When she glanced up at him, she caught his smile, his hooded, silvered eyes as he slipped a condom over his rock-hard cock. She reached out for him and he came to her, laid his body over hers. He felt so good, all lean, toned muscles and the hard ridge of his erection sliding down over her stomach and coming to rest between her thighs and, finally, at her wet opening.

She spread her thighs wider, wrapping her legs around his waist. But he took her legs in his strong hands, spread them as wide as they could go. “Hold them there for me, Mia Rose,” he told her. She did it, feeling utterly open to him. Wanton. A little dirty.

Propped on his elbows, he kept his eyes on hers as he slipped just the tip of his cock inside her.

“Oh…”

Pleasure moved through her, a quiet wave. And she could still smell the sweet, acrid scent of the wine, could still feellthat lovely stickiness on her skin. But she wanted more.

She slid her hands over his muscled buttocks and pulled him deeper.

“Yeah…” His voice was husky, breathless. “You feellso good inside, baby.”

His hands went to her breasts, his fingers taking her nipples and pinching and tugging on them. Oh, so good, desire flooding her body, her sex, her breasts.

She arched into his hands. And then he pressed his hips into her, his cock sliding deeper.

“Jesus, Mia Rose. I don’t want this to be over so soon. But you feel…ah…amazing.”

Pleasure shafted into Jagger like a sweet-edged knife, like every titillating sensation he’d ever felt in his life. He was shivering, trying to hold his climax back. And she was so damn soft and hot under him.

Her writhing, her panting breath, were making him crazy.

He pushed in, moving deeper. And she let out a long sigh, her legs trembling. His cock throbbed.

He pulled in a deep breath, held perfectly still for a moment while he regained some sense of control.

Then he slid his hands under her buttocks, lifted her up untillhe was kneeling upright on the bed, with her laid out before him. Her lovely body open, her thighs still spread so wide he could see the nub of her hard little clit, pink and swollen and so damn succulent he wanted to take it in his mouth again. But there would be time for that later.

He pulled her in closer, buried his cock in her damp heat.

“Ah, Jagger. So good, just like this.”

He loved that he could watch her: her red mouth, the flush on her cheeks, on her breasts. Lord, her breasts, like two perfect globes of pale flesh. And her nipples dark red, as succulent as her tempting little clit.

He slid his hand over her taut stomach, downward untillhe found that swollen nub of flesh, pressed onto it, smiled when she caught her breath in a gasp.

Then he pumped into her, harder and harder.

Pleasure moved through him: his cock, his entire body. It took everything he had to hold back. But he knew she was going to come again, into his hand, onto his cock.

Jesus.

He was shivering, his cock really about to explode, when her pussy clenched around him in a long, hard spasm. And his climax ripped through him, burning, blinding.

Even through his own orgasm, he watched her come as he plunged into her, her fingers digging into the bedcovers. And the hot clench of her around his cock, gripping him, milking him, was driving him on, emptying him.

“Jesus, Mia Rose.”

They were both panting hard. And even though his climax had faded, small bursts of pleasure stillsurged through him, as though he’d come with his whole body.

She was so fucking beautiful.

Mia was watching him, her eyes glowing green even in the dim moonlight coming through the windows as he slid his hands over her. Her skin was as smooth as silk, pale and fine. He couldn’t stop looking at her, didn’t want to stop touching her.

Ever.

Where the helllhad that come from?

He was not going there again.

She felt good, that was all. She felt fucking amazing.

And after all her resistance, she was totally open in bed. Wild. And Lord, the way she responded when he’d poured the wine on her! He could watch her come all night, loved the way she just fell apart.

Her dark hair was everywhere, splayed out on the bed, a few strands across her face. He reached out and brushed it away. She blinked a few times but didn’t move.

When he began to pull out of her, she grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t. Not yet.”

He nodded, leaned over her, kissed her lips. They were soft and swollen. He kissed her again. If only his tired cock would cooperate, he’d fuck her again.

Later. Right now it was good enough that she was here, that he could touch her, kiss her. Such a romantic idea. He decided not to think about that.

Instead he shifted, laid his body over hers, kissed the sweet skin of her throat, her jaw.

Yeah, too romantic. Just think about fucking her again in a little while.

His cock gave a small throb.

“Gotta pull out, babe,” he told her, then did just that, rolled over, got up, and went into the bathroom to pullthe condom off. He stared at himself for a moment in the mirror.