Lover's Return (4 page)

His smile was tight and desire burned in his eyes. His hips ground against hers and his mouth closed over hers in a deep claiming kiss. Each stroke took her higher, her muscles tightening as she lifted against him. His tongue thrust deep in time with his hips. He reached beneath her and lifted her hips into his strokes as they became faster and harder.

She clung to him, nipping his lips as the urgency built. Her breath rasped as she drew in raw pants. He hitched one leg higher. The move allowed him to penetrate a little deeper. She gasped as the move sent a shot of sensation shooting through her and hurled her right over the edge. She trembled, moaning as the pleasure rolled over her in waves that had her inner muscles clenching around him. He continued to move against her until, finally, he came on a shout. His weight settled on her for a few moments as he pulled in heaving breaths.

Her hands stroked over his back, but now that she wasn’t aching with need, doubts returned. She wasn’t sure of his feelings. When they’d been together before he’d left, she hadn’t had a single doubt that he wanted a life with her. Now she didn’t know if she could be that certain again.

He rolled them both to the side and pulled her against his body. One foot hooked over hers. She settled against him. Not sure what to say, she remained silent. She didn’t want to argue right now. On the other hand, she didn’t want to lie to him either. A tug on her hair drew her eyes up to his face.

“Charleigh, consider yourself kidnapped.” He met her gaze and smiled before relaxing onto the pillow. As if that was the last word on the subject, he closed his eyes.

She wanted to scream. He thought he could get away with some lazy, half-assed kidnapping. Having her brother help to trick her here wasn’t going to work. Not with her. Not now. That settled it. If he wanted her, he was going to have to come and get her. The bastard.

Chapter Four

Jericho stretched as he woke. He reached across the bed and encountered nothing but the cool sheet. He jerked upright and looked around the room. He didn’t see any sign of her. Even her clothes from last night were gone. Frowning, he rose to his feet as suspicion grew within him.
She wouldn’t leave.
He didn’t even finish the thought before he shook his head. She would. She was a contrary little minx.

He quickly dressed and pulled on some shoes. Her family wouldn’t come get her, but the woman was stubborn. He didn’t think she’d call on anyone else. Which left her trying to get out of here on her own. She’d go for his
Duce
. He’d known she wouldn’t buy the story of him not having transportation for long.

She knew him. He wouldn’t leave them without a way to get to help if there was an accident or emergency. It wouldn’t take her long to realize where he’d stashed it either. The only good thing was she wouldn’t be able to get it started even if she had the keys. He just had to get there before she did too much damage trying rewire around the security system.

Jericho left the house and headed for the closest neighboring cabin, which was well out of sight of her family’s cabin. He’d arranged to leave his silver
Duce
glider there so that Charleigh wouldn’t know anyone was waiting for her. Now he cursed the distance between this cabin and the glider. He didn’t know how long she’d been gone, but he hoped it hadn’t been long. They could actually be without transportation if he was too late.

Weaving his way along the path to the other cabin, he focused on getting to her. His stomach tightened with nervousness. He should have expected something such as this. Charleigh had always had definite opinions and a way of seeing things in a way that he never expected. It had fascinated and surprised him for as long as he’d known her.

The trees were so thick that he didn’t even see the next house before he emerged almost right in front of it. He sighed in relief as the landing pad and garage next to it came into sight. The door was slightly open, but not thrown wide. She’d need it wide open to get the
Duce
out of it. He didn’t slow, though. He’d like to get there before she destroyed the inner workings of his new vehicle.

He pushed the door open a little wider and walked into the garage. Charleigh didn’t notice him at first. Half her body was hidden inside the cockpit of the
Duce
as she did something beneath the control console. He didn’t want to know what she’d done so far, but knew he’d have to try to fix the damage at some point.

If she wasn’t trying to run away from him and probably doing significant damage to his
Duce
, he’d lean against the wall and just savor the sight of her bent over at the waist. Her curves took his breath away. Her dark-blue pants stretched over her sweetly curved ass. His cock hardened as he thought about moving in behind her and pulling her back until his cock nestled between those lush globes.

“Ready to go back to the cabin, Charleigh?” he asked loudly to stop her from trying to crosswire any more circuits than she already had.

He heard a thud and a curse. He grimaced and felt a flash of guilt. He didn’t want her to hurt herself, but the woman shouldn’t be trying to leave. She wanted to be with him. The fire between them hadn’t faded. It was enduring and strong.

He wished he knew what set her running. Did she have doubts? Was she angry because he’d been gone so long? He shook his head. None of that would matter. He’d walked away in the past to gain a future with her. He wasn’t letting anyone rip it away from him now.

“Jericho.” She straightened and turned, rubbing the back of her head with one hand as the other landed on her hip. Her curly light-blonde hair fell over her shoulder as she glared at him. “Start this and get out of my way. I’m going home. I’ll send my damn brother back to get you.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I want you with me. Now come back to the house and start talking. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do and why you left this morning is only the start of it.” Jericho kept his voice even and calm. He knew it would push that hot temper of hers. She’d been stubborn and wild before he’d left. That streak seemed to have gotten out of control in his absence.

His eyes swept down and lingered on her full breasts for a moment before coming back to her face. The only things more distracting than her ass were those glorious tits. They’d starred in his fantasies for years.

“No.” She lifted her chin and her full, red lips thinned. “If you won’t start this, I’ll walk out of here. I don’t have anything more to say to you.”

She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm. He wasn’t letting her walk off into the forest. He didn’t think she’d actually try to walk back to the city. Still he wasn’t letting her walk off into the forest in a huff. She stopped and glared up at him.

“We’re going back to the cabin and we’re going to talk.” He switched hands so that he could walk beside her.

“I don’t owe you any explanations and you can’t make me stay with you.” She kicked him in the ankle. Sharp pain slammed up his leg. Before he could curse in pain, her temper exploded. She jerked back. At first, he thought she was trying to get free. Then her fist swung toward his face. He managed to jerk back in time to avoid the blow.

He ducked in and lifted her over his shoulder before she could try another swipe at his face. “I see you’ve forgotten a few of the lessons I taught you.”

A slow smile curled his lips and his hand tightened on one rounded buttock. He definitely didn’t mind. He’d intended to warm her ass for leaving and now he had even more reason. Little Charleigh better remember that he wasn’t some young boy to be ordered around and forgotten. Or replaced.

Her fist smacked against his buttock. “You can shove your lessons. They’re about as important to me as I am to you.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. She’d missed something. She was the most important thing in his life. If she didn’t know that or doubted it, they had more problems than he’d thought at first.

“I’ll have to make sure you realize you’re my first priority, since you seem a little confused about that. First, though, your punishment for trying to run away and swinging at me.” He made sure his step was a little bouncy as he carried her over and took a look inside the cockpit of the
Duce
.

The bottom console was off and he saw a few wires, but it didn’t look as if she’d severed anything. He smiled, closed the hatch and walked out of the garage before carefully closing the door behind him.

“You said consider myself kidnapped. It’s practically a rule that the person kidnapped should try to escape if there’s an opportunity.” She slapped at his leg.

He felt his lips twitch and wanted to laugh, but held it back. She didn’t need the encouragement. “Not when the kidnap ‘victim’ wants exactly what the person holding her does. You’re just too stubborn to admit that you still hunger for me and want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“I did before you left. Now, no.” He heard the hesitance and uncertainty in her voice. For all her brashness, Charleigh couldn’t lie very well.

“Tell that to me when you’re over my lap with a red ass and a soaked pussy.” He remembered her body’s responses well. He’d also seen the longing in her eyes. It matched what he felt. He wanted his Charleigh fighting for him, for their future. Unfortunately she seemed more inclined to fight with him at the moment.

“You have no right.” Charleigh gripped his pants.

He didn’t know if she hoped to prevent him from hauling her over his lap or was trying to gain leverage to get out of his hold. It wasn’t going to work either way. Especially not when he’d already felt the fire in her again. The woman needed to adjust. She belonged to him.

“You’re mine. Your body knows it. Your mind is a little slow to recognize the truth. I’ll help you see it.” And he’d enjoy every hot second of it. He didn’t expect the sex to make everything right suddenly, but he knew it would get her attention. He’d keep her with him and she’d see that nothing had changed.

“Too bad for you, my mind’s in charge,” she said firmly.

He chuckled as he carried her back into the house. Making a short stop in the office where he’d stayed while waiting for her to arrive, he grabbed a special toy out of the bags he’d left there. He had plans for her and for after the punishment. Without letting her see it, he carried her into the living room.

He dropped the toy onto one of the cushions of the black couch and then put her on her feet. Transferring one hand to her pants, he tugged at the closure. The sealing strip parted, the two smooth sides opening down to where strips were fused together. She stood there, seemingly stunned, until he pulled the pants downward, taking her panties with them. She turned and tried to bolt, but he held on, keeping her in front of him. Pushing the fabric over her hips and to her thighs, he grabbed her arm before she could try again and pulled her over his lap as he sat.

One arm rested in the small of her back holding her down while he smoothed his other hand over the taut globes of her ass. She had such a gorgeous butt. He still had the urge to reach out and grab it every time she walked close to him. She squirmed and tried to lever off his lap, but he simply held her where she was without saying a word until she finally rested across his lap.

“Get it over with, you bastard.” She turned her head at him and her lips curled in a definite snarl.

“Now, baby, you know that’s not how this goes. First we talk about everything you’re getting punished for and then we get to the punishment.” He patted her butt and let his hand trail between her legs. He was relieved to feel a little moisture there. Before he began spanking her, he wanted to increase those slick juices.

“You already told me the reason. I left and I tried to hit you. I’m not sorry for either of them.” She rolled her eyes before her head turned away from him.

“That’s definitely part of it and we’ll talk about it before the punishment, but there is a more important matter.” He let his fingers smooth between the smooth lips of her pussy. He let his fingers trail over the hood of her clit, but didn’t press. She still needed to give him some answers. “You went on a date last week when I explicitly told you not to.”

He felt her stiffen. Her back straightened and one of her hands grasped his leg. He didn’t know if she’d forgotten about that or if she thought he didn’t know. He’d known where she was since he arrived on the planet, especially since she’d decided to be difficult. He hadn’t liked it, but he wasn’t losing her to carelessness.

“I told you that you didn’t have any say about it. You told me I was free when you left.” Her tone threw a challenge at him. “Free means I don’t answer to you even if you don’t like it.”

“I know everything you did while I was gone. I know you dated some men shortly after I left, but no man became long term. After that you didn’t date again until I returned.” Jericho smiled. Luckily he hadn’t known about those first dates until long after they’d happened. He’d wanted to either lock her up or haul her ass off the planet to be with him once he discovered it, but he’d known it was too soon. He hadn’t accomplished what he’d set out to do.

“It was none of your business.” She thumped his calf with her palm.

“You’ve always been my business.” He smoothed his palm up to her buttocks and stroked it in circles.

“Not when you were out there making a life and thinking about not coming back.” She shook her head adamantly.

“I always planned to come back. I simply didn’t know if a life together here would be possible.” He’d always planned to be with her. He knew he’d made that clear, but she apparently didn’t fully believe it. He didn’t know how to prove it to her other than telling her and showing her that he wasn’t walking away.

“Yeah, right, you say that now.” She sounded doubtful and he knew he’d see a distinct twist to those beautiful lips if she faced him.

Time to get control of this conversation. She’d succeeded in distracting him once. Not again. It was time to do some distracting of his own. He drew his fingers down the crease of her buttocks, but didn’t press between them. He continued down until he found the plump, slick lips of her pussy. Nudging her legs a little wider, he pressed between them to trace around the entrance. Juices coated his fingers. He wanted to hear her cry his name again, but first there was one more question.

“How did you get involved with Tobias Sorensen?” He looked down at her, watching for some kind of reaction.

“I’m not involved with him. I haven’t met him. I don’t think anyone in the company has. As far as I know, he wants to try to set up some kind of small retreat and wanted to buy some of our wine, nuts and fruit. The first business meeting hasn’t even taken place.” She turned her head and frowned at him. He could see the confusion in her eyes.

He nodded, but that worried him even more than if she’d met Sorensen on the street. Jericho had heard the man talking about her as if he knew her and they had a relationship. Some of the things hadn’t jibed with what he knew of Charleigh. Was the man playing some kind of game to make another woman jealous? Jericho didn’t know, but he would feel better once Charleigh realized she was his. He could move her in with him. Sorensen would see that she wasn’t available.

“Good. Now on to your punishment.” He smiled. His fingers trailed down to flick her clit before drawing his hand from between her legs.