Scent of a Mate (20 page)

“Let’s toast.” He lifted his flute up toward her.

“Sounds like a good idea.” She followed suit with her own.

“What would you like to drink to?” He asked, hoping to learn something about her.

“How about to fresh beginnings?”

“Perfect.” It was as if she’d read his mind. They clinked glasses and he sipped on the fuzzy liquor while he watched her.

He needed a fresh start with a woman that might not see him like a broken piece of furniture. Yes, he had scars, scars he wasn’t going to get rid of to make someone else happy. Those scars were part of him. Of the experience he’d lived during a very ugly war. He hadn’t fully adjusted to them, but whatever woman he ended up with would need to understand that he and the scars were one.

“So what do you do?” He asked, interested to hear more words come out of those sinful lips.

He bit back a groan when her tongue made an appearance, all pink and wet, sliding over her bottom lip. Arousal sparkled in her brown eyes. They way she licked her lip and glanced at his mouth brought vivid images of some of the things he’d have her do with that tongue. And those images would be used later for some self-pleasure.

“I work with Kayla. I’m her office manager. I also volunteer at the hospital where she treats children. What do you do?”

That was the problem about asking about someone, they ended up asking you things too.

“Ryan and I were in the same unit. Some of us returned together, after a bomb attack.”

Why did he say that? Was he intentionally trying to push her away, to shock her with his life?

She leaned forward. Both hands dropped to her lap. “That’s terrible. What types of injuries did you suffer?”

Her low fuck-me voice played havoc with his mind. Multiple visuals of her begging him to do her racked his brain. He gulped down the champagne and was given a reprieve from answering when Carlos returned with their salad.

A gust of wind played with her curls, bouncing them over her shoulders. Her eyes lifted from her food to pin him with a sensual stare. “Tell me.”

His breath caught in his chest. “I suffered burns on my torso.”

She nodded, but said nothing. Then, much to his amazement, she stabbed her salad with her fork and started to eat. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Where was the pity? The sad eyes and trembling lip? Or the let me see questions? Followed by the “oh God, that looks awful” remarks.

“The burns were bad,” he added.

She glanced to the side where Carlos returned to refill their champagne. “I’m sure they were.”

And back to the food. What the heck? Confusion filled him. So he tried again. “Most people pity me, but I can’t stand that.”

“Pity sucks.” She continued eating. “Do you still work for the same group?”

“No. I was honorably discharged,” he answered, but his real interest lay in why she didn’t ask more about his injuries.

“If you’re no longer in that team, what are you doing now?” She pushed the salad plate away and took a deep breath. Her full breasts pushed up again the neckline of her strapless dress. He swallowed down the groan rushing up his windpipe. Hell, he almost swallowed his damn tongue to keep from drooling at the sight.

“I recently joined my good friend’s security team. Got my first job lined up in New York.” He smiled at the way she caressed the petals of the flowers on the table.

Her head snapped up. “I live in New York.”

Things just got better and better. “I have to ask. Curiosity is killing me. Why haven’t you asked more questions about my scars?”

She shrugged those gorgeous tanned shoulders. “Any type of scar leave a trail of pain behind. We never forget what hurt us. They’re an endless reminder of an experience so significant that they never go away.” She pinned him with her gaze. “Some people wear them on their bodies, while others carry them on the inside, but it doesn’t change the fact that once we get them, they’ll always be a part of us.” After a slow sip of her champagne, she sighed softly. “I only want to know what you want to tell me, Matt.”

Wow. Those words—her words—described his feelings perfectly. It was eerie. Almost like she knew how it felt first hand, which brought up more questions. “What happened to make you feel that way?”

Carlos retrieved the salad plates. Grilled fish, wild rice, and an assortment of vegetables followed.

“This looks fabulous.” She dazzled both men with her smile.

His mind ordered him to find out more about her. All about her. Had she lived through pain like him? Anything was possible. If Jessie related, even if by a small degree, to his pain, he knew she was special. “Do you have scars, Jessie?”

Another of those smoldering looks travelled from her to his side of the table. “Yes. I was married once. It was a short marriage, filled with too many issues.” She laughed a soft but dry sound. “The marriage wasn’t the worst part. The divorce was.”

He blinked at the change in her tone. Sorrow etched all over her features, but then she took a deep breath and it disappeared. The pain tugged at his heart. He knew pain. And she did too.

“Sometimes we learn from our mistakes.”

“Yes. Sometimes we do.”

Carlos returned with dessert. He placed her flan on the table with a flourish.

“Ooooh. I
love
flan!” She licked her lips while staring at the dessert.

“I do too,” he agreed. Another thing they had in common. He bet he’d find more by the end of the night. Maybe, just maybe, he’d give into the temptation and kiss her.

Those few moments lightened the mood considerably.

“So who did you piss off to get set up?” She winked.

Wait a second. She winked at him. That had to be one of the sexiest winks he’d ever seen.

“Nobody. Kayla’s been in a matchmaking mood ever since she and Ryan got married. It’s like all of a sudden everyone must get married too.” He chuckled, watching her dig her spoon into her dessert.

She visibly winced. “I know what you mean.”

“Aren’t you interested in finding love?” The question popped out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop it. Love? What the fuck was wrong with him? He’d just met a woman who’d been in a bad marriage and he was talking love. Dumbass. Plus what he really wanted was to get her out of that dress. He could think of at least a dozen ways to spend the night with her without showing his own body. It’d take some maneuvering, but he could work it.

With her gaze stuck on his, she sucked on the caramel covered spoon. Wild fire lust spread down to his cock. Need burned in his veins, driving the urge to strip her bare and lick her entire body.

“How about a walk on the beach?” She suggested, not answering his last question.

Jessie’s pulse raced. Before she got a chance to stand, Matt came around the table to help her up. Passion filled his gaze. Hungry. Needy. He grabbed hold of her hand in his larger one. The feel of his warm skin on hers drove her hormones into a frenzy.

She stopped.

“Shoes.” She pointed down to their feet. With both their shoes in their hands, they headed for the beach.

Nerves twined in her belly, curling into thick knots around her stomach. He seemed like a nice guy. One she’d love to get to know better on an intimate level if it weren’t for the negative experience she carried around with her.

“Is this your first set-up?” His deep voice melted through her pores, slowly making its way to her pussy to turn her slick.

“Yes.” She hadn’t been with a man in months. The stress of her divorce was enough to leave a bad taste in her mouth when any man approached her. Now she felt her hormones waking up. And taking great big notice of Matt.

Big. Oh, yes.

Sexy. Hell to the yeah.

Making her panties wet. Without a doubt.

This was Kayla’s attempt at setting them up. Matt was clearly uncomfortable with being on a date, and she definitely wasn’t looking for a relationship. No way. No how. But maybe they could still have fun. There wasn’t a rule that said they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company.

Salty breeze floated over her skin. His arm brushed her shoulder and his grip on her hand tightened, making her even more aware of how close he was. Warm water washed by their feet. With each step they took, her feet sank into the soft sand, spreading through her toes in a grainy massage.

“Matt.” She stopped and turned to stand in front of him. Those piercing eyes of his melted more of her resistance.

“Yes?” He continued holding her hand, but raised his other one to cup her cheek.

Lord have mercy.

“I…” Want a kiss. Right now please. “Had a great time at dinner.”

His gaze dropped down to her lips, lips she licked that very moment. Then, in a slow motion move worthy of any romantic movie, he lowered his head, brought his lips down to hers, and kissed her.

Oh, what a kiss. His firm lips brushed tentatively over hers at first, tempting her to open up and let him in. She sighed, pushing out a little moan. That’s all it took. Soft went out the window. Mouths pasted together. Tongues tangled in frenzied caresses so hot it felt like he’d branded her.

The hand holding hers let go and pulled her into his warm muscular body. She crawled her fingers up his torso. Giddiness filled her. She’d finally gotten her hands on his gorgeous body. Tight muscles shifted under her palms, adding a new rush of arousal to her already heated core. He tugged her closer, rubbing his steel hard erection on her belly. Her pussy quivered in need.

She broke away from the kiss, panting. “God. I—”

The look he gave her said it all. Him. Her. Really hot sex.

“I want you, Jessie. I haven’t been with anyone in a while.” He licked those sexy lips that had just seconds before been devouring hers.

“I haven’t either.” Need turned her voice husky. Their gazes locked and temptation didn’t just knock at her door, no. It broke it down and said “I’m here.”

He rocked his cock over her belly. Arousal sent electric shocks down to her clit, making it twitch. “I want to spend more time with you.”

Two seconds. That’s all it took for her to decide she wanted the same thing too. “Let’s go to my room.”

Once the words were out, she wanted to drag him to her room and strip him.

“Are you sure?” He squeezed her ass over the soft material of her dress.

If she thought any more about him fucking her, she’d burn out all her brain cells. “I’m positive.”

Several steps and they stopped by a palm tree. Then another clash of lips hurled her temperature out of orbit. His tongue rubbed sensually against hers, claiming every crevice in her mouth, owning her lips. A soft whimper sounded in the back of her throat. She gripped his shirt in her hands, tugging at the material. It had to come off as soon as possible or she’d tear it off. He tore away from her, clenched his teeth together, and groaned.

“Tell me you want this now or we’ll stop.”

Stop? Was he crazy? There’d be no stopping. There would be coming for both of them if she had anything to do with it. She breathed hard, trying to drive air into her lungs.

“I want—I want you.” She drove her hands into his short hair, tugged his head down, and shoved her tongue into his mouth. Fuck waiting for the bedroom. With her fingers curled tight on his strands, she ran her nails across his scalp in a rough caress that was very unlike her.

“Fuck!” He sucked her neck. Her pulse beat erratically with each lick he did on her skin. Farther down, he swept his tongue over the top of her breasts.

“Oh yesss,” she moaned, leaning her head back on the tree.

One tug, and the dress was down to her waist, her breasts bared. The man was a genius. He worked triple shift, sucking one nipple into his mouth. He squeezed his calloused fingers. It didn’t stop there. His second hand lifted the hem of her dress and went straight for her panties. Instinctively, she widened her legs, making room for whatever he had planned.

She moaned. The hand in her crotch pushed the panties aside and rubbed right at her clit. A bone-deep shudder racked her spine.

Matt released her nipple from the prison of his lips. The cool air scrunched up the little bud tighter. “Jessie, God. Look how beautiful you are. And so responsive.”

Not even in her wildest dreams would she have come up with this. He rubbed up and down her clit. Lightly. Slowly winding the wheel of desire at her core. The tree’s rough bark rubbed against her back, a reminder they were still outside in view of anyone who happened by.

Lick. Suck. Bite. Moan. She groaned with each pleasurable nibble. Her hips rocked on his fingers, hoping to increase the friction on her clit. Then he added to her torture by slipping one digit into her pussy.

“So wet.”

She ran her hands down to his shoulders and held on.

“Matt, please.”

He glanced up from her wet nipple and met her gaze. The lines of his face were tight with need. Hunger. Passion. It was clear to see.

She gasped. He dropped down to his knees and dove under her skirt. He tugged on her panties. The material ripped and slid off. Digging her nails on the tree at her back, she widened her legs and waited. His hot breath floated over her pussy lips. Then he rubbed his mouth over her slick sex.

“Oh, Matt.”

One lick. Then another. Breaths pounded hard in her chest. He flicked his tongue mercilessly over her clit. Her belly quivered as he did long, wet, licks through her folds. Stars burst behind her lids, covering the field of her vision in white sparkles.

He thrust his tongue into her channel. Lick. Suck. Fuck. Her body burned. Goosebumps broke over her skin with each swipe of his tongue on her sensitive flesh. His fingers bit into her ass. Cheeks squeezed tight, he focused on her clit.

Ragged breaths rushed out in a panted wheeze. “Oh my God…”

Another suck. The ball of tension tightened some more. Another flick. She stood at the edge of a precipice, ready to fall into the waves of pleasure. His teeth grazed her nub in a nibble that broke through the tension and shoved her into a tidal wave of bliss.

She bit her lip hard to hold back the scream pushing up her throat. Her legs shook and almost gave under her had it not been for his tight grip. Molten fire heated her veins and travelled through her body in a slow river of joy.