The Ace (11 page)

“Glad I could oblige even though I’m the one in pain, not you.”

Her blue eyes crinkled at him as she pouted her pink lips. “In pain, huh? Poor baby.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the sympathy, but it will be gone shortly, so don’t worry about it.”

One of her brows curved up. “Shortly, huh? You going to run to the bathroom and—”

“Not that,” he said, cutting her off. He eyed her intently before nodding. “Oh, yeah. Tonight, for sure.”

Breathless anticipation and a fresh wave of heat pulsed through her, but she played nonchalant. “Wow, you seem pretty sure about that. I wish you luck.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need it.” Jerry twirled her around and when she came back into his arms, he dipped her. “It will be a piece of cake.”

“Piece of cake?” She couldn’t raise her head since he still held her in a dip. “Bring me back up, ass.” He whipped her up and her eyes probed his. “How can you be so sure I’m game? Maybe tonight I don’t feel like it. I think I might have a headache.”

Jerry stopped dancing and lightly grazed her cheeks with his fingertips. Leaning down, he put his mouth right next to her ear and spoke in a soft, husky voice. “You are by far the sexiest, most beautiful, intelligent woman I have ever met. I’m going to make you scream...multiple times.”

He stood up straight and his eyes seemed to undress her, conveying to her just how sexy he thought she was, before he dropped his hands and moved off the dance floor, leaving her alone. She watched him walk away, stunned at first, but then huffed out a breath.

“What? You think
that’s
going to work?” Karen called out after him.

She could still feel where his warm hands had rested on her neck, so large and strong. His intense gaze had made her limbs go loose and watery, and the low fire he’d ignited deep within was threatening to erupt. Her need for him was nearing the point of irresistible, so much so that she wanted to rush after him and yank him into the nearest closet so he could make good on his promise.

Fuck
, she thought. It worked.

* * *

Karen stood on the patio outside of the clubhouse savoring the way the cool spring air tickled and soothed her heated skin. It wasn’t that warm inside, but all the tension between her and Jerry had fired her up. She felt flushed and shaky, but it was also intriguing and exciting. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had kept her this captivated and engrossed.

Jerry was more confident than most of the guys she’d dated, and that carried over into everything he did, how he approached things. He turned on his charm and took whatever he wanted from her, regardless of what she thought on the matter, and she wasn’t sure whether to be angry that she was going right along with it or impressed. All he had to do was crook his finger at her and she blindly followed, happy to ignore the screeching of the brakes that her mind was trying to throw down.

She had to figure out how to regain control of the situation, instill some boundaries and turn the tables. Yet even as she tried to devise a way to change the dynamic between her and Jerry, she still couldn’t ignore that nagging voice that insisted she was in over her head and she should back out
now
, before there were any casualties.

She took a deep, cleansing breath and looked up at the dark, clear sky. Stars twinkled down and the moon was bright, lighting up everything around her. Karen could smell the sweet scents of spring in the air. It wouldn’t be long before the flowers were in full bloom and the trees recaptured their grandeur, with leafy branches sprouting in every direction. Spring brought with it new beginnings and fresh starts, and that was just what she needed, she told that annoying voice. It was time that she had some excitement in her life and she couldn’t think of a better person than Jerry to add that thrill she was searching for. She just had to stay strong.

As she stood overlooking the small garden in the courtyard, Karen felt his presence behind her and didn’t need to turn around to know he was watching her. So she remained where she was, making him come to her, letting the lessons begin.

A few seconds later, he was standing beside her. “It’s nice out here.”

“It is.”

Comfortable silence fell between them and she waited, assuming he was fumbling for a way to ask her to leave with him.

Not as cocky now
,
are we
,
Smutty?
she thought with a smirk.

“Well,” Jerry eventually said, as he let out a breath and turned toward her. He jingled his car keys in his hand. “I’m going to head out. Are you coming with me or not?”

She looked at him in shock. “Just like that, huh? ‘Are you coming with me?’”

“Yeah, why not? Why make a big production about it? We both know what we want and that doesn’t include anybody wooing anyone.”

He was right. What did she expect from him? Roses? Promises? Whispered sweet nothings? Well, no, but she
did
expect him to be as eager as she was, damn him. She didn’t understand how he could be so freaking calm about everything.

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming her space and his dark eyes searching her face. “So, what’s it going to be, Karen? We going to finish what we started? We going to make good on our agreement?”

She snorted, shaking her head at his arrogance, but so turned on that she couldn’t work up any real irritation toward him. “My house. We leave in separate cars. No one knows about this.”

“Nice...sneaky stuff. I like it and happen to agree.”

She ignored him, and continued. “I’ll take off first and wait for you outside the complex. You can follow me from there.”

“Right. Got it, ma’am.” He laughed when she gave him a dirty look and stomped away.

He was going to see. He thought he was so slick and smooth, so self-assured and in command. He was in for a surprise. She would show him who was really in charge and teach him a thing or two. By the end of the night, he was going to be begging for mercy.

Chapter Eleven

Karen pulled into her driveway and shut off her car, but remained where she was, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. She didn’t like the nerves she felt quivering in her stomach. She had no reason to be nervous—she’d dreamed about this, played out countless fantasies in her imagination, and now she was going to experience the real thing. After tonight, all of her curiosity about Jerry would be a thing of the past. That didn’t allow for any nervousness on her part. If she was going to show him the ropes, she couldn’t appear an anxious virgin.

She hoped they’d managed to leave the engagement party with enough time between them to not raise any speculation. She didn’t like hiding anything from Maddie, but to bring other people in on the arrangement she had with Jerry would complicate things and that definitely wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted simple, carefree, no attachments and that’s how it would be, damn it.

When she saw him pull up to the curb in front of her house and turn off his lights, Karen took a deep breath, steadied herself and climbed out of her car. She didn’t look back when she heard his door shut, not ready to make eye contact with him yet.

Fumbling with the key because of shaky fingers, she swore under her breath when she felt him stop behind her, and told herself it wasn’t nerves but eagerness. She was finally going to get her hands on Jerry Smutton. But she didn’t want him to misread her edginess, so after opening the door and stepping inside, she threw her purse down on the small entry table and started to head toward the kitchen, playing for casual.

“Make yourself at home. I’m going to—”

She wasn’t able to finish the thought before Jerry grabbed her arm and spun her around, crashing his mouth down on hers. His fingers tangled in her hair and tugged, exposing her neck so his lips could caress the sensitive spot just below her jawline. His teeth nipped her lightly as his hands tried to touch her everywhere at once, taking what he wanted and demanding her response, giving her no room except to blindly follow.

She put her hands on his chest, trying to regain her balance, but his presence was so overpowering that she couldn’t tell which way was up. All she was cognizant of was Jerry and everywhere he touched. He grabbed her breasts over the silk of her dress and squeezed, causing her to moan.

“You look so hot tonight,” he said in a low, raspy voice. “It took everything I had to keep my hands off of you...as much as I could.”

“Let me touch you,” she groaned.

“Not yet,” Jerry said between deep, hungry kisses. “You’re mine right now.”

His kisses were demanding and rough, all teeth and tongue, before he abruptly pulled away. Karen started at the break in connection before teetering, suddenly free from his hold. Her mind was fuzzy and her body trembled from head to toe, everything tingling in anticipation.

She felt so thoroughly seduced from just his kiss that she couldn’t imagine what the rest of the night would bring. She smiled lazily as he stood there, flushed and breathing hard, looking down at her. Such an intense sexiness had replaced his usual humorous expression that she wanted to purr. She definitely hadn’t expected this extreme dominance from him and it only turned her on more. Reaching out, Karen was almost frantic with the need to touch him but was spurned again when he grabbed her hand in his and held it down.

“Jerry,” she protested weakly.

He shook his head as he quickly removed his jacket and dropped it carelessly onto the floor before grabbing her arm to walk them around to the couch. He pushed her down, causing her dress to flutter up high on her thighs.

She tried to sit up, but Jerry got down on his knees and spread her legs apart so he could kneel between them. He shoved her dress up the rest of the way and lightly traced the black silk that barely covered her slick folds. “I’ve wanted to taste you since I first laid eyes on you.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Karen breathed, a flash of heat flooding her as she watched him move aside the fabric to replace his fingers with his mouth. Her eyes fluttered to a close with a moan as she sank into the deep cushion and gripped his hair to pull him closer. He did wicked things with his tongue, things that she’d only imagined, and it didn’t take long before she was crying out with a release so strong that it exploded through her body.

Her bones felt liquefied and she wanted to stretch out to savor the pleasurable pulses still radiating within her, but Jerry was having none of that. He yanked her up, holding on to her when her legs refused to cooperate.

“Come on,” he said giving her no room to protest as he walked them around to the back of the couch. “You’re not done yet.”

Karen giggled as if she were drunk as her head lolled against his chest. “You might not be, but I think I am.”

“Like hell you are,” Jerry said as he turned her back to him and pressed her into the back of couch. “I’m nowhere near done with you.”

His breath was hot on her neck as he kissed and nibbled on her ear. His hands reached up to unzip her dress, letting it pool around her feet while his fingers quickly found the clasp to her bra. He cupped her breasts, gently massaging and teasing before releasing one to snake his hand down across her stomach. He pushed her hips back and Karen felt the solid length of his erection against her bottom. Reaching up, she twined her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side so her mouth could find his.

Their tongues tangled as his hands continued to trace a path over her skin, not leaving anything untouched. He caressed and stroked, laying a hot trail of jolting tremors in the wake of his rousing explorations. She itched to feel his bare skin, but Jerry had her pressed so tightly against the back of the couch that it was impossible to move. She wanted to roll her hips to rub against his erection, do something to give him some pleasure, but he had her trapped and at his mercy. She groaned as she tried to push back against him.

“Jerry,” she said with a voice that was nothing more than a croak. She cleared her throat before trying again. “Jerry. Move.”

“I told you I’m not done with you yet. It’s all you right now.” His hands plunged into her underwear and she gasped when she felt his fingers brush against her.

Still drained and light-headed, Karen shook her head. She could breathe nothing but him; all of her nerves were on high alert and overly sensitive. The sharp sensation of his touch made her frown and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s too much,” she protested in a small voice.

“No, it’s not. Come on, you can take it. I can feel how ready you are and it’s so hot.” She felt more than heard the moan in his chest as his fingers teased and explored. “Move,” Jerry commanded.

Despite the razor-sharp intensity, her hips moved in the rhythm he had set and somehow Karen felt herself starting to build again. She ground hard against his hand, flooding it, as her body started to shake and quiver. He moaned again into her ear, but he didn’t stop.

When Jerry introduced another finger, she saw stars. She reached back and pulled down on his neck as she cried out, a bone-deep orgasm tearing through her. He moved with her, his mouth hot on her sensitive skin, as she rode out the wave until she was trembling.

Floating down from her high, she collapsed like a rag doll, breathless and completely sapped of energy, into his arms. He lifted her up, cradling her, and turned toward the hallway.

“Where’s your bedroom?”

She waved a weak hand over his shoulder. “Second door on the right.”

* * *

Jerry walked them into her room and laid her gently on the bed before reaching down to remove her shoes and underwear and then ripping off his clothes. If he wasn’t in her soon, he was going to explode. It had been hard enough to hold back, knowing if he’d allowed her to touch him he wouldn’t have lasted all. He couldn’t remember ever being so hard that he ached before, but enduring the pain had been worthwhile as he had her right where he wanted—loose, pliant and unable to think straight. He knew she would probably be pissed about it in the morning, but it was totally worth it. He’d never been with someone who was so uninhibited, had no restraints whatsoever, and it was a complete turn-on. He’d known she’d be this way and he wasn’t disappointed, even if he did have to fight her on who was in control.

He spread out next to her on the bed and kissed her gently. “You okay?”

“Mmmmm...” Karen gave a satisfied hum, her blond hair forming a halo around her face. “More than okay.”

He ran his hands down her body as his eyes followed, taking in her toned, trim figure and light golden skin tone. “You have an amazing body.”

She tried to lift up on one elbow, but fell back weakly.

He laughed at her. “Where are you going?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Karen said with a scowl. “I was trying to check out your ass.”

“Oh, yeah? Go right ahead, but I’m afraid my ass is probably not my best feature.”

She gurgled with laughter as she sat up on her elbows and took in the full length of him. “What’s your best feature then? And don’t say your penis.”

“What if it is?” he asked as he rolled on a condom with a smirk on his face.

“Shut up. No penis is a guy’s best feature. Trust me.”

Jerry laughed so hard that it shook the bed. “You seem to have an in-depth knowledge of this.”

She gave a small, bored shrug. “Seen one penis, seen them all.”

“Ah, I see,” he said as he raised himself over her, causing Karen to lie back. “My penis seems to be done with this conversation, since it isn’t going to be voted best feature.”

Karen let out a sigh when he slid into her. She looked so peaceful and at the same time almost sinful that he paused, wanting to drink it in. He gently brushed the hair away from her face in order to see the deep blue of her eyes and immediately was lost in them. The depth of the passion and desire he saw there tripped up his need to a level Jerry hadn’t known existed and he could hold back no longer.

“Goddamn, you feel incredible,” he said on a moan before he started to move.

Karen wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to pull him in deeper, and tugged him down tight to her. The heat between them quickly flamed and soon they were both sweating and breathing hard, but not relenting.

Reaching under her, Jerry lifted her up as he pounded feverishly into her and before he knew it, she was crying out. The feeling of her tightening around him, urging his release, was too much for him to resist, and so he finally surrendered. He hitched her back up with one hand, while supporting his weight on one elbow, and gritted his teeth.

“Stay with me,” he demanded between pants.

His release roared through him and he rode it out, lost in the intensity of it, before finally stilling. He couldn’t catch his breath and he felt as if he’d run fifty flights of stairs in record time the way his heart was trying to pound out of his chest, but he’d never felt better. Jerry glanced up and found Karen watching him. He gave her a crooked smile before he said, “Holy shit! Why the hell did we wait to do that?”

They stared at each other silently before falling back on the pillows together, laughing.

* * *

Karen woke a few hours later to find herself wrapped around Jerry. Lifting her head gently so she wouldn’t disturb him, she looked over his chest to the clock at the side of the bed, where bright green numbers told her it was four in the morning. Crap, had she passed out for that long?

Lowering back down, she remained still, trying to figure out just what the hell had happened. One minute she was determined to show him who was in charge, who the boss was, and the next thing she knew he had her over his knee in complete control. Instead of showing him the door after she was through with him, which was standard protocol in her book, Jerry was sleeping in her bed as if he owned it. And what was worse, she obviously didn’t mind because she was snuggled right up to him like a big pillow.

He’d shown the same command with her that he showed whenever he took the mound on game day. He constantly changed up what he pitched to her, keeping her on her toes, always guessing. Just when Karen thought she’d figured out his next play, he adjusted for it and took her totally by surprise, causing her to swing wildly at nothing but air.

Not that she hadn’t enjoyed it.

It was more than she ever expected, nothing like the usual plain, mildly pleasurable casual sex. It had been a religious experience, so much that all of her fantasies of him had fallen miserably short of reality. The things he’d done to her still had her tingling down to her toes and she wondered just where he’d learned his tricks. Jerry Smutton was turning out to be a yummy puzzle, with more layers than she’d ever imagined.

She felt refreshed, alive and happy, and with that last thought, Karen shot up in alarm. She couldn’t be happy. Happiness led to sadness, to feelings of utter desolation, and she had to stop before she made an idiot of herself.

Climbing out from under the sheet, Karen stumbled in the dark, cursing under her breath when she tripped over his large shoes left haphazardly at the foot of the bed. She was somehow successful in making it to the bathroom without waking him up and she shut the door quietly behind her. She pointed at herself in the mirror, her reflection lit by the moonlight coming in from the small window above the shower.

“You are NOT allowed to have any feelings for him besides lust.” She admonished the woman looking back at her in a hushed voice. “He WILL hurt you. You can put your money on that.”

She didn’t know what had come over her. She wasn’t violating only some of her rules; she was breaking all of them. This was surely not the way to keep things casual and so he had to go. Ignoring the tiny voice in her head trying to convince her that she had actually liked not being the one in control for once, Karen decided that she needed to get her universe back in some sane order and the only way to do that was to show his cute little ass to the door.

Taking a deep breath, she shook the emotions out of her and turned on the faucet to splash a handful of cold water on her face. If she was going to go out there, wake him and tell him it was time to leave, she had to be clearheaded.