The Second Time Around (18 page)

“I'm ready to go.”

“Okay,” Brenna replied and he took her arm and led her outside into Delaware's breezy night air.

As soon as they were in the car, they rode in silence for a few minutes. Jabarie's hand rested on her knee and her leg trembled. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and somehow she had to get them under control. Brenna shifted on the seat and stared out the window. When he made a right at the next corner instead of a left, she glanced over to him and asked, “Where are we going?”

“To my place,” he answered as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

Brenna was certain, Jabarie's condo gave his mother nightmares. Except for the piles of paper all over the place, the three-bedroom, two-bath, beachfront property still looked the same as it did when she'd left Sheraton Beach. Clean white walls. Plush taupe colored carpet and almost no furniture.

“I see you're still bringing your work home,” she said dryly as she lowered onto the couch.

“Not much has changed.”

Her eyes traveled around the partially furnished room “I see. Although by now I would have thought that this place would have looked a little more, uh,…lived in.”

Jabarie playfully winced as he removed a stack of papers from the glass-top coffee table and carried them over onto the dining room table. “You forget, I never intended to be in this place this long.”

He was right. Two weeks before their wedding, he had surprised her by putting a deposit down on a small beachfront property not too far away that was supposed to have been their first home together.

“Whatever happened with that house?” she asked as he moved onto the brown leather couch beside her.

Jabarie reached for a remote control and pointed it toward the stereo before answering. The sounds of John Legend flowed through the room. “One of my dad's partners bought it as a tax write-off.” He looked at her and shrugged. “I didn't want it if I couldn't have you. It hurt too much.”

Brenna knew all about hurt. She still ached in a lot of places including her heart, but this would probably be their last night together and there was no way she could deny herself.

The thought stabbed at her heart. She was going to miss him like crazy. But it didn't make sense for her to think about what if things could be different and if maybe in time they could find a way again to be together. What they had was a closed chapter in their lives. The past two weeks had helped her find the closure she had so desperately needed.

Okay, so maybe she hadn't found closure yet, but now that she knew what had really happened, it had soothed her heart in a way that she could now quit wondering what she had done that was so wrong. The truth was she hadn't done anything except believe that her fiancé had fallen into the arms of another woman when in fact the only woman he had ever loved was her.

And he still loves you.

Oh, God, she was in trouble.

There was no way they could start over again. Love hurt too much and there was no way she was going to be able to endure that type of pain a second time. Her feelings for him were unacceptable. Being together was totally impossible.

“Did you hear what I said?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

“What?”

Jabarie grinned. “I said thanks for spending the evening with me. I hope you realize that even though you are still intent on leaving, I'm not giving up until I have you in my life, permanently.”

She released a sigh at that thought. They needed to talk because the last thing she needed was another misunderstanding. “Jabarie, I—”

Cutting her off, Jabarie rose, scooped her into his arms and carried her into his room. Once there, he lowered her feet to the floor and she looked up at him. He smiled then took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was so different from the others, so incredibly tender, that she ached inside, knowing that this would all be over soon. Once she returned to Dallas she would be fine, she tried to convince herself. Tonight, she'd enjoy every second with Jabarie. Every kiss. Every touch.

Breaking the kiss, she reached for her dress and pulled it over her head. She stood before him in a black thong and matching bra, offering herself to him…one last time. Impossible. Once would never be enough. Her shoulders dropped as she realized it didn't matter. Somehow she would have to find a way to move on.

“You look so sad. What's on your mind?” he asked, cupping her chin so she had to look at him.

“Nothing, only you,” she said then reached for his belt buckle.

His expression told her he didn't believe her, but he didn't press the issue either. Instead he drew her closer so her breasts were pressed against his chest. Jabarie ran his palms down her back and rested them at the swell of her backside. He was so familiar with her and she with him that it scared her.

It wasn't going to be easy parting tomorrow. The next couple of weeks would probably be ten times lonelier than the last time she had left him. Nevertheless, it was the way it had to be.

Pushing tomorrow aside, she reached up and unfastened the buttons of his shirt and slid it open, grazing his nipples with her fingertips. He hissed on contact at the same time she felt him jerk behind the zipper of his pants.

She smiled. “I think someone is waking up.”

Chuckling, Jabarie pulled the pins from her bun and tangled his fingers in her hair. “Sweetheart, he's always awake where you're concerned.”

“Man, I like the sound of that,” she purred as her hand slid down his chest and smoothed over the hard ridges of his abdomen. With her index finger, she skimmed over the narrow trail of hair leading inside his pants before moving lower over the erection that strained against the fly of his pants.

Brenna gave him a sensual smile while she stroked his full, hard length.

“Brenna,” he whispered hoarsely as his hand covered hers. “Don't, unless you want this to end sooner than intended.”

No, that wasn't what she wanted at all. She leaned into him, pressing her body to his while her mouth brushed his nipple. She traced it with her tongue until it became pebble hard then playfully nipped at it. “Do you ever fantasize about me, Jabarie?” she whispered.

Jabarie hissed between his clenched teeth. “All the time, baby.” Dropping his head, he gazed down at her and she swallowed. The strained look in his eyes emphasized his words. Jabarie was barely holding on. Suddenly, she was anxious to see how far she could push his level of control.

Reaching down, she cupped him again and he pulsed beneath her hand. “Jabarie…” she said in a soft seductive tone.

“Bren, you're playing with fire.”

She knew that but right now common sense had no place in this room. She already knew she'd have to deal with the ramifications of her actions later. Tonight was about finding sexual satisfaction. She'd deal with the emotional stuff later. Right now, all she could think about was getting him worked up for the best sex ever.

It's my turn to share one of my fantasies,” she cooed then pressed her breasts against his chest.

“I'm listening.” Jabarie's large hand took her face and held it gently, while his thumb skimmed her jaw line. Drawing her closer, he lowered his head to hers. His mouth captured hers, demanding this time. Things were about to get out of control.

When his lips left hers, he buried his face at the base of her neck and breathed a kiss there. “Stand back so I can see you,” he whispered on a sharp breath.

She did as he asked and stood back and watched his smoldering gaze as his eyes raked over her lacy thong panties. She hadn't forgotten his love for seeing her in sexy lingerie.

“You are so beautiful.”

“I'm glad you noticed.” Moving forward, Brenna pushed him down on the bed then with a wanton smile, straddled him. She slid her finger along his stomach muscles. Jabarie growled deep in his throat and squirmed uncomfortably beneath her.

“Can I tell you my fantasy now?” she asked as she lowered her breasts to his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.

His lips grazed her shoulder. “Baby, I'm all ears.”

Brenna rocked her hips against his erection as she whispered near his ear.

“We're here in your condo. Vanilla-scented candles are lit and surrounding us. I'm lying across your bed covered in red rose petals. You're kissing me from head to toe until I am whimpering and begging for you to be inside of me.”

Jabarie was growing impatient. His hands were moving along her back, down over her butt where he cupped her round cheeks and squeezed.

“What happens next, baby?” he asked in a tight voice.

“What you always do to me. Your tongue travels and finds my most sensitive spot and you make me so hot that I beg you to make love to me.”

He lifted his hands to her shoulders and his fingers slid underneath the straps of her bra. “I like the sound of that,” he said while he eased the straps downward. Without the support of the thin material, the cups collapsed under the weight of her breasts, completely exposing her to Jabarie. Desire flashed in his deep dark eyes before he tilted his head and caught a nipple between his teeth.

Brenna gasped and stilled for the briefest moment as pleasure raced from her nipple and coursed through the rest of her body.

Jabarie gave her a split second to react to his contact before his hands cupped her breasts and kneaded them gently. His tongue flicked the other nipple and it puckered to an almost painful point before he drew it into his mouth and sucked hard.

“Yes!” she moaned. Her fingers gripped his hard biceps, her nails pressing into his flesh. She looked down at him as he laved and sucked her breasts, giving equal attention to each one while she fought for a full breath.

Quickly losing control, Brenna released his arms and cupped his head, then arched toward his mouth. She didn't want him to stop. She wanted him to continue. Only he could make her feel this good. His tongue and teeth toyed and teased her sensitive flesh. One hand left her breast and his fingers grazed the damp crotch of her panties.

Brenna started beneath his touch as heat radiated through her.

“Touch me, Jabarie,” she whispered against his cheek.

He touched her at the juncture of her thighs with his fingertips. The thin wisp of lace covering her there provided little barrier to the heat he caused. She whimpered her pleasure.

“Baby” he whispered against her throat. “You're so wet.”

That she was. She was also hot and restless. Her insides pulsed. “Jabarie,” she urged, desperately needing him to touch her. “Please.”

“I remember that you like to be on top.”

She moaned. “You know exactly how I like it, but take me any way you want me.”

Reclaiming her lips, he crushed her to him. His lips and tongue tangled with hers. He deepened their kiss as his fingers pushed aside the material between her legs and brushed over the wet flesh.

Brenna broke the kiss and gasped. Her body became alive with each intimate touch. Her sensitized nipples grazed the hairs on his chest while she fought for a full, steady breath.

Jabarie stroked her folds, causing her to moan in his ear. She rose up a bit off his lap, giving him better access. He found her nub and rubbed it slowly, intensifying the throbbing deep inside her. Brenna closed her eyes and his skillful fingers stroked her until she screamed. When she didn't think she could last a second longer, his fingers slid inside her, stroking her, driving her mad at the sweet intrusion. Her nipples were hard and begged for attention. As if he could read her mind, his mouth latched on while his fingers pumped in and out of her wetness in quick, determined strokes.

The pressure inside her was growing and she was conscious of nothing but what he was doing to her. But she wanted more than this. She wanted all of him.

“I want you inside of me, now,” she whispered between breaths.

He released her and she unzipped his pants. He lifted his hips long enough for her to slide his pants down to his feet and onto the floor. His briefs followed. She then straddled him again and slid her fingers down his stomach and he shivered under her touch. As soon as she gripped him, he covered her hand with his and stilled her.

“Wait, please,” he said barely above a groan. “Hand me my wallet.”

Brenna retrieved his pants and removed his wallet from the back pocket and handed it to him. Jabarie quickly removed a condom. As soon as he was protected, he eased her over his length. He groaned while she rocked her hips.

She slowly drew him into her body while his thumbs teased her nipples. She took him in farther then eased back toward the tip. She repeated this action, over and over, until he was shifting restlessly beneath her.

“Yes, that's it!” he cried.

Eyes closed, she smiled. She had power over his body and knowing that he was moaning and hard because of what she was doing heightened her arousal. Finally, she drew him completely inside her. She rode him and when she knew they were both close, she increased the tempo, riding him hard and fast. His hands grabbed at her hips and he pressed her down onto him as he arched and thrust himself deeper inside her.