Page 37 of Love Among Vines
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
JADE
Lightning rushed down her spine.
“Rett,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“It’s so good.”
He took another sip, then set his glass on the table. He turned back to her with serious eyes. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“It’s good,” he repeated.
“Fuck that. It’s amazing.” She set her glass on the table and gripped his arms. “I know I’m not a sommelier, but that’s a damn good bottle. You did it.”
“I did it,” he said, looking back at the bottle as if expecting it to disappear.
“And this was your first attempt. Just imagine the possibilities.”
“I did it,” he repeated.
“You did it.”
She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around him.
He greeted her with a hard kiss, remnants of champagne flavors on his tongue.
One hand buried itself in her hair while the other slipped beneath her skirt to hold her up.
Her heart thumped erratically. Was it finally time, or was he going to tell her she had to eat dessert first?
She ground against him, eliciting a soft moan. Every part of her body was tense and primed, like she was at the starting line of a sprint.
She unwound her legs and dropped to the ground.
His suit coat slid off and puddled on the floor.
Her fingers gripped his shirt as she slowly, carefully undid the buttons.
She ducked her head and kissed her way down his neck and chest, enjoying the quiver of his muscles beneath her touch.
The sting of salt hit her tongue as she teased each ab.
She looked up at him and made steady eye contact as she undid the buckle of his belt. She whipped it to the side like a cowgirl withdrawing a lasso. On her knees, she slowly undid the button and glided the zipper down. His pants fell to his ankles.
Oh, he was a boxer briefs guy. His eyes bored into hers as she released him from the cotton confines. The force of his spring nearly nailed her in the chin.
“Concussion by erection” had not been on her bingo card, but there were worse ways to go.
The earthy scent of sandalwood was all that separated them.
He inhaled sharply when she trailed her tongue down his full length, teasing and tasting the velvety flesh.
His head fell back, and he gripped her shoulders so hard she suddenly realized what it was like to be the bar in her barre classes back home.
Oh no, he wasn’t going to be a head-shover, was he? She knew he was too good to be true.
But he didn’t. Ragged breaths tore through him as she took him into her mouth, slowly at first, then faster. She pumped with one hand while raking the other down his exposed torso. He tensed beneath her touch.
This was it. It was finally happening.
But after a minute, he took a step back and separated himself from her.
She looked up at him again, a question in her eyes. The tension that had been building since the first time she saw him unaware in his bedroom was reaching a fever pitch.
He dragged her to her feet and stepped out of his pants. He kicked them across the roof, then took her hand, leading her to the cocktail table. Was he really going to make her sit down and eat dessert?
He hesitated for a split second with his hand on the tablecloth.
“Wait. Don’t sacrifice the desserts.” She swooped in and moved the glasses and plates out of the way.
Throwing it all on the ground would have been mega hot, but there was no sense in wasting a drop of that sparkling wine.
She didn’t even have time to turn around before he grabbed her by the hips and set her roughly on the table.
The cool night air wicked at the sweat on her neck, and she shivered. With her eyes on him, she slid her sweater up and over her head, then winced when a loop got stuck on her oversized earring. He deftly released her and planted his body against hers, flesh against flesh.
His mouth met hers, still tasting of faint notes of raspberries. Every cell in her body lit up like a neon sign. It was like two elements meeting, fire crashing against water. But instead of extinguishing, the fire burned hotter.
He pulled back, and his eyes raked over her body. She spread her legs, resting a boot on each chair. His eyes were darker, more dangerous than she had seen. Did he like the lingerie?
He slid a hand around her back and released the hooks of her bra. Her breasts tumbled from the cups, and he took her into his mouth. Heat washed over her.
This time there was no cockblocking cop, no nosy neighbor. There was just the two of them and the ceiling of stars twinkling above.
She released a moan and arched her back. His beard tickled her skin as his head dipped lower and lower, savoring each inch of flesh.
This was so much better than a clumsy, tipsy hookup after a sweaty night in a club.
His hands glided up her thighs, and he shoved her skirt higher up her hips. He took a moment to simply look at her, thumbs swirling in half-circles closer and closer to the source of her heat.
She arched her back again, dying for his touch. She was going to go insane waiting for contact.
Finally, he slid the thin layer of lace to the side. He glided a finger over her folds. There would be scorch marks on the table.
Then he ducked his head. His tongue probed her with long, slow licks.
Her heart galloped. She threw her head back and fought for breath. Was she hearing colors? What the hell was happening to her body?
His thumbs spread her apart, and he found her clit like she had hand-drawn him a map. Under the quick flicks of his tongue, her entire body went rigid on the table.
Showers of sparks made their way up and down her body as he licked and sucked. Was this what an exorcism felt like?
Harder and faster he pushed her. A mountain was building beneath her. She might not have even been on the same planet anymore. There was just the two of them and the stars, a different plane of existence.
A finger slipped inside her, and that was enough to break her. She shattered over the peak, her body convulsing and twitching.
He plucked her from the table and gathered her into his arms, which was helpful since there was a zero percent chance that her legs were currently working. He carried her across the roof and set her gently down onto the pile of pillows.
“All good?” he asked breathlessly, kneeling next to her.
She flashed him a weak thumbs-up.
“I’ll give you a minute. But only a minute, because this is torture.”
He leaned over, and his mouth moved to her neck. She slid a hand down his torso and grabbed ahold of him. Still hard as ever.
He moved down and took a nipple into his mouth, gently clamping down with his teeth. Holy hell. A flicker of pain was followed by pleasure building in her again like a runaway freight train.
Maybe it was the straight week of foreplay. But the connection between them was electric, alive. All-consuming. Had she ever experienced this, even with Nate?
“I don’t need a minute,” she said.
He disappeared from her side and crossed the roof to his pants. She stared as he rolled a condom on, then stalked back to her.
He hiked her legs up and settled between them. The lace panties slid down her legs and off.
“Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.
“Please.” Ugh, she had never begged for sex. But if she didn’t feel him inside her in the next thirty seconds, she might actually explode and die.
He hovered at her entrance, trailing himself over her. She appreciated foreplay as much as the next girl, but it was go time. She planted her hands on his hips and pulled him toward her.
In a swift movement, he entered.
She gasped. Even though she had never been more turned on in her entire life, her body hadn’t been quite prepared for that girth.
There was concern in his eyes, and he froze. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” She gripped his hips and pulled him in deeper, until he was completely buried in her.
They stayed like that for a moment, something indescribable passing between them. For a second, she felt more whole than she had in two years. Fulfilled, cared for. And painfully aroused.
The spell blurred at the edges like a hazy watercolor, and he glided in and out. Pressure was building again. She yanked him down to kiss him, desperate to be as close as possible.
The strength of his thrusts grew until they were inching across the blankets.
Breaths tore from her lips, and her fingers twisted in her hair as he propelled her closer and closer. Her eyes went shut, and his free hand drifted to her cheek.
“Look at me, Jade. I want to see you feel everything.”
Her eyes snapped open, and he stared hungrily back at her. That wasn’t something you would usually say to a casual hookup or even a friend with benefits. The lines were blurring. Did he feel it too?
There was no time to dissect what was going on in the present moment. All she could do was feel.
She lifted her hips, rocking with him as he thrust deeper and deeper. His thumb slid over her lips, and she clutched at his back. She was probably leaving Catwoman-level scratch marks down his spine as she fought for control.
His hand slid down her torso until he found her center again. His thumb traced circles over her, and everything in her threatened to explode.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
Her whole body tensed. His did too. With a final thrust, release engulfed her like a detonation. He lowered himself onto his forearms, still buried in her. Her arms fell limply around him as her legs shook like a leaf in a hurricane. She might never recover from this.
Dropping his mouth to hers, he kissed her softly, tenderly, still pulsating inside her. She gripped him for a final time, and he broke apart with a nip to her bottom lip.
He lowered himself to the pillows and lay next to her, tugging her over so she rested on her side. She placed a hand on his chest, and his glided to settle on her hip.
Sex when you actually cared about your partner was different. Worlds different. She had almost forgotten.
“How am I supposed to go back to meaningless hookups now that I know what’s waiting for me in the realm of friends with benefits?”
“Well, it’s only a five-hour drive,” Rett said softly.
Five hours. They might as well have been on opposite sides of the country. Anxiety flared in her chest. Maybe some more sparkling wine would help take her mind off that fact.
She sat up, and he looked at her. “More wine?”
“Definitely. I’ll get the dessert.”