Biding His Thyme: 4 (12 page)

“I—”

The workshop door flew open and Brother
Rick stood in the doorway with his two friends standing behind him. Brother
Rick surveyed the room, the suspicion fading from his face when he saw Jake
lying on the pallet.

“Do you think his illness is contagious?”
he asked Sorrel.

Sorrel didn’t meet Brother Rick’s gaze. It
made anger curl through Jake. His entire body stiffened, muscles coiling ready
to spring if Brother Rick made a wrong move.

“I don’t feel sick,” Sorrel said.

Brother Rick gave a curt nod. “If he gets
worse call Sister Agnes.”

“I will.” Once again Sorrel spoke to her
feet.

Brother Rick strode away without bothering
to close the door. From his position on the pallet, Jake couldn’t see where
they went, so he remained in place.

“They’ve gone back to the communal hall.”
Sorrel stepped around the counter to shut the door. With the door safely shut,
Jake clambered to his feet and joined her.

“I’ll wait a while and let everyone get
settled, then I’ll do some skulking around the compound. I need to talk to
Luke, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“You’re not responsible for my safety,” she
said. “Give it another hour, and you’ll be safe enough. I’ll stay here and keep
working.”

Jake opened his mouth to argue. He wanted
to be responsible for her safety. Hell, he wanted to give her the stars. The
thought crashed through his mind, alien and unusual. Women were a commodity for
him. He fucked them and moved on, normally remaining friends. It was different
with Sorrel. He wanted to protect her, to cherish her damn it. And he sure as
hell wanted to get in her pants again.

He’d like time for a slow loving in a big,
soft bed. Maybe a flash hotel room with a spa bath and one of those showers
with multiple shower heads. Big, thick cotton towels. Room service. Hell, yeah.
As soon as this was over, he promised himself, already imagining Sorrel’s eyes
and her shy smile as she enjoyed the sensual treat.

Jake peeked out the window and slid from
her workshop, returning an hour later, frustration simmering through him.

“There were people everywhere. I saw Sister
Marigold’s bare butt.” He shuddered. “Not something I want to repeat. And I
didn’t find anything useful to report to Luke.”

“Did you search Brother Rick’s quarters?”

Jake pulled off his robe and joined Sorrel
on the pallet. “You were right. He took three women back to his quarters.”

“Three?”

“Yeah—three of the younger, prettier ones.”

“No doubt the women will be subtly bragging
about it tomorrow. Not many people get to visit Brother Rick in his quarters.”

“I don’t want to talk about Brother Rick.”
Jake switched off the light she’d left burning for him and rapidly discarded
his sandals, clothes and concealed weapon. He slipped under the blankets and
reached for her.

“Why are you still dressed?”

“I wasn’t sure if one of the men would
check on you again. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“Take off your robe,” he said. “I’ll run
interference if anyone arrives unexpectedly.”

He sensed her hesitation, even though he
couldn’t see her face clearly. It was a brief pause, and he held his breath,
wanting her to trust him, to realize he’d protect her should the need arise.

A grin spread across his face when she sat
up. He heard the rustle of her robe, the whisper of fabric when she removed her
padding and lay back down beside him. A satisfied sigh whispered from him. He
was right where he wanted to be—with Sorrel, her warm limbs sliding against
his.

“Is it cold out there?”

“A little,” he said, pulling her over him,
so she lay on top of his larger body. She wriggled a fraction before relaxing.

“Kiss me,” Jake said. “Now is your chance
to explore.”

“Really?” She sounded thrilled at the idea.

“I’m all yours.” He could imagine his
friends’ reaction if they’d heard that little snippet. Shock. Teasing. All the
shit he’d given them while they fell for their women lobbed straight back at
him. His elation deepened when he didn’t feel alarm or the urge to flee.

Sorrel explored his face with her hands,
mapping it in the darkness. His cheekbones, his eyelids. His lips. She tugged
at his beard. “I don’t like your beard. It hides too much of your face.”

“I do look pretty without my beard,” he
said.

“Are you sure you don’t have a weak chin?”

“Nope. You can’t argue with the truth,” he
said. “I’m a catch.”

Laughing, she wriggled down his body, and
blood surged into his cock. She must’ve felt the prod of his dick, but she
ignored it in favor of running her hands over his chest. Busy fingers searched
out his nipples. She bent her head and explored his chest with her mouth. Teeth
scraped his nipples, and he flinched at the arc of sensation that roared
straight to his groin.

“Damn, you’re good at this.”

“Think how good I’ll be after I practice
some more.”

He laughed, the hoarse sound fading
abruptly when her tongue circled his navel and dipped inside.

His scent, rich and masculine, with a hint
of herbs filled the air, combined with her feminine one. She licked across his
hipbone.

“Lower,” he said, shifting impatiently. He
wanted her mouth around his cock, licking and exploring his shaft. No sooner had
the thought formed then her hand curled around him. A shudder went through him
at the increase in friction. “That feels great, sweetheart.”

Her hand moved up and down, stroking him
and learning his texture, his size.

“Put your mouth on me,” he gritted out.
Damn, he hadn’t meant to issue it as an order. “If you want,” he added, hoping
like hell she’d just do it already.

“Like this?”

Wet, hot heat surrounded his tip. “Fuck,
yes,” he whispered, his fingers spearing through her hair, fighting the urge to
direct her with his hands. “Take me deeper. Lick me and suck.”

She followed his instructions, her
untutored mouth more erotic than anything he’d felt before. A tremor racked
him. Her hair tickled his thighs and his belly, and he realized she’d freed it
from her normal braid. He wished he had a visual. Imagination and the feel of
her hair in his hands would have to do.

Her tongue flicked over his slit, lingered,
and her mouth tightened around the head of his cock. A strangled curse tore
from his throat, and his whole body hummed from the pleasure of her mouth. She
licked along his shaft, down one side and up the other before closing her lips
around him again. His hips jerked, driving him deeper into her warm mouth. Raw
need pulsed through him, yet he tamped it down, not wanting to rush her. This
was her time to explore, and she deserved to move at her own pace.

She sucked, dragging a groan from him.
“That’s it. Your mouth feels good. Use your tongue a little more on the head.”

Seconds later, he was in heaven, his balls
so tight he thought he might explode. She added the suction of her mouth again,
and he bucked, driving his cock farther past her lips. She made a coughing
sound and jerked back.

“Sorry,” she said.

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said. “Let me
grab a condom.” He lifted her off him and rolled onto his side, rifling through
his pile of clothes for the box of condoms. He couldn’t find it in the dark,
but he found what was left of the strip of condoms they’d used earlier in the
day. He ripped one open and rolled on the condom.

“Uh, what color is that one?”

He glanced down at his shaft and groaned.
Even though there was no light, the condom glowed like a peppermint stick in
red and white stripes. “You mean you can’t see my candy cane dick?”

She giggled, a surprising sound he hadn’t
heard before. It made his lips twitch and his heart lighten.

“It looks like an old-fashioned barber’s
pole.”

Jake snorted and reached for her. “Would
you like to try a different position?”

“Yes?”

He laughed at her doubt and lifted her over
him. She automatically parted her legs and settled astride his thighs.

“I wish I could see your hair. I can feel
it tickling my legs.”

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. How long is it?”

“I’ve never cut it, not apart from snipping
off the brittle ends. It reaches my backside.”

“And a very pretty backside you have,
sweetheart.”

She giggled again, making him grin.

“Are you wet?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to finger yourself and stroke
your clit. Make yourself even wetter for me.” He could feel her hesitation, yet
damn if he’d force her to do anything that brought discomfort. “Only if you
want to,” he added.

There was a long pause. Jake strained to
hear in the darkness. Her thighs flexed as she rose. He could almost hear her
hesitation, a living, breathing thing between them. Then he heard a liquid
squelch. He almost laughed, but he bit his lip, not wanting to embarrass her.

“Does it feel good?”

“I think sin usually feels good,” she said
in a dry tone. “At least that’s what Brother Samuel said.”

“Sex isn’t a sin. Touching yourself isn’t a
sin either.” He imagined anything that delayed the production of babies was a
sin to the founder of Children of Nature.

“Do you touch yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“Will you show me?”

“I’ll show you if you show me,” he said,
pretty sure she’d chicken out.

“Okay,” she said with a trace of eagerness.

This time his laugh barked out before he
could slam on the brakes—a rich chuckle from deep in his chest. Liberating.
Relaxing. Joyful.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I thought you’d say no,” he confessed. “Does
it feel good?”

“Yes. Very good.”

He heard the distinct rub of her fingers
against her flesh. He imagined her folds would be swollen and flushed with
blood, her clit a hard knot of arousal. “Once you think you’ve done that
enough, I want you to give me your hand so I can lick it clean.”

She inhaled sharply, the muscles of her
inner thighs flexing against his. Then, when he wondered if he’d shocked her
too much, she moved, wriggling her way up his body. Wet heat pushed against his
stomach, the scent of her heady and enticing. She found his lips on the second
try and dragged the tip of her finger around the outline of his mouth.

“You have soft lips.”

“Is that surprise, I hear?”

“You’re hard everywhere else,” she said.

“And you like it.”

“I do.” She ran her finger across the seam
of his mouth, and he helpfully parted his lips. He drew her finger inside,
sucking on it, much as she’d sucked on his cock.

“Oh,” she said, her tone startled.

He released her finger to speak. “I have a
magic touch.” Before she could reply he sucked another of her fingers into his
mouth and gave it the same treatment.

“Most people would accuse you of boasting.”

He withdrew her finger, ready to move on to
the next one. “I don’t boast. Not much.”

“I’m glad you qualified your words.”

“Use your free hand to stroke your breast.
Twist and pull your nipple. Pinch it until it’s a little tender to the touch.”
When he was sure she’d followed his instructions he licked another finger
clean. “Swap hands,” he said.

Silently, she presented her other hand to
him, and he repeated the process, enjoying the hell out of the musky taste of
her.

“What next?”

“Guide my cock to your entrance and sink
down until you’re impaled. Take your time.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to lean over and kiss your
breasts until you’re ready to move.” Suiting action to words, he roughly sucked
a nipple into his mouth, drawing hard enough to send a spike of sensation to
her pussy.

“Jake,” she whispered in a broken voice.

“Take me inside you, sweetheart.” He
remembered the clinging warmth of her channel and could hardly wait to repeat
the process. Tight, wet heat. There was nothing better.

She fumbled with his cock, unsure of her
movements, but he thought the darkness helped because it masked her reactions,
helped her feel bolder. She hesitated a fraction before pushing down. Unable to
help himself, he surged upward, driving himself deeper into her body. A gasp
escaped her and he froze, heart trying to hammer its way from his chest.

“Am I hurting you?” He’d hurt her enough
today with his hard words, and he’d rip off his left arm rather than do it
again.

“It—you feel strange. A good strange,” she
added before he could ask the question. She kept pushing down until he was
embedded in her. “Now what?”

“Now I don’t look like a candy cane.” He
gritted his teeth, steeling himself against the impulse to take control. No,
she needed this. He needed to earn her trust. Once he could breathe again
without his eyes crossing, he said, “Now you rise and fall, like someone riding
a horse. Experiment with the angle until you find one that feels good.”

She trailed her fingertips across his
stomach, making his skin twitch and sing with the contact. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. This is for you to
help you learn what you like.”

“Okay.” The happiness in her voice helped
to tamp down his urge to manhandle her onto her back and power into her until
he was sated.

“If it helps, you can touch yourself at the
same time.”

“Okay.” This time her clear interest came
through. She started moving, experimenting, making him crazy. A quick learner.
Pride filled him at the thought, along with a rampaging fire, searing every
inch of his body. He caught her hips, subtly guiding her into a rhythm to
satisfy them both.

A sharp gasp came from her, and her pussy
rippled around him, gripping him in a sensual massage.

She leaned back and rose above him, sank
back down. She quickened her pace, gasped. He felt her finger as it slid along
the base of his shaft. Quick, hard strokes as she rubbed herself. She groaned,
and seconds later, she was coming, squeezing his cock in tight pulses.