Seek and Destroy (38 page)

    Based on her near meltdown when he'd seen the scarred flesh of her midsection, he knew any other asshole that'd seen them must have scarred her emotionally. No doubt they made her feel ugly, and probably told her to stay covered up.

    What bullshit. She had an incredible body, scars included. They were a part of her, and he loved them.

    He loved
her
. Her heart. Her fire. Her...everything. A woman like Charis McKoy came as a package deal. He wouldn't want her any other way. With a flick of a glance her way, his heart liquefied and he knew he'd never be able to walk away.

    Her dark curls were frizzed and all over the place. Not a hint of makeup on her pretty face. In baggy sweats and a long sleeved pullover, shuffling around in her slippers, she looked a wreck.

    Holy Jesus, she was beautiful. He'd never seen her so ordinary and yet so unbelievably extraordinary. He couldn't take his eyes off her. What little control he had over his throbbing libido shattered. He had to have her, to taste her, to love her.

    She darted a quick glance at him, gave him a weird look, and then pulled down a mug out of the cupboard. After unwrapping a teabag, she threw him another look.

    "What?" She dropped the bag in the mug and turned to him. "Why are you staring at me?"

    If only he told her. "No reason," he offered.

    She narrowed her eyes at him. Shaking her head, she went back to the task of making herself a cup of tea. He watched her every move, completely awestruck.

    "Stop it," she told him, her back still to him.

    "Stop what?" He did his best attempt at sounding innocent.

    "You know
what
. I can't think when you look at me like that."

    "Is it a crime to admire a beautiful woman?"

    "It is in our situation."

    "And what kind of situation would that be?"

    She looked at him over her shoulder. "Pah-lease."

    David stepped out of the hall and into the kitchen. Moving deftly, he came up behind her before speaking. Resting his lips just above her ear, he whispered, "please, what?"

    He startled her, which was exactly what he intended. She jumped and swung around, directly into his arms. Looking up at him, she blinked.

    Ignoring his pledge to himself to stay the hell away, he reached up and touched her cheek with his palm. He brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip as he cupped her face when he brought up his other hand. She closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly, let out a ragged breath.

    He traced the lining of her jaw with the fingers of his other hand, swallowing hard to wet his suddenly parched throat. He loved her bone structure. Her high cheekbones were amazing. The pout of her lower lip, which definitely seemed to be enjoying the feel of his thumb caressing it, beckoned him to kiss her. He felt her cheeks heat up, saw the color burn into them. His already painfully hard erection pushed against the restraint of his pants.

    She let out another ragged breath. It felt warm against his thumb, and oh-dear-God so arousing. He licked his lips and drew in her scent. Intoxicating. His dick twitched again, demanding attention.

    "David," she rasped as another ragged breath escaped her lips. Even through her sweatshirt he saw her nipples pucker in response, which only made him harder. She hummed in the back of her throat, urging him even closer to lifting her up and plunging his cock so deep inside her they'd both reach their limit faster than they did in the elevator. "You promised."

    "You said no more kissing," he responded. It came out strained, gravelly. "You never said anything about touching. Do you want me to stop?"

    Shuddering, she licked her lips, the end of her tongue flicking against the pad of his thumb. "I-I guess this is okay. No harm in touching, right?"

    "Talk to me," he demanded huskily. "Tell me what you want me to do, Charis. Because, God as my witness, I'll do anything for you. I can't get you out of my mind, my senses." He inched closer to her, felt her breath against his lips. It sent a tense shudder ripping through him.

    "Oh David," she whimpered. "Tell me more. Tell me what I do to you. How do I make you feel?"

    "When we're apart, I can still sense you. I can still taste you on my lips. And when I'm with you," he whispered softly, "I can't think straight. You make me feel like a starved man, hungry for you. Starving for you."

    "David," she squeaked, lifting her chin higher. Their lips were only a tissue paper apart. Their breath mixed, and he smelled the olives on her breath. He'd never smelled anything sweeter.

    "Tell me what you want, sweetheart." He licked his lips, his tongue stretching out, touching hers.

    "I want-" She stopped with a sharp hiss when his thumb left her lip and scraped across one of her hardened buds. She shuddered. The rate of her breathing kicked up a notch. "I wish I didn't need you so badly."

    So did he. He wanted to quit this erotic game they played. He wanted to quit
her
. Instead of listening to the voice of reason, he shut it off entirely.

    "I need to touch you," he admitted, his lips barely brushing hers in a hint of a kiss. "To taste you. Please. Before my next breath, I need to be inside you."

    Charis closed her eyes and visibly swallowed. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped, his entire world stopped as he waited for her answer. She swallowed again.

    "I'm here, baby. I'm right here. Tell me what you want."

    "I want your mouth on me. I want to feel your tongue swirling my clit. Make me come, David. Make me forget this nightmare if only for five minutes."

    He'd never heard such bold words fall from her lips. Holy Jesus that was sexy as hell. His cock jumped in agreement. The rest of the world disappeared and only man and woman existed. He stepped back and reached for her to take her back into the bedroom.

    When she didn't follow, he paused and turned back toward her. His entire body tensed. Did she change her mind?

    With that coy little smile he loved so much, she hopped up on the kitchen counter, yet left her sweats in a pile on the floor of the kitchen. As she spread her knees, exposing herself to him, he fell to his knees in front of her. He couldn't speak. He could only sink in toward her, closing the gap between his mouth and her sweet, wet sex.

    His lips brushed across her coarse hairs, kissing her and loving the way he felt her moisten, soften against him. Her juices flowed, soaking him. Drinking hungrily, he consumed every bit of her syrup.

    Dear Jesus, he wanted to slow down, to completely devour every last inch of her, but Chris was due back any minute. Add that knowledge to the fact she had him close to coming right there before he had a chance to bury himself into her slick heat and he increased the pace. With an urgent thrust, he inserted a finger into her hot channel as he took her clit in his mouth.

    She cried out in a series of whimpers. "Oh, David!"

    "Talk to me," he begged. "Describe how you're feeling." He teased and licked, kissed and nibbled until she started to shake as her impending climax continued to build. She wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him into her.

    "Talk to me, baby. Let me know how this makes you feel."

    "I-I can feel your tongue flick-ah! Just like that."

    He flicked again and she convulsed. "Do you like that?"

    "Again!"

    Circling her tight little pleasure point, flicking madly just the way he knew would drive her over the edge, he inserted a second finger. She started to shudder. "Tell me when you come, Charis."

    "I'm so close," she panted. "I-I can't-Oh. I'm coming, David. I-I'm-" She cried out, throwing her head back and letting out a primitive scream. The carnal cry accompanied the flood of her juices as her muscles clenched his fingers over and over. He greedily licked her, every ounce of her.

    "Take me," she pleaded. "Fuck me, David."

    Holy God, he loved hearing her talk to him like that, ordering him to please her. Polite, demure Charis turned into something primal when they had sex. It made him hasty to sink into her before he lost it entirely.

    Throwing his pants around his knees, pulling her so she rested on the edge of the counter, he thrust so deep inside he felt her pelvic bone against his. He pulled out completely and pushed back in, trying to have her sheath him even further. Her tight muscles fisted him, holding him there.

    He wanted this to go on for hours, days even. But considering Chris' reaction the last time he'd walked in on them, David knew he couldn't spend as much time as he wanted pleasuring her.

    That thought sent a pinch through his system. He buried himself into her again, grinding around to pull another shuddering moan out of her. He grabbed her hips and moved her closer, driving back inside, wanting more penetration.

    The counter was in the way. It didn't allow him to give her the angle he knew she loved. Lifting her up, he carried her over to the kitchen wall and used it as leverage.

    "More!" she demanded.

    He plunged deeper, his rhythm increasing. Harder, faster. Deeper still.

    "I-I'm going to-" Before she finished telling him, she cried out in tune with the teapot as she came. It screeched. Charis screamed.

    Her walls tightened so hard it pulled his orgasm from him. He stiffened and hollered out her name as he jutted his life deep inside her. Surge after surge he continued to come, to experience the most powerful, intense orgasm he'd ever had. It seemed never ending. His knees buckled as his body gave into the unbelievable, consuming ecstasy. He slammed his hand up against the wall to stop himself from collapsing.

    "
Charis
." Their bodies pulsed and kicked as they both rode their climaxes as long as possible. The screeching teapot sang along with them as if in celebration to their joining.

    Finally their waves ebbed. They stood there paralyzed, leaning up against the wall for support, trying to catch their breath. He lowered her down and kissed her so deeply, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth. He couldn't breathe, yet didn't want to come up for air.

    The sound of a car door broke them apart. She bit his lower lip, sucking it into her mouth. "That would be Chris."

    "We should probably stop," he answered, pulling his lip back and licking the taste of her from it, his gaze never leaving hers. Stepping back, he moved his hand off the wall so she could escape.

    She nodded and reached down, swept up her sweats and threw them on. She moved the teapot off the burner and turned off the flames as he quickly righted his pants.

    "I kept my promise." He threw her a smile and a wink.

    She narrowed her eyes at him. "You did not."

    "I never kissed you."

    "You just did."

    He eyed the wall where they'd just finished giving into the powers of the flesh. "That didn't count."

    "Why not?"

    "
You
kissed
me
," he teased.

    "That," she started to argue, and then gave up. "Dirty trick."

    "Oh, I'm sure you hated it. You, my love, will have to do better than that. Next time, I get to choose where we make love. I think I have bruises from the counter hitting me." He grinned, offered her a wink.

    Shaking her head, she took a step back. Her expression changed in an instant. Her pretty face pinched in pain. Taking a step toward the hall, she turned from him when her lower lip started to quiver.

    What the hell? His heart slowed, concern overtaking his thoughts. "Charis? Baby, did I hurt you?" He took a step toward her.

    "Just," she started, her voice shaking. She brought up her hand and backed away from him. He was shocked to see the enormous tears fill her eyes, spill over and down her pretty cheeks. "Give me a minute."

    "Sweetheart? What is it?" When a small sob escaped her brave façade, it pulled a raw grunt straight from his soul.

    The front door opened just then and in walked Chris, two large pizzas in the crook of his arm. He lost his smile as he darted his eyes between the two. "What's going on?"

    She gave one look to her brother, spun around and ran down the hall to her room at the end of the short corridor. David flinched when she slammed the door.

    Chris' glare was lethal as it riveted to him. Those blue eyes pierced into him. He threw the pizza onto the counter, followed by his keys. "What did you do now?"

    David ran his fingers through his hair. Good question. He looked back down the hall toward the door at the end.

    What
did
he do now?

    

    

    She lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. The pizza smelled so good, and her tummy protested at not being allowed to partake in it. Like hell she'd go out there and share a meal, not after what she'd just done. The mortification gripped at her heart. Not only had she thrown herself at the one man she swore to cut all sexual ties with, she had sex right on her kitchen counter. Her kitchen counter! Her body still hummed from the aftershocks.

    What happened to the
old
Charis? She almost missed her. The
new
Charis had taken over and thrown out every bit of restraint and self-control she had. She and David were supposed to be over. So why, then, couldn't they keep their hands off each other, or their pants on?

    She thought her heart would be able to handle casual. She thought she knew herself well enough to be able to put a stop to something with the snap of her fingers.

    Oh, how wrong she'd been.

    Giving up David felt like giving up breathing. She couldn't do it, couldn't stand the thought of not having him as a constant presence in her life. What was she going to do?