“I used to live in Atlantic City. That’s where my family is from—I have two younger brothers, well, really four. Mom took in two of my best friends so I consider them my brothers also. Anyway, we all followed my father and make our living as dealers in casinos. First, my dad made us get a college degree before we were allowed to go to dealer school. In college, I met a girl, Rebecca, and we were together the whole four years. On graduation day, I asked her to marry me.”
Jealousy pierced her heart. She hated the idea of another woman being claimed by him. She locked the messy emotion away and concentrated on his story. “What happened?”
“We began planning a wedding. Moved in together. Then I came home from work early one day and found her in bed with one of my groomsman.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Talk about a cliché all the way around, huh? At least he wasn’t the best man.”
Horror filled her eyes as she imagined the scene. The betrayal he must have struggled with. Already in one night, she realized he gave his heart and soul without holding back. He’d demand the same of his partner.
A dozen condolences skittered through her mind. “Bitch,” she muttered.
His laugh held genuine humor. “Yeah, that about says it. Needless to say, things got pretty ugly. After a few months, I realized I couldn’t handle living there any longer. I needed a change. Jackson Castillo invited me out to Vegas, offered me a job, and I haven’t looked back.”
“That doesn’t explain why you stopped having sex.”
He shrugged. “When I first settled in Vegas, I went a bit crazy. Dated a lot, experimented with different women. Then my need fizzled out, and I only felt empty when I woke up in the morning. So, I took a break and concentrated on other stuff for a while. My hand has been my new best friend this past year.”
He waggled his eyebrow in a bad Groucho Marx imitation. She giggled. “Sounds like my vibrator. It almost caught on fire these past few months and broke from overuse.”
They laughed together. She stroked his chest, enjoying his crisp hair against her palm. “Do you still miss her?”
“No. Not anymore.” Suddenly, his gaze locked on hers, glittering with a fierce intensity. “I miss this.”
Joy broke through her at his words. Her heart pounded in confusion. What was he saying? Had he experienced the same strong connection she did? Did he want to continue when the night was over? Reality crashed around her. No. As much as she wanted more time with him, she had to stick to her plan. Work. Volunteer. College. She’d made herself a promise to never get involved with a man until she was completely whole. He’d given her a precious gift, but she couldn’t risk pushing herself. What if she was too fragile? What if he broke her heart? What if she became so enamored of him she gave up everything she was for a man?
She wasn’t ready. So, at dawn, though it would break her heart, she would leave him behind.
She pushed away the strangled grief at the idea and climbed on top of him. Surprise lit his eyes as she straddled his hips, her hair falling around his face to wrap him in a curtain as she kissed him. She gave him everything he asked for in that kiss: her surrender, her gratitude, her desire.
Her tongue swept in and she greedily tasted his dark, male hunger. When she lifted her head, her gaze burned into his with promise. “I’m doing this because I can’t stand the idea of not having your cock in my mouth.”
He tensed at her words. And then she slipped down his body, cupped his balls, and sank her mouth over his hard, throbbing length.
He groaned. Cursed. She took her time, enjoying the taste of his salty skin, licking to the tip and then swirling around in teasing circles. His muscles locked, and her nails dug into his hard thighs. Finally, she opened her mouth wide and sucked, rubbing and stroking the underside of his cock, scraping her finger nails over the sensitive flesh of his balls, while her name rang like music in her ears.
He stiffened and grabbed her shoulders. She knew he was about to explode, but she refused to move. His excitement blended and melded with hers, and her juices flowed as she rubbed herself against his leg like a cat in heat, sucking harder, harder, and....
He exploded in her mouth. She swallowed him as he jerked helplessly under her touch and slowly eased her mouth off of his length. Sheer feminine power surged through her at his response, and in that moment she finally slew all her demons.
“What have you done to me?” he groaned.
She laughed, and resumed licking him. She stroked, rubbed, and caressed. In minutes, his cock was hard again. She fisted his powerful length, enjoying the texture of iron sheathed in silk. He lifted her in one quick movement, and settled her on her hands and knees. A tearing sound echoed.
“Rick, I, oh!”
He grasped her hips and entered her. She moaned and pushed back into his hands as he rubbed her ass. Slow, delicious strokes filled her, driving her higher and higher. Her breasts hung down free, and he played with them as he thrust in and out of her. The erotic abandon pumped through her body, tightening her muscles as she neared orgasm. She circled her hips, searching for it, but he only laughed and kept his strokes shallow enough to tease but not get her off.
His hands pinched her nipples. Slid down her belly, and found the tight nub of her clit. He rubbed, using her juices to coat it, and tapped hard with his fingers. Sharp pleasure grabbed, attacked, and threw her over. She cried out his name and ecstasy shot in waves over her. He came again, and collapsed on top of her in the bed, their limbs entangled. Her heart squeezed with a mingle of raw emotions. Tears pricked her eyes as she held him close and wished dawn had never come.
His lips traveled over her soft skin. The heady scent of sex and musk and strawberries hung heavily in the air. He stroked her lush breasts, her silky hair, the curve of her buttocks. The red digits on the clock flashed with alarming rapidness.