Читать книгу Under The Covers - Crystal Jordan - Страница 9

Nathan had taken one look at her aunt’s rustic cabin and demanded they stay elsewhere. An hour of phone calls later, and he had been frustrated to find every bed and breakfast, inn, hotel, and motel in a fifty-mile radius was booked. What did he expect? It was the holidays.

Dayna just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. She escaped the awkward fits and starts of conversation downstairs by retreating to her childhood bedroom. She needed some quiet time. A lead knot had settled in her belly, and she fought the need to throw up. Every one of her worst fears about bringing Nathan here had come to life. She collapsed beside the bed and pressed her shaking fingers to her eyelids. Nathan didn’t just dislike her family, it was hate at first sight. And it was mutual. Aunt Rainbow said his aura was pitch black and his chi was blocked. Her brother hadn’t voiced an opinion yet, which wasn’t a good sign, because Sam normally never stopped talking. Even Toby—her normally sweet-natured nephew—had started crying the moment Nathan had looked at him. How had it all gone so wrong so fast? Bitterness coated her tongue, making her want to vomit even more.

Her mother had certainly been at her flaky best today. Icy tingles raced over Dayna’s flesh just thinking about it. She was so angry her skin flashed cold and then hot. Her fingers shook, and she clenched them into fists.

Not again. She couldn’t believe her mother had run off with some guy again. Why did she have to be so irresponsible and selfish? Was it so much to ask that she stay in town for one holiday and meet Nathan? Did Dayna mean so little to her?

Yes. That was what she’d always feared. Her mother was beautiful and charming but completely wrapped up in her own wants and needs. She was never satisfied with what she had; she always wanted the next best thing. Her mother loved her—she just didn’t love her enough.

Thank God for Rainbow. Who would have ever thought that a flower child would be the best thing that had ever happened to her? But she was.

Dayna lurched to her feet. This wasn’t helping. Going over and over it in her mind wouldn’t fix this. When she stepped out into the hall, she looked around for a moment, uncertain where to go. She didn’t really want to deal with her family and Nathan, but she also didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. She really wanted to have Aunt Rainbow hug her, stroke her hair, and tell her everything would be all right because she’d had a vision that said so.

A laugh straggled out at that. Dayna pulled in a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and turned for the stairs. Time to face the music and enjoy her holidays as much as possible, no matter how much everyone seemed to dislike each other.

She met Jake on the stairs; he was carrying a limp Toby against his broad shoulder. “Just laying him down in Sam’s old room.”

“Okay.” Scooting around him, she ignored the shiver of awareness that went up her spine when she brushed against him on the narrow staircase, trying to beat a hasty retreat. She didn’t want to see the condemnation in his green eyes at Nathan’s behavior. Her head was spinning, and she didn’t think she could handle much more.

“Dayna.” His voice froze her on the bottom step. She didn’t turn around when he spoke again. “I have to say, you could do better. That guy is an asshole.”

Well, that was Jake, wasn’t it? Mr. Opinionated. But she wasn’t in the mood. She spun to face him, planting her hands on her hips. Lowering her voice to a hiss that wouldn’t wake Toby, she glared up at him. “You know what, Jake? Shut up. I’m having a shitty day, and you are not helping. So just leave me alone unless you have something to say that will actually help.”

His dark blond brows rose. “He called Rainbow crazy. She cried. I doubt that’ll help, but you should know.”

Oh, that was just it. She had had enough. The anger, frustration, and helplessness building inside her since Nathan had insisted they come here for Christmas exploded. She clenched her fists tight and the muscles in her body shook. Grabbing her coat and Nathan’s off the pile on the couch, she stomped into the kitchen where Nathan and Sam sat in silence at the table. Her aunt had disappeared.

“Nathan,” she snapped. He jerked and stood to face her. She shoved his coat against his chest. “I need to speak with you outside. Now.”

Wariness flashed in his dark eyes, but he put on his coat and followed her to the front porch. The bitterly cold wind made her skin tighten as she rounded on him. “You know, it was your idea to come here for Christmas. No one forced you.”

“I know, but—”

She cut him off. She didn’t want to hear excuses for more uncivil behavior. “Did you actually call my aunt crazy? To her face?”

After having her mother bail out on her yet again, it pissed her off to have anyone speak ill of her very supportive aunt. Crazy she might be, but she had always been there when Dayna needed her. No way in hell was some guy who didn’t even know Rainbow going to come in and judge her.

A muscle twitched in Nathan’s jaw. His nostrils flared with annoyance. “I may have mentioned that her ideas were a bit farfetched—”

“Crazy, Nathan. You called my aunt crazy.”

His long fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dayna, she thinks the base of Mount Shasta holds an entrance to a magical underground land.”

Her shoulder jerked in a shrug, her temper completely unappeased. “She’s a little eccentric.”

The incredulous look on his face just made her anger flare hotter. Now he was looking at Dayna as if she were insane. “A little—”

“You know what?” she bit out. Her hand sliced through the air. “I believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient being in the sky who watches over the whole world and will judge me by his personal moral code when I die. I also believe he forsook his only son so I could be granted forgiveness for any wrong I have done or will ever do. To someone who doesn’t believe the same way I do, that would sound pretty weird, wouldn’t it? If I celebrate my beliefs with a Christmas tree, and my aunt celebrates hers by burning a Yule log on winter solstice, then I’m going to accept that she has as much right to her beliefs as I do to mine. You don’t have to agree with me, you don’t have to agree with her, but you do have to treat her and her beliefs with respect in her house. So try for a little bit of understanding, Nathan. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”

He sighed. She hated it when he did that. It made her feel like an idiot even when she knew she was right. Gritting her teeth, she spun on her heel and paced the length of the porch. She knew this would be a mistake. He just wasn’t the type to get why she loved her family.

“You have to admit she’s not normal, Dayna. Be reasonable.”

She threw up her hands. “Normal. Is that all you care about? How people appear? How successful they are?”

“That’s pretty rich coming from you, Dayna. You want everything in your life to be perfect. Normally.” Irritation twisted Nathan’s face, and the way he spoke made her feel like a scolded child.

She hissed at him, “I’m not the one being nasty and calling old ladies names.”

He stabbed a finger in her direction. “You know what? This entire discussion is cr—”

“Crazy?” A saccharine smile curled her lips. “You really seem to like that word today.”

Shaking his head, he took a step back. “Who are you?”

“What?”

“This”—his gesture encompassed her—“is not the woman I asked to marry me. I feel like you’re an entirely different person here. I feel like I don’t even know you. Have you been hiding this side of yourself all along?”

Yes. Her brows snapped together, rage and…fear coursing through her veins like ice water. Her hands fisted, and she shook her head in a denial. Of him or herself? She didn’t know anymore. “How can you possibly say that? You’re the one who’s been rude to my family.”

He folded his arms and made that sigh that set her teeth on edge. “Fine. I’ll apologize to your aunt.”

“It’s not about my aunt.” She propped her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not really sorry—you just don’t want me to be upset.”

A snort was his answer to that. “In any other situation, you wouldn’t be upset. You’d agree with me that she was crazy.”

She resumed her pacing. “Rainbow is family, Nathan. It’s different. I don’t expect you to understand that.”

“I see. Then maybe we should take some time to rethink where we stand with each other.”

Stopping, she turned to face him, wariness and unease sliding through her. The knot in her belly expanded even further, twisting tighter. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t expect you to.” He arched a brow, and now it was he who offered a mocking smile. “What I’m saying is maybe we were too hasty with taking our relationship to the next level. I thought I had a partner who was on the same page as me, who understood me. This new side of you makes me reconsider.”

Everything inside her shook, and she didn’t know what to say, what to do, how to react. It wasn’t like her. None of this was. “What are you saying?”

“It’s really very simple. I’m going back to civilization to think.” Bitterness tinged his voice. “You should do the same while enjoying the holidays with your beloved family.”

Her head spun again, and she felt dizzy and nauseous. “So you’re just going to leave me then? Just like that?”

Just like her mother. He was one more person who would bail out on her. It didn’t matter that he’d always seemed reliable and dependable—perfect, even. Things had gotten rough, and now he was leaving. She couldn’t live like that. Not anymore. Not ever again.

“I think it’s for the best,” he reiterated.

Tears burned her eyes, but she shook her head. “Maybe you shouldn’t reconsider. Maybe we’ve said all we have to say.”

“Fine. Good-bye, Dayna.” He plucked his keys out of his pocket, walked to the car, pulled her suitcase from the trunk, and set it on the driveway.

She opened her mouth to call the words back. That wasn’t what she wanted. Yes, it was. No, it wasn’t. She didn’t know what she wanted. She didn’t know anything anymore. No sound emerged from her throat.

Then it was too late. He was gone. Everything had changed in less than a day. Her perfect life was over.

This was the worst Christmas ever. She buried her face in her hands, waiting for the tears to fall, for some relief to the pressure growing inside, but her eyes were dry and gritty.

It only added to her misery when the door slammed shut behind her, letting her know someone was going to see her at an all-time low.

“Ah, hell. I’m sorry, Dayna. Don’t cry.” Jake. Of course it was Jake.

“I’m not.” She shoved her fingers through her hair and curled them into fists before letting her head fall back. “You heard that?”

“Yeah.” At least he didn’t bother to lie. It was a small comfort. “Listen, I—”

“Dayna?” Her aunt’s voice sounded from inside.

Dayna shook her head, letting her hands drop to her sides. “I need to get away from this house.” She choked on a laugh. “No, what I really need is a stiff drink.”

“That I can arrange.” Jake reached out, taking her hands in his. His touch was gentle, and the expression on his sharp features was kinder than she’d ever seen from him.

It only made her feel worse, and she had to blink rapidly to push back the tears that wouldn’t fall only moments before. She swallowed, wanting nothing more than to erase this day from existence. “I don’t want to go to a bar. If I get trashed there, someone will tell Aunt Rainbow or Sam or my mom when she gets back, and I’ll never hear the end of how Nathan wasn’t worth it.”

“Yeah, I get that.” He nodded, squeezing her fingers. “Your hands are cold. You should be wearing gloves out here.” He rubbed her hands between his bigger palms, warming her.

That tingle of awareness she’d felt on the stairs rippled over her skin again, and the way his brilliant green gaze slid down her body only increased the sensation. She shook her head, denying it. Thinking like that really would be crazy.

His breath made white puffs in the air. “I have a bottle of Jack Daniel’s back at my place with your name on it.”

Her mouth opened and then closed. Damn, but she needed to not have to think, to worry, to overanalyze everything for once, and she couldn’t come up with one good reason not to accept Jake’s offer. “Okay.”

He’d matched her shot for shot until they both couldn’t see straight, until neither of them was thinking clearly, until it had seemed like the most natural thing in the world to kiss her, to strip her bare, and stretch her out on his bed.

She’d been with him every step of the way, yanking at his clothes, sliding her hands over his skin, whispering his name, biting his ear, begging him to fuck her hard.

It was better than he’d ever imagined, even in his wildest adolescent fantasies.

He watched her arch on his sheets, her dark hair a stark contrast against the white fabric. She reached up to spread her fingertips on his chest, and he damn near groaned at how good her hands felt on him. He filled his palms with her breasts, lifting them to suck each rosy nipple into his mouth in turn. Somewhere in the back of his whiskey-soaked mind, he knew it was wrong to touch her, but he couldn’t seem to piece together why. When she wrapped her slim fingers around his cock, he didn’t give a damn about the whys, he just knew he had to have more. More of her, more of this. More.

Jesus, he’d always wanted more when it came to Dayna.

“Hurry, Jake,” she breathed, pumping his dick hard enough to make his jaw lock. He lunged for one of the condoms he’d dropped on the bedside table, ripped it open with his teeth, and sheathed his cock with shaking fingers.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him down for a kiss. Nipping at his bottom lip, a husky little laugh rippled from her. He slanted his head, caught that sexy sound in his mouth, and licked his way between her full lips. Their tongues twined, each fighting for control of the kiss. He nudged her thighs apart with his, settling between them. The head of his cock prodded her slick opening. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pushed her feet down on the backs of his thighs. His breath hissed out at the feel of her soft, soft skin rubbing against him.

Fire fisted in his gut as he pressed his cock into the hot depths of her pussy. The snug sheathing almost made him come, but there was no way he was letting this end so quickly. Rocking himself inside her, he felt the slow drag of his hard flesh in her damp heat. A shudder racked his body, but he picked up the pace, shoving his cock deep with each push. Her slim fingers curled over his shoulders, the nails digging into his muscles. A little sting to sharpen the pleasure. He almost smiled.

The smell of her enveloped him, spicy roses and hot sex. The sensations burned themselves into his memory, and he knew he’d never get the feel of her off his skin, the taste of her sweetness out of his mouth. He didn’t want to.

The sounds she made as he ground his pelvis against hers made his head feel as if it were going to explode. “Damn, Dayna.”

“Jake, Jake, Jake.” She twisted in his arms, desire flushing her pale cheeks, making her eyes sparkle. A low laugh bubbled out of her as she tightened her vaginal walls around him. “Oh, my God, this is good.”

A growl pulled from his throat. He gripped one of her thighs, hitching it higher on his hip so he could thrust deeper. He couldn’t get enough of her. “Baby, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

“How long?” she gasped.

An evil grin he couldn’t stop pulled at his lips. “Since I was old enough to get a woody.”

“That’s crude.” The giggle she gave was as drunk as he felt. He laughed with her, every movement pushing him higher than he’d ever been.

Waggling his eyebrows, he let his smile widen. “I am crude, rude, and socially unacceptable.”

“I noticed that about you.” A little grin parted her full lips. She ran a fingertip down from his shoulder to circle his nipple. Then she flicked it hard with her nail, making him jolt. “You’re a very bad boy.”

Reaching between them, he rolled a finger over her clit in time with his thrusts. He wasn’t gentle, working her hard. Her moans drove him on, told him how close she was to orgasm. He pressed down directly on her clitoris, and she arched against him, sobbing as her pussy milked the length of his dick. She shuddered, her fingers gripping his arms tight. “Yes! Oh, my God. Jake!”

Gritting his teeth, he jerked his cock from her slick sheath to keep from coming and ignored her cry of protest. Wrapping his hands around her trim waist, he rolled her over and pulled up her hips so he could plunge into her from behind. “If I’m a bad boy and you’re in bed with me, sweetheart, what does that say about you?”

“That I’m having a reeeeeally bad night?” Flipping her short hair out of her eyes, she winked at him, another giggle breaking free.

“Or maybe you’re just a little bit bad tonight.” He cupped his free hand over the soft globe of her ass, rubbing in small circles. She arched her torso, pressing back into his touch.

She smirked at him over her shoulder. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Hell, yes.” He flashed a grin. She had no idea how bad he’d like her to be. But she’d get a little taste tonight. He drew his hand back and smacked her ass hard. “I’m liking it a whole lot.”

Her breath hissed out, a shudder running through her body. “Me, too.”

“Well, if you want to try something naughty…” He slid from her body, and she moaned, her sex clenching around him to keep him in.

He replaced his cock with his fingers, stroking into her wetness and then trailing his finger up to the pucker of her anus. He worked his way in, slicking her with her own juices until he could slide easily.

“Oooh.” She moaned with each press of his fingers, shoving herself back to meet his strokes. “That really is naughty.”

“You were always the good girl I wanted to do bad things with.” Jesus, the booze had loosened his tongue even more than it had her inhibitions. Why else would he tell her things he’d kept to himself for almost two decades? It wasn’t like him to be so revealing in bed.

Her head dropped forward, her back arching. The softest whisper reached his ears. “I never knew.”

“You do now.” And he needed to shut his mouth and just enjoy this one night with her. It was all he was going to get, so he might as well revel in his teenage wet dream come to life and stop with the confessional. Spreading her cheeks wide, he nudged the head of his cock into her ass. He pushed in slowly, groaning at the incredibly tight fit of her around his dick. It was so damn good, he wasn’t sure how long he’d hold out before he came.

She dropped lower, bowing her back and pressing her face into the pillow. It muffled the whimpers that erupted from her mouth, but he still heard them. He didn’t bother to hide a smug grin. If she liked how naughty this was, he had a lot more in store for her.

Starting now.

He slapped her ass again in time with his quickening strokes, spreading short, stinging swats over the soft cheeks of her backside and down her slim thighs. She moaned, moving to meet his hand. The skin flushed under his palm, ripening to a rosy hue. He liked that. Liked that he’d left a mark on her, liked that she’d be feeling this and remembering every time she sat down tomorrow how she’d moaned and begged and screamed his name. She wouldn’t be bruised, but the sting would last for a bit. Oh, yeah. He liked that thought.

A shudder shook her slim body. “Jake, I’ve never—”

“Let a guy spank you while he fucked you up the ass?” He smacked her again to emphasize his point.

She choked on a laugh. “Yeah.”

Each plunge into her body drove him closer to the edge, and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Cupping his palms around her ribs, he pulled her up until her back pressed to his chest. She reached back and fisted her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for a kiss. He suckled her bottom lip, scraping it with his teeth. She shivered, working her hips in time with his.

Running his hands up her torso, he lifted her breasts and let them bounce down. They moved with each thrust of his hips. He rolled her nipples between his fingers, pinching and tugging lightly. She laid her head on his shoulder, her back bowing to push closer to his palms. He let one hand slip down over the soft swell of her lower belly, dipping between her legs to stroke over the wet, heated lips of her pussy.

“Now this is going to be really naughty.” Then he drew his hand back and smacked her hard little clitoris.

“Jake!” she gasped, sucked in a breath, and snapped her head around to look at him. She choked and shuddered, arching her torso.

Glazed shock was in her gaze, and he swatted her again. Harder. She panted, moaning each time he made contact with her slick, swollen flesh. Letting her head fall back against his shoulder again, her fingers clamped over his forearms, and her nails dug in. The way her inner muscles tightened around his cock made him groan. He knew she was close, and so was he. “Jake, I—”

“Come for me, Dayna. Now.” He slammed his hips forward, shoving deep into her ass. He delivered a series of hard slaps to her clit, and she screamed, twisting in his arms. Her anus clenched around his cock, and that was all it took to push him over into orgasm. He came in hard jets, groans ripping from his chest.

They collapsed forward onto the mattress, and he propped himself on his forearms so he wouldn’t crush her. As he sucked in air, his lungs burned as if he’d run a marathon. Leaning to one side, he reached between them to slide his cock from her body. They both groaned at the glide of flesh. Dropping his forehead against her back, he felt how shivers still rippled through her body. He smiled, kissing the back of her shoulder.

He heard her swallow hard. “Jake.”

Moving until he’d settled beside her, he tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her flushed face. “How’re you doing, sweetheart?”

“I’m…I think I’m okay.” Her hazel eyes were still a bit stunned, and she blinked up at him slowly.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He ran his hands over her bare back, just for the pleasure of touching her. “Good.”

“Yeah, it really was.” She sighed, and her eyes closed, her body relaxing by degrees. He lay back against the pillows, sliding an arm under his head. His fingers drew lazy patterns over her skin.

“Dayna,” he breathed. Damn, it had never been so good, so sweet, with anyone else. But no one else was Dayna. She was special. A warning went off in the back of his mind. No woman should be allowed close enough to be special, but sleep was already dragging him under, fuzzing his thoughts. He’d worry about it later. He sighed and closed his eyes, contentment he shouldn’t feel winding through his chest. Dayna curled against his side, her satiny flesh sliding over his. Her hand rested over his heart. He still had a smile on his face when unconsciousness claimed him.