Falling Read online

  She watched droplets tumble from his manly nipples, taut now as she teased his cock. She tasted a little soap along with a lot of man as she took him in her mouth, ignoring the water, the shampoo in her hair and everything but the wonderful hard length she loved to suck.

  And to fuck. They'd done that more times that she could remember, and she'd come…well, if it was possible for her to come her brains out, she'd done that last night.

  "I don't believe that I can want you more now than I did yesterday. Or the day before." She licked along his length, teasing him, flicking her tongue just beneath the swollen head.

  "You do?"

  "Yes, I do. It sounds trite, I know, but there it is. I want you so much."

  "I want you too, mi vida. More now than ever. " He pulled back, reaching for her and urging her to her feet. "Can you take me again?"

  She was sore and had admitted it. But now?

  "Yes, I can take you again. I want you again. Always will, I think." She touched his face. "You've discovered the real me. And the real me wants you inside me. Now."

  Not as easy as it had always sounded in books, fucking in the shower involved caution, a certain amount of muscular coordination and a whole lot of need.

  Fortunately Jen realized they had all three and within moments she was opening for Cris, legs spread wide as he dipped down before her and thrust his cock upward, penetrating her with a groan of pleasure and then gently moving within her moist darkness.

  Would it always be like this? Could it possibly continue to get any more wonderful than right this moment, with the cold tiles abrading her shoulders and his hardness holding her a willing hostage against them?

  She had no idea, and couldn't even begin to guess. All she could do was lose herself once again in the pleasure of him, the experience of being so naked with him.

  It went far beyond clothes. It was a stripping bare of her emotions, a release of her desires-a freedom to be the true passionate woman she'd learned was inside her.

  Cris had taught her that over the last few days.

  And as she peaked, cried out a gasp over the sound of the shower, and felt his spasms follow hers into ecstasy, tears gathered at the back of her eyes and she closed them tightly.

  This was her last day. All too soon this idyll would be over.

  How could she possibly stand the pain?

  Chapter 13

  Staring at her suitcase, Jen wondered where the days had flown, since it seemed like only yesterday she'd unpacked and found that damn bug in her bathtub.

  And met Cris.

  She sighed, a deep heartfelt expression of the gnawing sense of sorrow growing within her.

  The next day she'd catch her flight back north and face…David. The man she lived with and the same man who'd left precisely one brief message on her phone since she'd arrived at the Palms.

  She guessed he'd not spared her much thought since he knew she'd checked in and her plans were on track. It was like him to assume everything was okay unless he heard differently.

  Which was, she now realized, exactly the opposite of the way she felt. She loved the way Cris had found little moments to touch base with her during the day, letting her know he missed her and was looking forward to their time together later on.

  He never told her about the heart attack on the third floor early one morning. He'd simply answered his phone, kissed her and said something about hotel business.

  She'd gone back to sleep and hadn't learned of the dramatic event until later. Fortunately all had turned out well, but she wondered aloud why he had kept it to himself.

  He looked surprised. "Why bring my business troubles to you, Jennifer? We have such a short time together. I would not spoil it in any way, and even if I had, there wouldn't have been anything you could do to help. Why worry you?"

  She understood, sort of. They were truly ships that were passing in the night. They had stumbled into a magic world, each fed by the other, finding bliss together, pleasures beyond imagining.

  But it was transitory. Both knew she would have to leave.

  The typical summer romance.

  Sadly, neither were teenagers who could move on and perhaps forget in time. Jen knew she would never forget Cris.

  And as she folded and packed her clothes she realized something else. She could not go back to her life as it had been.

  After rolling her swimsuit neatly and tucking it between her sandals, she sat down on the bed beside her open case and stared out of the window into the golden white sunshine.

  What am I going to do?

  Be honest. Be honest with David and with yourself.

  Easier said than done.

  Yes. But necessary if you want to live the rest of your life as yourself.

  I know.

  So perhaps it's time to get off your sex-crazed ass and make some decisions.

  I don't have a….okay, yeah, perhaps it is sex-crazed.

  Jen thought for a moment, suppressing a tiny shiver of excitement. The one that developed low in her belly at the mere thought of Cris touching her. It was one more unique feature of their affair, this visceral response to him on a physical level. It had never happened to her before. Certainly never with David.

  If she was brutally honest with herself, sex with David had never been as hot or as wonderful as each and every time with Cris. She knew the memory of his hands holding her wrists above her head, the strength of his grip and the intense focus on his face as he pounded them both up to the crest of their limits…no, she could never ever forget that. It was already a full color centerfold in her private memory album.

  She closed her eyes, reliving the sensation, using it to fight the sadness that threatened to swamp her. How could she leave? How could she walk away from this-this brilliant joy she had discovered?

  The answer was, of course, she couldn't. She could not walk away from it because it would be with her. Forever.

  Even if she left Florida and never returned, the golden sunlight of these past few days and the blinding delirious passions of the nights with Cris would linger in her senses.

  She would taste him on an indrawn breath and feel his skin against hers in the darkness of her bed. She would hear his voice in the murmur of a stranger and smell his masculine scent beneath every whisper of that light cologne he favored.

  He was part of her now, and she knew-beyond question-that he always would be. She knew herself pretty well, her habits, her responses and most of her emotions. When she found something she loved, she clung to it, cherishing it and accepting it into her heart.

  After such a short time, it would be the height of foolishness to believe that Cris was such a one, or to let him that close to her heart so soon.

  And yet…she did and she had.

  Bowing her head she tried to find some iota of reserve, some red flags of caution sticking up from the turbulent river of her thought processes.

  There were none. The river flowed strongly, tumbling over pleasure and delight, making the sound of happy laughter and whispers of desire. It was headed firmly along its valley, full and shining. It had washed away the shadows that had haunted her thoughts when she'd arrived at the Palms.

  And it was named Cris.

  *~*~*~*

  His ears weren't exactly burning, but he was willing to bet that she was thinking about him. Because he sure as hell was thinking about her. He could do little else, apparently, since this perfectly ordinary blonde had somehow managed to sidestep every single barrier he'd erected around his heart. He'd violated his own rules, touched her, taken her, spent endless hours exploring her both sexually and emotionally and made a sandwich on her naked body.

  What the hell was the matter with him?

  He was acting like a seventeen-year old kid with a bad case of lust. And he was a grown man with a divorce behind him, a good position with a distinguished hotel chain and every possibility that his life would continue to be highly satisfactory.

  And yet he'd managed to go and fall
in love. In four days. Four days.

  He was, without a single doubt, certifiably fucking nuts.

  Given that fact, which seemed undeniable, he could then move on to a serious inquisition of why he'd fallen in love with Jennifer Hodges. Followed by the most important item on his mental agenda…what he was going to do about it.

  The numbers that appeared on his laptop screen could have been Cyrillic for all he understood them. He was reviewing the month's expenses to date and matching them with a file of receipts, plus a few paper copies from smaller vendors. Or at least that was what he was supposed to be doing. His office was small but quiet, a nook protruding from the ground floor of the hotel into a shaded portion of the gardens. Sunlight usually shone through one of the three glass sides to the room, but today it was darker. Heavy clouds were building to the west.

  There'd be one of those crackling fierce storms tonight, he was sure of it. Then he shook his head at the irony of it. The storm, however strong it was outside, couldn't hope to match the storm going on within him as he came to terms with the fact this was his last night with Jennifer. Tonight, or at the crack of dawn tomorrow, they would have to say goodbye.

  It was going to tear him apart in a way that was alien to him. He'd not enjoyed the separation process with Angelita, although it had been mostly amicable. But it hadn't caused the sort of pain that already rippled down his spine at the thought of never seeing Jennifer again.

  Of having to hold her close and know it would be for the last time. That he'd never hear her laugh again or see her smile or watch her face as she let go and tumbled into a climax beneath him.

  Because once she left, she would not return. Cris knew that. She was, at heart, an honorable woman. She'd made what she felt was a commitment to this David of hers.

  He'd sensed that before he'd even touched her, and was still amazed at the depth of her responses to him, Cris, as their affair deepened so quickly into such intense passion. He had wanted to ask her about it, about whether he was messing up her life, taking her to places she had no business being in.

  Yet as he came to know her so intimately, he believed she would never have shared so much of herself with him, given herself so willingly, had she not wanted to-with a desire that matched his.

  They worked. Even if there had been no physical fulfillment, he knew they'd have enjoyed each other's company. They thought similarly on the important things and differently on things that mattered less but could be discussed at length.

  They laughed easily together and he realized that she was the one woman with whom he was completely relaxed. When he was with her, his worries lessened, his mind eased and his heart lifted. It was the kind of relationship people spoke of with awe and envy. One he'd not really believed existed. Until Jennifer walked into his life and turned everything upside down.

  In barely four days.

  As the light waned even further and the storm clouds gathered strength, Cris knew he was no closer to a solution than he had been at dawn. Jennifer would have packed by now…they had agreed to meet for dinner at the end of Cris's day. Although they'd wanted to spend every minute together, it was obvious to Cris that he wouldn't be able to work. And Jennifer knew that, admitting she was going to be an emotional wreck anyway and would rather deal with it privately.

  He had half an hour to grab a shower and change. And then go to her, touch her, kiss her and try and figure out how to keep her with him forever. Or say goodbye to her and face a life that would be unbearably empty.

  *~*~*~*

  Jennifer's heart was heavy, a lead weight in her chest as she walked the hallway to the elevator and pressed the button to summon it. She was meeting Cris for dinner, and although every fiber of her being craved the sight of him, she knew that the end was near. She wasn't sure how to stand it.

  The decision to have dinner had been fifty-fifty for a while; she'd wondered if perhaps it would be best just to leave it at that, to not see him again and try to deal with the loss.

  But the call advising her that her guest was awaiting her in the dining room-probably a cute way for Cris to remind her he was there-had made her gather up the remnants of her courage.

  She could do this. She could be adult, composed and in control. She would not cry her eyes out or make a scene. Honest. She'd wait until dinner was over. With a wry twist of her lips she stepped into the foyer and walked the now-familiar route to the dining room.

  "Good evening, Ms. Hodges."

  "Good evening Mike." She smiled at the maitre'd. "I believe you have a table for me?"

  "I do indeed and your guest is already here." He smiled and led the way to a corner table.

  A tall figure stood as she neared. And turned to look at her with a tentative smile.

  She nearly tripped over her feet.

  It was David.

  Chapter 14

  Ohfuckohfuckohfuck.

  How long she stood there with her mouth gaping open, Jen had no idea.

  "I see I've surprised you." He smiled.

  "No shit." She found her voice. "David, what the f-hell are you doing here?"

  "Come sit down and we'll talk."

  "Yeah. I think that would be a damned good idea. You know I'm heading back tomorrow, right?" She seated herself in the chair he'd pulled from the table.

  "Yes. Your flights are in my calendar."

  He sat as well, looking unusually awkward. He'd always been quite at home in every sort of social situation, remaining calm, somewhat aloof and inevitably in control. It was one of those little personality quirks of his that Jen had longed to puncture, since there were times it came off as decidedly pompous.

  Now, however, there wasn't much of that self-control left.

  "What's going on?" She frowned at him.

  He fiddled with his water glass. "You look well. Rested."

  "I've been on vacation. Vacations are supposed to make you look rested. Stop avoiding my question."

  "Yes, well…dear…"

  Jen narrowed her eyes. He only called her dear when something was very wrong. She leaned back and waited.

  It unnerved him. "I'm not really sure how to begin."

  "Try at the beginning? That's usually the best place."

  "No need to get sarcastic."

  She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. Arguing at this point would be counterproductive and she refused to allow herself to be lured into it. She'd come to recognize some of David's conversational ploys and had learned to avoid most of them.

  Yet another indication of how things had gone downhill between them. Why hadn't she noticed how often she'd been doing it before?

  Also, he chewed his nails. Sheesh. He must be really edgy. They were down to nubs.

  He darted a quick glance at her then a genuine smile crossed his face. But it wasn't aimed at her. Rather it was toward someone behind her.

  "Here you are. I was afraid you'd gotten lost." He pushed his chair back and stood, holding out his hand to a woman who was even now rounding the table to take it and let him pull her close.

  Jen's jaw dropped again as she watched.

  Good God. David had a chickie on the side.

  The jaw closed abruptly, stifling the astounded gurgle of laughter that threatened to bubble from Jen's throat. All this time and she didn't have a clue. And all the guilt she'd shoved aside over the last few days-well, that evaporated quicker than a snowman outside the Florida Palms hotel.

  A burden lifted from her shoulders even as the astonishment and curiosity began.

  David remained standing, rather like the chairman of a meeting about to get underway. "Jennifer, I think some introductions are in order." He glanced down at the young woman now sitting next to him. And still holding his hand. "I'd like you to meet Madeline. Madeline Jackson, this is Jennifer Hodges."

  The raven-haired young woman peered nervously at Jen. "Hello. I've…um…heard a lot about you."

  Jen smiled back at her. "Hello Madeline. I've heard absolutely nothing about you
at all. But that's probably for the best."

  David blinked. "Huh?"

  "Do sit down. You're looking all stuffy and uncomfortable."

  "Jen, I-"

  She silenced him with a firm gesture. How strange. She'd never been able to do that before. "David, really. I'm not a teenager." She glanced at Madeline. "Although perhaps…" She leaned forward a little. "Just how old are you, dear?"

  "Jen, that's uncalled for."

  "No it's not." Madeline chimed in shyly. "I'm twenty-four, Jennifer." She sucked in a breath and lifted her chin. "And I'm in love."

  "Of course you are." Jen sighed gustily. "Everyone is at your age."

  "With David."

  "Got that. But thanks for the clarification."

  "You're entitled to some explanation, Jen." David finally sat. "I know this has not been well done of me."

  "That's a little Macbeth, isn't it?" Jennifer raised an eyebrow at his dramatic turn of phrase. "You fucked up, dude. Cheated on me behind my back."

  "Well, I…er…it's not really like that."

  "Oh?" Jennifer was rather enjoying herself. She drew out the question languidly while leaning back and crossing her arms in her chair. It was close to an Academy Award-winning performance.

  And David, the man she thought she knew, didn't even realize it.

  "No, it's not like that." He gripped Madeline's hand. "We met nearly three years ago at a conference. I'd gone to Baltimore. Not sure if you remember. You were somewhere else at the time."

  Jen thought. "Yes. I remember. I'd gone to Maine for a few days I think."

  "Whatever." David waved his free hand dismissively.

  And there, thought Jen, there is the reason I really don't give a shit about any of this.

  "Anyway, Maddy was at the conference and we…had drinks."

  "And sex, I assume."

  "Jen."

  David's reprimand was immediate, but completely destroyed by his girlfriend. "Oh yes, Jen. It was amazing. David is a wonderful lover, isn't he?" Madeline's face glowed.

  Poor kid. Jen shrugged to herself. They'd either figure it out or they wouldn't. Whatever happened, it was none of her concern.