Erotic Encounters Page 6

  He had manipulated her clit in a manner that had produced multiple orgasms for her last night, and this morning was no different. The deliciously familiar sensations pulsed deep inside. Her abdominal walls clenched and her clit throbbed. Her entire body teetered on the brink of release. Cries of rapture accompanied the convulsions as her pussy muscles squeezed his fingers. Her chest heaved as she filled her lungs with air.

  Shasta grabbed one of the remaining condom packets from the nightstand and ripped it open with trembling fingers as she scooted back until she straddled his thighs. Slowly, sensually, almost as if it was an integral part of a mating ritual, she rolled the condom onto his rigid shaft. The glow of passion reached out to her from the depths of his turquoise eyes.

  Dane grabbed her around the waist, lifted, then gradually lowered her wet pussy onto his stiff erection. Inch by inch until she was completely impaled on his hard shaft. Her pussy muscles seized him and held on. He paused to catch his breath, the power of the sensation literally robbing him of the ability to breathe.

  Her uncombed auburn hair framed her face in a wild display of sensual earthiness, a look that radiated pure sex. Her emerald eyes held the same wildly uninhibited look that always jumped his heartbeat into high gear. And after last night, he knew just how delightfully and surprisingly uninhibited she could be.

  He managed to force out a few words. “You are the sexiest…hottest…most exciting woman…”

  She rocked back and forth, each motion tugging his cock and spurring his arousal. He cupped her swaying breasts, kneading the firm flesh. Her movements became more erratic, her rocking more of a grinding as the levels of euphoria drove her harder and faster. The look of total abandon covered her face with a smoldering desire that reached out to him, sending a hot jolt through his body directly to his throbbing cock.

  He grabbed her hips to guide her into a rhythmic ride. Her level of arousal excited him. Seeing her in the throes of orgasm, feeling her pussy walls contract sharply around his shaft, experiencing her convulsions as they surged through her body…everything about her pushed him closer and closer to his own release.

  She gave a final gasp and slumped forward against his chest, triggering the churning in his balls, followed by hard spasms shuddering through his body as his semen gushed into the condom.

  She trembled in his arms, her gasps for air matching his own. He caressed her shoulders, skimmed his hands down her back and cupped her ass. He held her hips tightly against his. He didn’t want to let go, to relinquish his hold on the precious gift she had shared with him…the gift of herself. A gift to treasure for all time.

  After several minutes of quiet, he placed tender kisses on her forehead, her cheek and her lips. She responded with the same. He savored the taste of her mouth and reveled in the creamy texture of her skin.

  She lifted her head from his shoulder, then raised up so that she sat straddling his hips. She brushed a stray lock of his tawny blond hair from his forehead. “Now that’s the way to start the morning. I’ll race you to the shower, then we’ll see what’s in my refrigerator for breakfast.” She glanced at the clock. “Maybe we’d better think about lunch instead.”

  ****

  “I’m back.” Dane’s voice called from the front door.

  “On the patio. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and join me.” Shasta listened as he went to the bedroom, then to the kitchen. She heard the refrigerator door open, then close. A warm sensation flowed through her. It felt very comfortable having him walk into her house and make himself at home. What would it be like to have him call to her from the front door every evening to announce that he was home?

  A moment later, he appeared at the patio door, carrying a mug of coffee, and settled himself into the chair next to hers.

  A sly grin played across his lips, almost like a little boy with a secret he couldn’t hold in one minute longer. “I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a little something for later.”

  “Oh? Anything you’d care to tell me about?”

  He leaned over and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “It’s a surprise.”

  “You weren’t gone very long. You must not live far from me.”

  “All this time, I’ve only lived about ten minutes away from you and never knew it. I only had to grab a few things from home. It’s not like I was packing for a long trip, just the weekend.”

  His words circulated through her mind. Just the weekend. Was that all it was to him, just a fantasy weekend of fun and games? Monday morning things return to the way they were?

  She watched him as he sipped his coffee. His gaze seemed to be fixed on something far away, something not even real, as he stared out across her backyard. What thoughts went through his mind? What did he want? A moment of sadness welled inside her. She looked away.

  What secrets had he held on to when he started to explain his night job as the Macho Marauder, male stripper extraordinaire?

  He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it an intimate little squeeze as he offered a warm smile. “It’s a beautiful day. Would you like to do something? Take a ferry boat ride? Do a harbor tour? Go for a walk along the waterfront?”

  She returned his smile. “Any of those would be fun.”

  “Let’s do a harbor tour, then have dinner somewhere. How about the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle? I’ll call and make dinner reservations.”

  “You mean like an actual date?” She may have injected a teasing quality into her voice accompanied by a wry grin, but the question had a much deeper meaning to her, something not nearly as casual as she had made it sound.

  He held eye contact for a long moment, as if trying to delve to the bottom of her soul in a quest to know everything about her. A little tremor of anxiety fluttered inside her. Incredible hot sex. A no holds barred fantasy weekend. She could keep up that charade, not wanting to put any undue pressure on him.

  But for her? Things had moved fast and furious, leaving the original fantasy far behind and presenting her with a new one. A fantasy that she didn’t dare dwell on or mention.

  A fantasy about Dane Wingate and what the future could be with him.

  “Yes.” He pulled her into his arms. His voice dropped to a mere whisper as he cradled her head against his shoulder. “The date I should have asked you for a long time ago.”

  As much as his words touched her heart with an intimate warmth, they probably meant far more to her than he intended. She had to keep things in the proper perspective.

  ****

  The afternoon passed quickly, a time of relaxed togetherness. They strolled along the waterfront hand in hand, took the Elliott Bay boat tour of the harbor, then drove to the Seattle Center for an early dinner at the Space Needle. They were seated at a window table in the revolving restaurant and enjoyed the marvelous changing views of Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and the Olympic Mountains as they ate. To all outward appearances, they seemed to be a couple in love.

  As they returned to Shasta’s house, the emotions fueled by a perfect day with the most incredible man she had ever known welled inside her only to be tempered by the same nagging concern that had been gnawing at her. The one that said he was hiding something, and that something represented the wedge preventing them from truly being together.

  “I can’t remember the last time I spent such a delightful afternoon. It’s been a long time since I was at the Space Needle.” Her feelings for him choked her words. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “Thank you for sharing it with me.” Dane took her hand in his and brushed a tender kiss across her lips. His voice turned soft as he fought to keep the emotion out of it, an emotion he wasn’t ready to confide or share. An emotion that didn’t…that couldn’t…have any place in his life. At least not at that time. “It’s been a long time since I’ve taken an afternoon to be carefree and enjoy myself. And to have an entire weekend to spend with someone so special.”

  He knew he needed to change the subject before he said more than
he wanted to and ended up revealing too much about his past. Last night had been incredible, and today had been a perfect day, starting when he woke up with Shasta sleeping next to him. He didn’t want to ruin the rest of the weekend by bringing unpleasant realities into it. Especially the reality that said he had gotten in over his head where Shasta Brooks was concerned. He feared he might be falling in love with her, and he couldn’t allow it to happen.

  “There’s still a couple of bottles of champagne left from your birthday party. Let’s enjoy a glass on the patio.” He tilted his head to one side and winked at her. “And then, as soon as it’s dark, maybe we can take advantage of the hot tub again. And while we’re at it take advantage of each other, too.”

  She smiled. “I’ll get the glasses. You open the champagne.”

  They sat on the patio, sipping champagne and enjoying the last ribbons of color streaking across the night sky. Shasta couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to thoughts she didn’t want to deal with. It wasn’t anything real, only a feeling that said he had started to distance himself. Not physically but personally. And she didn’t understand why. Did she dare mention it? Pry into his private life? In some ways, he was so open and forth right, but there still remained the secrets he guarded.

  Granted, they had most certainly shared incredible sex that put their relationship on a much deeper level than two people just starting to date. But it had been physical. He had fucked her into mind boggling orgasms more intense than any she had ever experienced, but there was an emotional intimacy that seemed to hover on the sidelines without being truly a part of their time together. It left her uncertain about what to say or how much she could expect.

  With the patio cloaked in darkness, Dane removed the cover from the hot tub. He took Shasta’s hand. “Do you still want to enjoy the hot tub for a while?”

  His touch warmed her, a combination of sensual heat and tenderness. “Yes. The hot tub sounds marvelous.”

  They went to her bedroom and quickly discarded their clothes. Once again, she marveled at the hard planes of his chest, his broad shoulders, athletic build and a truly beautiful cock that made her pussy wet just looking at it. And the knowledge of how it felt inside her—of the way it filled her tunnel with deep sure strokes, the pulsing heat that radiated from it—set her heart pounding and her blood racing hot through her veins.

  If they made love ten times a day every day for the rest of her life, she still would want more of him. The fact that she was in lust with him was not in doubt, but heaven help her, she was on the fast track to love.

  He pulled her into his embrace, ran his fingers through the silky strands of her hair, then held her close. He couldn’t get enough of the feel of her bare skin, her taste, the way her pussy tugged at his cock, the indescribable beauty and glow on her face as the orgasmic convulsions claimed her.

  But he had gone past mere lust the first time he kissed her. He was closing in on love and couldn’t allow it. He released her from his embrace, all except her hand. They paused at the door to the patio, turned out the lights, pulled the drapes open and stepped outside. They settled into the water, Dane seated on the bench with Shasta straddling his legs and facing him as she had before.

  He pulled her close, his breath ragged as he sought out her breasts. He teased her nipple with the tip of his tongue, then drew it into his mouth. He suckled gently at first, but it quickly became more fervent as his ardor increased. How could he continue to deny the emotional need that coursed through him, feelings as hot and fast as his physical need to have his cock buried deep inside her pussy?

  He felt as if his life was being torn apart—what he wanted on one hand and on the other what he knew he needed to do. And the longer he stayed with her, the more difficult it would be to leave.

  At that moment the world he had been able to glimpse, the possibility of what the future could be, crashed around him. Did he have the right to make love to her again, knowing he had no choice but to leave? To take one last memory of the most joyous and happiest time of his life?

  It had only been twenty-four hours since the shock of realizing that she was the birthday girl, but it had been a very full twenty-four hours. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but he needed to have that last remnant to cling to.

  He lifted her off of him, grabbed a couple of towels, then led her inside the house. Neither of them spoke as they walked to her bedroom. Somehow he had to figure out a way to make everything all right. But how?

  He pulled her into bed, wrapped her in his arms and held her. Just held her and nothing more for what seemed like a long time. He didn’t want to let go but knew he couldn’t stay, at least not for much longer. He didn’t have the right to expect anyone to put up with his lifestyle, not at this time. Not until he could call his life his own again.

  Dane shifted his weight, which made his arousal more obvious as his erection pressed against Shasta’s stomach. Her pussy tingled. Her heart beat faster. To fall asleep every night in his arms after making love, to wake up each morning in his arms and start the day by making love…the concept settled over her like a warm embrace.

  A moment of caution told her not to get too comfortable with that idea. Eventually Monday morning would arrive. Dane would go home, and she would go back to work. The girls would ask, and she would confide to them with a sly grin that she tried out some of her new birthday toys without mentioning the most precious and incredible birthday gift of all.

  Without warning, his mouth captured hers, and all concerns evaporated in a surge of hot passion. His tongue meshed with hers in a mating ritual that promised more of the pleasure he had provided in the last twenty-four hours. Yet it conveyed a much more emotion-laden type of passion—hot desire tempered by a much deeper connection of caring and devotion.

  Shasta totally melted into his tender care, and at that moment, he became the center of her universe. He gently suckled at her breast, his mouth both inflaming her senses and calming her worries. She ran her fingers through his thick tawny hair and caressed his broad shoulders. His erection throbbed against her thigh, creating a pulsing response deep inside her. She heard the soft moan, but it took a moment for her to realize it had come from her rather than him.

  He inserted his finger between her pussy lips, invading the moist heat. She let out a quick gasp and arched her hips against his hand, letting him know she wanted more. Heat spiraled inside her, elevating her arousal to a level just below the ultimate. She cried out when he stimulated her clit, her body convulsing in delicious orgasm.

  He grabbed the condom packet and ripped it open.

  A moment later, his cock filled her pussy as no one else ever had, ever could. With her legs wrapped around his hips, she met each of his down strokes with an upward thrust. His mouth again captured hers in a kiss that both demanded and promised the pleasure hovering on the horizon. They moved in harmony, the sensations again building to a crescendo peak.

  She loved him. She no longer had any doubts. In twenty-four hours, it had gone from fantasizing, to lust and finally to love. She permitted the thought to enter her mind and linger there without any attempt to censor it.

  His shaft moved smoothly in and out of her, each stroke reaching to the depths of her wet channel, delving deep. Her ragged breathing matched his labored breaths. His strokes shortened, becoming quicker and harder. They rushed toward the final moment of release, exploding in an intense climax of shared ecstasy.

  Yes, she truly loved him.

  Dane held her tightly as the spasms claimed his body. He would never be able to make love to another woman, never know the total rapture Shasta provided him. It was a bittersweet moment. He wanted to be with her always, but he knew he couldn’t.

  He also knew that the longer he stayed in her bed, the more difficult it would be to do what had to be done. He could not stay another night. Could not wake up one more morning with her in his arms, knowing that he could not ask her to share his very unsettled and complicated life.

  Not now
. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

  He twined his fingers through the silky strands of her hair and cradled her head to his shoulder. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He kissed her once more, then slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom, taking his overnight bag with him.

  Shasta sat upright in bed, shocked out of her blissful contentment when Dane stepped from the bathroom fully dressed. A myriad of confused thoughts swirled through her mind, none of them forming into a cohesive thought. A cold shiver of fear told her what her mind refused to accept.

  She tried to read the expression that covered his handsome features but couldn’t discern anything definite. But his eyes told another story, one of deep pain and nearly unbearable despair. Her mouth went dry. Her throat tried to close off. She managed to croak out a single word. “Dane?”

  He reached out toward her but let his hand drop before making physical contact. “I’m so sorry, Shasta. I can’t…”

  Chapter Four

  Shasta balanced her cash drawer and prepared to leave work. A week had passed since the night Dane left her, each day more devastating than the one before.

  Friday had finally come to a close, and she drove straight home as she had done each evening, hoping against hope that she would hear from Dane. She had tried to understand, tried to put herself in his position as he told her about his life being too unsettled to be able to form any attachments. That he couldn’t expect her to put up with the life of a male stripper. She had even gone so far as to assure him she understood.

  But she didn’t. She had cried herself to sleep Saturday night after he left, then spent all day Sunday hoping he would have a change of heart and return to her house. By Sunday night she had to accept the truth. It was a marvelous fantasy, the most incredible twenty-four hours of her life, but it had ended in pain and bittersweet disappointment. It was with a heavy heart that she went to work Monday morning, knowing she would have to face her friends and their comments about the Macho Marauder performing at her birthday party while hiding her agony behind a façade.