Her Release (One Night Stand Book 3) Read online

  My gaze slid back to Jess. She wore figure-hugging jeans and I knew her solid-looking boots were orthotically designed. Short brown hair fell in straight lines to cup her face, her delicate features almost masking what I knew was determination.

  Notoriously so. The photo in her file didn’t do her justice. It didn’t catch the spark of strength simmering below the surface, ready to rear up and sucker-punch you in the balls.

  Watchful eyes stared back at me, that defiant chin of hers stuck up, waiting for my answer. Shit. She looked sweet and soft and vulnerable, but Jess was as dangerous as the guy she’d just left behind.

  “Sure. Let’s go to my place.”

  I opened the door, noting the stiffness in her leg as she slid in beside me, the way she eased back against her seat, stretching out ruined muscles. I pressed my lips together, barely stopping from asking if she was all right. The other therapists at the clinic had warned me about Jess. Willful. Spoiled. Trouble with a capital T. They’d neglected to add how gorgeous she was, or how energy exploded out of her, even when she was quiet. She was a firecracker.

  Tick. Tick. Boom.

  I pulled away from the sidewalk, wondering if this situation was about to blow up in my face.

  She threw a thousand questions at me as I drove. Where was I from? What did I do at the university? How did I know Jayne?

  I kept my answers light and non-committal. Technically, I didn’t know Jayne. But I knew of her. I’d found out about the party from one of Jayne’s therapy team and decided to go. I had wanted a closer look at my quarry while I decided how to tackle her. I’d never imagined getting this close. Too close.

  “So, are you on the faculty website?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not on permanent staff.” That bit was true at least. The Wellsford clinic was one of many I’d been to this year. And it would be the last before I had to go home, unless I came up with an alternative. Soon.

  I threw Jess a smile. A big, flirty smile. “But I’m here for now.”

  The look on her face when I grinned could have melted the Arctic Circle. The air grew heavy, filling the space between and creeping out to surround us both. I shifted in my seat and her gaze flicked to my crotch.

  Warmth hit my cheeks. Fuck. Was I blushing?

  I cracked open the window, knowing the movement came too late to screen the sweet torture of my growing erection.

  Couldn’t go there.

  It was a relief to pull up in my street and spill out of the car into the crisp September air. I led the way to my bottom floor apartment. The rooms were pretty sparse. I cast a critical eye around the living area, completing a last-minute search for anything that might give away who I was.

  Jess stood in the middle of the entrance area and turned in a slow, careful circle. Amusement bubbled behind the politeness of her smile.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so…tidy.”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t been here long.”

  In two weeks, I hadn’t even had time to meet the neighbors, let alone add any personal touches. Usually, I would have hooked up with a nurse or the occasional waitress or two by now. Temporary sex in a temporary apartment in a temporary town. It never went further than stripping them from their panties.

  Getting to Jess Langford had kept me more than busy, even before I met her. Another reminder why I needed to keep her at arm’s length. I couldn’t afford to get tangled up with someone who didn’t know the rules. She was all fire and energy now, but I’d been around enough accident victims to know how quickly they crumbled. And then you were trapped. Because only an asshole would walk away from someone in pain. Pain came in all shapes and sizes. I had seen Jess’s file. I bet she was hurting, inside and out.

  Throwing my wallet and keys on the kitchen counter, I gave Jess time to move to the couch. I didn’t need to look to know she was limping, or that she’d injured herself when she’d escaped from Brad. My jaw tightened.

  If Brad had caused more damage…

  I dropped the thought. Time enough to find that out later.

  She’d curled up on the couch, rubbing her hand around the knot of her knee. Something about the way her fingers glided across the fabric made me want those hands on me. I wanted her to push up my shirt, lay a trail of heat on my chest, across my stomach…

  It had been too long since I had wanted someone like this. Really wanted them. No matter what I told myself, I was attracted to Jess’s indefinable spark.

  She noticed my stare and my mouth went dry as her fingers changed their pattern, an enticing circle that inched up her thigh with each sweep. I wanted to ease off her jeans. I wanted to be the one working my way up her legs with my fingers, my mouth, my tongue. Here and now, I could see Jess as a short-term fixture in my bed, naked under my crisp-white, temporary sheets.

  Shouldn’t go there.

  “So. What do we do now?” She took me in from head to toe and back again. I felt every inch of her scrutiny.

  “What indeed.” My gaze fixed on her lips as they stretched into a smile. She was confident, brazen, every bit the rebel I’d been warned about. With an effort, I looked away from those wandering fingers and those soft pink lips begging to be kissed. I forced my mind back to the bigger picture, past the here and now.

  “Would you like a drink? Something to eat?” I asked.

  Ice for that possible ligament damage or muscular strain on top of a recovering knee injury…

  “That wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

  Jess slid farther down the couch, subconsciously pushing out her chest. Or maybe she did it on purpose. My thoughts were foggy on the matter of cause and effect as she looked at me through thick lashes.

  “Seeing as we’re here. Together.” Her voice dipped in a soft, sexy rasp.

  I could think of several reasons why we shouldn’t be here together. First and foremost, Jess still hadn’t clicked as to where she’d seen me—and when she did, it wouldn’t be pretty.

  Unless we spent one phenomenal night together.

  One she couldn’t forget.

  Now that was a tempting thought. I drew closer to the couch, nudged along by my libido as mankind’s capacity for rationalization well and truly kicked in. I couldn’t deny the heat between us, especially when her eyes traced the contours of my chest like they were doing now. Sweet Jesus. Her stare was pure heat as it scorched a trail down my belly, lingering on the button of my jeans, caressing the outline of my cock as if her hand touched me.

  One shuddering breath later and the remains of my control seeped away. There was nothing to stop me. She wasn’t a patient. And even if she did agree to enter my program, she would never technically be under me…

  Couldn’t. Shouldn’t.

  But not wouldn’t.

  I closed my eyes as a thick pall of desire smashed into me. I covered those last few meters, drawn to Jess as if an invisible string tugged me forward. Even with my eyes closed, I knew exactly where she was.

  As I sank down beside her, I faced the truth. The second I’d lain eyes on Jessica Langford, I had been headed for this moment. I’d finally found someone who would never give up. Not without a damn good fight.

  I had one shot at Jess. I had better make it worth the risk—because I wouldn’t get another.

  Chapter Three

  Jess

  He was going to kiss me.

  Shit. Fuck. Yes.

  I was surprised how easy it was. Seduction. Okay, I wasn’t overly experienced with older men, but I didn’t have to be when someone like Van looked at me like that…like he wanted to crawl over me, into me, coat me with his dampness and sweet, sticky things.

  My heart beat loudly in my throat and a nervous giggle bubbled its way up my chest as Van’s weight settled beside me. I’d only been out of the dorms one night and already I was getting everything I’d missed out on under Cole’s strict rules. Parties. Fun. Sex.

  A hint of danger.

  It was a little late now to worry about being i
n a virtual stranger’s apartment about to embark on a frivolous one-night stand. A shiver of excitement chased away the moment of conflict between lust and common sense.

  But I still stopped him a hair’s breadth from pressing his lips into mine as he leaned in. His breath puffed sweetly against my mouth and I wanted to reach out with the tip of my tongue and lick around his lips.

  “You do know Jayne? Don’t you?” I forced myself back from the edge of temptation, the words less certain than I would have liked.

  Van’s eyelids flew open and he pulled back. “She’s how I found out about the party. Yes.” He dragged a hand through his hair, the heat seeping out of his gaze. “This isn’t a good idea, is it?”

  “What? No. That’s not what I meant.” I laid my hand on his chest, feeling his heart jump beneath my fingers. I smiled. I never backed down from anything. Ever. “Why isn’t it a good idea?” I shifted closer.

  His eyes darkened and in the dim light they looked almost black…deep and dirty and sexy as hell. My fingers twitched against his shirt, the prickling heat of desire seeping through my fingertips.

  “For one thing, you’ve hurt your knee,” he said softly. He pulled away, his mouth tightening with resolve. “Why don’t I get some ice and you can rest it?”

  Ouch. Rejection stung. I fought to stop my hands from curling into fists. And whopping him one. The last thing I wanted was to be told what I should be doing. Especially if it involved being sensible about my injury, rather than getting down and dirty with the man I’d been eyeing up all night. Just once, I’d like my fantasy to come close to matching reality.

  “You’re going to let a little thing like my leg get in the middle of this.” I waved my arms to encompass us both.

  Van looked from my face to my leg and back again. A smudge of red crept into his cheeks, his posture stiffening.

  “God, I really shouldn’t do this,” he said. Wavering.

  “Why not?” I asked. His desire for me was unmistakable. It was sitting right there in his pants. My eyebrow hiked onto my forehead. “Why shouldn’t you do things? Just take what you like?”

  I hated that people felt the need to limit themselves. The thought brought a sense of freedom with it. I wanted Van. He seemed to want me too, when he wasn’t trying to talk himself out of it. And the more he fought his desire for me, the more I desired him.

  So why shouldn’t I take what I wanted?

  I followed him across the space he’d created to brush my lips against his. His mouth was soft and warm. Inviting. I ignored the twinge of protest from my leg as I leaned into him, steadying myself against his chest, one hand trapped between our bodies, the other seeking the muscled arch of his shoulder.

  He sat, motionless, but this only encouraged me to press closer, my tongue tracing the seam of his lips until something inside him loosened and gave way. With a low groan he yielded, his mouth opening under mine, tongue pushing past my lips to sweep inside. The fan of his hot breath surrounded me, his heart racing under my hand.

  With a soft exhalation, I strained forward to fuse my mouth to his. The slide of his fingers on my arms was a sweet caress and I crept my hands around his neck, pulling him closer. He owned what I had started and I relaxed, melting into a deep kiss that had my head spinning. Each time I thought I’d caught up, Van would change the rhythm, first nibbling at my lips, followed by long luscious licks inside my mouth that left me whimpering, my fingers scrabbling against his chest.

  He pressed my back into the cushions, his hands sliding under my shirt, scraping across my belly to leave a trail of heat. The air left my lungs in a sigh, swallowed by his kiss as I sunk further under his spell. I raised my arms so he could remove my T-shirt, wanting the rush of sensory awareness of his skin against mine with nothing in between.

  He pushed the last of the fabric past my neck, up my arms, his hands following. When he got to my wrists, he stopped, his gaze moving from the bunched-up material of my T-shirt, down my arms to my mouth. Considering.

  I shifted restlessly, desperate to continue what I’d started, eager for the feel of his warm, smooth chest pressed against my breasts. Desire vied with curiosity as his stare slipped past my chin to view every inch of my body. Everything felt hot and tight and out of balance. Exposed.

  I lowered my arms, trying to work past the tangle of my shirt, intending to sit up. Part of me wanted to draw my clothes back on. The other wanted to shuck every stitch of material from us both. Fall on him.

  He stopped me with a single finger to my chest, touching the sensitive skin between my breasts. That one touch had my breath coming faster, sending a hit of aching need shuddering through me, liquid warmth pooling in my sex.

  “Leave your arms there,” he said. He drew me in with the heat of his gaze, the sizzle of desire dripping from his smoldering stare, burning everything it touched.

  It wasn’t an order. If it had been, I would have bucked him off and left without a backward glance. But he wanted me and that knowledge had its own seductive power.

  I lay back down and Van straddled my thighs. On some dim level, I noted he was careful not to put any weight on my legs. I let the thought go as he trailed his hands down my sides and my back arched reflexively. A low, sexy chuckle slid from his lips and a tug of pure, lustful wickedness wound around my belly. He pushed down the cups of my bra so the fullness of my breasts spilled over.

  Van ran his fingers gently across my nipples, his touch an electric current that arced from the sweet ache of my breasts to my clit. Slick heat dampened my thighs, creamy desire and a sheen of anticipation. He leaned forward and the heavy burn of his cock pressed into my leg. I wriggled, trying to touch him. He closed his eyes and visibly swallowed as he allowed my thigh to rub against his erection. All too briefly.

  A moment later, Van eased off me and slid to his knees beside the couch. He hooked into the waistband of my jeans, flicking open the button. I lifted my ass to help and he pushed down my pants, shifting onto his heels to peel them from my legs.

  He stared down at me for a long moment.

  I held myself still, my breath rasping loudly in my ears. My natural reaction was to cover myself, to hide my scars from him. Shifting slightly, I turned my disfigured leg toward the shadow and clutched at my shirt, waiting in a vacuum of silence for him to say something. Anything.

  “I think I’ll leave these on.” A quick sting of pain snapped at my hip as Van plucked at my panties.

  My sigh of relief was captured in a kiss as he crawled back up the couch to stretch above me, his breath creating a cool wind against the flush of my body. My thighs. My belly. My breasts. He smelled divine, like sunshine filtering through the forest. Wholesome. Except the things Van was doing weren’t wholesome. Not at all.

  He leaned on one elbow, looking down on me, his gaze never leaving my face. My fingers tightened once more on the fabric wrapped around my wrists, needing something solid to hold on to.

  Damn. I was in trouble. He wasn’t even touching me and I was panting for him.

  With infinite care, he drew a line down the center of my breasts, making my nipples ache for attention. My breath sounded harshly in my ears as his hand dipped lower, over the crest of my bra, leaving a trail of tingling flesh as he stopped to toy with my belly button.

  “Are your arms getting tired?” he asked.

  I flexed my fingers, testing. I shook my head, welcoming the comfortable tingle along my triceps.

  “Good. If your muscles start to burn, put them behind your head. I don’t want you to ache. Not from this.” A grin spread, giving him a wild, wicked look. “And no touching,” he warned. He delivered a hard stare to make sure I understood. “Okay?”

  Fuck. That was a little scary and a whole lot of hot. I wanted to tell him to stop ordering me around. I didn’t like it. But I was so thoroughly turned on right now I couldn’t say the words—didn’t want to in case he did actually stop.

  Not trusting my voice to come out human, I jerked my head up and down in
a quick nod. I’d never experienced anything like Van. Inherently, I knew I could trust him, but I liked the lick of danger adding fuel to my fire. Excitement fluttered in my belly and I trembled. It was as though he knew exactly how my body would react, even before I did.

  So, why was I letting him do this to me?

  “Did I tell you I hate doing what I’m told?” I fought through the fog of desire to find my voice. I brought my arms down, ignoring the prickle of numbness as I untangled my fingers.

  “Yeah, I guessed.” Van pulled back, a small half-smile on his lips. “But I thought I’d try anyway.”

  I started to protest except his mouth was on me. No asking. No apology. He suckled at my neck, quickly working his way down. His cheek grazed my nipple and I collapsed back into the couch, my fingers flexing in his hair, no longer trying to push him away but cradling his head to urge him on.

  I let out a cry when his mouth latched on to my breasts, his tongue rasping across my nipple. I was on fire, every touch like a bolt of liquid lightning coursing through my veins, softening my muscles, causing me to sink deeper into the cushions. My legs parted of their own accord, my pussy so wet I could feel it on my thighs, dampening the crack of my ass. Even that was pleasurable. I writhed, trying to ease the burn of desire as he shifted attention to my other breast and started all over again.

  That was all the break I needed. Gathering every shred of self-control I’d never owned, I pushed against him. Yes, I wanted Van to do me seven ways to Sunday, but he had to let me have some of the fun.

  “My turn now,” I growled, twisting to find leverage.

  Van didn’t stop me. I caught a brief glimpse of his amusement, as if he’d been expecting me to overthrow him all along. I growled again, crawling up his body, determined to stamp my indelible mark over every inch…

  “Ah! Fuck!”

  I rolled to the side, curling up as a cramp the size of Idaho seized my leg and squeezed it in a vise of pain. It was only Van’s quick reaction that stopped me landing on the floor, his arms tightened and he shifted so I was underneath him again.