Once in Every Life

She pulled back and looked up at him. "No more being afraid, Jack," she said earnestly.

"It's not that e?"

She kissed him. He held back for a heartbeat, then shuddered hard and held her tightly. Their tongues met, mated, twined in a moist, fervent dance.

The kiss went on forever and beyond. Tess closed her eyes and gave in to the sensations swirling through her. As they kissed, his hand roved down her naked back. Tiny spasms rippled across her flesh at his too gentle touch. Deep inside her, something twisted and began a slow, tantalizing burn.

His mouth moved from hers, trailing hot, openmouthed kisses along her jawline and down her exposed throat. He licked the tiny hollow where her pulse beat too fast.

He pulled away. Cool night air rushed in, skipping

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along her naked flesh. She shivered, moaned softly. At the sound, he looked up. Her gaze caught his, held it fast, and in the green depths of his eyes she saw a restless longing, a dark-edged need that matched her own. He felt it, too, she realized. That desperate need to obliterate the world beyond this bed.

His head lowered. She felt his tongue like a lick of fire against her nipple. His hand moved downward even farther. The curly thatch of light brown hair parted easily as his fingers explored her moist flesh. He cupped her with his hand, his sweat-dampened palm forming against the pulsating center of her body.

Tess let out a tiny sound of pleasure. Desire throbbed between her legs, sending red-hot tentacles shooting through her blood. His hand pressed against her flesh, moving, grinding. Slowly at first, and then faster. Harder. Tess's breath caught. His mouth teased her hardened nipple. Desire melted into need and became a painful throbbing. She writhed beneath his touch, aching.... "Now, Jack. Please ..."

The soft, strangled sound of her voice pushed Jack almost over the edge. Groaning softly with the effort of restraint, he buried his face in the softness of her breasts. His hand slipped lower, feeling the hot moisture of her response.

"God," he whispered brokenly, "you're so ready." She clutched him with frantic fingers, drew him close. "/ know."

A sound that was part laugh, part groan pushed up his throat. Murmuring her name, he curled his arms around her and rolled her beneath him. Her legs slid apart, her hand closed around his hardness and guided him in. Slowly he entered her. She gasped, shivered. Her arms coiled around his body

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and squeezed hard. She stared up at him through dreamy, unfocused eyes.

In that gaze Jack saw everything he'd ever dreamed of seeing and more. So much more. An aching tenderness unfolded within him, wrapping him in layers of soothing warmth. He'd loved this woman for more than half his life, but never had he loved her as much as he did right now.

She grabbed his buttocks in shaking, desperate fingers. "Now, Jack," she said urgently. "Now."

Need coursed through his body at her passionate plea. With a bitten-off groan, he thrust into the welcoming tightness of her body.

"Yes, Jack. Yes ..."

He plunged deep within her, then withdrew. She quivered, staring up at him. Passion turned her eyes into dark brown pools. Her legs wrapped around his body. Slowly, so slowly, he entered her again.

She thrust up to meet him. Her fingernails raked his sweat-dampened back, her head lolled into the pile of pillows.

He made long, exquisite love to her, bringing her time and again to the point of release, then slowly drawing away. She clung to him, whimpering his name and dozens of unintelligible words of passion and love. Her legs locked behind him, her feet pressed hard against his buttocks.

He kissed her mouth, her throat, her nipples, kissed her and thrust against her until they were both desperate and aching.

"Oh, God, Jack," she moaned, writhing beneath him. "Now."

He squeezed his eyes shut and plunged inside her, deep and hard. She gasped, planting her legs and thrusting up to meet him.

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He felt it first as a whoosh of breath across his cheek. Then he felt the pulsations rippling inside her. The last shred of Jack's restraint snapped. He pressed his fists into the tired cotton sheets and arched his back, driving into her body.

Bolt after bolt of white-hot pleasure erupted through his body. Afterward he rolled onto his back and slid his arm beneath her, drawing her beside him. She stretched out alongside him, one leg thrown casually across his thighs.

Tess floated slowly back to earth. And hit with a bang.

She had about fifteen seconds of blissful oblivion, then reality drifted back into her consciousness, and try as she might, she couldn't dislodge it. Not even for a moment.