His words made her think of all the times they’d gotten close to making love but never had. Those make-out sessions on the couch or in bed had been seriously hot, and she’d felt him get hard every time. Now that she knew he’d been into her from the start, she wondered why things had never gone any further.
She straightened up, sitting back on his thighs. “Can I ask you something?” When he nodded, she continued. “Why didn’t you ever make love to me?”
The pain that flashed in his eyes took her breath away. “I wanted to—a lot of times—but then doubt would creep in. I was never sure if I would be physically capable—not just of making love to you, but pleasing you.”
Layla was taken aback by his honesty—and his stupidity. “That is the absolutely sweetest and dumbest thing anyone has ever said to me. Trust me, that hard-on tells me you’re completely capable, and as far as pleasing me, something tells me you could do that in your sleep.”
He chuckled. “You think so, huh?”
She wiggled against him. “Only one way to find out for sure, I guess.”
His beautiful blue eyes widened. “Um…you serious? Not that I’m complaining, but aren’t you worried about Dylan and the others coming back?”
She gave him a lazy smile. “I’ll keep my ears open for them.”
“You can do that?” he asked. “Make love and listen at the same time?”
“Of course.” She smiled wider. “I’m a woman, which means I can multitask.”
Deciding that they’d talked enough, Layla leaned forward and kissed him again. Jayson’s hands slid up her thighs and cupped her ass, massaging her firmly through the material of her jeans. She remembered him squeezing her bottom like this when she’d first gotten here and couldn’t help wondering if Jayson had a thing for her butt. She hoped so, since she was very fond of having his big, strong hands there.
Sighing, she let her mouth move across his scruff-roughened jaw to his ear. Jayson groaned as she nibbled on the lobe, gripping her derrière even harder. Heat flooded her midsection, and she nipped his ear before slowly kissing her way down his neck.
His pulse beat under her lips, and she ran her tongue over it. She was so caught up in how scrumptious his skin tasted that she didn’t realize Jayson had started undoing the buckle on her belt until she felt her jeans being tugged open. A moment later, she felt him push her jeans and panties down over her hips just enough for him to get a grip on her bare bottom.Mmm, if she thought those hands had felt good before, it was nothing compared to how they felt now.
Layla closed her eyes and buried her face in the curve of his neck with a sound that was close to a purr. She’d never had a guy pay so much attention to her ass. If they were back at her place, she could have him worship that part of her body for hours on end. But sadly, they were in the middle of a bombed-out library where three teenagers could walk in on them at any moment.
She sat up with a groan. “If we were anywhere but here right now, I’d let you do that all day. But since we don’t know when Dylan and the other guys will be back, we’d better move this along.”
He looked as reluctant to stop playing with her ass, but he didn’t protest as she pulled up her panties and jeans, then swung her leg off him and stood up. She knew she was taking a risk getting completely naked, but there was no way in hell she was going to let her first time with Jayson be a half-dressed quickie like she was a teenager in the back of a car.
If the heated look Jayson gave her as she stripped off her T-shirt was any indication, he definitely approved. Gaze locked with his, she reached around and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. His blue eyes turned the color of a midnight sky as they caressed her breasts. Her nipples tingled under their intensity and it was all she could do not to give them a squeeze. Kicking off her shoes, she shimmied out of her jeans and panties.
Jayson stared, his expression one of awe as he took in her totally nude body. Layla had to admit there was something extremely arousing about being naked in front of him while he was still completely dressed. She’d always been a little shy in front of guys, but the way he was devouring her with his eyes right then, she felt anything but shy. In fact, his gaze made her feel more confident than she’d ever been.
He sat up, one hand gliding up her bare thigh and making her quiver. “I spent so many sleepless nights picturing you like this, but you’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”
Layla blushed despite herself. Not trusting herself to speak, she took his hand and urged him to his feet, then kissed him. Her hands went to the bottom of his T-shirt, finding their way underneath and pushing it up. Being the only one without any clothes might have been a serious turn-on, but she needed him naked too. Jayson took the hint, breaking the kiss to yank his shirt over his head.
Since time was of the essence, Layla should have immediately reached for his belt, but all she could do was stare. When it came to seeing his body up close, it was something she simply couldn’t rush. It was like unwrapping a Christmas present. She always did that slowly too, preferring to savor the moment.
Jayson didn’t seem to mind as she ran her hands over his chest and shoulders. She’d seen him with his shirt off of course, but those had just been glimpses. She’d never been able to really explore. He had a beautifully muscled chest, his pecs straddling the line between bulky and wiry. His shoulders and arms were the same—thick but built more for fast movement than lifting weights.
His abs were just as spectacular. She ran the tips of her curved claws down his chest and traced them along each and every curve and twist of those muscles, then back up again.
As she did so, she couldn’t help noticing the tiny, barely visible scars where some of the frag that had entered his back had come out the front. It made her heart thud in her chest to imagine how badly those had hurt and how much damage they’d done. It was difficult to think about and a part of her wanted to stop looking, but Jayson’s scars were a part of him. They had made him the man he was today. If she wanted to be in his life, she had to accept all of him—even the scars. So she lovingly trailed her fingers over those marks, memorizing each and every one of them.
Those included the ones on his back.
Pressing a kiss to his lips, she walked around behind him. Jayson tensed, and for a moment, she thought he might stop her, but then he relaxed again.
When they’d first started dating, she’d frequently massaged his back to help ease the soreness there, but he’d always kept his shirt on. Now that they’d declared their love for each other, she refused let him hide his scars from her any longer.
Jayson’s upper back was unmarked and laden with glorious muscles that rippled as he turned his head to watch her out of the corner of his eye. The scars started at the middle of his back, running in ragged crisscross patterns all the way down to his belt line. She knew from the small glimpse she’d gotten when she’d given him massages that they continued another few inches lower. If not for the occasional markings left from his stitches, it would have looked like Jayson had been whipped.
Blinking back tears, she kissed the skin at the base of his neck as she glided her fingers down his back. Even though they were as healed as they were likely to ever get, the scars there were rougher than those on his abs. She traced each of them, silently letting him know that she loved them as much as she loved the rest of him.
To emphasize her point, she kissed his shoulders while she caressed him, alternating between soft licks and harder love bites. He shuddered and shivered under her ministrations, letting out an appreciative groan as she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her breasts against his back.
