THEY ATE THEIR SANDWICHES on the way, and Katie found hers juicy and delicious. Jess turned out to be talented at eating and driving, but that wasn’t surprising. His job involved plenty of driving and he would have become an expert at eating on the way, which was probably why he’d suggested taking the food along.
Katie wasn’t convinced she was still in charge of the proceedings, but chickening out wasn’t an option. A bad girl wouldn’t make up some excuse to get out of parking on “A” Mountain in the middle of the day. Besides, she was curious about what he had in mind.
For one thing, his two-passenger cab was worse than any backseat invented when it came to maneuvering room, and the truck bed was full of construction equipment. With that configuration, she couldn’t imagine what kind of sex they could have that wouldn’t put them both in traction.
Another factor was the temperature. Inside the air-conditioned truck the weather was balmy. The outside air hovered around ninety today.
Everyone called this conical hill “A” Mountain because of the large stone A that represented the University of Arizona, but it was called Sentinel Peak on the map. Covered by sagebrush and cactus instead of pine trees, it was no cooler than the desert floor.
So was Jess planning to keep the engine on and the air running? Nothing about this episode made logistical sense to her. They had limited options for a close encounter of the sexual kind. Yet she didn’t think they were climbing the winding road to take in the view.
They didn’t talk during the first three-quarters of the drive. Back in high school they had never talked on the way up here either. They’d both been so full of anticipation that neither of them had felt conversation was necessary. Maybe the situation hadn’t changed. She couldn’t think of a single topic worth discussing.
Well, except the obvious. “If someone’s up there, we can’t stay,” she said. “Your company’s name is on the side of the truck.”
“If somebody’s there, we won’t stay,” he said. “But it’s one-fifteen on a hot October afternoon. Plus it’s Monday. Nobody will be up there.”
She was inclined to agree. “This truck isn’t exactly a make-out wagon,” she said.
“It’ll work,” Jess said.
“I’m no contortionist, Jess. I reserve the right to—”
“Every single one of your rights is reserved and shining like a neon sign in my brain, Katie. I’ll make the suggestion. You have unilateral veto power.”
She glanced at him. He looked damned sexy with those dark shades on as he juggled a sandwich, the gearshift and the steering wheel. She had a thing for ambidextrous men. “But you’re not going to tell me your suggestion yet, are you?”
“There’s no point until we find out if the area is as deserted as I expect it to be.”
“Come on. Tell.”
He laughed. “You really are curious.”
“Well…yeah. Before we had cover of darkness and a big backseat. Now we have bucket seats and a console.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “And back there is totally out. I’m not interested in crawling around on boards and ladders and tools.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to.” His smile was infuriatingly confident.
But that was just it. She was worried…worried that curiosity would be her undoing, worried that the combination of Jess and the site of their old make-out sessions would put her at a disadvantage. She didn’t want to turn back into that vulnerable eighteen-year-old who could be crushed by a careless word or deed.
On the other hand, the higher they climbed, the more turned on she was. The drive had always meant sex, so taking the curves had become an aphrodisiac in the old days. Apparently the effect of this mountain road hadn’t worn off.
Jess wadded up his sandwich wrapper and tucked it in the paper bag sitting on the console between them. “Have you been up here since high school?”
“No.”
“Me either.”
“We got too old for parking, I guess.”
“I suppose.” As he rounded a turn, the city spread out beneath them, toasted to a burnished brown in the midday sun. “But I miss that intensity. I miss obsessing over whether I’d be allowed to put my hand under your blouse.”
“You obsessed over that?”
“For hours. I almost flunked trig because of it.”
“You were never in danger of flunking trig.” She’d admired his body, but she’d respected his brain, too.
“Well, I damn near got a B on the final then.”
That made her smile. “Because of obsessing about my boobs.”
“You have no idea the daydreams I had in class—daydreams about unhooking your bra and then wondering if you’d let me touch you.”
Her nipples tightened. “I always wanted you to touch me. I fantasized about it all the time.”
“Girls do that, too?”
“I did. I used to lie in bed at night and imagine it. Sometimes I’d touch myself and pretend it was you.”
He made a noise low in his throat. “I wish I’d known that.”
“I couldn’t tell you! I was afraid you’d think I was easy.”
“Not easy. Generous.”
She wanted to be generous now, unless it involved ending up on her back in a truck bed full of construction equipment. “Semantics. One person’s generous is another person’s easy. Girls that age are always walking a fine line. And then, when I finally decided to be really generous, you—”
“Yeah, I know.” He reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Katie. I had no idea what was at stake.”
That simple gesture of holding her hand affected her more than anything else he’d said or done since they’d come face-to-face at the radio station. He used to take her hand like that years ago, and her world would click into focus.
It was happening now, too. There was a connection between them, whether she chose to acknowledge it or not. He’d been her first love, and that would never change.
After squeezing her hand, he released it and pulled over to the low rock wall that bordered the road. Beyond the wall the ground sloped down toward the city that fanned out beneath them. The Fourth of July fireworks display was staged from this spot because the show could be seen all over town.
At night the sparkle of city lights stretching into the distance could knock your eyes out. She wondered how many people came up for the view. She and Jess had been too busy to notice a view.
“Nobody up here,” Jess said.
“Nope.” Her heart thumped faster as she tried to imagine what he had in mind.
In the old days the routine had been obvious—climb in the backseat, start kissing until they were frantic. Then he’d unbutton her blouse or put his hand under her sweater. She would have let him do more than fondle her breasts, but he hadn’t pushed beyond that.
And yet he’d been hard and ready for more. As they’d kissed and pressed their bodies together, she’d known that. In those days she hadn’t had the courage to offer to help him out, and he hadn’t asked.
She turned to look at him and discovered that he’d taken off his sunglasses and was looking right back at her. He’d left the engine running, but the air conditioner couldn’t touch the heat they were generating.
“So we’re back here at last,” he said.
“Uh-huh.” She took a steadying breath. “Now that I’m older and wiser, I realize those sessions must have been painful for you.”
“Aw, I didn’t care. Besides, you didn’t get to come either.”
“No. I…I didn’t know much about female orgasms then.”
“And you thought I did?” He shook his head slowly. “My God, Katie. If I’d decided to go for it, you could have been in for a major disappointment.”
“Maybe not. Sometimes it happens even when people have no idea what they’re doing.”
“That would have been me. No idea. A clueless idiot who would have come before you were even halfway there.”
“I know, but I still wish…” The scent of sagebrush always reminded her of that night. It had felt magical, until Jess had turned her down. “I think it would have been worth taking the chance.”
“You know, it was my ignorance as much as the backseat issue that made me say no. I had some stupid idea that we’d have real sex someday and by then I’d know what to do to make it good for you.”
“But, Jess.” She didn’t want to laugh, but it was funny. “How were you supposed to learn?”
“That was a catch-22.” He grinned sheepishly. “I was hoping books would help, but it turns out you need hands-on experience.”
Which he now had. She was jealous of those other women, even though she had no right to be. “But you really thought there would be a time when we would—”
“Absolutely. I pictured us in a king-size bed with candles on the bedside table. You in a white lacy outfit.”
“And you? What would you be wearing?” She could see a pair of black knit bikini briefs. Mmm.
He blinked. “Nothing, I guess. I wasn’t imagining what I would wear. Guys don’t really care about that.”
“You wearing nothing works for me.” Did it ever.
“Anyway, I had a very clear picture of how it would be.”
“And it never happened.”
“Not then, it didn’t.” He unsnapped his seat belt.
Heat sizzled through her veins. But there were practical matters to think of. “Unfortunately I don’t see any king-size bed around here and I didn’t happen to bring a white lacy outfit along.”
“Oh, this isn’t it. This is a warm-up.” He put the truck in neutral, set the emergency brake and left the engine running and the air on. Then he reached for his door handle. “You might want to unsnap your seat belt.”
Despite her skepticism, her heart started drumming at the thought that he was about to make his move. “If you think you’re going to fit on my side of the cab, you didn’t learn much in trig, after all.”
“I’m not climbing in with you.” He opened the door. “But I am coming around to your side.”
“I don’t get it.”
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. “You will.”
He was giving her a taste of her own medicine, and that made her a little nervous and a lot aroused. But whatever he did, she was determined not to melt into a puddle of need and gratitude as she had so often in the past.
As he walked around the front of the truck, he turned, glanced at her and grinned. The breeze ruffled his dark hair and the sun dusted his skin with gold. In that moment she was lost. Jess. He’d never stopped being the man of her dreams, not for one second in the thirteen years they’d been apart.
And she thought she could maintain her distance. What a joke.
JESS WAS AMAZING HIMSELF, driving up to “A” Mountain with Katie. And on Monday afternoon, no less. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a long lunch hour, let alone one that included sex. Down below him in the heart of the city, earthmovers would be growling away as his crew proceeded with the excavation work. He’d left Gabe in charge.
He trusted Gabe, but that wasn’t the point. No matter how much he trusted Gabe, he wasn’t in the habit of abandoning the job so that he could take care of personal business. Very personal business.
Yet here he was, with the sun beating down on his head and the tang of sun-roasted sagebrush in the air. A small lizard scurried over the rock wall and down into the desert below, and a cactus wren squawked from its perch on a cholla cactus growing about ten yards down the slope.
Otherwise the hillside was quiet, with only the faint hum of traffic drifting up on a breeze. Noise would carry on the clear desert air, though. That was another good reason to keep the truck running, so the sound of the engine would muffle any erotic noises that might come from the interior of that cab.
By the time he opened the passenger door, he was so excited he had trouble getting his breath. He left it angled so that the door would partially shield them. Maybe she’d refuse what he asked. He didn’t think so, but she had the power to do that if she chose to.
She started to climb out of the truck.
“No, I want you to stay there. Just turn toward me.”
Silently she faced him. As he looked into her eyes, he saw anticipation and a liberal dose of lust. That was a good beginning.
“You have a little bit of mustard on the corner of your mouth.” His heart racing, he leaned down to lick it off with a slow swipe of his tongue.
She didn’t move a muscle. “Thank you.”
“Glad to help out. Welcome back to ‘A’ Mountain.” Then he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
She surrendered to the kiss with a little sigh of pleasure that sent blood straight to his groin. That felt familiar. It had always happened starting with that first kiss up here on the mountain. Back in those days he’d taken the torture for granted, considering it the price he had to pay for kissing Katie.
Today was no different in that respect. He would get no relief up here. But he had big plans for Katie. Kissing her until she started breathing fast was the first step.
Turned out that didn’t take very long. Clutching his shoulders, she telegraphed an eagerness that drove him crazy. Soon they were both gulping for air as she angled her head so he could thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. This was a woman who loved to be kissed, and he was happy to oblige.
With his knees braced on the edge of the door frame he had the perfect position to go on kissing her forever. That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but it wasn’t his ultimate goal. As he continued to splay his fingers over the back of her head to hold her steady for his kiss, with his other hand he began pushing her skirt up…and up a little more.
Her breath caught and she pulled her mouth away. Her voice was unsteady, her breath warm on his face. “Did I say you could do that?”
“You’re the one who took off her panties.” He slipped his hand between her thighs. So close. “Are you going to tell me no?”
She swallowed. “I…”
“Don’t tell me no,” he murmured, stroking her soft curls with one knuckle. “Move closer. Tell me yes.”
“This is a mistake.”
The blood pounded in his ears. “You don’t really think so.”
“I do. But I still want…this.” With a moan she slid toward him on the leather seat and opened her thighs.
Anticipation made him dizzy. Leaning forward, he nibbled on her lower lip. “Tell me what feels good.” Slowly he began to explore. Ah, she was so wet. So incredibly ready.
She mumbled something he couldn’t hear.
“What, Katie?” He slipped two fingers deep as he brushed his mouth over hers. “Tell me.”
“Good. Very…good.”
Not precise, but he could work with it. Curving his fingers slightly, he probed for her G-spot, all the while placing butterfly kisses on her mouth, her throat, her cheeks. Her groan of pleasure told him he’d found what he was searching for. He rubbed gently and her muscles tightened.
He increased the pressure and the speed of his strokes. “Come for me.”
“Jess.” Tipping her head back, she gasped. Then she began to quiver.
“That’s it.” He kissed her throat. Then he nipped her skin lightly with his teeth. “Come, Katie. Now.”
“Oh, yes…yes…” Her body arched. Then she cried out as her climax roared through her.
If he’d had a condom, he would have wrenched open his jeans and taken her right there, right where she was balanced on the edge of the seat. If he needed more leverage, he’d loop her ankles around his neck. Her head could rest on the console, and he would keep thrusting until they were both delirious with sensation.
But that wasn’t going to happen today, for many reasons. Maybe someday they’d try it, after they’d rolled around on a real mattress first. In the meantime, he had more to accomplish here.
As the shudders from her orgasm lessened, he inched slowly downward until he was kneeling on the pavement.
“Jess.” Her voice quivered. “You’re not seriously going to—”
“Yes.” He glanced up into her flushed face. “Yes, I am.” Before she could protest any more, he’d cupped her bottom in both hands and propped his shoulders under her knees.
She grabbed the dash and the back of the seat as her center of gravity shifted. “I don’t think—” Then she whimpered as his tongue made contact.
“Don’t think. Don’t think at all.” And he settled in.