Page 38 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“No. When she was a very small child, Holly couldn’t say Meredith and my name became Merry.” While she talked, Jason’s fingers trailed over her. He stood and leaned down to scoop her into his arms.
“Come here, darlin’. We’ll shower.”
He carried her into the bathroom and set her down in the shower, stepping in with her to close the door. He tilted her chin up to look at her quizzically. “You told me you were on the Pill, but you were a virgin.”
“It was because of medical reasons. The Pill regulated me.”
He nodded, satisfied by her answer as he turned on the water and it sprayed over them. In minutes, as they rubbed each other’s bodies, desire rekindled until he turned off the water and stepped out, taking a towel to rub her dry. “I want this to last and be good for you, to really take time.”
“Jason, you take more time than we did before and the sun will be high over the house!” she said, wondering how near dawn it was now. And then, as he moved the thick terrycloth towel lazily across her nipples, down between her legs, over her bottom, she forgot about the time altogether.
She caught the towel to dry his body, relishing touching him, exploring every fascinating inch of him. He carried her back to bed to kiss her from her mouth to her ankles while his hands drove her wild. And then she returned the loving, kissing him all over. He moved between her legs and took her slowly. This time sensations rocked her, causing her to arch against him as she clung to him, her hands splayed on his smooth back.
Intimacy united them. She was one with him, body and soul, a deep joining that forged bonds. Their shared, hot kisses held promises of love.
They moved wildly together and finally crashed over a brink. Merry settled slowly with Jason sprawled over her. She wanted to feel the weight of his body and wanted to be one with him as long as possible.
When Jason rolled over, he pulled her into his embrace, his legs tangling with hers, her head on his chest. He held her tightly against him with one hand while he stroked her back with the other.
“You’re a very special woman, Merry.”
His words strummed across her heart, and she raised her head slightly to kiss his chest, looking into his eyes.
“And you are a very special cowboy,” she answered, wanting to say so much more.
He brushed her damp forehead and lifted locks of hair away from her face. “We’ll go shower in a little while, but right now I just want to stay here and hold you close.”
“I want you to hold me,” she whispered, holding him in turn, wanting to take away his past hurts and toss aside his fears of love, yet knowing she could only take him as he was.
She put her head down on his chest and held him tightly, shutting out reality and problems as long as she could. “Whatever the future holds, neither one of us will forget this night for the rest of our lives.”
“No, we won’t.” Jason kissed the top of her head while he continued to caress her with his free hand. He was still stunned by the night, by Merry. He had never been with a virgin, had never wanted to be, but now it was as if he were seeing the world in a whole new way. He felt overwhelmed. Now he understood why some put a price on virginity; it was as if Merry had become his woman. His completely. He told himself he was being ridiculous, but his heart wasn’t buying that. She was his woman, and she had given him the very special gift of herself.
When they were in the throes of passion, he knew he had called her “love”—something he had never done before. And he knew he wanted her to an extent he had never desired any other woman.
He remembered their conversation last night—an eon away—yet her words were too clear: How’ll you know when you meet the right person?
I’ll know.
Just like that? Like lightning striking or what?
I’ll know the way anyone knows when she or he is in love. Surely you’ve been in love?
No, he hadn’t ever been deeply in love, never experienced what he was beginning to feel now for Merry. Was he falling in love? How had she gotten past his defenses so swiftly and so thoroughly? This five feet of feisty female had stormed into his life and knocked him off his feet in every sense of the word.
He shifted onto his side to look at her. He couldn’t get enough of touching or kissing her. He wanted her again. Now. Suddenly, when he had expected to be satisfied, to have gotten her out of his system, he wanted her more than ever. More than he had just hours ago.
“I could devour you,” he said in a husky voice, kissing her throat. “Come here, Merry,” he said, standing and picking her up to carry her to his shower again. This time they soaped each other slowly, until both were breathless, gasping with need. They rinsed off, their hands sliding over each other’s slippery bodies. Jason braced himself against the wall of the shower, spread his feet and lifted Merry up to let her slide down slowly onto his hard shaft.
She held him, moving and crying out with pleasure, finally feeling a burst of release. Afterwards, she put her head on his shoulder. “You won’t have to carry me to the shower this time. We’re already here.”
“My legs feel like pudding. We’re getting to that bed before you have to carry me back to it.”
She smiled at him as he set her on her feet, and they washed. As soon as they toweled each other dry, he carried her to bed to pull her close into his embrace again.
“Jason, will we know when the sun comes up? Your shutters are closed.”
He groaned. “I don’t want the sun to come up. I have an appointment with the insurance guy. Some firemen will be back to gather more evidence and check things over. I don’t want to leave this room or let you go. I want to stay right here with you in my arms, in my bed for the next week.”
