Karen Rose - Have You Seen Her?

She looked up at him and knew she'd be lucky to hold out for a reasonable explanation. She was a done duck. "Why are you a jealous jerk?"

He tugged on her hand and she let him pull her to her feet. "Because I never had a woman look at me the way you do," he said softly.

Damn. Slick words. "Save your rehearsed lines, Steven," she managed. "I'm not interested."

"They aren't rehearsed lines," he said sharply. "It's the truth." He closed his eyes and she watched his lips move as he counted backward from ten. When his eyes opened they were calm. And vulnerable. "I was hurt," he said. "O saw the way you looked at Davies and I…" He shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to be different." His lip quirked self-consciously. "Special." He rolled his eyes. "It sounds really stupid when I say it out loud like that."

Her heart touched, Jenna shook her head. "No, Steven, it doesn't. You are different." She reached up and rested her fingertips against his jaw. "Special," she whispered.

His brown eyes flashed. "How?" His whisper was fierce. "Tell me how I'm different."

In that flash of a moment Jenna remembered the Italian place on Capitol and her own jealous feelings when the waitress brushed too close to Steven's side. And the way he just kept looking at her, Jenna, as if the waitress didn't even exist. He was wrong about Neil, but now she understood his pain. Something caught in her throat, making her voice shaky. "Because of the way you look at me," she told him. "Like I'm the only woman in the room."

His hands trembled as they gently framed her face. "You are," he whispered, then all she saw was his brown eyes as he came closer.

Then she closed her eyes and saw nothing at all. Just felt his mouth on hers, gentle at first. Then he groaned and she groaned and the kiss went wild and his hands were on her breasts through her sweater, then under her sweater and under her bra and finally on her bare skin. His fingertips plucked at her nipples and she heard the sharp intake of her own breath as she pulled her lips away from his. She looked up at him, panting just as he was, sure her eyes were just as aroused as his. But he was still holding back. She could sense it.

"What do you want, Steven?"

He never blinked. "Everything."

"So take it," she challenged in a whisper and that seemed to finally crack the hold of his control. Grabbing at the hem of her sweater he pulled it over her head, taking the bra with it. She could feel the burn of his eyes on her bare breasts as he yanked off his jacket, his shoulder holster, his shirt. Until he stood before her naked from the waist up.

His chest was covered with the coarse hair she'd only felt, but never seen. Golden, it shimmered in the light, beckoning her touch. Then he was kissing her again, hot openmouthed kisses that stole her breath even as he flattened her hands on his chest, moving her palms back and forth across the nipples that were almost hidden within the golden hair.

She wanted to feel the hairs on his chest against her own nipples so she slid her arms around his neck and pressed closer, her body drifting side to side, feeling the friction. It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. But not enough. But he took care of that, too, grabbing at her butt and pulling her higher until she wound her legs around his waist and felt him pulsing against her. Ripping her mouth away, she looked into his eyes, panted his name. "Steven."

"Which room?" he asked hoarsely, settling her legs around his waist.

"Back one on the left. Steven," she said as he took the hallway back to her room at a near jog.

"What?" he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

"I bought condoms." Her cheeks were red, but she didn't care. "A whole box."

"Good," he muttered and pushed open her bedroom door. Taking the three steps to the foot of her bed, he dropped her so that she lay sprawled before him. "I only brought one."

"So we'll do this more than once?" she asked, meaning to tease, but hearing the question come out as sexy foreplay.

Roughly he pulled at the snap on her jeans and in three seconds had her stripped to the skin. His eyes started at her face and explored every inch of her body, while the muscle in his cheek jerked and spasmed and she felt more erotic than she'd ever felt in her whole life.

"God, yes. As many times as you'll let me." His eyes returned to her face and she felt another rush of moist warm heat between her legs. "I dreamed of your silk stockings and garters," he said softly, his voice smoky with desire. "Next time I want you to wear those for me. Only those." Blindly, he pulled at his belt, dropping his pants, kicking off his shoes. The boxers went next leaving him naked before her eyes. His erection jerked and she could see how engorged it was. He was ready. For her.

Blindly she reached for the box of condoms in her nightstand, wishing too late that she'd taken off the plastic wrap. As she struggled with the box, Steven slid between her legs, sliding his body up along hers, then leaned forward, bracing one hand on either side of her head. And kissed her. Hotly, erotically, his tongue plunging in and out of her mouth in a prelude of what was to come. She ripped at the box and the plastic and cardboard came apart at once, sending a shower of condoms across the bed. She picked up one and tore the foil.

"Here," she said raggedly against his lips and unbelievably she felt him smile.

"Now?" He leaned back on one elbow and ran his hand down her body, over her breast, her stomach, his fingertips teasing against the juncture between her legs and she lurched up, a shiver making her hot and cold all at once. "What about foreplay?" He slid one finger up into her and she wanted to scream. Because she was close, so close. And because she wanted him inside her when she came, but her body moved against his hand of its own volition. She groaned and he shuddered.

"Now," she demanded, feeling the throbbing in her body, in her head. Everywhere. " Now. "

Sobering, he raised up on his knees, looming over her, and she watched him slide the condom down his length. Slowly. Down his very long length.

"Steven!"

Then slowly he aligned his body with hers and whispered, "Now," and plunged, entering her fully in one stroke. She cried out and he groaned her name and then he was moving, in and out, harder and harder. She lifted her knees to bring him deeper, feeling her body tighten and climb higher and higher, rocking against him until she couldn't bear it another minute longer. Until she arched and came apart, flying, truly flying, his name on her lips even though her throat didn't make a sound. Gasping, trembling, she fell back against the bed, her eyes focusing on his face tight with unspent passion, on his eyes, filled with a myriad of emotions. She trailed her fingertips down his back, the only movement she had strength enough to do. With a feral growl he followed her path into oblivion, his body straining, his muscles quivering, his face a thing of beauty in his release.

He collapsed against her, shuddering as he buried his face in the pillow. She held him, stroked his hair while his finely honed body jerked from the aftershocks. She'd heard it called afterglow, but after such an earth-shattering experience, aftershock seemed a more appropriate term. Finally he lifted his head and kissed her, making them both shiver anew.

"You came," he murmured, as if unsure she would, and even after everything they'd just done together, Jenna found she could still blush.

"I did," she returned, unsure if she ever really had before. Certainly not quite like she had tonight. And if her first real orgasm was on the night of the second anniversary of Adam's death… She pushed the thought to the very back of her mind, resolving to deal with the guilt later.

He moved his lips down her neck and she stretched to one side to give him better access. "I'm glad," he murmured against her skin and she smiled.