“Beautiful. Like succulent berries.” Leaning down, he covered her nipple with his mouth and sucked.
Amanda moaned as his tongue circled the bud. Her hands fisted in his silky, black hair, pulling him closer. She could feel her panties getting damper with each swipe of his tongue.
He covered her pubic bone with his hand. The heat radiating from his hand made her want to moan with pleasure. She arched upward in a silent demand. His fingers slid beneath the waistband of her panties, sifted through her pubic hair and found her slick folds beyond.
Jonah gave a groan of pure pleasure and sat back, removing his hand. His hair was tousled, his eyes hot. “I’ve got to see you.” Gripping the sides of her panties, he pulled them down slowly, giving her every opportunity to protest.
She lifted her hips and allowed him to skim her underwear over her legs and off. His hand skated up the inside of her thigh. “Open your legs and let me see.”
Pulling her left leg toward her, she let her knee fall to the side. She knew he could see her sex, that she was totally exposed to him. Jonah leaned forward and buried his face between her thighs. She felt the rasp of his tongue against her sensitive flesh and cried out. Her throat tightened and she began to cough.
Jonah swore and sat up. “I’m sorry, sugar.” He scooted up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her until the coughing spurt subsided. “You’re not well enough for this yet.”
As much as she wanted to protest, she knew he was right. Grabbing the sheet, she pulled it to her neck. “Shower.”
Jonah rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and nodded. His face was strained, his eyes tired. He looked as bad as she felt. She glanced down at his crotch and saw the hard bulge pressing against the front of his jeans. He caught her looking at him and gave her a wry grin. “I’ll survive.”
She chuckled, suddenly feeling light-hearted and alive. After almost dying last night, she wanted to celebrate life and everything it had to offer. She realized that was why she’d had no qualms about stripping in front of Jonah this morning.
He wanted her and she wanted him. It was that simple and that complicated.
Life was too short not to take chances. After facing the possibility of her death, she knew she wanted to live more. That included indulging in an affair with Jonah. Who knew where it would end? Probably in heartbreak for her, but she didn’t care any longer.
Jonah made her feel sexy. She wanted him. And when she was feeling well again, she planned to have him.
Freshly showered and dressed, Amanda was just coming down the stairs when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Jonah called from the kitchen. Ignoring him, she went to the door and opened it. Her attacker wasn’t exactly going to ring the bell, and besides, when she was putting in her contact lenses, she’d seen the police car still parked out front.
Cyndi and Shamus stood on the front step. Cyndi took one look at her and bit her bottom lip. Tears filled her friend’s eyes. “We just found out.” Pushing her way inside, she wrapped her arms around Amanda and hugged. “Are you okay?”
Shamus followed his wife inside and pushed the door closed. “Let her breathe, honey.” He took his wife by the shoulders and gently pulled her back.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was rough, but useable. She heard Jonah swearing under his breath as he came up behind her, but ignored him.
Cyndi gasped, her eyes going to Amanda’s throat. “I can’t believe something like this could happen in Jamesville. It’s such a quiet town.”
Amanda almost laughed. Jamesville might be a small town, but it had seen its fair share of trouble in the past few years. Cyndi had been at the center of some of it last year.
But unlike Cyndi, Amanda didn’t have a past in this town, or any enemies, at least none that she knew of.
“I told you not to open the door.” Jonah rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her until she was facing him.
Amanda just patted him on the chest. “I didn’t think anyone who wanted to hurt me would ring the bell.” Her mouth was dry, her voice hoarse. “Drink first, talk after.”
“You shouldn’t be talking at all.” He motioned to Shamus and Cyndi. “You might as well join us in the kitchen. The coffee is done and I was just getting ready to see what I could find for breakfast.”
Shamus removed an insulated bag from his shoulder and held it in front of him. “We didn’t know if Amanda had done much shopping yet, so Cyndi packed breakfast. We’ve got two kinds of muffins, bagels and fresh fruit. She’s got several different kinds of herbal teas and some honey. I think she even packed some cereal and milk too.”
Amanda smiled. “Thank you.” Her friends’ thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes.
She brushed the back of her hands over her eyes and turned away. She didn’t dare look at anyone until she got herself back under control or she might burst into tears. She was feeling very emotional this morning, her mood going up and down like a yo-yo.
She headed to the kitchen, deliberately not looking at the mess in the front room. She knew she had to deal with it eventually, but not until she’d had a glass of juice and maybe a cup of tea.
Jonah caught up with her and hooked his arm around her waist. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “You’re going to be emotional for a few days. It’s the shock of everything that’s happened. Just go with it.”
Looking up at him, she realized that he understood what she was feeling. Somehow that made her feel stronger and she managed a smile. Jonah had been busy while she was in the shower. Her antique trestle table was in the center of the eating nook with four chairs around it instead of being buried in the formal dining room with the rest of her furniture. He’d also dug up some plates and found her cutlery.
She really had to get organized. She’d been so intent on working on her office, she’d neglected the rest of the place. That would have to change, but not today. She wanted to wait until the electrical work and the painting was done before she unpacked and set things up. It would be a nuisance to keep living out of boxes, but she could manage it for another week or so.
Shamus deposited the insulated bag on the counter and Cyndi moved in beside him.
She opened the bag and began to pull out containers. The last thing she withdrew was a thermos. “I’ve got orange juice. While we’re having some, you can tell us exactly what happened.”
Two hours later, Amanda sat in her office chair, her computer propped on her desk.
Jonah had decided it would be easier for her to work this way and had pulled both pieces of furniture into the center of the room. They’d have to be moved later when it was time to paint, but right now they were exactly what she needed to help her get organized. She methodically worked her way through the piles of books tossed haphazardly across the floor, trying to determine what, if anything was missing.
Within easy reach was a mug of lemon tea with a large dollop of honey. Cyndi had promised it was just what she needed. Amanda had already had one mug of the stuff and it seemed to be helping her throat.
Cyndi and Shamus had stayed long enough to share a cup of coffee with them while Jonah had filled them in on what had happened. Amanda had been surprised they’d found out about the attack so fast.
Shamus had chuckled. “News travels fast in a small town. Patrick called me first thing this morning. He knew it was only a matter of time before the news was all over town. The hospital staff all knows what happened, as do the sheriff’s deputies. That’s not even taking into account the folks who monitor the police radios.”
Amanda shook her head at the memory and took a sip of her tea, letting the soothing lemon and honey slide down her throat. The small town grapevine was alive and well.