Breaking the Rules

chapter 8





Joe took her by the hand, boyish, almost shy as he led her to the bedroom door.

“I bought the bed this morning. Had to raise hell to get it delivered today.” He shot her a smile, and she smiled back and squeezed his hand.

A single lit candle glowed from the corner of the room. Their shadows loomed over the far wall as they walked silently to the bed.

The big white rectangle with its single flimsy sheet looked intimidating as the uncharted territory on an old map. Here there be dragons.

Joe climbed on first, a little awkward, still holding her hand as he slid across the mattress. She put one knee on the bed, sank in and almost lost her balance, then caught herself with her free hand.

He pulled her to him, settling her sideways between his legs. His erection tickled her belly as his lips played over her ear.

“Before we make love, I’m going to get you very, very ready.”

She shivered, from the hot breath on her ear and the mix of apprehension and eagerness bubbling inside her.

“Lie down.”

She obeyed, stretching herself out on the cool sheet, head back on a pillow.

His warm fingers traced a circle on her belly. The muscle contracted, responding to his touch, and a surge of heat shimmered under his fingers.

Gently, he pried her legs apart with his hands and climbed between them. He looked up at her, black eyes shining as his mouth followed his fingers to her belly, lips tracing the circle, breath caressing the tender skin. Susana writhed with pleasure.

His lips trailed lower, into the dark hair that hid her sex. The shock of his cool tongue on her swollen flesh made her gasp. As he settled his mouth over her, enveloping her, her eyes slid shut and she gave herself over to the sheer sensation.

Her fingers twined into his hair as his tongue fueled a series of tiny explosions deep inside her. Her nerves tangled and she forgot where she ended and he began.

His hands roamed over her warm skin, teasing the flesh of her thighs and hips, cupping her breasts, stroking her skin as she moaned. And all the while, his hot mouth licked and sucked her into a state of almost unbearable arousal.

He pulled away softly, then gave one last lick, causing her to throb in response.

“Please…” she whispered, her voice thick with need. “I’m ready.”

She opened her eyes, and the tender look on his face tripped her heart. Dark eyes wide with desire and eager anticipation. He smiled at her. “I think you are.”

He sheathed himself with a condom and crawled over her gingerly, his body heat rising to meet her. With one warm, tender finger, he parted her, readying her for the penetration.

Instinctive muscles tightened, desire suddenly overcome by fear.

“Just relax, take it easy,” he whispered. “I’ll take care of you.”

She blew out a breath. He rubbed her sex gently until she softened again, easing under his caress. Then he slowly began to enter the wet warmth.

Susana writhed, wanting him inside her.

She heard his chuckle in her ear. “Impatient, aren’t you?”

A soft groan was her only response. Her fingers played over his spine as he arched his back and deepened the penetration another inch.

“Oh.” The sound escaped her lips at the odd sensation. Odd and pleasurable.

“A little further,” he murmured, lips on her ear. He lowered his pelvis, pushing into her slowly as she arched under him.

And then she felt the pain. She bit back a cry, clamping down on her lip with her teeth as she held her breath.

Joe stroked her cheek tenderly with his thumb, kissed her once on the mouth. And then he thrust all the way in.

This time she couldn’t hold back her scream. It rang out into the air as searing agony deprived her of her senses. Her muscles and nerves all snapped tight, fighting off the dreadful invasion.

“I’m sorry,” Joe whispered in her ear.

I’m sorry. Sorry you’ve just ruined your own life, burned up and wasted your gift, thrown away your livelihood.

Regret swelled up and twisted in her brain and her hands tightened into fists over his back as the fiery pain blazed between her legs.

Inside her Joe rested and waited. He kissed her ear, nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Whispered, “The pain won’t last forever.”

Won’t it?

She’d never felt anything like the excruciating, fiery, tearing sensation.

Joe kissed her cheek. “You’re a real virgin.” He chuckled. “Intact. That’s pretty rare I think.”

“Even rarer now,” she hissed through tight lips. “Have you deflowered a lot of virgins?”

She instantly regretted her rude, cruel remark. It’s the pain talking.

“Never.” He paused, nuzzling her cheek again. “You’re only the second woman I’ve slept with.”

“What?”

Her eyes sprang open. Joe’s face hovered just over hers, and he kissed her softly on the lips before replying.

“I married young. I never slept with anyone but my wife. My ex-wife.”

“Oh.”

“So it’s all new to me, too.” He blinked, his dark eyes unreadable in the semidarkness.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I would have liked it to be good for you.”

“We’re not done yet.” He brushed her brows with his lips, kissed her eyelids as her eyes closed again.

The pain was subsiding. The smarting sting of it gave way to a throb of pleasure. A pulse of warmth. And then another.

Joe stroked her hair and kissed her neck, soothing her.

The thickness of him shifted slightly inside her, setting off a tremor that rippled through her, relaxing her muscles.

“You okay?” His breath smelled of cinnamon, trailing over her mouth.

She nodded, eyes still closed, limbs heavy. He kissed her lips and they parted. Their tongues tangled together and heat bloomed in her mouth. Greedily she kissed him, and her arms twined around him, holding him tight.

The hunger crept through her body like a brush fire, sending her fingers roving over his back, lifting her pelvis to bury him deeper inside her. His hips returned the pressure, rising and falling with hers in a controlled tango. She writhed, enjoying the sensation of his thickness filling her, of his big warm, healthy body in her arms. Enjoying the subtle play of his lips, the throb of his intense arousal.

Who are you, Joe Figueroa?

The man surrounding her with his powerful embrace, covering her face with rough kisses, was an intriguing blend of bravado and vulnerability, anger and tenderness.

He thrust into her, triggering a blast of pure pleasure that shivered through her limbs. Her moan filled the room as her head tipped back in abandon.

Joe traced a line of soft kisses along her jaw and over the sensitive skin of her neck. His rhythmic movements rocked her further and further into a strange realm of unfamiliar and blissful sensation. His hands swept over her skin, stirring every part of her into an inferno of arousal that threatened to erupt and implode.

As the first wave of uncontrollable climactic madness surged through her and threatened to break its bounds, she tried to fight back. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, afraid to lose control.

Joe stroked her hair and caressed her cheek, never breaking the rhythm pushing her over the brink of sanity.

“Let go,” he whispered, his hot breath shimmering over her damp skin. “Let it all go.”

And she did. She forgot about her powers, her family, her legacy. She forgot about her job, her apartment, her new dress. She forgot about the world, the past, the future, even the present. She let go of each thought, one by one, until there was nothing left but her and Joe, moving together in a storm of uncontrollable sensation and unleashed emotion.

The explosion began at her center, right where Joe filled her, and unfurled like a cyclone, widening and thickening, spreading through her limbs in a wave of contractions and spasms that sparkled along her muscles and nerves.

She heard her cries as if they were coming from far away. She heard Joe’s answering shout as his own climax blasted through both of them. The boundaries between them disappeared as they became one shuddering, hot, damp, heaving tangle of limbs and mouths and hearts.

Joe collapsed heavily on top of her, clinging to her, breathless. She whimpered, unable to summon even the tiniest shred of sensible thought. Instead, she clung to him like driftwood after a shipwreck, until sanity and consciousness began to return in stray wisps.

“Am I crushing you?” he rasped huskily.

“Yes,” she squeaked. “But I like it.”

His throaty chuckle rocked through both of them, and he lifted himself slightly, easing the pressure on her torso. He rolled onto his side, still holding her tightly, her breasts crushed pleasantly against his chest.

“That was amazing,” she whispered into his shoulder, suddenly shy.

“You were amazing,” he whispered into her ear. “How do you feel?”

“Good.” She paused, letting her lashes flicker against his skin. “Free.”

She pulled her head back and looked him straight in the eyes. A smile flickered across his face.

“Free is a good thing to be.” He raised his thumb and pushed back a stray strand of her now-wild hair.

“And what about you?”

“What about me?” he glanced at his hand as it played in her hair.

“How do you feel?” She said it softly, cautiously.

“Very, very satisfied.” He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. He tried to push a smile to his lips, but it faltered and he hid it in a kiss on her cheek. Her heart shrank a little as he brushed off her loaded question. What had she hoped for? That he’d feel renewed, rebuilt, healed?

She still really didn’t know anything about him. And his baggage wasn’t her business. For once in her life she’d acted on impulse, done what she wanted. And she’d wanted Joe. Wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to do all that other hot, messy, crazy stuff adults do when they like each other.

He rested his head on his hand, propped up on one elbow, his other hand rearranging the stray locks of hair that fell over her face and shoulders. His lids were lowered, his focus on her hair, avoiding her glance. She’d wanted to have sex with him, to give into all those primal urges he’d sparked up in her. And she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t want more.

But something inside her started to ache a little as he excused himself and went to the bathroom to clean up. And the ache only subsided when he returned and settled himself back on the bed with her. Instinctively she scooted toward him over the warm sheets and snuggled up against him.

A muscle twitched in his cheek, and she lifted her hand to stroke it. As she touched his skin, a little shiver of tenderness sprang along her arm and echoed in her belly.

Had she used him? Hurt him somehow?

He’d wanted her for his own reasons. Pretty simple ones, too. The usual reasons a man wants a woman.

His hand slid along her hair to rest on her waist, then drifted over her backside, soft and sensual. He was attracted to her as a woman. And that made her feel good. Powerful, even.

It was enough to be wrapped in strong arms and held tightly. To feel, just for a while, that she wasn’t so alone.

She resisted an impulse to try and peer into the future, to look for glimpses of what might happen. Even to see if she still could.

Don’t do it, Susana. Live in the present. Enjoy what you have for what it is and don’t ask for more.

She buried her face in Joe’s shoulder, and his musky male aroma soothed and settled her. His hand played over her back a little, then settled comfortably around her as they both drifted into a deliciously relaxed sleep.



Joe woke up totally enveloped in Susana. Their arms and legs intertwined, their torsos huddled together, her hair over his face and her sweet breath filling his nostrils as she inhaled and exhaled with the slow, steadiness of a deep sleep.

Oh lord, this felt way too good.

She’d woken him twice during the night, hungry for more lovemaking. Each time his body had responded instantly and totally. Now sexual satisfaction mingled enticingly with fresh arousal as he became aware of her gorgeous body entwined with his. Pure pleasure crept through him, lighting each synapse, one by one, to blissful awakening.

Light poured in through the uncurtained windows. The apartment faced west, to the river, so they were spared the full blast of the sunrise or the prying eyes of people in a neighboring building.

Susana’s warm, relaxed body filled his arms. He’d never slept like this with Linda. She’d liked her space. If they’d made love in bed she’d always turned away from him, shutting him out before falling asleep. When Susana had embraced him, wanting to hold him even after the main event was over, he’d been in danger of losing it and had to batten down the hatches pretty quick.

And as he looked at Susana–her face sweetly serious as always, her black mane strewn over the pillow and over him–a surge of wild, mad happiness leaped inside him.

Uh-oh.

He’d come into this situation feeling lonely and horny, looking for a little diversion. Susana wanted to make love for her own odd reasons. They’d both come here with their eyes wide open.

No promises.

He didn’t have anything to offer her. His moving parts might still be in good working order, but deep inside the machinery was broken and the cost of repair was just too high.

She was young and beautiful, unspoiled, a twenty-three-year-old virgin for crying out loud. Well, she’d been one until last night anyway. He’d taken enough from her.

So why did the thought of waking up without her threaten to squeeze the breath from his lungs?

She exhaled audibly, a sweet tiny moan, and her hot breath tickled the hairs on his face. Bliss. He opened his eyes and saw a secret smile creeping across her beautiful plum colored lips.

Was she thinking about him?

She felt wonderfully relaxed, sleeping like a baby with her body totally enclosed in his. Why did they fit together so well? Why did he feel so damn good with her?

Was there really something to that whole woman-you’re-destined-to-marry thing?

Don’t even go there, Joe.

He heard his phone ring in the living room. Life summoning him back on deck. Probably one of the potential clients he’d called yesterday. But he wasn’t going to disentangle himself from the lovely Susana one moment before he had to.

The high-pitched bleeping must have penetrated her dreams, because he could see her eyes moving rapidly beneath her eyelids. Then her lashes flickered a little.

He almost held his breath as she opened her eyes, as if she might be surprised—horrified even—to be confronted by the sight of him first thing in the morning.

But her eyes shone, soft and sleepy. Her smile deepened before she inclined her head slightly to give him a kiss on the cheek. Sweet Jesus. His heart was doing something crazy in there, and already he was getting hard again.

His arousal pressed gently into the soft flesh of her belly, and she wiggled against it, sending tremors through him that made him swallow hard.

“Morning,” she whispered.

“Hi Susana,” he rasped.

She glanced away for a second, lowering the curtain of her thick lashes. Then she looked up at him, night-colored eyes shimmering. “Thank you for making last night…beautiful.”

Uh-oh. Joe shoved down a crazy riot of emotion churning in his chest. Threatening to make him do something embarrassing, like start singing hallelujahs or bawling like a baby.

“It was my pleasure.” His voice came out a little husky but okay.

“I enjoyed sleeping with you, too.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Phew. If he could just keep spurting out platitudes maybe he’d get through this without making an ass of himself.

“You’re really comfy…” she blinked. “For someone so hard.”

Laughter bubbled up in him, releasing the tension. “Firm mattresses are good for the posture. Not that yours needs any help.”

His hand still rested on her back and he stroked the skin—delicious warm velvet—on his way to giving her backside a playful squeeze.

She wiggled again and snuggled tighter against him.

Oh, Susana.

Between his cock stiffening and his heart hammering he was ready to burst into flames any second. “You’re something else, woman.”

She giggled. “I feel like a woman this morning. I wondered if I’d feel different, and I do.”

“How?”

“I don’t know how to explain it.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I feel bolder somehow, like I’ve grown up. I’m ready to take on the world.”

“Sounds dangerous.” He winked.

“I’m turning my whole life around. I’m going to do what I want from now on.” She lifted her chin, as if defying him to argue.

“Oh yeah?”

“I’m going to take the GED exam. I’m going to apply to school. And in the meantime I’m going to find a real job that comes with an actual paycheck, not a bunch of sweaty five-dollar bills pressed into my hand.” She paused, bit her lip, then spoke. “I’ve been a prisoner of tradition all my life. Now I’m going to find my own way.”

At that moment a shadow passed across her face. Not a metaphorical one but a real one, as a bird—a seagull or a pigeon maybe?—swooped close to the window. She glanced up quickly and frowned.

“What is it?” he asked, when she remained unmoving, staring out the window, almost a full minute later. “Is that some kind of sign?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” She looked worried.

“I thought you weren’t going to pay attention to that stuff any more.”

“I guess old habits die hard.” She spoke slowly, still looking past Joe and out the window. Then she shook her head and forced a smile to her lips. “Ugh, I really do need to stop letting all that traditional stuff mess with my head. Like I said, I’m starting a new life, and from now on…”

A loud banging sound interrupted her words.

“What the hell?” Joe flinched out of their embrace, adrenaline firing his blood.

The banging thundered through the apartment.

Joe leaped off the bed. The door to the living room was open, and he quickly identified the sound as being a fist pounding hard on the metal front door to his apartment.

“Susana!” yelled a voice from the other side of the huge door. Then a different voice, also male, “Open up, before I smash it down.”

“Oh, no,” whispered Susana. “It’s my cousins.”