DEEPER: A Contemporary Romance by Jorja Tabu Read online

  “Right,” Charlie said, perching next to him on the couch, a respectable enough distance between them. He gazed at her knees where her skirt rode up for a second before he caught himself again. “I’ve literally never, ever done anything even remotely close…I’ve never had a one night stand, for example.” She looked up from her hands, her large lashes fluttering with remembered shock. “And I’ve certainly never done the things we did…before.” Should she admit that?

  If she wanted him to really know her, yes. She should.

  He nodded. “Didn’t think so, Charlie.”

  Great. So she was incompetent. “Well, I’ve had sex before,” she said suddenly. It was so absurd they both burst out laughing. “Oh brother,” she sighed, and dropped her chin in her palm.

  “So…This isn’t going to be your first one night stand, is it?” Danny looked serious for a minute, the quick laughter forgotten.

  “I really hope not,” she said quietly, and they looked at one another.

  His stunning smile was the best assurance she needed. “Let’s eat in, tonight,” he said, and then slowly reached over and touched her knee with his fingertips while watching her expression. “I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow, and I’d just as soon avoid a drive to Roanoke. Not much of a cook, I’m afraid…”

  “I can cook,” she said, grinning. “And about earlier, I just meant…”

  “Might be more comfortable, eating here.” Danny grinned back, his hand squeezing her knee reassuringly. Charlie felt the heat in his fingertips traveling along her inner thigh, and shook the feeling off for now.

  “Easier to get to know each other,” she said. He grinned wider.

  “Just casual.” She stood up and moved towards her kitchen while he watched. “I’ll open some wine.”

  And that was how the dinner went—casual, just getting to know each other, and becoming slowly more and more comfortable in each other’s company. Danny thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Charlie made their meal and they ate on trays by the couch, and when they’d finished, he stood up and looked at the bookshelf again. Partly, he just didn’t want her thinking he was expecting a replay of their earlier encounter, and partly her interest in architecture caught his eye. “So tell me ‘bout all these,” he said, smiling and waving a hand at the collection. He was looking at the first of three sets of shelves, he’d noticed; he also noticed the wear and slight lopsided-ness. He could fix that.

  “Why? Are you a reader?”

  He carefully deflected the question. “Just curious. I can see that you are, but tell me—why these books, in particular?” He looked at the titles while she watched. “I know you’re into history, but there seems to be more here on architecture.”

  “Well, what do you think architecture is?”

  He didn’t have the right answer to her question, he could see that much. She joined him and pulled out a book on domestic buildings from the colonial era. They stood and looked at the photos for a minute. “Everything is related to history,” she said quietly, tracing an image with her fingertip. “There’s no moving forward without looking back.”

  “You sure ‘bout that?” He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her face from his height, the shadows catching on his cheekbones. “Seems to me, the past can be a real hassle.” His tone was a little grim, but he wasn’t the first nay-sayer she’d converted. She smiled up at him.

  “Do you know why I care about that ridiculous, falling-down property where you caught me today?”

  His heart picked up speed. “I believe so—leastways, I’ve heard tell it rightfully belongs to you and your sister. Except…”

  “Except my cousin, the lay-about, has denied us any acknowledgement.” She grinned a little wider. “But the truth is, we have more right to that property than he does.”

  “How so?” Danny let her guide him back over to the couch, and she sat with the book on her knees, her face aglow with excitement.

  “Well, the law hasn’t come around yet, but…Mandy and I are related to both sides of the family—the light, and the dark.” He didn’t understand what she meant. “My black ancestors are all buried on that property. The cemetery on grounds is full of the black side of the Goodtree line. And as my coloring suggests,” she shrugged, “I’m related to all the stuffy old white folks locked up in nursing homes right now as well. And Cran, even if he is a hateful little thing.” She closed the book. “I can’t imagine the law would let him sell their graves, can you?”

  “I don’t know,” Danny said, stricken. What had he done?

  She had no inkling of his line of thought. “Don’t look so upset, Danny—it’s only a matter of time before I can get the Historical Society to back me up, and then I’ll at least have access before they get turned into condos, or something like that.” Charlotte moved closer to him on the couch. “You look so worried—what are you thinking?”

  “Lots of things,” he said grimly. She was so certain that everything would turn out right…

  “Oh my gosh!” She sprang off of the couch. “Dessert!” And in spite of Danny’s efforts, neither of them returned to the previous conversation when she returned; they got a little distracted.

  “It’s messy,” she warned.

  “Charlie,” Danny said, still stressed, “I’m sure it’s fine. Listen—“

  Oh no, she thought, completely horrified. It was happening. The dreaded easy let-down. Listen—I’ve had a great time talking nerd talk with you, but now I’m going to go. Listen—I appreciate the attention you gave me this afternoon, but I’ve got a blonde waiting at home that has like, a tenth as much baggage. Listen—“Please don’t tell me you’re leaving,” she said, and although she hated the way her voice sounded, she’d already been too vulnerable with him not to be as sad as she was.

  And then she dropped the plate, complete with pie. On his lap.

  She hadn’t meant to do it—in fact, she was mortified. That was why she was so baffled when he laughed. “That’s one way to make sure I won’t,” he chuckled, “but honestly, Charlie—“

  A tear actually made its way to the corner of her eye. “—Don’t apologize,” she said, wringing her hands and rushing back to the kitchen to find a towel. “It’s not a big deal—well, the pie is, but not the leaving—“ She’d always been a terrible liar, however, and she clearly wasn’t fooling Daniel.

  “—Charlie,” his voice came suddenly, from right behind her. She spun around to look at him, resolving to meet his gaze. “This is the only place I want to be.” His face was inches from hers, once again obscured by the light. She realized he was holding the piece of pie in his hand and reached out to take it from him, still not calmed. Instead, he whipped it away. “Charlie, did you hear what I said?”

  “Yes!” She jumped after his hand, a smile on her face in spite of her misgivings.

  “Well?” He easily kept it out of her grasp, moving to lightly catch her in his free arm and spinning her so that she was helplessly suspended in his arms, the pie high above them both.

  “Yes, I heard what you said,” she said again, still smiling. A small part of her was not free from worry, however, and Danny still wasn’t fooled. He gently laid her down on the plush carpet and then lay down next to her, his weight on his elbows as he kept the pie aloft. Charlie, laying on her back, tried to reach for it once more, but he rolled away as they both laughed. Finally, she climbed on top of his torso, straddling him as he chuckled, still holding the pie out of her grasp. She leaned towards it, her body flush against his, and finally gave up when she realized how close his face was to hers.

  He kissed her lips, slowly sliding his tongue between them. Charlie felt a fire growing inside of her chest, spreading like lava along her ribs and down her spine. Before she realized what she was doing, her hips were melded against his, the soft blue dress she wore slipping down her shoulders as she crushed her fingers into his hair. Gasping, she pulled back.

  He didn’t let her go.

  Danny’s muscles jumped beneath h
is white shirt as he used one arm to pull her tightly to his chest. Smelling the scent of her handiwork close by, he gently nibbled on her lips as he scooped some of the rich, loose peach from inside the slice of pie with his finger. Then he brought it over for her to taste.

  Charlie sat upright, her heated center grinding into his growing cock through the layers of fabric. Don’t let this go too far, she said, looking down at his handsome, expectant face. Don’t.

  Instead, he pulled himself upright towards her, once again offering the juicy bits of peach. She opened her mouth—hesitant, unsure—and licked it.

  His eyes closed. He would never be able to think when she did that. Just the sight of her lips was enough to make him rock-hard.

  She felt him grow to full capacity beneath her, and her legs trembled with anticipation. Forgetting all resolve, she swallowed his whole finger in her mouth, rocking ever so slightly on his hard cock, positioning it just so. Danny moaned, and she gently pulled his finger all the way out, then leaned forward and across him to gather a bit of pie for him to eat off of hers. He wordlessly swallowed her finger, tracing it with his tongue, sucking it clean. His eyes were locked on her face, the piercing electric blue hypnotizing her completely. When he finished, he clutched her ass with his free arm and effortlessly stood up, moving back to the couch and dropping the pie on the abandoned plate before sitting her down.

  “Take it off,” he commanded, his voice low and husky. Wordlessly, she slipped the blue dress completely down her shoulders so that it gathered around her waist. When he kneeled in front of her, his long torso allowed him to look her directly in the eyes.

  That afternoon, Danny had believed his luck too good to be true—too much of a dream to be real. This time, he wanted to taste her because he knew he could make her cum—make her beautiful body shimmer with sweat and her clit dance on his tongue as she wailed. He wanted it to, and he was going to make it do what he wanted. Charlie’s breasts bounced as she breathed uncertainly before him, her nipples bobbing slightly. He used his hips to push her legs apart and then cupped one of her breasts in each hand, his mouth hungry. He looked at her with lidded eyes for just a second before taking one nipple in his mouth, sucking it to exquisite hardness, and then the other. When she cried out in pleasure, he gently squeezed the round globes and pushed his tongue in her mouth before trailing it along her exposed throat and collarbones.

  “Danny,” she whispered, lost in ecstasy, “I…I’m safe. I mean,” she gulped, “on the pill, and I’ve been tested.” And barely been touched, she thought.

  “Good,” he said, “because I’m going to fuck you before the end of the night.” His voice was rough and low, the country boy accent thick as he nibbled and kissed her. “But only if you’re sure you want it.” She wanted to laugh, but couldn’t; she was on the verge of begging now.

  “It’s safe?” She pulled his eyes to meet hers, and the vivid energy behind the electric blue gaze was incredible. She knew he understood she was talking about more than sex; Charlie was showing him her heart, and she had to know.

  “It’s safe,” Danny whispered, and with that, his mind was made up. He knew exactly what to do about the Goodtree plantation, and if she let him, exactly what he would do with Charlotte.

  The decision made, Daniel felt his heart unwind and embrace the possibility of love—of shared togetherness, of something deeper. It had been happening since he first saw her, and now the inevitability of this moment became clear to him. He was made to be with Charlotte Goodtree, whether she knew it or not. He hadn’t, after all, until just now.

  The softness in his expression shocked Charlie. She felt a wave of tenderness from Daniel that she’d never encountered, not in her most intimate moments with either of the other men she’d been with. It erased all of her doubts, and both desire and a deep longing she hadn’t known before—a need to feel and share another human being—utterly overwhelmed her senses. Danny leaned in to kiss her again, and as he did so he slid his rough palms along the insides of her thighs, opening them to make room for his intentions.

  Daniel left a trail of burning kisses down the length of Charlotte’s body as he pulled her close, her legs widening to accommodate him. Her head fell loosely back as he moved across her breasts once more, tugging her nipples with his lips as his hands moved still lower. Instead of allowing her to close them again, his hands held firm on the insides of her knees, leaving her bare for him to see when he made his way, finally, to her navel. Leaning back, he took a second to enjoy the view.

  Charlotte felt a wash of nervousness once more as cool air washed over her exposed pussy lips. Her dress was barely covering anything now, the thin material gathered around her waist and pushed aside, the gossamer underwear between her and her lover barely worth noticing. It was rich with her excitement, and transparent; Danny felt himself engorge immediately, and then reverently moved towards it, his tongue eager. His hands slid below her legs, moving symmetrically back to cup her ass cheeks and draw her towards the edge of the sofa and his waiting mouth.

  Instead of moving her panties aside, Danny placed his mouth directly over them. The sheer fabric didn’t block any of the heat radiating out of Charlotte, and his tongue teased her core, pointed and needy. Charlie gasped when he flattened it against her body, his mouth forming a vacuum over her swollen clit; he began to drum it with his tongue while his hands roughly squeezed her ass cheeks, and she was cumming almost instantly.

  “Oh, Daniel!” She felt the first orgasm rushing up her spine and explode out of her mouth before she knew what was happening. “Don’t stop—don’t stop—don’t stop!”

  He didn’t.

  Instead, he took advantage of her bucking and clenched knees to slide his hands up and find the straps of her thong, which he then wrenched in half. Charlie didn’t get a single chance to catch her breath—his hot tongue sank inside of her clenching pussy while she was still screaming. Buried as deep as he could get, Daniel reached around and began methodically massaging her ass again.

  Yes, he thought. That’s what I wanted.

  But he wasn’t done. Not that he ever would be, if he had his way. As Charlie rode his tongue, he slowly eased out of her and then pulled his hands from under her body. Taking his time, watching her knees vibrate from the corner of his eye, he slid two fingers in her wet hole and came back to taste her again. Her clit was slippery, but he felt it quicken and swell again as he gently stroked in and out of Charlie’s tight pussy. His other hand moved up to find her nipples, and squeezed them in time.

  She couldn’t control her body any more. Charlie felt oceans of experience rocking her, shaping her, changing her as Daniel made her cum again. Giving over completely, she finally cried out, “please Danny—please let me cum on your cock!” She didn’t have time to wonder when she’d learn to use these words, these unfamiliar desires. She didn’t care. She just wanted him.

  And he wanted her.

  Teasing her with his tongue, he slid his fingers out and lapped at her pussy while she moaned before guiding them back in. “Do you want it?” He asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Danny let his torso stretch as he brought his face up to meet hers. “Tell me,” he commanded again in his low, country voice, and this alone pushed her over the edge one more time. He felt her clenching his fingers, her eyes closing as she gasped, and bent to kiss her mouth tenderly. “Say it,” he whispered.

  “Please, please give it to me,” she whimpered. “Please give me your cock, please.”

  She tore at his shirt while he undid the button on his khakis. Once again, the sharp contrasts between his hidden and sun-kissed skin fascinated her, and when he stood before her, completely naked, she couldn’t keep her hands away. Running them over his starkly muscled body, her mouth feverish, Charlotte knew she hadn’t even begun to finish her journey into ecstasy.

  When she sat back, holding his cock in her hands and gingerly placing her lips on the tip, she suddenly realized how big it was.

  Nothing ventured, nothi
ng gained.