No Strings Attached by Jaci Burton Read Free Book Online Page A

on fire from his mouth on her breast. “No. Yes. I’m sorry.”
    He released her and she sat next to him.
    “It’s James,” he said.
    “Yes.”
    “It’s okay to think about him, Ella. You can’t try to pretend he didn’t exist. You
     loved him.”
    She looked down at her hands. “It doesn’t seem right.”
    He tipped her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. “Was he the only man
     you were with?”
    She nodded.
    “Then it’s natural you’d feel strange about this. I don’t expect you to erase James
     from your memories. You shouldn’t feel that way, either.”
    She loved that they could talk about James. Sitting naked on the bed together, they
     were having a conversation about her dead husband. She’d never be able to do this
     with anyone but Clay.
    “Just let it come naturally and quit putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect.
     If he occasionally pops into your thoughts, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
    “Most guys would hate that.”
    He leaned in, kissed her. “I’m not most guys.”
    She was beginning to see that. “Thank you.”
    “I’d like to think he’d be okay with this. That he’d trust me.”
    She smiled. “I know he would.”
    “Then quit worrying about it and let’s have some fun.”
    She exhaled. Clay was right. She was obsessing over every little thing. Frankly, she
     was surprised he hadn’t already kicked her to the curb for being too much effort.
     She might not even be worth it.
    “Okay, now,” he said, lying back on the bed and pulling her into his arms. He dragged
     her on top of him. “Where were we?”
    “You had my nipple in your mouth.”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    “You were sucking it.”
    He shifted her upward. “I remember. You tasted good.” He lifted her nipple to his
     mouth.
    And just like that, she fell into heat and arousal, all other thoughts fleeing her
     mind. Contact was an explosion of heat. She held on to his shoulders, watching him
     suck and lick one nipple, then the other, until she was too weak to hold herself up.
     She collapsed on top of him and pressed her mouth to his, her tongue diving in with
     a passion she’d held in reserve before.
    But not now. She’d cleared her head, dismissed her reservations. It was time to focus
     on one thing—Clay.
    He rolled her over onto her back and laid his palm on her rib cage. Again, she felt
     her heart pounding against his hand. She lifted her gaze to his. For some reason,
     watching him look at her was incredibly sobering. He seemed to be so serious, but
     not at all with the same intense look that he had during business meetings. Because
     this time, there was an underlying look of passion in his eyes, turning their normal
     sea blue to a dark, stormy color.
    He finally skimmed his hand down her belly, his fingers tantalizingly close to her
     panties. He slid his fingertips just underneath. She held her breath, her gaze riveted
     on his face, while he tucked his hand inside to cup her sex.
    She expelled her breath and sucked it in again as a whirlwind of pleasure surrounded
     her.
    “You’re wet. Hot. God, you feel good, Ella.”
    She fought to swallow as he moved his hand farther, sliding along her pussy lips,
     his fingers teasing, dipping into the wetness there and coating her. She arched against
     his hand and he rubbed the heel against her clit.
    She gasped. Instinct forced her to grab his wrist and guide hishand to the spot that gave her the most pleasure. “Yes. Right there. Oh, Clay, that
     feels so good.”
    He pressed his lips against her temple, his warm breath teasing her ear. “I like to
     hear you talk, Ella. Tell me what feels good to you.”
    He slid a finger inside her and she lifted, still holding on to his wrist.
    “That? Or do you want more?”
    Another finger joined the first, and he pumped in and out. Ella tilted her head back
     and rocked her hips against his fingers. “Yes. Oh, God, yes, I like that.”
    He swirled his thumb over her clit while