Dolby(48)
Author: Maryann Jordan
“We’re docking?”
“We dock in about three hours.”
“I remember the plan you told me last night,” she said. “ I guess I spent today thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I just don’t want to screw up, Jonathan, and put your life in danger.”
“Babe, no chance that’s going to happen. My job is to take care of you, not the other way around. And believe me, I’m used to missions going fubar, so we can make this work no matter what.”
“When this is over, I think I need to write a new series. New heroes who are larger than life and swoop in to do all the active work.”
“No way. You’ve got to keep Inspector Marley going!”
A giggle slipped out, and she nodded. “Oh, I’ll keep him going. But maybe I’ll write romantic suspense as well.”
“I’ve got some clothes for you to change into. It’s a basic uniform that the other crew members are wearing. We’ll have your hair pulled up in a cap, and while it wouldn’t fool anyone up close, if someone happens to catch a glimpse of us from a distance, they won’t think anything about it.”
With her feet on the ground, he shrugged off his small pack and pulled out the pants, shirt, and black high-top sneakers that, from a distance, would look like boots, as well as be serviceable. When he turned to hand them to her, he grinned at the sight. She whipped her shirt over her head, and with her thumbs hooked into the waistband of her pants, shucked them to the floor. Now standing in a plain white bra and panties with a trusting smile on her face, she was more beautiful than any woman he’d ever seen.
Lifting a brow, she asked, “Do I have to get dressed now, or do we have time for anything else.”
Not knowing what the next day would bring, he hesitated. He never ventured away from the absolute mission until the previous night, and having had a taste of her, he wanted another.
She stepped closer, placing her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t want to put us in danger, but if we’ve got time to kill, I want to spend it with you. Really with you. I’m tired of playing it safe, Jonathan. Tired of being afraid of my own shadow. Just for once, I want to do something unplanned and unpredictable on my own terms.”
“Babe, you know I want you. And if you need this, too, I’m all in.”
She finished stripping, and he lifted her in his arms after freeing his cock and rolling on another condom. With her back pressed against the door, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he dragged his finger through her slick folds, finding her ready.
“Don’t wait,” she begged.
With a thrust upward, he impaled her on his cock, and her head flung back as she gripped his shoulders, a smile on her face. Dropping her chin, she held his gaze as his strong legs held both of them, and his massive arms easily kept her in place.
“What would you say if I told you that this had been a fantasy of mine since I first met you?” she asked.
“What would you say if I told you that I want to make all your fantasies about me and you together come true?” he countered.
Grinning, she sealed her mouth over his, then mumbled, “Then I’d say we’re both getting our wishes.”
Their conversation fell away as their lips melded and their bodies joined. With her back pressed against the door, he slid one hand between, lightly pinching her clit as he bent to take a nipple in his mouth. Her body tightened, and her legs squeezed tighter around his waist. She grunted before burying her face in the crook of his neck, muffling the sound of her pleasure. As her core was still convulsing around his cock, his own release hit at the same time, and he continued to thrust till every drop was emptied.
Both panting, gasping for breath, he held her weight easily. Slowly, he pulled out and let her legs slide to the floor, holding her steady. She peered up at him and grinned.
“That was better than a fantasy, Jonathan.”
Chuckling, he nodded, dealing with the condom before refastening his pants. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her wishing they were a thousand miles away, just the two of them. “I couldn’t have said it better myself, babe. Let’s get dressed. It should be just about time to start the next phase of rescuing Dolby’s woman.”
Brows lifted, she stared. “That’s what this mission is called?”
“No, not officially. But unofficially… yeah.” Suddenly unsure, he hesitated. She seemed preoccupied, her eyes averted. Lifting her chin with his knuckle until her gaze hit his, and he tilted his head to the side. “What are you thinking about?”
She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip, but he pushed. “Really, Marcia, I want to know.”
“What’s a typical Dolby dame?”
“Wha… what?” Suddenly, he remembered his phone conversation with Hop the night he was with Marcia in the lighthouse. The conversation that he had no idea she’d heard. Sighing heavily, he kept her close while he admitted, “It’s a stupid phrase that I ended up with years ago. I wasn’t very discriminating with my hookups as long as they were pretty, willing, and understood that it was only for a night.” He winced, hearing himself, knowing he looked like an ass. “And often, the women who’d pursue me were the same. So typical Dolby dame became a moniker for a woman who was only going to be a one-night thing.”
She nodded slowly, but her expression was unreadable. Panic crawled up his throat, threatening to choke him. Cupping her face, he pleaded, “Please, Marcia, that was all before I met you. And, honest to God, in the past year, those women have been few and far between. I was looking for something lasting but never found it until I scared a beautiful woman in an abandoned lighthouse during the middle of a rainstorm.”
“I’m sorry, Jonathan. I shouldn't have been listening to your conversation.”
“No, babe, I should have been more discreet. But, believe me, you are nothing like that. You are everything that I want to be with. Yeah, I’d love for you to be Dolby’s woman. My only woman. At least, I hope that’s who you want to be.” His breath held in his lungs as his gaze held hers, desperation filling his entire body as he waited in anticipation.
She pressed her lips tightly, rubbing them together, before finally offering a tiny smile. “I’m a lot of things with a lot of different names. By birth, Marcia Baxter. By choice to protect my privacy, Marcia Blackburn. M.B. Burns as Inspector Marley’s creator. Marcia Black is a romance writer. But now, I’d love to add Dolby’s woman to the others. That might just be my favorite name of all.”