Penalty Clause Read online

  “If either of us wants to end things, we walk away with no ties, no hard feeling, no obligations. Just complete fun, guaranteed to bring back your confidence. And carefully designed for us to remain good friends even after it ends.” Andrew smiled and waggled his eyebrows at Jill, causing her to break into laughter that diffused the tension.

  Andrew was attempting to keep things light, but the few small kisses had pushed his control to the brink. He was hanging on by a thread as he waited for Jill’s answer.

  “I don’t know, Andrew. I know it was my idea, but I’ve never done anything like that before.” Jill lowered her eyes as if she couldn’t look him in the eye. It dawned on Andrew that Jill might not have been with anyone other than her husband.

  Andrew reached out and brushed a finger down Jill’s cheek, causing her to look back at him. That single touch shot right to his groin and he knew if she didn’t say yes, he needed to get the hell out of there. He’d need to run fast and far in the other direction if she said no. Shit, he should probably run like hell even if she said yes.

  “Haven’t done what, Jill?”

  “Um, just you know, had sex without a real relationship,” she said quietly, her eyes big and round.

  “Have you been with anyone other than Jake?” Andrew asked her softly.

  Andrew knew he probably shouldn’t pry into the intimate details of Jill’s marriage but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know what Jill had been through. He wanted to fix everything for Jill. It killed him to think Jill had doubts about herself.

  Jill shook her head and Andrew cursed silently. If Jill had never slept with anyone other than Jake, Andrew would bet she’d had years of that selfish ass satisfying no one but himself in the bedroom. God, how had Jill tied herself to such a pig when she could have had any man on the planet drooling over her? She was so smart, and beautiful, so talented. How had she ended up with a guy like Jake?

  “Then, you’re gonna love this,” Andrew said with a grin and leaned in to brush his lips against hers again. Andrew waited a breath to see if Jill would push him away and when she didn’t, he swept his hands into her hair and pulled her toward him. Andrew deepened the kiss with a sweep of his tongue.

  Jill went stiff for a second but then melted into Andrew’s hold and he felt her begin to kiss him back.

  Andrew broke the kiss and held his forehead to Jill’s as he caught his breath and let her catch her bearings.

  “Are you okay with this, Jill?” he asked.

  Say yes. Please, say yes.

  She nodded and then confirmed with a small ‘yes.’

  Andrew hadn’t realized that he had been holding his breath, waiting to see her answer. He scooped Jill up and carried her up stairs, only mildly aware that as they made their retreat upstairs, Rev cleaned off the remnants of food from their plates.

  ***

  Jill felt a thrill of anticipation ripple over the fear and nerves running through her. Although she had been in one other long relationship before Jake and had been intimate with that man, they had never actually made love. With her limited experience, Jill was filled with trepidation at the thought that she might not know what to do with Andrew. That she might not be able to satisfy him.

  With Jake, their sex life had always been nice, and she missed sex now that she wasn’t with Jake, but it certainly hadn’t been mind blowing at all. She’d tried hard to please Jake, but when Jill heard some of her friends talk about being with their boyfriends or husbands, she always wondered about their enthusiasm. Her friends made it sound like their experiences were so much better than hers. What if there was something wrong with her?

  When she had come up with the idea for this meaningless fling, it had seemed like such a great idea. Jill thought she could be as free and laid back about things as some of her girlfriends were in the bedroom. But now, when she was on the verge of actually going through with things, Jill couldn’t help but wonder if this was a monumentally humiliating mistake.

  Andrew stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at her expectantly, then laughed when Jill just looked back at him, unsure of what to say.

  “Which room, Jill?”

  “Oh! Sorry. End of the hall.” Jill gestured to the right. Andrew carried her toward the bedroom she had used as a girl and had taken over again when she returned to her grandparents’ house. Andrew set Jill down outside the door and then turned the knob and opened the room.

  He seemed to sense her hesitation and Jill marveled at his patience, at the gentleness as he pulled her into another kiss before looking at her.

  “I promise. We’ll go slowly and you can stop me any time you want to. You say the word and we’ll stop, honey,” Andrew said.

  Jill’s stomach fluttered as the endearment fell off Andrew’s tongue. Jake had never been very free with things like pet names or affections.

  Andrew took Jill’s hand and led her to the bed, laying her down but watching her, meeting her gaze. Jill thought she would drown in Andrew’s eyes if she weren’t careful but she couldn’t break the hold he had over her. She really didn’t want to break the hold Andrew had over her.

  Jill realized, nervous as she was, she didn’t want to pass this up. Something told her that being with Andrew wouldn’t be anything like being with Jake. And Jill was ready for something new, something new and different. And Andrew already made her feel desirable and wanted again.

  And Andrew certainly fit the bill. On all counts.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Andrew lay Jill down on her bed, her golden hair fanning out on the pillow beneath her head – like the rays of sun that shone through the leaves in her photograph. Andrew marveled at how beautiful she was. From her bright hazel eyes that just grabbed Andrew and held on, to the way her breasts pushed perfectly at the fabric of her shirt as if calling to him. There wasn’t a spot on Jill’s body that didn’t live up to all of Andrew’s teenage fantasies, and then some. All Andrew could think in that moment was that he needed to make this experience perfect for Jill.

  He joined Jill on the bed, pressing his body over hers. He burned a trail of kisses from the soft spot behind Jill’s ear, down her neck, and over the gentle outline of her collarbone. Each kiss sent heat burning right back through his body. In an instant, Andrew was hard and coiled and barely hanging onto control. He slowly unbuttoned the pearl buttons on Jill’s sheer white blouse – the blouse that had been driving Andrew to the brink of insanity the entire night. He slid the light fabric off her perfect, creamy white shoulders.

  “God, you’re beautiful, Jill.” Andrew’s voice was reverent, reflecting his awe. He couldn’t honestly say he had ever seen anyone so stunning, so breathtaking as Jill, as she lay before him. Andrew lowered his head to Jill’s breast, taking her nipple into his mouth through the lace of her bra. He sucked and nipped, feeling her nipple peak under his tongue. And when Jill gasped and pushed her breasts toward him, as if asking for more, he was only too happy to oblige.

  Andrew slipped Jill’s arms out of her blouse and then turned his attention to her other nipple. He used one hand to unfasten Jill’s bra and strip it away. Jill moaned and writhed beneath Andrew, a bit more with each new spot he found. Andrew always made sure his bed partners were satisfied. He found a certain amount of pride in hearing women cry out his name before he allowed himself satisfaction, but pleasuring Jill brought Andrew to whole new heights of arousal himself. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  Andrew had to force himself to move slowly, take his time, while he worshipped every inch of Jill’s body. He ran his hands over the smooth, soft skin of Jill’s stomach, over the tiny swell of her tummy, then up to her breasts.

  “Tell me if you want me to stop, Jill,” Andrew said. God, please don’t ask me to stop. Please.

  Jill let out a gasping sob. “If you stop, I’ll die.”

  Thank you, God.

  Andrew laughed softly, his lips against the swell of Jill’s breast. He caressed the soft section of skin on the inside of Jill’s
elbows and wondered if his need to touch her would ever be sated. Andrew believed he could touch and taste Jill forever, listening to her soft moans. He watched in awe as Jill responded to his hands. He explored the curves of her legs, her hips, the tiny waist he’d noticed poolside all those years ago. Andrew moved back up to Jill’s mouth and captured her lips again, teasing her lower lip with a small bite. He was rewarded with the press of Jill’s body into his.

  “Please, Andrew,” Jill begged on a gasp.

  “Please, what, sweet Jill? Tell me what you need,” Andrew murmured as his hands found their way to the waistband of Jill’s pants. He began to slide them down Jill’s hips, slowly, torturously.

  “More. Touch me more,” Jill whispered.

  With a half groan, half roar, Andrew pulled Jill’s legs free of her pants and covered her with his body. He buried his face in Jill’s neck, caressing her soft skin with lips that couldn’t get their fill. One hand delved into her silken hair and the other dipped between her legs to do her bidding.

  Jill was hot and wet and past ready for him. That knowledge sent Andrew’s own arousal soaring. But Andrew wouldn’t give in to the voice in his head that screamed for his own release. Using his hands and mouth, Andrew brought Jill to a crashing orgasm. He drew out Jill’s pleasure as long as he could, only stopping when he saw her go completely limp and glassy eyed.

  Smiling, Andrew waited for Jill to come back from the dream state he had induced. He continued to kiss her soft skin, slowly driving himself to the brink. Andrew knew that when he finally entered Jill, he would likely only be able to last seconds before he came.

  ***

  As Jill began to rouse from the murky ecstasy of the incredible orgasm, she could feel Andrew’s mouth traveling the length of her body. Andrew dropped kisses in every erogenous zone Jill had, many of which she hadn’t known existed.

  Is this how sex was supposed to be? She had never felt anything close to this kind of passion and heat and sheer pleasure with Jake. Lying in bed with Andrew, Jill was suddenly angrier at her ex than she had ever been. Then ‘sweet Jill,’ the good girl next door, who rarely swore and tried not to hurt anyone’s feelings, couldn’t help herself.

  “That fucking jackass,” she said loudly, bringing a rough laugh from Andrew.

  “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.”

  Andrew quickly donned a condom and slipped in between Jill’s legs. He paused while looking into her eyes.

  Jill wrapped her arms around Andrew’s neck and stared into his eyes. She shivered in anticipation, knowing what was coming would be like nothing she had ever experienced. Jill strained against Andrew pressing her hips toward him, silently urging him to enter her.

  Andrew smiled and dropped a kiss to her lips. He pressed into her in one strong stroke that brought a cry to Jill’s lips. Andrew filled Jill so completely, bringing pleasure to every ounce of her body, quickly spinning her up and out of control again. Jill was drowning in sensations from Andrew’s touch, his kisses, the soft murmuring of his words in her ear. Andrew and Jill came together and Jill marveled at the sensations she felt as wave after wave of her orgasm flooded her body.

  Andrew collapsed on top of her and the heavy weight of him felt so good. Jill locked her legs around Andrew, wanting to hold onto every feeling, every sensation for as long as she could.

  “I can’t believe I missed out on that all these years,” Jill said into Andrew’s chest.

  “Mmm hmm.” Andrew’s answer was muffled by Jill’s hair as he nuzzled his face against her neck. “You truly married the world’s biggest ass. The good news is, we have seven years to make up for. We’ll have to be diligent and work hard, but I think we can do it.”

  Jill laughed as Andrew finally released her and slipped from the bed to clean up. When Andrew returned, Jill pulled back the covers and Andrew slipped into the bed and pulled her tight to him once again.

  “Well,” Jill said with a playful undertone, “I wouldn’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do. I mean, you shouldn’t have to work so hard to make up for Jake’s mistakes.”

  “I’m very driven,” Andrew said. He held her tighter and lightly nipped the soft skin on her shoulder, sending shivers through her again. “And I like a challenge.”

  Now Andrew’s teeth scraped the curve in Jill’s arm opposite her elbow, a spot she was quickly discovering was directly connected to the hot center between her legs. Jill was suddenly ready to get back to work, too.

  Jill felt Andrew’s erection pressing into her thigh as he quickly brought them both back to life. “I think I like your work ethic, Andrew,” Jill said as Andrew rolled her beneath him for round two of their new project.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Andrew woke to find himself in Jill’s bed with Jill wrapped in his arms. He smiled to himself. The feel of her soft body pressed against his felt so right. Like nothing he’d ever felt before. He nuzzled into her soft hair and breathed in Jill’s scent, trying to get his fill of her before he had to leave for the day.

  Andrew had been in plenty of casual arrangements like the one he and Jill now had. But he never spent the night at the woman’s house in any of those arrangements. He preferred to limit things to sex and hanging out but skip the more intimate portions of the relationship. He didn’t snuggle or talk about anything personal. The women he was usually with were friendly, but they never took it past ‘hey, how was your day?’ That’s just how Andrew liked to keep his relationships.

  With Jill, Andrew had already broken his rules. Although he wasn’t sure why, Andrew really didn’t mind that they’d gone beyond those boundaries. In fact, waking up next to Jill was a hell of a lot nicer than he wanted to admit.

  Andrew heard the dog whining and realized they hadn’t let Rev out last night before they went to bed. It’d be a miracle if they didn’t find a puddle somewhere on the floor. He quickly slipped from the bed and threw on his pants. Andrew slipped out the bedroom door and found Rev waiting in the hallway for him.

  “Come on, boy,” Andrew whispered and they headed downstairs together.

  Andrew opened the back door and Rev barreled past him to run outside. Andrew left the back door open so he could keep one eye on the dog while he began the search for coffee. He found coffee pods and a single brew machine on the counter and brewed a cup for himself and one to take up to Jill.

  Rev had finished doing his business and was now running around in the woods behind the house chasing deer scents. Rev put his nose into one of the hollowed out spots that a deer had burrowed into for the night, sniffed, then ran happily to the next hollow to check that scent. The deer were long gone, but Rev was having a blast checking out their sleeping quarters. That dog is way too damned easy to please, Andrew thought with a shake of his head.

  “Rev, come here,” Andrew called. The dog just ignored Andrew and kept running from hollow to hollow. He tried whistling, pleading, yelling, and clapping, but the dog didn’t pay any attention.

  Andrew heard laughing behind him. He turned to see Jill wearing his t-shirt – which she looked damned good in – as she pulled something out of one of the cabinets.

  “Secret weapon,” Jill said as she held up a small round cookie. “Laughing Puppers Biscuits. They’re Rev’s doggy crack.”

  Jill went to the door.

  “Demon Child!” she called out. Andrew watched as Rev raised his head, sniffed the air and then came racing toward the door at top speed, where he overshot the entrance. The poor dog tried to skid to a stop and ended up plowing into the cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. Apparently unaffected by the crash, Rev stood, shook his head and pranced daintily back to his mom. He plopped his butt down into a prim and proper looking sit as if he hadn’t just flown ass over teakettle through the doorway.

  Laughing, Jill delivered the treat and Rev took it over to his bed to eat while Jill turned her attention to the waiting cups of coffee. Andrew had already doctored both coffees.

  “Jill, your dog an
swers to Demon Child,” Andrew commented wryly.

  “I know.” Jill grinned. “Isn’t he great?”

  Shaking his head and laughing, Andrew hooked an arm around her waist and pulled Jill in for a morning kiss. The feel of her soft and warm from bed had an immediate effect on Andrew. The kiss turned hot and breathless and needy in a flash and the urge to take her back upstairs quickly overtook Andrew. With a great deal of effort, he broke the kiss before he lost all choice in the matter.

  “I have to be at a meeting in half an hour,” Andrew said as he watched Jill try to catch her breath. He was relieved to see Jill as affected by their kiss as he had been.

  “Dinner tonight? Pick you up at seven?”

  “Okay,” Jill said.

  Andrew knew he was headed for trouble when he felt a huge sense of relief, knowing he’d see her that evening. He kissed her goodbye and walked to the back door, but turned with his hand on the doorknob.

  “Hey Jill? Can you wear the sweater dress and boots you wore to Jack’s the other day?” he asked.

  Jill gave him a puzzled look. “Sure.”

  Andrew smiled and walked out the door, sure that he was sinking further and faster into a relationship that he should be running from, but utterly unable to stop.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jill decided to spend the morning in her grandparents’ yard taking advantage of nature shots she could get right at home. Jake’s lack of support for her career had meant that Jill learned to take advantage of things she could find close by. She often took trips to the shore or hiked at spots she could reach in a few hours.

  Her grandparent’s estate actually had some great resources on it. Jill had some stunning shots of the deer at dusk when they came out to the salt licks she hung on the trees. This morning Jill took advantage of the birdbath and feeders she had been keeping full in the front of the house. She succeeded in luring several goldfinches to the feeder by providing the right food and now caught shots of them in the bright morning sun. Jill was sure the finch shots would make great cards or printed notepads.