A Pair of Jacks (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Blaze Ballantine

touching her lips to the stubble on his chin one more time. She licked her tongue across his jaw, enjoying the coarseness.
    Jack swallowed, and she felt him tense as her hands began to lift the bottom of his t-shirt.
    “Marie?”
    “Shhh,” she murmured, running her hands over the warmth of his body under the shirt, and feeling the ripple of his muscles as they danced under the tips of her fingers.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jack told himself she was using him to erase the memory of the day. She needed the mindless escape of sex, and he could almost forgive Reno for giving her comfort at the ranch. Sometimes, just to feel was enough. No emotional attachment, just the physical touch of another human to chase away the thoughts. He could understand that, he’d done it more than once himself. But could he live with it this time?
    Marie looked up at him. Her cinnamon colored eyes were still luminous with the aftermath of tears. Jack’s heart slammed against his chest trying to avoid the inevitable. He wasn’t going to escape this without getting hurt. He told himself he couldn’t have fallen for her this fast. But the shaking of his hands let him know he was only lying to himself.
    Gathering her face in his hands, he used his thumbs to wipe away the last traces of moisture before lowering his mouth to kiss the corner of her lips. His kiss was gentle this time, tasting the salt of tears that had gathered in the corner of her rosebud mouth.
    She wrapped her arms more tightly around him under the softness of his t-shirt and her hands stroked his back with encouragement. He moved his lips over her mouth, nudging her with his tongue and slipping inside as she opened for him with a sigh of enjoyment. Jack felt her body relax, melting into him. She was as pliant as a kitten when his hands found her breasts and caressed them, feeling the weight and the firm softness.
    He didn’t want to wait any longer. While she placed kisses on his face and neck, he unbuttoned her shirt, opening it wide for his viewing pleasure. His breath caught when he found the center clasp of her bra and freed her breasts to the moonlight. God, she is beautiful.
    He simply stared at her for a moment, watching her nipples harden under the cool night air. Dipping his head, he flicked one taut nipple with his tongue, and she flinched with the sensitivity of a woman already aroused.
    Sitting back in the saddle, he watched her face as his fingers rolled her nipples gently, playfully squeezing them between his thumbs and fingers. It was erotic to watch her eyes flicker shut as the sensation became so strong she shuddered with the joy of it, arching her back, inviting him to do more.
    Jack dropped his head to take her in his mouth, sucking hard as he steadied her with a firm hand on her back. She dropped her head back against her shoulders, moaning softly as his teeth scraped across the swollen tips of her full breasts.
    When he withdrew his mouth, her hands found the buckle of his belt.
    “Wait.”
    He pulled her into his arms and dismounted, dropping lightly to the ground like she weighed no more than a feather. He kissed her once before setting her feet on the ground so that he could pull a blanket out of one of the saddlebags. With an expert flip of his wrist, he tossed the blanket onto the grass.
    “C’mere, Marie.” He held his arms out to her as he settled onto the woolen blanket. She melted into his embrace, drawing a sigh of contentment as he lowered them both to the ground.
    Rolling half on top of her, Jack kissed Marie from her mouth to the rosy tips of her breasts, pulling at each nipple with a deliberate tug of his lips while his tongue rolled her against the roof of his mouth. She bucked up against him, moaning his name softly, nudging him with her hips.
    Jack lifted her enough to slip her shirt off her back before he began unbuttoning her jeans. She was impatient, moving under his hands, pushing against his fingers as he combed through the tangled softness