NextMoves Read Online Free PDF

bed until she opened to him. Condom on, he guided his cock
inside her and thrust. One arm snaked under her body and the other strummed her
clit. His teeth nibbled along her neck. Short gasping groans spilled from her
throat. Her nails dug into his buttocks with every thrust. Pressure pooled at
the base of his spine. He pommeled harder, unable to get enough of her. She
screamed and didn’t stop until he took them both over the edge.
    Holding each other close, they struggled to breathe.
    “I want to pack you in my suitcase and take you with me.” He
meant every word.
    Jocelyn flinched as soon as he said it and rolled away,
breaking all contact. “None of that.”
    “Why not?” Cold water washed through his veins.
    “Last night was wonderful but it wasn’t real. We both needed
touch, to remember the good in our pasts. It’s time to go home where it’s messy
and complicated and this just doesn’t belong.” Her finger traced along his
lower lip. “Put your clothes on, good-looking. It’ll fade, you’ll see.”
    She was going to walk away from this. Why did he think she’d
be different? Underneath the heat lurked a frozen core, just like Cara. Anger
had him dressed and ready to run. At the door, he glanced back and stopped in
his tracks. Pain had drawn dark circles under her eyes. Whatever demons lived
in her memory spoke those words. Last night had touched her too. Her face
revealed that truth even if her words denied it.
    He walked back and sat on the edge of the bed. Pushing an
auburn curl behind her ear, he kissed her with all he had in a last-ditch
attempt to change her mind. “You sure, Jocelyn?”
    “Yes,” she said quickly, too quickly. “No strings. Goodbye,
good-looking. I wish you only happiness.”
    He nodded and walked through the door, a sense of loss
slicing through his chest. Despite Jocelyn’s words, something real passed
between them. He wanted to feel every day how he felt last night—alive and
whole.
    The punch of the emotional swell gave him hope, something
he’d been living too long without. He was moving to a new town, which promised
new opportunities. Maybe there was a woman who might dare him to try again, who
could fill the empty spaces life drilled through his heart. Even if it wasn’t
Jocelyn Wade.
    * * * * *
    Jocelyn stared at the door for a long while. That was
supposed to be fun, no-strings-attached sex. A one-night sanctuary from the
demands of daily life. Why did she feel so empty? And why for one brief moment
did she toy with the idea of packing herself in his suitcase?
    Her Blackberry rang. The office number blared at her and jumpstarted
ribbons of frustration tensing through her neck and shoulders. Too often lately
the tentacles of work reaching into her personal space triggered a sense of
despair in the pit of her stomach, like Pavlov’s dogs salivating to the
suggestion of food. Work used to be her escape, her lifeline. Now… She was
losing it. Get it together, Joci, there’s too much on your plate at home.
    Shaking her head to oust the unwanted thoughts, she headed
to the shower to pull herself together. A good life awaited her back
home—relationship-free, just the way she liked it. Right?

Chapter Four
     
    Jocelyn picked up her Ford hybrid from the airport parking
lot and drove to her father’s house, singing loudly, off-key, happy to be home
and eager to see her daughter after a week away. Kylie started high school in
two weeks and didn’t adapt well to new places nor were schools in Madison ready
for her. Diagnosed with ADHD, Kylie could be a handful. Her intensity and
energy often kept other kids and adults at a distance. Jocelyn researched the
condition vigorously and found ways to create a rich life for the two of them.
Running long distances together centered them both. What Jocelyn tired of was
browbeating each new school on how to handle kids with distinct learning needs.
At least this would be her last fight.
    She walked up the stone walkway worn smooth