by Erika Wilde
Especially after everything he’d learned today about her and her past.
“Yeah, I promise,” he said, and lowered his head, capturing her mouth in a long, hot, deep kiss to back up his vow.
Once it was over, she sashayed her way up the stairs. Halfway there, she glanced back down at him and caught him mesmerized by the slow, sexy sway of her hips.
She blew him a sweet kiss that found its way directly into his heart. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
It took monumental effort for him not to bound up the stairs and take her right then and there. Reminding himself that anticipation made for the best kind of sex, he headed to his office and settled behind his desk with Natalie’s case file. He gave his notes a cursory glance once again because he wanted to memorize every single fact he’d unearthed of Natalie’s past. The details would be useful in his investigation, and with Natalie, as well, when she finally regained her memory.
What threw him the most were the three very different, distinct personalities he’d discovered of Natalie over the past few days. He’d originally met a reserved woman at Murphy’s, one who worked and studied hard, and didn’t allow anyone to get too close. Now he understood why.
Today, he learned about the vulnerable woman caught up in a mentally abusive relationship that had undoubtedly cut down her self-esteem and made her more wary with men. A woman who’d chosen a solitary lifestyle over the warmth and passion that another intimate relationship could have provided. All because she feared her past would eventually catch up to her.
And now, at this very moment, waiting for him upstairs was a woman with incredible internal strength who was coping with the loss of her memory and making the best of an uncertain situation. Bypassing all the guarded caution she’d shown him before the accident, she now wore her emotions on her sleeve, openly trusting and believing in him. She didn’t hold back her desire for him, either. She’d turned into a seductress, a blossoming woman giving into her sensuality and focusing it all on him.
Which was the real Natalie? The answer came easier than he expected. She was a fascinating combination of all three, yet there was still one facet of her personality left to reveal—the woman she would become when her memory returned and her life was no longer in danger. What kind of woman would she be when she finally realized that being with him was a lie, despite his honorable intentions to keep her safe from harm?
Closing her case file, he scrubbed a hand along his jaw, knowing that eventually the truth would surface. And when it finally did, he hoped she’d forgive him for not only fabricating their relationship as a way to keep her safe, but for trampling across boundaries of appropriate behavior and falling headlong into deep personal waters.
Knowing there was nothing he could do about his growing feelings for Natalie but to accept them for the moment, he focused on business. It took him nearly an hour to return a few client calls, and to talk to Bobby. He brought his friend up to date on Chad Freeman, and made a personal request to see if Bobby could find out any additional info on the man stalking Natalie. Specifically, a criminal record and where he might be living.
When he finally made his way upstairs and into his bedroom, he was stunned by the sexy vision that greeted him. He’d known from their conversation down in the foyer that she wanted to fool around, and tonight he wasn’t going to play hard to get or try to protect her virtue.
The damage had been done—she was his, and there was something to be said for the kind of intimate bond that developed between a man and woman during sex. He was ruthless enough to use carnal pleasures to touch her emotions, to steal her heart and make sure she realized how much he cared for her before the truth interfered with this idyllic relationship of theirs.
The woman lying on the bed, dressed in a silky nightgown that draped along her voluptuous curves and with a come-hither look in her eyes, had every intention of seducing him. Her hair spilled around her shoulders, beckoning him to sink his fingers into the textured softness, and a sexy, irresistible smile lifted the corners of her mouth. His dick tightened at the thought of fucking this gorgeous, sensual creature, to hear his name on her lips when she came—and he knew he’d sell his soul to be deep inside her body again.
Unstrapping the gun holster he was still wearing, he set his revolver and leather holder on his dresser, his gaze never leaving her stretched-out form on the bed. “You look incredible,” he said huskily.
She looked immensely pleased with his compliment. “I did some shopping of my own today, and I thought of you when I tried this on. I couldn’t resist.”
Neither could he. Her nipples jutted against the silky material, the tips as diamond hard as the erection straining the fly of his jeans. “I like it, but you do know you won’t be wearing it for long, don’t you? I want skin-on-skin contact.”
“You’ll get that,” she said, and caressed a hand over her silk-clad hip to her bare thigh, seemingly enjoying the sensation she created—while driving him crazy with curiosity about what she wore beneath the skimpy negligee. “First, though, we play.”
He lifted a brow, falling hard for this spirited, shameless side to Natalie. He’d play with her any way she wanted. “What did you have in mind?”
“Something…erotic,” she whispered naughtily as her lashes fell half-mast over her slumberous gaze. “See that chair next to you?”
He finally broke eye contact with her and found the armless chair he usually kept in the far corner to toss his clothes over. Now it sat prominently in the middle of the room. “Yes, I see it.”
She smiled. “I want you to take off your shoes and shirt and sit down on it.”
He did as she asked, toeing off his sneakers, removing his socks and peeling his shirt over his head. Leaving his jeans on as directed, he lowered himself to the chair and waited for her to choreograph the next move.
She scooted off the bed and slowly strolled toward him, the hem of her gown flirting around her slender thighs, teasing his senses. Lust rippled through him, heightening to an excruciating hunger when she came to a stop a few feet away from him, prolonging his need to touch her.
She wet her lips with her tongue. “Can you see the closet mirrors and the mirror over the dresser?” she asked.
He glanced from the closet to the dresser, realizing just how strategically she’d placed his chair. He had an unobstructed view of the two of them, at different angles. “I see the mirrors.” He swallowed thickly, in near pain at the throbbing pressure taking up residence in his pants. “And I see you and me reflected in them, too.”
She smiled in satisfaction. “Perfect.”
He tipped his head, going along with her charade. “And why’s that?”
“I want to watch us, together, and you’ll get to do the same.”
Hedonistic images projected in his mind, of the two of them intimately entwined in the heat of passion. He groaned, knowing the fantasy would soon become reality, with both of them being voyeurs to each other’s pleasure, and their own.
“All you have to do is tell me what you want, and it’s yours.” Her fingers glided over the full swell of her breasts, then she toyed with the thin strap holding up her sexy gown. “Would you like me to strip for you?”
“No, not yet.” Refusing her request tested his restraint, but he knew how one look at her naked body could make him rush headlong into a quick tryst. Tonight, he wanted to take his time with her, wanted to savor and enjoy her playful, uninhibited behavior. “Though I would like to know if you’re wearing any panties.”
“The negligee didn’t come with any.” She shrugged, feigning an innocence that turned him on even more. “Was I supposed to wear a pair?”
Undeniable excitement pulsed through him. “Sweetheart, I’ll take you just the way you are, which makes it nice and convenient for me.” He crooked a finger at her, inviting her closer. “I want you to come here and sit on my lap.”
She glided across the space separating them, and instead of sitting sideways on his thighs like he exp
ected, she settled her ass against his groin and leaned back against his naked chest. Looking into the mirror in front of him, he could easily see how her legs were positioned primly between his, with her feet flat on the floor and her knees locked together in a shy, modest manner that contradicted her vixen appearance and actions.
The back of her head came to rest on his shoulder, and she turned her face toward his, a sinful smile on her lips. “Is this okay?”
He settled his hands on her waist, just because he’d waited too long to touch her. And he wanted to make sure she stayed put. “It’s not quite what I had in mind, but I’ll make do.” Wedging his feet in between hers, he drew her knees apart, spreading her legs wide open for him. The silky material of her gown draped along her thighs and covered all her feminine secrets, but not for long.
He buried his lips against the side of her neck and moved them up to her ear. “Look in the mirror, Natalie,” he said, and placed his hands on her thighs.
She obeyed, watching as he gradually slid the hem of her negligee upward until he’d exposed the soft, swollen lips of her sex. His entire body constricted with a sizzling stroke of heat, and he lightly ran his fingers through the dark curls covering her mound.
“Mmm, absolutely perfect,” he said, his tone low and rough with arousal.
She squirmed restlessly on his lap, her breathing deepening. “Noah…touch me.”
He knew what she wanted. Knew what she needed. But she’d been the one to suggest something erotic tonight, and he wasn’t about to let her off so easily. “There’s something incredibly exciting about watching a woman pleasuring herself,” he murmured as he brushed his lips against her jaw and let his hands drift up her arms. “I want to watch you touch yourself. Everywhere.”
Hooking his thumbs beneath the straps holding up her gown, he slid them over her shoulders and down her arms. The shimmery fabric pooled around her waist, revealing her full, heavy breasts to both of their gazes. Her large, darkly flushed nipples pulled tight with desire. With her wanton and naked on his lap and with longing darkening her eyes, she was the very essence of feminine sexuality.
And she was all his.
“God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured, in awe of her grace, elegance, and sensuality. Taking her hands, he flattened her palms on her breasts and helped knead the supple flesh with their entwined fingers until she picked up a rhythm she liked best. She moaned in protest when his hands drifted away to let her take over on her own.
“Do whatever feels good,” he coaxed, and groaned when she rolled her nipples between her fingers and pinched them just hard enough to make her breath catch and her back arch into her hands.
And that’s all it took for her to lose herself in the provocative fantasy he’d spun and to embrace her body’s restless needs, to satisfy the carnal cravings he knew had her so on edge. Her palms skimmed lower and he watched, completely captivated, as her fingers fluttered along the inside of her splayed thighs and finally slid into her wet heat with a long, slow, deliberate stroke. She caressed herself a few more times before she focused her attention on her clit, touching and circling the sensitive nub of flesh in a way that made her eventually gasp, shudder, and come apart.
Her head fell back, and a soft, wrenching cry escaped her throat as her orgasm hit, hard and intense. Her hips rocked into her fingers, and her bottom rubbed against his rock-hard erection, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep from coming right along with her.
Giving her a few moments to float down from her high, he brushed his lips along her flushed cheek and gently fondled her breasts to maximize her pleasure until the last of the shock waves rippling through her body receded. Finally, she went lax against him, her lashes fluttered back open, and she met his gaze in the mirror with a lazy, replete smile.
Turning her head to look up at him, she lifted a hand and trailed her fingers along his jaw. “My plan was to have my wicked way with you.”
Catching her wrist in a gentle hold, he brought her hand to his mouth so he could deliberately nibble and lick the taste of her off her fingers. “Here’s your chance,” he murmured with a sinful grin. “Finish undressing me.”
Obeying his request, she slid to the floor in front of him. She removed her gown, tossed it aside, and pushing his knees open, she moved in between. Slowly, deliberately, she eased the tab of his zipper down and over the thick shaft stretching the front of his jeans, then she grasped the waistband and pulled both his pants and boxer briefs down his legs and off, leaving him just as naked as she was.
Wetting her lips with her tongue as if he were a sensual feast she was about to devour, she encircled him with her soft, slender fingers and squeezed his aching erection. A drop of pre-come appeared, and she used her thumb to spread the silky bead of moisture over the broad tip of his cock and along the ridge of his shaft. His stomach muscles flexed, his dick pulsed in response, and a lustful groan rumbled in his chest, encouraging her to continue.
The sweetest, most seductive smile appeared on her lips. “Now it’s your turn to watch,” she said, and took him into her mouth.
He sucked in a swift breath as the dual sensations of slick heat and electrifying pleasure overwhelmed him. With effort, he dragged his gaze back to the mirror, taking in the woman kneeling in front of him and the erotic vision he was a part of. As she swayed forward to take him deeper, her hair swept across her cheek, blocking his view. Caught up in the fantasy she’d created, he gathered the soft strands into his fist and drew it away from her face, giving him an unobstructed look of her sucking and swallowing his cock in such a generous way.
The last time she’d pleasured him, he’d believed it was all a lascivious dream. Now he enjoyed every bit of reality—of having her soft lips surrounding him, mouth sucking, and her wet tongue lapping and swirling from the base of his shaft, all the way up to the sensitized tip…until his climax sizzled just below the surface and the exquisite stimulation was too much for him to bear.
Groaning roughly, he tightened his fingers in her hair and pulled her away. She glanced up at him with dark, lust filled eyes that questioned his reasons for stopping her when it was clear she would have gladly taken him all the way.
“I want to be inside of you when I come,” he said, the answer releasing from the depths of his soul, because the longing to be buried in her tight heat and warmth was both an emotional and physical need. “Straddle my waist and ride me, Natalie.”
She reached over to the dresser and grabbed the small square packet she must have put there before he arrived. She quickly sheathed him with the condom, then stood, widening her stance and moving over his thighs so she could sit astride his lap. With her hands gripping his shoulders and him guiding his shaft into her body, she slowly lowered herself, taking him inch by excruciating inch, until she was completely seated on his thighs and he was buried to the hilt.
He groaned and she sighed but didn’t move, and he understood the need to savor the moment, the perfection of their joining, the utter closeness, and the way she clasped him so tightly. Opening his mouth against her throat, he lazily licked her skin and dragged his hands down her smooth back. Once he reached her ass, he pulled her tighter, deeper against him.
She gasped and arched, and he moved his hands to her lush breasts, pushing them up high so he could take them into his mouth. He licked her nipples, grazed them with his teeth and parted his lips to take as much of her as he could. Her fingers speared through his hair to hold him close, and he suck those hard tips, hard and strong. With a broken whimper she began to move on him, hips gyrating, body rocking rhythmically, and he let her set the pace.
He lifted his head and caught their reflection in the mirror, their bodies naked and entwined in the throes of passion. “Look in the mirror, Natalie, and watch us together,” he urged huskily.
She did, her eyes a smoky shade of blue as she met his gaze in the mirror, then took in their intimate position. Her lips were parted as she panted for breath, her face flushed from arousal,
and he strummed his fingers from her shoulder to her waist, causing her to shiver in response.
He couldn’t wait much longer and wanted her to be with him when he came. “Send us both over the edge,” he rasped, and bucked upward, prompting her to move as well.
She picked up his rhythm, matching him thrust for thrust, and the pleasure between them grew, driving them both higher. A desperate, keening sound escaped her as the heat and friction escalated. Seemingly needing more, she wrapped one arm around his neck, aligning their bodies from chest to groin, and used her other hand to frame his face as she lowered her head and captured his mouth in a deep, hot, tongue-tangling kiss that mimicked the fast, hard, frantic mating of their bodies.
The intensity was too great, the tumult of emotions he harbored for this woman too overwhelming, and Noah felt himself falling headlong into a searing orgasm that ripped through him like an electrical shock. And then she was moaning into his mouth, and he felt her convulsing around his shaft, milking him, shuddering with the force of her own release as she gave herself over to him in every way that mattered.
* * *
Natalie woke up in the middle of the night with a start, her body flinching as if someone had physically jolted her awake. Her heart pounded hard in her chest and she was trembling from the inside out. It took her a moment to realize that she was safe in bed with Noah, and that being chased through dark alleys to a dead-end street had all been a bad dream.
A very realistic dream, she couldn’t help but acknowledge, one that had taken on nightmarish qualities that even now, despite being fully aware of her safe surroundings, made her shudder. The man in her dream who’d chased her had taken on the face of the guy who’d been watching her at the restaurant the day before, and that in itself bothered her. She’d been running desperately, trying to escape him. The fear she’d experienced in her dream had been distinct and stifling and continued even now as she tried to make sense of it all.
Unbidden, a brief image flashed in her mind, of walking beside Noah and her being pursued by the same man in her dream. More disjointed glimpses appeared, of her fleeing Noah’s embrace in a panic. Blindly running across the street. Hearing the slam of brakes and the sickening impact of being hit by a car.
