by Reese Ryan
From the tenting of the front panel of his athletic shorts, he obviously enjoyed the view.
He stood and opened his hand, extending it to her.
Audra placed her hand in his, willing the trembling in her limbs and the butterflies in her belly to stop.
Darius took her to the master bedroom on the other side of the house and laid her on the bed. He stripped off his shorts, revealing a pair of stretch boxers with Dolce & Gabbana printed on the waistband.
He crawled onto the bed, hovering over her. He pressed one kiss to her lips and then another. And another.
Sliding the band from her ponytail, he sifted his fingers through her hair as he kissed her, his tongue seeking hers and licking at the barbell piercing. His thick, hard erection pressed against her thigh.
She wanted him. More than she wanted anything else in that moment. She wouldn’t let herself think beyond that. Otherwise, she’d begin to question herself. To question him. But right now, she didn’t want to think. She only wanted to feel.
Darius flipped onto his back, pulling her on top of him without breaking their kiss. His hands glided up and down her back. He gripped her bottom, pulling her against his hardened shaft.
She sucked in a deep breath at the delicious sensation of his steely length pressed against her heated, sensitive flesh—the feeling so much more intense now than before. There was a fluttering low in her belly and electricity zipped along her spine.
Audra whimpered, the sound lost in their increasingly fervent kiss.
“You have no idea how badly I want you.” He pushed aside the curtain of dark brown hair that blocked his view of her face. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since—”
“The diner?” She hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him since then, either.
“No matter how hard I try to push you out of my head...you’re always there.”
Audra felt that way, too. Since long before they’d crossed paths at that diner.
She’d smiled and gone on with her life for the past five years. Started her dream business. Found success. Tried to find love again. But inside, she’d been splintered and falling apart, trying to hide the devastation.
Whatever it is you’re feeling, just...feel it. Don’t pretend the feelings aren’t there.
Audra pressed her mouth to his again and kissed him. She was done talking.
Darius unfastened her bra and slipped it from her shoulders. Then he rolled her onto her back and trailed kisses down her chest. He took one beaded tip into his warm mouth, sucking it, then teasing it with his tongue as she squirmed beneath him.
He slowly kissed his way down her belly, flicking the dangling, diamond butterfly belly ring with his tongue. The pulsing between her thighs beat like a drum.
Darius tugged the lacy material down her thighs and tossed it onto the floor. When he spread her with his thumbs and tasted her there, she gasped at the intense pleasure. Audra dug her heels into the mattress, her hips straining toward his mouth.
A silent plea for more.
Legs trembling and heart racing, her belly flipped as she careened closer and closer to the edge. She’d forgotten how deeply committed the man was to cunnilingus. He went for it without hesitation.
Every. Fucking. Time.
He never dialed it in. Instead, he got off on it as much as she did. Like there was nothing more important in his world than bringing her to ecstasy.
“OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod... YES!”
Fireworks exploded behind her tightly closed eyelids. She dug her heels in, trying to get a reprieve from the pleasure rocketing through her body. Her legs quivered as she arched her back. She was breathless and dizzy.
“That’s my girl.” Darius pressed soft, warm kisses to her inner thigh. Then he trailed them up her body. He kissed her shoulder and her neck, then whispered in her ear, “There is something so goddamn gratifying about that rapturous expression on your face when you’re right there on the brink.”
Audra felt giddy, then emotional, then a little angry.
She’d been his. She’d dreamed of someday being his wife, of sharing this passion and chemistry and affection for the rest of their lives. But he’d destroyed everything they’d built because he hadn’t trusted her with his truth. Hadn’t had enough faith in her to believe that she’d choose him.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Darius furrowed his brows as he studied her face. He seemed to sense the sudden tension in her body.
“Nothing,” Audra whispered.
Talking about it right now would only fuel the hurt and anger that simmered beneath the surface.
She kissed his mouth, tangy with a hint of her own essence. Cradling his cheek, she glided her pierced tongue against his.
Darius slipped his fingers into her hair, angling her head to deepen their kiss until they were both breathless. His thick, hard shaft teased her entrance.
He rolled off her suddenly, then returned from the bathroom with a strip of condoms. He ripped one open and sheathed himself.
Something in his ravenous gaze made her heart expand. She remembered the first time he looked at her that way. It was the night he’d first told her he loved her.
Darius gripped the base of his length and eased himself inside her, evoking a quiet gasp from her.
The connection between them was deeply satisfying. She’d craved his touch, his kiss. He pressed his mouth to hers, as he inched his way inside of her, stretching her body as it welcomed his again.
Audra sucked in a deep breath when he hit bottom. The friction of his body grinding against the already sensitive bundle of nerves brought her closer to the edge with every thrust until she shattered, clutching his strong biceps and calling his name.
He kissed her neck, his strokes harder and faster. His harsh whisper warmed her cheek. “God, I’ve missed you, Audra.”
Her eyes suddenly burned with tears.
Darius tensed, then trembled. He fell onto his back beside her, both of them breathing heavily.
Neither of them spoke, and the awkward silence between them amplified every other sound. The tick of the wall clock. The roar of a passing motorcycle. The quiet whir of the warm air blowing through an overhead vent. The pounding of her own pulse.
Audra silently wiped away the tears that streaked her flaming cheeks.
She was beyond embarrassed.
Crying during sex? Really?
She’d never done that before. Not ever. No matter how great the sex was. And she knew better than to fall for the sweet nothings a man whispered while on the verge. In that moment of orgasm-induced, temporary insanity, he’d promise you the world.
No one should be held to the things they uttered on the verge of carnal bliss.
So why had she been so touched by Darius’s simple admission?
Audra discreetly wiped away the warm tears that leaked from the corners of her eyes as the truth hit her.
She’d been moved by Darius’s words because he’d expressed exactly what she was feeling.
She’d missed him, too. In a way she hadn’t missed any other man. Because she’d loved him like she’d loved no other.
No matter how much she tried to deny it, the truth was she still loved Darius. And she wanted him in her life.
The man you want isn’t necessarily the man you need, Audra.
Her mother’s words echoed in her head. She’d always trotted out that phrase whenever Audra was interested in someone who didn’t quite fit her mother’s plans for her. Which was why she’d hesitated to introduce her parents to Darius back then.
But maybe her mother was right.
She wanted Darius, but she needed a partner she could count on. Someone who trusted her implicitly. But there was something Darius was hiding from her still. She’d sensed it that day at the diner. And she sensed it now.
She
’d given in to desire. Given him her body. Taken his. But she would never again give her heart to a man who couldn’t be trusted with it.
Fourteen
Darius’s heart thudded in his chest, his breathing labored as he came down from the incredible high of being with Audra again.
Making love to her was even better than he remembered. So much so that he’d told her how much he’d missed her.
Every word he’d spoken was true. He just hadn’t intended to say them. Especially not in the heat of passion.
He’d seen the glint of tears in her eyes. Was it because she believed him or because she didn’t?
Either way, things now felt awkward between them. Both of them likely embarrassed by their outbursts of emotion.
Darius rolled onto his side. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and stroked her cheek. “You were incredible, Audra.”
She glided her fingertips down his side. “So were you.”
Darius kissed her again and excused himself. In the restroom, he splashed cold water on his face.
Just take it easy. Everything will be fine.
Who was he kidding? Everything was not fine. He’d finally cleared the air with Audra about what had happened back then. But now here he was forced to keep another truth from her.
He couldn’t even consider getting serious with Audra until he could tell her everything. Why he’d really been summoned to Royal. What his connection was to the Blackwoods. But he couldn’t do that until he’d talked to his mother and stepfather.
He’d fly home today to talk to them, if that were possible. But they were still on the twenty-one-day tour of Europe they’d always dreamed about. They wouldn’t be back until after his show.
When he returned to the bedroom, Audra was gone, and the bedroom door was open. He put on his boxers and trekked through the house to find her in the office. She was in her panties and bra, bending to retrieve the dress they’d discarded there earlier.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” He leaned against the doorframe.
“It’s late, and we’ve both had a really long day.” She sunk her teeth gently into her lower lip when her gaze dropped below his waist momentarily. Her cheeks flushed and she redirected her gaze, as if she hadn’t seen him in a lot less moments before. “Besides, you probably have an early morning planned.”
Darius looped an arm around her waist. He tipped her chin so her eyes met his. “Stay. Please.”
Her breath hitched at his soft plea. “I shouldn’t. It’d be weird.”
“Only if we allow it to be.” He shrugged. “Besides, you promised to model those swimsuits for me.”
She laughed nervously, leaning into him rather than pulling away. “I believe what I promised was an honest opinion.”
“How can you do that if you don’t try it on?”
“I suppose you’re right. And a promise is a promise.”
She laid the dress across a chair and grabbed the one-piece swimming suit.
“The deconstructed one-shoulder design is gorgeous. It’s both modest and sexy with all of this sheer detailing.” She held it up to the light. “And the solid fabric isn’t so thin that it’s transparent.” Audra turned the suit around, laying it across his desk. She trailed her fingers over the back. “Premium fabric, well made, thoughtfully designed, and it’s my favorite color.”
“Eggplant,” he chimed in, chuckling when they said it simultaneously. He shrugged at her look of surprise. “What? How could I forget that? I’ve never met another person whose favorite color was eggplant.”
Audra fought back the smile that lit her eyes. She checked the label inside. “Did you really order this in my size? How’d you know?”
“I am a clothing designer,” he reminded her. “I’ve gotten pretty good at guesstimating a woman’s measurements. I’ll grab a bottle of wine while you try the suit on. Red or white?”
“White.” The tension seemed to melt from her shoulders. She no longer seemed anxious to leave.
Darius leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Be right back.”
He found his shorts and shirt and got dressed before returning to the kitchen to throw together a quick charcuterie and cheese tray. He opened a bottle of chardonnay and grabbed two wineglasses, slipping the stems into the designated notches on the board.
When he returned to the office, Audra spun slowly, giving him a good look at the suit from all sides.
“What do you think?” She beamed, one fist propped on her hip.
“Wow.” He set the tray down and rubbed his chin as he assessed the fit of the suit. “You look incredible, Audra. Even more so than I imagined when I designed it for you.”
She cocked her head. “You designed the suit for me?”
Suddenly, he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut. “I designed it with your body type in mind.”
“In my favorite color and size.” She approached him with an incredulous grin that made her eyes twinkle.
“Wine?” He handed her a glass, then took a seat in front of the desk, not responding to her implication.
Audra flashed a teasing smile, then sipped her wine. Setting her glass down, she plucked a few kalamata olives and a square of French Gruyère cheese from the tray. She popped them in her mouth, then strode around the room in the suit.
She turned to look down at the back of the suit, her body slightly twisted. “I like the way this one provides full coverage in the back.” She bent over and touched her toes, her dark brown hair falling forward.
Yep. Definitely a fan of that new, curvier ass.
God bless every pint of ice cream, donut, cookie and latte that had contributed to it over the past five years.
Darius adjusted himself in the chair and crossed one ankle over his opposite knee.
“And I love that it stays put. It doesn’t ride up when you bend or stretch.” Audra ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed a couple of red grapes from the tray. “Should I try on the bikini now?”
God, yes.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” he said nonchalantly, without looking up from the tray where he was spreading chèvre on a cracker and topping it with prosciutto.
Audra left the room with the bikini in her hand.
He’d just seen every inch of her, up close and personal. Yet he was practically hyperventilating at the thought of seeing her in that bikini.
He was a complete goner.
Audra returned in a few minutes, wearing the two-piece garment. He nearly choked on his prosciutto and cracker.
She patted his back and handed him his glass of wine as he coughed and sputtered.
Smooth, playa. Really smooth.
“Are you all right?” She stood over him, her warm brown eyes assessing him as she tried to hold back a grin.
“Fine.” He drank more wine. “Promise.”
Audra strutted to the middle of the room and turned slowly so he could see the bikini from every angle. “That reaction... I’m not sure if that means I look really bad in the suit or—”
“You look amazing. Trust me.” He walked toward her but stopped a few feet shy. Arms folded, he propped his chin on his fist and studied the fit of the suit and the give of the fabric as she moved. “How do you feel in it?”
“I really like this one, too,” she said. “It says it’s the same size, but it fits more snugly. It doesn’t have full coverage in the back, like the first one did. But it doesn’t show so much skin that I feel self-conscious.”
“May I?” He reached toward her.
“After what happened earlier?” Audra’s cheeks flushed. “I should think so.”
“It’s become habit, I suppose. I always ask permission if I need to touch one of the models.” He adjusted the band just below her bust. “Do the ties feel secure?” He rested his fingertips on her waistline, just above the ties at her hips.
<
br /> Audra stared at him for a moment, her gaze heated. She looped her arms around his neck and lifted onto her toes.
“Why don’t we find out?” she asked in a soft, husky voice, moments before his mouth crashed against hers.
Darius pressed one hand flat to her back, the other gripped the firm, round globes that had sent his pulse racing.
He kissed her hungrily. As if they hadn’t made love less than an hour ago. In response, she clutched his shirt, pulling him closer. Seemingly as desperate for the connection as he was.
Darius lifted her, his hands planted firmly on her bottom. Audra wrapped her legs around him.
They both groaned a little at the sensation of his hardened length surging against the warm space between her thighs.
Darius took a few steps backward until his calves hit the sofa behind him. He sank down with Audra straddling his lap. She dug her knees into the sofa on either side of him, as she worked her hips, sending a jolt of sensation up his spine and making his heart thump against his chest.
Darius tugged on the ribbon at the back of the bikini top, then loosened the ribbon at the back of her neck. Audra yanked the untethered material from between their bodies and dropped it onto the floor.
He kissed her hard, his pulse racing and his head spinning. Audra was the only woman who’d ever made him feel such a crazed desperation to kiss her. To touch her. To make love to her. As if nothing else mattered.
Audra grasped the bottom of his shirt and tugged it over his head. When she’d discarded the garment, Darius took her in his arms again.
He loved the feel of her naked breasts against his chest. He trailed his fingertips down her back with a light, feather touch, then gripped her hips as she moved against him, increasing the friction against her clit through the thin garments they wore.
Finally, he couldn’t take another moment of the heat and desire building between them. He needed to be inside this incredible woman again.
He loosened the bow on each hip until the bikini bottom fell open. Audra shifted her weight to her knees, allowing him to lift his hips and slide his shorts and boxers off. He retrieved one of the condoms from the pocket of his shorts, where he’d, thankfully, had the presence of mind to stash them when he’d gotten dressed.
