“Good,” DeMarco said, attempting to stay composed. He took a step back then extended his hands to her. “Come on in. The water’s warm.”
Reese hesitated for the briefest moment. Then she dipped her toe in the water.
“You’re right,” she said, a quick smile flicked across her lips then disappeared. “It is warm. You promise you won’t let me drown?”
DeMarco Diamond’s heart jolted in his chest. Her eyes looked as heartbreakingly sincere as a three-week old puppy’s.
Didn’t she know he was a killer?
Didn’t she know he was one of the most feared men in America?
“No, baby,” he said. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The words surprised him even as they fell from his lips. Not because he’d said them. But because he believed they were true.
#
This man was the last thing Reese needed in her life. She had seen pictures of DeMarco Diamond on television although she never paid him much attention. Now she couldn’t take her eyes away from him. Each ripple of his chest begged her to reach out and touch him. How she would love to run her tongue over that smooth olive skin, around his hardened nipples, and bite until he moaned with pleasure.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said again.
Her stomach muscles quivered.
That sounded like something a man who wanted to have his way with her would say. Sweet nothings that amounted to simply that: nothing.
Yet, her legs shakily carried her toward him. She wanted to believe his words. Wanted to fall into his arms and be loved by him like no man had ever loved her before. However, if the men she’d had in her past were any indication, DeMarco Diamond would be as ineffectual a lover as all those before him, regardless of how utterly mouthwatering he may have looked.
“Now what?” she asked when she was waist deep in the water.
“Now you float,” he said. “So that you can understand the magic of buoyancy.”
Gently, he put his hand behind her head and helped her lean back into the water. “Relax,” he whispered over and over again like a mantra. “Relax.”
Reese let her body become as moldable as clay. She kept her feet together and arched. He touched her small toe with a single finger and she felt her body drift. He touched the other toe and her body slowly changed direction. She closed her eyes against the blue sky and absorbed the warmth that enveloped her. Was this real? Was she really here? It seemed like only yesterday that she was homeless, living on the streets and scheming to get ahead. And now this.
Reese opened her eyes when she felt his touch. DeMarco’s hand gently cradled her lower back and her body became as fluid as the water on which she drifted. The summer sun softened the black eyes that had seared into her with displeasure only moments ago. Beads of water twinkled in the light smattering of chest hair which lay slick down his chiseled torso. An electrical current bounced between them and, instead of frazzling her nerves, his nearness calmed her. Reese closed her eyes again.
“Slowly lift your arms behind you like an arrow,” he commanded.
She did as she was told without much grace. Her body awkwardly drifted, overcompensated and water splashed on her face. She heard his deep intake of air. He was probably laughing inside at her awkwardness. But he said nothing. DeMarco came behind her and helped to outstretch her arms above her head, then placing one hand firmly in the pocket of the other. With but a finger, he touched her cupped hands and her body drifted like a pendulum in whatever direction he chose, just as he’d done her with her toes.
Reese smiled. “This feels good.”
“It gets better,” he said. “How about kicking those pretty little toes for me? See how fast you can get to the other end of the pool.”
“How deep is the other end?”
“Deep enough. Now kick. Nothing’s going to happen to you, Reese. I’m right here with you.”
Reese pointed her toes and kicked, splattering him with huge plumes of water. She smiled but kept her body straight as a rod.
“Wall,” DeMarco said.
Suddenly, she had a vision of crashing her head into the wall and her blood spilling into the pool. Her body tensed. Reese took a deep breath and felt her legs dip deeper into the water, then her core followed.
Before her head could go under, she felt a single strong arm wrap around her waist and upright her.
Reese’s heart thumped inside her chest. She clutched the edge of the pool while her toes searched for purchase on the bottom. At five-four, Reese knew if she couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool it was because she was in six feet of water, if not deeper. She rested her head on her arm, which clung to the concrete like a life preserver.
“I could have drowned,” she said.
“Not on my watch, you couldn’t have,” DeMarco said. “It’s natural to be afraid of water in the beginning. It won’t be long before you’re able to relax and learn to enjoy how fun the water can be.”
Reese shook her head. She wasn’t buying it. “That wasn’t my idea of fun.” She shook the tip of her nose, water dripped out. “I must look like a fool.”
“Don’t clutch the pool,” DeMarco said, his voice low and deep.
“The water’s too deep, I have to.”
Reese looked at him. His eyes moved over her face as though he were appraising the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.
“No,” he whispered and moved closer to her. Gently he took both her hands and wrapped them around his bare waist. He brought his lips down to hers and the instant before he kissed her he said, “Hold on to me.”
#
DeMarco was a man who knew self-control. He’d slept with his fair share of women over the years and none of them had affected him in quite this way. He’d made sure of it. This felt different—beyond his control. The unmasked vulnerability in Reese’s eyes touched a part of him that he’d believed was long dead. Those quivering pink lips of hers would surely be his downfall.
Nevertheless, he wrapped her hands around his waist and kissed her. Her reticent tongue surprised him. DeMarco was accustomed to aggressive women who could hardly wait to get inside his bed and his pockets. But this woman was something else. As his tongue danced with hers, he tasted a hint of raspberry—jam? candy?—and he sucked her bottom lip like a man trying to squeeze the last bit of nectar from fruit. Aware of his nudity, he kept his lower body at a safe distance from Reese’s, careful not to scare her away by the sudden jolt of his cock pressing against her. No, DeMarco definitely wanted to have his way with her, and he didn’t want to be turned away by a sudden allegiance to modesty.
DeMarco unhooked her tightly bound hands from around his waist and ever so slowly turned Reese in the water so that the front of her pressed against the pool wall. In what he took as a show of submission, she folded her arms on the ledge and rested her head, waiting for whatever came next.
“Relax,” he whispered in her ear, then ran his tongue over her shoulder. At his height, DeMarco was able to stand in the pool with no effort. How adorable it was to see her legs dangling beneath the sparkling water. He placed kiss after kiss down her back until his head was almost beneath the water. DeMarco sucked in his breath and let his tongue continue to flick across her skin as he slowly plunged beneath the surface to come face-to-face with her behind. He took a second to admire her ass—perfectly rounded cakes that made his mouth water. DeMarco kneaded them in his hands then sucked on one, then the other, until he became lightheaded due to lack of oxygen and his rising temperature.
Using little strength, DeMarco ripped the thin material of her thong and let it float away while his tongue traveled down the exquisite center of her ass. Damn it! He needed air. DeMarco pulled himself up to the surface, splashing water on her back as he did so. He didn’t need to slip his fingers between her thighs to discern her arousal. The faraway look on her face—even with her eyes closed—told him all he needed to know.
His hand caressed her left ass cheek as he leaned forward a
nd asked, “Do you want me?”
“Yes, yes,” she whispered, her eyes still closed.
Baby if you think you feel good now, just you wait . . .
DeMarco slid each bra strap off her shoulder, trailing kisses along the way. With experienced fingers, he unhooked her bra and let the water carry it away. Now they were both naked. Hot skin pressing against hot skin.
Reese bent her head back and pressed it against DeMarco’s shoulder. He took advantage of her parted lips and tasted her again, with more hunger than before. She wrapped her left arm around his head, running her nails through his hair, clawing at his scalp and DeMarco didn’t even try to stifle the moan that emerged from the depths of his belly. Since when could a woman have this kind of all-consuming effect on him?
DeMarco slid his hands down her soft belly. Exactly, maddeningly the way he liked it. If he wanted to feel all muscles and bones, he might as well have fucked a man. No thanks. Not his style. He liked the feel of flesh, tissue . . . meat. Instinctively, Reese must have known where he wanted to go with his hands because she wrapped each of her legs around each of his. He took a step away from the ledge.
This was trust.
If she unhooked her arms from around his neck and if he unwrapped his arms from around her waist, she would slip into the water. She could drown.
But she trusted him enough to let herself be carried away from the safety of the wall and leaned into him, her tongue exploring his mouth in easy strokes.
Her blind trust aroused him more.
DeMarco’s heart thudded faster as his hands found the warm center of her. Reese responded by arching her back and pushing her ass closer against him. His fingers stroked her pussy, languidly exploring the recesses of her. He didn’t need to rush this. DeMarco wanted to savor every moment with her.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, taking a breath.
“No.” It wasn’t just a word. It was a breathy moan, full of fire.
DeMarco smiled.
He’d made another million dollars yesterday, had custom-built homes around the world, a private jet and a car for every day of the week. Hell, DeMarco Diamond could have had a different woman every day of the week.
But no matter how much money he made, how many things he acquired, how many asses he spanked, there was nothing quite as satisfying as being the cause of a good girl turning bad.
#
This is wrong, wrong, wrong!
Reese’s inner good girl screamed at her. What was she thinking? She was there to hide out, maybe even to rob the man, but definitely not to fuck him. So how on earth did she end up naked and in his pool with his long firm fingers working her into a frenzy? If he did this for another second she would climax and that would be unfortunate because she could feel his hard cock pressing against her ass, practically begging for her warmth and she wanted nothing more than to oblige.
Hence, her spread legs, her arched back and insatiable tongue that held the promise of many more suckings to come.
“Fuck me,” she said.
DeMarco didn’t need to be told twice. He untangled her legs and turned her around in the pool.
“I want to look in your eyes and watch you come.”
Reese didn’t respond—couldn’t. Her breath was coming in huge gulps as she positioned herself just so.
“Oh . . .” she said as she felt him slide his into her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded
He smiled. It was a nice smile. “Tell me if it hurts.”
“Shit!” She said when she realized that he’d only inserted the rim of himself in her. There was more. Oh, yes. There was so very much more.
And then she felt the base of him as he moved inside her. They were back near the wall and she leaned back, lifted her hips while DeMarco wrapped his hands around her waist and rocked inside her, a steady rhythm that sent shockwaves through her.
He tossed water onto her breasts, then pushed her breasts together and sucked her nipples dry.
Reese had never been with a man so well-endowed. And even if she had, she didn’t think he would have fucked her like DeMarco Diamond. He stretched her body to unexplored limits. His eyes never left her own, so eager was he to watch her as she came, which felt like it would happen at any second. Each intense thrust felt like a stamp on her body. She felt as though he was claiming her, branding her as his.
But Reese couldn’t let a man control her so easily. So she clenched her body tight and fought like hell to resist the urge to let herself succumb to an orgasm. She would make DeMarco work for it, and even then, he wouldn’t walk away with anything more than the satisfaction of knowing he gave her a good, hard fuck.
#
DeMarco felt Reese’s body tighten.
And what is this? Fear? Resistance? A dare.
DeMarco slowed his movements. So this was how Reese was going to play it, huh? She was going to act as though she was a challenge for him. Good. DeMarco liked challenges and it had been so very long since he’d had one in his life.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Reese Worthington,” he said. A smile played at her lips. Nothing like a compliment to make a woman go all gooey inside. DeMarco reached up to free her hair from that old-fashioned pin-up job she had going on. Reese nudged her head to the side.
“No,” she said.
“I can’t see you with your hair down?” he asked. She shook her head. “I admire your commitment, however misplaced it might be.”
“I should go,” she said. She wriggled her hips in an attempt to get away from him.
“You haven’t come.”
“I never do,” she said and pushed on his chest. “I’m incapable of having an orgasm.
“Like hell,” DeMarco said. “Wrap your legs tighter against me.”
“I think I should go.”
DeMarco gave her one quick thrust.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. Obediently, Reese did as she was told and wrapped her legs around him.
“Tighter,” he commanded.
When he felt she was secure, he stepped away from the edge until they were in the middle of the pool. He had an inexplicable desire to be her only lifeline. DeMarco lifted himself in the water, allowing their entwined bodies to float. He eased deeper into her and was more than a little pleased when she gasped. He felt her muscles tighten around his cock. Her warm, wet haven felt unlike anything he’d experienced before and no matter how much of her he got, he wanted more.
“Take a deep breath,” he said. “Then blow slow, tiny bubbles out your mouth.”
“What?” she asked. A bead of sweat dampened her brow. Surely not from the mid-morning heat.
“Fill your lungs with air, then blow. Nice and slow.”
Then he dipped them below the surface of the water. Her eyes widened. He brought them back up.
“You got it?” he asked. “Don’t hold your breath. Inhale, go under, then bubbles.”
She breathed heavily, then nodded.
DeMarco let their bodies float back underwater. When he was confident she was blowing steady bubbles from her lips, he began taking her again, grinding himself into her in slow, deep rhythms. Their unwieldy bodies floated beneath the water. As good as her body felt, it didn’t compare to the feeling that shot through him when she leaned her head back in complete rapture. Reese blew small bubbles to the surface as she craned her bare neck. Her legs and arms were wrapped around him like an old robe. She moved faster, her eyes closed, then a shockwave coursed through her. After DeMarco felt her come, he allowed himself the same release. He buried his head into her breasts, swollen like firm peaches, and together they crashed to the surface, breathless and panting for air.
And then the damnedest thing happened.
Reese slid from his embrace, floated back beneath the water and swam like a goddamned mermaid to the steps of the pool.
Flabbergasted, DeMarco watched as she emerged. His still hard penis began to stir at the sight of her.
“What a
second,” he said. He swam to the steps where she had already picked up her clothing. “Where do you think you’re going? And what was all that about, anyway?”
Reese discreetly held the clothes in front of her and shrugged. “Guess you’re a better teacher than you thought.”
“What are you up to, Reese?”
Reese’s brows dipped. “I’ve no idea what you’re referring to. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to take the rest of the day off like the rest of the staff.”
What kind of game is she running?
DeMarco was about to dismiss her when he noticed something glimmering in her hair. A barrette? Curiosity nudged him out of the pool. He walked to her. She took a tentative step back.
“Afraid?” he asked.
“Not of you.”
“Did you like it?”
She opened her mouth, but whatever sarcastic retort was about to shoot out of her mouth like a bullet froze on her lips.
It was all the confirmation he needed.
Again, something shiny in her hair reflected light from the sun. What is that? DeMarco walked closer to inspect it.
Reese turned to walk away.
“Whoa there, Princess. Not so fast.”
She tried to pull away from his grasp which only solidified DeMarco’s suspicions.
He reached inside her limp, wet hair that was, somehow, miraculously still holding on to that silly updo.
“What the hell?” Marco’s fingers touched metal. He began to slip the object from her hair. Gold. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
DeMarco untangled his watch from her hair, which had been nestled inside like an egg in a bird’s nest.
“This is a one-hundred thousand dollar watch,” he said. “Are you trying to steal from me?”
“I like to think of it as a pre-payment for services rendered,” Reese said.
DeMarco didn’t like to be used. And no one made a fool of him.
“You’ve got a thirty-minute head start,” he said, trying to contain his anger. “And then I’m coming to find you.”
Wet and Ready Page 2
