by Diana Duncan
Wearing only black briefs, he tugged her to her feet. “And I for you.” He slipped his hands inside the elastic waist of her skirt, eased it over her hips and off.
She stood before him in her turquoise bra and matching bikini. His smoldering gaze roamed a meandering path down her body and snagged on the small silver ring in her navel. A sensual grin flirted with his mouth. “Big gambler, are you?”
She glanced at the two tiny pink dice on the ring and grinned back at him. “Lady Luck hasn’t deserted me yet.”
His fingers tunneled into her hair, and he drew her close. “I know this is my lucky day.” He bent his head and kissed her.
Embraced in his heat, immersed in his clean, masculine scent, she swayed, sighed. She nestled into him and let him take her under. He whispered her name against her lips, then again feasted on her. The fervor and fire she’d felt from him in the cave raged beneath the surface, but remained leashed under his tight control. His lips were soft and patient. His hands tender. Savoring what before he’d devoured. Lingering where before he’d sped. Creating a slow, erotic swell of pleasure.
His fingertips traced the turquoise lace covering her breasts, and her nipples tightened to hard, aching peaks. “Very pretty.” He released the catch and deftly removed her bra, and his eyes darkened in appreciation. “Even prettier.”
He drew her down to the rug to sit beside him. One strong arm supported her back. Talking, laughing they fed each other. She conducted an intriguing exploration, learning what touches made his breath catch, which kisses made his eyes darken in arousal. His hands skimmed her body lightly, reverently, both soothing and inciting. He teased and tantalized, a leisurely seduction of body and mind.
The food contented her, the wine relaxed her and Aidan’s lingering kisses and butterfly strokes simmered in her blood. He served a heady cocktail of comfort and desire, and her thirsty spirit drank every drop. He offered unconditional love and her hungry soul devoured its fill. His need, his desire for her humbled her. Awed her. She didn’t have to earn his love. Or deserve it. It was hers for the asking.
Aidan reached over to the coffee table, dipped a strawberry in wine and offered her a bite. As she savored the succulent fruit, his gaze locked on hers, and he slipped the other half of the berry between his full lips. The sensual burn in his eyes glittered over her skin. “Mmm. Sweet.” The fine roughness of his cheek gently rasped hers as he leaned close. His whisper was a brush of velvet against her ear. “But not as sweet as every inch of your body will taste.”
The simmer in her blood erupted into an inferno, and her pulse leapt. He didn’t even have to touch her. He could seduce her with his husky voice, his sultry words alone.
He eased her down to the carpet. Rain pattered on the windows, sparkled like diamonds on the panes. The fire snapped, and red and gold light danced on the walls. Aidan brushed a tousled curl off her forehead. “Starting right…” He bent and pressed a tender kiss to her brow. “Here.”
He kissed her eyelids. Her cheeks. The tip of her nose. He loitered over her ears and neck until she was flushed and trembling before moving to her breasts. His moist breath tingled over her nipple. A shivery scrape of teeth. A silky swipe of tongue, then the long, lovely pull. Lava streamed along her nerve endings, a delicious flutter in her belly curled her toes. Her Dark Champion was thorough and dedicated in his quest, and she purred with pleasure.
His lips curved in a smile against her sensitized skin. “That little purr makes me crazy for you, sweetheart.”
“Everything you do makes me crazy for you, Aidan.”
He rose up to look at her and arched a brow. “Maybe later, you’ll beg for mercy.”
She glided her fingertips over his sculpted pecs and smiled when his flat nipples hardened and his muscles jumped under her touch. “Or maybe you will. Master.”
His grin was lopsided. “Looking forward to it.” His talented mouth roved to her navel. His tongue toyed with her belly ring as he removed her panties, and her smile dissolved in a moan. He kissed a sensual path down her thigh. A lazy detour to the back of her knee sent shock waves of electric need through her system. Her right instep and each toe received lavish attention before he moved to the left foot and forged the trail of delight in reverse. “Oh, SWAT,” she panted. “You are definitely a detail man.”
He parted her legs and settled between them. “Every sweet inch, baby.” Then his mouth took her in the most intimate kiss. Her body jerked in shock, in response. She quivered under the gentle, erotic caress of teeth, the sensual glide of tongue.
Seeking an anchor, her hands found Aidan’s hair, clung as his finger slid inside her, stroking slow and deep. Intimately connected, there were no longer any secrets between them, no lies. She was fully open to him. Trusted him with her body. With her heart. She gave herself over to the sweet bliss and let him spin her up the long, slow climb.
Thousands of bright pinpoints of pleasure awoke under his seeking mouth and clever hands. Need thrummed in her blood, her pulse pounded in her ears. Her body arched taut, poised and quivering on the mountaintop. Then Aidan slid a second finger inside her and sent her flying.
He drew out the shining pleasure until her muscles went limp, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. Instead of abating, need began to build again.
Gradually, he took her back up. But her body knew him now, craved what only he could give, and demanded more. When he again had her quaking on the edge, he crawled up her vibrating body, his expression an arousing mix of fierce tenderness and untamed hunger. He cupped her face in his hands, and his dark eyes smoldered with promise.
She hadn’t been aware of him removing his briefs, but he was naked, warm and solid on top of her. She instinctively drew up her knees, cradling him, and his thick heat pressed gently into her. She stared into his eyes in wonder as slowly, patiently, he filled her body. Filled her heart and her soul. Filled the aching, lonely emptiness with himself.
Holding her gaze, he kept his weight on his elbows and went still. “Okay?”
No longer fearing the past, no longer dreading the future, for the first time in her life, she was safe. “Better than okay.” She would never be alone again. Shaking with awe, she slid her arms around his neck, and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Now I’m whole. Finally complete.”
“Zoe.” Her name was a fervent prayer. “Damn, you’re gonna make me tear up again.” He gave her a crooked smile. “Twice in one day would unman me.”
Her heart stuttered. “That tender side of you touches me to the core.” He tilted his hips, and she moaned at the exquisite sensation of fullness. “And for the record, there’s no doubt whatsoever about your manhood, SWAT.”
His grin snagged on a sharp inhale. “I love you, Zoe Zagretti.”
She feathered a kiss over his gorgeous mouth. “I love you, too.”
He rocked in a leisurely rhythm, and heat curled through her in sweet ribbons of pleasure. His thumbs caressed her cheeks, traced her bottom lip. “I saved your life. That means you belong to me, now.”
Her breath caught. “I saved your life, too. So you belong to me.”
“Yes.” He kissed her as if he could spend the rest of his life doing nothing else, and she drowned in the rush of love that streamed through her.
He glided above her in long, lush strokes and she rose to meet him. He touched her, watched her with fierce longing, as if she were his most precious treasure, and he could never get enough. The possessive, masculine intensity in his eyes made her heart turn over.
Heartbeat thundered against heartbeat, warm skin sliding over warm skin. Breathy moans floated in air gone moist and hazy. Locked in the primal rhythm that grew in urgency and intensity, she surrounded him, he possessed her.
And shimmering over it all in a shiny silver cloud was the feeling of belonging.
This time when she hovered on the mountaintop, her arms outstretched to the sun, Aidan hovered there with her.
Emotion stormed in his eyes. “You’re mine, Zoe
,” he growled fiercely against her mouth. “Forever.”
“Forever,” she whispered, and soared off the edge of the world with him.
Joy. Her heart danced with it. Her soul shone with it. Fiery hot and exquisitely bright, her body sang with it. Liquid lightning pulsed and exploded in her veins. It was a shared moment of completion that transcended the merely physical.
Above her, Aidan shuddered, shouted her name, and she sank into the warm waves of pleasure.
Aidan jerked awake with a start, Zoe’s name on his lips. He hadn’t awakened from a nightmare this time, but a beautiful dream. He glanced over at Zoe, dozing beside him in his bed. Her pale, creamy skin was luminous against his navy sheets, her sleeping smile a sunbeam.
No, not a dream. Awesome reality.
Their lovemaking in front of the fire had been followed by dessert. Brenda Starr could now write an editorial on a hundred and one creative uses for buttercream frosting. He grinned. None of which would be featured in his mother’s home living magazines. Dessert had necessitated a shower, which had become a steamy interlude with his shower gel and massaging showerhead. His grin widened at the sight of the half-empty box on his nightstand. His initial assessment had hit dead-center. Life with Zoe would never be dull.
Careful not to disturb her, he eased out of bed and cat-footed to the living room. He stared out at the rainy afternoon, remembering DiMarco’s vicious attack on the woman he loved. His jaw clenched. His nightmare had come crashing back on him during those horrifying moments. He hadn’t been able to protect her…but she hadn’t died, after all. Thank God, Zoe had had the guts and fortitude to rebound from DiMarco’s cruel blow to the heart. He rolled his shoulders, and his tension dissolved. His girl was a survivor.
He picked up the depleted platter of leftovers and grimaced in realization. He’d underestimated every woman around him. Letty, Mom, Bailey and Zoe had all stood up to circumstances and events that might have crushed lesser people…and come out swinging. They had prevailed over life’s hardships with their spirits intact. O’Rourke women weren’t weak, helpless females to be coddled and protected. They stood side-by-side with their men and fought the good fight. Zoe would be okay, no matter what life threw at the pair of them.
Hell, she’d probably haul his butt out of the fire more than once.
He dumped the platter’s contents and set it in the sink. He was the luckiest man on the planet. Zoe had given him contentment he’d never thought he could have. She had made him experience emotions he’d never thought he could feel. Before Zoe, sex had merely satisfied a physical need. Making love to her had been more intense, more heart-shaking, more amazing than he’d ever imagined. Their physical bond had tied him to her, body and soul. Whatever DNA she’d inherited didn’t matter—their life together would be what they made of it. His girl was funny, mischievous, irreverent, warm-hearted and generous to a fault.
Zoe was his heart. His light. His life.
Aidan headed for the phone. He would never forget what it was like to live without love. Would always be grateful for her. After years of sleepwalking through a cold, barren existence like a damned zombie, her dauntless resolution and unconquerable optimism had yanked him kicking and screaming back into the land of the living. He owed her a debt he could never repay.
But he was willing to spend the rest of his life trying. He picked up the receiver and dialed.
Starting right now.
Floating in a warm bubble of contentment, Zoe stretched languid limbs and let her eyelids drift open. She turned her head, and her heart stuttered. Aidan was gone. But on his pillow beside her rested a sock monkey. A small tag dangled from a red bow around its neck. With trembling hands, she reached over and cradled the toy. Aidan’s bold scrawl on the tag read George II. Tears brimmed in her eyes at his sweet thoughtfulness.
She sat up, but before she could climb out of bed, the door swung open. Aidan slipped inside, carrying a tray and wearing only jeans unbuttoned at the waist. “I thought I heard you stirring in here.” He crossed to the bed, and set the tray on the foot. His eyes glowed with warm regard. “How you doing, sweetheart?”
“Mmm. Wonderful. You?”
“Pretty damn fine.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Although, I think I sprained something I might need later in life.”
She held up the monkey, her throat tight. “Thank you. Where did you find it?”
“You’re welcome. Letty knows someone who makes them.” He cocked his head. “Hungry?”
Zoe gazed longingly at his hard-muscled body clad only in snug denim. She now knew the unbelievable stamina that body possessed, and the staggering pleasure it could give her. She flashed him a suggestive grin. “Starving.”
Sensual fire smoldered in his gaze, but he shook his head. “Sustenance first.” He glanced at the stuffed animal. “Cover your ears, George.” She propped the monkey on the pillow and covered his little sock ears, and Aidan’s lusty laugh tumbled out. “Wild monkey sex afterward.” He swung the tray around and rested it on her knees. “Room service, milady. Appropriate for the occasion.”
She giggled at the Cracker Jack and bottled water. “From now on, this will be our special celebration meal.”
“You got it.” The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he settled in beside her. “Liam called while you were asleep. He has a buddy in the FBI. They extracted enough evidence off those hard drives you found to convict DiMarco on racketeering charges. Combined with the confession you finessed from him for Pop’s murder, Tony will die in prison a very old man.”
“Good. I’m so relieved that he’ll finally pay for his crimes.”
Cocooned in the cozy intimacy known only to sated lovers, they shared conversation and laughter, sipped from the same water bottle and fed each other candied peanuts and popcorn.
When the Cracker Jack was nearly gone, Zoe scooped the tiny envelope from the bottom of the box. “Sometimes you get the same prize twice.” She tore open the paper. “I wonder if I’ll get another monk—”
She stared, stunned by the heavy ring that fell into her palm. “How did you do…?” Made of white gold, the band formed a pair of hands supporting a heart. An emerald gleamed green fire in the heart’s center, and an intricate crown sat atop the heart. She gulped. “Oh, my gosh! This is real!”
“It is.” Aidan dropped to one knee beside the bed. “As real as my love for you.” He clasped her free hand. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Have children with you. Grow old with you. Zoe, will you marry me?”
Astonished and dismayed, she bit her lip. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Yes works for me.”
Dark doubt beat against the edges of her happiness. “What about…your family? You were able to get past the fact that DiMarco is my father, but—” She swallowed, tasted bitter despair. “I can’t answer until I’m sure I won’t cause a rift between you and your family, Aidan.”
He frowned. “Honey, my brothers were fully informed at the incident site. When I found out you’d left, they threatened to collectively kick my keister six ways to sundown if I didn’t go after you.” He rose and sat on the bed beside her. “Not that there was ever any doubt. I would have followed you to the ends of the earth.” He stroked a fingertip down her nose. “Liam and Grady helped track you down, remember? Con wasn’t there only because he bolted for his honeymoon before the ink on the paperwork dried.”
She clutched the ring so hard the edges cut into her palm. “But how will your mother feel? DiMarco hurt her worst of all.”
“The ring was in safekeeping at her house for…a while. Who do you think rushed it—and the sock monkey—over while you were asleep, in response to my phone call? And in record time, I might add. I’ll bet she broke fourteen speeding regulations.” He handed Zoe a folded sheet of lavender, violet-scented stationary. “She also brought this.”
Her hands shook so badly she could hardly unfold the note. “My Dear Zoe,” she read.
I’m sorry for the
trauma you’ve suffered at Tony DiMarco’s hands. Please don’t worry that anyone will think badly of you because of his actions. You gave my son back his smile. If nothing else, I could love you for that.
Zoe’s eyes misted, and she blinked the blurry words into focus.
I’ve heard the entire story. Because of your courage, Aidan is alive today. And I will finally be able to lay my husband to rest. You shine with both truth and beauty, Zoe. I’ve always wanted daughters, and now I’m delighted to have two. I’ll talk to you in a few days, Maureen.
Tears rushed out in a hot river of relief. “You and your mom think alike.”
“In the most important ways, yeah.” He wiped her damp cheeks with gentle fingers. “She’d be the last person to hold what DiMarco did against you. Sheesh, Con and Bailey just tied the knot and Mom and Letty are already salivating over our wedding plans.” He held her gaze, and she saw the vulnerability shadowing his eyes. “That is, if you accept my proposal.”
Black despair fled in the brilliant shine of happiness. She flung her arms around him. “I do! I will! I accept!”
The apprehension warmed out of his eyes. His joyous laugh cascaded over her, and he hugged her tight. “Whew! You had me worried.”
She drew back and studied the ring. “This is so uniquely beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s a Claddagh ring, Irish in design. There’s a story.”
She bounced on the bed. “Ooh! Tell!”
“How did I know you’d love the fact that there’s a story behind it?” He grinned. “In the seventeenth century, an Irishman named Richard Joyce left Claddagh, a small fishing village in Galway, on a ship en route to the West Indies. He was supposed to return and be married, but his ship was captured by Algerian pirates and the crew were sold as slaves.”
