Diane clung to him. Her hands clutched his back wildly, not wanting to let go. The warmth of his body drew her back from the terror.
Leon held her tightly until her trembling stopped. His fingers caressed her hair, her shoulders and her back. It felt so good. Then he moved his hands and cupped her face. He raised her face, trapping her eyes with his. His gaze probed her soul searching for the secrets within.
Diane lowered her eyes, not wanting to reveal the yearning that was there.
“Look at me, Diane,” he commanded.
She found herself helpless to resist him.
“You were running away from me. Why? Are you afraid of me?” Leon asked.
She winced. “Afraid of myself.”
A gamut of emotions crossed his face, too fast for Diane to decipher. “What are you afraid of,” he asked softly. His lips were barely an inch away from hers.
Diane swallowed. I’m afraid to fall in love with you because you’ll just hurt me in the end. All these feelings you stir inside of me…they are so strange and frightening. The consequences will be greater because it’s like coming in from the cold into the warmth—and then being forced away. I cannot go back to what I used to be after I discover what it’s like to be with someone like you. Everything was clear inside her head. She just couldn’t find the courage to tell him.
“What are you afraid of?” This time Leon brushed his lips gently against hers.
“This.” Diane surrendered.
She thrust all fearful thoughts away. Her arms snaked around his neck as she initiated the kiss. She expected the intimacy but was taken aback by the dizzying sensations that assailed her when their lips locked. A buzz of electricity rocketed up her spine.
Suddenly, she wanted more than just two lips touching. Leon parted his lips lightly. Diane followed suit. His mouth closed gently on her lower lip before his tongue entered her mouth, exploring her tenderly, before becoming more insistent.
His groin was pressed against her. Diane felt the promising hardness between them. His hands were everywhere. He caressed her back making his way down to squeeze her ass. His hands traveled to the side of her waist, squeezing, rubbing, and creating heat, before moving up her breasts. He fondled the fabric that created the barrier between them.
Diane’s nipples hardened under his expert attention. Familiar sensations from the past came rushing back, only this time they were labeled under a category that was totally unfamiliar. She felt excited and powerful. She felt—whole.
Have you lost your mind? This is a big mistake! The old Diane unexpectedly resurfaced.
Her good sense made certain everything she did in the past was a sure thing. No room for error, no unexpected surprises. Efficient, successful, sensible—that was who she was.
Leon was a stark contradiction to her usual behavior. There were no promises, no predictions or guarantees. It was all unknown—and that was too much of a risk.
Diane stiffened in his arms.
Leon must have sensed the change. He ran his lips against her throat, her neck, her earlobes, repeating her name in a voice filled with longing. “Diane...Diane...Diane...”
But it was too late. The old Diane was in control. She pulled away.
He released her looking hurt and confused.
“Leon, I’m sorry.” Diane took a deep breath. “This shouldn’t have happened. I was shaken from the accident. That’s the only reason—”
“If you need an excuse for kissing me, then you’re probably right. It shouldn’t have happened.” His jaws clenched tightly as he met her eyes. He dropped his arms formally down to his sides. His voice sounded casual but his eyes were expressionless. “Come, it’s getting late. We should head back.”
“Let me explain—”
He raised a hand. “You don’t have to. I apologize for being too forward.” Instead of the tempestuous and commanding Spaniard she was used to, she was faced with a stony cold stranger.
Diane’s heart sunk. Already, she regretted succumbing to her fears. But there was nothing she could do.
It was an awkward journey back with two people closeted inside the confines of a small car, yet they could have been a million miles apart.
Leon looked into the distance. “There’s a storm brewing.”
Diane followed his gaze. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon. “Oh no.” She shuddered. “I’m deathly afraid of storms.”
“Stay indoors and lock your windows and doors. You need to get used to them.”
“I wish I had more warning.” Diane sighed. “I could have asked Ana or Magdalena to stay until it passed.” She gave a nervous laugh.
Leon didn’t reply.
I must sound pathetic—like a child. Diane wished he would volunteer and stay with her. Instead he stared at the road ahead with a brooding expression.
Probably thinking of something else entirely—or what a pain his unwanted business partner is. She wanted to take it all back and start again. She was stuck in Point A and she desperately wanted to reach Point B. She had to let go of where she was but didn’t know how.
The nearer they got to the house, the heavier her heart felt.A vague feeling of loss settled over her. Their brief embrace at the cliff would be the only time Leon would ever try to be close to her. The Spanish were notorious for their pride and she had managed to crush his.
As Leon idled to a stop at her gate, Diane’s mood was heavier than the dark clouds overhead.
She tried one last time. “Would you like to come in for a drink?” Maybe she could make-up for things somehow.
“Thank you, but I think I’ve left Nomad far too long. He is terrified of storms too.” The formality in his voice did not invite an argument.
And Diane was too proud to plead. “Okay. Thank you for a wonderful day.”
Leon started the car as soon as she got out. She watched it speed away. Will things ever be the same between us again? She doubted it.
The thought made her go weak. Have I just blown the best thing my new life in Spain had to offer?
Chapter Seven
Diane was caught by surprise at the ferocity of the storm’s arrival. A bolt of lightning announced its presence, followed by a thunderclap that rattled the entire house. A strong gust of wind blew open the front door with such force she thought the doorframe would break off.
Rain splashed against the entry floor of the wide-open doorway. Diane rushed over to it, instantly regretted her boldness as the rain drenched her. But she needed to close the doors to keep the storm from flooding the house.
The glass windows along the terrace rattled against their frames in a deafening cacophony. Diane broke out in sweat. “It’s just a storm…it’s just a storm.” Her body trembled.
She couldn’t remember what triggered her astraphobia as a child, but years of therapy never cured her of the fear of thunder and lightning. Back in New York City, she’d watched the weather channel for any signs of changes in the weather. She flew out of the city when an impending storm was expected or made certain there were people around until the storm passed. But she was alone now and the knowledge terrorized her as much as the storm.
Why didn’t I install drapes over the windows? The valances did nothing to block the view outside. The wide expanse of ocean turned into an angry froth of churning gray, crashing against the shore. As the wind howled, the waves grew even bigger.
Diane imagined a wall of water higher than her house crushing down on her. The waves would sweep the debris back into the sea and her lifeless body would never be found again. A marker would be the only memorial to her life while her bloated body fed the fish and other inhabitants of the sea.
If only Leon was here. Why did I dilly-dally at the cliff side? Every fiber of her body wanted to lose itself in that kiss. Instead she allowed her fears and insecurities to win. If only I’d been true to myself, then who knows? I might be with him now, wrapped in his arms instead of cowering alone in my apartment. It was a bitter afterthought.
Diane’s legs trembled. She wanted to go to the bedroom and hide under the blanket. Halfway up the stairs, the lights flickered. “Oh god, please don’t let the lights go out.”
Claps of thunder shook the house to its very foundation. Lightning sizzled then everything plunged into total darkness. Diane screamed.
She couldn’t breathe. Cold chills racked her body in waves. She made a mad dash for her bedroom door. In the dark, she stubbed her toe against a bedpost. Pain shot through her leg as she collapsed on the bed.
She curled into a ball and rocked. She’d never felt more bereft. A loud crash resonated from outside the house. Diane imagined the roof had blown off. Soon water would fill her bedroom and she would certainly drown.
Regret engulfed her for all the things she’d never done. She’d always regarded a bucket list as unnecessary because of her numerous significant accomplishments. Have I ever done anything impulsive just because? She fully grasped her therapist’s advice. Diane’s whole life was totally devoted to being a good wife and mother and her charitable organizations.
Suddenly she wanted to sky dive, ride a zip line, catch a wave while surfing, hold a shark, and swim with the dolphins. She’d never had the guts to sing karaoke in public, wear a dress with a thigh high slit and pair it with sexy net stockings and hooker boots.
Most of all, she wanted Leon. She wanted to be honest and tell him that she was attracted to him…and how sorry and stupid she was for resisting his kiss.
“I’m going to die.” A muffled sob escaped her. Another round of thunder boomed, followed by a loud crash from below.
“Diane!”
Her head whipped up, certain the wind was playing tricks on her fevered soul.
“Diane!”
The voice came closer. Her desperation must have conjured Leon because she saw his silhouette standing on the threshold of her bedroom. Diane blinked, and blinked again. But the figure did not fade into the darkness.
It’s really him!
Adrenaline fired throughout her body. She sprung from the bed and ran straight for him, fearing he would vanish. She didn’t care if he was angry because she was such an idiot. She didn’t mind if he thought she was a coward. She didn’t think as she jumped into his arms.
“Hey…hey… It’s okay.” Leon reached for her dropping the Maglite to the floor. The flashlight created a halo on the door allowing faint illumination into the room. His hair was plastered to his head. Rivulets of water streamed down his arms. His clothes were dripping wet, creating a puddle around them, but she couldn’t care less.
Diane flung her arms around his neck and held on like a drowning woman. “Leon, the house is falling apart. We’ll get crushed and die and I’m so scared…I’m so scared.” She buried her face in his neck.
Leon rocked her in his arms, caressing her back. “The house won’t fall in. It’s a freak storm. It will pass.”
Diane closed her eyes tightly. If death claimed her now at least she wouldn’t die alone. It was a selfish thought but she had been so giving her entire life she could be forgiven for this one weakness.
Leon extricated her arms from around his neck. “Diane, listen to me. I need you to calm down.”
Another round of thunder resonated. Diane flailed and grabbed his shirtfront. She wasn’t letting go.
“Diane, listen…”
She shook her head. “No…no…no…” She was beyond reason, consumed by her terror.
Leon grabbed hold of both sides of her face, tilted it upwards and kissed her on the lips, hard enough to penetrate her fear-fogged mind. Leon is kissing me.
The message ran across Diane’s brain like moving letters of a neon sign. What his words failed to do, his kiss surely did. She stopped struggling and kissed him back with a passion that contained all her regrets for missed chances and a glimmer of hope for another chance. Her longing and desire equaled the immense power of the storm’s fury, and she conveyed it with her lips. Her sexual arousal was heightened because she thought she’d lost him completely.
Diane opened her lips, the sensitive crest of her tongue probing his. She savored his warm breath, as he automatically met her tongue with his. Her hands squeezed the back of his neck, and then she buried her fingers in his hair. She pulled him even closer, drinking up his presence like a thirsty traveler emptying the contents of a waterskin.
The tension in Leon’s body was palpable as he broke free and looked deep into her eyes. “Do you want to make love?” He whispered against her mouth.
“Yes,” Diane replied. This time she was sure. Her pronouncement brought a calmness that wasn’t there before. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.” She tugged at the wet shirt that clung to his body.
“I’ve made you wet too.”
He had no idea of the tightening between her legs. Even in the semi-darkness, her eyes feasted on the sight of his half naked body. Leon’s own gaze sent another kind of shiver up her spine. His eyes glittered. His nostrils flared and he breathed heavily. Her fingers reached out and caressed his face, well-rounded biceps, lingering on the unkempt hair that covered his chest.
Leon inched close, tugging at the string that kept her robe in place. It was the gift he gave her the day they’d officially met. The robe whistled down the back of her legs before landing on the floor leaving her in only a pair of panties. He pulled her close and brushed his lips against her shoulder blades, trailing kisses up the side of her neck before nibbling gently at her earlobes.
The heat between Diane’s legs grew as her own lips explored the firm slopes of his shoulders. She pulled back and gazed into his eyes before his lips loomed once again over hers and held them captive.
She felt her legs leave the floor as Leon picked her up and carried her to the bed. The air was filled with sensual tension she had never experienced in the past. He deposited her gently on the mattress and then explored her naked breasts. Her nipples puckered as his fingers played expertly with her areola. Leon squeezed her gently, an act that triggered a tender soreness accompanied by a flood of ecstasy.
Diane moaned. She wanted more of that strange contrasting sensation.
He cupped a breast and lowered his mouth to her nipple. The sucking motion blew her mind. His tongue swirled and nibbled the sensitive nub. “Leon—more!”
He positioned himself over her prone body, his hands like shackles that pinioned her to the bed. His kisses grew more probing, more insistent. She thought her heart would burst out of her chest from the feelings he evoked.
The room was stifling even with the storm raging outside. A thin layer of sweat covered her as Leon began exploring her belly and the narrow slope of her waist, setting her skin on fire. She knew where he was headed.
“Tell me what you want,” he growled.
The question left her bewildered. What do I want from him? A flash of lightning illuminated his face. The primal intensity in his question deserved only one reply. “Kiss me there.”
Leon didn’t need a second prompt. He shuffled down till his face was just above her groin. “Open your legs wide.”
She obeyed.
Leon buried his nose between her legs savoring their aroma. His thumb grazed the hood of her clitoris, before tenderly massaging the cheeks of her vagina. Diane’s body arched violently. The moment his tongue touched her clitoris erotic sensations erupted from her vagina. She felt hot and then cold, even as her body was lit on fire.
She wanted more. Her hips took a life of their own, thrusting slowly upward. Leon toyed with her clit as his tongue moved deftly up and down, from side to side, and with circular motions that nearly drove her insane. Diane thought she had reached her limit when he suddenly inserted his middle finger inside her.
A rasping sound emanated from her lips. “Leon—”Her clit felt like it was on fire. She dripped with wetness. “Don’t make me come, not yet.”
Leon ceased his sweet torture and crawled on top of her. She heard a faint plastic crackle, but it wasn’t until she felt the cool touch of
his erection that she realized it was a condom. The fact that in the midst of the emotion charged moment he’d still taken the time to ensure her safety made her feel a warm glow that had nothing to do with the desire building inside her.
He positioned his cock against the opening of her vagina and with deliberate slowness, entered her. His hips undulated in a slow circular motion, his penis rubbing against the muscles inside her vagina.
A long drawn out sigh escaped her lips.
“Grind against me. Let me feel you,” Leon commanded.
Diane did as he asked, meeting his thrusts with her own. She arched her back and raised her hips so every thrust he made went deep.
The Penthouse Secrets: A NYC Billionaire Romance Trilogy Boxed Set Page 30
