Spark of Desire ; All for You

by Sheryl Lister

  Oh, yes.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured against her lips.

  “Myles,” she breathed. Aria felt like a live wire, as if she could blow at any minute. It was electric. He was exactly what she needed.

  He smiled down at her. “That’s right. Myles. Just remember who’s making you feel this way.” He nipped her chin.

  “I won’t forget.” She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off, tracing the tribal tattoo on his shoulder. “Take your clothes off.”

  He made quick work of stripping and sheathing himself with a condom. Aria was speechless, in awe of his physique. The artist in her wanted to pause and sketch him—with charcoal pencils, of course. But...her body wanted him inside of her more than she wanted to immortalize him.

  Soon he was lying against her, his erection pressed against her core. Aria sucked in a deep breath as he entered her, slowly. They stayed like that for a few minutes, eyes on eyes. Myles’s eyes closed as he began to move. No more flirty banter, no more jokes, no words at all. Only skin against skin, teeth, low moans, lips and sweat.

  Myles let out a low curse and picked up the pace. Aria met him with urgency as her body seemed to open up for him in a way it had never done before. She was going to come. Again. But she wanted to prolong this slice of bliss, she needed to feel it longer. Except...her orgasm didn’t want to wait. It crested within her, stealing her breath and zapping her strength—and maybe her sanity—as it took her over. Myles followed behind her, groaning her name over and over again.

  And as the last tremor flowed through her body, Aria knew... I’m in trouble.

  Chapter 8

  “That tickles.” Aria giggled.

  Myles traced the outline of the tattoo on Aria’s side. “This is...wow.” He’d spent several minutes admiring her ink, taking in the intricate details of the images and the vivid colors. “And Brent did this?”

  “Yes,” Aria breathed.

  He kissed the small of her back, then brushed his lips over the swell of her lovely behind. She was lying on her stomach, her legs bent at the knee and her chin on her hands. After they’d made love, he was supposed to be grabbing them a snack before round two, but when he’d turned on the bedside lamp, he’d noticed her tattoos and had to give them a closer look.

  “How long did it take?” he asked.

  Aria glanced at him over her shoulder and arched a brow. “Which one?”

  So far, he’d studied the replica of the Metamorphosis on her upper back and shoulder. On her side was the Phoenix tattoo. She had a line of butterflies on her right foot and a gerbera daisy on her wrist. Behind her ear was a dream catcher, and several stars in a pattern over her wrist.

  “All of them.”

  Aria smiled. “Brent is a perfectionist, so it could take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours over multiple days.”

  Myles hated to think of Brent touching her skin, even if it was innocent. He’d keep that to himself, though. “Which one was your first?”

  She turned onto her back and held up her wrist. “This one. It was Brent’s first design. He practiced on me. Since then, he’s touched it up, but it’s pretty much the same.”

  Once again, Myles resisted the urge to growl at the mention of Brent’s hands on Aria. “Do you plan on getting more?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. “I do want one on my stomach.”

  Just then, Aria’s stomach growled. He laughed. “Hungry?”

  Covering her face, she said, “How embarrassing!”

  “Don’t be.”

  She peeked at him through her fingers. “That was definitely not sexy.”

  He smirked. “On the contrary, it was very sexy.”

  “Stop.”

  Myles got up and slid on a pair of sweatpants. Grabbing a shirt from one of the drawers, he handed it to her and watched as she put it on. Twenty minutes later, they were in the kitchen, Aria sitting on the kitchen island and Myles on one of the stools.

  She dipped her hand into a huge bag of Cheetos, pulling out three and biting into one of them. “I didn’t peg you as a cheese puffs type of guy.”

  He wasn’t. Mel spent a lot of time at his home and they were hers. Myles didn’t eat much junk food, so he didn’t keep it in the house. “I’m not,” he admitted, sticking his hand into the bag of Lay’s potato chips they’d cracked open.

  “I love chips,” Aria said, snatching one of his chips from him. “And ice cream. So good.”

  Frowning, he asked, “Together?”

  Aria nodded. “Of course. It’s yummy.”

  “I’ve never heard of that before.”

  “You should try it.”

  “How about I just take your word for it?”

  She laughed. “You’re hilarious.”

  “So you keep saying.”

  “I’m serious.” She eyed him. “You’ve definitely surprised me. More than once.”

  Myles squeezed her knee. “How so?”

  “You just do. I love your home, and the music room...wow. This is so different from the Myles I first met.”

  Myles had spent a great deal of time and money getting the room just right. Over the years, he’d collected equipment for the studio, instruments, books on music and sheet music. He’d purchased his house because he wanted to be able to play without disturbing neighbors. The neighborhood was a new development in Ann Arbor, with several custom-built homes being completed every month.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I spend a lot of time in there.”

  “I bet you do. If you’re anything like me with my studio, it’s your second home.”

  Aria got it. That room was so much more than a room. It was a safe haven for him. He could spend hours in there and not leave even to eat. Showing her the room, playing for her... He’d opened himself up to her in ways he’d never thought possible. Myles hadn’t known Aria long, but he felt comfortable with her. Somehow, he knew that he could trust her with that part of himself.

  “You play beautifully,” she continued. “Thanks for sharing that with me, because I know it was hard for you.”

  He feathered his fingers over her calves. “When did you decide to show your art to the world?”

  The corners of her mouth turned up into a wide grin. “In high school, I painted an abstract of an eye.”

  “An eye?”

  “Yes. I don’t know why I chose that particular image for my project, but I did. My teacher loved it so much, she entered it into a local competition. I won. That was all the confirmation I needed.”

  “Do you still have the painting?”

  She shook her head. “No. I gave it to my teacher when I graduated from high school. She was retiring and it was my gift to her. She cried. Since then, she’s been a huge supporter of my work. She came to my first gallery showing.”

  “Nice.”

  “Have you ever considered pursuing a career in music?”

  Myles had always been content to keep his music private. Lately, though, he’d wondered what would happen if he tried to do more. “I can’t say I’ve always thought about it. But I have recently.”

  “Is it because of your medical career?”

  He thought about that for a moment. “Not really. I’ve worked hard at both. I like what I do.”

  “But you don’t love it.”

  I don’t. “I don’t hate it.” Working at the hospital wasn’t something he dreaded on a daily basis, so he knew it hadn’t been a mistake to go to medical school. He knew he was lucky to have work that engaged him intellectually, even if it didn’t fully complete him. But he was aware that being a surgeon alone wouldn’t sustain him forever. He knew he needed something else.

  “Maybe you can do both. One day. Celeste would always tell me that we all have gifts that have the potential to change our lives and the lives of all of our friends and family, and
even strangers. That’s why, even on my worst days, I paint. Because I want to bless others.”

  Myles had heard the same thing from Ms. Pennie and his siblings forever. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I didn’t plan to sleep with you tonight.” Her eyes widened as if she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She bit into a cheese puff and muttered something he couldn’t make out.

  Smiling, he took a sip from a bottle of water. When he’d brought Aria home that evening, he thought they’d have a glass of wine, maybe talk about her art or his music before he showed her his music room. He had not expected her to end up in his bed so soon. Some day, yes. Now, no. “I never expected this,” he said.

  “I can’t say I regret it, though. I was worried I would, but I don’t.”

  He stood, parting her thighs and stepping between them. “I feel the same.” He dipped his tongue into her mouth, loving the taste of her.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Dr. Jackson, are you trying for a repeat?”

  “Of course, I am. That was always the plan. I just had to feed you first.”

  Aria’s head fell back as she laughed, and he took the opportunity to place wet kisses over her shoulder blade and up the long column of her neck. Her giggles turned to a low moan, and finally she whispered his name. “You’re killing me,” she said.

  “So good,” he murmured against her skin.

  Myles couldn’t get enough of her. He’d never ached to kiss or tease or taste a woman before. She was so responsive, so ready for him. He felt her, hot against his growing erection. He cupped her breasts in his hands, loving the way she pushed into his palms. Unable to stand the barrier between them any longer, he pulled his shirt off her and took one pebbled nipple into his mouth, sucking greedily until she cried out.

  Aria pushed his sweats down. “Please,” she whispered. “Stop teasing me.”

  “Say it,” he commanded, brushing his fingers against her sex and rubbing her clit with his thumb. “Tell me you want me again.”

  “I do,” she breathed, lying back against the granite. “I—”

  The loud buzz of his phone against the countertop broke the haze of desire, and Myles muttered a curse. He’d been so distracted by her that he’d forgotten his phone all evening. It had been sitting on the counter since they’d been at the house.

  Aria’s eyes popped open and she turned her head toward the sound, a frown on her face. “What time is it?”

  Myles didn’t care. Not when he was two seconds away from being inside her again. He leaned down and kissed her belly. The phone buzzed again. “Shit,” he grumbled, picking it up and peering at the screen. After the buzzing stopped, he noticed that he’d missed ten calls.

  Aria sat up and kissed his jaw. “Is everything okay?”

  He scrolled through his calls, noting that most of them were from his brothers. Something must be going on. Myles turned to Aria. “I should probably get this.” Stepping back, he pulled his pants up while Aria tugged his shirt back on. He dialed Ian.

  “Where the hell are you?” Ian said when he picked up.

  “Minding my business,” Myles countered. “What’s up?”

  “It’s Ms. Pennie.”

  Myles’s heart fell. “What happened?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aria leave the room. “Is she...?”

  “She’s fine,” Ian assured him. “But she’s back in the hospital. She took a fall. The housekeeper called the ambulance and they rushed her here. They’re running tests.”

  Myles closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Okay.”

  “She’s asking for you.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  Myles ended the call. He’d told Ms. Pennie to take it easy, but he had a feeling his pleas to rest fell on deaf ears. The older woman was determined to remain independent. It had been hard just to get her to hire a live-in housekeeper to help her out, but he was glad he’d convinced her to hire Sharon. The two women got along well and had even become friends.

  The home Ms. Pennie had lived in since Myles had known her was one of the largest in the upper-class neighborhood his parents once lived in and too much for her to take care of by herself. She’d finally agreed to hire help, and he was glad that he’d insisted. He didn’t want to think about what would have happened had Sharon not lived there.

  “Are you okay?” Myles turned to find Aria standing in the doorway, fully dressed. She shifted on her feet. “It’s just... You look stressed.”

  “I’m sorry. I need to go to the hospital.”

  “Patient?”

  He wanted to tell her about Ms. Pennie, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. The cancer had not spread, but the thought of her hurting herself, of her being alone made him sad. That woman was more to him than a music teacher, and life without her wasn’t something he wanted to think about. Swallowing past a lump that had formed in his throat, he said, “Family.”

  Aria approached him, concern in her eyes. She reached out and pressed a hand to his heart. He held it to his chest and let her presence comfort him. “I’m sorry. Do you need anything?”

  “I just need to go to the hospital.”

  She offered him a sad smile. “Okay. I understand. Take care of what you need to take care of. I can call an Uber.”

  He shook his head. “No. I’ll drive you home.”

  Myles hurried to his room to get dressed and took Aria home. The car ride was quiet, but not uncomfortable. When he pulled up at her place, he put the car in Park and turned to her.

  Aria dropped her head, twirling her purse around her finger. “Thanks, Myles. I had a great time.”

  He reached out and turned her head to face him. “I did, too. I’ll call you.”

  “Okay.”

  Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her temple before he placed a lingering kiss to her mouth. When he pulled back, Aria brought her fingers up to her lips and opened her eyes slowly. “Talk to you soon.”

  Before he could come round to open her door for her, Aria did it herself, wordlessly slid out of the car and ran to her door. Seconds later, she was inside, and Myles was on the road to the hospital.

  * * *

  Myles wasn’t even in the room and Aria swore she could smell him. She blinked in an attempt to will the persistent thoughts of him away. Yet, as she stared at the blank canvas in front of her for the fourth day in a row she couldn’t get him out of her head.

  Is it possible to want him even more? One unforgettable night together should have cured her insatiable desire for him. But, no. Her brain power was solely focused on him. Sex. That damn word and everything associated with it had stolen her creativity.

  Myles’s brand of love nearly made her lose all of her control and beg him for more. The forget-your-name sex that people waxed poetic about in books and movies. That make-you-wanna-holla lovemaking that stuck to her bones like a good meal. It made her want to call in sick, to put every painting on hold and cancel all of her shows. Because she just wanted to be under him, over him or in front of him. And yet, it wasn’t just the physical attraction that drew her to him. It was him, their connection. Everything about him, from his music to his smile to his sense of humor. Aria enjoyed discovering a side to him that she knew wasn’t on display for just anybody. It made her want to find out more about him.

  Maybe it’s because our night was cut short. He had to leave right in the middle of what could have possibly been an even better session than the first, right on the countertop. The call from the hospital had put a damper on the evening. He was nice, he was sweet and caring. A gentleman. He’d driven her home, given her a beautiful kiss and promised to call her. Then he didn’t.

  She wasn’t one of those women. Hell, no. She hadn’t gone into this with the expectation that they were doing anything more than dating. But she’d stared at her phone
for the last hour, even when she tried not to. No calls, no texts.

  It had been days since they’d talked, and Aria couldn’t figure out if he was giving her the brush-off or he was simply busy. At this point, she had no choice but to accept that he probably hadn’t enjoyed that night as much as she did. She’d complained to Brent about it so much in the last three days that Brent had banned her from talking about Myles for the next twenty-four hours.

  Aria knew his job meant a lot to him and had told herself not to be disappointed when the call didn’t come through. But when he’d shared with her that it was a family issue, she had hoped he’d tell her more. Not that he owed her any explanations, because he didn’t. Still, she wanted to know what had made him look so sad. She wanted to know him.

  Frustrated, she pulled out her charcoal pencils, grabbed the pastel paper she kept on hand and hoped her mojo would return. With sweeping movements, she traced an outline of a portrait, content with her choice to abandon the paint for the afternoon.

  Several hours later, Aria stared at her masterpiece and found Myles’s eyes staring right back at her. Seriously? She’d drawn him? Irritated with herself, she flung the paper hard, watching it float to the ground.

  She grumbled a curse when the bell chirped, signaling someone was entering the building.

  “Aria?” a voice called from the front of the studio.

  Sighing, Aria stood up and shuffled out of her private studio into the public area. There were no classes scheduled today, so she had no staff there. When she noticed Bailee and Avery up front, she smiled.

  Aria greeted them both with hugs. “What’s up? I didn’t expect you.”

  “We were in the area for lunch and figured we’d stop by and see if you wanted to grab something to eat.”

  “I wish I could, but I’m swamped here,” Aria lied. Going to lunch with Myles’s sisters wasn’t the best idea. Especially since she was having a hard time not telling them that she’d even gone out on a few dates with him.

  “Girl, you look like you need food. And I checked the schedule online. You have no classes today.” Bailee gestured toward the door. “Come on. Let’s hang out.”