by Parker, Ali
“I did.”
“To find me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure what to say,” I said.
“I didn’t mean to invade your privacy and I swear my dad had nothing to do with it. It was all me. I forced him into it. I bullied him and guilted him into giving me what I wanted. I swear I didn’t look at anything except for your emergency contact.”
“I don’t think my father’s Oregon address was listed on there.”
She sighed, slowly shaking her head. “It wasn’t. I did a little more digging and then more, and eventually, I found the obituary for Kade.”
“I think you missed your true calling. How did you know I was here though?”
She groaned and finished her glass of wine. “I’m going to need another one of these before I can get into that story.”
“I’m dying to hear it.”
“It may or may not involve more felonies,” she muttered.
I laughed, shaking my head. I waved the waiter over and ordered her a fresh drink, along with the special for the night. “All right, you have been given a fresh glass of liquid courage. I’m waiting to hear the story.”
She blew out a breath before sucking in another one. “I went to the presentation at your office on Monday.”
“I know you didn’t find me there.”
“No, I didn’t. When you didn’t show, I went to your house.”
I tilted my head to the side. “And you discovered I wasn’t there? It seems like an overreaction to enact your super-sleuth skills.”
“Oh my god, I cannot believe you are going to make me tell you the whole sordid tale.”
“I don’t think going by my house is all that sordid.”
She picked up her glass and took a long drink before putting it down. “I broke into your house.”
“Doubtful,” I said nonchalantly.
She shook her head. “No, I really did. I went up the beach stairs.”
“The doors were locked.”
Her perfect teeth nibbled on her bottom lip once again. “But your window wasn’t.”
“What window?”
“Kitchen.”
“You went in my kitchen window?” I asked a little too loudly.
Her eyes darted around the room. The look of embarrassment on her face told me she wasn’t making it up. “I did.”
“Wow.”
“I was worried about you. I did call—a lot.”
“I didn’t have my phone,” I told her.
“I know. I saw it at the bottom of the pool.”
I smirked, shaking my head. “You really were in the house.”
“I was. I saw the phone and got very worried. I went in the house. It looked like you disappeared. I was worried.”
“You said that,” I said, doing my best to hide my smile.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to totally invade your privacy. It’s just, well, when you didn’t answer. I have a very active imagination. I got a little carried away.”
“I appreciate the fact you cared enough to commit multiple felonies.”
“I didn’t snoop,” she insisted. “I didn’t dig through your drawers or anything weird.”
“Good to know.”
“This isn’t my normal thing,” she said, clearly flustered. “I don’t stalk men. I don’t stalk anyone. I was just—”
“Worried,” I finished for her. “You were worried about me and stalked me to try and help me.”
“Yes. That.”
“Thank you. Sometimes, I can be my own worst enemy. At least that’s what I have been told. I’m glad you came.”
“I would do it all again,” she said firmly. “I’m not trying to pressure you into anything. I just wanted you to know I cared and that I can be a friend. A silent one if you prefer. It’s what friends do for one another.”
“I’m lucky to call you friend.”
“Damn right you are,” she said with a bright grin.
“You know, I would not have expected your dad to help you find me.”
She laughed. “You and me both, but I have to say, he was very helpful and very understanding. I did tell him about your brother. He empathizes with you. He’s the one who convinced me to go to you.”
“No way,” I said, not believing it a bit.
“Yes, way.” She smiled. “He was the one to convince me I had to get pushy. Well, him and then Nelle.”
“Then I should thank them both. I’m glad you’re pushy.”
“Me too,” she said with that sexy smile that always hit me right between the legs.
Our meals were delivered, taking my mind off the erection that had sprung to life.
“This is amazing,” I said after taking a bite.
“Yes, it is. It’s nice to share a dinner with you—while it is still hot.”
“I’m glad we decided to come out for dinner,” I told her. “I don’t think I would have been able to think about food with you wearing that.”
“You are too sweet.”
“I’m speaking the truth. You look hot.”
“Your flattery will get you everywhere,” she whispered.
I looked down at her plate, then mine. The meal was great but I was no longer hungry for steak. I was hungry for one thing only.
“Would you like to go back to my room?” I asked. It was a bold question. A question I had no business asking but I would kick myself if I didn’t at least try.
“I would love to go back to your room.”
My arm shot into the air, calling for the check. When the waiter didn’t immediately make his way to our table, I stood up and stuck my hand in the air. I didn’t have a minute to spare. I wanted to leave. I wanted her naked and writhing under me. Now. Not in fifteen minutes. Right fucking now.
When I finally got his attention, I quickly paid the bill and practically dragged her out of the restaurant. I was trying to play it cool, I really was, but the woman was too much to resist. I could smell her arousal. At least I believed I could. I smelled her unique scent mingled with the floral perfume she was wearing. It was intoxicating and arousing.
I held her hand as we walked across the lobby of my hotel. I debated taking the stairs to my suite.
“Relax,” she whispered when we stepped inside the elevator.
I growled and pressed up against her. Her soft curves rubbed against my body, sending me into an absolute tailspin. “I’m sorry,” I breathed.
“For?”
“This,” I said a moment before my mouth covered hers.
I ground my hips against her. Her body was held in place with my pelvis holding her against the wall. I heard and felt her soft moans and swallowed them. When the doors slid open, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
“Doors,” she whispered.
Her word reminded me of where we were. I would have taken her right there if she didn’t stop me. “Right, sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, just hurry,” she said breathlessly.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
I grabbed her hand and dragged her down to the end of the hall to my room. We burst through the door and I dragged her in with me.
“God, I have been dying to get you out of this dress all damn night,” I said. “I want you out of it, but I want you in it at the same time. I like looking at you in this.”
She smiled, that dangerous twinkle in her eye. It was the look that said she was thinking something naughty. I liked when she was naughty. “I think you might appreciate what’s under this,” she said coyly.
My dick stood at attention. “You’re teasing me.”
“This is not a tease. I assure you, I’m a sure thing. Why don’t you take a seat on the pretty little couch while I step into the bathroom?”
“Evie, you kill me.”
“Oh baby, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Go. Hurry.”
She disappeared into the bathroom. I kicked off my shoes and shed my suit jacket before turning off all but th
e small lamp on the table under the TV. I sat down and waited. My cock strained against my fly. I wasn’t going to strip. If I took off my pants, I would pounce on her the moment she stepped out of the bathroom.
Chapter 52
Evie
I told myself I wasn’t nervous. There was nothing to be nervous about. I knew he liked my body. He wasn’t going to point at the little extra cushioning on my hips that felt extremely exposed and enhanced in the lacy red bit of lingerie I was wearing.
When he invited me to dinner, I’d claimed I needed a dress. I did but then I happened to come across the lingerie and decided to spice things up.
Spicy was one word for it. I fluffed my hair and pulled a few faces in the mirror until I was satisfied I had the perfect sultry pout. I hit the light and opened the door, slowly walking into the small living space with the kitchenette at my right. Xander was sitting in the chair, just as I ordered.
The lights were mostly off and there was soft jazz music streaming through the TV. The man knew how to set a mood. I paused and posed. I watched his expression as he drank in the sight of me wearing the tiny little teddy that had ribbons that crisscrossed over my belly and connected to slightly wider ribbons of lace that acted as a bra. It was definitely on the risqué side.
“Holy fuck,” he breathed. “Have you had that on all night?”
I smiled and looked down at the lace. “I have.”
“Holy fuck,” he breathed again. “I can’t move. If I move, I’m going to explode in my pants. Stay there. Don’t come any closer. Give me a minute.”
I loved that he was so turned on by me. I slowly turned, giving him a good look at the entirety of the outfit, which was really less than a few inches of lace and lots of ribbons.
“You look like you are in pain,” I teased.
I ignored his demand to not move any closer. I stepped in front of him, staying just out of reach. His hands gripped the wooden armrests like he was afraid he would fly out of the chair. I ran my hands over my body, sliding one of the ribbons out of the way and giving him a little peek at my nipple.
I was turning myself on. My nipples pebbled under my own touch. I rubbed and teased and heard myself moan.
“Don’t stop,” he said in a raspy voice.
I moaned, dropping my head back and arching into my hands. I slid one hand over my belly and then between my legs. The lacy triangle felt damp. It was a combination of heat and my own desire. The man had a way of making me feel wet all the time. I lifted my head to watch him watch me. His eyes were heavy-lidded. The desire I saw there was so intense, I felt as if I would spontaneously combust. Or maybe he would.
I needed to touch him. I stepped closer, reaching for the tie he was still wearing. I tugged, jerking his neck forward until I loosened it enough to pull over his head. “You are wearing far too many clothes.”
“I agree,” he whispered.
I bent forward, letting my breasts hang loose as I began to work at the buttons on his shirt. His hands stayed on the armrests, never once touching me. I could feel him looking. I could feel the heat from his gaze as his eyes roamed over my body. I jerked the shirt up out of his pants and pushed it over his shoulders until he was topless.
I dropped to my knees in front of his chair, settling myself between his legs. His erection was very evident in his pants. I ran my hand over the long length, marveling at the steel rod barely contained in the pants that looked like they would shred.
I carefully undid the button before sliding the zipper down. He let out a breath like he had been holding it inside for hours. His cock sprang free, ripe for the plucking. I wrapped my hand around the shaft and squeezed. He grunted and his body jerked. I could feel the power humming in my hand.
I leaned forward and loved him with my mouth. I licked and sucked until I could feel him on the edge. The tension in his body filled the room with an electric energy that zapped me from head to toe. I felt tingly. I felt electrified and on the edge of my own climax.
He sprang from the chair. I would have fallen on my ass if he didn’t grab me and yank my body against his. One minute, I was on my knees and worshipping his cock with my mouth, and the next, I was in his arms with his mouth plundering mine. He was needy and desperate. He carried me into the single bedroom in his suite and dropped me on the bed. He shed his pants and underwear in under five seconds and pounced on me.
His mouth covered mine before tearing away and attacking my neck with teeth and tongue. He was everywhere at once. His hands roughly rubbed over my body as his mouth attempted to keep up. It was an onslaught of wild sensations that left my body in sensory overload. I writhed beneath him. I tried to run my hands over him, but he was too fast. He was sliding down my body with his mouth until he was at my heated core.
His mouth closed over the lace that covered my entrance. Even without direct contact, it was too much. My body was primed and ready, and the heat from his mouth and the feel of his tongue through the lace were enough to send me spiraling into a blissful abyss of electric heat.
The climax tore through my body. His fingers slid the lace to the side, giving him full access to the sensitive flesh. He lapped at me until I was on the verge of another orgasm. I wasn’t sure I would survive the night if he kept up with his pace.
“Oh please,” I whispered. I didn’t know what I was asking for. Mercy? More? I didn’t know.
He did. He rubbed his finger over the tiny, extremely sensitive flesh that sent me into another violent series of spasms as my body erupted again and again.
In a flurry of movement, I felt him peeling away the lace and ribbons. I was helpless to assist him. My body was tingling and vibrating with pure ecstasy. “Damn, woman, you sure know how to please me.”
I managed a lazy smile and opened my eyes just enough to see him looking down at me. “I try.”
“Try, my ass. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hard. I feel like I have a tree trunk hanging between my legs. I don’t want to hurt you.”
I opened my legs good and wide. “I’m ready for whatever you want to give me. I’ll take it all, every last inch. Show me how much you want me. Show me everything. Make me scream.”
He growled before sliding one finger inside me. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“I do,” I whimpered, squirming a little as my body clamped down on his finger inside me. “More.”
A second finger slid inside my body that was swollen and slick from the first two orgasms. I knew he would give me a third and maybe even a fourth.
“How’s that?” he asked.
I opened my legs just a little more. “Don’t stop,” I whispered.
“Let’s make sure you’re really ready for me,” he said before he worked a third finger inside me.
I cried out with white-hot pleasure. My body stretched and slowly welcomed him inside. I moved my hips up, taking him deeper inside me until I felt his knuckles brushing against my skin. “Yes! I want it all!”
He pulled his fingers out, leaving me feeling empty. The feeling did not last long. He worked the head of his cock inside me. He was right. He was so much bigger than usual. I opened my eyes and looked down my body. He was holding his weight off me with one arm while holding the base of his cock in his other hand.
I watched as the length slowly disappeared inside me. I wasn’t ready for the overwhelming sensations of the purest, rawest form of ecstasy. My body swallowed him up, welcoming him with a flood of juices as another orgasm carried me away. I was insatiable.
Walking tomorrow would be interesting. I didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough of him.
He began to move, adjusting his hips to slide over nerve endings deep inside me that had previously been untouched. “Don’t stop,” I whispered.
He was lost in the moment. I managed to pry my eyes open long enough to watch him for a few seconds. His face was contorted into what looked like sheer pain. I knew it was painful pleasure. I moaned, shimmying my hips just a little. It was an almost instant
aneous reaction from him. He shouted over and over as his back bowed and he blew up deep inside me.
So much power. So much pleasure. I let myself follow him, riding the jerks and spasms of his cock buried deep inside me.
When he collapsed beside me, neither of us spoke. I didn’t think it was physically possible to speak. My body was beyond sated. It felt like I had been treated to a luxurious day at the spa with an expert masseuse.
I wasn’t sure if he was already asleep, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I was barely able to stay awake. I snuggled against him, resting my head on his broad chest. His arms came around me, swallowing me up in his embrace. It felt so right being with him like this.
There was no doubt in my mind that I had absolutely fallen for the man. He was perfect and flawed and I knew he was the right man for me. His stubbornness and belief he was better off alone were not a turnoff for me. In fact, it made me want to get even closer to him. I wanted to crawl into his soul and stay there forever.
I was in trouble. I was falling in love with a man that didn’t seem all that interested in loving me back. I told myself it was just his way. He needed a little more time. I could be patient with him. I could give him the time and space he needed to realize we were good for each other. I pushed hard already. I didn’t want to push him any harder.
He had to come to the realization on his own. I wasn’t sure how I would handle it if he didn’t come to the same conclusion I did. I would worry about that later. For now, I was lying in the arms of a man who seemed to care for me a great deal. I would take it. I would hold on to every precious minute I got with him.
“Blanket?” he murmured.
“I’m good,” I told him.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t think I could move at that point.
Chapter 53
Xander
Waking up with Evie’s soft body draped over mine was probably one of the best feelings in the world. It was a little strange to me. I was not the kind of guy who liked the postcoital cuddling and the sleepovers with a woman snuggled against me.
I liked space in my bed. I liked to stretch out without worrying about another body being in my way. With Evie, I found myself clinging to her. In the middle of the night, I would wake up and find her just to pull her next to me.
