by D. L. Raver
“Good luck, Irelyn. Don’t come crawling back to me when you find out Zolt Hamil can’t keep it in his pants,” he snarled at me.
I released my long-held breath and continued to the door, leaving Marcus’s last words hanging in the air. Nothing he could say would change my mind. I was finally free.
Free to be with Zolt. Free to be me.
I paced my driveway, waiting for Irelyn to arrive. The gate had called five minutes ago, which meant she’d be here any minute, and I couldn’t fucking wait. This was the beginning for us.
Finally.
Only one thing stood in our way. As much as I knew it would hurt her, I had to tell her about what T-bone had found concerning Marcus’s activities at her grandfather’s ranch. I should tell her right away, get it out, but I was too fucking selfish. I wanted to be with her first before I broke her heart. Undoubtedly, this would come as a major blow, especially when Irelyn learned that her father probably knew. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, I also had decided to tell her what Marcus had planned for her.
The black town car pulled into my driveway and stopped. My heart beat so hard as I waited for her to exit the car that I thought it would jump from my chest. It was silly and completely ridiculous. I was a grown man who’d logged more fucks than I could ever remember. But I was scared shitless of where this would go. It would be so much easier to forget she existed except we’d been together and had mind-blowing sex. There was no way I’d let her walk out of my life.
Irelyn was my angel, my seraph.
Sloan got out of the car and opened her door while I stood there like a dumbass watching, with my hands in the pockets of my shorts.
When she stepped from the car and casually tossed her blonde mane over her shoulder, I almost lost it. She was so fucking beautiful. Especially the way the sun hit her, making her hair shine.
I studied her carefully as she walked in my direction with the biggest grin I’d seen from her. She was happy, but more than that, she looked relieved.
Irelyn stopped in front of me, and I ran my hand down her arms, needing to inspect her lovely silky skin and make sure she was all right.
“It went all right?” I asked in a creaky voice that betrayed my feelings.
Lightly she kissed my lips. “Can we talk about it later?”
I nodded as Sloan walked past us, taking her bags in to my house. I knew she wanted this conversation to be private.
“Sure,” I agreed.
Sloan came back out of the house, stopped, and kissed Irelyn on the cheek.
“You call if you need me. Yeah?”
“Yes, Sloan. Don’t worry. I’m in good hands.” She returned his kiss.
“You know how to reach me, Zolt?”
“Sure,” I said and nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
Irelyn cocked her head. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing to worry about,” I said and kissed her head. “Let’s get inside. It’s too damn hot out here.”
“Zolt?” she said in a warning voice.
“It’s nothing, I promise.”
Sloan waved, and then got in the car and drove away.
I took Irelyn’s hand and pulled her in my house. Closing the door, I pulled her to me and kissed the shit out of her. I needed to let her know how worried I was, and how glad I was that she was finally here.
“Whoa,” she said when we finally came up for air. “Did you miss me?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been a nervous wreck all day. Yes, I missed you. After last night, how could I not?” I ground my body against hers, letting my erection press into her belly.
“Oh, my. I guess we’ll talk later.” She grinned wide at me, and her eyes smoldered with anticipation.
“Fuck now. Talk later,” I agreed and took her by the hand, leading her across the great room and down the hall to my bedroom. We were both panting by the time we stood in the middle of the room. With no preamble, we started undressing each other, eager to repeat what had happened last night. Except this time, Irelyn was free. Marcus was out of her life, and now she was mine.
“Irelyn, are you sure you’re all right?” I asked as I slipped her shirt over her head.
“Yes, I’m fine. I really don’t want to talk about it now. Later. After,” she said breathlessly, and unhooked her bra and took it off, dropping it to the floor.
“My mouth fell open, just like it did last night. She was sexy as hell with her soft waves brushing over her pink, taut nipples.
Fuck, I wanted her. Bad. My cock was rock hard in complete agreement.
Irelyn’s warm hands slid down my now bare chest, to the waistband of my shorts, quickly unfastening them. When her hand reached in and squeezed me, I groaned. It felt too good. I was normally a man with extraordinary control, but I felt like a teenage boy about to have sex for the first time. We’d be lucky if I lasted two minutes once I was inside of her sweet, hot body.
“Mmm,” she moaned. “You’re so hard, Zolt, and I can’t wait to have you inside of me.” She moved her hand, pushing my shorts down.
“One of us has too many clothes on,” I said as I stepped out of my shorts. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, I took in her full, round tits and pearled nipples. I took one of them in my mouth while I unfastened her jeans and pushed them off her lovely hips.
Pushing back from me, she kicked off her sandals and pulled her jeans off, leaving her in a black, lacy thong.
“Fuck,” I hissed out, my cock twitching with impatience. “Take that fucking thong off and go lie on the bed.”
Irelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly; then she smiled wickedly. Licking those full red lips of hers, she hooked a thumb under the waistband and pulled off her thong. Then, she backed to the bed, keeping her sable-brown gaze on mine as she climbed on.
I walked to the bed, but had to stop and take in the sight before me. I’d never been with a woman as beautiful as she was. Lying on my bed, with her hair fanned out beneath her, biting her lip, waiting for me to join her, was too much. I was lost to her, and there was nothing I could or would do to change it.
“Zolt,” she cooed in a voice that told me she was more than ready for me to join her.
I shook my head to clear my sexual stupor, and then climbed on the bed. The black silk sheets felt decadent against my skin, but not as decadent as I knew Irelyn would feel. At her feet, I stopped and kissed the instep of each foot; then slowly kissed my way up her body.
My body was over eager to get to the deed at hand, but I calmed myself, commanding control. I had plans for this gorgeous woman splayed out before me. I wouldn’t ruin it by letting the wrong head take over.
Irelyn giggled as I kissed and licked behind her knees. Looking up at her, I smiled, knowing I’d found a ticklish spot on her body. This wasn’t about tickling; it was about fucking. So I continued my way to her inner thighs where I nipped and licked, making my way to her sweet pussy.
“Zolt,” she cried out when my tongue licked and sucked her clit. Her body squirmed and bucked wildly as I continued, and I placed my hands on her hips and held her still.
God, she tasted sweeter than honey, and I moaned as I lapped up all she had to give. I slid first one, and then two fingers into her, watching as her head fell back and her lovely red lips slightly part.
“Shall I make you come, Irelyn?” I asked and licked my lips.
Unintelligible words fell from her mouth.
“Do you want to come, Irelyn?” I repeated and flicked her clit with the tip of my tongue.
Her hips bucked off the bed, and she cried out a garbled yes.
Last night, I’d bowed to her, unable to say no. She was in my bed now, in my house and we were playing by my rules. While I might want to show her how I liked to play, I held back. Eventually, I’d see her tied to my bed, begging me to make her come. I wouldn’t make her beg, but I’d make her tell me exactly what she wanted.
“Yes what, Irelyn?” I drove my fingers in deeper, finding the sweet spot inside that I knew would
send her over.
“Please, Zolt, please. Make me come.”
“My pleasure,” I said, smiling. I sucked her swollen clit while my fingers worked their magic, not stopping until I heard her screaming my name.
“Zolt! Fuck. Oh, God.”
I kept up my ministrations until her body stopped quivering with aftershocks. Then, I climbed up the bed, and positioned my body over hers, my cock poised at her slick opening.
“Look at me, Irelyn.”
“Hmm,” she answered and slowly opened her eyes, staring at me from under those impossibly thick lashes.
“Did you enjoy that?”
“Yeah,” she said, her chest heaving.
“Then, you’ll really like this.” I slammed into her at the same time my mouth came down on hers. My kiss caught her cries, and our tongues played and teased, greedily tasting each other as if we couldn’t get enough. Like a perfectly choreographed dance, her body arched into mine as I moved. When I felt her tighten around me, I almost came. But I wouldn’t until I knew she was close. From the sound of her rapid breaths, and the way she wrapped her long legs around me, I knew it wouldn’t be long.
“Oh, Irelyn, you feel so fucking good. Wet and tight. You’re mine,” I said, between my own rapid breaths. Then, I stopped moving. “Say it! Say you’re mine.”
“Yours. God, yes. Yours.”
I circled my hips and plunged deeper into her.
She groaned, and her hands found their way into my hair, tugging and pulling it. It fucking drove me crazy. With one last thrust, Irelyn shattered around me. The clenching of her sweet pussy around my cock toppled my own control, and I followed.
“Fuck, baby. Fuck,” I cried out as I came in her, kissing her passionately as the high wore off.
As we continued to kiss, I worried that I had lost my head with her. I hadn’t planned to take her so forcefully, but I couldn’t seem to control myself. For a man who thrived on control, this wasn’t a good sign. Indulging in Irelyn was definitely my weakness.
“Are you hungry?” Zolt asked while we lay facing each other, lying on our sides. He stroked my cheek.
“Starving. Couldn’t eat earlier. I was too nervous.” I ran my hand down his arm, stopping to appreciate the musculature of his bicep. “Are you hungry?”
“It’s a toss-up. I could indulge in you, or we can eat, and then come back for round two.”
I said nothing, but when my stomach growled, Zolt laughed.
“I think I better feed you.”
“Hmm. Yeah that might be best. I can cook, if you want,” I said as we both climbed off the bed in search of our clothes. I frowned when I picked up my jeans. I really didn’t want to put them back on, but my bag was out in his foyer.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he pulled on his shorts.
“It’s just that my bag is in the foyer, and I don’t feel like putting jeans back on. I’ll go get it but what room do I put it in? Do you want me to sleep with you?” I fidgeted. We hadn’t talked about how this weekend would go. I didn’t know if Zolt wanted me in his bed due to his nightmares. When he just stared at me, I wanted to crawl under the bed.
Zolt walked out of the room without saying a word.
Damn it! I felt like an idiot, standing there naked, staring at the floor. Suddenly, I wanted to call Sloan to come get me and take me home.
Zolt came back into the room and dropped my bag and handbag on the floor. The sound snapped my head up.
I picked up the rest of my clothes off the floor and hugged them to me.
“Here’s your bag,” he said, and then turned to walk out of the room.
“Zolt, did I say something to piss you off?”
“Did you sleep in Marcus’s bed?” His voice was on the cool side. Not cold exactly, but not warm and fuzzy either.
“No. I never spent the night at his house.”
“Did you assume I’d be just like Marcus? Because I’m not a fucking thing like him.”
“I-I. No. It’s just that we didn’t talk about it, and—” I shut my mouth to stop from stammering.
“And what, Irelyn?” He moved closer to me, and I took a step back.
“Your nightmares,” I blurted out.
He took a few steps, closing the distance between us. “What about my nightmares?”
I knew this was a sensitive subject for him, but the amount of anger coming from him made me cringe. When my gaze dropped to his leg with the scars, I heard him growl a little.
“Don’t you fucking pity me, Irelyn.”
“I don’t. I just want to help you. Pity has nothing to do with this. I’m—” My eyes began to fill with tears, and I knew I needed to leave. Zolt warned me sometimes he wasn’t fit to be around. Somehow, I had managed to bring that out in him in less than a few hours.
I tugged on my jeans and shirt, and walked past Zolt, praying my tears didn’t break loose. Then, I shoved my bra and panties in the side pocket of my bag, grabbed my sandals and handbag and left the bedroom. I heard him say “fuck” as I left the room.
I wish I understood what just happened. But, honestly, I hadn’t a clue, other than I broached the subject of his leg. But he was wrong. It wasn’t pity that prompted my question, it was concern for him and my need to help him.
When I got to the front door, I stopped and dug in my handbag for my phone. I was about to call Sloan when Zolt came up behind me.
“Don’t. Don’t call Sloan. I’m sorry, Irelyn, for being a fucking asshole.” He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around.
I dipped my head and let my hair fall over my face so he wouldn’t see my tears.
Zolt took my bags and put them on the floor. Then, he lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“Fuck.” He squeezed his eyes closed, and let out a long, pained breath, before opening them. “This was not how I pictured this afternoon going, and it’s my fault.”
“Zolt, I feel a lot of things for you, but pity is not one of them. Never has been. Even that day on the field, pity never entered the picture. All I want is to make you feel better—to comfort you.”
Zolt pulled me into to him and wrapped his arms around me. I was still hurt, but I gave into him and let him hold me.
“I know,” he said into my hair. “I know. I need to learn to let you do that. I’m sorry, Irelyn.”
Gently, he pulled my hair back and kissed away my tears, finding his way to my lips. At first, it was tentative, but it soon turned into a needful, apologetic, and maybe even a little fearful, kiss. I had to wonder if there was something else going on.
“Zolt. What’s going on?” I pulled back from him and looked him in the eyes. If I didn’t stop the kiss, I’d forget about what happened. I swear this man could kiss me stupid.
Though he said nothing, his silence spoke volumes. His gaze dropped from mine and stared at the floor.
“What?” I prodded. “You’re starting to freak me out.”
Zolt finally looked at me, and I saw resignation in his face. “Let’s eat. You said you’re starving, and so am I.”
He held out his hand and waited for me to take it.
I sighed, took his hand, and let him lead me to his kitchen. Whatever it was that was eating at him would come out eventually. Or it wouldn’t.
In the kitchen, he opened the fridge and started to pull things out and set them on the granite counter.
“Grilled fish and a salad work?”
I smiled at him. “Sure, but only if you lighten up.”
Zolt smiled back at me. For a moment, I thought he’d moved on, but I could feel that something weighed on him. I wasn’t sure what to say, how to get him to open up to me, so I said nothing. We worked in silence preparing the food. I made a veggie tossed salad with cucumbers, shredded carrots, and black olives while Zolt seasoned the wild salmon with salt and pepper.
“There’s wine in the fridge if you want some,” he said as he gathered the fish to take outside to the grill.
“Do you want a
glass?” I asked as I opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay.
“Sure,” he answered as he walked out the door to his backyard.
I sighed. The atmosphere had taken a decided nosedive, and I didn’t know how to fix it.
“Well crap,” I mumbled as I searched his drawers for a wine bottle opener. Perhaps plying him with alcohol would do the trick.
Gathering everything we’d need to eat, I placed it all on a tray and carried it outside. After I set the table, I went back in to get the wine. By the time I’d returned, Zolt had the fish on the table. The temperature had cooled enough so we could sit outside, and the misters and overhead fan helped to make it comfortable.
I’d like to say we ate in companionable silence, but it was awkward at best. Every so often, Zolt would glance up at me and smile but didn’t say a word. His eyes still reflected the torment going on inside of him. I was starting to think I’d made a huge mistake. Maybe the sex wasn’t as great for him as it had been for me. Or, maybe, now that I was here, he’d changed his mind.
Setting my fork down, I took a large gulp of wine. I put my napkin on my plate and stood.
“This is ridiculous. I’m going home. I apologize for whatever it is I did. But it’s very apparent to me you don’t want me here.”
Pushing the chair back, I turned to leave, but Zolt grabbed my hand, stopping my progress.
“What?” I snarled, spinning around to look him in the eyes.
He dropped my hand and clasped both hands behind his neck, closing his eyes. When he opened them, that same pain I’d seen earlier was back tenfold.
“You can’t leave, Irelyn. I need to talk to you. In fact, I want you to you stay with me while your parents are out of the country.
“Seriously? You want me to stay, for what, a month? Then why are you acting like you can’t wait for me to leave?”
“Because I’m a dick, all right? I have something seriously fucked up to tell you. I should have told you right when you got here, but I was being a selfish bastard. I wanted to be with you first because when I’m done… Fuck!”
