by Wendy Byrne
“Good morning, sunshine. Feeling a little under the weather?” He had the audacity to smile at her, which only made her knees weak and did absolutely nothing to stem the tide of her wanna-run-and-hide impulse.
…
Luke figured they were fucked when he nearly slipped off the road into a ditch for the third time in less than ten minutes. The snow was coming down so hard he could barely see. Neither one of them could get a signal on their phones, either. “I think we need to turn around and go back to the hotel.”
Grace had her head down, her eyes on her no-signal phone. “My dad’s house is about a half mile from here. We can hole up there until the storm passes and the roads are safe.”
Despite the fact he didn’t want anything to do with Cyrus or his possessions, it made more sense than anything. Less than five minutes later, he pulled the car into a long and winding driveway. His car slid along the way, but because of the trees overhanging the blacktop, there were enough spots of low accumulation so he could get close to the house before he got stuck in a drift.
“Looks like we’re walking in from here. I’ll grab the suitcases from the trunk and come over to your side.” He trudged around the back, wading through two plus feet of snow in the process, swearing at his stupidity and lack of foresight in checking the weather the night before.
But he could think of worse things than getting stuck here with Grace. After he dropped off the suitcases on the porch, he went to help her. As he got close to the car, she scooped up some snow and lined it in his direction. He ducked and gathered up snow and tossed it at her as she laughed and scrambled toward the front door.
“Better watch out. I’ll lock you out. I—” She started to shout something else, but squealed when he came up behind her.
He grabbed her around the waist as she opened the door using a code box. “You’re not sneaking in there without me.” He pulled her against him. When she turned to face him, her face was flushed from the cold and the overall sexy vibe shimmering around her.
Capitalizing on the moment, she dumped a handful of snow onto his head and threw her head back and laughed. As he shook it off, she hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“I guess that was worth getting a gallon of snow dumped on my head.” He raised his eyebrows and lifted her into his arms.
“A gallon?”
“Are you calling me a liar?” He nuzzled her neck.
She moved her head to the side to give him better access. “Let’s use the word exaggerator instead. How about that?”
“Much better. Although there’s a lot of things I don’t exaggerate about.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“I guess we’ll see about that.” She gave him a cheeky smile as he set her inside the foyer. “Welcome to Cyrus Whitaker’s humble abode.”
Grandeur didn’t quite describe either the outside or the inside of the home. “Not that I’m complaining, because this place is literally a port in the storm, but this is your father’s house that he uses once or twice a year?” Luke glanced at the marble inlay floor, the sweeping railing leading to the second story, and expensive oriental rugs covering the floors. Impressive. Then again, if the guy was skimming and working bribes, this kind of shit was possible. He reached outside to grab the suitcases and set them inside before slipping off his boots. After shaking the remainder of the snow off his coat, he grabbed hers and hung them both on a hook by the door.
“I know. Pretty much everything about my father is over-the-top. From his girlfriends thirty years younger, to his numerous homes, flashy cars—he’s pretty much a walking, talking stereotype.” She held onto his shoulder as she yanked off her boots.
“Hopefully there’s some food in the fridge.” They walked into the state-of-the-art, fully stocked chef’s kitchen.
“There should be food. If not, we could probably get to the store in the snowmobile.”
“Snowmobile sounds like fun.”
“Maybe after we warm up and find some heavier coats and hats and gloves.”
Luke opened the freezer door. It was filled with frozen meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables. “Looks like we could probably be stuck here for a couple of weeks and do okay. Which means we could snowmobile just for fun.”
“Shutting out the world has some advantages.” Grace chewed on the corner of her lip as if she suddenly realized they were trapped together, alone, with nothing to do but what comes naturally.
But he hadn’t divulged what he’d found about the project yet. Digging through her stuff while she was passed out wasn’t a feel-good moment for him.
Instead of dealing with any of it, he changed the subject. “At least the wine fridge is well stocked. Oh yeah, I forgot…you’re still dealing with overindulgence, aren’t you?”
“Gloating is not cool.”
He slipped his arm across her shoulders. “Are you still feeling weird about last night?”
“Oh hell to the no.” She gave him that cheeky smile. “Just because I told you all my deep dark secrets that I haven’t told anyone, why should I be embarrassed?” Her face flushed.
“Your secret’s safe with me. In fact, I promise to take it to my grave. How’s that for promises?” He brought his arms around her waist. “Now let’s go upstairs and check out the bedrooms. Maybe my idea of a home is skewed after living in Manhattan, but this place is unbelievable.”
“Cyrus Whitaker likes flashy stuff. Probably why he and my mother never married.” As they talked, they walked arm in arm up the stairs.
“You mentioned he pretended you didn’t exist until you were older. Were you exaggerating?”
“It’s not like he abandoned me financially. The money was in steady supply, and I never was in need of anything, but he wasn’t there on birthdays or Christmas. When he did manage to swing by, it was never for more than an hour.” She shrugged. “He always idolized a son he had with another woman. For a long time it hurt me to see pictures of him with his son all while feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I’d always heard that fathers and daughters had a special bond, but mine must have missed that memo.”
Now he was even more curious. He knew nothing about a son. “When did he come around to recognizing the perks of having an amazing daughter like you?”
“Charlie lived with his mother in England, went to the finest boarding schools and universities, and then dropped off the grid. My mother told me he rejected his father’s money and opted for a modest lifestyle in the Irish countryside or something. Cyrus was beside himself, since he expected Charlie to follow in his footsteps, doing in Europe what Cyrus had managed to do in New York.” She shook her head. “I alternate between being happy and feeling shitty about how the whole thing played out. Yeah, my dad is an overbearing ass at times, but he means well.” She didn’t sound all that confident in her conclusion.
“You’ve never met this half brother?”
“Nope. And my father finally stopped talking about him. Now all the pressure’s on me to be a mini-me…”
“And?”
“It’s…silly.”
He cradled her face in his hands while his heart broke for the sadness in her eyes. Her beauty went well beyond looks—even though she looked stunning void of makeup. There was an honesty in her gaze he hadn’t wanted to recognize before. She was the real deal. The thought shimmied through him, unwelcome and unannounced. Nothing about her was phony or fake, and he’d been so wrapped up in taking down her father, he’d gotten her mixed into the middle of it.
“Nothing you could possibly say would I ever consider silly. You’re a rock star in my book.”
She blushed. “Even when the rock star wannabe talks about her sex life in a drunken reveal right before she throws herself at you?” The red deepened on her cheeks.
He laughed, the sound erupting from his chest like a long lost friend. But at the same time the purity of her words made him feel unclean. He needed to be straight with her—breaking into her computer and what he found—but now didn’t seem to be
the right time. She was so insecure about men, the last thing he wanted to do was have her think his only interest in her was to nail her father.
First, he had to prove he wanted her, just for her. Once she accepted that, he’d confess his ulterior motives in approaching her that night in the bar.
“You have no idea how hard it was—pardon the pun—to put you to bed alone last night. Even more so after I took off your dress.”
“Yeah, I was wondering how exactly that happened. I was seriously hoping I didn’t do some kind of drunken striptease.” She placed her hands on his waist and faced him. “And I have to admit it was chivalrous of you.”
He shook his head and smiled. “No big thing. I save damsels in distress in my spare time.”
“You mean when you’re not out to fight truth, justice, and the American way?” She put a fingertip to her lip. “Oh wait, that’s Superman isn’t it?”
“You mean you haven’t seen my blue suit?”
“I can’t say that I have.” She slid her hands up his torso and around his neck. “All I remember is the six-pack abs. Call me frivolous, but a gal’s gotta get her perks when she can.”
“All right. If we’re being perfectly honest, I might have snuck a peek after I took your dress off. But it was only a fraction of a second.”
“Really? What color underwear was I wearing?”
“Absolutely nothing. And your ass is spectacular by the way.” He chuckled. “Maybe a little more than a peek, now that I think about it.”
“You ogled my naked body while I was passed out drunk?” A smile twitched at the corners of her lips.
“Guilty as charged. I guess I’ll have to take my punishment like a man.” He brought his hands beneath her knees and swept her off of her feet. “Are you up for a little diversion from the storm?”
“I thought you’d never ask. It seems like I’ve been dropping hints for—” He stopped the last word with a kiss. “Which bedroom? You’ve got about a half dozen to choose from.”
“The one in the very front with the turret. That’s mine on the few occasions I’ve stayed here.” She waved her hand in the general direction at the far end of the hall.
Their journey together seemed like forever and instantaneous at the same time. He’d fought the attraction for so long and now that everything was falling into place, he felt invigorated.
He set her feet down on what he recognized was one of the finest oriental rugs available. The plushness and muted colors brought out the beauty of the room with rich dark wood floors. The bed was enormous, with a four-poster canopy and one of the biggest fireplaces he’d ever seen.
“Your father cheaped out on the decorating I see.”
“In case you haven’t guessed, my father is all about his possessions.” Her fingers trembled when she touched him.
“You seem nervous.”
“You send out this vibe that’s filled with really high expectations, and I’m afraid I’m going to blow this whole naked thing. It’s a kind of like a sex curse.”
“A sex curse?” He huffed and shook his head. “This whole experience should be about fun as well as scratching that elusive itch, don’t you think?”
“I guess my expectations are always—”
“Multi-orgasmic? Simultaneous orgasm? Is that where you’re headed?” He ran his fingers down her hair and then peeled off her sweater. “I can guarantee the multi-orgasmic. But the simultaneous thing is a bit harder to time.”
“I’m…worried”—she avoided looking him in the eye—“you’ll be disappointed.”
“Guys never get disappointed in sex, even my first bumbling encounter when I came in about ten seconds, I thought was amazing. So if that’s where your head is at, I’ll have a great time.” He worked the muscles of her shoulders where she’d begun to tense. “You need to go with what feels good.” He placed his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “If you relax and enjoy yourself, the rest will follow.”
She kissed him slowly, letting her tongue slid through his lips in a move that was both coy and brazen. This woman had no idea how sexy she was. A weird sense of protectiveness shuddered through him.
“I see you’re happy about the current state of affairs.” She rubbed her hand down his fly, causing a blissful kind of discomfort.
“I’m hoping we’re snowed in for a very long while. I’m liking this no phone, no internet thing.”
“I planned it all.” She pushed him onto the bed and pounced. “I think we’ve done enough talking.”
He reversed their positions and stripped off her bra in seconds. His dick had reached maximum capacity and was like a heat-seeking missile looking for her to bury itself into. Sometimes his little head could be a real pain when he was trying to orchestrate finesse. But he’d starved it from completion for so long, there was an all out mutiny going on.
She grappled with his shirt. Together, they awkwardly got it over his head. The pleasure of feeling her skin against his chest gave him a temporary release from the tension. Getting his mouth and hands on her breasts brought it to another level entirely.
“What took you so long?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer as she brought her mouth onto his for a soul-stealing kiss.
“I’ve been waiting for my moment.” He nuzzled her neck as her hands slid down the zipper in increments, giving his cock a bit of breathing space and allowing it to spring free in welcome relief. But being that it had a mind of its own right now, he needed to take charge or this whole thing would be over before it began.
She glanced down as if trying to score a peek. The idea made his dick preen even more. Anxious to get her totally naked as quickly as possible, he worked his hands under the waistband of her leggings as she squirmed. He gave her some space between them and drew them down her legs and off. Seeing her tight, firm ass and Brazilian wax brought him to a level of discomfort and pleasure simultaneously. “I see you did the whole waxing thing without me.”
“Chicken…” Her voice came out on a breathy moan.
The muscles of her legs tensed then relaxed as he spread them open. Knowing he needed to go slow and extract every ounce of pleasure from her was one thing. Having the stamina and patience to do it was another challenge.
His mouth started the exploration at her knee and worked toward the prize. Her legs began to quiver, raising a smile to his face. He sucked on the skin at the juncture of her thigh and she moaned and fisted her hands in the sheets. Wanting this to be good for her was uppermost on his mind as he licked until he zeroed in.
He glanced up at her and smiled. “Good news. I found your clit.” When she laughed, he felt the ease in her body. He teased her with the tip of his tongue and her whole body seemed to vibrate. “Now to find that G-spot.”
Chapter Seventeen
Grace figured her brain had left the building about ten minutes ago. Her body had a mind of its own as it pulsed and twitched. Nothing could have prepared her for the sensations as he inserted first one finger then a second inside her.
Any moment now she’d die from pleasure as he flicked and licked her until she thought she might pass out. A pressure built on the inside that felt pre-orgasmic but different. A tornado could come through, but she wouldn’t run and hide.
And then it happened. Her breath stalled inside her chest as the climax tore through. taking no prisoners. Never in her life…oh God…the sensations… Words came out of her mouth, but she could even recognize what they were. Something about Luke…and some derivative of amazing…and not stopping…
So this was what she’d been missing. Now she got it. He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
“It seems like you might be at a loss for words, Grace.” He trailed kisses on her hipbones, up her torso, and everywhere in between while her breath and heartbeat returned to normal. “What are you thinking?”
She smiled at him. “Nothing much…trying to get that quantum physics thing down…working on the world peace issue…and ever so happy I took
a shower before we left.”
His laugh tickled the skin on her neck. “Is that all you have on your plate right now? I give you a five-star orgasm and you’re worried about a shower?”
“Don’t want to give you a big head or anything, but hot damn, I now know what the whole fuss is about.” She trailed her hands down his body to encase his bobbing-for-attention penis. “But I have a feeling we aren’t quite finished.”
“Nope. But thought I’d give you a little time to re-cooperate.”
“I’ll figure out something to pass the time.” She glanced at him. “You have condoms somewhere, don’t you?”
“I’m always prepared.” He flipped her on her back and loomed over her. “Believe me, I’d like nothing better than what you have in mind, but I’ve been hard since I met you. I’m not going to last long this first time and I want to be inside you right now more than anything.”
“You want to head straight for the grand finale?” She gulped as she felt him probe outside of her folds.
“Oh yeah.” He slipped on a condom. “But I’m going to make this whole thing a mind-shattering experience.”
She laughed. “Now you’re talking crazy.”
But as he inched into her, she felt the stirrings of something incredible start to happen while she accommodated him. His fingers toyed with already sensitized flesh until everything around her seemed to coalesce and he twisted his hips to ease inside her.
He settled himself and smiled that incredible smile of his before he kissed her, putting everything she’d imagined and knew about kissing into one giant package of hormones. How had she managed to not have this experience before?
“Damn. You’re warm inside, and I can still feel little trembles from your orgasm.”
She blushed at his vivid description. This felt like intimacy rather than sex. Until this moment, she couldn’t quantify the difference. But now she knew. “I…”
“At a loss for words…yeah…I get that a lot.”
She swatted at his shoulder. “I never have to worry about…oh my…your…ego.”
