“You’re more beautiful than ever. Is that possible?” He brought his mouth down for a sweet kiss, starting slow. Susanna’s gaze swept over him. He was more dazzling, more handsome, and sexier than she remembered. Her pulse kicked up, pumping fire through her veins, making her dizzy with desire. She touched his shoulders then slid her hands down his chest. Her fingers moved through his chest hair. Her palms flattened against his pecs.
“God, you’re beautiful,” she breathed.
“I can’t be beautiful. I’m a man.”
“You can. You are. Beautiful to me.” Pleasure at her words reflected in his turquoise eyes, staring into hers. She pulled him down until her lips claimed his in a passionate kiss. He deepened it quickly as their desire created heat between them. Resistance flew out the window when he closed his fingers around her breast. Arching into him, to feel his skin against hers, made her hot.
The ache inside, from wanting him, grew quickly into runaway passion. When he lowered his lips to take her peak, she almost screamed. Celibacy had never agreed with her and waiting for Quinn had intensified her need for him.
He worked his magic on one breast then switched to the other. “You smell great, taste great, too,” he muttered as his hands glided over her smooth skin down to her core. A gasp and a squirm from her made him chuckle.
“You like torturing me?” she inquired.
“Slow torture, yeah, lovin’ it. I’ve been dreaming about this day for months.”
Susanna closed her mouth over the muscle in his shoulder and sucked. Sinking her teeth into his flesh made him jump. She giggled and kissed up his neck, trying to lower her hand to his shaft, but he blocked her. “Uh uh. Nope. No siree. You’re not gonna speed this up.” He stopped for a second to shake his head and stare into her eyes.
His mischievous expression made her laugh. “I’m your prisoner?”
“That’s right. Get used to it. This is my pace.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
She replaced her lips with her tongue as she licked a path up his neck to his ear lobe. He sucked in a breath when she arrived there. She knew it was a sensitive spot for him, and she tried to focus her attention on it, but he moved down her body swiftly, before she could attack. His head disappeared between her legs, and she fell back on the bed with a loud moan. This was the end, she could no longer hold on as an orgasm ripped through her body.
Resting on his elbow for a moment, he wore a shit-eating grin.
“Proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “I wanted to send you to the moon.”
“You did.” She grinned, then grabbed him, winding her fingers around his erection. “Wow, you’re really hard.”
“You. You always do that to me.”
“Let’s take care of you, now.” She leaned over and took him into her mouth.
He groaned. “Wait…I’m not gonna be able…”
“My turn.”
“I want to finish inside you.” His words stopped her flat.
“Your wish is my command.” She reclined while he positioned himself between her legs. He entered her slowly, closing his eyes for a second and groaning loudly as he filled her. Then he lifted her ankles and hooked them over his shoulders. Plunging in deeper made them both moan.
“As amazing as ever.” He moaned and sighed at the same time.
“Oh, yeah!” she whispered, her fingers gripping his back.
He set a slow pace then started to pick it up. Susanna closed her eyes, focusing on her senses. His masculine scent teased her nose while her fingers dipped into his muscles. At one point, he leaned back to take her mouth aggressively with his.
His taste, his tongue, and him inside her pushed her passion to the limit. Heat and tension spiraled up in her body, building quickly to a crescendo. She knew his control was slipping as he increased his pace. Her hands sensed the coiling passion in him as her own matched it.
“Don’t wait for me,” he muttered. Sweat dripped off his forehead onto her chest.
She tightened her grip, but it did no good, the tension rose higher and higher until it exploded, sending pure pleasure shooting through her veins to every part of her body. A strange noise came out of her mouth a second before he burst inside of her. Both bodies lay still for a moment. Sliding off each other’s sweaty torsos, they managed to lay still and kiss.
“Was it like you remember?” She asked, shyly.
“More. Better.” He caressed her cheek then threaded his fingers through her hair. “I’ve missed touching you, your hair, kissing you. Talking to you. I’ve even missed Junior.”
“You have?” She sat up. “I’ve missed him, too. Sometimes I dream I hear him crying, and I wake up, but he’s not there.”
“What about me? Did you dream about me?” He propped himself up on his elbow.
Susanna rolled on to her side away from him. She sensed heat rising to her cheeks, but Quinn wasn’t having any of that. He reached over and tugged on her shoulder, rolling her back to face him.
“Well?”
“Of course.” She peered up into his eyes. “I missed you every day and dreamt about you often.”
“Then why didn’t you come to me?”
“It was all so convenient, having a woman in your home, cooking for you, sleeping with you. I needed to know if it was real. I needed to step away.”
“It’s because of what I said that night, when I was drunk, wasn’t it?”
“I won’t lie. That played a part. Suddenly, I was cast out without any discussion. In one day, I went from indispensable to tossed out with the trash when I made a mistake. It gave me pause. Still does.”
“Even now. Even when I tell you I still love you, maybe more than before.”
“Ah, the separation was good for you, too.”
“I worked my ass off. But yeah, it was good. I had time to think…to miss you.”
“Our lives became entwined in an unexpected way, almost without knowing it, while we had Junior. We were like a family. It was weird the way it happened.”
“Maybe, but I liked it. Having you around every day, helping me with the script, cooking incredible meals, Junior…you were so patient and gentle with him.”
“Was I? I thought I was only his caretaker, a placeholder until his mother got back.”
“You were much more than that. You were his mother, at least for two months. I’ve never seen that side of a woman before. It was beautiful to watch. You have a good heart.”
Tears stung her eyes at the heartfelt compliment he gave her. “Thank you,” she choked out. Susanna inched closer to him. Quinn got the hint and pulled her into his embrace.
“I’d love to stay like this, but…” He glanced at the clock. “We have to be on the red carpet for the Academy Awards in two hours!”
“Oh my God!” Susanna bolted up from the bed and opened her suitcase. “You brought this in here, didn’t you?”
“Of course. Where else would you sleep?”
She shot him a sly smile as she pulled out her dress and hung it up. Quinn unzipped a plastic bag hanging in the closet where his tuxedo was stored. “Quick shower first.” He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and headed to the bathroom.
Susanna smiled into the mirror. Her experiment had worked. She loved him more than ever, and he seemed to feel the same. A sense of confidence warmed her body. Quinn loves me. All seemed right with her world as she focused on applying just the right amount of makeup.
Quinn returned with a towel wrapped around his waist. She put down her mascara brush to look at him and whistle. He blushed. “I missed having a hunky, naked body around while I’m getting dressed.”
“If we had more time…” he began.
* * * *
The limousine picked them up on the dot. Quinn offered his arm to Susanna, who was dressed in a shimmering, white, sequined, body-hugging dress to the floor. He was devastatingly handsome in his black tuxedo. A woven, silk shawl over her arm, she picked her way carefully down
the stairs in her too-high-heeled, silver, satin sandals. He opened the door for her and then closed it to enter the other side so she wouldn’t have to slide over in her gorgeous but flimsy dress.
They held hands during the ride.
“You’ve been nominated this time?”
“I haven’t, but the movie has. It’s a great honor just to be nominated…and to have acted in a nominated movie, even if we don’t win.”
“Good attitude.” She kissed him.
As they got closer and closer to the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Quinn became more and more nervous, tapping his foot, unable to sit still.
“You really want to win, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You’re nervous.”
“Something else on my mind.” He gazed out the window.
“Want to share?”
“Not now.”
Susanna decided he did care about the award and, for some crazy reason, wouldn’t admit it. She tightened her grip on his hand and shot him a warm smile. He grinned back, lifted her hand, and kissed the back.
“Love you.”
Finally, their car got in the queue for the entrance. Limousine after limousine pulled up and famous couples and singles emerged. Sam Callen was doing the interviewing, as he did every year. Quinn coughed, patted his pocket, then pasted a smile on his face as he prepared to face the throng of happy fans.
Sam opened the door. Quinn got out and offered his hand to Susanna. She slid out, legs first. They walked a few steps on the red carpet then Sam stepped back. Susanna proceeded ahead of Quinn. She felt a tug on her hand and turned around. The crowd had been silenced, and there was Quinn, going down on one knee.
“No. You wouldn’t. Not here?”
“Susanna Barnes, I love you with all my heart…”
“Quinn, get up. People are staring…”
“Will you be my wife? Marry me, Susanna.”
Susanna simply stood and stared at him as he opened a small box and displayed an insanely gorgeous, four-carat, square-cut, diamond ring.
Her mouth was as dry as a fallen autumn leaf. Quinn wore an idiotic grin. A public life? Again? Her gaze scanned the crowd, all awaiting her answer. Everything we do will be scrutinized.
“Susanna?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.
But I love him so much. I can’t leave him now.
The crowd stood by, silent, waiting. Susanna glanced briefly at the fans, holding their breath, and then the hopeful expression on Quinn’s face. She smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I will.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the crowd went wild. Quinn slipped the ring on her finger and hugged her tight. Sam Callen announced the engagement, a first in the history of the Academy Awards. Quinn kissed her with passion while the fans roared their good wishes. People were jumping up and down, applauding, yelling, and Susanna was laughing. Quinn put his arm around her waist, and they marched quickly the rest of the way down the red carpet into the hotel.
It seemed like hundreds of celebrities stopped them to shake Quinn’s hand or pat him on the back. Women smiled enviously. Susanna moved as if in a trance, as it all seemed so unreal. She glanced at her hand to stare at the ring glittering beautifully in the artificial light.
“Are we really engaged?” She asked him.
He nodded. “You said yes, can’t back out now.”
“Don’t want to, but it’s all so fast. I can’t catch my breath.”
“You want to marry me, don’t you?”
“Of course. I love you.” She slipped her hand in his.
“You’re going to be the most amazing wife and mother.”
She beamed at him. “Think so?”
“I’ve already had a sneak preview and all I can say is it’s a hit, five stars…”
“Not a limited engagement? This show will run forever?” She looked over at him.
“Forever, baby, forever.” A photographer snapped them sharing another kiss.
Epilogue
To avoid the press, Quinn and Susanna pretended they were getting married at Café Limoges, but they escaped the city and got married in Pine Grove at a private ceremony in Maggie and Cal’s backyard. Chaz stood up for Quinn, and Annie was Susanna’s matron of honor.
They married not long after getting engaged because Quinn had signed a contract to open with the show BLIND LOVE and could not take time off. The lovers were inseparable. While he rehearsed, Susanna often sat in the auditorium, sketching the cast, and then presenting them with her art. She learned the play by heart.
One afternoon, Quinn joined his wife in the first row, where she hung out. “Have you seen Cara?”
“Your co-star? No, why?”
“Seems there are two New York City detectives looking for her.”
“Police?” Her eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah. And they won’t say what for.”
*THE END*
About the Author
Jean Joachim is an author, married, a mother of two boys and owner of a rescued pug named Homer. She writes contemporary romance and has more than a dozen contemporary romance books published with more scheduled to be release within the coming months. Jean has been writing non-fiction for over twenty years and fiction for three. Her review column, "Movie Choices for Kids" has been syndicated on parenting newspapers websites for the past 12 years. A native New Yorker, she still lives in New York City. Her website address is: http://www.jeanjoachimbooks.com.
More Books by Jean C. Joachim
Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny
Now and Forever 3, Blind Love
The Renovated Heart
Love Lost and Found
Call of Duty (anthology)
If I Loved You (Hollywood Hearts, book 1)
Under the Midnight Moon
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
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