by Autumn Grey
“That’s not the real issue here and you know it.”
He grunted impatiently. “I know that, damn it. I promised to keep you safe. Gilles is looking into the matter. We will find out who this lunatic is, all right?”
I dropped my gaze to my lap, afraid he would see how his words gave me hope. Vivid memories of spending time with him and Adrien flashed in my head. Then I remembered I had promised myself to stay away from them. I shook my head while raising my eyes to meet his hopeful gaze and I felt my resolution slowly crumble.
He nudged my chin up with his thumb, forcing my eyes to stay on his. “Well, I know of this brilliant man who said, ‘Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.’ I really prefer to follow Lao Tzu on this one.”
I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. Looks like quoting was another thing we had in common. “Let me think about it.”
His grip around my chin tightened. When I flinched, he loosened his hold around mine. He was coiled so tightly that he probably hadn’t realized his own strength. “I know your stay in France is temporary, but I would rather have those few weeks with you than none at all. I’m not trying to control you or tell you what to do. I am sorry if I gave you that impression. But know one thing; I will do everything in my power to protect what is mine.”
Didn’t he realize he had controlled some aspect of our relationship since we first met? He had ordered Adele to drive me places and gave me a room to stay in for the three months. Not that I was complaining. I enjoyed being spoiled as much as the next woman. I sensed he did this because he cared and not to undermine my independence. I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on what he had said before.
I WAS his?
Warmth curled inside my chest, even though I probably shouldn’t have allowed myself to bask in those words.
“You don’t even know who this person is. How will you protect me, or Adrien, or yourself for that matter?”
“You underestimate me, ma belle. If I say I will do something, I tend to do it without fail. All I need is your answer. Just say yes, and you will have the most unforgettable three months of your life. Let my actions prove I can take care of you.”
Uncertainty and fear warred in my head. I shouldn’t want him like I did. If there were a way to command my heart not to miss him so much, I would do it in a heartbeat. It wasn’t just because of the sex, although that was a huge plus. No. It was him. Remington. He had a way of making me feel special, something I craved with a hunger so wild it shook my very foundation. I was a different woman with him, carefree and with no worries. Remington let me be me, explore a side of me I thought was non-existent. He had given me a part of him, his past, when he told me about his fear of being in an elevator. Most men wouldn’t be caught confessing something that would make them appear as weak, especially a man as confident and in control of his surroundings and life as Remington. I’d already met Gilles, that mountain of a man, so I was confident Remington was capable of taking care of us.
His fingers grasped mine, pulling my hand from my mouth before clasping it between both of his, warm and calloused. My gaze fell on my fingers and I realized my thoughts had once again swept me away. My nails, like always, were suffering the consequences of my turbulent mind. I brought my eyes to his and my breath caught in my chest. The look in them was gentle, filled with need. Every single emotion was in there, conveying a thousand unspoken words.
Remington was quite impressive when he was stubborn and determined. There was a recklessness about him, but the safe kind, the controlled kind, which was quite appealing.
“Where did you go?” he asked, his eyebrows scrunched up in a worried frown.
“I’m here,” I said. “Sorry. Old habits die hard.”
He ducked his head, meeting my gaze. “Stay with me, all right?”
I nodded.
He squeezed my fingers. “I am just a man on his knees before you, asking for a chance to spend time with you.”
My defenses melted further and I felt giddy, breathless. This must be how it feels to swoon for a guy. Where were the smelling salts when I needed them? I had a feeling I might need some before the night was over. “God, Remington, what am I going to do with you?”
One side of his mouth pulled up into a smile. “Anything you want. Take whatever you need from me, ma belle.”
I lunged forward, tackling him into a hug and a deep kiss, catching him off guard. Nevertheless, he caught me, sank his fingers into my hair, and held me in place as he kissed me back. He tasted like coffee and chocolate, and dear God, he smelled so good, a heady combination. I traced kisses along his jaw, enjoying how his bristly beard tickled my cheek. I pressed my lips on his throat and flicked my tongue on his hot skin, tasting him.
“Is that a yes, Selene?” he asked, shivering as I nipped his chin.
I sat back on the bed, nodding and grinning so hard my cheeks hurt.
He flashed his devastating smile that always made me melt. Ah, there went those dimples, hidden behind that sexy, sexy scruff.
Dropping his gaze to his fingers, now flirting with the edge of the towel near my crotch, he leaned down to brush the tip of his nose along the inside of my thigh.
“Are you sure about this, Remington?” I asked.
He looked up and nodded. “What’s stopping us from seeking the most unimaginable pleasure from each other?” His hand moved and cupped the back of my neck, rubbing it. I shivered at the contact and the huskiness of his voice. “What’s stopping you?”
God, he was irresistible, especially with his piercing eyes on me like that. My body was already coming alive from his overwhelming force. I knew there was no way in hell I could be close to this man and not feel as though I were burning. The good kind. I needed him as much as he needed me. I wasn’t sure how healthy it was for us to need each other like this. It was more than physical attraction. There was some intangible reason I couldn’t describe, and believe me, I tried to evaluate this in the few past few days we had been apart. Would we be able to survive after three months of this intensity?
He pulled me to him and rested his forehead against mine. Everything faded away, and it was just him and me.
“You’re gonna fall for me,” I teased him, laughing.
He murmured, “My sweet Selene. It will be the sweetest fall.”
Before I could take my next breath, his mouth was on mine, molding and shaping my lips to fit his. I gasped, caught off guard as his tongue swept inside my mouth, tasting and claiming me. He shifted and somehow he was above me without breaking the kiss, his fingers gripping my hair.
“Beautiful mouth,” he murmured against my lips. “Scoot over.”
I crawled backward, watching him as he came at me on all fours. God, his eyes were consuming me completely.
As soon as I settled back on the large pillows, Remington pounced on me in a hurricane of eager hands and lips, a hard body, and a huge erection in his pants. The soft material of his V-neck T-shirt and the coarse fabric of the jeans rubbed against the already sensitive skin on my chest and thighs, heightening my senses. I squirmed and moaned, wanting him closer. I moved my hands to the edge of his T-shirt, but he grabbed them, sliding them above my head and shackled my wrists with one of his hands. He buried his nose into the crook of my neck, his breath hot, and his kisses hotter.
“I missed you so much, Selene,” he murmured against my skin, tracing the vein there. “You have no idea how much not touching you and kissing you almost drove me to near madness. One more day without seeing you would have been my ultimate death.”
I rolled my eyes, giggling at his melodramatic words, while tilting my head to the side to give him access to that piece of heaven between my ear and neck. We both knew this thing between us was temporary. As for the looming threat, I felt I could trust him to keep me—us—safe. I’m not even sure why, but I did.
“I misse
d you, too, Remington,” I said, pressing my body into his. “I missed you a lot.”
He stilled, his body tightly coiled as if he were about to snap. Then he let out a sigh, bringing his mouth back to mine. This time the kiss wasn’t gentle. It was a clash of teeth and dueling tongues, both punishing and forgiving, passionate and desperate, as though his lips on mine was what he needed to survive. He rolled his hips, pushing his pelvis into mine. I spread my legs wide, hooked them around his waist, and locked my ankles on his back just as he dipped his tongue into my mouth, reclaiming me in his usual wild passion.
Why again did I stay away from him? I wanted him so damn much.
He pulled back, and without losing a beat, gripped the edge of his T-shirt and removed it, tossing it over his shoulder. He slid out of bed and wrestled with his jeans, followed by his black boxer briefs.
His cock sprang free, and I moaned deep in my throat, squirming on the bed. He was just as I remembered, when I first saw him fully naked after the drawing session.
I peered at him under my lashes. “God, you’re hot. I want to lick every part of your hard body.”
He grabbed his jeans from the floor, pulled a condom from his wallet, and tossed it on the nightstand. “I’ve missed you so much, so forgive me if patience is not one of my strongest virtues. I want inside you now.”
I shivered as his words stoked the fire inside me. “I’m not feeling very patient right now either. Stop talking and come here.”
His eyes widened in surprise and he chuckled in appreciation. I felt as if I were about to burst into flames with need. I watched him as he tore the foil with his teeth and slid the condom over his hard cock, pumping his hand, up then down. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
“As much as I want to take time making love to you, Selene, I can’t. Right now, I want to fuck you hard and fast, surround myself with you.”
“Take me any way you want, Remington. I want you, too, any way I can get you.”
He grunted, obviously pleased with my words. Then he smiled.
God, he is so hot.
I clutched the sheets to stop from throwing myself at him. The bed dipped as he crawled forward, and stopped only when he was on top of me. Parting my thighs, he moved between them. He slid a hand between our bodies, took his cock in his hand, and stroked my entrance, and without warning, he slammed inside me and my body arched.
“Remington!”
His arms gave way and his body dropped on top of mine. He buried his face in his favorite place on my neck, breathing hard. “Did I hurt you?” His voice sounded strained.
“No! No. I was just caught off guard, that’s all,” I replied, trying to catch my breath. I thought my heart might give out from beating so hard. “God, I love how you fill me. So good. Now start moving or you’ll lose points, St. Germain.”
He chuckled, a hoarse laugh that sounded dirty and heavenly at the same time. “As you wish, ma belle.”
He pushed himself up with his arms, and as though I had released a demon with my words, he started pounding inside me. In, out. In, out. He groaned. I moaned. He grunted. I screamed. Then his mouth was on mine, inhaling my breaths, and breathing his into me. His tongue demanded and soothed, claiming, giving. I served him right back, letting myself go. I felt free and incredibly desirable. He pulled his mouth from mine, slowing his thrusts as he brought one of his hands to my breasts, kneading then rolling one nipple between his fingers. He moved to the next one, doing the same thing before lowering his wicked mouth to take my breast in his mouth.
This was Intense Remington times ten, and I loved it, loved the passion tangled with desperation.
Pressure built inside my belly, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine and to my toes. Remington seemed to sense it. His mouth lifted from my breast and he braced himself with his hands beside my head. He picked up his pace, his smooth thrusts becoming uncoordinated and I knew he wasn’t going to hold back anymore.
The thought of him coming apart, and knowing that I did this to him hit me hard. I climaxed, screaming Remington’s name repeatedly as he continued pounding into me. Still riding the wave, he rammed into me once, twice, and shouted my name as he came, grinding himself inside me. He leaned forward, taking my mouth in a gentle kiss while shoving his hand into my hair and giving it a quick, sharp tug as we came back down.
Remington rolled over, removed the condom, and strode to the bathroom to dispose of it. He returned seconds later, and crawled back between the sheets, spooning me. He slid his arm around my waist, pulled me to him with my back to his chest. He squeezed my hip, sighed before sliding his palm across my belly, and settled his it on my scar.
I smiled, content. “That was amazing.”
“Phenomenal.” He kissed my shoulder, as his thumb traced tiny circles on my skin.
I closed my eyes, lulled by his caresses and the warmth from our bodies. I knew he was curious, given the way his palm flattened around the scar beneath the tattoo. I cleared my throat, snuggling deeper into the comfort of his strong arms and braced myself for what I was about to say. The only people I’d talked to about this were my therapist and my family. Yes, and Grace. I had told her what happened after I made up my mind get back into modelling.
I opened my mouth to speak, closed it. My throat felt dry.
God, please give me strength. “Um—about three years ago, I . . . lost my baby.” The words came out in a rush and I tucked myself farther into him. The hand stroking my belly stilled. I covered his hand with mine and stole a bit of his strength into my body, allowing my mind to wander back to the day that altered my life in the most unimaginable way. I’d never felt so lonely in my life, and I wondered if something had happened in Remington and Adrien’s lives to alter it as mine had.
“I was seven months pregnant when it happened. I had been feeling sick for a while and the doctor ordered me to take full bed rest in my sixth month. James used to work long hours back then. Anyway, to cut the long story short, I was hungry and restless so I decided to go downstairs to make a snack. Halfway to the kitchen, I had these sudden pains in my stomach and before I knew it, I’d tumbled down the stairs. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed with no baby bump.” I swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in my throat, shivering at the memory of how I woke up, and how my hand traced where my bump was supposed to be, only to find it empty.
Sadness threatened to rip me wide open, so I breathed in deeply. I was strong. I had learned to cope with this over the years. I could do this.
Remington’s arm tightened around my waist, pulled me tighter and tangled his legs with mine. “Where was he?” he asked in voice that sounded like it was being forced from his chest. “Your—this James?”
“At work. He had been stressed for a while because he was closing in on this partnership at the law firm he’d been working in.”
A string of curses fell from Remington’s lips. “He left you alone and worked long hours while you were unwell? What of kind bastard would do that?”
The sort of bastard who cheated on me with my best friend from almost day one of our marriage, that’s who. I stared at the wall across from me, willing myself not to cry. I’d done that every single time I’d talked about what happened. But now—
“Je suis désolé,” he murmured, turning me around to face him. “I’m very sorry, Selene.” He brushed his fingers on my cheeks and I realized I was crying. I’d shed enough tears in the past three years that I thought I had nothing left in me. He pulled me into his chest and I tucked my head under his chin, basking in his strength and warmth.
“I’ll bet you didn’t get the memo that tonight was confession night, did you?”
He rubbed his hand in circles on my back. “I was curious about the scar, but I knew you would tell me when you were ready.”
We stayed like this, two souls locked in a bubble of intimacy. It was as though the demons that roamed our minds recognized each other, and instead of
stoking the fire that caused them to burn, they stroked them, silencing them, calming them. For once in a long time, I felt peace settle over me. I could really get used to this.
I SLID out of bed, and immediately felt the loss of Selene’s warm body against mine. God, she was a true beauty both inside and out. But I couldn’t linger in her bed any longer. I promised Adrien last night that I would drive him to kindergarten today. I went to the shower and walked out twenty minutes later, my thoughts dominated by the woman sleeping in front of me.
I picked up my clothes from the floor, before turning to face Selene, and dressed while devouring her with my eyes. I thought I might never have the pleasure of watching someone sleep, other than Adrien. But there she was, her lips curved in a serene smile. She lay on her stomach with her hands crossed above her head. The white sheets covered her beautiful arse. My gaze followed her shapely thighs, down to where her legs were crossed at the ankles and my cock hardened with the thought of burying myself deeply inside her again.
“Hey, you,” Selene’s voice was both breathy and hoarse and sexy. How would that mouth of hers feel around my cock, sucking me?
It took effort to drag my eyes from her body to her face. Her smile was sexy and her hazel eyes, dark with sleep.
Mon Dieu, this woman was going to be the death of me. Or my awakening. I couldn’t wait to paint her looking like this, as soon as the first portrait was done.
I closed the distance between us, crawled on the bed and kissed her. She moaned deep in her throat and shifted to her back, then slid her hands around my neck and pulled me down to her. I could kiss her mouth the entire day and never want to leave.
By the time I pulled away, I was fighting for breath and my cock pressed hard against the zipper of my jeans. “You make me crazy. I need to leave before I rip my clothes off and fuck you senseless, Selene.”
“As if I’d object to that,” she said, her fingers playing idly with the hair on the nape of my neck. I loved it when she did that. It was amazing that Selene knew how and where to touch me. “Come back to bed and let’s play dirty.”
