Tears burned as desperation tried to blind me.
But then a firm voice in the hallway saved my life. “She asked you to leave.”
I’d never heard such a steely tone coming from him before. I almost didn’t recognize his voice, but my heart knew…and damn, if it wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever heard.
Peeking my head out the door with a gasp, I spotted Justin a few feet away. His dark glare was aimed straight at Enrique.
The tall Italian smirked, his long, chiseled face oozing contempt. “And who are you?”
Justin pulled his shoulders back, his chest puffing out just a little as he growled, “I’m her husband.”
My heart grew wings and fluttered around my ribcage. Enrique took a quick step away from me before giving Justin a charming smile. “Welcome to Paris. Sarah and I were just discussing details for the show to—”
“Don’t.” Justin cut him off. “I know exactly what you were doing.”
Justin wasn’t stuttering. He was breathing like a bull ready to charge. I’d never seen him so angry before. Waves of rage pulsed out of him, pushing the tall Italian away.
Enrique swallowed, lifting his chin and holding out the champagne bottle and glasses. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean; however, I will leave you two to enjoy your evening. Ciao.” As soon as Justin took the bottle and flutes, Enrique strode away as if he’d just performed an act of charity.
Justin cursed under his breath and slipped into my room, placing the bottle and glasses down before spinning to face me.
“I’m allowed to hate that guy, right?”
“As much as you like. He’s not my boss anymore.” I tittered, a nervous, edgy sound that gave away the force of the emotions zinging inside me.
Justin stilled, his expression softening as he drank me in. “You really quit?”
“You really still my husband?”
The side of his mouth tipped up with a smile. He slipped the bag off his shoulder, letting it gently thump to the ground beside him. I gazed at his sports bag, the one he’d stuffed full of clothes the day he left me. It looked haphazardly packed once more, with funny bulges out the side. The white airline tag sagged toward the floor.
He’d flown all the way to Paris.
For me?
Hope set my heart beating out of time. I didn’t know what to say to him. Did he want me to run into his embrace? Stand there and listen? What?
I drew in a shaky breath and crossed my arms, gripping the bathrobe material in my fist.
Justin ran a hand over his curls and gazed across the room at me.
“Thing is, Sparks, I made you a promise.” His eyes started to glisten as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I said I’d never let you go.”
The storm of emotions that had been living inside me for months zipped out of my mouth in a gasping sob. I covered my lips to try to contain it, but it didn’t work. The sound shot across the room, tugging Justin toward me.
“C’mere,” he whispered against my cheek, lifting me off the ground and carrying me over to the bed. I curled my arms around his neck as he sat us on the edge and held me close. Running his arm up my back, he squeezed the nape of my neck and murmured into my ear. “I’m sorry for taking so long. But I’m here now, and I’m not leaving you again.”
His soft words swirled through me—replenishing, refilling, rejuvenating everything that had withered.
I sat up and wriggled around on his lap until my knees were on either side of him. Running my hand down his cheek, I drank in his beautiful face. “You sure?”
He brushed my tears away with his thumbs, and then did something he hadn’t done in a really long time…
He initiated a kiss—something so small and insignificant, yet so incredibly huge.
His full lips brought me back home, reminding me of everything we’d had before and everything that could be washed away if only we’d let it.
I leaned into the kiss, pressing my body against his strong torso and silently pleading for more. His tongue circled mine and we fell back in step, creating a familiar dance we’d performed hundreds of times in the past. Our bodies still remembered all the moves.
Slipping the bathrobe off my shoulders, I wrestled out of the fabric, wanting to present him with everything. His hands brushed my bare shoulders before he pulled away from me. With a nervous swallow, he scanned my body, his eyes flashing with desire as he studied my naked torso.
“What if I hurt you?” he whispered.
I jerked away from him. “What are you talking about?”
“Last time…” His face bunched with anguish. “I hurt you, I…”
My lips parted as my eyebrows slowly rose. “Is that why you haven’t touched me? I thought you didn’t want me.”
He closed his eyes and cringed before cupping my breasts and gently kneading them. “How could I not want you? You’re the most beautiful person on this planet.”
My nipples reacted to his touch, sending tingles of pleasure racing through my body. I couldn’t help a soft sigh as I dipped my head so our cheeks pressed together. “You never hurt me.”
“I did.” He moved away so he could look me in the eye. “I know I did.”
“It felt good,” I whispered. “Pleasure and pain… You’d never been so deep. It just took me off guard.”
He shook his head, letting me go then tracing a line between my breasts. “It was for the wrong reasons, Sarah. I wasn’t trying to pleasure you.”
“I don’t think you were trying to hurt me either.”
His lips trembled and he made a fist, pressing it against his forehead. “I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you feeling bad.”
“What are you talking about?” I held his shoulders, gently digging my fingers into his shirt.
“Blake,” he croaked. “I should’ve been there for him that day. Instead of being the good brother, I left him because I wanted to be with you. While we were having sex, he was dying. Every time I touched you after that, I’d think of him.” Justin’s voice grew soft, like he was seeing it all again. His wide eyes stared straight through me. “You didn’t see his eyes, the blood. He was supposed to be getting married that day.”
“Justin.” My voice was firm as I grabbed his face and forced his gaze to mine. “That was not your fault. Blake died because he was driving on the wrong side of the road without a helmet…and that other car was going too fast. That had nothing to do with you.”
“I shouldn’t have left him,” he choked. His eyes were swamped with tears. “It was his wedding day, he was distracted. I could have saved his life.”
Seeing Justin on the verge of tears set off my own. I sniffed and pressed my forehead against his. “Throwing away your life isn’t going to bring him back. Don’t destroy us because you feel guilty. Please, I need my husband back. You can’t live the rest of your life like this.”
“I know that in my head. That’s why I’m here.”
Smiling at his tear-soaked gaze, I whispered, “I’m going to make you believe it in your heart.”
I planted my lips on his and kissed him with everything I had. Our lips shook against each other. Our salty tears mingled, but I wouldn’t let him pull away.
With trembling fingers, I unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it off his body until there was nothing between us. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I crushed our naked torsos together and held on. It was like waiting for the jury to deliver their verdict. My heart thundered as I gave Justin the next move and prayed…prayed for his arms to glide around me, for him to take a risk.
I closed my eyes, letting the tears slip down my cheeks as I waited.
And then…
Very slowly…
My prayers were answered.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Justin
I ran the pads of my fingers over her skin, tracing the line of her ribs before traveling up her spine. She let out a shuddering sigh and squeezed tighter, spreading her hands ov
er my back.
I released a ragged breath and met her strength, locking her against me. Burying my nose in her hair, I inhaled her scent. Memories fired through me—wistful, powerful, all-consuming. I let her coat my senses until my body was thrumming with one desire.
Lifting her up, I whipped us around so she was lying beneath me. Her eyes sparkled, matching the ring I’d slid onto her finger two years ago. We’d promised each other a life together then, having no idea a tornado was going to wipe us out. All we saw was a wedding in our future, a happy, perfect life together. We got the perfect wedding, and then…life happened.
I tugged her bathrobe and splayed it open so I could see her entire body.
“You are so beautiful,” I whispered, running my hands across her smooth skin and marveling at each curve. She was soft, yet firm. Slender muscles beneath layers of silky white skin. I sucked her nipple into my mouth, enjoying the sound of her sweet whimper. A flash of Enrique touching her shot through my head. I bashed it away, my insides protesting with a feral growl. I squeezed her other breast, claiming her again, taking back what was rightfully mine.
Her mewls of pleasure kissed my brain, urging me to keep going. Sarah unbuttoned me, wrestling off my pants while I attended to her. Her breath hitched and caught as she moaned and tipped her head back. I rose to my knees, unwilling to release her as she finished undressing me.
The second I was naked, I lay on top of her. She spread her legs, forcing my throbbing cock against her thigh. Tipping her hips, she silently told me to get on with it. I ran my fingers down her body, squeezing her hip before weaving around between her legs.
My fingers slipped inside her—she was a hot, sweet mess. The second my mind registered her readiness, my hand got out of the way and I plunged into her.
She felt so damn good I nearly came on the spot. Clenching my jaw, I swallowed back my groan and pulled out, before thrusting into her again.
Sarah’s sweet groans covered me. I looked down at her, smiling at the way her head tipped back, drinking in the shape her neck made as she buried her face in a pillow of blonde hair before craning back and biting her lower lip. She was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I moved inside her again, finding our familiar rhythm. Grasping her firm butt, I coaxed her legs around my hips and drove into her, kissing the crook of her neck while she gripped my back and breathed into my ear.
“Justin,” she whispered.
But I didn’t hear her. I was back in England again, watching us do it on an old wooden desk. Then someone pressed fast-forward in my brain, and I was suddenly staring at my dead brother. His lifeless eyes and caved-in skull confronted me.
No. My mind protested, making my body buck and jerk. I thrust into my wife, hammering her body as I tried to escape my demons. They rose around me like tidal waves in a tossing ocean, smashing over me, taking me hostage while I tried to pleasure the one person who meant the most.
Like last time, I was transported to another place, my mind unable to control my body. All I could hear was distant grunting and a soft voice calling me.
“Justin.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself back to that place.
“Justin, stop.”
Sarah’s voice hitched. A squealing of brakes crashed through my mind.
“Justin, stop!”
My eyes flashed open and I jerked away from her, rising up on my arms and trying to pull myself free. She locked me in place with her legs, crossing her ankles and digging her heels into my butt, keeping me inside.
I panted, my entire body trembling. “Let me go, Sarah. I’m not hurting you again.”
“No, you’re not.” Her voice was calm, in contrast to mine. I wrestled against her, but she squeezed my arms so hard her nails dug into my flesh. Her thighs gripped my hips, holding them steady. “I’m yours, Justin. You can go as deep as you like…as long as you’re not thinking about him. This moment right here belongs to us. I’m claiming it, and every moment after that.” She grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her. “You are mine, Justin Doyle. You’re mine. So, you just keep your eyes on me.”
Her firm command sent a quiet ripple through me. My shoulder muscles slowly relaxed, then my back. Like knots unfurling, my taut body breathed a sigh of relief. Lowering myself to my elbows, I wound one of her blonde tendrils around my finger before pressing it against my lips. Sarah’s erect nipples brushed across my chest, working like spark plugs to reignite me. I kept my eyes on hers, shifting slowly at first then increasing the tempo until I was gliding in and out of her. It was easy to keep the nightmares in check when I was looking into her eyes. They were like two guiding lights, steering me home.
I dove a little deeper, our breaths mingling together as the pressure built inside both of us. I could see her close to orgasm. Her hooded eyes glazed over, her fingers digging into my shoulders. Her whimpering breaths quickened while her hips tipped up, shifting the angle so I could plunge even deeper. Pushing up, I moved to my knees, holding her hips so she rose with me. Her arms slapped onto the mattress, clutching the covers as I buried myself inside her.
I could sense she wanted to close her eyes and drown in the sweet sensations riding through us, but she never did. She kept her gaze on me the whole time. A shock of pleasure so forceful it threatened to take me out coursed through me. Sarah’s eyes flashed wide and she cried out, her muscles bunching as the orgasm rocked us both. I clutched her perfect ass and emptied myself into her until every ounce of energy was zapped from me.
And then everything went still, like the calm after a raging storm. A soft, gentle whisper of peace stirred inside me.
Sarah let out a deep, throaty giggle that told me she was satisfied. I flopped down beside her with a dopey grin, dragging her into my arms. She perched her head on her hand and gazed down at me, tracing the line of my lips.
“Welcome home,” she whispered, her voice quivering over the words.
I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. There were no words big enough for the emotion inside me, so I just stared at her, hoping she could read my mind.
Her gentle smile and the glistening in her eyes gave me hope that she could. With a little sniff, she pulled in a shaky breath and mouthed, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I murmured then guided her head to my chest and nestled her against my body, right where she belonged.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sarah
A beam of light woke me.
It was shining directly across my face. I cracked one eye open and noticed I hadn’t closed the curtains properly the night before. I rolled over with a soft groan and found myself face to face with the right man.
I smiled as a warm buzz radiated through my chest.
Justin was asleep. Soft breaths whistled between his lips as he lightly snored. I gently ran my finger over his dark eyebrow. His forehead was wrinkle free. I traced the smooth skin up to his hairline and threaded my fingers into his curls.
A grateful smile pushed my mouth even wider as that buzz shifted to a powerful force that swarmed my entire body. I loved him so much.
My wandering touch stirred him. He twitched and shifted, his strong hand landing on my hip and closing the gap between us.
I wriggled around and pressed my back against his naked torso. My butt couldn’t help pressing against him, stirring his sleeping member. It hardened quickly, making me grin. Justin’s hand tucked beneath my breast. He gave it a light squeeze while nuzzling my shoulders.
Closing my eyes with a blissful exhale, I relished the feel of his hard body behind me. Squeezing my nipple, he traced a line down to my waist, around my belly button then between my legs. My breath hitched as he found my sweet spot. I giggled then moaned as his strokes set my body alight. His hands knew me so well, and his deft touch had me quickly biting the pillow to muffle my lusty scream. I shuddered against him, my breathing punchy and erratic as the orgasm sizzled through me. Nudging my leg with his knee, he spread me open and slid straig
ht home.
I lifted my arm over my head and clutched his curls as we rocked against each other. He took his time—a smooth, languid ride to ecstasy…and the perfect way to start a new day…a new dawn…a new era.
Wrapping his arms around me, he held me close and mumbled in my ear, “I want to wake up like that every day for the rest of my life.”
I giggled and turned around so I could face him. Resting my hand on his cheek, I searched his eyes before finally whispering, “I’m so glad you said that. For a while there, I thought I’d lost you.”
He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am.” I bit my lips together, remorse washing my smile away.
“You weren’t the only one to blame.” He brushed his lips against mine. “And it’s in the past now. That’s where it needs to stay.”
I nodded, my thick throat making it impossible to talk.
“Can I show you something?”
Curiosity widened my eyes, and I bobbed my head in answer.
He grinned and sat up, giving me a sweet shot of his ass. I smiled as he padded across the room naked and pulled the laptop out of his bag.
With a curious grin, I sat up, bunching the pillows behind me and covering myself with the sheet. He nestled down next to me and opened his computer. Resting my head on his shoulder, I watched him pull up a video clip.
“I made this on the plane,” he murmured. “I just needed something to stop me from going crazy…” He glanced at me. “And I wanted to show you that I’m ready to move forward.”
“Okay.” I turned back to the screen, excited for a piece of Justin movie magic.
His finger quivered over the keypad then he clicked…and something beautiful happened.
“I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz kicked in. The guitar riff was the perfect backing track for the images popping up on the screen. Tears glassed over my eyes as I watched snippets from our wedding day—laughter, kisses, dreamy gazes as we danced in each other’s arms. The shots then changed to pictures of us together in college. I recognized a couple of them from Justin’s engagement video. We were so incredibly happy back then. We’d had something beautiful…and we were going to have it again.
Rough Water (Songbird #7) Page 16
