by Ravenna Tate
He fixed his gaze on Nadine. “If you want to go back underground and wait for word, any one of us will be happy to escort you.”
She squared her shoulders and sat up straighter. “Not a chance. He’s my father. As long as you all don’t mind how green I am, I want to stay.”
George’s huge smile reassured her he’d only been giving her an out, not telling her she wasn’t wanted. “I’d have expected nothing less from Dixon’s daughter.” George took down the map. “We’re honored to have you with us.” He addressed Addison. “You’re the boss of this expedition. Okay if we leave at first light?”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Great.” George patted his stomach. “What do we have to eat? I’m starving.”
The group watched movies on a monitor screen they hooked up to a computer while George warmed up some soup and made himself a sandwich. Nadine felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. Now that George was here, it was real. They were going out in the morning to find her father. She was torn between excitement at the new adventure, and absolute terror as the group did more talking than watching, describing all the storms they’d each been in.
At one point, Addison asked her if she was hungry again, but she told him she was too nervous to eat. “Is that because of me?” he asked quietly.
“No. I’m wondering what I got myself into with this rescue mission.”
“It’s not too late to go back.”
She studied his face. It didn’t look like he wanted her to leave. “That would be the coward’s way out.”
“I don’t agree, but I understand why you feel that way and I admire you for it. I also believe you’re going to do just fine. You’ve shown more strength and resolve than you realize is inside you.”
“You make me believe that.”
Addison stared into her eyes for long, luscious moments, and then he glanced toward the group. They were absorbed in their stories, the movie still playing but no one watching it. He stood and held out his hand. “Would you like a tour of the bunker?”
She didn’t miss the look of lust in his eyes, or the implication in his question. Her heart pounded. This was it. She could back out of this, too, and then spend the rest of her life wishing she’d taken Addison up on his offer. She didn’t want to be afraid any longer. He wouldn’t hurt her, and if she waited until they were underground again, it might not happen at all.
“Why don’t you grab your stuff?” he said, nodding toward the pile of backpacks. “That way you can choose a room.”
“Great idea.” She walked on shaky legs toward her backpack, keeping her gaze glued to it, not glancing toward the others. If they noticed her and Addison going off alone, she’d be too self-conscious to leave the room with him. Nadine scooped up her things and turned, her focus now on Addison’s beautiful face.
The man was seriously the most handsome creature she’d ever seen up close and personal. The five o’clock shadow she’d admired Saturday was now even more pronounced, but that only served to make her skin tingle. His words came back to her. He wanted to make love to her.
His eyes flashed with lust and happiness, and that look sent her heart fluttering. No one had ever looked at her that way. Her one consensual experience with sex had been a hurried affair in the back seat of a car when she’d been sixteen.
Four years before everyone had been forced underground, Nadine had gone on exactly three dates with Lonnie Farrell, one of the most sought-after boys in her high school class. She’d been happy, proud, and a damn fool because as soon as she gave him what he really wanted, that third date was the last one.
He’d parked his car next to a lake frequented by high school kids with more than swimming on their minds, and fed her a line of pure bullshit that she’d never seen through. Or perhaps she hadn’t wanted to see through it. The next morning, she was awoken by a phone call from one of her friends, asking if she’d really had sex with Lonnie Farrell. Apparently he’d texted everyone the night before. By Monday morning the entire school knew.
He also had kept score because he told everyone that he must be losing his touch since it hadn’t taken him three dates to get what he’d wanted in a while. It had been nothing more than a game to him.
She hadn’t been half as upset by that as she’d been about the sex. It was boring, and not at all like the experience she’d been imagining. Real sex was somewhere between the less than stellar experience with Lonnie and rape, but she had no clue on which part of that continuum it lay, so she wasn’t sure what to expect from Addison. She certainly hoped this didn’t turn out to be a huge disappointment, or she’d feel like the biggest fool on the planet all over again.
More importantly, she hoped it would help her forget that experience four years ago. On the heels of that thought came the realization that if she was only using this to help herself, that would be horribly shallow. It wasn’t the right reason to have sex with someone.
Addison was charming and gorgeous, and she had never really put him out of her mind in all these years. That should be the real reason to go through with this, because he certainly hadn’t been unclear about his intentions beyond the sex.
She touched her lips as she remembered his kisses. They didn’t suggest boring sex or an act that would leave her hurt and humiliated. They suggested the same arousal she’d felt using her imagination to conjure up the perfect encounter between herself and a man who cared about her. A man who wanted her and could love her, and would give her an intimate experience that lived up to her fantasies.
But what part of those fantasies was real, and what part was over the top because of her past? Would she find out in a moment if reality came close to what she’d been imagining?
Nadine took Addison’s hand, resisting the urge to turn around and see who might be watching them. It wouldn’t do any good, and might cause her to change her mind, or at least be reluctant to do this. That wasn’t fair to her or Addison.
There really wasn’t much left of the bunker for her to tour. She’d already seen the room where the majority of the computers were kept, and she’d already been in the kitchen. The only common area left was the storage room behind the kitchen, and she took a peek inside only because he’d brought her back there.
When they walked past the main room again and into the maze of hallways leading from it, she held onto Addison’s hand like it was a life raft, drawing strength from his warm touch.
“Do you want to choose a room?” he asked.
She wasn’t really thinking that far ahead. “Is the one next to yours taken yet?”
He smiled. “No.”
“Then I’ll take that one.”
They placed her things inside it, and then Addison pulled her into his arms. “This is your choice, Nadine. No matter what you say, it won’t change how I feel about you. I can wait until we’re underground again so we can do this right.”
Her pulse raced. “Do this right? What does that mean?”
“Take you out. Court you. Go to dinner and the symphony. Show you off.”
“Will all of that make you want this more than you do right now?”
He smiled. “Not even close. But that’s what women expect from me before I get them into bed.”
Ouch. She didn’t want to think about him in bed with other women. “Does that mean you don’t enjoy all of the other things?”
“That’s not what I meant. I do enjoy all of the other things, but most of all I simply enjoy being with someone I can talk to. I like being with someone who finds me interesting in return.”
“I find you fascinating.”
He brushed a finger along her lips. “And I find you as endearing as I’ve always found you. You’ve grown into an intelligent, enchanting woman.” He kissed her lips with nothing more than a light feathery touch, but the effect had her gasping for more. “And a beautiful one.”
Addison stroked her hair, then moved his mouth to her neck where he flicked his tongue over her skin. Nadine’s moan was au
tomatic. Her entire body tingled as he planted soft kisses along her jaw line.
“I also find you incredibly sexy in a non-obvious way, and that’s what makes you so enticing.”
She wouldn’t know how to act sexy if she had to, so to hear him say he thought she was sent a gush of wetness to her pussy. This was really going to happen! She was far more aroused now than she’d been earlier. Even better, the only images dancing through her head were the ones featuring Addison, and what she imagined his naked body looked like.
He slowly moved his hands down her back, sending shivers ran and up down her spine. “Open your eyes.”
She hadn’t realized she’d closed them. Nadine opened her eyes and gazed into his.
“That’s better. They’re the most startling shade of blue I’ve ever seen. Like the way Puget Sound used to look.” She didn’t know how to respond to such an amazing compliment. “Nadine, tell me you want me. I need to hear you say it. Tell me you want me to make love to you. I want to be sure you’re ready for this.”
She’d been ready for it longer than she could remember. “Make love to me, Addison,” she whispered. “Teach me the way sex is supposed to be.”
Chapter Nine
Nadine cried out loudly as he moved his hands to her front. He teased her nipples through the fabric with his thumbs and gently cupped her breasts. The sensation was so erotic, and not at all like Lonnie’s clumsy groping had been. This wasn’t the uncontrolled fumbling of a horny teen. The way he touched her was reverent, as if afraid she might break if he wasn’t careful.
“May I take off your top?”
No one had ever asked. She swallowed against the lump in her throat and nodded. Addison rolled the bottom up over her bra and pulled the shirt off so slowly, the act itself became sensual, not merely rote. Her bare arms were chilled, although the temperature in the room was warm. He moved his hands over them slowly, easing back the goosebumps.
“Do you want to take off your jeans, socks, and boots, or shall I do it?”
“You do it. Please?”
He kissed her, his lips lingering a bit longer this time, but he released it far too soon again. “My pleasure, Nadine.”
She held her breath while he unfastened her jeans, then slid them down as far as possible with him still standing. He gave her a slightly wicked smile. “Nice panties.” Nadine’s face burned. There was nothing special about them. Simple cotton, pale pink, with no fancy lace trim or decoration. Surely he was teasing her. “They make you look innocent, and that’s a very seductive image.”
“Oh…”
He moved around her and sat on the bed, then took her hands and walked her toward him, which she found difficult to do with her jeans around her knees. When he cupped her pussy through the cotton, she cried out again as tiny jolts of electricity raced through her body. “Nadine, you’re wet.” His voice held a note of surprised delight.
“As if I could help it.”
Addison bent his head and kissed her pussy lips. She moaned loudly and grasped his hair as he teased her through the panties with his tongue and his fingers. When he stopped short again, she wanted to cry out in frustration.
“These are in the way.” He slid her jeans down to her ankles, and then he helped her step out of them, and took her socks and boots with them.
“That’s better.” He brushed his hands up her thighs, over her abdomen and then grasped her breasts again. “You’re beautiful. Do you know that?”
Nadine had to blink back tears. No one had ever called her that. “No.”
His gaze turned tender and soft. “Before this day is over, you will believe that of yourself. I promise you.”
She let out a shaky breath as he told her step apart a bit, then moaned loudly when he cupped her pussy and resumed teasing her clit with his thumb through the fabric. He fastened his mouth on one nipple, biting it gently through her bra until she thought she’d go out of her mind with need. She’d never felt anything like this, and hadn’t expected him to be so patient or playful. She’d imagined him simply stripping her clothes off, removing his own in a hurry, and then taking her.
This was fun. It was sexy and slow. He gave her time to explore each sensation, and to breathe. It felt incredible and sent her arousal to places she hadn’t realized it could go. She wanted to let the tears come simply because she was so damn happy!
Addison let go of her and smiled. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart? That was a first, too. “Fine. No, not just fine. Wonderful. Incredible. I’m not sure how to put it into words.”
“No fear?”
She shook her head. “No. Not even close. I’m so damn aroused I’m ready to burst.”
He chuckled softly as he circled her clit with his thumb. “Ah, yeah. I know exactly what you mean. Tell me about the one sexual experience you had before. How old were you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. It’s the only one you had that was consensual. I want to know what you did and how it felt so I can make sure it’s so much better, you won’t even remember it after today.”
It already is that much better. It was difficult to think with him rubbing her clit that way. The only orgasms she’d ever had were the ones she’d given herself, but that hadn’t happened in a very long time. “I was sixteen. He was the high school boy all the girls wanted, but he was nothing more than a player. We didn’t even take off all our clothes.”
Addison slid down her bra straps. “That couldn’t have been very fulfilling for you.”
Had his voice always sounded this deep and sexy?
“It wasn’t. It hurt, but not as much as I’d been told by my friends it would.”
“Was it fun at all?”
“Not really. It was boring. I felt nothing. Except used, of course, the next day.”
He slid the straps off her arms and then held the cups in place. Nadine could barely take a full breath. She was so damn excited she wanted to scream and cry at the same time.
“That must have been humiliating. You were so young, and it was your first time.”
“I was. Yes. My first time.”
“I’m sorry you went through that. I’d like to replace that memory with new ones.” He removed her bra and gazed at her breasts for long moments, not saying a word. “You are truly stunning, Nadine. I mean that.”
She knew he did. She heard the conviction in his voice and saw it in his eyes when he lifted his gaze. He cupped her face and kissed her, this time lingering for a long time. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she moaned deeply in the back of her throat as her arms circled his waist. She could feel the muscles in his torso, and could hardly stand this now. She wanted him. All of him. Everything he could give her.
When he released the kiss, he trailed his tongue over her neck and down into the valley between her breasts. “Stop me if you feel afraid or need a break. Even if you want to talk about something. All right?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“I don’t want you uncomfortable at all, Nadine. I want you to enjoy this.”
“Thank you.” The tears slipped down her cheeks now, and she didn’t try to stop them. Addison licked her nipples, one then the other, gazed into her face to gauge her reaction, and then returned to torturing them with soft licks and tiny bites. She’d never felt anything like it in her life. Her clit throbbed, and her panties were now ruined they were so damn wet.
He held her close for a moment, then turned her around and laid her on the bed. “You still okay?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to take off your panties.”
“All right.”
He slid them off and grinned. “The carpet matches the drapes. I did wonder. Your hair is really blonde.”
She giggled. “I’ve never heard that before.”
He didn’t say anything. Instead he gently parted her legs, turned her torso toward the edge of the bed, sat in the chair, and pulled her toward him a bit. “Bend your legs at th
e knees for me, sweetheart.” She did, then held her breath as he parted her curls with his fingers. “And now I finally get dessert.”
“Oh my God…” Nadine bucked her hips off the bed and dug her fists into the blanket as he licked her clit. Holy hell! She’d never felt anything like this in her life. He used his tongue in long, slow strokes over her entire pussy, then returned to her clit, licking harder and alternating that with gentle sucking.
She was going to come. No doubt about it. She groaned loudly, not giving a shit now if everyone out there heard her. They didn’t matter. All that existed was Addison’s mouth and now his finger as he slowly slid it inside her. He moved it in and out as he continued torturing her with his tongue, and when the orgasm started, she let out one long, low continuous moan and just allowed it to happen.
The contractions were so much stronger than any she’d brought on by herself. His finger still moved in and out, but when he withdrew it and pushed two inside, it burned for a tiny second. Then that sensation was replaced with the most delicious floating feeling. He licked her gently now, slower, but kept his fingers inside, fucking her with them. The exquisite sensation went on and on, and Nadine never wanted it to end.
When he withdrew his fingers, she could do nothing but lie there, breathing hard, still moaning softly. Her pussy was still contracting, and she wanted him back inside it.
Addison stood and watched her, a sexy grin on his face. “Well, that was fun.”
She laughed softly. “Yes, it was.”
He took off his shirt, and she sighed at the look of him. He was as muscular and beautiful as she’d imagined, and covered with a fine dusting of dark hair. As he removed his jeans, boxers, socks, and boots, her attention was drawn to his cock. Red, swollen, and larger than she’d anticipated, it seemed to move with a life all its own.
