Claim & Protect

by Rhenna Morgan

  The door beside him opened and a burst of lights and bustling noises from outside filled the interior.

  Trevor glanced at the waiting driver, scanned the surroundings outside and shifted back to her. His gaze ran the length of her from toes to shoulders, slow as though marking every detail to memory. He held out his hand palm up. “Think I’m tired of waiting, too.”

  She laid her hand in his and his strong fingers curled around it. In only seconds, he was out of the car, guiding her from their dark cocoon and into the chilled December night. The wind whipped their hair, the wildness of it matching the storm building between them. Behind him, Dallas’s historic Adolphus Hotel stretched toward the dark sky, its ornate Beaux-Arts architecture a classic snapshot of elegant eras gone by. “I love this hotel.”

  “I know.”

  One time she’d mentioned it. An innocent ramble in the quiet moments alone after Thanksgiving when she’d shared a treasured memory of her and her mother dressing up for afternoon tea just after she’d graduated from nursing school.

  But he’d remembered.

  He whisked her inside, past the registration desk in the main lobby and the legendary Steinway grand piano rumored to have missed a fateful calling with the Titanic. Beyond the soaring twelve-foot tree laden with classic ornaments and twinkling lights and the elegant staircase that led to the shadowed lobby bar, to the elevator landing with its ageless gold doors.

  Inside, he punched the top floor and pulled her back against his chest, one hand cupping her shoulder while the other splayed possessively above her abdomen. The numbers above the elevator clicked higher and higher, excitement and anticipation soaring as the floors raced by. Against her stomach, his thumb shuttled back and forth against her silk dress, the mix of his firm touch, her soft flesh and the slick fabric a subtle reminder of what was to come.

  The doors swept open and he led her to the door at the end of the hall, keeping his silence with every step. He swept the key card through the lock and the mechanism chirped as it disengaged. Pushing the entrance wide, he stood back and waited for her to enter.

  “Oh, my.” She strolled across the gleaming white and gray tile covering the entrance, her heels clipping against the fine surface and echoing off the towering ceiling. Four more steps in, the space opened up to a massive room at least fifty feet wide. A wall of windows looked out over the gorgeous Dallas skyline, its pristine white curtains drawn back for maximum impact and reflecting her awestruck gaze. Two massive crystal chandeliers hung overhead, one over the eight-person Chippendale dining room set and the other over the refined seating area at the far end of the room. “This isn’t just an ordinary room.”

  He swept her hair off her neck, settled his hands on her hips and kissed the tender spot where her neck and shoulder met. “It’s not an ordinary night.”

  No, it wasn’t. But then nothing about her life had been ordinary since the day she’d walked into Trevor’s office. More like extraordinary. The stuff of dreams and fantasies the likes of which she’d had in high school, only much, much better.

  His hands slid up her bodice and cupped her breasts. “Took me about two seconds into our first dance tonight to figure out you didn’t have a bra on under this.” He grazed his thumb back and forth over her nipples. “Been dying to stroke you like this ever since.”

  A shudder slid through her and her knees trembled. She gripped his forearms to steady herself and let her head drop back against his shoulder, arching her back in encouragement. Her voice came out husky, the room, the night and all her worries melting away beneath his touch. “That was five hours ago. I’m surprised you made it that long.”

  “Toying with you in public is one thing. Doin’ it with my dad and your mom a stone’s throw away is too kinky even for my tastes.” Taking advantage of her exposed shoulders and neck, he kissed, licked and nibbled a tantalizing path across her skin. He tweaked her nipples and pressed his very ready shaft against her ass. “Planned on letting you have some fun exploring the suite first, but seein’ as how we’ve got it until Monday morning, I’m thinking me exploring what’s under all this silk’s a higher priority.”

  Reaching up and behind her, she threaded her fingers through his hair and rolled her head, offering more access for his talented mouth. “I’m all for efficiency and prioritization.”

  She felt his smile against her flesh and his warm chuckle coasted down her back. “You’re such a team player.” He drew in a deep, sexy breath, splayed his hand just above her ass and urged her forward. “How about we get you to the bedroom before I change my mind and start exploring on the dining room table.”

  Now there was an intriguing idea. If they had the suite until Monday, maybe she could initiate a little fun of her own later on.

  A sense of weightlessness moved through her at the thought, joy and a liberating sense of freedom blossoming until her footsteps seemed whisper soft. Two months ago, she’d have never considered such a thing. Not because she wasn’t open to such ideas, but because she’d have worried over how she looked or how a partner might perceive her. Trevor had given her that. Shown her intimacy wasn’t about presenting an image or meeting any expectations. It was a connection. Two people appreciating and accepting each other as they were. It didn’t matter how it happened. Playful, intense, awkward, or clumsy—with him the moment could be whatever it needed to be and it was still perfect.

  He ushered her into the bedroom, shrugged off his jacket and tossed it to the plush chenille couch along the far wall.

  Where the main room was all class, the bedroom was old-world opulence. The armoire and dresser echoed the same rococo style prevalent throughout the hotel, and the dove-gray carpet was thick beneath her feet, but the king-size poster bed with its soft yellow and coral canopy hinted of castles, knights, and whimsical days gone by. She paced closer to it and ran her fingers along the satin comforter.

  Trevor’s light footsteps sounded behind her. He traced the line from the base of her neck to the top of her zipper. “Saw that bed after I checked in and gave serious thought to skipping the party and heading straight here.” A gentle tug and a soft hiss, and her gown’s bodice loosened, held upright only by her arms at her side. He teased his fingers down her exposed spine. “Turn around, sweetheart. Want the full impact when that dress hits the floor.”

  She did as he asked, her breasts swelling in anticipation.

  He stood close enough to touch, but not enough to bar his view. Like his jacket, he’d shucked his shoes and socks, leaving him in just his slacks and black shirt. He traced the sweetheart neckline of her gown, gently scraping the tops of her breasts with the tips of his fingers. “Let it go.”

  Goose bumps lifted across her skin. Two months she’d been with him and still her body reacted like it was the first. Eager. Ready and wanting. Humming with excitement. Only now she wasn’t afraid. She pushed her shoulders back and relaxed her arms. The silk slithered down her body in a wicked caress, pooling around her ankles and leaving her bared in nothing more than her heels and an ivory lacy thong. The room’s cool air ghosted against her flesh, drawing her nipples to tightly puckered points. “I think you forgot my shoes.”

  She’d expected a grin. Maybe even one of those naughty chuckles that sent her insides swirling with delight. Instead he stared, the stark appreciation and hunger in his expression sparking electric zings against her flesh. “I didn’t forget anything.” He inched closer, dragged his knuckles down her belly and dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of her thong. His fingertips skimmed the tightly trimmed curls atop her mound. “Been planning on seeing you like this since you crossed your legs in the limo and I got a glimpse of those heels.”

  Crouching in front of her, he peeled the lace down her hips and slowly raked his gaze up from her toes to her face. “Totally worth the wait.” He splayed his hands just above her knees, smoothed them along the outside of her thigh
s and up her hips. He kissed the scar above her womb then eased back and lifted his gaze to hers. His hot breath fluttered against her sex. “Crawl back on the bed, sweetheart.”

  “Um.” She twisted and gauged the height of the bed. While the thick mattress and raised platform was no big deal for someone as tall as Trevor, she’d have a heck of a time hopping up on it barefoot, let alone in three-inch heels. “With the shoes?”

  That time he did grin, stepping in as he did so and lifting her so her butt ended up perched on the bed. “You uncomfortable in them?”

  She bit her lip. “A little.”

  He stepped between her thighs and thumbed each of them off without a beat of hesitation. They thumped against the thick carpets as he nuzzled her neck. “You’ll wear them for me later?”

  An image of her at the dining room table in nothing but the strappy sling backs flashed inside her head. “How about for breakfast?”

  “Sold.” He stepped back and gave a playful smack to her hip. “Now scoot back so I can lose these clothes and get back between your thighs.”

  She pushed back on her arms and cast him a sexy look beneath her lashes. “Yes, sir.”

  “Minx.” He worked the buttons on his shirt, those talented fingers of his making much faster progress than her shaking hands ever could. Even when he tossed the dark fabric aside and shifted to his pants, his stare stayed locked on her. “Smart move you gettin’ on my good side before I get out the rope.”

  Her gasp slipped out before she could catch it, and she squeezed her thighs around the unexpected quiver between her legs. “You brought rope?”

  “Thought ahead enough to have your mom pack clothes for you to go home in. You really think I’d miss a detail that took up a whole lot more mental space than making sure you were dressed on the way home?” He shoved his pants and briefs to the floor.

  The last of her coherent thoughts scattered, too focused on the prime display in front of her. God, he was magnificent. The room’s dim lighting flitted across his muscled body, shadows accenting the ridges along his pecs, abs, and hips. His platinum dog tags rested above his sternum, the soft metal glow and etched black markings accenting his golden skin, but most of her focus stayed rooted to his thick cock jutting tall and proud toward his belly. “I guess not.”

  He crept onto the bed, a predator with the eyes of an angel. “The rope’s soft.” He cupped her knees and splayed them wide enough to kneel between them, his thumbs drawing enticing circles against her skin. “Smooth so you can wiggle and buck all damned night and not walk away with a mark.” He ran his fingers along the inside of her thighs and his gaze dropped to her exposed core. “That’s for later. Right now I want your hands free so I can feel them on me when I take you.”

  Lightly, he skimmed her labia, slowly increasing the pressure until his fingertips were slick with her wetness.

  She covered his hand at her hip and squeezed, needing the connection to ground her. To hold her steady while reality gave way to the burgeoning pleasure he created. “Trevor,” she whispered.

  “Right here, darlin’.” He eased over her, bracing himself above her with one hand beside her head. The cool metal of his dog tags fell like ice against her fevered skin, branding her as he pressed one finger deep.

  She flexed into the thrust and let her hands roam against his sculpted pecs. The faint hair along his sternum tickled her palms and his heart galloped as wild and untamed as the fire burning behind his eyes.

  “Gonna feel this on my cock.” Adding another finger to his assault, he upped the rhythm. “Feel your heat. Fill you up. Mark you.”

  Tremors racked her thighs and the muscles surrounding his fingers fluttered. “Trevor.”

  “You want that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Need it?”

  “Yes.” She let her eyes slip closed and rolled her hips in time with each surge, chasing the release he offered.

  “That’s it.” His lips skimmed her cheekbone. Her jaw. Her lips. “Build it for me. All the way to the edge.”

  “No building.” She clumsily threaded her fingers through his hair, her mouth too parched and desperate for his kiss to manage much more. “Already there. Please.”

  He nipped her lower lip and growled. “No better sound than that. Broken and husky. Begging for my cock.” He slipped his fingers free, circled his shaft, and coated himself in her desire. And, God, was it beautiful. His big, powerful hand squeezing and pumping his heavily veined length and coating himself with her essence.

  Before she could overthink the action, she followed her instincts and curled her hand around his, gliding her fingers above his and savoring his slick, velvet length. Her hips lifted and fell with each stroke. “I love this. Love to watch you.” She guided him into place. “But, I want this more.”

  His glans notched into place and his head dropped back, eyes closed as though he’d just stumbled on nirvana.

  She undulated against him, urging him with hands at his hips and heels in his flanks. “Now, Trevor.” Gone were all her inhibitions, trampled by incessant need and thundering desire. She slipped her fingers between her legs and stroked either side of his shaft, circling her clit on each upward rasp. “Give me this.”

  The muscles at the back of his jaw twitched and his eyes flashed open, blazing with possession. “Anything.” He inched deeper, claiming her with a sweet, delicious stretch. “Everything.” Another inch. So perfect. Raw and primal. “Always.”

  He thrust himself to the hilt and his eyes flared. “Nat.”

  She smoothed her hands up his arms and over his shoulders. Her hips rolled against his, a faultless rhythm that moved between them as smooth as the ocean’s lap against the sand. “I know.” She coiled her arms and legs around his neck and waist. “It’s beautiful. Right. Just us.”

  “Us.” The simple echo whispered like a promise between them, reverent and thick with wonder. His gaze trailed down their bodies. “Christ...Natalie.” He pounded harder, his cock hammering deep while his tight sac slapped her sex. “I’ll never get enough. Never.”

  The sights, the scents, the sound—it all coalesced at once, catapulting her up and over the edge to the blinding white of release. “Trevor!” Her sex clenched, fisting Trevor’s cock in a greedy pulse that echoed clear to the arches of her feet.

  “Fuck, yes. That’s mine. All mine.” He surged to the root and buried himself at the end of her, his cock jerking against her spasming sex.

  Complete. In that one, unparalleled intimate moment, they were one. One flesh. One need. One heart.

  Beneath her heels, his flanks flexed and released, drawing out the pleasure in long, tender strokes. Powerful yet tender. Possessive yet rich with surrender. Sweat lined their torsos and the musky bite of sex drifted all around them. Arms shaking, Trevor gave her his weight, ghosting kisses over her brow, her eyes, her nose, her lips.

  “Best New Year’s ever.” She sighed, tickling her fingertips up and down his spine.

  He lifted his head, his tousled hair framing his face and blue gaze brimming with solemnity. Cupping one side of her face, he smoothed his thumb along her cheekbone. His voice grated low and broken, but so rich with emotion it streamed sunshine-bright into her soul. “I love you.”

  Tears swelled in little more than a second, blurring his handsome face before spilling down her cheeks. “Trevor,” she whispered.

  Panic filled his expression and he wiped the tears away. “Shit, Natalie. I didn’t want to make you cry again.”

  She smiled and barked out a laugh, the harsh jerk of her torso pushing more tears free. “I’m a girl, Trevor. We don’t just cry when we’re sad. We cry when we’re happy, too.”

  His gaze roved her face, searching. Studying. “I didn’t freak you out?”

  “God, no.” She caressed his jawline, savoring the stubble beneath h
er touch. Her lips trembled and the space behind her sternum felt as though her heart had ballooned to twice its normal size. “You made me happy. Relieved.” She traced his lips. “I love you, too. I was afraid it was just me.”

  He smiled and smoothed her hair away from her face. “It’s not just you. Not anymore.” He rolled his hips against hers, an intimate reminder of how they were still joined. His eyes slid shut and he hung his head as though the sensation was too great to do more than hold on for the ride. When he finally lifted his head, his mouth was cocked in a goofy grin. “Feel like I should get a towel and clean you up, but damned if I want to.”

  She sighed, stretched, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve got a big strong man starting my pseudo New Year off with a stellar orgasm and a declaration of love. I’m not in any hurry to change a thing.”

  He cocked his head, surprise and maybe a little shock widening his eyes. “It doesn’t bother you?”

  Urging his mouth to hers, she whispered against his lips. “It’s natural and it’s part of you, so no.”

  He groaned and deepened the kiss, a languid appreciation of all they’d shared and a promise of what was to come. Only after long, heartfelt minutes did he shift, kill the bedside light, and situate them beneath the covers. The darkness surrounded them in a soft cocoon, her torso half-on and half-off his and their legs comfortably tangled.

  His fingertips drifted up and down her arm in a lazy, haphazard pattern. “Nat?”

  “Mmmm?”

  “Whatever worries you had about today—about matching what me and my family did for you—let ’em go. I might have given you a night, but what we just did...you telling me you love me with me still inside you and nothing between us...” He inhaled slow and deep, almost bracing. “Darlin’, you just gave me the world.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Another flight done and only two more hours until the brotherhood’s plan kicked into high gear. Trevor paced the length of his Falcon’s cabin, double-checking for anything left behind or unsecured. The last twenty-four hours had been hell on his focus, the nonstop cocktail of tension and adrenaline leaving him as strung out as a junkie twenty-four hours into detox. Of all the risky shit he’d tackled in his life, what was about to go down had to be the most important. Not so much as it pertained to him, but because the outcome meant Wyatt wouldn’t have the sway over Natalie with Levi’s life he used to. If this route didn’t work, Trevor was going to have to bring Wyatt Jordan in line the old-fashioned way, even if it meant Trevor might land in jail for murder.