Arching up to meet his mouth, he continued to taste her nipples. Isabelle moaned her acquiescence. He pressed light kisses along her stomach before moving downwards to trace the same kisses up her inner thigh, starting at her feet.
Her breathing came in short bursts and caused her head to feel dizzy and light. His kisses creeping up her leg were unbearably wonderful and came a close second to the feel of his mouth on her nipples. Seconds after he’d removed her thong, Isabelle felt his tongue tease between her legs, and she thought she would explode with pleasure. With sweet torment he used his mouth until she thought she would have to beg for release. Never had a man so thoroughly driven her crazy with lust. He took her to the edge and then brought her back with an expert tongue. Her whole body tingled with anticipation and desire. When he finally gave her what she craved she cried out in pure pleasure. When he eased himself inside her, he filled her so completely. Having a man inside her again, after all this time, caused her body to shiver. When he brought his lips back to hers, she could taste herself on his lips and this intensified the excitement building inside her once more.
His desire and passion had never been this urgent and intense and he thought he would never be able to get enough of her. She was tight around him and it was exquisite agony, almost losing his load immediately but he wanted more and more. As they rode together towards their simultaneous release, she cried out his name.
Mitch lost all control of his limbs, and lay gently on top of her, staring at her for a few moments so as to give his body a chance to recover.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, placing gentle kisses on her neck and shoulders.
“So are you.” Her flushed face almost had him ready to start again.
Easing himself down to lie beside her, he ran his fingers across her jaw and through her hair.
“Now I am definitely glad you’ve had plenty of practice,” she joked.
His expression was serious and pensive when his gaze lifted to meet hers and he didn’t speak for several moments. Had she offended him in some way? Had it been as good for him? After all she had a lot of past competition.
“Practice has nothing to do with what we just shared. I have never felt like this in another woman’s arms. I hope my past won’t ever come between us. Just because I’ve been with a lot of women, doesn’t make you any less important to me.”
“I’m sorry, that was a lame joke, I didn’t mean to offend you.” She brought her hand to his face, hoping to ease the discomfort and hurt she saw there. “I was simply stating how good you are and that the rumors are true.” She grinned, but the tension didn’t leave his expression. Isabelle chastised herself for making light of the situation again. But it had been tongue in cheek. Deep down she was scared she didn’t measure up. Though his words were sweet, and they seemed sincere.
“I have never made love to anyone like I just made love to you.” His tone sounded injured and she kicked herself internally.
“I was worried that I wouldn’t compare. I’m not very experienced.”
“It has nothing to do with experience, but the feelings involved. Tonight, I have discovered when they are there it’s a whole lot better on a totally different level. I went through the motions before, but never felt anything when I did. Let’s never mention the past again. It’s all about the future now.”
“Sounds good to me,” she replied, easing him back and sitting astride him. “I think now I want a turn at being in control.”
His groin hardened and he was ready for her to ravish him. It all came back to her. Like riding a bike, they say. Well he wasn’t a bike but a beautiful man. The control she now had over his climax made her feel invincible. She brought her gaze to his so she could watch him watching her riding him. Wanting it to last she went slow and fast and then slow again until it built up and her pleasure overpowered her, and she took them to new heights again.
In the early hours of the morning Mitch woke and watched the moonlight dance across her skin as it glowed through the window. It occurred to him he’d never slept with a woman in his bed before; he’d always gone to them. Perhaps he sought to bed his conquests elsewhere because he hadn’t wanted to taint his bed for the right woman. Now here she was lying beside him where she belonged. He was astounded, but thrilled, that after three days with Isabelle, he was in love with her. In the past, he’d never contemplated that it was possible to fall in love so quickly, though his brother assured him you could. Mitch never believed it until this moment.
Her eyes fluttered, then opened, and she spoke with her voice full of sleep. “Hey, gorgeous, what are you doing?”
“Wondering how I got so lucky.”
She flashed the smile he adored. “Being charming will continue to bring you that luck.”
“I hope so,” he said with a grin.
Kissing her ardently, he made love to her unhurriedly, his eyes not leaving hers. They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, contented with the world.
Light poured into the bedroom window, waking Isabelle. She rolled over to find she was alone. For a moment she panicked and then with a giggle realized it was his house and he couldn’t run out on her.
After throwing on his t-shirt, which she found on the floor, she wandered down the stairs to locate the man she now knew she was completely in love with. Music and singing greeted her on the stairs and she followed the sound to the kitchen. His voice was deep and out of tune and she was delighted by the sight that greeted her. Wearing shorts and nothing else, he cooked bacon and eggs on the stove.
“I could get used to this,” she said as she strolled into the kitchen.
“Oh,” he said, twisting around to smile at her. “You scared me. I didn’t hear you come in. How did you sleep?”
“You know the answer to that,” she said, giving him a contented smile. “I thought you didn’t cook.”
“I don’t usually, well, not much more than toast and coffee, but I’m a changed man. My brother Jared is the chef in the family, but I don’t do too bad when I give it a go.”
His crooked grin sent her pulse into a frenzy.
“I must say it is nice to wake up to a gorgeous half naked guy cooking me breakfast.”
“If Jared saw me cooking like this, he would give me a lecture about kitchen accidents and inappropriate clothing. I don’t pay any attention.”
She laughed. “Well, I don’t mind one bit.” She came up behind him and ran her hands over his chest and stomach.
“You doing that will cause an accident. How about you sit so I can serve you breakfast.” She sat and he dished out breakfast on two plates and brought it over to the table. “What time are you working today?”
“I have to be on the set at eight. It’s a night shoot.”
“At the foreshore?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Because I, sexy lady, will be photographing you again.”
“Good. The thought of working with anyone else doesn’t appeal to me.”
“Now, eat,” he said as he poured her coffee from a pot on the set table. In the center stood a vase filled with flowers she assumed he’d picked from the front garden.
“You have been busy this morning.”
“I wanted to impress you.” He shrugged as color touched his cheeks again.
Another thing she could get used to, a coy side. “Well, I’m suitably impressed.”
Breakfast complete, Isabelle stared at the man sitting across the table, and debated. Taking him by the hand and leading him upstairs was tempting, but rest was equally important.
“I really should go. I should sleep, otherwise I’ll look like something the cat dragged in. I don’t think the client would be impressed.”
“You look all right to me,” he said with a wink, “but if you insist, I’ll walk you home.”
Chapter Ten
Conquest
Mitch’s dream-filled afternoon slumber was cut short by the shrilling of the phone.
With bleary
eyes, he glanced at the time and the red digits on his clock radio told him it was four thirty, which meant he’d only caught up on a few hours. Reaching for the phone, he cleared the sleep from his throat before answering.
“Yep, it’s Mitch.”
“Hey.”
“What’s up, Jared?”
“I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Chelsea just had her baby. A girl.”
“That’s great news. What do you need me for?”
“It is good news and the baby is fine, but Chelsea had complications from the birth and lost a lot of blood. She’s in surgery at the moment. I don’t want to leave Charlotte alone here at the hospital, and she won’t leave until she has news about Chelsea. I have to go to work, and I have no-one to cover for me while Sam is on holiday.”
“Say no more. One quick call to work and I’ll be there.”
“Thanks.”
After ringing the agency that coordinated his schedule, he jumped in the shower and headed to the hospital. His mind circled around what Charlotte and Chelsea’s husband Lucas must be going through and hoped she would be all right. His thoughts went to Isabelle for a brief moment and he wondered if he should call her but didn’t want to disturb her in case she was resting. He would see her at their shoot tomorrow. She would understand why he hadn’t called or attended the shoot that evening.
Mitch found Charlotte sitting in the waiting room on one of the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs. Her slumped shoulders, lowered head and shaking leg indicated her tension and worry. Vacant eyes studied the floor, while her hands clenched in her lap, turning her knuckles white. Lucas paced the tiled floor while his sister Carrie offered words of reassurance. Mitch went to Lucas first, to pass on his support and congratulations. Lucas nodded his acknowledgement and continued to pace.
Charlotte hadn’t noticed his arrival, so he went over to her, sat in the chair beside her, and spoke softly to not startle her.
“Hey, Charlotte. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Chelsea will be okay,” she said, though Mitch thought she didn’t sound convinced.
“Where is she?”
“Still in surgery. It’s been a while now… too long…”
“Have you seen the baby yet?”
“Elle, her name is Elle, and yes, she is beautiful and asleep in the nursery.” A brief smile touched her lips before her brow furrowed with anxiety.
Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. With the hope of offering some comfort he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. They sat like that as the minutes passed and Mitch knew this was what she needed. He didn’t have to speak. Hours passed before a doctor finally returned to update them.
“Mr. Hudson?” Lucas stopped, turned towards him and held his breath. “Your wife is going to be fine. We were able to stop the bleeding and she’s in recovery. There has been no permanent damage and she should be able to have more children. There was an uncommon problem with the placenta and it’s unlikely to occur again. Perhaps next time your wife should take it a little easier during the last weeks of her pregnancy.”
Lucas let out a loud relieved breath and returned the doctor’s smile.
“You try telling her that,” Lucas said. “Can I see her?”
“Yes, come with me.”
Lucas followed the doctor out into the hall. The spring had returned to his step. His relief must be huge. This was the second time he’d nearly lost Chelsea and from what Mitch’s brothers had told him, almost losing her the first time made him crazy, and Mitch dreaded to think what would have happened if she hadn’t pulled through.
“She’s all right,” Charlotte said in a whisper. “Thanks for staying, Mitch, but I’ll be okay now.” She lifted her head from his shoulder and offered him a wide grin.
“I’m not leaving until you’re ready, then I’ll take you home.”
“Once I see Chelsea, I’ll be ready.”
When Lucas returned, Charlotte went to briefly see her sister before Mitch drove her home. Upon arriving home himself, he checked the time and wondered whether Isabelle was still at the shoot or at home. Due to the lateness of the hour he decided not to call so he wouldn’t disturb Jesse. Tomorrow, he would explain his absence.
Isabelle arrived early at the foreshore hoping to catch Mitch before she went into hair and make-up. After a quick scan she noticed Anton and not Mitch setting up. Why was Anton – whom she disliked immensely - the photographer and not Mitch? Where was he? She wandered into the styling area to find Amber, another make-up artist she had a strong rapport with.
After exchanging pleasantries Isabelle decided to see what Amber knew about the absence of the man she’d spent the previous night with. Concern prickled her skin and she wondered whether he was avoiding her. Had she been womanized?
“Why is Anton shooting? I thought Mitch Montgomery was working tonight.’
“He was, but apparently he called in to say he couldn’t make it.”
“Oh, do you know why?”
Amber shrugged and then launched into the latest gossip of who was doing who.
All through the shoot Isabelle mulled over why Mitch cancelled. Perhaps there was an emergency. No, he would have called her. The reason was clear; he was avoiding her. The very thing she thought would happen had happened. She felt like a fool falling for a player, a creep. His charm and what she had thought was true sincerity had sucked her in good and proper and she became another notch on his proverbial bedpost. How could she have been so stupid? Especially after she’d introduced him to Jesse and let him into their world. What had she been thinking? Was she that desperate for sex that she jumped into bed with the wrong man?
She believed he was genuine and had taken a chance, but it appeared he was exactly as she had assumed. Stupidly, she was the one who initiated the date and then the ‘sleep over’ thinking there was a connection, something special, when in fact she was simply another conquest.
Somehow, she managed to complete the shoot, changed the moment it was over and then left without saying a word to anyone. When she arrived home, it was quiet due to the late hour. She crawled into bed and attempted to sleep, to no avail. How could she have been so naive? Like a lovesick teenager she’d thought maybe she was different, maybe he felt the same way. Jesse murmured in his sleep and her heart lurched. How was she going to explain to him why he wouldn’t see Mitch again?
Fuming, she muffled a frustrated cry in her pillow. Then the hurt crept up and wedged in her throat and she stifled a whimper. The first time she began to fall in love, and it had been with a man like him. The same type of man she detested, just like her father. It had been cruel deception by a lying playboy. How could she have let this happen?
As an errant tear slid over her cheek, she wondered whether he would be there tomorrow to face the music.
Chapter Eleven
Playboy
With the aim to arrive before Isabelle, Mitch was early for the shoot the following morning,
While he waited impatiently for her to appear, one of the stylists beckoned him over. She was one of the girls he’d spent an evening with, and he realized with a stab of guilt that he couldn’t remember her name. She stood on the far side of the studio and seemed anxious to speak with him, so he decided to find out why.
“What’s up?”
“I haven’t seen you for a while, Mitch. I really enjoyed our night together,” she said with a seductive wink.
“Yeah, me too,” he answered politely. These situations always went smoother if he was nice, but not too charming. “I’ve been kind of busy lately.”
“Would you like to have a drink with me tonight?”
She ran her hand up and down his arm while gazing at him with an intent expression. He was surprised to find he could barely recall their time together. Even if there was no Isabelle, he didn’t want to repeat what he couldn’t remember.
“Um, no thanks.” He paused and searched his mind, tryi
ng to remember her name. “I’m actually seeing someone.” He gave her his best, most charming smile, hoping to avoid a scene. He’d encountered situations like this before. Some girls didn’t do casual sex.
“Oh,” she said, disappointment written all over her face.
His ego did a little dance, but his conscience told it to hit the road. Leaning forward she whispered in his ear all the things she wanted to do to him. As she regaled him with whisperings of their night together, memories surfaced in his mind and caused him to chuckle. She was a firecracker, he remembered now. As he opened his mouth to decline again, he spotted Isabelle across the studio and her icy stare indicated her displeasure.
“Sorry, but I have the girl I want. Will you excuse me?”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode across the studio, and followed Isabelle as she stormed out the back to the dressing room.
“Isabelle!” he called.
She turned to glare at him over her shoulder. Taken aback by her reaction, he approached her with caution.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there last night, something important came up…”
“I’m sure it did,” she said in a cool tone, cutting him off. “I can see you were nice and cozy over there with Amber. Is she next or was she the one from last night?” Her face contorted and he started to explain again, but she cut him off. “Look, I don’t want to know.” She turned on her heel and strode away.
Although he understood her reaction, he was a little puzzled. Sure, he’d been talking to Amber, but he had been turning her down. Surely Isabelle was reasonable and would listen to his explanation. Impatience became his companion as he waited for her to reappear.
When Amber sauntered over and attempted to make small talk with Isabelle, she would have none of it. Her jealousy at the sight of their obvious intimacy was both frustrating and hurtful all at once. When she’d heard him laugh after their whispered exchange, she felt like someone had taken a spoon and shoveled out her heart with it.
The Player (Broken Wishes Series Book 3) Page 6
