He grabbed his wallet and took out protection under her watchful eye.
“Do you keep that… just in case?” That he may have been thinking of another woman when he stowed the condom in his wallet made her sick.
Raising an eyebrow, he handed the condom to her. “I slipped that in there this morning. I was hoping I could lure you out to the limo when no one was watching.”
Laughing with relief, she rolled the condom over his hard shaft. Her eyes darkened with desire, and she licked her lips as she moved in to kiss him. “I’m sure I could have been persuaded.”
“Now you tell me.”
She kissed him, savoring every second, because minutes ago she’d convinced herself she would never again have the pleasure of kissing the man she loved. Keith tore the comforter off the bed, and Tara giggled. He’d obviously had the same thought she had.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, laying down and pulling her down on top of him.
Her laughter died as she straddled him. Guiding him inside of her, she watched his eyes drift closed and his jaw tighten.
“Yes…” She groaned.
Linking their hands, she rolled her hips and got lost in the wonder of what his body could do to hers. She felt as though he knew all of her secrets. He could turn her on and turn her inside out without breaking a sweat.
“Open your eyes,” he whispered. He clasped her hands tighter as he thrust into her, his eyes never leaving hers. “I love you so goddamn much I can’t stand it sometimes. I wanted to tell you every time I laid eyes on you, but it killed me every time I said it and you couldn’t say it back.”
“I’m so sorry.” She knew her lack of a response hurt him, but she had no idea how much. “I was afraid to let myself fall in love with you.” He continued his sweet torture, and she was torn between surrendering and trying to make the feeling last forever. “I didn’t want to be another woman crying herself to sleep every night because I couldn’t have you.”
“I don’t ever want to make you cry, baby.” He pulled her down on top of him, holding her tight as they found the tempo that united their bodies. “I swear to you, I’ll never hurt you. Please… just trust me. I need you to trust me.”
Tara was so close to climaxing she couldn’t think straight, but she knew he was waiting for her to say something. “I do… trust… you,” she panted, digging her nails into his shoulders as she sunk further into the pleasure he offered.
“Baby, whatever you want, whatever you need… It’s yours.” His fingertips dug into her hips, and she knew he was struggling as hard as she was to hold on. “Let go…”
She couldn’t last another second. Tara abandoned control as Keith did the same. Pulsating around him, giving herself over to the intense sensations, she buried her face in his neck to store that moment in her memory forever.
Keith held her tighter, sliding his hands up and down her back, as he kissed her shoulder. “You’re so perfect,” he said.
Tara smiled, and Keith rolled her off of him so he could make his way to the bathroom. Burrowing deeper under the thin sheet, she longed to be back at his place and under his delicious duvet. “How’d you find me?” she asked.
“I had my limo driver hit every cheap motel in town until I spotted your car. Thank God for those vanity plates.”
She grinned. “How’d you know this was my room?” When he slid into bed next to her, she waited for him to get comfortable before she curled into his side.
“Your car is parked in the spot right in front of your door. I took my chances.” Chuckling, he said, “I would’ve banged on every damn door in the place until they threatened to throw my ass in jail.”
“Speaking of jail, how did it go with Biagio?” She didn’t want to talk or think about him, but she couldn’t bury her head and pretend it wasn’t happening either. The police would certainly want to interview her, perhaps even ask her to testify when Biagio’s case went to trial, so she might as well face it.
“They’ve got him. He’s not getting away with this.”
“Good to know.” Kissing his chest, Tara felt his heart pounding and knew there was more he wasn’t saying. “Is there anything else you need to tell me… or ask me?”
“Not about that. I was uh… just wondering what you planned to do about the house. Are you going to take your uncle up on his offer?”
Tara didn’t want to fight with Keith, but she wanted to know if he respected her right to make her own decisions. “I’d like to.”
The hand tracing circles on her back stopped moving. “Okay.”
“Really?” Tara asked, almost afraid to breathe. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Honey, it’s your decision where you want to live. As long as you’re committed to building a life with me, I’m willing to wait as long as it takes for you to feel ready to take the next step.”
Tara loved him even more for not pressuring her. “I’ve always wanted my own little home. Something I could fix up the way I want to. Maybe have a little flower garden and…” She blushed when she realized how small her dreams must sound to someone like him.
“Sounds like a fun project,” Keith said, sliding his hand through her hair. “I could help you with it.”
“You?” She tried not to laugh, but imagining her filthy rich boyfriend under her kitchen sink wearing his Armani suit was a funny picture.
“What’s so funny?”
Tara could hear the humor in his voice. “You don’t seem like a do-it-yourself kind of guy.”
“I used to help my old man fix things around the house. It was kind of fun.” Kissing the top of her head, he said, “I want your first house to be everything you want it to be, sweetheart. Whatever I can do to help, I will.”
Tara saw the sincerity in his eyes, and she asked the question running through her mind. “How’d I get so lucky?”
He linked their hands and said, “Just goes to show—sometimes it pays to take a risk.”
About the Author
To learn more about this author or other books in the Nashville Nights or Next Generation series, visit www.cheryldouglasbooks.com
To comment on this book, or ask the author a question you can email her at:
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Twitter: CherylDouglasNN
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Thank You
Coming July 2013
The final short story collection in the Nashville Nights Collection:
Imagine
and…
Book One in the new Music City Moguls series, Stone Cold.
Cassidy Ross just wants to escape her miserable life until she meets famed music producer, Drake Elliott. He’s everything a girl from the wrong side of the tracks would be foolish to hope for, but Drake helps her realize she can have a life worth fighting for… until she makes a mistake that could cost her everything.
Anyone stupid enough to betray Drake is destined to pay the price, especially when the culprit is wearing his engagement ring. He thought he could trust Cassidy, but when she proves him wrong he vows to make her pay.
Revenge is sweet, but redemption is sweeter.
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