ETERNAL

by Cecy Robson

  “That would be lovely,” I say, realizing how much I mean it.

  He passes me my clutch and leads me forward, a server slips out from behind a curtain with an empty tray. He nods at Landon. As he passes, Landon slips something into his palm.

  “Thank you, sir,” the young man tells him.

  Landon winks when I look up at him. “After you,” he says.

  He parts the curtain, allowing me onto a small terrace surrounded by tall glass dividers that repel the wind and allow a magnificent view of the ocean. There’s not much room, but what’s here is enough.

  A rectangular fire pit radiating with turquoise glass warms the small area, while a table and two chairs press horizontally against the dividers. To our right, people laugh from a larger, more open terrace one level down. They can’t see us well, and I don’t really care to see them.

  Our beers and two unopened bottles of water are placed beside two empty plates. At the center of the table is a large serving dish toppling with food.

  “Becca likes to eat breakfast out here when she’s home,” Landon says. “But she’s not using it and I didn’t want to waste the view.”

  “It’s amazing,” I say, taking in the splendor.

  I didn’t expect to see the ocean this far into the shore, especially at night. But with the moon as bright and as low as it is, its light spills across the waves, illuminating the water and casting a glow along the sand.

  Landon pulls out my chair. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I asked the staff to bring a little of everything.” He pauses. “You’re not one of those crazy vegans are you?” I laugh. “If you are, I can ask them for some of that crazy vegan food you people like to eat.”

  “My people like everything,” I assure him, watching him take a seat in front of me.

  “So do good ol’ Southern boys,” he replies.

  We spend an outrageous amount of time talking, and even more simply gazing at each other, smiling softly when the words don’t quite come, and laughing when they finally do.

  It’s only when Rihanna’s Love on the Brain begins to play that Landon tears his attention away from me and back in the direction of the party. “Don’t you hate it when everyone is dancing, and you have no one to dance with?” he asks.

  I glance down, playing with the fabric of my skirt. “I think it’s worse when the wrong person asks you, and you’ve been waiting for the right one.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He grins when I nod. “I suppose I should ask you, before the wrong person gets a chance.”

  He doesn’t really ask. He doesn’t need to. I place my hand in his when he opens his palm.

  He pulls me up and into him, wrapping his arms securely around my waist as mine circle his neck. He smiles as he gazes down into my eyes. I look into his beautiful browns, losing myself in his warm stare.

  We move in unison to the beat as if we’ve danced a hundred times, despite that what I’m feeling is a slew of firsts.

  The first time his hard muscles press against me.

  The first whisper of his breath against my skin.

  The first touch that has no inkling of innocence.

  And the first stroke of desire.

  His fingers drag along my back as the bass pounds deeper, his body appearing to crave more. “It’s almost midnight,” he murmurs against my bare shoulder.

  I shudder when his lips graze over my skin, not quite touching, trailing just enough to tease. “Almost,” I agree.

  The allure in his voice robs me of air. “I didn’t plan on having anyone to kiss.”

  I almost reply, but the way Landon’s mouth hovers over the sweep of my neck keeps me silent, as does the way he draws an invisible line to my ear with his lips.

  My heart thuds mercilessly as I wait for his next words.

  “But I guess I didn’t plan on you either,” he adds, each word softly tortured.

  His mouth feathers over mine as the song ends and the countdown to New Year’s begins, opening and closing tentatively, giving me a chance to pull away.

  I don’t. I can’t. Not when he feels this good and not when his large frame curls protectively around me.

  Urgent voices and anxious steps echo from inside as the countdown reaches ten and people rush to find partners to kiss.

  Landon and I aren’t waiting. His tongue dives deep, prodding possessively.

  He grips my hips, pulling me closer, turning the sweet, tentative kiss passionate and daring.

  I’m no longer simply kissing him, I’m moaning.

  And I’m not alone.

  A rumble builds in his throat, ending in a long, dragged out groan.

  My body trembles with need, responding to the rough caress of his palms along my spine.

  The clock strikes twelve, people are cheering, bottles of champagne are exploding, and the waves crash harder against the shore. I barely hear them. I only hear Landon when he pulls away, his breath labored like mine, his intensity welding me in place.

  “I wasn’t supposed to be here,” he says, his voice gravelly and his tone harsh. “I was supposed to spend the night alone.”

  I nod, recognizing a loneliness in him I only ever knew in myself.

  “I don’t want to be alone anymore, not tonight. Will you come home with me?”

  There’s no hesitation. “Yes,” I reply.

  Chapter Five

  Landon

  I push my body against Luci, forcing her back against the wall and kissing her brutally, my straining erection poking against her hip like a branding iron and marking her as mine.

  She claims me in return. Her nails drag down my back and her hips sway, rubbing me and making me harder.

  “Fuck,” I grunt against her ear.

  I curse again, thinking I’m being too rough, that I need to slow down, and because I can’t turn the damn alarm off!

  “Sorry.” I pull away from her just enough to punch the code again. This time, I get it right. You might say I’m distracted. You might also say I’ve never been this desperate to be with a woman in my whole damn life.

  Luci is gorgeous and so sensual, I could barely keep my hands to myself the short ride back to my place.

  Like I told her, I was supposed to be alone and sleep alone. Now, I’m doing neither. Now, I have this beautiful woman staring back at me, her chest rising and falling with how fast she’s breathing. I think she’s turned on, like me. But I need to be sure.

  I rest my palm next to her head. She’s wearing my coat. When she told me she didn’t have one, no way in hell was I letting her walk out into the cold dressed like she was. I helped her into my coat and into my Maserati, but all I’ve wanted since my arms first wrapped around her was to help her out of this dress.

  I’m trying be a gentleman. I swear I am, except it’s hard to behave when she kisses like she can’t get enough of me. I slide my lips over hers, savoring the way her mouth makes love to mine. Each pass is like a challenge that dares me to kiss her more passionately. I accept the challenge whole-heartedly, unable to resist.

  My thumb grazes her plump bottom lip as I pull away. “You sure you want to do this?” I ask.

  “Do what?”

  I stop moving, until a playful gleam warms her delicate features, amping up the already incandescent fire scorching my veins. “You want me to say it?” I ask, grinning against her mouth.

  “I do,” she whispers. Her thin fingers thread through my hair as she plants a kiss that robs my breath. “It will mean more if you say it.”

  I almost reply with, “Then let’s fuck all night long.” Almost. It’s what I’m prepared to do and what Bernadette would want me to say. But Luci isn’t Bernadette. Not even close.

  My deep timbre lowers and my smile vanishes. “I want to be inside you,” I say, my voice with the ardor spreading between us. “And spend all night making you feel good.” I slip my fingers into her mouth, waiting until her lips fasten around them before pulling them out slowly.


  I smirk when her gaze heats like melting jewels. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Luci?” I dig beneath the layers of her skirt and yank the crotch of her panties away. She gasps, when I find her nub and give it a few swirls. “Yeah, you would, wouldn’t you?”

  She stiffens at first, watching me until her lids grow heavy and her pelvis follows the motility of my fingers. It’s erotic and seductive. I’m loving the way her face transforms from innocent and angelic to sexy and desperate for my touch.

  I want to keep teasing, but her slick center makes me think she wants more.

  My fingers slide right in. Her nails dig into my shoulders and she throws her head back. I stroke in and out, slow at first, then faster when she squirms.

  I don’t think she’s expecting what follows, or maybe she is. It seems new to her yet something she can’t get enough of. She likes where I’m taking her and I’m all in for the ride.

  My hands get busy, my mouth, too, kissing the base of her throat, the weight of my body the only thing keeping her standing. I straighten when she whimpers, the bright light in my foyer allowing me to watch her face flush from pink to red. Her head falls forward and against my shoulder. “Landon,” she gasps, her thighs shaking against my hand when she comes.

  She’s not quite done when I whisk her in my arms and carry her up the stairs. My mouth seizes hers, she holds me in place, cradling my head.

  God, that mouth, soft and sinful all at once, threatening to bring me to my knees.

  I can’t see where I’m headed, making it hard to manipulate the steps. It doesn’t matter. My strength and Luci’s sex appeal propel me to the second level and down the long hall just fine.

  We crash through the double doors leading to my suite. I place her on the floor only to shove her against the wall and grind against her. She moves with me, following my lead, exposing her throat for me to kiss.

  My head spins, my need for her making it hard to recall where I put the damn condoms. I break away when I remember, busting the drawer free from my dresser in my haste and all but slumping with relief when I find that long forgotten box.

  I toss it on the bed, stopping a few feet from where she waits for me against the wall. “You ready for me?” I ask.

  She nods, her stare blazed with yearning. “Yes.”

  That’s all I need to hear. I dip my head, kissing her in long, languid motions.

  I grip the lapels of my coat, peeling it off her and letting it fall in a crumpled mess on the floor as she fumbles with my belt. My tongue gets busy along her throat, teasing her skin between gentle bites while I unzip her dress.

  I tug the fabric down to her waist, bending slightly to unsnap her bra and bury my face between her breasts. They’re bigger than they looked, soft and full within my palms, the tips as sweet as honey.

  She shudders. “Are you cold?” I ask, giving her nipple a deep suck.

  “No,” she stammers. “I just like what you’re doing.”

  Her words cut off in a grunt. I rub the sweet spot over her panties just twice before sounds of lust tear from her throat and I lose my mind.

  I peel off her panties between kisses. She slips out of her shoes and shoves down her skirt, giving me time to practically rip off my sweater and ditch the rest of my clothes. I glance up to find her naked. Her shoes are lying near my pants. She’s shorter now without her heels, maybe five-feet and change.

  That doesn’t mean she’s not beautiful.

  Aw, hell. It’s like she’s photo-shopped.

  In the moonlight streaming in from my floor to ceiling windows, her skin is a rich gold. Her soft breasts lift up and down as she breathes, and her large brown nipples strain to pebbled points, begging for my attention. They’ll have it, but for now my focus travels to her small waist and the curve of her hips.

  “Damn,” I rasp.

  Her gaze shoots to my waist. “I was thinking the same thing,” she says, stumbling over her words.

  She’s not referring to my six-pack. Nope, not the way she swallows, hard.

  “Come here,” I tell her.

  My voice is so harsh it comes out like a command, masking the relentless desire I have to rush her and spread her legs.

  She doesn’t argue, walking to me slowly, allowing me to take in the sway of her hips and how her hair gathers around her thin shoulders. My hands grip her ass, needing her close.

  “God damn, you’re beautiful,” I tell her.

  I attack her mouth, the force I use bending her spine. She moans, like she did back at the party as if I’m not already out of control.

  I break off the kiss when she strokes my hardening length. The head is throbbing and I’m ready to ram inside of her. Already a small bead of fluid gathers along the tip. She notices, placing her finger around it and spreading the drop in a circular pattern.

  “You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” I breathe against her skin.

  I back her into my unmade bed, falling in with her.

  She parts her legs, allowing me to rub against her while my mouth latches onto her nipple. I reach for the box of condoms, smacking the crumpled piece of cardboard a few times before I finally grasp one and rip it open.

  Luci’s hips sway beneath me, sweeping up and down on my shaft in a way that has me groaning in the best kind of agony.

  I slide the condom in place, reaching between us to get in position.

  Luci pushes up on her elbows, placing her hand on my chest. “Landon, wait,” she says.

  I immediately stop, my fingertips skimming against her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  Her voice is as gentle as her smile, despite how scared she suddenly appears. “We have all night. Let’s slow down. Okay?”

  “You don’t want me?” I ask.

  She scans my face, taking a moment to gather her words. “It’s because I want you that I want it to last. Give me the chance to make you feel good.”

  Her hand presses harder. I edge back, allowing her to guide me, fixed on the way she looks at me, like she can’t believe I’m real.

  We kneel in front of each other, her hand skimming down the center of my chest and to my abs. Her touch and the attention she shows me keeps me in place, no matter how bad I need to hold her.

  “Let me play, okay?” she asks, her voice more of a purr. “Please?”

  She inches away until she’s on all fours in front of me, pulling on my erection and securing her lips around it. I scrunch my face when I feel the warmth of her throat, every curse word I know streaming out of my mouth with each pass.

  Her suction increases, encouraging me to pump, slow at first, then faster when she becomes more aggressive.

  I glance down. Her long waves fall around her face, shielding her from me.

  I want to see her. No, I need to see her. I gather her hair, expecting her to glance up. But regardless of what she’s doing, and how good she’s doing it, she remains shy, keeping her eyes closed and her head down.

  Her silky hair slides through my fingers as I release it and curl forward. I give my fingers a few sucks before penetrating her folds.

  Luci moans, the vibration immersed so well into her throat it stimulates the start of my release.

  My palm smacks against her skin, matching her increasing speed. It becomes too much, for me and for her.

  Both of us finish loudly, but neither of us succumb enough to stop our urgent movements.

  I pull out of her mouth, yanking off the condom and tossing it to the side before dragging her to me.

  We’re all over each other, kissing, touching, and biting. My hands explore, wanting to commit her curves to memory. She returns my affections, wiggling beneath me as sounds of pleasure escape through my lips.

  It doesn’t take me long to get hard again, not with how hot Luci makes me. I reach for another condom, rolling it in place. Her knees fall open as I climb on top of her. Instead of kissing her, my face hovers over hers.

  I want
to watch her as I fill her and take in every bit of her when I thrust.

  If I could just get in.

  I adjust her hips and try again.

  “Sorry,” she says, her lashes fluttering when I rub my thick tip against her.

  “Don’t be,” I say, lowering to nip her chin.

  I push a little harder, careful not to hurt her, then toss her legs over my shoulders when I start to slide in. But she’s so unbelievably tight, I’m afraid I’m killing her.

  A thought occurs to me and I freeze. “Are you a virgin?” I ask.

  Her face is shadowed in darkness. That doesn’t mean I can’t sense her blush. “No. I . . . I just don’t have a lot of experience.”

  If I didn’t think she could turn me on more, I was wrong.

  She starts to apologize. I cut her off with a kiss. This one is longer, lazier, but with plenty of fervor. I like what she says and my kiss more than proves it.

  I take my time stretching her, her moans demanding more with each pass. When I’m all the way in, I pull back, wanting to see her pretty face.

  And damn, she doesn’t disappoint.

  Lust swims in her eyes, her hands slapping against the sheets when I return forward.

  I do it again, each time harder and more forceful when I see how wild I drive her.

  “You all right, baby?” I ask, easing off her when her spine arches.

  I want to be certain this is pleasure I’m giving, not pain.

  She holds me in place, her voice desperate. “Please don’t stop, Landon.” She gasps. “This is the best I’ve ever been . . .”

  Chapter Six

  Luci

  The winter sunlight streams through the large windows, the tiny particles in the air dancing in time with the waves roaring in the distance. I slip from beneath Landon’s hold. He’s fast asleep on his belly, the sheet he covered us with now a mere strip across his toned calves.

  I’m not sure what time it is, I only know that it’s late. After the night we spent making love, it has to be.