Ultimate Surrender
Page 15
“I’m fine,” she said again, her breath a whisper against his ear.
“I—”
She felt more than heard the word grumbling from his chest.
“I’m fine, I’m here in your arms,” she repeated, holding him a little bit tighter.
He loosened his arm, but only to lower her feet to the floor, and then he pulled her closer, grasped the side of her face with one hand and began to stroke his thumb across her cheek.
“I thought…”
He trailed off again and locked his gaze with hers, his eyes seeking, his expression suggesting that he wasn’t quite sure that he could believe his eyes, that he wasn’t sure she was there.
She nodded. “I know,” she said.
He shook his head, his eyes still on hers. “You don’t,” he replied.
She said nothing and instead gripped his arm and waited, knowing he needed to do this in his own time.
“You could’ve died, Cassandra,” he said.
His voice cracked on the word “died,” and his features twisted as if he could not even contemplate the thought.
“I was supposed to protect you, and you could have died,” he said.
“But I didn’t. Because you protected me. You saved me.” He had, he’d saved her, and she’d never doubted he would for a single moment.
“But you could have—and I never would’ve had the chance to tell you…”
She frowned, shaking her head slightly. “Tell me what?” she asked.
His eyes, which had gone heavy-lidded for a moment, lifted again and he locked eyes with her.
“Tell you that I love you,” he said, his voice not wavering.
In some ways, Cassandra suspected she had known that all along, but hearing the words, seeing the truth of them in his eyes, was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“I love you too, Lucian,” she said.
“You don’t have to say that,” he said. “I just needed you to know. I will never take the chance of you not knowing again,” he said.
He leaned toward her and kissed her, his touch rough, urgent, but so tender it made her heart melt. She returned the kiss, trying to comfort him, show him how much she loved him with her touch. In that sea of kisses and touches, they made their way to her bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake, and when they reached her bedroom, Lucian stood in front of her, eyes shining as he pushed her back.
She lay on the bed, and when he stretched out atop her, she widened her thighs to accommodate him, and he slowly worked his hands up her body, moved them down her arms, and then entwined their fingers. He pulled her arms tight over her head until she was completely stretched out, and then he lay against her, his cock heavy against her thigh, barely brushing her wet sex.
He pushed himself inside her and she came instantly, the intensity of him touching her everywhere at once too much. Lucian flashed her a quick smile, but his face soon set in the expression of determined focus that was everything she knew Lucian to be. Everything she loved.
As he moved inside her, she clung to him, arms and legs entangled with his, hands roaming his body as she again climbed toward climax. She opened heavy, drowsy eyes to meet his, and when he reached forward to press his lips against hers, she returned the embrace.
Then, wrapped in the arms of the man she knew she would love forever, she let pleasure take her away.
Epilogue
Eleven Months Later
“Do you think we’re moving too fast?” Cassandra asked.
Lucian looked at her as if she were insane. “Not moving fast enough,” he replied.
The three-karat solitaire that weighed down her finger suggested otherwise, but Cassandra chose to keep that observation to herself.
Instead, she smiled up at her new fiancé, the feeling of love and affection growing ever more intense as it did every time she looked at him.
“Well, Mr. Silver, if you insist,” she said.
“You letting me have my way? What’s in it for you?” he asked.
“Not much, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “Just that I get to be your wife.”
“I like the way that sounds,” he said.
Then he leaned forward, kissed her deeply. Passionately.
He broke away and looked down at her.
“I’m glad you came to the office. Can I convince you to stay a little longer?” he asked.
As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of her ass and pulled her hips in until she was resting against his burgeoning erection.
“I might be able to be convinced,” Cassandra said.
“Let’s see what I come up with, then,” Lucian responded, his breath warm against her neck as he began to kiss her, rock slowly against her.
Cassandra had quit Silver Industries, conflict of interest and all that, but she still tried to come down a couple times a week as she figured out what, besides being hopelessly in love with Lucian, she would do for the rest of her life.
She missed being at the company every day, but this kind of afternoon treat was a nice diversion.
“Well,” she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, “I think you’re more than—”
There was a sharp knock at the door, and barely a second passed before it was thrown open.
Sloan walked in, moving as fast as her wedge heels would take her.
Cassandra glanced at Lucian and saw his expression shift from irritation to concern, concern that was reflected in Sloan’s face.
Lucian dropped his arms and Cassandra stood and followed him as he walked toward Sloan.
Sloan never entered without a response, and if this was a regular day and she’d caught them in that kind of position, Cassandra would have expected at least a knowing smile.
But there was none of that. Sloan was all business.
“What?” Lucian said.
“It’s Damien,” Sloan said. “He’s downstairs. And I think he’s in trouble.”
••••
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