by Melody Anne
“If the shoe fits . . . ,” she said, but she softened the words with a smile.
He stood next to her as they rinsed the dishes and placed them in the washer.
“I should get back home,” she said when there was a shift in the air. The house was so quiet, and their dinner had been too relaxed and intimate. The only thing on her mind now was to make a quick escape. But he’d driven her there, so she wasn’t going to be able to simply run out the door.
“Are you in a hurry to leave?” he asked. The tone of his voice made her look up. His eyes were lit with heat and questions she in no way knew how to answer.
“Something will happen if I don’t go,” she said with honesty.
Those words made his eyes darken, which made her stomach clench with need. One hunger had been sated, but another one had been aroused, and it didn’t seem there was anything she could do to stop it.
Twisting away from the counter, Keera’s body was in motion, but her feet weren’t. She let out a cry when she nearly fell to the floor as pain ripped through her ankle. Arden was immediately at her side, gripping her to keep her upright.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and hungry, but some of the fire was dampened by her careless injury.
Wincing, she pushed back from him and gripped the counter. “I’m okay,” she told him, though when she tried to put weight on her foot, it sent a throb up her leg. It was probably nothing, just going to be sore for a couple of hours.
“Let me carry you to the couch so I can see what you’ve done,” he said. He didn’t try to grab her again, though. She tried putting weight on the foot again, and pain shot up her leg. She wasn’t moving on her own right now.
She was trying desperately not to look at Arden, because all she could see in his eyes was their two bodies entwined together in a sweaty mass of pleasure. But even looking away from the intensity of his gaze, she was still left seeing the sexy sweep of his dark hair, the slight stubble sprinkling his firm jaw, the width of his shoulders, the narrowing of his hips. She was panting, and it wasn’t from pain.
“Just give me a second. I’ll be okay,” she said. She knew if his hands came into contact with her body again she wouldn’t be able to make a wise decision—the only decision she should make.
“This is ridiculous,” he said in a huff as he reached out to her, taking the choice out of her hands. With no effort whatsoever, he pulled her off the ground, and Keera found herself pressed against his chest as he began walking.
She could feel the heat radiating off him, see the pulse thumping in the side of his neck, smell his delicious aroma that was a pure aphrodisiac to her already heightened senses.
Giving in to the desire of his touch, Keera leaned her head against the soft cotton of his shirt, hoping the living room wasn’t too close by. She closed her eyes and allowed her senses to take over, telling her mind it was time to shut off.
It had been so long since she’d allowed herself to be held, so long since she’d let go of the rigid control she took pride in. At this moment, she didn’t understand why it was so important for her to never lose control. There were many people who could do so without regret or consequence.
They made it to the living room, but Arden simply stopped, not releasing her. Keera opened her eyes and leaned back, gazing into his intense expression.
“You are so damn beautiful,” he told her, a low growl reverberating through him.
Her heart thumped as she reached up and ran her fingers across his jaw, which tensed beneath her touch.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. Those hadn’t been the words she’d planned on saying. But somehow that’s all she was able to muster.
Maybe this had been inevitable from the moment their eyes had first connected, and maybe she was just weak. All she knew with absolute certainty was that if she didn’t act on the invitation in his eyes, she’d go home regretting it for the rest of her life.
She assured herself that Arden was in no way a danger for her. This wasn’t a relationship that could go anywhere. They weren’t soul mates, weren’t even compatible. So it was safe to have her needs met by him. It would be mutually beneficial to both of them.
She told herself all of this, but as fire leaped in his eyes and his head began to lower, somewhere deep inside her, she knew she was lying to herself.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his hot breath brushing across her lips.
“Yes, kiss me,” she told him, her hands wrapping behind his head as she wound her fingers in his thick hair.
Arden didn’t ask again. His head lowered, his lips consuming hers with so much heat and passion she was sure he’d thought of this moment as much as she had. No more words needed to be said as his hands gripped her body while his mouth devoured her.
She had no need for oxygen as he fed the flames of desire within her. Without being aware of her actions, she moved her hands across the large expanse of his shoulders and began undoing the buttons of his shirt. He wrenched his lips from hers, his eyes dark and hungry.
“What do you want, Keera?” He growled.
There was no more hesitation. She was done thinking—at least for now. “I want you, Arden, just you,” she said, not recognizing her own voice.
He trembled beneath her, then they were moving. Keera saw nothing as he quickly made his way down wide hallways decorated with priceless items. She was too focused on the feel of his body next to hers, the touch of his fingers against her thighs, his lips only millimeters away.
They reached the bedroom, and Arden lay her down, stepping back and caressing her from head to toe with only his eyes. She nearly came from that look alone. He reached up and finished undoing his shirt, shrugging it off, while never taking his gaze from her.
She watched in utter fascination as he revealed himself to her one beautiful inch at a time. He was even more striking than she had pictured—his chest solid, his stomach taut, with the perfect amount of ripples.
His pants fell down, and moisture surged between her thighs at the thickness of his erection. He was utter perfection, and there wasn’t a single part of her that wanted to back out of what was about to happen.
She licked her lips, and he groaned, snapping her eyes back to his face. His jaw was clenched as he began removing her clothes. And Keera wiggled the best she could to help him. Her fingers shook as she gave up and let him finish. She decided to simply hold on and enjoy.
“You’re so unbelievably beautiful,” he said, the awe in his voice making her believe him.
“I was going to say the same about you,” she admitted.
Arden reached over to his nightstand and pulled out several condoms, making her stomach tingle again. She had no doubt this was a man who could go and go and go. She had a feeling neither of them would sleep this night.
Arden hovered over her, his heated skin covering hers as he leaned down, his lips taking hers again, stopping all words. He ravished her completely before turning them so they were on their sides, his hands moving up and down her back as he crushed her breasts to his hard chest.
Keera squirmed in his embrace, feeling the need to be closer to him. She couldn’t touch him enough, couldn’t bank this fire. But Arden had other plans. He shifted her again, pushing her onto her back as he began trailing his mouth down her neck, licking, sucking, and nipping on her sensitive skin, making her cry out his name, the only word she seemed capable of saying.
He teased her breasts, his large palms cupping them as his tongue circled her nipples until they were throbbing peaks that he lapped at, making her back arch off the bed. Any pain she’d felt earlier in her ankle was now an afterthought as pure pleasure rushed through her.
“Please, Arden, please . . . ,” she begged. She was on fire, her body aching. She was empty, knowing that only he could complete her. The heat burned her as she spread her thighs, needing him to plunge inside.
As he continued sucking her breasts, she felt an orgasm building, felt her core clench. He hadn’t even touched h
er there yet, and she was coming undone. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle much more. She didn’t have time to think such thoughts, though, because he ran his tongue down the center of her breasts as his fingers trailed along her sides.
He pushed her legs farther apart, his hot breath rushing over her wet flesh before he leaned into her, his lips whispering across the top of her quivering core. She pushed her hips up, needing him to stop teasing her.
The first swipe of his tongue along her folds made her scream out his name as she wiggled beneath him. He spread her open and found that sweet spot, closing his lips around her as his tongue caressed her in the most beautiful way. He sucked hard, and Keera let go, her body exploding in utter bliss.
Tremor after tremor shook through her as Arden continued sucking her sensitive flesh, his tongue laving against her, making her orgasm go on and on. She twisted beneath him, but still he didn’t stop, his moans vibrating against her. He felt every pulse, sucking her in perfect rhythm, knowing how to give her the ultimate pleasure.
As the orgasm finally diminished, Keera’s body went lax beneath him, exhaustion running through her. She had never felt something so intense. She realized she might never feel it like that again.
Arden’s tongue swept across her core again, making Keera tense. “No more. I can’t take more,” she told him.
“Oh, my poor Keera, yes, you can,” he assured her before his tongue lapped at her again and again. Then he shoved two fingers deep inside her wet core, and unbelievably, she felt a sharp tug of pleasure so intense it nearly sent her into another orgasm.
She groaned as he found a perfect rhythm, pumping in and out of her as his magical tongue danced on her heated flesh.
“Please, Arden, please,” she begged.
“What do you want, Keera?” he asked, his fingers still pumping slowly in and out of her heat as he crawled up her body, his tongue circling her nipples before he was leaning over her, his mouth inches from her own, his hardness pressing into her thighs.
“I want you inside me,” she said.
“I am,” he told her, his fingers finding places within her that continued to stoke the flames of her desire.
“I want you buried in me, not just your fingers,” she cried as she arched her hips.
He pulled his fingers from her, and she whimpered at the loss, but then he was between her thighs, his thickness resting against her opening. He leaned down and captured her mouth again, the taste of her pleasure on his tongue.
She pushed against him, and he barely slipped inside, drawing out her torture for what felt like years. “Please,” she cried out when he released her lips.
He captured them again at the same time as he thrust into her. He buried himself deep, completely taking her breath away. He stopped as he allowed her body to adjust to his beautiful perfection.
His mouth gentled on hers as his tongue traced her lips. His fingers squeezed her hips, and she felt a shudder pass through him. She realized it was taking everything within him to hold back.
“Take me hard . . . now,” she demanded.
His eyes flashed to hers, and another tremor ran across her flesh. Then he buried his head against her neck, biting down as he began moving, hard and fast. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on, her fingernails digging into his back as she cried out his name.
It didn’t take much longer for Keera to let go again, this orgasm even more powerful than the last as they came together, her body squeezing him, their cries mingling in the air. He continued pumping inside her until there was nothing left for either of them to give. Then he collapsed against her, and she kept herself wrapped tightly around him.
She was so tired, but felt sated and powerful at the same time. She’d brought the ultimate pleasure to this strong man. And he’d given her something unlike anything she’d felt before. It was beautiful, and she refused to regret it.
With what seemed like enormous effort, Arden turned them so he was on his back with her draped over him. He’d managed to keep them connected as he did this, and she felt him twitch inside her, causing heat to stir again.
She opened her eyes as he pushed up, shocking her. How could either of them feel the need for this to go on? Then she looked over and saw the condoms, and she smiled. She’d known this night would be eternal.
With great effort, she pulled up, feeling empty the second he wasn’t inside her. He frowned. But Keera moved down his body, pulling the condom off him and tossing it aside. They could clean up the mess later.
She leaned down and took his thickness deep inside her mouth, humming her pleasure as his fingers curled into her hair and he let out a cry of encouragement. And this was just the beginning of their night. Keera was no longer in a hurry to go anywhere.
Chapter Sixteen
Keera had been more than grateful that student conferences had been going on for the past couple of days at school. Arden had been too busy to continuously check up on her. She refused to regret their night together, and her body was still sore from the workout of being in bed with Arden all night. And still, she was more than happy she’d done it.
She did know there was no way it could happen again. She’d had a hard enough time leaving his bed. If she made that night a recurring thing, she might not ever be able to let him go—even when he wanted her gone.
One thing she’d learned about Arden in the past few weeks was that he was loyal to a fault. And during this investigation, he considered her his responsibility. When this was all finished, he’d be free of her, the adrenaline of it would wane, and they would realize they had nothing in common.
Sure, they were both in the education system, but that was it. He was from an esteemed family, idolized in his community, and knew exactly who he was and where he was going. She couldn’t say the same about herself. This couldn’t work for them. If she could just get her body to accept the logic of it, she’d be hurting a whole lot less.
And the one thing she really didn’t want to admit, not even to herself, was the fact that she would disgrace his family. She didn’t think he’d ever admit that to her, but she knew the truth. Her heart hurt as she pushed those thoughts away.
With her Saturday morning just beginning, Keera had too much time on her hands to think. And no matter how many times she told herself to push Arden from her mind, she couldn’t seem to do it. Even out of the bedroom, he was thoughtful, intelligent, humorous, and so much more. Most of all, he was dangerous—to her hormones and her heart.
Shaking those thoughts away, Keera reminded herself that she’d been alone for a long time. After the disaster of her last failed relationship, she had decided a bit of loneliness was much better than the possible repercussions of having a partner.
Leaving her apartment complex, she began moving toward her car when she saw a shadow dart from the bushes in the corner of the lot. She halted, turning just in time to see someone duck behind a thick tree. She froze.
Her adrenaline surging, Keera tried to decide what to do first. Should she run to her car, dial 911, or go back inside? Normally she wouldn’t be so hesitant, but she didn’t know for sure someone was actually out there in a malevolent way. She’d only caught them from the corner of her eye, and maybe they were just jogging.
She gazed at the area, seeing no additional movement. Before she could decide what to do next, the purr of an expensive motor could be heard coming into her lot. She turned again to find a sleek black sports car stopping next to her perfectly acceptable Toyota hybrid.
The door opened and Arden climbed out, looking as if he wouldn’t fit inside the thing. He began striding her way, and Max popped his head out the open back window and let out a greeting as his tongue dropped from his smiling mouth.
The smile Arden wore instantly made Keera’s knees shake. It seemed all the lectures in the world she could give herself wouldn’t do any good, because the second she was in his presence, any thoughts of distance quickly fell out the window.
“Good morning,�
�� he said, stopping a mere two feet from her. Keera felt slightly tongue-tied and had to shake it off before responding.
“Why are you here so early on a Saturday?” she asked, distracted as she looked at the bushes again.
“We haven’t had a chance to visit in the last couple days, and I missed you,” he told her. His words made the fluttering in her stomach amp up to a whole new level. It also made her knees clench together as her core began to throb. With just the sound of his voice, the smell of his unique scent, his smile, that sparkle in his eyes—with just his presence, she was nearly a blubbering mess.
His smile dimmed as he looked at her.
“What’s the matter?”
“I thought I saw someone suspicious over in those shrubs right before you got here,” she blurted.
The smile evaporated as Arden tensed and he scanned the shrubbery. He took her arm and pulled her toward his car, where he was closer to Max. His tension made her more nervous, which hadn’t been what she’d been intending.
“What did they look like?” he asked, his eyes continuously scanning the area.
“I didn’t see much, and it was probably nothing. I just think all of this is making me jumpier than I’ve ever been before,” she admitted.
“I’d rather you’re overcautious than not careful enough,” he said.
He was beginning to relax when he saw nothing. But then a sharp bang echoed through the air, and Keera nearly had a heart attack. Before she could even think of responding to what had sounded like a gunshot, Arden grabbed her and had her underneath him on the ground in less than two seconds.
Though she was in danger, it was the last thing on her mind as his weight pressed into her, his scent instantly enveloping her. Every thought she had about distance and walls flew out the window.
That’s how vulnerable Keera was to this man. It wasn’t something she was at all proud of. If she could think clearly, she’d push him away, make that call to the police she should have already made, and then stay as far from Arden Forbes as humanly possible.
