Sophie had taken the piece of paper from Carmen’s extended hand. Not only was it crumpled, but pieces had been taped back together after they’d been ripped apart. It was a check made out to Carmen for ten thousand dollars, signed by Zach. It was dated for a few weeks after they’d gotten engaged.
“If I were in your situation, I would want to know. I’m so sorry to tell you this today. I tried to get ahold of you before now, but the Riszeks fired my mother, and every time I tried to talk to someone on the staff so that I could track you down, they hung up. I saw the announcement in the paper, so I finally had a way to get to you.” Tears streamed freely down Carmen’s beautiful face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “But I had to tell you...”
Chapter Eleven
He looked at his watch again. She’d been gone for exactly ten minutes.
What the hell was taking her so long?
Not that he needed to be privy to her bathroom habits, but what if something was wrong?
The smooth glide of the plane turned rocky once more, and he rolled his eyes when the fasten seatbelt indicator flashed on.
Shit.
She would freak out and probably end up stuck in the bathroom until the flight was over.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and made his way over to the lavatory he'd seen her walk into. He passed the flight attendant who opened her mouth, probably to admonish him. He gave her a quelling look, one that worked well in business negotiations, and she hmphed but shut her mouth.
He tapped on the door. “Sophie?”
No answer.
He rapped on it once more, this time a little harder.
No answer.
Frustrated, he leaned his head against the door. It probably wasn’t the most sanitary surface, but in that same moment, his eyes landed on the little indicator next to the door latch.
Vacant.
He pushed the little button to the side, and the door slid open. When his eyes landed on her, he quickly moved in and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it in place.
She sat on the lid of the toilet seat with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around them and her head was bent. Her shoulders shuddered as she struggled to breathe deeply.
“Sophie?” he asked once more.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, but she kept her head down. Grimacing, he crouched down, bending his knees just so he was right below her eye level.
“Hey,” he said softly. Without thinking, he traced his index finger along the exposed skin of her jaw before he hooked his finger underneath her chin, lifting her head so that she faced him. A sheen of moisture covered her huge dark eyes, and her full lower lip found a permanent home between her teeth. Something primitive reared inside his chest. He wanted to scoop her up, carry her away, and do everything in his power to wipe away any trace of sadness from her beautiful face.
Instead, he asked, “You okay?”
She finally stopped working her lip between her teeth. “Told you I hated to fly. Just my luck that the plane ended up rocking right when I decided to get up.”
Her tiny smile was both sheepish and a little heartbreaking, but then he noticed a dried trail of moisture streaked down her beautiful face. Unbidden, his index finger rose to her face and traced the path, before it stilled at the corner of her mouth.
Eyes wide and vulnerable, her lips parted. She stared at him, unmoving.
The callused pad of his thumb pressed against the center of her full bottom lip. Most of the gloss she’d had on earlier was long gone. “Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he whispered. She shook her head, ever so slightly, and his other hand rose to brush against her cheek. He cupped her face so that his hands gently framed it, holding her steady so she was perfectly positioned to receive his mouth as he lightly ghosted his lips against hers.
He teased her, carefully coaxing her lips open so he could enter the soft heat of her mouth. She whimpered when he rubbed his tongue against hers.
His control dissolved.
He took her mouth, silently demanding that she give everything to his urgent kiss. He groaned when her hands wound tightly in his hair, and she canted her mouth up to better meet his. He slipped his hands under her jacket and top, stroking the soft skin of her stomach before moving up to cup and knead the pliant mounds of her lace covered breasts.
“Please … please Lucas.” The words escaped her mouth, and he pulled back to look at her. The ache in her eyes was sharp and piercing as the one that coursed through him. Deftly, he maneuvered them so that he could reverse their positions. He hauled her up so that she straddled him. He rocked hips against hers, showing her just how much he needed her.
Soft but firm hands slipped under his waistband, and he growled against her mouth. She fumbled with his belt for a few moments before she unzipped his pants and pushed his boxers down to free his cock. His breath sounded harsh in his ears as she stroked his hard flesh.
His lips traveled from her mouth to the soft curve of her neck. He lightly sucked at the sensitive patch of flesh while his hands dipped behind the stretch of her pants. The firm globes of her ass filled his hands, and his fingers wandered over to the space between until he was near her core. He pulled her lace thong to the slide. Her breath hitched when two of his fingers dove inside her wet heat.
“So wet, baby.” He pulled back so that his gaze bore into hers. Her eyes were hot, wild, helpless to resist as his fingers stroked her walls. “It’s for me, isn’t it?”
She nodded.
“Say it,” he demanded gutturally.
“I’m so wet for you,” she whispered. “Dripping,” she added, and color bloomed on her cheeks.
His eyes flared before his mouth dipped to hers once more. “Can’t wait,” he muttered against her lips. He roughly yanked her pants down and lifted her so that she was seated on his lap. She wriggled impatiently when he paused and pulled a condom out of his wallet.
After suiting up, he forced her to look into his eyes. “Put me inside you,”
She froze.
He wanted to drown in her liquid brown eyes. Her cheeks were still flushed, but he knew it wasn’t all due to exertion. Every time he did or said something that pushed one of her boundaries, he could see the mixture of fear and anticipation written on her face.
To his relief and deep satisfaction, he was beginning to find out that anticipation won out every time.
She bit down on her lip hard before nodding jerkily. Her eyes grew wide and she inhaled sharply as she fit him inside her slowly, inch by inch. Despite her wet readiness, he could feel her snug tissues stretch to accommodate him as she took him deeper.
“That’s it baby, keep going," he encouraged. He molded his mouth to hers, kissed her lazily, his lips seducing her away from discomfort until he was fully inside of her. Instinctively, she clenched around him, unable to help her contractions. He groaned and tore his lips away from hers, raggedly. Grasping her chin firmly, he kept her eyes on him as he rocked his hips upward. A strangled cry left her throat when he gripped her hip with his other hand and pulled her toward him as he pushed into her.
Even though she was on top, he controlled everything about their frenzied mating, holding both her gaze and her body in place as he rocked her body back and forth, maximizing their pleasure.
She was warm, wet, honey, hugging his cock from root to tip as he slid in and out.
"You're perfect," he gasped. "Fucking perfection."
Her eyes glassed over as he spoke to her in a low, deep voice, murmuring words of encouragement and praise as she undulated against him.
His balls tightened, and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. Releasing her face, he gripped both of her hips and picked up the pace.
She was stunning in her ecstasy. Her head fell back, and he grazed his teeth along the sensitive skin of her throat. Tiny tendrils of dark hair dampened along the skin of her hairline while nonsensical whimpers escaped her swollen lips. Needing to consume her in every way possible, he took her
mouth once more as his body took hers with the same furious pace.
She tore away from him, a desperate, wild look in her eyes.
"I need ... I need," she panted breathlessly, trailing off.
"I know baby," he muttered. His thumb slid into the tiny button of nerves nestled between their bodies and he rubbed in a rough, circular motion.
At the same time, he thrust up once more, hard, triggering her orgasm.
Her nails sank into the skin on the back of his neck as the tight pulse of her pussy massaged and rippled around his cock. Unable to hold back any longer, he exploded. He turned his head and bit softly into the smooth skin on her wrist muffling his shout as he emptied himself inside her.
Chapter Twelve
By the time she’d made it to her hotel room, she’d replayed each kiss and every thrust until the entire encounter was indelibly branded in her memory.
It had never been like that.
Even though she could count the number of times they’d had sex on one hand, he was by far the best lover she’d had. Still, their hurried, frenzied joining from earlier was on a completely different level than anything she’d experienced before.
After the incredibly intense joint climax, they'd stared at each other until it was impossible to ignore the insistent pounding on the flimsy door that separated the bathroom from the rest of the cabin. His eyes burned into her, even as he intimately helped her clean up and straighten her clothing. When they’d left the lavatory, he wound his fingers through her more delicate ones before leading her back to their seats. Most of the other passengers were still sleeping, but the flight attendant had given them both a disgruntled glare.
She’d had to swallow the insane urge to giggle uncontrollably when Lucas met the older woman’s gaze with a challenging stare of his own.
For the remainder of the flight, her hand had remained comfortably entangled with his. She tried to pull away once they sat down, but he just grunted and tightened his clasp. After that, she gave up without much of a fight.
Fear of flying notwithstanding, it just felt good to be near him.
It felt right.
It felt so right that she was convinced it had to be wrong.
They were mostly silent during the short trip from Honolulu International Airport to the hotel, but they exchanged simple touches and heated glances that spoke volumes.
She was a little surprised when he let her go to her room on her own. She’d been half expecting him to insist that they stay in the same suite, especially after his possessive behavior. Before she turned to follow the bellhop, his arm shot out and he grabbed her. His index finger slipped under her chin to tip her face up. She held her breath, waiting for his next move, but he just stared into her soul, his eyes full of dark promise. His thumb pressed against the center of her lip and then let her go abruptly, before turning back to the reception desk.
Dazed, she stared at his back for a few moments.
A throat cleared behind her, jolting her out of her stupor. She blinked a few times and shook her head quickly before she trailed after the bellhop.
When she entered her hotel room, she was stunned. It wasn’t a room so much as it was a palatial suite. Already spacious, the all white décor made it seem even vaster. A plush, king-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, flanked by two white nightstands, both of which had large glass vases filled to the brim with white calla lilies. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking white sand and sparkling blue water took up an entire side of the room. A simple, off-white table sat in the middle of the room atop a soft, shag area rug. A white wicker basket had been placed on top. Upon further inspection, the basket contained a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and packages of dried tropical fruit.
“Is everything to your liking, Miss Harlow?”
She turned to look at the bellhop. “It’s breathtaking.”
She pulled her wallet out and slipped a bill into his hands. “Thank you, Miss Harlow.”
He smiled kindly at her before discreetly exiting the room.
Finally alone, she sat at the edge of the bed and unzipped her boots.
It had been a long, confusing, and eventful day, and she’d been so wired from before, she’d been unable to rest or relax. Fatigue finally seeped through her, and she shed the rest of her clothing, intending to slip into the soft bed and nap for a few hours.
Tyrone had synced her itinerary for the week with her smartphone. After she set her alarm, she quickly scanned through her schedule for the upcoming week. The following day was a Monday, and her calendar was booked with meetings. She rolled her eyes when she noted her bossy assistant had even scheduled time for various spa treatments, shopping trips, and a few planned excursions. She giggled when she saw one of the shopping trips had been labeled Procure Silk Sarongs for Tyrone.
She set her alarm, and prepared to doze off. After the long flight, ordering room service and watching a movie in bed seemed like the perfect night.
The second her eyes shut, the phone buzzed against the nightstand. Years of habit had her arm shooting out to grab it. Eyes still closed, she pressed the button to answer the call and brought the phone up to her ear.
“’Lo?” she whispered sleepily.
“Yo bee-otch! I can’t believe you haven’t called me yet!” Liz griped.
She sighed heavily. “Sorry. I’m in bed. Exhausted.”
“How was the flight? You make it through okay? Did you try the Benadryl?”
“Didn’t work,” Sophie mumbled.
“Water under the bridge,” Liz declared breezily. “So how was the flight? Did you make it through? Are you in bed with the hot billionaire?”
“Not a billionaire,” she yawned.
“Okay, well multi-millionaire. Whatever, Soph. To-may-to, to-mah-to, who gives a fuck? Once you have more than six zeroes before the decimal in the bank, it’s all the same. Anyway, did you see him on the flight? Did he stop being an asshole long enough for you guys to join the mile high club?” she asked wickedly.
The silence on Sophie’s end of the line was a nanosecond too long for Liz’s liking. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the other woman pounced.
“What did you do, you dirty girl?” Despite Liz’s raunchy demeanor, her voice was clearly scandalized. After the interlude that resulted in her climaxing on Lucas’s desk, Liz had been on a slow and steady campaign for his downfall. Part of her plot included gifting Lucas with a permanent case of blue balls.
She groaned and peeled her eyes open. “Who said I did anything?” she asked irritably.
“Nah-uh, missy. I know you too well for that answer a question with another question bullshit to work on me. Besides, I taught you that. And no distractions from the original line of questioning. Deets. Spill. ASAP,” she ordered.
Her lungs felt heavy as she dragged in air. “We might have done it in the bathroom.”
“What?”
At the sharp squeal, Sophie winced and moved her phone several inches away from her ear.
“How do you go from wanting to gut the man like a fish to banging his brains out thousands of miles up in the sky? Wait—don’t answer that. I remember what he looks like.”
And suddenly, it all came flowing out. She shared every single detail, any reservations thrown completely to the wind. When she finished, she was met with uncharacteristic silence.
“Well? What do you think?” she asked hesitantly. Her cheeks still felt heated. She’d felt the color spread into her face, but even so, talking about it made her feel better.
She wasn’t any less confused, but at least she felt better.
“I think,” Liz began slowly, “that we need to re-group and re-strategize.”
She contemplated her friend’s words for a moment before she spoke. “That’s the thing, Lizzie, I’m not sure I want to strategize anymore.”
A high-pitched wail sounded from the speaker on her phone. “No, no more cookies! Your father will kill me. Sorry,” she apologized. “Mark
went to shoot hoops with his brother today which means I’m on rug-rat duty, and my children have been pumped full of sugar from shameless bribes to get them to behave. Wait, hold on a sec.”
Sophie giggled as she listened in as two-year old Liam bartered with his mother. The transmission of the audio changed before Liz announced, “You’re on speaker! Say hi to your god-son!”
“Hi Liam,” Sophie cooed automatically. “Are you being a good boy for your mommy?”
Liam chortled with glee in the background and babbled something unintelligible in response. “Fine, one more cookie,” Liz huffed. “This child is a monster.”
“I wonder where he gets it from.”
“I heard that! Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming. You don’t want to strategize anymore? How come? What happened to making the pervert’s life miserable for bullying his way into your life?”
It was a good question, and one she’d spent a great deal of time mulling over, especially since the plane ride. Whatever his motivations had been in the beginning, she couldn’t deny that the fiercely chemical pull went both ways. Yes, he’d used his influence and power to arrange things so that they were just so. It still didn’t sit well with her, but it was impossible to forget how tender and compassionate he’d been with her once he’d figured out she was terrified of flying.
Or the way he’d touched and taken her until she couldn’t remember her own name.
“Hello?” Liz asked impatiently. “McFly?”
“I was just thinking.”
“Well, think out loud, doll-face. There’s a reason it’s called a dialogue.”
“Smartass,” she replied fondly. “Look—I don’t know anymore. He was a little extreme in orchestrating this whole thing, but there’s more to him.”
“Did you measure it this time?”
“Liz!” she admonished. “Listening is not waiting to speak—or waiting to deliver a witty one-liner.”
Beyond Bliss Page 9
