Unmasked

by Stefanie London

  “You’re a cruel man, Damian.” She threw her head back. “I can’t take it.”

  “You will take it.” His voice came out edgy, raw.

  Familiar desire crowded his senses. He was losing his grip. Restraint was slipping through his fingers with each groan and under-the-breath curse out of Lainey’s mouth. She was a firework, ready to explode and burn them both.

  He wanted to be burned. Tonight, he wanted it more than the air in his lungs.

  “Damian, please.” She lifted her head and her hazel eyes caught his attention. “I’m not too shameless to beg.”

  She laughed then, the breathy sound sending heat coursing through him. Her wrists tugged in his one-handed grip, but he held on, restraining her. That action alone had him hard beyond anything he’d experienced in a long time. And those smudgy, smoky, needy eyes...fuck.

  He bit back the words swirling in his head. The filthy things he longed to say to her. But Lainey was someone he cared for...and you didn’t speak to princesses the way he wanted to speak right now.

  “Please.” She drew the word out, long and agonisingly delicious. “I need to come.”

  He plundered her without warning, so that her gasp rang in his ears for what felt like hours. He dipped a finger into her core, delighting in the way her muscles clenched around him. Ecstasy could be found right here, with a woman on the brink of an orgasm he controlled. She hovered at the precipice, body grinding and writhing and desperate for release, while he dangled her over the edge.

  “You taste so sweet,” he murmured against her, breathing her in and savouring every second of it. “You’re so soft, so perfect.”

  He drew the tight bud of her clit between his lips. The soft murmur of eagerness at the back of her throat swelled into a crescendo of pleasure as she shattered. He held her wrists tight, her muscles flexing as she came apart with his name on her lips.

  He only released her when the last waves of her orgasm subsided and she lay sprawled on the bed, skin damp and glowing in the moonlight. Her eyelids fluttered and he crawled up on the bed to hold her. He pressed a kiss to her lips and she curled into him.

  “I always knew you’d be good at that.” Her hand traced the flat circle of his nipple, fingernail scraping gently over the sensitive peak. “You’ve got a good mouth for giving head.”

  He chuckled. “That so?”

  “Yep.” Her hand dipped lower, cupping the bulge of his ready-to-burst cock. “Full lips, stubble for the right amount of friction...”

  Her fingers wrapped around him, stroking the length of him through the thin material of his suit pants.

  “I think we need to relieve you of these,” she said, a coy smile on her sweet lips.

  He couldn’t strip down quick enough; if he didn’t have her now he’d burst. Need thrummed in his veins, urging him to move quicker. He threw open the drawer next to the bed to grope for the little foil packets. It’d been so long he wasn’t sure he had any left, but when his fingers brushed the telltale crinkled material he sighed with relief. He sheathed himself and then came back to the bed, his hands pressing down on either side of her head. The mattress shifted, accommodating his weight as he nudged her legs apart with his knee.

  “I’ve been thinking about this nonstop since that night,” he said.

  She shot him a smug look. “Even when you were telling me it was a mistake?”

  “Just because I was trying to do the right thing doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about burying myself inside you.” He lowered his head to hers.

  “And now?” Her lashes touched, lips parted and glistening in the lamplight.

  “And now...if you keep talking I’m going to have to gag you, because I don’t want to wait a second longer.”

  Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something more, but it snapped shut a second later.

  “Wise choice, princess,” he growled, slipping his hand between them to find her slick and needy. “Brace yourself. You’ve got me all worked up.”

  He pushed into her, burying himself deep. When her hands came to his chest he grabbed her wrists with one hand, forcing them above her head. She whimpered, her sex clenching around his cock as he thrust.

  Fantasy didn’t even begin to compare to reality. On the nights since the ball, when he thought of her, his mind hadn’t been able to accurately conjure how tight and hot and perfect she was in real life. She was made for him, a perfect fit. And that one crazy night in the limo was nothing compared to this.

  Because this wasn’t just about her tight body or sexy, smoky stare. It was her...all of her.

  Her hips bucked against his, her arms straining against his grip. “Keep your hands above your head,” he growled. “Don’t make me stop.”

  He released her and her hands immediately fisted in the duvet, her knuckles white. “Please don’t stop.”

  “Tell me what you want, Lainey.”

  “I...” She stopped to moan as his hand came between them and found her clit. “Oh, my God. I want to come again.”

  He bent his head down to her ear. “You want to come again, greedy girl?”

  “Yes,” she panted, her head lolling back and forth. “I want to come against your hand.”

  Sweet fucking hell.

  As if it wasn’t enough that she’d been so perfectly responsive, the desperation in her voice as she told him how she wanted to come was...everything.

  He applied pressure to her clit, working his hand in circular motions until he felt her clench on his cock, as shock waves raced through her, her body trembling beneath his. It was all he could take to hold on a second longer before he felt his balls draw up and he tumbled into the abyss after her.

  Rolling onto his back, he took Lainey with him. Her face pressed into the curve of his neck, her breath hot against his already flaming skin. She murmured his name and an incoherent pleasure sound that washed over him like a warm blanket.

  When his strength returned, he pushed up, cradling her in his arms. He carried her to the bathroom and set her down, keeping an arm around her waist as he flicked on the large tub’s tap.

  “Let’s get cleaned up,” he whispered in her ear.

  She nodded mutely, her body sagging into him, and her arms tucked up against his chest. In the mirror he could see the faint pink marks where he’d gripped her hard. By morning, evidence of their night together would be gone, with only memories to keep him going.

  He tested the temperature and helped her into the bath, disposing of the condom before following her and drawing her back to his chest. Her head rested against him, the length of her hair swirling in the water as the tap ran. Tracing circles on the inside of her thigh, his mind whirred with tomorrow’s possible outcomes.

  “Stop thinking,” she said, grabbing his hand and interlacing her fingers with his. “Everything is going to be fine.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  DAMIAN WOKE THE next morning feeling as though he’d been transported to Eden. Rolling over, he reached for Lainey but found an empty mattress. Rubbing the heel of his hand into his eyes, he sat up. Clinking sounds came from the kitchenette, and he got up and pulled on a pair of pants.

  “Rise and shine,” Lainey sang as he walked into the main area of the suite, the chime in her voice making him smile.

  He raked a hand through his hair. It’d been a while since he’d felt this exhausted in the morning. Sleep deprived in the best way possible, but still...what he needed was a nice strong cup of—

  “Coffee?” Lainey appeared in front of him, holding out a steaming mug.

  “You’re an angel.” He reached for the cup.

  It was an apt description, considering how she looked right now. Endless legs extended out from the bottom of a soft white T-shirt—his T-shirt—which barely covered her. Her breasts were unrestrained beneath the fabric, nipples peaked and tantalising.


  He frowned. “You’re still here.”

  “Did you expect me to bail?” She dropped down onto the coffee table in front of him, one long leg draped over the other.

  He’d hoped in the light of day she’d be easier to resist, that without the tight dress and heels he might stand a chance. But no...this was a hell of a lot worse.

  Karma was a cruel and enticing bitch.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d want to stay.”

  She cocked her head. “Do you want me to go?”

  Ah, this old dance. It was one he avoided with most women by getting the fuck out of Dodge before it was necessary to communicate. But that wasn’t how he wanted to handle things with her.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You look sleepy.” She grinned when he rolled his eyes. “Drink up.”

  He shook his head and sipped his coffee. “Same old bossy Lainey.”

  “I have a proposition for you.” She kicked her feet up onto the couch next to him so that all he could see was miles of peaches-and-cream skin. “I’m going to stay here, and if by the time midnight comes around tomorrow you don’t want to sleep with me again, I’ll go and I won’t ever mention it again.”

  “Is this some kind of messed-up Cinderella sex thing?” He watched her over the rim of his cup.

  She poked her tongue out at him. “More like Beauty and the Beast.”

  “Charming.”

  “So we’re on?” She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward so the ends of her hair tickled his bare chest and stomach. “No offence, but my money’s on me.”

  Her lips hovered close to his, her knees nudging his thighs apart. His blood fizzed and raced as though she’d hooked him up to an electrical outlet. Each breath was an effort, desire crushing him from the inside out. Holy hell, if the girl could do that from mere proximity...

  She winked and released him. “I’m having a shower—feel free to join me.”

  Then she sashayed off as though it was her place, not his. Hair swung behind her like a band of scarlet silk, brushing the hem of the T-shirt. Her arrogance should have grated on him, but he found it oddly charming and comforting. She made no attempt to adjust herself to him, no attempt at false niceties or trying to please him. Since his stint on television, he’d noticed how people acted differently around him, and it pissed him off to no end.

  The sound of the shower snagged his attention. It was tempting to join her...oh, so tempting. But he had to get his head straight and figure out just how long he was going to play her game before one of them got burned.

  * * *

  Water poured over Lainey, warm and soothing. Last night she’d seen another side of Damian. It had been every bit as perfect as she’d hoped for—hot sex, no head games. He’d wrapped her up in his arms and held her all night.

  Unease settled in her stomach. She was already trying to convince him to give her another night—another hit. She was an addict, craving her next fix, chasing satiation that would never come. She turned her face against the spray and chuckled. She must be crazy after all. Who else would chase a man so hard knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere?

  The door to the bathroom hadn’t budged an inch. Hmm, so he wasn’t taking the bait. She rinsed the conditioner from her hair and turned off the water. Fluffy white towels hung from the gleaming silver rack—one of the perks of living in a hotel. Her brows crinkled. Why was he living here? He’d sold a perfectly good apartment to live in a hotel that probably cost as much per night as she earned from a month of hairdressing.

  It was definitely something Corinna would usually have told her. The fact she hadn’t meant this wasn’t simply a change of scenery for him.

  She gave her body a quick wipe-down and then wandered, stark naked, into his bedroom contemplating what to wear. Her dress from last night had barely been appropriate for an evening on the town let alone for the bright sunshine of the morning after...but it wasn’t like she had much choice.

  She tugged on the stretchy dress and riffled through Damian’s wardrobe, plucking out a clean white shirt. She slipped it on, rolled up the sleeves and located the emergency ballet flats in her handbag. There she also found her touch-up makeup palette. It wasn’t perfect, but at least she wouldn’t look like something the cat had dragged in.

  “Going through my clothes again?”

  Lainey whipped around. “Thought I’d make an effort to look respectable. So, what are the plans for today?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t think we should be playing games like this.”

  He was probably right. The little bundle of doubts was already growing, the voice in her head warning her that she was going to be flying to London with tears in her eyes. But if the end was nigh, then she’d go out all guns blazing. What was the point of small regret? Might as well go hard.

  “We made a deal, so I’m staying. You can ship me off at midnight if you want. But until then...you’re stuck with me.”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to that.” He closed the distance between them in two long-legged strides. “Besides, you’re too young for me—”

  “Too young? I’m almost twenty-five.”

  “You should go for someone your own age...”

  “Ugh.” She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over one shoulder, fully aware of just how much that action supported his argument. “You’re not that old, Damian, but you sure do act like you’re a hundred sometimes.”

  “See?”

  “No, I don’t see. Like I said, I’m sticking around all day, so you can stay here and argue with me—which would be pointless, because I’ll outlast you—or you can take me for a coffee. A real one.”

  “What if I told you straight up I don’t want to sleep with you again?” He pulled her closer, staring down at her in what might have been an attempt to intimidate. Instead it made her body burn, need gnawing at her insides.

  “I’d call bullshit.”

  A smile twitched on his mouth. “Fine. Coffee it is. It’s probably safer to have you out there than in here.”

  She grinned. “You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?”

  * * *

  The day was already hot. Sunshine filtered through the trees lining the café strip, sending dancing speckles of light across their table. They’d found a quiet spot on the courtyard of a café, private enough for them to talk. Because Lainey had questions.

  Swiping at her croissant, she tore off one end and stuffed it into her mouth. “So what’s the deal with the hotel room?”

  He sighed. “It’s a long story.”

  “We’ve got all day.”

  He stared at his coffee cup for a moment before looking up with a blank expression. “I couldn’t stand to be in the apartment any longer.”

  Lainey had known Jenny well enough to know she and Damian were completely and utterly wrong for each other, though she’d never said it to his face. They’d gotten married at twenty-four—a conservative ceremony without passion—and cracks started showing less than a year in. Jenny had been overbearing. Her family was even worse. Then one day the marriage ended suddenly and Damian had never spoken of his ex-wife again.

  Not even to explain why the marriage broke down. To this day it was a mystery.

  “Why?” Lainey asked. “What changed?”

  “Nothing, that’s exactly the point. I thought I’d have gotten my shit together, moved on...something.”

  “But you have moved on.” She sipped her coffee, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. “You’re like a completely different person now. Well, like how you used to be before.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. You were so uptight when you were with her. You were tense all the time. It was like you were always trying to force something when she was around, like you were trying to be something else
.” She sighed. “You weren’t yourself.”

  Damian quirked a brow. “Really?”

  “Yes.” She swatted him across the table. “And don’t look at me like that. I can say insightful shit from time to time.”

  “‘Insightful shit’?”

  He was mocking her, the bastard. “I know what I’m talking about.” She crossed her arms, self-conscious for the first time.

  She could be stark naked in front of him, in the throes of orgasm, and be confident. In control. But the second it came down to the personal stuff—she couldn’t have felt more exposed.

  “No need to get defensive. I’m quite partial to insightful shit.” His eyes swept over her, skimming the neckline of last night’s dress and her bare skin exposed between the open lapels of his shirt. Was he remembering the way he felt when she lowered the zipper? When she’d bared herself to him?

  She leaned forward. “Why do you think you haven’t changed?”

  “This is a bit heavy for breakfast conversation, don’t you think?” He raked a hand through his dark hair and the front sprang forward rebelliously.

  “We might be eating breakfast, but it’s hardly early. Besides, I get the impression it would be heavy conversation for you no matter what time it was.”

  “I prefer to keep things light. Sue me.”

  He attempted a look of nonchalance, but his gaze flicked over her. Hot and intense. Sunlight streamed down over their table, shifting so that the trees around them no longer provided protection. Lainey slipped the white shirt off and bundled it on top of her handbag. The sunshine felt good on her bare arms.

  “I could tempt you to get heavy.” She smirked. “I convinced you to sleep with me, after all.”

  Damian’s Adam’s apple bobbed and his gaze narrowed, two flintlike eyes challenging her. “Once.”

  “Twice,” she corrected.

  “The first time doesn’t count.”

  “Then I’ll do it again.” She shrugged. “You’re just buying time now.”

  “I’m not buying anything.”

  “Yet.” She jabbed a finger in his direction. “I’ve got all day.”