by Violet Duke
Keeping his tormented gaze above the utterly naked temptations pressed against him, he searched her face.
And saw pure, undiluted desire.
His body tightened as if he’d been whipped.
Her lips went to the clenched cord of his neck. “This,” she whispered hoarsely. “Being completely naked while you’re fully clothed...” She shuddered, her husky voice trembling as she brushed her bare thighs further up along his clothing-covered ones.
“We’d better take these off, Connor. I’m afraid I’m a little...wet.”
All the air was knocked right out of his lungs. But still, he somehow managed to force out the noble words one more time: “Are you sure, honey? I want tonight to be special for you.”
She shut him up with a whole body caress that lanced over every nerve in his body. “Connor, tonight is going to be special no matter what. That has nothing to do with this. With us. I want you. In me.” Her stormy eyes trapped his. “Now.”
Somehow, his legs found the strength to stand. With Abby strapped to him, naked and scoring his neck with her teeth, Connor hotfooted it across the seemingly football field length suite to the king size bed. By the time he reached it, nearly all of his clothes had disappeared.
Ditto on his control.
Of course, most of the credit had to go to the not-so-nice-anymore bride in his arms, who’d been impressively creative at ridding him of both.
When he flung her onto the bed, all that was left on him was his boxer briefs. And the way she was eyeing it, he knew it wouldn’t be on him for long. “Last chance,” he managed hoarsely. He was so turned on, if she changed her mind, there was a very real chance he’d bawl like a baby. “Sweetheart, I have to be sure you won’t regret this.”
A small foil packet seemed to magically materialize in her hands. “I’m sure,” she said softly before tearing the packet open with her teeth.
Off flew his boxer briefs.
Tumbling into bed with her, he tried damned hard to slow things down but it was a losing battle. His skin was on fire and his lungs refused to cooperate as he coaxed her lips open with a barely controlled kiss while he worked to get his rioting body under control.
Clearly, Abby was not going to be an ally in his quest for control. Her curious hands wreaked havoc on his body as she slipped the condom on with what felt like far more than ten fingers.
Just the feel of her against him sent a wildfire flaring through his veins. Before he knew it, her hips were hitched against his. All it took was one scorching shift and slide and he was experiencing mind-blowing pleasure in maddeningly hot inches.
A low growl vibrated in his chest at the snug, perfect fit. Nothing had ever felt this good before. Body strung on a wire, breathing shattered, he drew back slowly and kept his eyes on hers this time as he slid into her again. As deep as he could go. His eyes slammed shut. Hands fisted in the sheets, he buried his lips against her neck and began a cautious rhythm that was a test of sheer discipline, every stroke an intense fire incinerating him alive. A roar of excitement thundered in his veins as he strained to focus solely on her pleasure instead of his own.
But then she began tensing and rippling around him, urging him to go wild. And he was lost. Unable to stop himself, he thrust forward so hard she let out an untamed, wanton cry that made him almost dizzy with need. His mission to give her sweet and gentle was quickly becoming more impossible by the second. Teeth clenched, he pulled back and gripped her waist to keep from taking her how he wanted...how she was begging him to with those faint, intoxicated whispers. Slanting his mouth over hers in a smoldering kiss, he drank in her whimpers, each one rasping erotically over his senses and lashing at his control. He was already so close to the edge, he didn’t trust himself to stay inside her a second longer.
“Where are you going?” she gasped, sinking her nails into his biceps in disbelief when he managed the insane feat of pulling back completely.
She stared up at him and a lust-filled haze clouded his judgment at the sight she made—dewy flesh, feline grace, and flushed desire. He skimmed his hands down her body, following with lips, teeth, and tongue to try and give her even a fraction of the all-consuming pleasure he was feeling. “I’m so close, Abby. Too close. Just let me...” He sucked in a harsh breath when her hand mercilessly slid between them, inciting him to continue what he’d started.
Helpless, he rocked against her and her eyes blazed in triumph.
“Oh god. Stop,” he hissed, grabbing her wrist to prevent her from torturing him more. Abruptly, he sat up in the middle of the bed and slid down her body, flexing his fingers into her thighs as he whispered against her belly, “Let me take care of you first—”
“Like hell.”
In a flash, she pushed him to sit upright and moved to straddle him. A heartbeat later, her expression turned to pure bliss as she took him in one devastating stroke straight to the hilt.
With a muffled shout, he tugged her back up, held her suspended for one agonizing second before stealing a hard, feral kiss and driving up into her again. Sexy moans spilled out of her as she clamped her legs around his waist and began riding them both to the brink of sanity. She arched her back and he groaned. When he dipped his head down to draw one tantalizing peak into his mouth, she gasped, the new angle of his hips causing her muscles to pulse, wild and erratic around his length. His arms banded around her in a full body shackle, pulling her closer, sliding him deeper, seizing what was left of his control and shoving him over the edge. Powerless to stop now, he surged into her one final time, his entire body cording violently as his release pounded through him in an endless tide of white-hot pleasure.
Long moments later, when the riptide finally settled, he was left floating, barely coherent as he laid her back on the bed and lifted his weight off of her. Every sensationally sex-drained muscle in his sated body protested the separation, her wet heat now an irreversible necessity that made the air hitting his skin feel icy cold in contrast.
Sapped of strength, the only thing keeping him from falling into an unconscious slumber was the knowledge that she hadn’t come. He cradled her face in his hands. “I’m such a jackass,” he rasped when his voice finally returned, his words thick, his throat raw. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He dropped his forehead to her chest in apology.
“Don’t be.” She gave him a tender smile and sifted her hands through his hair, steadying her splintered breathing even as her voice, her whole body continued to vibrate with need. “I told you I wanted my wild and fast.”
Trailing kisses along her skin, he felt the heady shockwaves of heat still rippling through her, holding her hostage, teetering on the edge. Sizzling jolts and trembling whimpers she couldn’t contain. Every kiss, every touch was bringing her that much closer to her own release.
But not close enough.
He groaned when he saw the unquenched, impossibly sexy hunger burning in her eyes.
His new blushing bride was—as always—a sex goddess.
And not surprisingly, he was ready for her again.
Capturing her mouth in a slow, reverent kiss, he gently settled her back against the pillows. The way she was smoothing her hands across the muscles of his back, he knew she was under the severely misguided impression that he meant to roll over and head back down to the reception.
Almost chuckling at that crazy notion, he dropped a soft kiss on her lips and watched with avid focus as her sweet, understanding expression spiraled from surprise to unabashed lust when he shifted his hips against hers. Just enough to show her how ready he was again.
Grinning, he hooked his forearms under her knees.
“What are you doing? We need to head back to the reception already.”
“No can do. You got your chance to be wild. So now it’s my turn.” He bent down and slid his tongue over her hot flesh. “And honey, you better believe that after what you put me through the last few weeks, ‘fast’ is nowhere on the menu for you.”
EPILOGUE
&nbs
p; “HEY, YOU’RE Skylar, right?”
Skylar looked up at the pretty dark haired woman in the chef’s outfit. “Hi, yeah. Are you a friend of Abby’s?”
“A friend of Connor’s actually.”
Skylar did a double take.
The woman chuckled. “I must say, that’s been a common reaction today. I take it your uncle doesn’t have a lot of female friends?”
“Not so much. At least not before he met Abby.”
“Ah, makes sense.” She grinned. “I’m Tessa, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. I like your hair.”
Tessa tugged on the streaked hot pink tips. “Thanks. It’s a sister thing. It’ll wash out in a few days and I won’t look quite so crazy.” She started pushing forward a huge rolling tray of fruits and tarts and miniature cakes. “Hey, if you’re not too busy, I’d love some help with these desserts.”
“Really? Okay!” Skylar hopped up and followed her to the buffet line. “So did you make all this stuff by yourself?”
“All the desserts, yes. As for everything else, my catering partner and I split the cooking duties.” Tessa motioned for Skylar to line up the tarts on the serving table. “Do you like cooking?”
“I love it. Abby and I cook all the time. Nothing this fancy though. But we make lots of cookies and brownies and other stuff.”
“Perfect,” said Tessa with a smile. “Then I’m going to ask you to be my sous chef for today. You up for it?”
“Sure, what do I have to do?”
“I’m actually all done with the buffet line but I wanted to do a little something extra for Connor and Abby. Want to help me turn these plain old fruits into some real works of art?” Tessa led them over to a wide open table off to the side of the buffet line and pulled out a bunch of different knives, from little itty-bitty ones to ones that looked like they belonged on a slasher movie.
Skylar eyed the knives warily. “Um…”
“You can just watch if you want but it’s actually pretty fun to see all these animals and flowers come to life in the fruit. Plus, I figure with two of us working, we’d be able to make something really pretty.”
Taking a deep breath, Skylar nodded. “Abby would really love that. Okay, let’s do it. But go slow…I’m not that great with knives.”
“Neither was I. Just takes practice.” Tessa pulled out a bright green u-shaped contraption that sort of looked like a football mouth guard. “Here, just in case. These will keep your fingers safe.”
Skylar sighed with relief. “Okay, now I’m really ready. What are we going to do first?”
“A melon swan, a couple of pretty birds out of apples, some assorted fruit flowers flowing out of a pineapple basket, and two gigantic roses out of watermelon halves if we have time.” She showed Skylar a few photos of what they’d look like when they were through.”
“Oh wow, cool!”
“What the—”
Brian bolted up from his seat and stalked across the tented reception area over to the tables next to the buffet line where his daughter was currently wielding a knife as long as her forearm to core a pineapple.
“Skylar, what do you think you’re doing?”
Giggling happily, Skylar waved at him. With the knife. “Hey dad, look what we’re making!”
Brian couldn’t see anything past her sawing the huge blade back and forth mere millimeters from her fingers. “Skylar, why don’t you put that thing down. Who gave it to you anyway?”
“Tessa did.”
“Who’s Tessa?”
“That’s me,” called out a cheerful voice from behind him. “Your daughter’s awesome by the way. She helped with all the wings on the apple doves and did a pretty amazing job helping me shape the melon swan. We were thinking of tackling a watermelon rose next. Want to help? I’ll even let you use the big cleaver.”
Was the woman high? “Skylar, I think Becky and her folks are back from taking pictures. Why don’t you go find her and bring her over here to show her…all of this.”
That’s when he finally did notice all the intricate fruit decorations spread across the silver tray on the table before him. They were pretty incredible.
“Oh! Good idea!” Skylar looked over at the strange woman. “Tessa, if Becky wants to, can she help with the watermelon rose too?”
“Of course, the more the merrier. You can use the sink in the kitchen to wash up.”
Brian snagged the woman by the elbow and walked her over to a quieter part of the tent. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“Tessa.”
“What?” Definitely high.
“‘What the hell were you thinking, Tessa.’ If you’re going to yell at me, we may as well be on a first name basis.” She shrugged. “To answer your question, I was thinking it’d be fun for your daughter to help make some of these fruit decorations. And it was.”
“So you think because it’s fun, it’s okay to arm random children with knifes without at least asking their parents first?”
“I didn’t arm her, I taught her how to use a cooking utensil. And I didn’t ask you because I knew you’d say no.”
He’d never lost his temper so irretrievably before.
“Let me get this straight. You thought this was dangerous enough that I would say no, and you just plain did it anyway?
“No. I think it’s perfectly safe with the right training and supervision. I knew you would say no to it regardless.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Brian—”
“And how in the world do you know my name?
“We talked on the phone once a long time ago.”
Suddenly, he remembered her voice. And her unforgettable weirdness. “You were the one with Connor’s phone, the one who likes hanging up on people to go eat cake.”
“Actually, I was serving cake that day but...huh, you know what, that does sound like something I would do,” she beamed, visibly pleased.
Weirder and weirder.
“Look, just because you know my brother, doesn’t mean you know me. Don’t make baseless assumptions about me.”
“Oh, they weren’t baseless.”
And then the woman up and simply walked away.
Of all the aggravating… He stomped after her. “Explain.” He didn’t trust himself with longer sentences at this point.
“I was at the hospital that day Skylar cut her finger off.”
She was?
“That’s why I knew you’d think this was too dangerous.”
He took in a long, slow breath. “So you knew Skylar cut her finger off, and your brilliant idea was to then give her a gigantic knife to play with?”
“Yes. Skylar clearly developed a fear of knives after that accident. I saw the way she looked at them. So I was trying to help her.”
“What are you a part-time shrink as well?”
“Nope. I just know that she’s better off without harboring an unnecessary fear.”
“You don’t know anything about her. You may have been at the hospital, but you don’t know a damn thing about what she’s gone through. What she’s going through.”
Tessa finally stopped working then. She came toe to toe with him and said, “Maybe not all of it, but I know some. I do a lot of volunteer work with Huntingon’s patients. That’s how I met Connor, in fact. I’ve been working with him on a lot of grant projects for new clinical trials and a few of his pro bono cases that involve alternative healing practices for Huntington’s patients.”
Brian just stood there and stared. Connor never said he was working on anything like that.
“Plus,” her voice crackled with pain, “my sister died of Juvenile Huntington’s. She had more than enough things to be afraid of in her life. If I’d been able to help her overcome even one more of her fears before she died, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat.” She flashed him a stubborn look. “I realize that Skylar doesn’t know if she has JHD yet but I can guarantee you she’s scared. So what’s the harm in my helpin
g her get rid of one of her other, smaller fears?”
Well hell, when she put it like that.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” Brian said softly.
“I’m sorry about your wife,” she replied, just as softly.
Mulishly, he maintained, “I still think you were wrong about giving her a knife.”
She burst out laughing then. A musical, effervescent laugh full of life and hope and things he couldn’t remember, even.
How the hell was she still able to laugh like that?
“I think I like you, Brian. I think I like you a lot, actually.” Still chuckling to herself, she walked back to the kitchen, her long, dark, pink-tipped ponytail swishing behind her like a metronome.
What a strange woman.
Never had he met anyone so frighteningly good at pushing his buttons.
And damn, if she didn’t have the cutest smile too…
~ The End ~
Note from the Author:
Fear not dear readers, Brian will be getting his HEA.
If you fell for him with Abby, just wait till you see him with Tessa...
Stay tuned for:
FINDING THE RIGHT GIRL
(A Nice GUY to Love Spin-Off Novel)
Brian & Tessa’s Story
COMING OCTOBER 2013
--EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK--
PLAYING WITH HER HEART
by
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Lauren Blakely
Coming August 20, 2013
BOOK DESCRIPTION
When you’re acting the role of a lifetime, how can you know if love is real—or all just a part of the show?
Twenty-three year old rising theatre star Jill McCormick has built a life out of pretending. Pretending she’s happy, pretending her long-distance crushes add up to something real, pretending she’s not haunted by the dark secret that shattered her world six years ago. Cast in her first Broadway show, she desperately needs to keep her façade intact, but that’s before she comes face to face with her devastating new boss…
