Surprise widened Hollywood’s eyes. He stole a glance at Chad, who hesitated before giving a very brief nod, more a jut of his bruised chin really. But it was enough.
All four men raised their glasses.
“To family.”
As they made the toast, an image of his dark-haired beauty, smiling as she caressed a pregnant belly, took shape in William’s mind. And his heart broke for what he could never have.
Chapter 11
Hot water streamed through her hair and down her back, making Dani sigh with pleasure. The heat relaxed muscles gone tight from her long shift at the station. She’d managed to catch a few hours of sleep before the sun called to her and urged her out of bed. Dipping her head back into the jet, she worked the shampoo through the strands, enjoying the sensation of her fingers on her scalp. When she stepped out of the spray, she heard a noise from the living room. Before the idea had even become a conscious thought, she pushed the sliding door open and let out a loud moan.
“Oh! Oh. So good.” Struggling to keep the laughter from her voice, she smacked the flat of her hand on the tile, again and again. How long was it going to take that damn man to come and join her? She poked her head out the shower door, another moan ripping from her throat, and came face to face with—Jamie.
Shit!
Squealing like a little girl, she spun around, giving him her back, and shut off the water. She reached out and patted the wall where she’d hung her towel. Jamie’s laughter echoed against the tiles as he shoved it into her hand. “Looking for this?”
“Very funny, LJ,” she said, just as the front door slammed. She could feel her eyes grow round. The blood drained from her head.
Jamie smirked and whispered conspiratorially, “Thought you could use a little help.”
“No!” Dani’s stomach plunged to her knees. Whatever idea Jamie had, this wouldn’t end well.
He jerked his head toward the towel she still clutched in her hand. “You might want to cover up.”
Forcing her arms to move, she went to wrap the towel around herself, but her fingers shook and it fell from her hands. She watched, horrified, as it plummeted to the floor in a heap.
“Or not.” Jamie grinned. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the counter as if preparing for a show—or fireworks. Her chest aching from the tension, too tight to draw breath, Dani scrambled out of the shower and crouched to pick up the towel.
Will skidded to a stop in the open doorway. His gaze went from her to his brother, shock and something else passing over his features. Eyes like flint, he asked, “Am I interrupting something here?”
She started to explain the unexplainable. “I know how this looks,”
“Do you?” His lip curled in a snarl. “Do you really?”
Jamie snorted, and when Dani raised her eyes, she realized exactly how this looked: Jamie calmly watching her while she crawled naked on her knees at his feet. Fuck!
“Get up.” Will’s voice lashed at her like a whip. Her body jerked. Arousal pooled in her belly and seeped between her thighs. With her eyes on his, she gripped the towel and stood, head up, shoulders back.
In her peripheral vision, she saw Jamie nod his approval to his brother, but Will’s eyes were on her. The intensity of his stare heated her, as though he were physically stroking her, caressing her with his large hands.
He crooked his finger. “Come here.”
Panting, she took the few steps that brought her within inches of him. She was naked in front of Will and his brother, her married boss. Why was this exciting her so much? She’d never had a thing for Jamie. It had only ever been Will for her.
As she stopped in front of Will, she took in the flags of color on his cheeks, the sharpness of his features, the heat of his eyes, a blue that burned like dry ice. Her gaze trailed down his body, over the thick muscles of his chest, his flat stomach, the erection tenting his fancy dress pants. By comparison, Jamie’s eyes were twinkling, his features relaxed, his grin broad. If he was turned on, he was covering it well.
She met Will’s stare. “Are you thinking of sharing me?”
“Would you like that?”
“Fuck no.”
Will nodded and his hunched shoulders relaxed, the tension visibly leaving him. “My room. On the bed. Now.”
She blinked, surprise sending tingles up her spine. When he narrowed his gaze, she jumped and then skipped past him, yelping as he swatted her still damp butt. Her heart pounded with excitement, adrenaline, and pure joy. Did Will realize what had just happened? Did he realize he’d acknowledged their relationship in front of his brother?
Jamie laughed and clapped Will’s shoulder as he walked out of the bathroom. “You can thank me later, bro.”
When the front door clicked shut, Will entered the master bedroom where Dani waited for him as instructed. Anything she might have said stuck in her throat at the sight of him. Tall, broad, and very male.
“Knees,” he barked as he shed his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks. But not his tie. He grabbed a condom from the nightstand and rolled it on. Rising on all fours, she suppressed a shiver as desire curled low in her belly. Her hips undulated in invitation. She could imagine how she looked to him, her ass up in the air, her pussy exposed, open for him. Could he see how wet she was? How desperately she wanted him?
Her fingers dug into the bedspread when he crawled onto the bed and knelt behind her. His hot hands cupped her ass cheeks, spreading them. “You’re so ready for me.” His hoarse tone made her shudder. He clasped her tighter and leaned over her. His silk tie brushed her back like the softest flogger, sensitizing her nerve endings. Warm wetness ignited the skin at her neck. She whimpered at the luxurious sensation. His tongue burned a path down her back to the base of her spine, where he kissed the dimples just above her crack. He moved lower, tearing a moan from her. “Oh, God. Will!”
His fingers dug into her ass and his tongue circled her puckered hole. She screamed. All ability to think left her. She was reduced to feeling, to sensation, to mindless pleasure. When his tongue speared and pressed against the tight ring of muscle, she instinctively pushed back. Her resistance gave way and then all that warmth and wetness was inside her, inside her ass. She’d never have imagined that having her ass tongue-fucked could feel so damn good.
Will slid two fingers through her slick folds before pushing them into her pussy.
She shouted his name as a powerful orgasm rocked through her. Wave after wave of ecstasy built and ebbed until she thought it would tear her apart. Her knees gave out and she collapsed onto the bed. Will fell on top of her, his face cushioned on her ass.
Her body sated, she closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying his weight on her, enjoying the aftermath of mind-blowing sex.
Until he bit her.
With a yelp, she twisted under him, determined to pin him. But he surprised her. After a brief hesitation, he countered her move. He straddled her hips and lifted her arms above her head, shackling them at the wrists.
Everything had happened so fast. Unexpectedly so. “Looks like you’ve learned some new moves,” she said, enjoying the double entendre.
Will captured her mouth in an aggressive kiss. His fingers threaded through hers, pressing her hands into the mattress. With his knees, he spread her thighs, then entered her, pushing all the way in. She gasped at the sudden fullness. Her hips arched up, begging him to move, to take her hard.
But he didn’t. To prove he was in control.
“Will, please,” she pleaded.
“You liked what happened in the bathroom,” he said.
As if a fire hose had been turned on her, Dani froze. She sank into the bed and pressed her lips together. Would he be angry? Jealous? Disgusted? Jamie had taken it all in stride, but Will was nothing like his brother.
“I could tell how turned on you were. Was it because of Jamie? Did the two of you have an affair during the separation? It’s none of my business, but I want to know.”
She struggled against his h
old on her wrists. “Let me go,” she growled.
“No.”
He rocked his hips, his cock hitting her G-spot. Dropping her head onto the bed, she let her emotions loose. “It wasn’t because of Jamie. It was because of you. It’s always been you, Will.”
His teeth scraped along her neck, dragging shivers from deep inside her. “But you liked him seeing you naked.”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “No.”
“Which is it?” he asked, and she felt his smile against her skin. Some of her anxiety left her. She could do this. She could tell him. With his cock inside her, she could deny him nothing.
“I liked you telling me what to do in front of him. I liked that you wanted him to see me naked.”
His head jerked up and his brows rose to his hairline. “What? I didn’t—”
“You did. You loved him watching you control me.”
“No,” he said, his voice heavy with denial.
“You told me to stand, to come to you, to go to your room. You made it very clear we were going to have sex. But you never told me to cover myself.”
He dropped his head forward so it hung off his shoulders like he couldn’t stand to look at her. Or was it the other way around? An odd feeling of tenderness unfurled in her chest. She tugged on her wrists and he let her go. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his temples with the pads of her thumbs. “It’s okay, Will.”
Shoving up on his arms, he pulled out of her and sat on his heels. She moaned at the abrupt loss. His face was strained, his eyes red. “How can you say that? It fucking turned me on. What kind of guy gets excited by putting his girlfriend on display for his brother? I disgust myself.”
Sitting upright in the bed, she caught his shoulders. “Look at me. There’s nothing disgusting about this. You enjoyed it and I enjoyed it.”
“And my brother?”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “I suspect Jamie got exactly what he wanted.”
He flopped down onto the bed and threw a hand over his eyes. “So, nothing’s ever happened between you two?”
“Never. He’s totally devoted to Erica. And like I said…” Her words trailed off as her throat tightened. She couldn’t say it again.
He rolled over, covering her. “Go on.” His eyes bore into her, setting her on fire, drawing the words from her clogged throat.
“It’s always been you.”
“What does that mean?”
It was impossible. She still had two weeks left with him. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—risk it. Wouldn’t risk losing him before she had to. Her lids slid shut. “I can’t.”
“Danielle.”
His voice, his tone, his authority clawed at her, forcing her compliance. Why did he have this hold on her? No man ever had. Unable to disobey, she opened her eyes and held his gaze. Her heart pounded, blood roared in her ears. She tried to resist the pull of his voice, but it wasn’t possible. “I’m in love with you. Have been for a long time.”
“Since when.” It wasn’t a question; it was an order.
“Three years. Since the first time I saw you.”
Before she could draw a breath, he entered her, joining their bodies and their lips. His strokes came fast, deep, and hard. As his tongue curled around hers, exploring her mouth, her pleasure mounted. She rode the crest until, with a mighty thrust, he sent her soaring. Flying, screaming his name, she hugged him to her, pulling him along. Together they crashed through their releases until, completely spent, they collapsed in each other’s arms.
Dani idly stroked Will’s back as he slept with his head on her breast. Jamie’s interference had propelled her and Will to a new stage in their relationship. Her hand slipped into his hair, and she enjoyed its silky softness as it slid between her fingers. If she were a romantic, she’d think the way Will had made love to her today, that her feelings were reciprocated. But she knew better. Before the sweat on his skin cooled, Will was likely to do a one-eighty. His self-loathing had been very real. It had taken her years to convince herself that she wasn’t a sexual deviant, that she wasn’t a pervert.
Will had given her so much, and in return, she’d made him disgusted with himself. How could he not hate her? How could he not blame her for corrupting him? Because no matter how much he denied it, he’d never be the same again.
Vanilla Will was gone.
Despite a morass of conflicting emotions, William was determined to spend some time with Danielle, doing something “normal.” That meant he had to get her out of the house, because one look at her disarming smile and her sexy body, and all he could think about was being inside her.
He’d made reservations at Vicenzo’s. His cousin Sam was married to the chef, Ivy, whose family owned the place. It was quiet and the food was excellent. While he waited in his study for Danielle to finish getting ready, he checked his email. Good. Paul Denton, his lead accountant, had sent William an update on the audit he’d ordered.
As he read the report, a deep unease settled over him. Their data showed excessive returns on one of the lines in the past six months. Given that the Pioneer bed set was also one of their most profitable product lines, he had to find a way to stem their losses, and soon.
He quickly pounded out a reply, asking Paul to pull up all the orders, return slips, suppliers, vendors, inventory list, and the bill of materials for all the models in that product line. Armed with enough information, he’d figure out what had changed to cause this hemorrhaging of their profits. He also shot off an email to Larissa requesting the status of the party preparations and reminding her to keep expenses within the budget he’d set. The bonuses his father insisted on handing out were already cutting deeply into what little reserves they had left.
Once he hit send, he no longer had any excuses for avoiding what was really on his mind. I’m in love with you. He flattened his hands on the smooth surface of his desk to halt the tremors. His heart swelled and his stomach flipped. He tugged anxiously on his tie, the constriction suddenly unbearable. Why did this scare him so much? They had an agreement, one in which feelings didn’t count. Besides, as she’d said, her love for him wasn’t new. It didn’t change a thing. In exactly fifteen days, Danielle would be gone from his life.
Good riddance?
Hardly. Danielle had changed him. Forced him to acknowledge a part of himself he hadn’t known existed. A part of himself that had no place in his life. A part of himself that could completely and utterly destroy his future if it became public.
What they did in bed together was consensual and healthy, even if a little kinky. But what had happened in the bathroom? That had made him feel dirty. How could he have enjoyed forcing Danielle to obey him, to remain exposed in front of another man? His own brother. He was sick. Depraved. The worst kind of man. A man who would use a woman, degrade her for his own sexual gratification. And he’d loved every second of it.
Fuck! There had to be something wrong with his brain. He wasn’t normal. Whatever. He’d been able to pass as normal for years. Once Danielle left, he’d do it again. He could be satisfied with a normal vanilla relationship. The memory of Kathleen turning her cheek to his kiss so he wouldn’t mess up her lipstick solidified in his brain. That was his future: Fifty years of missionary position, and he’d have to wait while she shaved her legs first.
He bolted out of his chair like a trapped animal from a cage. Which version of his future was worse? Depriving himself of his sexual needs or giving in to them?
Outside his study, he heard the clicking of Danielle’s heels on the hardwood. Relief made his shoulders slump. He needed to get out of his head and enjoy what he had while he still had it. The memories would need to last him a lifetime.
Danielle stopped in the doorway, arranging herself artfully against the jam. Hip cocked, limbs outstretched, the light material of her red dress floating around her thighs, she was a vision. All he could think about was undressing her, removing every stitch except for her heeled sandals, tossing her over his d
esk, and fucking her until she screamed his name for all the world—well, at least his neighbors—to hear. His cock hardened, growing thick and long against his belly.
She straightened, took measured steps toward him until they stood chest to breasts. He didn’t move a muscle, didn’t dare unleash what was inside him. She licked her lips and cupped him. “I see you’re ready.”
His brain froze, his thoughts dried up. All he was left with was want. The wanting of something, someone, he shouldn’t—couldn’t—have. She was like a drug, his kryptonite, and he’d go supernova if they didn’t get out of the condo PDQ.
Gulping in air like he’d been under water for years—and wasn’t that an apt description of his life before Danielle?—he focused on her smile, on the amusement in her eyes. He willed himself, mind over matter, back into a mostly coherent state.
“You okay, babe?” she asked, her forehead slightly furrowed.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will be. Need anything before we go?”
“A kiss?” Her lips curved, teased.
“Therein lies the path to madness.” He choked out a laugh. One touch and he could kiss their evening out goodbye.
Twenty minutes later, they were seated at one of Vicenzo’s cozy tables next to the large windows overlooking Puget Sound. Cruise ships and yachts bobbed on the quiet water. Tourists and locals milled around the port and the Pike Place Market, enjoying the beautiful summer evening, one of the few remaining. Fall was coming soon, and with it the clouds and rain more typical of the region.
“What a gorgeous view,” Danielle said, staring out the window. “Mount Rainier looks amazing from here. And I love how the sun is glinting off the water. It makes me want to dive right in.”
“Do you do that often?” When she turned a confused look on him, he elaborated. “Water rescues, I mean.”
“Not often, but it is part of our job.”
“I should know this already, considering my brothers, but their work isn’t something we talk about much.”
Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) Page 17
