Limitless Love: A Lotus House Novel: Book Four

by Audrey Carlan

  Clayton chuckled. “Her heart chakra needs clearing?” He shook his head and sighed.

  “You don’t believe in aligning and cleansing your chakras?” Crystal asked in a way that was questioning, rather than judgmental.

  I worked on perfecting that particular talent daily with my clients, and she had the natural gift in spades.

  The big guy set down a tray filled with a variety of treats and what looked like a couple of lattes. My mouth watered at the sight, especially since I hadn’t eaten much of my lunch. He must have caught on to that because there were enough treats on his plate to feed an army.

  “I don’t not believe.” Clayton held out a chair for me to sit in. It was catty-corner to the yogis’ table. “I say, to each his own.” He shrugged, not exactly dismissing the conversation but showing that he didn’t really concern himself with such things.

  Jewel glanced at Crystal and then back at me. “Perhaps you both need a little cleansing. Though I’ve got the feeling that between the two of you, that heart chakra blockage is going to soon be a thing of the past.”

  Crystal nodded and beamed, her entire face lighting up as if the sun shone directly down on her in a blinding ray of light. Definitely one of God’s angels.

  Clayton sat down next to me, grabbed my hand, and kissed my fingertips. “I’ll be taking good care of her heart, so you needn’t worry, ladies. Isn’t that right, Monet?”

  My cheeks warmed, and I nodded. Everything inside me filled with optimism. Without laying my heart fully on the line, I would give what I could.

  “I hope so.”

  Chapter Twelve

  A heart chakra couple will have more opportunities for happiness than opportunities for unhappiness. Typically, marriages driven by the heart chakra are long lasting. Together they work through their karma and cleanse their consciousness of negativity.

  CLAYTON

  Over the next couple weeks, we fell into a routine. We’d pick up Lily from school, do homework, play games, and watch movies. This morning, Monet informed me that the last of her tape from her injury had fallen away. A month had passed since the attack, and she was doing really well. Amazingly so. In celebration, we’d picked up The Lego Movie, which I found rather awesome. The new graphics in these films were way beyond my day. And the fact that Lily chose what she considered a “boy movie” just for me made my heart swell. I had to admit, it was a damn good movie. The story was sound and the antics between the Lego characters pretty funny. While we watched, Monet cuddled along my side. Both my girls snuggled right up next to me. It was a surreal moment—one I’d take with me to my grave as one of the best.

  While Monet put Lily to bed, I devised my plan for seduction. I wanted inside my woman fully. We’d held off on the more robust sexual activities due to the stitches and her discomfort. The stitches had been out for two weeks now, and the tape was gone. She was free and clear to be ravished and I could not wait. We needed to surpass this last physical hurdle. Tonight, I planned on touching every inch of her body and making her mine. No more worries, just the two of us connecting in the most honest way possible. She needed to know how amazing I found her, scars and all.

  While Monet led Lily to her room, I locked up the house, closed all the blinds, started the dishwasher, and made sure everything was put away for the evening.

  Walking through the house, it dawned on me how at ease I was in Monet’s home. I hadn’t spent a night in my own apartment in a long time and I did not miss it. Not even a little. My woman had a way of making me feel welcome. Even the decorating was conducive to hanging out and staying a while. The entire house felt like a home; it didn’t just look like one. She had deep, comfortable couches and plenty of pillows that were often thrown to the floor for relaxing on. Blankets in baskets were within reach. Side tables and end tables we put our feet on without worrying about scratching the surfaces. I also appreciated the art on the walls with the muted and cheery vibe.

  As I made my way down the long hall to her master bedroom, I noted all the pictures on the walls. Family was important to Monet, even if she didn’t have much anymore. Pictures of her grandparents, her mother, half sister, and an entire wall of Lily from birth to now spanned the long pathway. Mila as well as Atlas had been added to the “wall of fame” as I called it. I fingered the last picture that depicted Mila, Atlas, Monet, and Lily at a pumpkin patch and wondered when I’d be added to her wall. Soon, I hoped.

  I entered Monet’s bedroom and tugged off my T-shirt, tossing it toward the hamper but not quite making it in. Sitting next to it I noticed a folded basket of clothes. All mine and all clean. She’d done my laundry and had placed it neatly into the basket. As much as I liked seeing my clean clothes in here, a hell of a lot, it burned that they weren’t inside a drawer or hanging in the closet.

  Cringing, I picked up the basket and set it on the bed. Then I went over to the closet, flicked on the light, and walked in. Monet had a lot of clothes, as I imagined any woman would. Suits, skirts, and dresses hung to the far back and blouses on another side. To the right was an open space that had shelving about four feet high where Monet’s shoes were lined up neatly and efficiently. Above that space were jewelry boxes and various knickknacks, but higher up, a solid three feet of hanger bar was empty. It ran along the entire space and would be perfect. For me.

  I grabbed the basket from the bed, reentered the closet, and set it on the floor. I hung all my shirts and jeans. I kept aside my boxer briefs and socks. I’d find a place for those too.

  “Clay?” I heard Monet enter the bedroom.

  “In here, beautiful,” I called out.

  She entered the closet and leaned against the doorjamb. I looked at her while I snapped the buttons on a dress shirt. My God, the woman was gorgeous. Her black hair fell in loose waves around her face, the strands a shining, silky ebony, like wet river rock when the mountain water rushes over it. She wore a simple tank with no bra. Her small nipples poked against the thin cotton fabric, making my mouth water. She tucked one of her heels against her ankle, giving me a sweet view of her bare legs in her sleep shorts. The woman was dressed for bed, but she could have been ready for the runway. I was one lucky son of a bitch.

  “What are you doing?” Her nose crinkled up the exact same way Lily’s did, only Lily did hers in irritation. Monet’s showed uncertainty.

  “Hanging my clothes up.”

  She nodded. “I can see that.”

  “Thank you for washing them. You didn’t have to do that, but I’m grateful.” I winked at her while folding a pair of jeans longwise before looping it through the hanger and placing it on the rack.

  Monet took a full breath. “You’re welcome, but, I can’t help but notice you’re hanging them in my closet.”

  I grinned and hung the second to last one up before finding an additional hanger for the last. “Observant, my girl,” I joked.

  Again, nose crinkle. “And why are you hanging them there?”

  I hung the last and picked up the basket. “Because that’s where I want them to be.”

  She backed up as I exited the closet. She moved to the ottoman at the end of the bed and fingered a chunk of her hair. Her fingers moved in circles around the hair while I opened and closed a bunch of her drawers.

  “Uh…Clay?”

  “Just a second, babe.” I found a drawer that was less full about two drawers down. It was where she kept her sexy nighties. As much as I didn’t want to touch that drawer but rather fill it up with more silk and lace, I needed somewhere to put my socks and underwear. So I took the sexy things from there, shoved over the nightshirts in the second drawer and placed them to the side. I gathered my socks and underwear and put them in the new drawer. “Perfect.”

  Monet watched me with widened eyes while I took the basket and put it in the closet. Then I picked up my stray T-shirt and chucked it into the hamper. It went right in. “Score! Now what’s up?”

  “Clay…” Monet’s voice was strained.

  I went ov
er to her, grabbed her hands, and lifted her to stand until her front was smashed against mine. Her pretty fingers splayed out against my bare chest, and she played with the little bit of chest hair I had.

  I kissed her forehead.

  “Did you just move in?” she asked, tipping her head up so I could stare into her coal-black eyes.

  Without saying anything, I took her mouth in a searing kiss. After a few moments, she relaxed into the kiss and moaned her pleasure. I pulled away and rested my head on her neck, laying sloppy kisses on my spot. “Yeah, beautiful, I kind of did.”

  “Why?” She ran her hands up and down my back. I wanted her hands on me all the time. Her touch made everything better, more focused. Knowing I had her to touch and hold, to come home to… It eased me. I wanted that more than I’d ever been able to truly admit before meeting her. I never realized how much I desired it until now.

  “Tired of seeing my stuff in a basket or on the floor and living out of a gym bag.”

  Her body seemed to jerk as she processed what I’d said. “Clayton…we have to talk about this.”

  I curled a hand around her nape. “Do we really? I’m here. Do you like me here every day?”

  “Yes.” Her reply was instant.

  “Does it bother Lily?”

  She shook her head. “My goodness, no. She loves you and you’re so good with her. More than I ever could have hoped.”

  That sunk in and seared me deep. That little girl was quickly becoming everything to me, but hearing her mom say it went both ways…did not suck. “And I love her. And more than that…” Beads of sweat tingled around my hairline, my palms got sweaty, and my chest felt nailed down with so much pressure. I just had to get it out. Put it out there no matter what the repercussions. “I love you.”

  Monet gasped and her head dropped forward. “It’s too soon, Clayton. We’ve only been together a month, and two of those weeks I was healing.” She shook her head against my chest. “It’s too soon…right?”

  I cringed and lifted her face with my thumbs. “Beautiful, are you seriously going to stand there, wrapped in my arms, looking into my eyes, and tell me you don’t love me back? It’s written all over your face. In every glance. Every smile. Every sweet kiss. You can’t hide from me. From this. I don’t care if it’s only been a short time. Who decides how long it takes to fall in love with someone? I’m in love with you, and I don’t care what anyone but you thinks about it.”

  She swallowed and licked her lips.

  “Say what you want to say. Don’t leave me hanging alone. Not now.”

  “I…” Her voice shook like a leaf dangling in the wind.

  The fear and anxiety she displayed shredded my heart and sat like lead in my gut. I never wanted to see my woman so lost. I softened my tone. “What are you so afraid of?”

  Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and I cupped both of her cheeks. One tear slid down and another followed. I swiped them away with my thumbs.

  She sniffled but continued. “One day you won’t like what you see, or I’ll do something wrong, and then…” She choked on her words.

  A twenty-pound weight falling on my foot wouldn’t have hurt as badly as what I saw in her eyes. The demons of her past were a heavy burden on her soul, on her future. Demons I needed—no, would—work to obliterate for good.

  Finally, she laid it out. “You’ll leave me. Us. Me and Lily.” She sounded gutted, ravaged by something that could destroy her, which hadn’t even happened yet.

  Somehow, I had to get it through to her that it never would. I shook my head furiously and pulled her mouth to mine. I kissed her hard, harder than I ever had. She needed to feel what I’d say next, in her mind, heart, and all the way down to her fucking marrow.

  I brought our faces so close together our noses practically touched. “Listen to me and listen good. I’m here now. I’ll be here tomorrow. And I’ll be here every day after that. You and Lily, you’re mine now. My responsibility. I’ll spend every day of my life worshipping that gift.”

  More tears fell from her cheeks, and she licked her lips. Our mouths were so close I could feel the slip of her tongue and the moisture it left in its wake.

  My grip on her tightened. “You hear me? Let it sink in, Monet, because I’m not going anywhere.” I gritted my teeth and then took her mouth again.

  She sobbed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer until our bodies melded into one another. Time ceased to exist as we gave and took from one another, sealing our commitment the only way we knew how.

  I walked her to the bathroom, never letting her go, my lips glued to hers along the way. When I stopped and sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes were giant pools of love and desire. She closed them for a moment and then opened them dazedly. Determination and grit stared back at me.

  “Clayton, I love you too.”

  There was no stopping the giant smile that spread across my face and the behemoth of fear that dissipated around us.

  I hugged her to me and kissed her neck. “You love me?”

  She nodded and placed her own face into the crook of my shoulder and neck. I could feel her smile against my bare skin. “Yeah, I do.”

  * * *

  Steam billowed around the shower stall as I held my love’s hand and led her in. Monet had an enormous shower with two heads that blasted mightily against the dark multicolored tile, which gave the impression of walking into a heated private cave. Hot water sluiced down my back as I grabbed the shower gel and poufy sponge. I poured a liberal amount and set the bottle on the shelf. Monet plastered herself against my back, her lips a welcome pressure between my shoulder blades. Tiny kisses rained down my spine and back up. My cock hardened painfully, a vortex of need following the line of her lips and imprinting everywhere those plump bits of flesh touched down.

  Monet’s voice was but a murmur through the sound of the water coming down. “You know, you always call me beautiful, but you’re absolutely magnificent, Clayton.” She ran her fingertips along my back and down each arm, caressing the muscles as if committing them to memory. “Most men don’t look the way you do. Not even close.”

  Damn straight. I worked fucking hard in the gym and kept my body fit, toned, and packed with lean muscles. I grinned and turned around, looping my arms and crossing my wrists at her lower back. She was gloriously naked, and her pretty brown nipples puckered sweetly against my chest. I lifted one hand and cupped a breast, watching the tip tighten further as I rubbed my thumb across it. She shivered in my arms, her pelvis slamming against my cock.

  “Cold?” I smirked.

  “No, the opposite.” She half moaned as I sucked the wet tip into my mouth and tugged with my teeth. “I’m so hot,” she finished, tipping her head back and arching toward me. The second showerhead drenched the black waves of her hair, transforming it into a long flat sheet of flowing black silk.

  I took the invitation from her body and sucked on her tits, nipping and pinching the way I knew she liked. I’d learned a bit about her body in the past month, and my girl loved nipple play. It got her wet almost instantly. After I toyed with her breasts, getting her nice and worked up, I moved a step back and rubbed the poufy thing across each sensitive peak.

  “Mmm…” She sighed, her chest rising and falling with her breathing, which became more labored with each pass. I squirted more soap on the pouf and swirled it around her belly. I kneeled down and started at her feet. I scrubbed each leg thoroughly, wanting to show her how much I loved her.

  Once I’d soaped her legs so they were nice and slippery, I ran my hands up and down them. On the pass up the back, I gripped her ass and squeezed each globe, bringing her pussy forward to hover a scant few inches away from my mouth.

  Monet slapped her hands on my shoulders, and her chin shifted toward her chest. Her eyes were dark pools of lust. She licked at the trickling water running down her face and onto mine below.

  “What do you want, beautiful?”

  She bit down on that
bottom lip, and for a moment, I was jealous. I wanted to bite her lips, suck them into my mouth until they were as red as little cherries.

  Widening my stance so I was at the perfect height, I sank forward until my nose was an inch from the perfect landing strip of black hair at the apex of her thighs.

  “I’m waiting…” I rubbed my hands up and down the backs of her thighs.

  “I want you to make love to me.” Her words were soft and sweet, the loveliest thing she’s ever said to me.

  I grinned. “And I will. But right now…is there something else I can do for you?”

  She nodded but didn’t speak. She pushed her hips forward so that her clit bounced against my chin. “Please,” she begged.

  Instead of responding, I gripped her ass hard and buried my face in her cleft. She was slick and sweet. Water ran down her body and mixed with her natural taste, allowing me to physically drink from the heart of her. The experience was exhilarating and exotic. I spread her lips with my thumbs until her pink parts darkened, and then I went to town. I’d never been so animalistic in my desire to please a woman orally, but something about knowing this was my pussy…for life…fuck. It changed everything. She tasted sweeter, her skin was silkier, and when my tongue fluttered over and over her clit, she came harder. I sucked her honey down my throat and went back for seconds until she rocked against my face like a bucking bronco, practically screaming out her second orgasm.

  My cock was so hard it could have pounded nails through concrete. I stood, wrapped my hand in her wet hair, and slammed my mouth over hers. She opened immediately, rubbing her succulent body all over my rock-hard dick. I groaned, my knees weak when she wrapped not one but both hands around my cock. The crown stuck out at the top of her hold, but that didn’t stop her from jacking me until my balls tightened and my hips jerked along with her movements. I was too far gone. I needed to come.

  “Baby, if you keep that up, I’m going to come.”