“Good. That’s what I want to do.”
Guy shrugged, the bend to his lips failing. Dahlia sensed that something was weighing heavily on his spirit.
“Guy, what’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”
He shrugged a second time. “I feel fine. I just...” He hesitated, his gaze skirting over her face.
“What’s wrong, darling?”
“I feel like I’ve become a burden to you, and it bothers me,” he said.
She quickly shook her head. “How could you ever think such a thing?”
“There’s just so much you should be doing, so much life you should be living, and instead, you’re here every day taking care of me.”
“I love you. Where else would I be? I’m here because I want to be here, Guy Boudreaux. Why are you being so silly?”
“When’s the last time you worked on your movie?” he queried.
She paused, taking a deep breath. “The movie will get finished when you’re well and we can both go back to working on it.”
He took a deep breath and sighed. “Dahlia, I know how much Passionate means to you. Your work is everything so don’t—”
She cut off his thought. “You are everything to me, and if you don’t know that yet then I need to work harder to show you. Now,” Dahlia said definitively, “you need to get over yourself. This pity party is done and finished or I’m going to wail on your backside.”
Guy shook his head, his smile lifting ever so slightly. “That sounds promising. Would you rub it afterward?”
Dahlia shook her head in exasperation. “You are just too much.”
“I’m horny, and I’ve been missing you.”
“That has actually been on your mind?”
“Every day. You keep shaking your stuff at me and then you leave me hanging.”
She laughed. “It’s not like we could do anything right now.”
“Says who? My stuff didn’t get burned. My stuff is doing just fine. Come see.”
She giggled. “What do you mean come see?”
“Come see my stuff,” he said gesturing beneath the covers. “I need help with this personal problem.”
Moving closer to his side Dahlia crawled onto the bed with him, easing her hand beneath the covers; a rising erection greeted her fingers. She pulled her hand back, her eyes widening.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
“Then you better get to work!” Guy persisted. He dropped back against the pillows. “I’m in pain,” he exclaimed as he drew the back of his hand to his forehead, his eyes closed. “I need some relief!” He opened one eye to peek at her, nodding down to the extension that tented his bedclothes.
There was suddenly a knock on the room’s door. Guy cursed under his breath. “I’ll be damned,” he groaned as he grabbed a pillow and dropped it into his lap. “Tell whoever that is that I was just about to get me some,” he whispered, his eyes wide with frustration.
Dahlia laughed. “What if it’s your mother?”
“Then I’ll tell her myself.”
Dahlia flipped her hand at him. “Oh, no, you won’t,” she said as she moved to answer the persistent tapping. As she swung the door open she was surprised to find Zahara Ginolfi standing on the other side.
“Zahara?”
The woman stood sheepishly, a massive bouquet of flowers in hand. “Dahlia, I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Dahlia tossed Guy a quick glance. The man stared curiously, jutting his shoulders skyward. She took a step aside and gestured for Zahara to enter.
Moving into the space, Zahara looked painfully nervous. She looked from one to the other, smiling politely. “Guy, how are you?” she asked as she noted the compression bandage that covered his torso.
Guy winced. “In pain,” he exclaimed loudly.
Dahlia fought not to laugh out loud. “Your meds are coming, honey,” she said nonchalantly.
Zahara dropped the floral arrangement on the table at Guy’s side. “Should I call someone?” she asked, concern ringing in her tone.
“No, thank you. Dahlia has it under control.” Guy then looked in Dahlia’s direction.
Dahlia nodded, turning her attention toward their guest. “So, what brings you here, Zahara?” she asked.
The woman took a deep breath, her hands twisting nervously in front of her. “I needed to come see for myself that both of you were doing well. And I wanted to apologize.”
Guy cut an eye at Dahlia, then refocused his stare on Zahara. “Apologize? For what?”
A tear rained down Zahara’s cheek. “I think I’m responsible for the fire. I swear, I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just wasn’t thinking when I dropped that cigarette butt. I was certain that I put it out but...” She paused, her one tear melting into a fountain that dampened the front of her silk blouse.
Dahlia moved back to Guy’s side and took his hand. She lifted it to her lips and kissed his fingers. Guy nodded his head slowly.
Zahara continued. “My attorney and I are meeting with the police and fire department. If this is my fault I want to make things right. I’m really not a bad person,” she proclaimed, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Zahara, we appreciate you stopping by,” Guy said calmly. “And I appreciate you taking responsibility for your actions. But no matter what or who caused the fire, Dahlia and I are just grateful that we are both doing well and that we are both here together to one day tell our children our story.”
Zahara nodded. “I really am sorry,” she repeated, contrition blanketing her expression. She headed back to the door when Dahlia called after her. “Yes?”
“When we’re ready to start promoting Passionate I hope that you’ll be on board. You really did do an amazing job.”
Zahara smiled, nodding her head up and down. “Definitely. Whatever you need.”
As she made her exit, Dahlia followed her to the door, watching as she eased her way down the hall. Everything about the other woman’s demeanor suggested that maybe Zahara had meant what she’d said. Dahlia then closed the door and locked it behind her and moved back to Guy’s side.
“What do you make of that?” he asked, eyeing her curiously.
Dahlia shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t have time to think about it,” she said as she reached back beneath the covers. “It’s time for your medication.”
Guy gasped as she took him in the palm of her hand and began to stroke him gently. His breathing was erratic as he shifted his legs apart and eased his pelvis forward. “Good golly,” he exclaimed loudly. “This is the kind of medicine I like!”
* * *
The telephone ringing pulled Guy out of a deep sleep. With his eyes closed he reached for his cell phone with one hand, pulling it into his palm. With his other he tapped the empty bed beside him, suddenly aware that Dahlia was no longer there with him.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, Son-shine!” Katherine Boudreaux sang into the receiver. “Were you sleeping?”
“Hey, Mama! No, I was just getting up.”
The older woman laughed. “No you weren’t, boy. You were sleeping!”
Guy laughed. “Yes, ma’am! How are you?”
“I’m good, baby. Just checking on you and Dahlia. I was reading the newspaper and saw a review of your new movie. They’re saying good things about you and Dahlia.”
Guy smiled. “That’s good to hear. Really good to hear.”
“And Daddy and I watched the Oscar predictions this morning. They say you and Dahlia will probably both get nominations. Isn’t that exciting! I can’t wait to see the movie when it premieres!”
Guy smiled, sitting up in the bed for the first time. “Thank you, Mama. That means a lot to us both.”
The matriarch smiled int
o the receiver. “You’re doing okay? Nothing hurting you or anything?”
“I’m good. You would never know I’d been in an accident,” he said. “So you need to stop worrying, Mom!”
“You’re my baby. I am always going to worry.”
Guy smiled. “Everyone else doing okay?”
“The family is good. Daddy’s still mean. We were in Dallas last week with Katrina and Matthew. They bought Collin a new car for his birthday.”
“Now, that’s what I’m talking about. Tell my sister I could use a new car, too.”
His mother laughed. “He drives real good. Took his old grandma shopping while I was there.”
“And the baby?”
“Getting fat as a tick. He looks like you did as a baby. I couldn’t get enough of him. We plan on going back in a few weeks. Maybe you and Dahlia could come meet us.”
Guy nodded into the receiver. “We might just do that.”
“Are you keeping an eye on Maitlyn? I’m worried about your sister.”
“She’s hanging in there, Mama. I know the divorce isn’t easy on her but she’s keeping herself busy which means she’s keeping me busier. That’s one hardworking woman.”
“I keep praying that she will find a man to love her the way she deserves. You and Dahlia don’t have any nice friends you can introduce her to?”
He laughed. “I”ll see what we can do about that,” he said, knowing that Maitlyn would have an absolute fit if they tried to play matchmaker with her.
“You do that and keep Tarah and Kamaya in mind, as well. I’m past ready for some more grandbabies! Well, son, I need to run. I just wanted to check on you.”
“What are you up to that you have to rush off?”
“Darryl and Mason are coming home this afternoon. Darryl is going to build Mason’s new office here in N’Orleans. I’m making my gumbo for dinner.”
“I want some gumbo!”
His mother chuckled warmly. “I’m sure Darryl will be flying back to California soon. I’ll make sure he brings you some.”
“You need to show Dahlia how to make it,” he said. “Give her something to do. She doesn’t feed me, Mama. I’ve got to do all my cooking myself.”
Katherine chuckled warmly. “I really do like that girl!”
Chapter 20
Guy always forgot just how hot Dahlia liked her showers. It had been almost six months since everything in their lives had changed, and since he’d been released from the rehab center they’d been trying to regain some normalcy to their lives. Dahlia had gone back to editing and finishing her movie and once Guy’s sponsors had been convinced that he was well and able, they’d put him back to work; two photo shoots, a commercial, a Nike endorsement and one more blockbuster sequel were already in the works.
He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The last reminder of the fire was a slim band of leathery flesh that ran from the top of his shoulder down his back, with just a hint of scarring across his chest. He was back in the gym with his trainer, and his abs were hard and rippled again, rigid muscles hailing his taut physique.
As he stepped into the shower, he reached around the beautiful woman to adjust the flow of water that rained down above their heads. Dahlia’s hot was just a tad too hot for his comfort. As he reached his arm around her, she leaned up to press her mouth to his. The full length of her body crushed his as she pushed him back against the tiled shower wall. Water rained down over their bodies. Guy’s hands glided across her back, her hips, her stomach, then settled against her full breasts, kneading them unabashedly.
He slid his fingers up to her neck to cup her face, his tongue dancing between her lips. He felt her pelvis pumping rhythmically against his, inciting a long length of erection between his legs. Dahlia’s hands rested beneath his arms, pressed against the wall behind them, her body pressed tight to his.
Guy ran one hand back down between their stomachs and into the warm crevice between her thighs. Her wetness had nothing to do with the moisture from the water; Dahlia’s core was searing hot and slick against his fingers. He rolled two fingers over her clit, marveling as it swelled beneath his fingertips. Guy could just imagine the sweet ache of it as he massaged her gently.
Dahlia felt her knees beginning to quiver, and she dropped her forehead to his shoulder and leaned against him for support. Guy rubbed a little harder and a little faster as she began to moan into his ear. He lifted her leg, raising it to the ledge of the shower, opening her widely for better access. He slid two fingers against her slit and slid them inside of her. Dahlia groaned at the sudden pressure and she tilted her hips toward him. Pulling his fingers out slowly, he pushed them back in. As he picked up his pace, Dahlia matched his rhythm, her hips bucking forward and backward against his hand.
Turning her around, Guy leaned her against the shower wall and kissed his way down her neck, stopping to take her dark nipples into his mouth. Water cascaded down over his neck and back, running into his mouth as he locked around her nipple. Dahlia’s moans echoed off the bathroom tiles.
Lifting her leg back to the ledge he kissed his way down to her belly, pausing to dip his tongue into the curve of her belly button. His fingers danced back over her sweet spot, the folds open and wanting his attention. His fingers dipped back inside of her, and the whimper that passed between her lips had him steel-hard. He could feel his desire beginning to ooze as he spun her around to face the wall, her bottom pressing against his groin.
With one swift gesture, Guy entered her from behind. His loving was urgent and necessary, and with each thrust he could feel her muscles tightening like a vice around him, desperate to pull him in deeper. She sang his name over and over again until her voice grew strained and her legs quivered uncontrollably. With a fevered pitch he slammed himself in and out of her until neither of them could hold on a second longer. When every muscle from her abdomen to her thighs contracted in ecstasy, Guy’s own release flooded from his body, and the intensity of the orgasm shook them both.
Guy held on to her until her last waves of rapture washed over them both. Dahlia slowly opened her eyes, beginning to catch her breath. Spinning back around in Guy’s arms, she hugged him tightly, losing herself in his dark eyes as he stood staring at her. Having been in the shower for so long, the water had lost most of its heat. Guy reached around to turn the flow off, and the last drops echoed on the shower floor. Without saying a word, Dahlia cupped his face between her palms and kissed him effortlessly. Her kiss promised him forever, the passion as intense as the first time their two lips had touched.
“I love you, Guy Boudreaux,” she said quietly, her sweet smile searing his heart.
“I love you more, Dahlia Morrow!” he echoed, brushing his thumb softly across her lower lip.
Stepping out of the shower, Dahlia reached for a large towel that rested on the bathroom counter. She wrapped it around his shoulders, patting his skin gently. Everything around them was covered with condensation, the mirrors steamed over and the wallpaper moist.
Dahlia laughed. “We have been in here way too long,” she said softly. “We’re going to be late if we don’t get a move on it.”
“Late is good. It means we’re going to make an entrance,” Guy responded.
Moving into the bedroom, Guy kissed her all the way to the bed, her girlish giggles prompting him to smile. When the backs of her knees leaned against the bed, he contemplated throwing her against the mattress and sinking himself inside her. He settled for drying her off, kissing her all over as he did. Dahlia returned the favor, pausing as she flicked her tongue against the ticklish spot that made him laugh.
“You really need to stop,” he chided. “We need to get dressed.” He leaned to kiss her one last time, then spun her around, slapped her bare bottom and gently pushed her in the direction of her walk-in closet.
Dahlia groaned, the low throbbing between her legs enough to make her want to forget about where they needed to be headed. As she watched him reach for the black tuxedo hanging from the closet door, she smiled, joy spreading like fire across her heart. They were just going to have to be late, she concluded as she admired his naked backside. She moved behind him and slapped his butt playfully.
As Guy turned around to scold her, Dahlia cupped her breasts in the palms of her hands and squeezed the lush tissue, tempting him. Her nipples had hardened in the room’s cool air, and desire coursed through her veins. Their gazes met and held—the moment was electrifying. Guy’s stomach lurched with an intensity that couldn’t be explained, and he devoured her with a lust-filled look before tossing his tuxedo to the carpeted floor.
He followed as she moved backward toward the bed, her gaze still locked with his, her hands still teasing and taunting her breasts and nipples. As she reached the bed, he moved against her, the space between them growing heated. He leaned to kiss her, nibbling her lips as his hands traveled down her body, his hands clasping her bottom as he pulled her tightly to him.
Guy suddenly felt like everything had come into sharp focus, his entire body wakening from a long sleep. The sheer delight of Dahlia’s touch, her mouth teasing sensations through the pit of his stomach had him lost in the sheer pleasure that ignited every one of his nerve endings.
Falling across the mattress, they sank into an endless dance of lips against lips. Dropping his weight against her, he delighted in how she parted her thighs and hooked her legs behind his back. A low groan escaped his mouth as Dahlia reached between them for his rising erection. He sighed into her mouth and breathed her name, whispering his love against her lips.
Slow and methodical with his loving, Guy eased himself inside of her. He teased and taunted her femininity until every muscle in her body melted into bliss. Her whole being shuddered as she began to spasm, the waves of her orgasm igniting his own. Guy shook and shuddered against her, crying out in long moans as they rode the waves of an intense orgasm. With an insatiable thirst, he couldn’t get enough of her, and he loved her again and again.
Passionate Premiere Page 16
