Twelve Days of Love

by Tess MacKall

  “So, you gonna tell me about this place?”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “As you already know, I’m part of the downtown revitalization effort. The idea of bringing this district back to life really appeals to me. And then you came home.”

  “What’s this got to do with me?”

  The music continued to play, but Nick halted their dance.

  With a deep breath he said, “Having you back in my life made me feel like anything was possible. That I could actually do something worthwhile and live some of my own dreams. So I bought this place. I’m going to restore it to the posh hotel it once was. I’ve even got investors lined up to buy the two surrounding blocks. We should be finished about the same time the city’s plans are completed and the performing arts center opens.”

  “Sounds ambitious and I applaud your efforts. I’m glad you feel I inspired you somehow, but Nick, you and I only began twelve days ago.”

  He shook his head, briefly closing his eyes. “No. We began that first day in high school. I realized that when I saw you again almost a year ago.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I used to doodle your name.” She giggled and buried her head against his chest.

  He lifted her chin so she looked at him. “I know.”

  “You do?” Her eyes widened.

  “Yeah, Jenna made sure the whole school knew. And I made sure they kept their mouths shut about it. I figured you’d be embarrassed.”

  “I always wondered why no one said anything.”

  “What I should have done was told them all how flattered I was. I’m sorry I didn’t, so I’m telling you now. You make me a stronger and better person, Eden Riley. I’m honored to be in your life.”

  She looked up at him, tears rimming her eyes, and whispered, “Make love to me, Nick.”

  Her words sent a shudder through him, hardening his cock. He turned, blew out the candles and, with his arm around her, led her over to the staircase.

  “We’re going upstairs?” An incredulous look crossed her face.

  “Uh huh. Helen is very thorough.”

  “So far I’ve got no complaints,” she offered.

  Hand in hand they ascended the stairs. Nick had seen the suite earlier that day but couldn’t wait to see Eden’s eyes when he opened the door.

  “Ready?” he asked, his hand on the gold knob.

  “Yes! Hurry up.”

  “And I thought you came up here so I could make love to you.”

  “Nick! Quit teasing. Open the door.”

  He paused, staring at her. Her breasts peeked out, inviting him to touch.

  “How about a sneak preview?” Leaning forward, he traced his tongue over the curving flesh at the top of the bright red bodice, dipping into the tight valley between the swells.

  Her hands gripped his shoulders and when he looked up her eyes were wet with desire. He reached for the zipper at the back of the dress and pulled it down. She licked her lips and his cock jerked at the sight of her pretty pink tongue sliding across her sexy mouth.

  The bodice fell away and exposed her breasts. Taking one of the small, perky mounds in his hand, he thumbed the nipple, keeping his eyes on hers. A soft huff escaped her mouth, followed by a tremble.

  “Aren’t…aren’t we…going inside?” she asked, somewhat breathless.

  “Not yet.” He pushed the gown over her hips.

  The red fabric dropped and settled around her gorgeous legs in a hushed crackle. Nick’s mouth fell open. She’d ridden in that carriage beside him without any panties or bra. Blood rushed to his cock. Standing there, the lighting from the wall sconces holding her in their glow, she looked like a goddess.

  He lowered his head and closed his mouth around her nipple, sucking lightly on the pink tip. His other hand roamed her naked body. Over her back, across her plump butt cheeks, up to her waist and down her hips. Encircling her waist, he released her nipple and lifted her from the gown fanned at her feet.

  He turned and pressed her back against the door, asking, “No panties?”

  “I-I didn’t have any that matched the dress. And after all the trouble you went to, I couldn’t wear my usual white ones.”

  If any other woman had worried about their panties matching their dress, he would’ve been pissed off. But Eden’s motives weren’t selfish or narcissistic. He understood what she meant and it made her even sexier.

  “So all I had to do during that carriage ride was lift your skirts and do this?” He slipped his finger between her pussy lips. “You’re so wet, honey.”

  Her hips bucked. Damn. His cock was killing him, but he wanted her to feel all the passion he could give her this night. This had to be the perfect evening, he planned to make sure there was no way she’d ever run from him again.

  “Yeah, honey. You’re ready. I want a taste.” He plucked his finger from her folds and scooped it into his mouth. Sweet, musky and oh so Eden.

  Patches of red marked her cheeks. She swallowed hard. It was obvious she’d never been with a man who wanted her the way he did. If she had, her tendency to pull back and get all shy on him wouldn’t be an issue. She needed to understand how special she was—how desirable.

  “Relax, honey,” he crooned close to her ear, nibbling at her lobe. “It’s just you and me. This is the real thing, Eden. No woman has ever excited me the way you do.”

  She sighed and quickly tugged on his bow tie, unbuttoning his shirt as he shrugged out of his jacket. Kissing his way down to her sex, he kneeled and spread her legs. Her red heels clicked against the hardwood. One of these days, I’m gonna get a picture of her standing in nothing but those red spiked heels. He massaged her calves and worked his hands upward. Puckering his mouth, he widened her juicy lips and blew a steady stream of air over the slippery pink slit.

  He watched, fascinated at the way her muscles clenched and unclenched. So close he could smell her arousal. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, drawing him to her. With his hand at the back of her knee, he lifted her leg over his shoulder and delved into her soft, sweet cunt.

  “Oh my god! Nick!”

  Several long licks sent her into an agitated dance. She rubbed her pussy against his mouth and face. He inserted two fingers into her slick entry as his tongue stroked her clit. Her hands pulled at his hair in an attempt to drag him away.

  No fucking way. He wanted more.

  He gently took her clit between his teeth and wiggled his tongue back and forth. Eden let go of his hair and grabbed the wooden molding encasing the doorway. Fluid gushed from her and trickled over his fingers. Her scream of release pierced the silent hall.

  She pushed at his head. He looked up and saw tears spilling down her cheeks as she gasped for air. His beautiful Eden was crying, but he understood they were tears of joy and that made him happier than he’d ever been. He stood and claimed her mouth.

  Eden tasted herself on his tongue. Her heart pounded in an unbridled rhythm, her body refusing to calm. She’d never felt so wanted—and for more than just sex. Their chemistry had been there since the beginning, hadn’t it? It had taken all these years for them to find their way to each other again and she wasn’t about to let go of him now.

  She reached between them and unfastened his pants. Slipping her hands inside his underwear, she palmed his cock. Hard as a rock, it pulsed in her fingers. The muscles in his neck corded and a strained expression came over his face. With a smile and a quick peck to his lips, she moved her hand lower to cup his swollen balls.

  He whispered against her mouth, “Okay, honey. That’s enough. Let’s get to the bed.”

  “No. I want you here. Out of these pants, mister.” Somehow she’d been freed of all her inhibitions. There was no need to hide in darkness, pray the glow of candlelight made her appear sexy or jump under the covers and pull them up to her chin anymore. She was sexy. And the sexiest man alive wanted her.

  One eyebrow quirked. “Yes, ma’am,” he growled.

  She skimmed the black trousers over his hips. He stepped
out of them, balancing himself on first one foot then the other to remove his socks and shoes. With no time to waste on the boxer briefs, Eden tugged them to his knees and wrapped her hand around his cock.

  “Careful, honey. This thing has been sitting on go since you got out of your car.”

  “Then what I’ve got in mind won’t take long at all, will it?” She licked her lips, kneeled and began spreading saliva up and down his thick shaft with her tongue.

  He sucked in air between his teeth, the sound almost a whine. Her fingers fondled his balls—tickling, kneading. She trailed her tongue along the rigid, blood-engorged veins, circling the head with her tongue and taking him deep inside her mouth.

  She glanced up at him. His mouth was slightly ajar, eyes closed, hands resting on either side of her head. Jutting his hips forward, he pushed his cock to the edge of her throat. With her hand fisting his length near the base, she pumped in slow movements to match the suction of her mouth.

  He raked his hands through her hair as he looked down, the rhinestone comb at the side falling to the floor. His eyes were now fully open, hunger registering in their dark green depths. Thick, hoarse moans emanated from his chest. Straining to remain in control, he pulled back and in an abrupt motion, twisted his cock from her mouth and reached beneath her arms.

  She found herself braced against the cold wooden door, her legs riding high on his hips as he slid a condom over his cock and then entered her fully with one driving thrust. He rested against her body, mouth sucking her shoulder. With her hands linked behind his neck, she rotated her hips, urging him to move. The world around her ceased to exist. There was only the two of them and what her body was feeling, the fire that burned inside her and the way he looked at her.

  He sank his cock into her wetness over and over, the sound of their bodies slapping together loud in the vacant hall. The tug to her clit wound her tight as an exquisite heat mounted in her pussy with each hard lunge. She met every drive of his hips to hers. Sweat beaded his brow, his groans becoming throatier. She captured his mouth and sucked in his tongue as the dizzying explosion gripped her and she felt as if she were bursting into a thousand pieces of intolerable pleasure.

  With one final thrust of his cock, warm fluid filled the condom. His mouth sought her neck, her shoulders, back to her mouth and over her cheek. Satisfied, she rested her head on the door and grinned.

  Panting, he asked, “What are you grinning about?”

  “We sure missed out over the years.”

  His robust laughter warmed her all over. He turned the doorknob and the door fell away at her back. Anxious to see the room, she began twisting.

  Once they reached the bed, he laid her down and slowly withdrew his cock. He excused himself and went into the bathroom briefly before joining her on the bed. They kissed and cuddled for a while, and then turned on their sides to face each other.

  “Nice king-size bed,” she said.

  “Brand new. We’re the first guests, you know.”

  “Yes, I know. The room is beautiful. I love the floral wallpaper and all the mahogany furniture.”

  “Helen did a great job. She even managed to get a new sliding door in so we could walk out on the balcony. You know, I’ll need someone to manage all this redecorating for me. Someone with good taste. An eye for art, maybe. Because I’d really like to showcase some local artists here at the hotel. And I was thinking that we could put in a small gallery too. Hint, hint.”

  “Oh Nick. I don’t know. This is a major project and sounds like something I’d love to be involved with but I have the flower shop to run.”

  “Yeah, but you’d be working with me. More time with each other. I’ve decided to retire from the car business.”

  She sat up. “What?”

  “Well, not exactly retire, but turn it over to my management team and do what I want to do, like remodeling this hotel and some other projects. The dealerships run themselves.”

  “If that’s what you want, of course.”

  “So you don’t mind?”

  “Why would I mind? It’s your life, Nick. You have to do what’s best for you. What makes you happy.”

  “My life, huh?”

  “Yeah, and I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Thank your secretary for this gorgeous red silk robe.” She leapt from the bed, picked up the robe she’d been lying on, and threw it on as she made her way to the bathroom.

  Nick slammed his fist into the mattress. Doesn’t she understand it’s our life? Maybe I’m moving too fast here. His heart answered no. He’d go on as planned and take whatever she said, knowing that somewhere down the road she’d have to give in. Sooner or later she’d figure out they belonged together.

  Wouldn’t she?

  Thank god he’d had the presence of mind to buy himself a black robe. He couldn’t quite see himself wearing red. As he put the robe on and belted it, he walked over to the credenza and popped the cork on the bottle of Dom that had been chilling in its silver bucket. Pouring them both a glass, he swallowed his in two large gulps and topped it off with more.

  Courage.

  The bathroom knob rattled, signaling her return. Nick held out the champagne to her and she accepted. She took a couple of sips and looked over at the glass doors. While her attention was averted, he slammed down another glass. Why was he so damn scared?

  “I know it’s freezing out, but I’m going to open the door and see if it’s snowing yet.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  When she slid the door open she said, “Oh my god. It’s snowing! Come look.”

  Eden disappeared from his view and out onto the balcony. He followed her through the door, stopping short. She was looking upward, big white snowflakes falling all around her, the animated expression on her face that of an excited child. He’d never seen anyone so beautiful, and he wanted this moment with her to last forever.

  “Wait right here.”

  “What?”

  “You know, you have a habit of saying that. Just wait. Don’t move a muscle.”

  “Really? A habit. I didn’t know that. Wait, you’re not getting a camera, are you?”

  “No. Not a camera,” he shouted to her from inside the room.

  “Well, hurry up. I’m out here wearing nothing but a thin silk robe. I’m freezing. I guess this was a bad idea.”

  It was the perfect moment. Now or never. He snatched open the bedside table and removed the small black velvet box. With a deep breath, he marched back out onto the balcony and wrapped her in his arms.

  “At least you’re wearing shoes.” God, he loved those red heels.

  “Your toes must be ice. Let’s get back inside.”

  “Just a couple minutes more.”

  “You look serious. Everything okay?”

  The security lights he’d had installed clearly showed the white downpour. Snowflakes fell on her hair and shoulders. Her eyes were luminous. He swallowed, his mouth so dry he couldn’t believe it. He’d never been this nervous.

  “Eden, I love you. I love you more than any man has ever loved a woman and I know that sounds cliché, but it’s exactly how I feel.”

  She touched his cheek and smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I love you too. And I don’t care how cliché it sounds. I love you more than any woman ever loved a man.”

  His heart leapt with her words. She loved him. She really loved him. He wasn’t wrong. They belonged together. He reached into his pocket and brought out the box.

  Lifting the lid, he turned it so she could see what was inside and kneeled. The heart-shaped diamond sparkled in her eyes. Her mouth formed a huge O.

  He took her hand and asked, “Will you be my wife?”

  She nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Yes. I want that more than anything.”

  Nick stood and kissed her, hugging her tightly to him, his own eyes misting over.

  “Here, let’s put this on.”

  “Oh Nick, it’s beautiful.”

  Her hand trembled as he pl
aced the ring on her finger.

  “Do you see the little rubies around the diamond?”

  “Oh, those are rubies. Yes.”

  “There are twelve. One for each of our twelve days.”

  She looked up at him, still smiling, crying. “Which ones belong to the days we were apart?”

  “We were never apart, Eden. We held each other in our hearts. We’ve always been together.”

  Church bells chimed in the distance. Midnight.

  Nick brushed the tears away from her cheeks. “We made it just in time, honey.”

  About the Author

  Tess MacKall is a sassy Southern belle who loves to flirt and tease. It was no big surprise to her friends when she began writing erotic romance and erotica. There’s nothing she likes better than weaving a sexy plot that entangles her hero and heroine and forces them to look love square in the eye.

  With a background in journalism, she began her career with a local newspaper, and then moved on to politics. Having a flair for marketing, she worked on various political campaigns across the South and honed her skills as a speech writer. After several years, she left the political arena and returned to her beloved hometown to raise her family and live her dream of writing.

  Next on her list of dreams is to start life anew in a small coastal town. She hears the call of the ocean and can imagine sitting on the beach listening to the waves, and to all those sexy characters who keep talking in her head. Life is about change and the need to keep it fresh. There is nothing more exciting than a little reinvention from time to time—new locales to explore and motivation for the muse. Her three children have been her greatest joy, and when she passes from this life to the next, she wants a diamond created from her ashes for each of them because “love lives on”.

  Tess welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.