She nodded and glared at Ren. "Treat her nicely, Ren."
"Sorry our evening was cut short," I said to our new companions. "Lovely meeting you—"
Ren took my hand and pulled me away from the table and across the dance floor.
"You might dance with me," I said. "One of my favorites is playing."
He glared at me.
"The monsters really are coming down the hall tonight." I stood my ground.
He swept me into his arms, caught the back of my head with one hand, and forced my gaze to his.
I stared back at him, daring him to do whatever it was he had in mind. Daring him to make people talk.
His lips came down on mine with brutal intensity. Despite my anger, I kissed him back, sliding my tongue into his mouth. Teasing him. Running my fingers through his hair. Pressing up against him as he slid a knee between my legs.
He pulled away suddenly, breathing hard. And I was sure it wasn't from the exertion. "You're mine, my wife. Act like it."
"Gladly. When you start acting like my husband."
"No time like the present." He pulled me off the dance floor, out the door, and to his car.
"How did you find me?" I asked as I slid in and buckled up.
Ren started the engine and turned to me, the corners of his mouth twitching like all his anger was spent and he was genuinely amused. "Never trust Melly. I thought you knew better."
I laughed. Actually laughed. Melly, you devil. My anger at Ren evaporated. "That little snitch." I should have known better. Maybe subconsciously I'd wanted Ren to find me and do exactly what he'd done—drag me home with him.
Ren roared out of the parking lot, racing toward somewhere.
I touched his cheek lightly and ran my fingers over it. "Where, exactly, is home tonight? I have a beautiful penthouse suite at my favorite hotel—"
"My place. It's close by and private." He took a corner fast and grabbed my knee. "What did Melly tell you about me?"
"Nothing you want to hear. What did you tell him to get him to tell you where I was?"
"Tell him?" Ren looked at me as if I were crazy. "All I had to do was flirt a little."
"You used your masculine charms on him?" I took a deep breath. "Damn you. You have the advantage over me there." I studied him. "You had to have told him something. Gossiping with Melly is always an exchange."
"Maybe I told him I fell in love with you at first sight," he teased. "That you're my soul mate and I can't live without you. That I had to find you or die."
"And maybe hell just froze over," I said. "I'll get it out of you eventually."
He turned into a posh neighborhood and then into a private driveway between two stately Regency row houses. We waited while an automatic gate opened for us. Between and behind the old homes, tucked in an odd-shaped lot completely invisible from the street, a beautiful, modern house appeared. It was lit up, the light spilling into a small but well-maintained and -designed yard where a tree was shedding its fall leaves.
My breath caught. I recognized the architect's signature on the house. "Yours?"
He nodded and pulled into the garage.
"Your design?"
"Absolutely."
"But I thought you lived in a flat?" I was stunned as I got out of the car and followed him into the entryway of a house that was spacious and sleek, the complete opposite of the castle. From the entrance on the ground floor, a wall of glass faced the yard, or garden, as the Brits called it. The plan was open living. He'd decorated with modern furniture in graceful curves and stark lines, and art that was expensive just on the face of it. One beautiful black sculpture sat on the entryway table by us in front of an enormous mirror.
"You thought wrong." He caught me in his arms again and pulled me into a kiss just as urgent and possessive as the one at the club.
Something about Ren's kisses were always burning and passionate in a way that sent my heart racing and made me lose control. What would making love with Ren be like if he ever went about it leisurely? Or was that a pipe dream? Something for old age if we ever made it there together?
Ren cupped my butt and pulled my hips against his, insistent and wanting as he ground against me. His need fed mine, and mine was already threatening to go off the charts.
Were we really such animals? I wanted him so badly. I didn't even care who or what he really was.
He tossed off his jacket without breaking the kiss, thrusting his tongue intimately deep into my mouth. He was so skilled that he could have thrust it all the way down my throat and I would have whimpered with delight. The way he kissed me was intoxicating and addictive, unlike any man ever had.
I could have been completely happy necking with him all night. But we had better things to do. Higher heights to climb. I unbuttoned his shirt, running my tongue around his lips and grazing them with my teeth.
He pulled me tightly against him again, catching me off guard. I let out a gasp. He liked it when I gasped. He liked taking me by surprise. And I liked that he liked that.
His fingers were hot as he unzipped my dress and slid a strap off my shoulder, kissing my shoulder. Sucking on it. Grazing it with his teeth. His kisses moved to my collarbone and the tops of my breasts, to the hollow between. He slowly, tantalizingly, pulled my dress down until the soft folds hung on the peaks of my tightly budded breasts.
My breasts ached for his touch, for the skill of his tongue and the heat of his mouth. I arched them toward him, daring him to make good on his seductive promise. Take them, Ren. Make me yours.
I swallowed hard, tingling between my legs. Tight. Wet for him. We'd barely just begun, but I was already lost to him.
"You really should heat your home," I whispered hoarsely. "It's freezing in here." I glanced at my breasts. "As you can plainly see."
"Nice try, Bliss. Your breasts like me. They want me. Look at them begging." He gave the gentlest of tugs to my dress, exposing my pointed breasts to the cool air and the endless reflections in the mirror over the entryway table and the glass walls around us. My dress fell down around my waist. I leaned back against the entryway table, facing Ren, watching my reflection in the glass behind him.
He tweaked my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers until they were darker than I'd ever seen them. He bent his head toward them as if he was about to kiss them.
But, damn him, he didn't.
"Beautiful, beautiful breasts," he whispered to them, his breath hot on my nipples. "Large and round. So firm. Your nipples like my touch, Bliss. Your body was made for me."
Moments ago, I'd been wondering what "leisurely" would be like with him. Now I cursed it. This was torment, pure torture. I grabbed the top of his head and pushed his mouth toward my nipple, biting my lip so I wouldn't beg.
"Not so fast, duchess." He continued his gentle, almost reverent massage. His fingers were skilled. He was driving me mad with lust.
The ache between my legs was growing. My breathing was shallow. My breasts felt larger and rounder, as if they were growing with each touch. "If you're not careful, we won't make it to the master suite." I grabbed his head, trying to force him to look at me.
He resisted, continuing with his erotically gentle massage. He kissed the tops of my breasts again and traced my areolae with his tongue. "I have no intention of making it to the bedroom, duchess." He slid his hands up my thighs, inching my dress up.
I glanced at the walls of glass around us, imagining the pictures and the headlines and his neighbors talking.
"Relax," he said, feeling me tense. "No one can see." His voice was so seductive.
"I've been followed by cameras all day—"
"Trust me, Bliss." He slid his finger into my panties and inside me.
I was slick and ready for him, so whether I trusted him seemed moot at this point. I was a fool in lust. I moaned softly. It was unreal how desperately I wanted him.
He pulled his hand from my panties and returned his attention to my breasts, tapping my breasts gently around my nip
ples, slowly, like a master. The sensation was…indescribably wonderful. My eyes rolled back. I arched my neck and tipped my head back. "Ren."
He gave a quick, sudden tug to my nipples and put one in his mouth, sucking hard. I gasped again as the pleasure spread throughout my body, building and building. Seemingly out of nowhere, wave after wave of the most powerful and unexpected climax washed over me. I let out a moan of pleasure. Louder and louder with each wave. My knees went weak. I was trembling.
Ren released my nipple, then pulled my dress up over my hips and his dick out of his pants. My eyes flew open as he grabbed me and sat me on the table. I kicked off my panties and opened my legs. He entered me as the waves continued to come, urging them to bigger crests with each deep thrust.
Everywhere I looked, I saw a reflection of us shagging. I was mesmerized. Unable to close my eyes, I found his face. He thrust urgently, clasping my hips in his hot hands and driving into me with abandon. The statue and lamp next to me on the table rattled and wobbled. But Ren didn't seem to care if they toppled and shattered.
His face was a mask of desire, but he held my gaze through each and every thrust, looking for something. Just like I was.
I gasped again and arched my back as I climaxed a second time, rocked to my very core. I could love this man. A scream escaped my lips.
Ren shuddered and held my hips against him. I watched his face as his orgasm rocked him, memorizing his look of ecstasy, seeing it all around me.
He collapsed into me, resting his head on my shoulder.
We were both breathing hard. We were both shaking.
"First breast orgasm?" he said between heavy breaths.
"Is that what that was?" I tried to sound sassy, but I swore I could feel him smiling. "Next time I'll be prepared."
When he lifted his head, he was grinning. He pulled me off the table into his arms and carried me upstairs to the master suite. "That was only round one."
"Round one?" I said. "Did I win?"
"You blinked," he said in my ear.
"You mean I came first?"
He laid me on my back on the bed. "First one to come always wins."
"It's a no-lose scenario?" I said. "I like that. Best two out of three?"
"Only three?" He braced himself over me. "We can do better than that."
Chapter 18
I woke in the morning with a smile on my face and Ren leaning on one elbow, grinning at me. "Creeper," I said. "Were you watching me as I slept?"
"Am I going to have to switch up my seduction? I thought women found being watched sexy?" He pulled me close. "Possession. You're mine. I can't take my eyes off you, even when you're sleeping."
"You've been reading the wrong women's magazines and blogs." I sat up and brushed my hair out of my eyes. "You realize I just paid for a night at one of London's most expensive hotels so my toothbrush could hang out in the bathroom there?"
His grin deepened. "I'll swing you by on my way to work so you can pick up your car and head home."
I held his gaze. "Where's home? I'm not going back to the castle today. I have business in the city." I watched his face closely. He looked pleasantly surprised.
"You'll come back here," he said, too nonchalantly. "I'll give you a key and the security codes for the gate and house."
I relaxed, absurdly pleased.
"How long are you planning to stay?"
"I'm going back to the castle Friday morning." I took a deep breath. "I can't bear…" I almost said to be there without you. But I also meant to hear the village gossip against him. And to feel the distrust about him that seemed to build when I was alone there. The mystery continued.
"I have to go to the office today." He grimaced. "Unavoidable meetings. I could take tomorrow off? We could spend it together? If you're not too busy."
"I'd like that."
"Brilliant." He pulled me close. "Now I need a shower. What do you say we double up so we can get out of here on time?"
Ren dropped me off at the hotel. I picked up my things, checked out, and headed to a meeting with the architects. The meeting was long and fruitful. I left with a set of modified plans for the private quarters of the castle that I'd been planning to renovate for Manly and me. If we were going to have paying guests and turn the castle into a moneymaking enterprise, we'd need our private quarters. But I no longer needed wheelchair ramps and elderly-accessible showers, or any of the things that catered to Manly's needs. I was free to have what I wanted. To a point. Ren would need to approve the plans now. Ren would need to approve everything, including my business ideas. I was paying for them, but the castle was half his.
I had the day to myself. I lunched with Dusty and Smithy. They wanted details of my night with Ren. Wasn't it simply brilliant and hot the way he'd shown up at the club to claim possession of me? It was very caveman, I told them. Which amused them because I really couldn't hide my pleasure at it. Was Ren really as skilled in bed as he was rumored to be? No—if anything, the rumors underplayed his abilities. Previous girlfriends had been selfish, not wanting him to be too much in demand. We had a lovely lunch.
It was three by the time I arrived back at Ren's house, spread my new blueprints for the renovation out on a table to look at later, and deposited my bags in the master suite. He'd told me not to expect him back until six thirty or seven. He could either pick up takeout on the way home or we could go out.
That left me plenty of time to knock around his house. And yes, I had things to look for there. If I were honest with myself, all day I'd been dying to get back to the house and have a good look around. But when I let myself in, the thought of ransacking the place for the diary and clues seemed totally disloyal and underhanded.
I contented myself with having a good look around at the house itself, looking for that touch of Manly Manor that Ren had surely hidden somewhere here—if he ran true to form, and I was sure he had. I was also looking for any traces of another woman. For Cory.
The morning had been drizzly, but by afternoon the mist burned off. The house was a jewel of sunlight. I began my tour by walking around the outside. I wasn't surprised that his home was as brilliant and artistic as any of his most spectacular commercial projects. But I was delighted that it had touches of unexpected whimsy. I found a smiling concrete gargoyle tucked beneath one eave, holding the gutter up.
My heart stopped. I recognized that gargoyle. Except for the smile, it was a replica of a scowling one at Manly Manor. Little bits of the boy Ren? Was that smiling creature guarding against evil spirits Ren's tribute to the castle? If so, I was mildly disappointed. I'd hoped for something more dramatic. I found another one at the opposite corner of the building. There was one at each corner—the same gargoyle, but each with a different expression. One smiled. One cried. One scowled. One was simply stoic. The many faces of Ren?
The house was constructed of concrete and steel beams. And glass. Walls and walls of glass. Some window cleaner must make a tidy annual sum off Ren, maybe even a decent living.
At the thought of all that glass lit up at night, I shivered. People who lived in glass houses shouldn't shag in full view of the neighbors. And they shouldn't throw stones, either. I pictured a paparazzi camera catching us in the moment of ecstasy. I comforted myself that if that had happened, I would have heard about it by now. Or seen it on a newsstand.
To reassure myself, I walked around the front of the house, peering in and taking in every angle until I satisfied myself that Ren was right. There was no way anyone could have seen us, as miraculous as that seemed. The openness was an illusion. His design was brilliant. Although the house was surrounded on all sides by other houses, tucked into what must have formerly been an alley or community area, it was completely private. No prying eyes.
I could only imagine what a project this house must have been to build on such an odd and compact lot. And the more I stood back and studied the house in the light of day, the more I bit my lip and worried. The house was the antithesis of everything the castle
was—new, sleek, clean, uncluttered, unfussy, not ornate in the slightest. If this was what Ren preferred, what he loved and felt at home in, how would I ever tempt him to move into Manly Manor? Manly had handed me a seemingly impossible task. I felt unaccountably let down and sad. And worried.
I knew my own heart well enough. I was falling in love with Ren. But how would it ever work? Even the physical distance was against us.
When I was satisfied there was nothing more to see outside, I moved inside and went from room to room. The house was large—five bedrooms plus the master, an open living and dining room, an office, many bathrooms, an exercise room, and a game room. The furniture was modern. The art was mostly modern. The textures and finishes were modern and masculine. The house could use some girling up, in my opinion. A few more pillows here and there wouldn't be a bad thing. The steel beams were exposed inside. Some of the walls were poured concrete with wood board or brick textures formed into the concrete. One would think they'd be cold, but they had a surprising feeling of warmth and were works of art.
It took me a while, but I began to recognize a pattern to the stone brick motifs in some of the poured concrete walls. With a start, I realized this was another homage to the castle. The patterns of the stone walls at Manly Manor were distinctive. These were unmistakably patterned after the castle. Once I saw them, they were obvious. Everywhere I looked, I saw the patterns. My heart raced. I snapped pictures of them to evaluate later. The strange thing was that some of the stones in the pattern had markings on them. The same markings repeated in room after room.
The inside of the house had the same surprising touches of whimsy. Quite by accident, I discovered a hidden storage space behind a bookcase that slid out of the way. And a hidden staircase from the pantry to the upper floor. To my disappointment, neither of them contained the journal he'd taken from me the night we met. Where was this playful side of Ren? I'd seen only glimpses.
I entered every room with trepidation, looking for telltale signs that Cory hadn't completely moved out, fearing her toothbrush lurked just around the corner. Something to taunt me with her importance to Ren, to make me wonder whether it was really all in the past.
Duked: Duke One, Duke Society Series Page 18