His eyes burn down into mine. “And did you? Did you take that step?”
What will he do if I say yes? There is a temptation to see what will happen. I don’t want him to be here to be with a virgin. I want him to want me.
He takes my silence as my answer. “I hate the idea of you with another man. Hate it. I’ve had partners before you.” He caresses my cheek. “Just none since. It changes nothing beyond that I need to know if he was kind to you.”
I believe him, and it brings tears to my eyes. I don’t know why Brice is back, but I can no longer deny that—crazy as it sounds—I love this man. “I didn’t go through with it, Brice. Not via Jana. Not on my own. I thought virginity was holding me back, and that sex would liberate me, but I freed myself. I want my first time to be with someone I love.” This is where it gets tricky. “And who loves me.”
He places his hands on my hips and pulls me a little closer. “I have a gift for you.”
Is he referring to himself? My mouth goes dry. I just told him I’m no longer interested in losing my virginity to a man. I want more. I should pull away, but I melt against him. I can’t function when I’m this close to him. Eventually, I say, “I haven’t seen you in two months.”
He rests his forehead on mine. Our breaths mingle. “I had business that required my attention. And I knew you needed time.”
“I did.”
“Do you trust me, Savannah?”
A delightful fire spreads through me. I shudder against him. Right now I’m not sure I trust me, but there’s no way I’m saying that. “I think so.” He frowns. “I’m like sixty-five percent sure I do.”
“Looks like I have some work to do.” His mouth lowers to mine.
Nothing ever felt more like coming home. My body flows into his. My arms wind around his neck. Our tongues circle each other like lovers reuniting.
When he raises his head, he says, “I want to introduce you to my parents.”
I freeze. “Your parents.”
“And my brother and my sister.”
I sway a little. I thought he might ask me to lunch. Possibly a romantic date. I must be hearing him wrong.
“Call your job and tell them you need time off to travel.”
“Travel? Wait, where are your parents?”
“They’re in Calvadria. I’m not a US citizen. Is that a deal breaker?”
“Stop the bus. I can’t fly anywhere. I don’t have a passport.”
“I’ll have one for you by the time we take off. Just say you’ll come.”
A battle wages in me. Things like this don’t happen to me. Men don’t swoop in and offer to fly me home to meet their families.
Brice isn’t like any man I’ve ever known.
And I want this to be real so badly I ache.
But can it be?
I love this crazy, impulsive man. If I were writing my own story, this is exactly how it would go. The problem is, life very rarely works out the way I think it should. To say yes, I need to believe something like this is possible.
For me.
“You’ll want to tell Claire and Ronda you’ll be out of town.”
Of course he knows about them. I would be scared if being in his arms didn’t feel so damn delicious. “Have you had someone watching me?”
He kisses his way up my jaw and growls into my ear, “I protect what’s mine.”
A hot shiver passes through me. My sex is wet and eager. I’m a tangle of a modern woman’s protest that I belong to no one and a primal need. I want to be his. I want this. We can talk about how he words it later.
I push out of his arms and rub my hands over my face. I need to think, and that’s not possible while my body is practically hyperventilating with desire. Stop. Breathe. “Why? Why do you want me to meet your family?”
His eyes fill with amusement. “Isn’t it obvious? I love you, Savannah. I think I fell for you the night you camped out in my office. I knew then I’d never be the same.”
I sway on my feet. “Say it again.”
He pulls me slowly back into his arms, resting me against his bulging cock. “Which part?”
“All of it.”
He laughs. “I love you, Savannah Barre. Every side of you. I love your brave spirit, your strength. I love your loyalty, your humor, even the way you call me on my shit. I left because I didn’t want to hold you back, but I’ve missed you every damn day. I know we’ll have things to sort out, but we’ll do it—together. Just say yes.”
I search his face. All I see is love. I throw my arms around his neck and say, “I love you too. It doesn’t make sense. It wasn’t part of Jana’s plan. It isn’t part of mine, but I missed you every damn day too. I wasn’t ready for you when we met, but I’m ready now.”
I go up onto my tiptoes. His head lowers. Our mouths meet in the middle. I whisper, “Yes” between our kisses. Yes, yes, holy fuck, yes.
After we reluctantly end the kiss, we walk—or float, I’m not sure—out of the park. Charles is standing beside a car. I can’t look him in the eye. I’m sure I look just as sex-crazed as I feel. Thankfully after greeting me, he doesn’t say more.
I don’t know where we’re going, and I should care, but all that matters is Brice is back. I run my hand up his muscular thigh and love how his nostrils flare and he inhales sharply. Is it possible that I affect him the way he does me?
He puts his hand over mine and stills it. “Easy, Savannah. I want to do this right.”
Me too. Oh, God, me too.
I want to do it right now.
“Remember that present?” he asks in a husky voice.
My eyes fall to his crotch. His present is bulging against the front of his pants. I’m okay with calling his cock a present. We do need to lose Chucky, though.
He laughs. “Eyes up here, princess.”
I lift my eyes to his. He’s laughing, but in a way that makes it feel like we’re sharing a sexy joke. He lifts a box off the floor and hands it to me.
I take it onto my lap. It’s heavy and not at all where I thought this was going. “You really brought me a gift? You didn’t have to.”
“Open it, Savannah.”
I tear back the paper. The box gives no hint at what it contains. I pull back the flap and begin to remove the packing.
My jaw falls open. It can’t be.
I run my hands over the clock. “My clock. How did you find it?”
“Jimmy had it. He knew you’d want it back one day.”
Now I’m crying. Like ugly crying. This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.
Brice lifts me, clock and all, onto his lap and wraps his arms around me. “I hope all those tears mean you like it.”
I put the clock aside and kiss him with everything I have. I kiss him the way I wanted to that first day in the elevator, with the intensity of a woman who thought she’d lost him forever, and the love of one who realizes this just might be it.
This infuriating.
Intoxicating.
Undeniable man.
Being with him required a leap of faith I wasn’t capable of a few months earlier, but he came back to me. I’m not about to lose him twice.
“We’re here,” Charles announces.
Brice breaks off the kiss.
I’m shattered.
Dazed.
Ready to follow him off a cliff if that’s where he leads me.
He sets me down and we both catch our breath. “Before we go any further, there’s something I should tell you.”
My stomach twists. “Are you married?” Please don’t be married.
“No.” He chuckles and kisses me. “But I hope to be in the near future.”
A part of me sinks. Is it too much to believe I can feel this kind of passion for a man who doesn’t already have someone else?
He raises my chin. “To you, princess.”
“Don’t call me princess,” I say absently. Wait, he wants to marry me? Holy shit. Did he just say that?
He tr
aces the one side of my neck. “You don’t like the term?”
“It’s a little condescending,” I say in a breathy voice. “I could get used to it, though.” The man did just say he could picture marrying me. None of this might seem like a good idea later, but I’m all in.
He chuckles and caresses the skin exposed by the gaping neckline of my shirt, playing with the button holding it closed. “Glad to hear that. I feel like I have to be clear about where this is going because taking you home will be considered a declaration to my family. I want to make sure you’re sure.”
“About?” Does the ability to concentrate return after sex? I sure hope so.
His eyes fill with laughter again. The bastard knows exactly what he’s doing to me. “The part about you and me possibly spending forever together.”
I almost agree with that, since his rock-hard cock is pressing so intimately against me—how can I be expected to pay attention to anything else—but his ego doesn’t need that added boost. I slide off his lap and take several gulps of air. When my eyes meet his again, I’m serious. “That’s a big step. And fast.”
He takes my hand in his. “Savannah, I’ve spent the last two months telling myself that what I feel couldn’t have been real. I didn’t believe in love, much less love at first sight. Or should I say smell.”
I swat his thigh. “That’s not nice.”
He laughs. “I’m an ass. I know. But I’m an ass who can’t imagine a life without you in it.”
I’m trying to remain at least a little cautious. When I allow myself to believe this is real, I have to face that going forward with it will change things. “I like my job. I like helping people. I have friends now, and I’m taking classes. I won’t give that up.”
“We’ll figure it out. I can work in Boston. We’ll have to travel, but we can make it work, Savannah. I don’t want to take you away from your journey, I want to go on it with you.”
I look past him to the jet on the airfield and run a hand over my hair. “I can’t meet your family like this.”
“There’s a washroom onboard as well as a change of clothing for you.”
My eyes round then I put a hand on one hip. “Hang on. You were that sure I’d say yes?”
He kisses my lips gently. “That hopeful.”
He’s smooth.
Charles opens the car door. I have to say something to him. “Hey, Chucky.”
“Hi, princess,” he says and winks.
I blush down to my toes. Did he hear everything we said? Talk about embarrassing. “He’s taking me home to meet his parents.”
“They will adore you,” Charles assures me.
We walk up the steps of the jet. Charles stays behind. “You’re not coming?” I ask.
“Not this time, princess,” Brice says. “But you’ll see him again soon.”
I’m really going to have to talk to Brice about not calling me that. “Why . . .?” I meet Brice’s eyes again and the question dies on my lips. “Oh.”
Forget about desk sex. I’m about seventy-five percent sure I’m about to have jet sex. Brice offers me his hand. I take it and beam a smile at him. His smile is a decadent promise.
Correction . . . I am one hundred percent sure I’m going to love flying.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Brice
I lived a wild life. Before Savannah, I would say that anticipation, the kind that makes your heart thud in your chest and your senses hyper sensitive, was no longer something I was capable of.
I had threesomes.
Hell, I had foursomes.
Savannah isn’t my first virgin, although it’s been years. I prefer to be remembered as a woman’s best rather than her first. Women with less experience tend to see sex as a more emotional experience than I ever found it.
I settle myself into a seat beside Savannah and ask her if she’s okay. She shoots me a bright, brave smile and says she is.
My ability to speak fades away.
There is no staff on this flight. Just the pilots and the two of us. I ensured privacy in case—well, in case what I want ends up what she wants as well. She’s given me all the signs that it is, even said she loves me.
Let that sink in for a minute. She said she loves me and instead of sending me running, it has me flying high even before the jet takes off.
Is this what’s best for her, though?
I’m taking her home to meet my parents. I know how I feel and she said how she feels. This is us stepping forward together.
As easy as it would be to give in to how I feel, we need to talk first. There are things I need to know. The door to the jet closes and we begin to taxi down the runway.
Her hand clenches the arm of her chair. She’s nervous. I’d rather die a slow death than rush her into something she’s not ready for. She needs to know that as well. I put my hand over hers. “Savannah, nothing will happen between us until you’re ready for it to. We have forever. I can wait.”
Eyes wide, she turns to meet my gaze. “Sorry. I’m freaking out a little bit. I’ve never flown before, and I thought it would be exciting, but now I’m not so sure.”
I pry her hand off the armrest and lace my fingers with hers. I know how to get her to relax. I give her my most charming smile and say, “The first time you do anything is scary. That’s why it’s best to fly with an experienced pilot. A very, very talented and experienced pilot with a solid track record of ensuring a quality landing for all.”
Humor replaces some of her fear. “Really? And just how much experience should I look for in a pilot? And is it important that I know about how many flights he’s successfully flown?”
She’s good. “Simply knowing that one is qualified is sufficient.”
We leave the ground and her hand tightens on mine.
I lean over and speak softly into her ear. “The trick is to enjoy every part of the experience. That feeling in your stomach as we rise up through the clouds? For me, it’s a sensation that means I’m headed off somewhere wonderful. Look out the window.”
She does.
I continue, “See how small everything becomes? That always reminds me the problems I feel are insurmountable really aren’t that big if I step back and give myself a better perspective of them. Like life, sometimes the ride is smooth. Sometimes it’s bumpy. I try to remember to savor when it is smooth so when the turbulence comes, and it always does, I know what to hold on to.”
She turns toward me. “Wait are we still talking about sex?”
I throw my head back and laugh. “No, I went off on a life tangent.”
Her smile is cheeky. “Good because I’m hoping for a smooth ride.”
“I’ll do my best.” I cringe at my eager promise. Holy hell, she can turn me on and turn me inside out like no one else—ever. I try to appear less affected than I am. What I’d really like to do is stand up, strip down, and show her that a little turbulence is also enjoyable.
“Do you want to wait, Savannah?” Her mouth drops open. I’m just as surprised as she is that I asked. “I want you, Savannah, so much. But your first time will be something you always remember. If you have any doubts now, after things get heated, you just say it. We won’t do a single thing you’re not ready for. It’s important to me that you understand that.”
She releases her seat belt and turns fully in her seat. “Guess what I’m not when I’m with you.”
“What are you not?”
“Guess.”
I shake my head. I don’t know.
She rises to her feet and stands between my legs. “I’m not afraid. I’m also not a child, Brice. I’m twenty-three, and I want you too.” She leans down, a hand on either side of my chair and gives me a kiss so wanton and so trusting that any concerns I have fall away.
I’m on my feet, removing her clothing as I savor every inch of her mouth.
She pulls my shirt out of my pants and runs her hands up my back. I groan and pull her blouse up and over her head. Her bra hits the floor a second later and
I cup those perfectly round tits of hers. So small. So firm. I have to taste them.
She arches back, giving me better access to them.
This, gentlemen, is where boys separate from men. Every partner is different. Sex is a dance one learns the steps to as they go. I know what turns other women on. I was guided by some to experiment and adapt as I go. Does Savannah enjoy having my tongue swirl around her nipple? She appears to. Does suckling make her beg for more? How about a gentle nipple tug with my teeth?
She grabs my shoulders and gasps.
“Tell me when you like it, princess. Tell me every fucking time it’s good for you, and this will only get better.”
I move to her other nipple and showcase my talents in a different order. It’s the tongue nipple flick followed by a gentle tug, then swirl and repeat that has her begging me not to stop.
She reaches for my belt, but I stop her. I’m already excited beyond where I want to be. I don’t want to rush, and if those delicious hands of hers wraps around my cock, I’ll be a goner.
I shed my shirt and between tongue-intertwining kisses, I remove the rest of her clothing. I pick her up and carry her toward the rear of the plane where there is a small bedroom. I lay her gently down on the bed and force myself to wait before I join her.
“Are you sure?” If I sense hesitation, I need to have the control to walk away.
People say sex is different with someone you love, but I didn’t believe it until just now. No amount of promised pleasure, nothing I want, is more important than confirming that Savannah feels safe and loved.
Eyes burning with desire, she holds her hand out to me. Rather than take it, I shed my trousers and move to the end of the bed. I kiss my way up the arch of one of her feet, while caressing the other. And gently I push them apart.
And move a little higher.
I kiss her calf, the inside of her leg behind her knee, then move to love the other. I run my hands up and down the sides of her legs as I do.
The Bachelor Towers: Books 1-3 Page 55