* * *
Dane coaxed every last spasm from Iris until she was flushed and bathed in a light sheen of sweat. Never had any other woman tasted so good. He slid up her body and they kissed again. It was deep and heady, and this time Iris didn’t hold anything back. She was an active participant. Her hands drifted to his shoulders and then skimmed his back and hips. He liked that she was touching him and getting over her fear of intimacy.
Dane was curious about her injuries, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from making love to her. And when Iris moved her hand from his hip to curl her fingers around his pulsing arousal, he let out a hiss of air between his teeth. Then she took one pebbled nipple into her mouth, all the while stroking his length. He was bewitched; his breath left his mouth with a whoosh and his head dropped back on the bed.
Iris wasn’t done. She climbed over him and had her way with him. He wasn’t surprised when he felt her warm mouth teasing the tip of him. With gentle licks and flicks of her tongue, she whipped him into a frenzy, so by the time her mouth closed completely over him, Dane bucked. But Iris held him down with her palms, all the while working magic with her mouth. Now a sheen of sweat covered his brow and he wanted, no, needed to be inside her.
Flipping Iris onto her back, Dane took over. He slid his finger inside her core. “You’re ready for me, sweetheart,” he said. As she closed her eyes, he reached for the drawer by his bed, grabbed a foil packet, ripped it open and sheathed himself. Then slowly, he slid inside her, but she was very tight. Dane sensed it had been a while and he gave her time to accommodate him. He brushed a tendril of hair from her forehead and looked down at her. “You okay?”
Her big brown eyes looked up at him and the trust there was a gift. “Yes.”
“Good, because I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
“I won’t.”
Only when she began to wiggle her hips and relax into him did Dane begin to move. He slid in deeper, all the way in, and it felt sublime to finally make love to Iris. She put her arms around his taut shoulders, bringing him in closer.
“Please,” she whimpered, clearly needing more.
So he drove deeper and she let out a moan, then another when he wrapped her calf around his thigh, pushing in farther, opening her up to him. Then he slowly began thrusting, setting a rhythm while their mouths fused, tongues twisting and dancing in a frenzy of need. Her inner muscles clenched around him and she clutched at him, her fingers digging into his back.
“Yes, yes...” she panted. He changed the pace to rapid thrusts and Iris met him stroke for stroke. When she cried out, it was a glorious sound that sent him crashing into the atmosphere as his body shuddered above hers.
* * *
A half hour later, Iris was feeling wonderful and more confident. Dane lay beside her, sprawled across the bed, asleep. They’d just made love and her mind and heart were full. Dane hadn’t cared about her condition. He’d been gentle when he needed to be and eager when she’d wanted more. Iris hadn’t thought it was possible she would ever find someone who could look past the physical. Dane Stewart could have any woman in America, but he’d chosen to be with her. It was a heady feeling.
But she mustn’t forget herself. She glanced down at him. A real relationship with this man was unlikely but she could enjoy the moment. Tiptoeing from the bed, she found her jeans and retrieved her smartphone. Glancing around the room, Iris saw Dane’s T-shirt and swiftly pulled it over her head and then went into the master bath to place a call to her sister. She wanted to check in on Jayden and make sure he’d had a good night.
Shelly answered on the first ring. “Iris? Are you okay? I was beginning to worry. You left hours ago.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’m at Dane’s.”
“How did he take the news?”
Iris’s mouth curved into a smile at the question. “He’s excited to be Jayden’s father, but understandably he was a little shook up by the weight of the responsibility falling onto his shoulders.”
“I’m glad to hear it. When are you coming home?”
“I’m, uh, I’m...” Iris stuttered, trying to find the right words.
“Did something happen between you and Dane?”
“What are you talking about?” Iris’s voice rose.
“Omigod, you’re getting busy with Dane, aren’t you?” Shelly didn’t wait for a response. “Don’t bother trying to deny it. It explains why we didn’t hear from you.”
“I can come home.”
“I wouldn’t,” Shelly replied. “Enjoy him tonight, but I want all the details later.”
Iris chuckled. “All right. Thank you, Shelly.” She ended the call and opened the door only to find Dane standing buck naked in the doorway. Iris swallowed hard. “Hey...”
“Hey...” Dane gave her a winning smile that captured many a young woman’s heart on the movie screen. “What are you doing in here? I reached for you and you weren’t there.”
Iris got a kick Dane was still thinking about her and not showing her the nearest exit. “I called my sister to check in on Jayden.”
Dane sighed. “Of course you did because that’s what mothers do. I should have been thinking about that, instead of keeping you away from him all night.”
Iris could see the self-recrimination in his eyes and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Don’t beat yourself up, Dane. I’ve had years of practice putting Jayden’s needs before my own. You’ll get used to it.”
“I have a lot of catching up to do,” Dane said. “How’s our son?”
Our son.
Iris still couldn’t believe those words. They shared a child together. “He’s already in bed, so I didn’t get to tell him good-night, but he’s fine.”
“Good.” Dane walked her backward to the bed and they both came tumbling down onto the mattress. His hands framed her face as he looked into her eyes. “When do you think you’ll tell him about me? I’d like to be there when you do.”
“Tomorrow.”
Dane nodded, and Iris could see he was worrying about Jayden’s reaction. “Don’t fret,” Iris stated. “When I told Jayden there was a possibility you could be his father, he took it well. All we can do is be honest with him and how we intend to move forward.”
“And how do we intend on going forward?” Dane asked.
Iris surprised herself when she circled her arm around his neck and brought his mouth back down to hers. “How about we think on that tomorrow?”
Ten
The next morning Dane didn’t want to get up. He and Iris were in a safe cocoon as long as they were in bed, but as soon as they left, the real world would intrude on the precious time they’d shared together. They’d made love two more times last night and Iris had surprised him with her eagerness and utter abandon. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him or let him do to her. He’d been with lots of women over the course of his life. Since he was in his teens, his easy charm had made him a magnet for members of the opposite sex. But no one made his libido soar like sweet Iris Turner.
When she’d straddled him last night, he’d held on to her bottom, allowing her to rock against him. As she’d taken her own satisfaction, a low growl had escaped his lips. Every emotion had felt heightened. And when her mewls of pleasure turned into cries, he’d pumped upward to meet her, taking them both to a place Dane had never found before.
And now, knowing they shared a child together seemed only to further cement the growing feelings Dane felt for Iris. And Jayden had stolen his heart from the very first moment he’d seen him on television. Dane was looking forward to getting to know his son even though he’d sprung from very unusual circumstances.
He knew Jason, Whitney, Morgan and any number of people on his team were probably trying to reach him. But right now, all Dane wanted to do was be a man and a father.
Iris stirred from sleep and rubbed her hands over her eyes. She glanced up at him and blushed furiously. Was she remembering how many times he’d made her come and scream out his name?
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. What time is it?” She sat up and reached for the duvet to cover herself.
“A little after eight.”
“I should go.” She made to move, but Dane halted her.
“Stay with me for the day. Then we’ll tell Jayden together.”
“Dane, there’s no way we can go out together and not get caught. We tried that before and everyone knows you,” Iris said. “And hell, with every media outlet running the story, they recognize me now too.”
“Okay, you have a point, but don’t you want to live a little?” If there was one thing he hated about being a celebrity it was being boxed in. “I want to spend the day with you and walk around like everyone else for as long as we can. And we can keep security nearby. How about it? Are you willing to walk on the wild side with me?”
“All right, let’s do it.”
* * *
Iris was glad she’d allowed Dane to convince her to escape the confines of his beach pad—even after an incredible shower together when Dane had gotten down on his knees and spread her thighs to pleasure her. Iris still colored thinking about the experience. Although she’d loved the morning and night they’d shared, it would be nice to get out together and have some fun. And that was exactly what they did.
Since she had no other clothes, Dane had loaned her a T-shirt that was huge on her. Iris had knotted it around her waist, showing off a little skin. Dane’s eyes had gleamed with lust and she’d had to shoo him outside before they ended up horizontal again. Eventually, they made their way out of the beach house with Iris in a wig and Dane in a baseball hat and fake beard from one of his movies.
A dark SUV dropped them off near the beginning of the Venice Beach boardwalk. They held hands as they meandered the streets. Iris had a blast people watching. It was an eclectic mix, from mimes to musicians to jugglers. She loved the way the saxophonist played some old-school Kenny G and the way the street performers did some B-boy tricks. Along the way, she and Dane stopped for a hot dog and drifted into shops to look at the cool artwork on display. They even had their fortunes read. It had been very insightful: the woman had said big, life-altering changes were ahead for them.
That woman didn’t know the half of it.
After leaving the fortune-teller, they found themselves in front of a bathing suit shop. Dane suggested they go in, but Iris hesitated. Why hadn’t she discussed this last night? Because she hadn’t wanted to. It had been different when it was just the two of them alone in bed. He’d made her feel invincible, but now that she was in public, it was a whole other story and her insecurities were kicking in big-time. She hated bathing suits because when she wore one, there was no way to hide her injuries. Anyone could see her scars.
“What about this?” A saleswoman came up holding a revealing high-cut one-piece, and Dane nodded in agreement. Maybe the models or actresses he dated would look great in it, but not her.
She shook her head.
“How about this one?” The salesclerk was trying to be helpful, but she was grating on Iris’s nerves.
“Not my style.” Iris stayed at the front of the store, fingering the wide-brimmed hats. She would need one to block out the sun and keep from getting freckles. If she stayed in the sun too much, she got a slew of them across her nose.
Dane sidled up beside her, holding the most revealing swimsuit yet. “I think you would look great in this one.”
“Dane! Did you not see me last night?” Iris let out in a burst. “I would never wear this, or any of it.” She motioned toward the racks of bathing suits and then rushed out the store.
He met her outside. “C’mon.” He pulled her away from the shop toward the Hotel Erwin, which was a stone’s throw away.
Iris was quiet as they went up to the rooftop lounge and settled onto a comfortable cushioned divan underneath an umbrella, a beautiful view of the Pacific stretching out endlessly in front of them. After a few minutes of silence, Dane finally ventured to bring up what occurred at the shop.
“I’m sorry,” he said, hanging his head low.
“Why? It’s not your problem,” Iris responded bitterly. “It’s mine.”
Dane studied her and when she didn’t say anything else, he asked, “Are you ready to share what happened with me?”
Iris knew she’d been unfair, but it was how she felt. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Sniping at you.”
“You had every right. It was incredibly insensitive of me to take you into a place like that. It’s just that I don’t see your scars, Iris. I only see you. Call me foolish or tell me I have it bad, but it’s the truth.”
His honest and sincere apology took the wind out of Iris’s sails. “I’m hypersensitive about my body. You saw how I ran away the moment things started heating up between us.”
“But I wore you down,” he said with a sly grin.
“You didn’t have to try very hard. I wanted you, Dane. I still do. But you have to understand I’m never going to be comfortable showing off the lower half of my body. The car accident eight years ago changed me. It transformed my life and all the hopes I had for the future. It’s why I did something as drastic as artificial insemination.”
“Go on,” he prompted.
“I’d been dating Mario. Your typical bad boy musician who liked to drink and have fun. My parents hated him, which of course only made him more appealing. So I broke curfew and did all the stupid things a young girl in love does. Until one day that bad boy drank and drove and wrapped his Ford Mustang around a tree with me in it.”
“But you survived.”
“Did I?” Iris asked. “I suppose, but I took the brunt of the impact while Mario walked away with only scratches. After the crash, the car caught fire, causing severe burns to my arms and thighs.”
“But your arms...” He glanced down at them.
“I know you’re thinking, ‘How can that be?’ Well, I endured countless reconstructive surgeries hoping to be my old self again. They worked on my arms. But after two years and many painful procedures, I just had to accept it—I was no longer the pretty girl I’d once been.”
“Like hell you aren’t! You’re beautiful, Iris. Inside and out.”
“Thank you for saying that, but I know what I see when I look in the mirror. And it’s taken me a long time to accept who I am. Do I think I’m a monster anymore? No.”
“Why would you say such a thing?”
“Because when I tried dating, a man told me I was, and after that I couldn’t risk putting myself through rejection again. Until you came along.”
Dane reached for her then, pulling her into a hungry, possessive yet masterful kiss, sending white-hot bolts of desire shooting through her. Without a second thought to where they were, she responded, kissing him back.
A discreet cough from a nearby waiter alerted them to the fact they were still in public. She looked up to see a man wearing a button-down shirt standing nearby. “Today was lovely, really,” Iris said, “but—” she glanced down at her watch “—it’s time Jayden learned the truth.”
“You’re right. It’s time.”
* * *
Dane was in a foul mood. After spending a leisurely day with Iris, enjoying all that Venice Beach had to offer and winding down on the rooftop lounge, they’d come outside only to be bombarded by questions from the press. Their day of being inconspicuous was over and now reporters were in full attack mode as Dane and Iris ducked into the SUV waiting at the curb. His security team had gotten wind of the crowd forming outside and ensured the vehicle was ready.
He didn’t answer any of the questions. Are you and Iris now a couple?
When’s the wedding? And most importantly: Are you Jayden’s father? He and Iris owed it to their son to hear the truth from them, not some muckraker.
The drive was slow, but eventually they made it to Jayden’s school. Iris went inside without Dane because she didn’t want the fanfare. As if that were possible. He’d already caught a handful of photographers lurking nearby.
Iris appeared several minutes later with Jayden at her side. He was dressed in khaki pants and a plaid button-down shirt and carrying a book bag. He looked like a little man.
One of Dane’s security team opened the SUV door and Jayden’s brow furrowed because he was surprised to see him. “Mr. Stewart?”
“Hi, Jayden.” Dane scooted over on the back seat to make room for them. “I hope it’s okay I came?”
Jayden nodded. “I suppose. It’s just that kids at school are saying you’re my daddy and if they see you picking me up from school, they’ll think it’s true.”
Dane looked to Iris for guidance because he was tongue-tied. He was thankful when she stepped in. “How about we talk about it when we get home? Tell us about your day.”
When the SUV stopped in front of Iris’s house a half hour later, reporters swarmed the vehicle. Jayden glanced at his mother and then at Dane. “Why do all these people keep coming to our house?”
“We’ll explain everything inside,” Iris said.
As soon as the doors opened, the bodyguards were right there, preventing cameras and microphones from being shoved in their faces. Iris and Jayden disembarked first with Dane following suit. It was a melee, but eventually they made it inside.
Dane leaned against the door and watched Iris help Jayden with his belongings. He followed them into the small living room and waited. Standing by the mantel, he felt like a wood statue because he didn’t know what to do. How was he supposed to tell a six-year-old boy he was his father?
“Come here, baby,” Iris said, lowering herself to the sofa. “Sit with me.” She patted the seat beside her and Jayden came over and sat down.
Red Carpet Redemption Page 10