“Assuming we agree that you keep the apartment—”
“Accepting, Lucian. Because I am keeping it.”
Narrowing his eyes, he continued. “I still want you to treat my homes as yours. I’ll hire a decorator and you can remodel the penthouse as you see fit. We can do the same at the estate and when we visit my other homes, if you want to change them, you can do as you please.”
“Other homes?”
He smirked. “I have eight homes, Evelyn. My estate outside of Folsom; one in Aspen; one in the Hamptons; another off the coast of Florida; a condo in Vegas; a small cottage in Carlingford, Ireland; a mansion in England; and a brownstone in Manhattan. Huh, I guess that’s nine, actually, if you count my home here at the hotel.”
She pushed every word away, not equipped to process such wealth and possession. Her mind focused on the salvaged table and chairs she’d bought the other day. She didn’t know the first thing about decorating. Stupidly, she said, “Maybe we can start with new placemats or something small.” He was insane giving her that sort of authority.
“Whatever you want. I want my homes to be equally yours.”
But they aren’t.
“I want to take care of you, Evelyn. Every time you ask me for something, whether it’s to come to your rescue or simply kiss you good night, it gives me a rush, a feeling of purpose I’ve never experienced before. I want you to be independent and focused on bettering yourself so that you’re happy, but I like that you need me. I want it to be my responsibility to keep you safe. How do you feel about that?”
Warmth bloomed in her chest as she remembered how it felt to see him come to her rescue that afternoon. “Well, that’s sort of your role whether you ask me or not. I do see you that way. I know I can come to you with anything and you’ll help me. But I can’t go back to the way we were. You’d go off to work and I’d wander the condo. I need my life to be more than that.”
He hesitated a moment, then asked. “Once you get your education, which you will, what do you want to do? I can help you get there.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know myself well enough to know what I’m passionate about. This is the first chance I’ve had to take time to do for me, and I need it. I need my own stability. I’ll stay here from time to time, but I need a home to go to.”
“You have several.”
She smirked. He was insistent. “So long as you respect that one is solely mine.”
He sighed. “I can accept that. For now.”
“Good,” she said, not seeing the point in putting a time limit on what she didn’t yet know.
“Good. On that same line of trust, I want to readdress the issue of a safe word.”
Her body had a gut reaction as she recalled the only time she’d ever needed to utilize her safe word. He’d pushed her too hard, not physically, never that, but emotionally. She didn’t like the presence of that memory in her mind and tried to force it back into some dark cavity of her brain.
“I just want to be clear,” he continued, “that, no matter what, your safe word will always be respected. No matter what. This time, however, it won’t mean our time’s concluded. It’ll mean we stop whatever we’re doing, regroup, and discuss matters once everyone’s calmed down. Agreed?”
She liked having that sort of safety net. “Yes.”
“Do you still want your word to be ‘checkmate’?”
She nodded. There was nothing more fitting than a word that meant the king was pegged. This was all very familiar to the terms they started their association with. She didn’t understand why he felt the need to readdress such matters. Then he dropped the bomb on her.
“I want the dynamic of our relationship to grow in trust, and I think the only way we can do that is to jump right in. I want you to try something with me. Over the next month, I want you to surrender to me, not just sexually, but completely. I want you to trust me to make the proper decisions regarding your well-being and safety. When I say you should do something, I want you to do your best to get it done. When I say no, that’s the end of it. No arguing. You trust me to have your best interests at heart.”
She held up her hand. “Checkmate.” His brow arched and she explained, “You’re going too fast. Submission in the bedroom is an entirely different practice than submitting my independence.”
“You will always have your independence. I can’t change who you are, nor do I want to.”
Objections sprinted to the tip of her tongue. There was sexual surrender and then there was free will, something she always held tightly to. “Lucian—”
“One month, Evelyn. If you don’t like it, we go back to the way things are. It doesn’t mean we’re over. I believe this is right for us. All of your life you’ve had to decide what was best. I want to give you this gift, unburden you from all that stress. I swear I’ll never treat you as anything other than my equal. Surrender takes more strength than authority demands. I’ll take full responsibility for your health, happiness, and general well-being, and you’ll let me. I see it as a win-win. I’ll be there to take care of you no matter what, but in return I want your complete honesty and trust.”
They’d traveled this road before. When they first met they’d had similar discussions, and her answer was always the same. Trust could not be forced and free will could not be surrendered. “It won’t work.”
“How do you know if you don’t try?”
“Because I know me. I’m stubborn and when I want something, I won’t back down.”
“If there’s something you want, and there’s no harm in having it, I’ll provide it for you. All you have to do is ask. What you’re missing is the fact that I’m relieving you of the struggle. I want the gratification of granting you life’s simple pleasures.”
“Why is what we have not enough for you?”
He took her hands. “It is enough. You are enough for me, but I believe we can have more. There are certain things I want. I like authority and order. I’ve watched you come such a long way from where we started, and there have been moments I’ve suffered through silently, watching you struggle—knowing I could fix a situation for you—but I held back because I didn’t want to bruise your pride.
“You’re a remarkable woman and that’s a compliment I’ve never paid another female and, in my business, I’ve met my share of impressive women. All of these secrets and unnecessary shame, they’re taking something incredible away from us, and I don’t think you even realize it. There’s nothing you could tell me that will diminish my love for you.
“Imagine what it would be like, Evelyn, no longer having to worry about money, to have everything you need at the tip of your fingers. I want to see you accomplish your goals as much as you do. I too, draw pride from your success. All I’m asking for is thirty days. Try for me. Surrender. You can continue to see Jason and I’ll arrange for anything else that helps you get where you want to be. I can give you anything if you’d just let me.”
Well, there wasn’t much to complain about there. Thirty days, not a lifetime. What was the harm? She’d wasted more time trying things the hard way, and here was this incredible man offering her the world on a silver platter.
“Would I still get to see Pearl?” There were certain things she simply couldn’t give up.
“Of course, but I don’t want you to work, at least not now. I believe you’d be much better off focusing on your studies. Most students don’t work. Embrace this stage and the next will come in time. Tackle one dream before you try to conquer the world.” He laughed affectionately and dragged a finger over her ear, tucking her hair behind it. The affectionate gesture made her feel safe and warm.
Work wasn’t really an issue for her after today, and the idea of finding another job, yet again, was daunting. “What if I want something, really want something, and you tell me no.”
“Then you have to trust that I’m making the
right choice for everyone. I’m not perfect. You’re always entitled to a different opinion, but there will be times we won’t agree and I expect us to discuss the matter respectfully and honestly. Truth is a major part of this sort of relationship. You can never lie to me, Evelyn. Never.”
“What if I know you’re making the wrong decision?”
“You’ll just have to trust me. I’m sure to make mistakes, which I’ll take full responsibility for, but they’re my mistakes to make. Thirty days, that’s all I’m asking. Then the choice to continue or go back to the way things were is yours. You have all the power here. You’re simply entrusting it to me for a short period.”
Her head rolled from side to side on her shoulders as she weighed her options. Was what he suggested really that different from how they lived now? Thirty days would tell.
“All right.”
His brows lifted. Clearly he hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. A slow smile curled his lips and she caught a glimpse of his perfect white teeth. He leaned close and traced his lips over hers. “You make me a very happy man, Evelyn. Thank you.”
Breathing deep, her blood and bones melted into warm liquid heat as the touch of his mouth seeped all the way to her sex. Her body tightened expectantly. She wanted him.
Moaning softly, she leaned into his kiss and he pulled back. A satisfied smirk played on his lips, creasing his eyes. “You need to sleep.”
The lightness of her expression crumbled into a pout. “I’m not tired anymore.”
He raised one dark brow. “You’ve been going a hundred miles a minute. You had a rough day, and there are dark circles under your eyes. I don’t want you coming down with something because you’ve exhausted yourself. I want you to go to bed.”
If she went to bed, she’d stare at the ceiling. She truly wasn’t tired anymore. She wanted to make love. “I—”
“Surrender, Evelyn.”
Her lips pursed as her chin dropped. Well, this wasn’t fun.
Whatever her expression was, it made him laugh. His palm touched her knee and patted her bare skin. “Come on. I’ll tuck you in.”
She stood and her body ached. “I’m not a child.”
“Of course not. If you were, the things I’m planning to do to you when you wake would land me in jail.”
Grumbling under her breath, she climbed onto the thickly made-up bed. The cool satin covering the down comforter sunk beneath her weight, and she turned to collapse in the cloudlike pillows. Sweet heaven, this bed was so much more comfortable than the one she’d bought.
Her hips lifted as he drew back the coverlet and tucked her legs under the pressed linens. This was a bed made for sleeping—among other things. Her eyes drooped heavily as he switched off the bedside lamp.
Leaning over, his dark eyes creased. “Not tired, my ass,” he said as he kissed her good night.
“Are you going to be working?” She sounded groggy, but she still wanted to make love.
“For a bit. I have to finish up some things I left behind. Seth’s coming by to drop off some papers on this deal we’re hoping to close soon, and then I’ll be in.”
“Wake me up when you come in.” Her eyes closed and she sighed.
The weight of his fingertip traced her brow, dragging down the arc of her nose and to the curve of her lip. “I decide. You sleep. I love you.”
Bossy. “Love you too,” she mumbled as her mind clouded with dreamlike images that made no sense and she let go.
Chapter 15
The Beauty of Abandon
It was a feather tickling her cheek, enough to rouse her from a deep slumber. Evelyn’s mind pixilated until under the dark cloak of night, a vision formed in her head, paralleled by the caress teasing her awake. Heavy limbs folded over her and she sighed, arching into a diminutive stretch, purring like a cat begging to be stroked.
That was what he did to her, made her a feline of sorts, proper and proud, but deep down a slut for his touch. She didn’t care. Every trace of his finger and touch of his tongue was like being anointed with something sacred she’d never known before him.
Her life was compiled in seasons. There were warm months and cold, but nothing took relevant shape until she’d met him. He made everything matter. He made her matter.
The heat of his mouth pressed into her sleepy smile. “Mmm, I want you.” His gravelly confession warmed her limbs as heat seeped down through her belly and coiled in the depths of her where everything feminine waited, just for him.
The blanket pulled away and she stretched beneath him, extending her arms to the pillows as he worked each little button of her shirt. Cool air bit into her flesh like a minnow’s kiss, tightening. His chest rasped over her soft breasts, beading her nipples another degree.
Breath moistened her skin above her shoulder in the curve of her neck, and the press of his nose to her throat was a vow of unspoken need. The hard, silken weight of his arousal rested upon her hip, leaving damp little kisses over her soft skin. Hands contoured her ribs, cupped her breasts and traveled lower still to brace her curves.
As his bulk slid lower, her need ratcheted. Stretching and undulating slowly like a cast spell coming to life, she twisted with desire. Fingers tightened over the protrusion of her hips, and breath ruffled the dusting of hair at her apex. Shades of purple filtered through her lashes, but she kept her eyes closed.
His knees locked over her legs, pressing her thighs tight like a mermaid’s tail, forbidding access to where she wanted him most. Then, like a slow lick of fire, he found her most sensitive spot and flicked his tongue slowly over her bud. She moaned and her body pressed into his kiss, but his strength set her deep in the bedding.
Slow traces of his tongue eased her clit out of hiding, and soon his lips closed over her. Her thighs brushed with little movements as he restrained her legs and tortured her slowly. It was enough to make her come, but the release was precise. A throbbing linked to her heartbeat pulsed low in her belly, a slight quivering beneath his lips.
She trembled as he kissed her swollen bud, prolonging the gentle, rhythmic burst of pleasure. Sighing, she tried to turn out of his grip, wanting to repay the favor of being woken so splendidly.
“Stay.”
Her motions halted as her chest rose and fell with breathless desire. “I want you,” she whispered into the dark.
“Shh. I’ll give you everything you want.”
His fingers curved around her inner thigh, slowly drawing her legs apart. Warm, openmouthed kisses anointed the soft flesh from her pelvis to the underside of her knee. The other leg was treated much the same; again and again, slow torturous kisses drew her senses out to play.
Her lips parted as her sex was bathed in her own arousal. Finally, his heated breath cooled her damp folds. Licks traced every crevice, but his tongue never entered her sex. She felt hollow without him there. He was her missing piece. His mouth sucked at her flesh and pressed her thighs wide.
“You’re so beautiful here. So pink and perfect.”
His tongue rimmed her opening, and he growled. The weight of his finger was a welcome intrusion. He did not plunder her, but rather traced her walls, slowly delving deeper and deeper with that solitary finger.
When she arched, his other hand pressed like a starfish into her belly, anchoring her back down. “Stay still.”
His touch was sexual indeed, but there was a feeling of being examined as well that left her on the precipice of something dark. Emotions surged and urges to cover herself weaved with the intricate reaction of her desire to let him continue.
Surrender. Be his. Trust.
The tension that had her squirming fell away as her legs opened the remaining distance until they settled softly into the bedding. “That’s a good girl.”
She was rewarded with a deep press of his finger that settled right over her G-spot. Her back bowed reflexively as he tickl
ed there. Hot lips nibbled and sucked her clit, and she was coming once more, this time her release forceful. Waves of pleasure consumed her, and she cried out with the ecstasy of it.
His fingers fucked into her sex as he extended her pleasure. When her body was a puddle of bones and flesh holding her heartbeat inside, he withdrew his touch and kissed up to her breasts.
Evelyn had no idea what time it was, if it was close to morning or just after dark. Time didn’t matter when they were together. Nothing did. The world simply fell away.
Her body was turned as his lips kissed and nibbled over her shoulder. “Come here.”
She opened her eyes, and even under the dim twilight shadows, she blinked at the vividness. He sat on the bed, his back facing the headboard, but not leaning in. Guiding her body, he scooted her to his lap so her back was to his chest. “Put me inside of you,” he whispered, taking a nip from her shoulder.
She lifted and her fingers curled around the solid length of his velvet cock. Bracing her weight on her knees, she fit him to her slit and sunk down. He filled her completely and they each moaned at the pleasure of such a union.
Strong hands curled around her ankles before she had a chance to move. “Slide your legs back and lean forward so you’re resting with your belly on the bed.”
She worried she’d hurt him in that position, but he was large enough to keep them connected as she eased forward. His palm pressed softly into her back, slowly guiding her all the way down until the cool satin sheets pressed into her breasts. Her arms wound around his calf muscles and when her legs extended, knees pressing into the bedding and thighs bracketing his hips, he grabbed onto her hips and gave a little tug.
The position seated him deep in her sex, pressing firmly into her front where all those delicious nerve endings lay. Fingers massaged her cheeks as he eased forward. “Now fuck me, Evelyn.”
Coming Home Page 23