“You won’t hurt me or scare me. Stop fighting so hard. I want to know you.”
For a moment, she felt embarrassed. Like a spoiled child demanding a treat. Who the hell was she to insist on knowing him? She didn’t even know herself. She’d learned more about Demi Vaughan in the last twenty-four hours with Eric than she’d ever known about herself before that.
But now wasn’t a good moment to back down.
So she went to the bed and batted off the excess pillows. Turned down the bedcover and sheet and draped herself across it in a seductive pose. She spread her hair artfully over the pillow and tilted her breasts up, magazine centerfold style.
She gave him a sultry glance. “So? What now?” she asked in a throaty voice. “You shameless tease.”
“You think?” Eric climbed onto the bed, gripping his erection at the base so it jutted aggressively. “I’m taking you at your word.” His voice had a warning tone.
“I’d expect nothing less of you.”
Eric seized her knee, folded modestly over, and spread it wide. He stared down between her legs, then laid his hand over her mound. “Mine.” His voice was steely.
She was startled. “What? What’s yours?”
“This.” He stroked her pussy lips, and tenderly thrust his finger inside.
She felt herself clench around him, and lifted herself to his caressing hand.
“Wow,” she whispered shakily. “Ah…that’s possessive.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “It is. Very.”
She looked at him for a long, blank moment before a coherent reply formed in her mind. “It’s a bit premature, making ownership claims about my body.”
“I know that. I never said that it was true. Or that it was right. I know you belong to yourself. But that’s how touching your pussy makes me feel. Isn’t that what you wanted to know? How I feel?”
She hesitated. “Ah…yes.”
“Well, there you go. Touching your pussy makes me possessive.” His voice was rough. “When it’s all sweet and soft and hot and ready for me to fuck, this huge animal thing roars up, and that’s what it says. That’s all it says. Mine. Mine. Mine.”
He lifted up her mound delicately, parting her pussy lips, making her clit pop out.
“So I try to control myself,” he murmured. “To stay out of trouble.”
She choked off a moan as he bent down and circled his tongue around her clit. Lapping it, licking it, loving it. “Oh my God, Eric. Please.”
“Mine to suck and lick and tongue-fuck.” He slid his tongue tenderly inside her opening. “You taste so good. That sweet juice. That’s all mine, too. I want to lick it up.”
His deep voice vibrating against her mound made her crazy. She reached down, winding her fingers into his hair and tugging. “I wanted to make it about you for once,” she protested. “If we’re going to do oral sex, let me drive you crazy for a change.”
He rolled between her splayed legs. “I thought you wanted to know my secrets.”
“I do, but—”
“Number one, I’m possessive. Number two, I suck at taking orders.”
“Ah, yes. I did notice that already.” She arched back as he stroked her clit with the head of his cock. Around…and around, making soft, juicy sounds as it moved inside her.
“Number three,” he went on. “I like to be in charge.”
She stared up, breath jerking between her parted lips as he prodded his cockhead inside her. “Yeah? Then we might have a problem. I like being in charge, too.”
“Yeah? How do you like…this?” He thrust forward, driving inside her.
She came almost immediately. Her pussy clutching him hard.
When her eyes fluttered open, Eric was watching her, looking pleased with himself. “I don’t think we’re going to have any problems,” he murmured.
She writhed eagerly against his deep, driving thrusts, surrendering to pleasure. Driven to the edge of madness by his expert fucking—and then beyond it.
They exploded together.
It was a long time before she moved at all. She was limp, drenched with sweat.
She opened her eyes and found that her leg was splayed over his thigh, his penis still inside her. It was only slightly softer than usual.
She wiggled against him. “I take it you came this time, at least? It felt like you did.”
He cupped her ass with his hand, pulling to stay inside her. “Yeah.”
“Good,” she murmured. “But you’re still hard.”
“You just have that effect on me. I have to get rid of this condom, whatever we decide to do about my hard-on.” He pulled out, with a sigh of regret. “Mmm, you feel good. So where do I…?”
“Bathroom’s through that door,” she said, pointing.
She admired his tight, muscular ass as he went into the bathroom. The water started running. The sky was fading to a deeper blue now. One bright star glowed through the window, low on the horizon.
The door opened. Eric stood silhouetted in the doorway before switching the light back off. He came back to the bed, pulled out another condom and rolled it on with the matter-of-fact attitude of a guy who was absolutely in charge.
“Already?” she said.
“We can rest, if you want. I just want to be ready in case I get lucky again. No rush. My hard-on isn’t going anywhere. It’s your call, Demi. Always.”
Demi blew out a shaky breath, rolled away from him and got up. She needed a breather. Over-the-top charisma, mind-melting sexual mojo, the unwavering self-possession, it was just too much. She could hardly breathe.
She fled to the bathroom to collect herself. Once there, she washed up and stared at her face, barely recognizing herself in the mirror. She looked dazed, soft. Face and chest hot pink. Hair a wild, tousled mane. Lips puffy and red from all the passionate kissing.
She’d never felt that close to anyone. Not even herself. This was completely out of hand. Her guard hadn’t just fallen. It was entirely gone. She was naked, and madly in love.
On a fucking epic scale. A soul-crushing, world-ending, Greek tragedy scale, if it didn’t work out. And the statistical probabilities of it working out…well.
They were not great.
14
Eric waited for Demi to get out the bathroom, wondering if he’d fucked up again.
She was taking her time in there. Too much time.
After a half hour had passed, he concluded that he’d done it again. True to form, he’d overdone it. Come down on her like a ton of bricks. She’d panicked.
Fuck.
After the never-ending shower, she finally emerged, wrapped in a towel and a cloud of scented steam. His clueless dick sprang up to full attention. Hello, sex maniac. He should have gotten into bed and rolled onto his belly. Given her a breather from that constant visual reminder of how crazy he was for her.
“Hey,” he said.
Her gaze flicked down to his stiff, empurpled penis, then back up to his face.
He gave her a ‘what-of-it’ shrug. “You okay? You were in there for a long time.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just needed a moment to think.”
“What about?”
She shook her head. “I just can’t have a calm, rational conversation with that enormous hard-on waving in the air between us. It’s distracting.”
He reached for his jeans, crestfallen. “I’ll get dressed.”
“No you most certainly will not,” she said crisply. “Drop those right now, Eric Trask.”
The jeans flopped to the ground. “No?” He hoped he did not look and sound as pathetically hopeful as he felt in that moment.
“We’re not there yet. We still have until seven-thirty, when Granddad gets here. Call it seven, to be safe.”
Oh thank God. He scooted to the other side of the bed, draping the sheet over his relentless hard-on. “Great. Dick under wraps. Problem solved. Come here and let’s talk about whatever’s bugging you.”
She sat down on the bed and c
urled her legs up, keeping the towel wrapped around herself. “I was thinking about what you said before. How you like being in charge.”
“Aw, shit,” he said. “Pay no attention to that. I was just talking dirty, to get you all worked up. It was all in the interests of making you come. Don’t worry about it.”
“Let me finish,” she said sternly. “There are a few things that need to be said up front. You know. Ground rules.”
He flopped back against the pillow. “Okay, go ahead,” he said. “Hit me.”
“For one thing, I don’t believe for one second that you were just talking dirty to turn me on. I know blather when I hear it, and that wasn’t blather. You were telling me the truth. At least the truth about how you felt in that moment.”
“Fine,” he said. “Guilty as charged. I did not lie. And? So?”
“So it’s a problem,” she said. “You’re going to be constantly frustrated with me.”
He rolled onto his side, the better to study the curve of her cheekbone. The worried look in her big eyes, full of shadows. “Why would that be?”
“I’m not going to let anybody be in charge of me.” Her voice was resolute. “Because I’m sick of that. A new era is dawning in my life.”
“Great,” he said. “You’re a woman on a mission. With her own agenda. Super-hot. I love it. It works for me.”
“I’m difficult and bullheaded,” she went on. “Just ask my parents.”
He gave her a cautious, sidewise look. “Uh…”
“On second thought, don’t. Just take my word for it.”
“That sounds safer,” he agreed.
“I’ve got plans, and I won’t compromise them. For anything or anyone.”
“Check, check and check,” he said. “I’ve got plans, too. We’ll both be busy as hell doing challenging things. Sounds stimulating. Still not seeing the problem here.”
She stared searchingly into his face, a frown between her brows. “I didn’t want you going off on some overheated fantasy about being the boss. That’s not happening.”
It took a supreme act of will, but he knew laughing would fuck him up. He groped for the words to set them back onto the straight and narrow path toward redemption.
“I wouldn’t dare try that,” he said. “I boss myself, and you’ll do the same. It’ll work out fine. We might have sparks fly here and there, but it won’t get boring.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Eric went on, warming to his topic. “The drama will play out in bed, every night,” he said. “I’ll use all my sexual sorcery to try to bend you to my wicked will. But it won’t work, because you’re so fucking indomitable. You’ll just put me in my place. Over and over and over. Until we’re so hot and sweaty and exhausted we can barely roll over. Oh, man. I am up for that.” He lifted the sheet, glancing down at himself. “Literally.”
She gave him a narrow look. “Are you messing with me? Because I’m serious.”
“I don’t have a death wish.” He kept his face solemn. “You are the queen of yourself and I respect your sovereignty.”
“Now you’re being a smart-ass.”
He lifted the covers, beckoning to her. “I didn’t mean to be. Cross my heart. Lose the towel and come over here to me. Please. Just to cuddle.”
She let the towel fall to the floor, and slid in next to him.
Whoa. He practically had an instant whole body orgasm from the sweet warm rush of skin-on-skin contact. Slender arms, shapely legs, silken flower-scented hair. That baby-smooth skin, as soft as a cloud.
All his senses went nuts. He could pound nails with his dick, but he wasn’t going to. He just edged as close as he dared, stroking her gently from shoulder to thigh.
He didn’t dare kiss her, or he’d end up fucking her again. Didn’t even look at her. He tucked her head under his chin and kept his eyes closed. Iron control.
After a while, the soft blooming heat of her breath against his bare chest got slower and more even. She’d dozed off.
He couldn’t resist watching at her sleeping face. So beautiful, it hurt to look.
Caring that much. So fucking dangerous. It was begging to get slammed. He’d known that for a long time, even before the GodsAcre fire. He’d known it since Mom died. He stroked a lock of Demi’s hair, marveling at the miraculous texture of it.
Precious, fragile things, like love. So delicate. Easy to fuck up. Easy to destroy.
But he didn’t have a choice. Demi had torn his heart wide open. He couldn’t keep her out. The damage was done. There was no going back.
All he could do was brace himself for the pain.
Demi woke up to moonlight flooding through her windows. She was wrapped in warmth, and Eric was gazing at her, stroking her hair.
“Hey,” she murmured. “Can’t sleep?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to miss a second of this feeling,” he said.
She nestled closer, smiling. “What feeling?”
His arms tightened. “Like I could do anything,” he said. “Move mountains. Fly to the moon. Any fucking thing I could imagine.”
“Me, too.” She reached out to caress his face with wondering fingers. Feeling the fine rasp of his beard shadow, the hot, damp skin. His beautiful bone structure. She peered down at his body. He was still fiercely erect. And he already had a condom on. That was handy.
She reached down and seized his rod, stroking him gently.
His hands covered hers. “Demi, you don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t,” she said. “We’ve been through that. I’m the queen of myself, remember?”
“But we’ve had sex twice already.”
“How fortunate for you that you manage to keep up with my voracious sexual desires,” she told him.
Eric’s laugher choked off into a moan as she stroked her hand down to the base of his shaft, squeezing him boldly and making sure the condom was in place.
“Oh, God, Demi,” he rasped. “Please.”
“Yes,” she replied, tugging at his shoulders.
Eric followed her cues, rolling carefully over on top of her, and rested his weight on his elbows. Then he leaned over to flip on the bedside light. It produced a mellow, orangey glow. “I need to see you,” he said. “You’re so damn beautiful. I have to stare.”
God, he was gorgeous. All the defined contours of his big, heavily muscled body poised over hers, set off by stark shadows and soft light, it was overwhelming. She could feel her own heart beating heavily, in her chest, in her lips. Between her legs.
She shifted beneath him, reaching down to grip his dick, rubbing it wantonly against herself. Making him wet with her lube, then nudging him inside. Wiggling and straining to get closer. Take him deeper.
Eric rocked forward, pushing himself inside her. “Tell me when it’s too much,” he said. “I could go on forever.”
“I’m good,” she said. “Don’t worry. I want forever, too.”
They both froze for a breathless instant as her words sank in. Eric’s eyes flashed, but he made no comment. He just bent down, kissing her with tender intensity. “I’ll keep going until you tell me to stop.”
“Bold words,” she said.
“I’m nothing if not bold. Look at me the whole time. I go for that.”
As if she could look away. Eric Trask, arched over her body, pumping his body into her. Every thrust making her gasp. Unraveling her with pleasure.
His gaze was fierce and relentless. She understood the message of his body, with every deep, gliding stroke of his cock. Mine. Mine. Mine.
He didn’t need to ask if it was good for her. He knew. He was fused with her.
Pleasure overwhelmed them together. Swept them both away.
They lay together, still joined, for a timeless interval afterward. Eric reluctantly pulled away from her, to her sleepy protests, and went to deal with the condom. He was back in a matter of seconds, wrapping his hot, naked body around hers once again.
/> She’d never felt so perfectly happy as she did in that moment. Floating in daydreams. Hunting for an apartment with him in Seattle. With the big city rents, they’d probably have to share a studio apartment for a while. It would be tight, in all senses.
And so much fun. Freaking delicious. It made her high just thinking of it.
The sound of a car motor and headlights flickering in the trees jolted Demi out of her reverie. It sent her bounding up into the air like a spring.
“Holy shit,” she said, panicked. “They came back early. Oh, shit, shit, shit!”
“Demi,” Eric said gently. “Chill.”
“Do not tell me to chill!” She snatched up his pants and flung them at his chest. “Get dressed! Quick! If we’re quick, you can slip out pool house door before he—”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?” she yelled. “Move, damn it! Do you have a death wish?”
Eric got out of the bed. “I’ll get dressed,” he said, stepping into his jeans. “But I’m not running out of here like a rabbit. If he’s come back, that means he saw me on the security cameras. So why the frenzy? We’re busted. Grit your teeth. We’ll get through it.”
“I just want to spare you what I promise will be some of the shittiest moments of your life!”
Eric let out a short laugh as he stepped into his sandals and wrestled his T-shirt on. “Sorry, babe, but nothing Ben Vaughan can throw at me could even begin to touch the shittiest moments of my life,” he said. “I’m not afraid of him. But I’m sorry that you are.”
“You really want to be insulted and abused? Why would you do that to yourself?”
“I don’t like to back down,” he told her.
“I don’t want to do this, Eric! Not tonight!”
“Then you shouldn’t have invited me here. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
She looked shocked. “Are you for real? You are muscling me into this showdown with my dad whether I like it or not?”
“Yes,” he said. “Are we together, Demi? Or not?”
“That’s not the point! Don’t be an idiot!”
“It’s the only point,” he said. “Answer my question. Are we together? It’s your call. I’m on board if you are.” He waited. “So? Let’s hear it.”
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