“No! No, no, no!” She felt panic rise as Stieg was rushed out of her view behind the stage. Tears streamed down her face, and she felt Sadie’s arms wrap around her. Her body shook with her sobs. Stieg was ripped out of her life again. But it was worse this time because she wasn’t dreaming.
*****
Stieg paced the back of the room like a lion in a cage. “Fuck!” His angry shout got the attention of everyone close by. The guard assigned to him, already on alert, scanned the room for danger.
Jonas ran up to him and with his phone against his ear. “Calm down, Stieg. I’m on it.”
He could feel himself hyperventilating and stopped moving to lean his back against the wall. Jonas placed a hand on his shoulder. “She knows you’re here and obviously you know she’s here. It’s only a matter of time before you find her. Relax, or they’ll lock you up somewhere.” Jonas was drawn back to the phone conversation leaving Stieg alone with his thoughts. He put his head against the wall and slid down, covering his face with his hands.
Jonas knelt and put his mouth close to Stieg’s ear. “The question was supposed to go to Marc Kensington, the owner of KenSpec Labs. I have some connections checking the register for his reservations. I’ll find where she is staying, and I’ll have you knocking on her door soon. Take a breath man.” Stieg felt himself nodding, but his heart was beating so hard it was difficult to hear Jonas.
She was this close to him — this close. He couldn’t stop shaking. Adrenaline flooded his system so that every nerve in his body was jumping like a live wire. The emcee came to him and knelt, security had stood in a protective ring around the stars. He took Stieg’s reaction as fear. “Mr. Warner. I’m sorry if this has frightened you. Some asshole called in a gun threat. We had to evacuate the area quickly, but before we could make the announcement and calmly remove everyone, someone pulled the fire alarm. Since the shooting several years ago, we take threats seriously. The cops are sorting it out. Right now, we need to get you and the cast to your rooms for safety reasons.”
Stieg looked up. “What about the meet and greet later?” He hoped maybe she would be there. If she was, he’d find her then.
“That’s been postponed until we can make sure you are all safe. We can’t look at these incidents as crank calls anymore. Your safety is the most important thing now. Our guests are priority one.”
Stieg felt his heart drop. He simply nodded as a security guard stepped forward to lead him to his room. He stood on shaky legs and walked with the security team. Jonas fell behind them as they moved through the back halls of the casino. He could hear everyone chatting on their phones as they waited for security to unlock the private entrance that led to the Villas. Stieg stood with his head down and hands on his hips, not paying attention to what was happening around him. He fought the tears that wanted to fall. God, she was right there in front of him.
They passed through the plain metal door that led to the first long marble hallway that would take them to their rooms. People broke off as they reached their room and security stationed themselves outside each door. Stieg fought the pain in his chest. He knew Lisbeth was close, but he didn’t know how he’d find her in a mob of thousands. Every step took him away from where he’d seen her, and it went against his instincts.
He looked up to see two men and two women walking ahead of him. One woman had her arms around the other, the men were slightly behind them, leaning in talking quietly. One man with dark hair seemed familiar, but from the back, he couldn’t be sure it was the same man in the Q and A. The women turned their heads to talk to the men. He grabbed Jonas by the arm and stopped suddenly. Jonas looked up just as the group ahead of them prepared to go down the next hallway.
“Lisbeth.” Stieg’s voice was quiet at first. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “Lisbeth!” The group stopped, and the men turned to look at him. Both men smiled as they whispered to the women. The dark-haired woman holding the other female gasped and whispered to Lisbeth. The tear-streaked face of the woman he’d been dreaming of turned toward him. “Oh god, it is you. Oh, baby, come here.”
He took a few steps forward and opened his arms. Lisbeth struggled to get ahold of her emotions before she began to walk toward him. “Come to me, Lisbeth.” He couldn’t stop his forward movement, even though she was jogging toward him. Before he knew it, she was in his arms. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. Her soft body pressed against him and he could hear her sobs and feel her tears wetting his neck.
“I didn’t think you’d know me.” Her voice was muffled against him. “I was afraid you’d not recognize me.” Her hands were clinging to his waist, pulling him tight to her body. He stroked her back with one hand, cupping the back of her head with the other. Her soft hair felt so right against his palm.
“I’d know you anywhere. I’d know, Lisbeth. You’re my forever love.” He moved and began to kiss her forehead over and over. He could hear Jonas beside him talking to the security team, but not caring what he was saying, he focused on her. Lisbeth. She was real, she was warm and alive in his arms.
“Stieg, if you don’t let up, you’re going to break her before you can ride her.”
“Jonas, your sick sense of humor isn’t helping or needed right now.” He wrapped his arms around her tighter, tight enough to feel every inch of her pressed against him. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest. He couldn’t get close enough to her to calm himself.
“Who’s joking? Seriously, Stieg, relax a bit, you’ve got a death grip on her.” Jonas clasped a hand to his shoulder, his voice full of emotion. “It’s okay now, you’ve found her.” Jonas moved his hand from his shoulder and ran a finger over his cheek, removing a tear.
Stieg took a breath and realized he was holding Lisbeth a little too tight and tried to relax his arms, loosening his hold. He felt her grab on to him tighter and smiled against her forehead. “I’m not letting you go, Lisbeth. God, never, never again.” He could feel her nodding as she slightly backed away from him and rubbed her tear-soaked face with her hand. He kept his arm around her waist, not willing to completely let go of her while he rubbed her back with his free hand. He looked up to see the men holding each of the other woman’s hands. If he wasn’t so relieved to finally have Lisbeth wrapped around him, he might have raised his eyebrows at the threesome. But he could only focus on the woman in his arms.
“I know you guys want to be alone, but later after you get acquainted or, reacquainted, we’ll be around to answering your questions. I’m Dr. Marc Kensington. This is Captain Dave Amsted and our wife, Sadie.”
Jonas glanced at Stieg with raised eyebrows, then moved and shook their hands in greeting. “I’m Jonas Kirkhart, Stieg’s personal assistant. Obviously, you know who he is since you were at the event. I guess you’re with the woman who is currently wrapped around my best friend.” Humor laced his voice, and Stieg smiled.
“This is Lisbeth. And she’s mine.” Stieg hardly recognized his own voice, so full of emotion and disbelief that she was real and in his embrace.
“Well, I’m certainly glad that got settled.” Everyone looked down the hallway. A short, older woman dressed in a long red wig, a full-length, silky blue dress, and pink contact lenses stood with a smile on her face. “Now, who is staying in which room?” The older woman looked around the stunned faces of everyone in the hallway. “I’m dressed as the Elder from the Being’s homeworld. What? This is a science fiction convention.”
Jonas grinned. “I fucking love America.”
*****
Jonas smiled at the older lady, she smiled back. “I’m Telly Ann Lackney, most call me Tel. You seem like a nice young man who’d love to have an old lady stay in his extra bedroom.”
“You bet I would. You’re the greatest thing I’ve run across since we got here. Stieg, give me your key.” Stieg’s hands wouldn’t leave the woman in his arms. “Never mind.” Jonas huffed then reached into Stieg’s back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out hi
s keycard and put Tel’s key back in its place. “I’ll get your shit packed and moved.”
“Tomorrow will be fine, Jonas.” Stieg couldn’t take his eyes off Lisbeth.
“You bet it is. You’ll probably be naked most of the day anyway. And you’ll be paying for mine and Tel’s room service.” Jonas grinned at his new friend. He removed several bills from Stieg’s wallet, stuffed them in his front pants pocket, then he put the wallet in Stieg’s hand. He turned to the old lady. “Here’s your new key, Tel. I’ll make sure your stuff is sent over later.”
“Much later, Jonas.” Stieg smiled at Lisbeth, releasing her quickly to put his wallet in his pocket. He stood staring at her, afraid he’d wake up. God, she was in his arms.
“Oh, that’s more than fine, dear, I’m headed to the convention right now anyway. I’m going to be busy for hours. I hear that they are having a meet and greet for Aoki, Flynn, and Charley.” The old lady’s voice was getting farther away as she walked down the hall. “That’s the next movie he should make, you know.” Apparently, she and Jonas were leaving together.
His voice floated to him as they walked away. “I heard Mace and Abby might make an appearance.” Tel’s voice replied, but it was too far away to hear her words.
“Well, I guess we’ll head on up to our room then.” Stieg looked up to see Dave holding the woman, Sadie in his arms. Marc was grinning as he walked to them and kissed the back of her head. He placed his hand on the other man’s shoulder before turning his head to face them. “Send a message when you’re ready to talk.”
Stieg looked back to the woman standing next to him and felt something that surprised him. He was nervous. So much had happened in the last few weeks, and he’d been desperate to find Lisbeth. But he had focused so much on trying to find her that he never planned on what it would be like when he did finally meet her. On the surface, it was irrational, he loved her so damn much, but he’d never actually met her. He had known so much about her but didn’t know where she was or how to get to her. It was like a puzzle with important missing pieces.
“It’s villa two.” Her voice was reserved, almost shy, drawing his attention back to the present. He smiled as he took her hand and they headed to her rooms. She grabbed the lanyard around her neck and pulled out her keycard and unlocked the door. He could feel her hands shaking and the coolness of her skin. He realized then she was just as nervous, and that fact helped to calm him down.
“I can’t say I understand what’s going on, but I know that the last few weeks I’ve been dreaming of you. The dreams started like any other, but they got more and more real. Like I had lived it, even though I hadn’t ever done those things.” She turned to face him then, and it hit him again that she was real. She wasn’t just a woman from a dream, but a real honest-to-god person — his Lisbeth. And she was here. Not two feet away from him, looking at him like the sun rose and set on him. From her actions in the meeting room and the way she ran to him in the hall, she felt the same for him as he did about her.
“Lisbeth.” His voice was a whisper, a plea for her to understand. He needed her. She immediately came to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her lips to his neck. He ran his hands down her back and pulled her closer to him. His cock getting harder by the second as her soft hips pressed against him. “I don’t want to make you think I only want…” Her kiss cut off his words. Desperation was in her kiss, something he understood. He felt her hands pulling at his clothes.
“Which way to your room?” It was all he could say. He’d take her here on the marble floor if they didn’t get to the bed soon. She pulled him to the left and down the hall. They never stopped kissing except to pull their t-shirts off, throwing them as they moved. His hands encountered her lace covered bra, and he stopped moving to look at her. They were breathing hard, panting really. Each inhalation strained the cups of her bra. She ran her hands over his chest, pausing to run her thumbs over his nipples. He smiled when he remembered she knew that he liked that. A lot. She smiled then bit her bottom lip. They looked into each other’s eyes for seconds before he reached behind her and unhooked the clasp of her bra.
He pulled the straps down inhaling sharply as her breasts slowly came into view. He noticed his fingers were shaking when he placed them on her collarbones. He trailed the tips down her chest, pushing the lace away from her body, revealing her pale pink nipples. They were exactly like he knew they’d be. He’d licked and sucked them before, many times. He raised his gaze back to her face then smiled as he cupped the back of her head and brought her lips to his. Their tongues met in a slow exploration. They both moaned as he pulled her in tight, skin meeting skin. He brought one hand to her body, pinching and gently twisting a nipple. He knew just how hard to do it, to make her weak.
She found the opening to his pants, her hands trembling so much that she fumbled to undo them.
“God, yes. I want to go slow, Lisbeth, but I don’t think I can this time.”
“I don’t want it slow. I want it like the first time in the hostel.”
“But I made you come in the shower several times before I took you to my bed.” He moved to take off the rest of her clothes. “Then I ate your pussy.” His cock jumped at the memory.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll come as soon as you get inside me.” Her voice was shaking.
He hoped so. He was primed and ready to explode. He pushed her jeans from her body then his own pants fell to the floor. He had to touch her, feel her clit. He wanted to taste her too. There was so much he wanted to do with her. To her. He could bring her pleasure quickly. He knew just how hard and fast to strum her clit. He slid his hand between her underwear and her body, bringing his fingers to her warm, wet slit.
“You’re so fucking wet.”
Her body arched against him, and he could tell her knees were weak. He pushed her panties down her thighs, picked her up and sat her on the bed. He jerked the scrap of lace off her body before he roughly parted her thighs, dropped to the floor and buried his face in her pussy. God, her taste, the feel of her intimate skin against him, so familiar and so perfect. He sucked her clit into his mouth just as she grabbed his hair and pulled him tighter to her body. He was determined to make her scream. He used his tongue and fingers, sucked, licked and fingered her to completion. Her cries finally penetrated the fog in his brain. Her juices covered his fingers and chin.
He was panting hard. “Are you still on the shots? I don’t have protection.” God, he hoped she was okay with it. He needed inside her.
“I am. I’m clean, no one in a year and always with protection. I think I know you well enough to assume the same.”
He’d never fucked a woman without a condom. Only her. Even though he’d never met her. “Yes.” He didn’t stop to think about the pain of her sleeping with other men. He stood, pushing down his boxer briefs, excitement made him uncoordinated so that he nearly tripped. He moved to place his cock between her spread things and grasped the base to guide it into her. He held his breath as he pushed inside.
“Holy fuck.” She felt better than he remembered. So warm, wet and tight. Her walls gripped his cock like a fist. He was still standing between her thighs. He looked down to see himself buried deep inside her and it nearly made him come. He closed his eyes briefly before shifting his focus to her face. She was gazing at him with a look that made his heart almost stop. He pulled out slowly and pushed back in. He felt her walls clench his cock. This was going to be over embarrassingly fast.
“I’m sorry, Lisbeth, but I’ve hurt for you for so long.” He grabbed her hips and began to fuck her hard and fast. He’d make it up to her later. He dug his knees into the side of the mattress for leverage. He had to close his eyes again, nearly coming as her tits bounced when he slammed into her. He heard her scream just as the tingle started in his cock.
He gritted his teeth, trying to hold off, but it was like holding back a wave on the ocean. He threw back his head and pushed deep inside her body just as the head of his cock felt like it
blew off and his balls turned inside out. Little tremors shook him as he continued to empty himself into her. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her face and chest were pink, her eyes were closed, and a light sheen of perspiration covered her.
He leaned down to cover her body with his. His mouth crashed into hers. He didn’t want to be soft or sweet. He needed to devour her. He broke the kiss to stare into her eyes. “I can’t tell you what it means that you are here in my arms. I don’t understand how any of this happened, but I’m damn glad it did.” He smiled at her, feeling her heart pounding against his chest. Just as she probably felt his.
“Oh, it’s a long story. And it’s an unbelievable one too.”
He adjusted himself, so he was resting on his elbows but gazing into her eyes. His legs were sticking straight out, hanging off the bed, while hers had wrapped around his waist.
“As unbelievable as being in love with a woman I’ve never met. And I do love you, Lisbeth Mohr. With all my heart. And I’m never letting you go again. I can’t.” He loved to watch her eyes light up when he said how much he loved her. It never registered that he now knew her last name.
She raised her hand to cup the side of his face. “I love you too, Stieg Warner. More than you’ll ever know and I’m glad we’re together. Finally. Even though we’ve never met.” Their laughs turned to moans as he lowered his lips to her throat.
“I’ll never get enough of you. I’ve been addicted to your taste since I tasted you in Leipzig.” He whispered the words against her skin, felt her heart hammering against his chest, tasted the saltiness of her skin, heard her sigh. He was totally immersed in everything about her. And he’d never been happier in his life. He reluctantly pulled from her body and stood up. He reached out his hand and pulled her with him.
My Forever Love (Crossing the Line Book 2) Page 7