Twenty-five very annoying minutes later, Talan was finally able to hang up. Normally he didn’t have a problem with the fact that Lachlan liked to gossip like an old maid. Tonight he didn’t have the patience for it, though. He knew he had been short with him, and he’d probably need to apologize for it.
He strode from the office and said, “Gillian, hold my calls, please.”
When his efficient assistant nodded and went back to her typing, he punched the button for the elevator.
****
He had been waylaid by no less than four more individuals on the way to the club. Granted, it had been for totally valid reasons, but it slowed his trip to see Lilly by over an hour. He could only hope she hadn’t gone home.
As he stepped into the dance club, the bass thumped heavily. He scanned the crowd at the tables and the bar but didn’t see her there. He couldn’t see the entire floor from this vantage point, so he climbed up the stairs to the observation deck. His eyes searched through the thick crowds, disappointment filling his system when he didn’t see her. He was about to give up when he spotted her. The way her form lithely moved to the music made him appreciate house music for the first time in his existence.
Several men danced near and around her. Even though she wasn’t engaging with any of them, he still felt a flare of jealousy. Quickly he hurried down the stairs and pushed his way through the throngs of sweaty, dancing people until he reached the general area where she was. She was a few feet away, her body moving along with the music. He came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. She tensed for a moment and then relaxed into him and said, “You better be careful. My boyfriend’s on his way over here.”
Talan began to move his body along with hers as he leaned in, nipping at her earlobe. “I’m sure I could take him,” he said in her ear.
In answer, Lilly gave a slight shiver, then twisted in his arms to face him and said, “I had almost given up on you.”
“I got caught by five different people on my way here,” he explained in apology. “Having a good time?”
“I’m having a better time now,” she said. “Are you able to stay?”
In answer he nodded and said, “I don’t have any other meetings scheduled. Would you like me to stay? I thought this was…” What had she called it? “A girls’ night out?”
“I’m pretty sure Marissa made a friend,” Lilly said dryly, pointing to a blond woman who was very heavily making out with someone on a couch a few feet away.
“Tell your friend that you’re leaving and then come upstairs with me,” he said, his thoughts immediately turning wicked.
“Oh really,” she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
The look he gave her must have been convincing enough because she scurried over to her friend. After a short conversation, which ended in her pointing to him, the woman nodded and gave a wave. By the time Lilly returned, the woman had gone back to her new friend.
Lilly slipped her hand into his and said, “Let’s go.”
Giving her hand a squeeze, Talan navigated toward the exit. When they pushed through the throngs of people, he let go of her hand and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. He was pleased when she wrapped an arm around his waist.
When they stepped out into the hotel again, he didn’t bother to release her. He just steered them both to the bank of elevators. He pressed the button and guided her toward the set of doors that opened. Removing his wallet, he slid it over the security panel that gave access to the penthouse. Then he turned to look at her and asked, “How much have you had to drink tonight?”
“I had a mixed drink a few hours ago. Why?” she asked, confused.
He shifted, pressed her back against the wall of the elevator, and lowered his mouth until it hovered just a breath above hers. “I didn’t want to take advantage.”
Her gaze went heavy-lidded with arousal as she pressed herself against him. “You’re not. I’ve never wanted anyone so much.”
Seconds before he kissed her, he murmured, “Me neither.”
He crushed his mouth down on hers, feeling the same overwhelming need swamp him that he felt the very first time they kissed. When he told her he’d never wanted anyone so much, that hadn’t been an exaggeration. Her firm little body pressed up against his was driving him insane. He couldn’t wait to get her into his apartment to see what she wore under that delightfully tiny outfit she had on.
As their tongues stroked and swirled against each other, he let his hands roam down to rest on her ass. When she let out a soft moan, he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. He pinned her body to the wall of the elevator and ground his erection against the vee of her thighs. He tore his mouth from hers, letting out a hungry groan of his own. Need filled him as he moved his lips along her jawline, licking and sucking at the sensitive flesh. Her legs tightened around him and she pressed her hips against him. “Talan,” she moaned, tilting her head back against the wall of the elevator.
He could smell her arousal already. In a haze of lust, when the doors opened, he strode down the hall toward his door with her still clinging to him like a vine. He fiddled with the lock, impatient to get inside her, and he finally managed to open the door.
As they walked inside he said, “If you’re not ready to do this, now would be a good time to let me know, Lilly. I’m about two seconds from taking you against the front door like an animal.”
Chapter Seven
Lilly stared at him, panting wildly, as he very gracefully offered her an out. When she was finally able to form words again, she said, “I invited you upstairs on our first date. I’m past ready, Talan.”
In response, Talan buried his face in the side of her neck. She let out a sigh when his tongue began to trace circles against her pulse. Her eyes slid closed as she savored the feeling of his hot mouth against her skin. She felt the vague sensation of movement and a slight breeze. When her eyes opened, she realized he had moved them to another room. He stood at the foot of a very large bed. She unwrapped her legs from his waist and stood in front of him. His eyes very nearly glowed with intensity as he watched.
He reached out to run a finger along the top edge of the strappy tank top she wore. His voice husky with want, he said, “I’ve been dying to know what you’ve got on under that incredibly tiny outfit.”
She gave a little shrug and said, “Nothing, really.”
His eyes shot back up to hers. Incredulously, he asked, “Nothing?”
“Not a stitch,” she said as she reached for the hem of her tank top.
He frowned and said, “I don’t know how I feel about you walking around with no panties on.”
“I took them off when you told me you were coming to the club,” she admitted, flushing. “They’re in my bag.”
His eyes darkened with pleasure as he took in the sight of her bare breasts. Not moving a muscle, he said, “The skirt too.”
Lilly’s hand shook slightly as she pulled the zipper down and slid the skirt down over her hips. She let it fall to the floor, then stepped out of it.
“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you would be,” he admitted. He began unbuttoning the buttons on his sleeves and said, “I want to take my time, but I need to be buried inside you so badly. You can’t possibly understand how badly I need you right now.”
Lilly stepped forward, working at the buttons on his collar, her hands more steady now. She said, “I’ve been on edge since our first kiss, Talan. You don’t know how many times...”
He took in her flushed face, grinning, and asked, “How many times what, Lilly? I’m very interested to know what you were going to say.”
She cursed her lack of an internal filter and then said, “I touched myself, and wished it was you.”
Talan let out a low, tortured groan and moved his hands to the buckle of his belt. Together they managed to strip him out of the rest of his clothes and they crawled onto the bed. When his body was pressed against hers, she let her
hands roam, exploring the hard ridges of the muscles on his back as they continued to kiss.
The hand that had cradled her cheek slid down to cup her breast, as he softened the kiss and backed away. Watching her, Talan rubbed the pad of his thumb across the tight nipple. When her eyelids slid closed, he continued to stroke his fingertips across her sensitive breasts. The low hum of pleasure that coursed through her body spiked dramatically when he gave one of the tight peaks a quick pinch. The pleasure and pain of it blended so beautifully, she arched her back and cried out from it.
She heard a low moan as he worked his way down her body. His warm mouth latched onto her right breast. The raspy strokes of his tongue against the tender flesh sent sparks of pleasure skittering through her system. The gentle suction of his mouth increased, until she was rolling her hips against him and panting. She had never known it could feel this good. As her body began to adjust to the sensations of his mouth on her sensitive nipples, she felt the barest hint of his teeth against her skin.
She shuddered against him and moaned, “So good.”
The fingers that had been toying with her other breast gave it a sharp pinch as he pulled her nipple deep into his mouth. She arched her back, the feelings running through her so intense that she couldn’t help but scream out her pleasure.
When he released her breasts, he said, “So responsive, little one.”
Talan began to work his way down her stomach, his mouth lingering in a few spots until she all but writhed against him. As he moved to wedge his shoulders between her open thighs, she murmured, “Oh God.”
He chuckled, his mouth centimetres from her aching pussy, and said, “Not God, just Talan.”
Seconds later, his fingers parted her folds and he began to lap at her juices. She moaned with abandon as his tongue stroked her from opening to clit and then back again. Though it was muffled, she heard him say, “You taste so fucking good, Lilly.”
She vaguely realized that he’d never cursed in her presence before this moment, but before she could read more into it, his tongue began to circle her clit slowly. She balled her hands into tight fists and arched her hips into his mouth.
He reached up and held her hips down with the flat of his palm. She tensed against him and then heard a muffled, “Let me.” She relaxed again and let go, enjoying the sensation of his tongue against her flesh. When the swirling of his tongue sped up, she gave a sharp gasp. His tongue moved against her more quickly than any human’s could. This combined with the gentle suction he applied to her clit had her fisting her hands in the comforter around her and moaning with abandon.
His tongue, incredibly, sped up even more. She began to shudder uncontrollably. Seconds later, release barrelled through her system unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She screamed out his name as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over her. She realized, when his mouth finally stilled, that her hand was clutching his hair and pulling it. Aghast, she quickly released it.
As if he was reading her thoughts, he grinned and said, “Don’t worry. I liked it.”
He crawled up the length of her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. The taste of herself on his lips was a foreign experience for her. She slid her hands up and around his neck, enjoying the lazy way his tongue stroked hers.
When the kiss ended, he said, “I need to be inside you, Lilly.”
In response, she took a deep breath and then said, “I should probably tell you that I’ve never done this before.”
He stiffened above her and asked, “Never?”
“I’ve done other things, just...not this.
“Would you prefer we stopped?” he asked.
His voice was so carefully modulated and she was unable to read his expression, so she shook her head no and then asked, “Would you?”
He was silent for so long that she began to shift underneath him. Finally he said, “No, Lilly. I want you. I just don’t want to take something you’re not entirely sure you’re ready to give.”
Relief swept through Lilly as she said, “I’m sure.”
Talan brushed his lips over hers, his eyes full of emotion. “You humble me with your gift, little one.”
She felt an unfamiliar feeling in her chest for a moment. Trying to breathe past it, she said, “Be with me, Talan.”
Silently, he reached over to the nightstand and searched briefly for a condom. His voice gruff, he said, “We don’t carry disease, but pregnancy is still an issue.”
She watched as he knelt between her thighs and stroked a hand over his cock. He tore open the package, and then rolled the condom over his length.
He situated himself between her thighs, his thick erection poised at her opening, and said, “I’m sorry. This will hurt for a moment.”
Lilly felt the press of his cock against her as he slid inside her. There was a brief resistance followed by a sharp, searing pain. Talan froze inside her, his mouth whispering, “I’m so sorry,” as he pressed light kisses against her lips.
As the pain receded, she felt a fullness that she’d never experienced before. It wasn’t altogether unpleasant either. Experimentally, she wiggled her hips against his.
Slowly, he withdrew and then slid back into her. This time, there wasn’t as much pain. The longer he moved, the pain became a dull memory, replaced by a delicious friction as his cock rubbed against her inner walls.
He groaned and said, “You feel so amazing, little one. Am I hurting you?”
She shook her head as he began to push into her in long, slow strokes. “No. Not anymore,” she said, raising her hips to meet his.
His lids were heavy with desire as he began to increase the pace of his thrusts. Each press of his pelvis against hers nudged against her still-sensitive clit. It caused the familiar blooming sensation low in her belly that had her clutching at his shoulders and rubbing herself against him with every stroke.
He groaned her name and then began to speak to her in a language she couldn’t understand. She could tell that whatever he said was clearly some term of endearment. She would have to ask him about it later.
As if he could somehow tell that she was capable of rational thought, he gruffly commanded, “Wrap your legs around me.” When she complied, he sunk into her once more and then added, “Yes. Like that.”
This new angle allowed him to go even deeper. On the next thrust she cried out as the sensations that had been ricocheting through her body intensified. Lilly felt as though she were on fire.
“Talan,” she cried out, overwhelmed once again with the things he was doing to her body. The hand that lay next to her head on the bed fisted in her hair. Her eyes shot open. The sting of his grip only added to the pleasurable sensations that coursed through her body.
“Let me watch,” he groaned. “I want to see you let go for me.”
Eyes open, she came apart beneath him as if somewhere, some high tension wire had snapped. She cried out and dug her nails into his shoulders as the pleasure pulsed through her so rapidly she could barely breathe.
Talan began to move his hips more rapidly in response to her cries. A moment later, he stiffened above her, crying out again in the unfamiliar language as he found his own release. When he settled briefly against her, she stroked a hand down his sweat-slicked back. She winced slightly as he pulled out of her. When he moved off of the bed, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
She watched as he went into what she assumed was a bathroom, then laid her head back down. That, she acknowledged, had far surpassed any expectation she’d had for the event. She ached, but at least now she understood what all of the fuss was about.
When Talan walked out of the bathroom, she took a moment to look him over. He was so beautifully put together. As she’d suspected, he was all hard muscles and ridges. His pale skin was smooth and he had a very light smattering of hair on his chest. He was an absolute pleasure to look at.
A look of tenderness on his face, he moved to where she lay on the bed and used a hand to gently part her thighs. He
cleaned her with a warm washcloth. Despite his gentleness, she felt a slight twinge when he drug it over her sensitive flesh. He must have seen her reaction because he frowned. Without a word, he walked back into the bathroom. A moment later she heard water beginning to run. He stepped out of the bathroom and then moved back onto the bed with her.
“It’s going to take a few minutes, but I’m running a bath for you.”
She curled up to his side and placed a soft kiss against his cheek. “Thank you,” she said. “That was pretty amazing.”
Unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes as he gazed at her. His voice was stilted when he said, “Thank you.”
Chapter Eight
Eventually Talan picked her up and walked into the bathroom with her. She gave him a sleepy, relaxed smile, and said, “Delivery service. Nice.”
He smiled and said, “I hope it’s not too warm,” as he set her on her feet. He watched as she bent at the waist, trailing her fingertips through the water.
“No,” she said, stepping into the partially filled tub. As she lowered herself into the water, she groaned and added, “It’s perfect. Are you coming in with me?”
He considered for a moment and then said, “I could if you’d like.”
That sleepy, relaxed smile pulled across her face again as she said, “I’d like. Very much.”
As he stepped in behind her, she scooted forward so he could sink down behind her. By the time he’d settled, the water was perilously close to overflowing.
Lilly leaned forward, first turning off the water, then releasing the drain valve for a moment until the water had lowered to a reasonable level. After she’d settled back against him, he rested the side of his face on the side of her head. At least at this angle he could stare unabashedly at her beautiful body.
Her voice was soft and sleepy when she finally spoke. “Earlier, you were speaking in a foreign language. What was it?”
“Welsh,” he said. “At least I’d imagine. I was born in Wales and lived there for sixty years before I came to the Americas.”
The Darkness Calls Page 5