“You’re always this way when we’re together. Why is today different?” I kissed his mouth softly. I was teasing, but only partially. Something was different about the look in his eyes. There was desperation there, and I didn’t understand what was driving it.
“Daniel, what is it? Has something happened?” I asked, nervous to hear the answer.
“It’s you. I’m going mad. I swear it. You’re all I can think about. I’m not getting my work done. Barely sleeping. My assignments are late. I can’t focus. Every sketch ends up being of you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s an illness, and I need to quench this fire, Janvier. The only thing I can come up with is to be with you. To feel you completely. To satisfy this hunger once and for all. To finally know what it is to be inside you. You’re consuming me. I will beg you if I have to.” He pressed his forehead to mine but only for a short moment.
He dropped to his knees in front of me, to the cool marble floor of my bedroom.
“Daniel. Stop this. Get up.” I tried tugging him to stand but he wouldn’t budge.
“No, Janvier. Let me worship you. Let me satisfy you—your needs. Please.” He rubbed his cheek back and forth on the lace of my nightgown, like a cat rubs on its owner.
“Please.” He kissed my stomach for a long moment through the lace, his warm breath fanning across my skin.
“Please.” He moaned before making a path across to my hip bone, leaving a heated trail as he went. Wetness seeped from my core, dampening my opening.
“Yes, baby,” he gruffed as he kissed his way across to the other hip. I threaded my fingers into his long hair, scraping my nails along his scalp.
“Daniel, this is crazy. If we get caught—”
“Ssshhh. We’re not going to get caught, my love. They’re gone for the night.”
He leaned back and looked up at me while dragging his hands down the outsides of my thighs. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Do you have any idea what you’ve been doing to me?”
“What I’ve been doing to you?” I closed my eyes when his hands finally met my bare skin just above my knee, where the hem of my nightgown fell. He wrapped his strong hands around my legs, just under the hem, and slid them back up, bringing my nightgown with them.
“Your skin is like silk. So smooth and perfect. Not a single flaw. I can smell how much you want me. Your pussy’s wet for me. Waiting for me to fill it.” It was a declaration, not a question.
“Daniel,” I moaned. His filthy words were making me wetter.
“It’s the truth, is it not?”
I ducked my head once as he neared the juncture of my thighs. His thumbs grazed the bare lips of my sex and I sucked in a quick breath.
“Hold this here.” He handed me the bunched-up lace of my nightgown and I grabbed the material in both hands, leaving my pussy exposed to the cool air of the room. The wetness was accentuated by the air-conditioned breeze that lightly swirled down from the vent.
“Magnificent.” He stared at me as if he’d never seen a woman up close before. The adoration in his eyes made me feel like I really was the only woman he had ever looked at. Or at least the only one who’d ever mattered.
Daniel leaned closer and planted his hands on my thighs, this time using his thumbs to spread the outer lips of my pussy apart, and leisurely licked the soft pink flesh between. My entire body trembled from the sensation. I gripped the lace tighter, fighting the urge to shove him away.
“Keep your hands where they are,” he warned, already predicting what I might do. He busied himself with feasting on my sensitive skin while I moaned and shuddered, nearly collapsing several times from sheer pleasure.
“Daniel. Please. Oh my god. Please. You have to stop this. I’m going to have an orgasm standing here.”
“That is the idea, beautiful. Spread your legs wider.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, what?” He looked up at me, challenging me to reconsider my response.
“I said no. I’m going to fall down.”
He bit into the engorged flesh of my clit and I yelped. “Are you insane?”
“Spread your legs.” His voice had taken on an edge that both intimidated and fascinated me. Regardless, I spread my legs marginally. When he looked up at me with obvious disapproval, I spread them farther.
“Good girl.” Regular voice back, he immediately buried his face again, adding his fingers up into my slick opening, pressing in and withdrawing at a steady pace, letting my imagination envision what it would feel like to have his cock inside of me instead.
“Daniel. Daniel, please. It’s going to happen if you keep doing that.”
“Come, beautiful. Come for me to taste.”
“I’m going to fall.”
“I will never let you fall. I’m right here. Do it, Janvier. Come for me.”
He sucked my clit between his lips and thrust his fingers in and out faster and I burst into spasms from head to toe. An orgasm brighter than any I’d ever experienced, either from my own fingers or from the few sexual encounters I had had with other guys. The sensations spread through all the muscles and nerves of my body, quaking my system with the most blissful pleasure I’d ever felt. All I could do was hum and moan and finally sag against him as he lowered me gently into his lap where he sat on the floor.
When I opened my eyes, he was stroking my hair back from my face. “That was stunning. Just stunning. You are a true goddess.” He kissed me for a long time, lazy strokes of his tongue, tasting like my essence and his normal Daniel taste swirled together in the best cocktail. When we parted, I felt so blissful I could’ve been drugged and not known the difference.
Without another word, he stood easily and carried me to my bed. He laid me down and stood by the side of the bed and began undressing.
“Wait. What are you doing?” I sat up, panicking.
“I’m going to make love to you.”
“Here?” I croaked.
“No, out on the front lawn.” He was naked and breathtaking.
“Daniel!”
“Yes, here. In the bed you sleep in every night. That way, when you lie here without me, you won’t be able to think of anything besides me. Then you will understand what I’ve been going through without you. It’s a madness I can’t describe in words.”
“I think there’s a word for it. You just may not want to hear it.”
“I’ve thought of it, too.”
“You have?” I was hopeful. Could we really be talking about the same thing? Could he love me, too?
I whipped the covers out of the way so we wouldn’t be tangled in them. I didn’t want to feel anything but him.
Just Daniel.
“Are you ready for me, love?” he asked, climbing on the bed and settling between my thighs.
“I think so.” I scraped my nails up and down his forearms.
“Have you done this before? I’ll go slow. I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m not a virgin. I don’t mean to disappoint you.”
“I’m relieved actually. That’s never fun for anyone involved.” He twisted his face in a playful way, lightening the mood despite the conversation.
He lay on top of me, kissing my lips, rubbing against me with his erection while doing so. My pussy was so sensitive from my orgasm, I moaned into his mouth each time we came in contact.
“You’re sensitive now.”
“Yes. It feels so good. Please. Please, Daniel.”
“I love hearing you say my name. It makes me harder, if that’s possible.” He kissed my neck, sucking and licking between kisses. He pulled back a little and stroked the head of his cock through the lips of my pussy.
“I want to look at your beautiful face when I enter you. I want to remember this moment forever. I’ve fantasized about it so many times.” His words were so sincere, so beautiful.
“You have?”
“Yes. But nothing came close to how I feel right now. I love you, Janvier. I’ve loved you for
a long time.”
“I love you, too, Daniel.”
He slid forward, his cock pressing into me, so slowly I thought I might lose my mind until he was fully inside.
“Oh, woman. Heaven. I’ve died and gone to heaven. Thank you. Thank you for giving yourself to me. Giving me your body. Your heart. I will treasure both.”
“Daniel?” I whispered.
“Yes, love?”
“Please move. Please.” I squeezed his ass with my fingers, hoping to spur him into motion. I loved the beautiful things he was saying but I felt like I was going to explode with desire and I needed friction to quench the fire.
“All right.” He chuckled. “Movement you want, movement you shall have.” He rested on his forearms on either side of my face and raised his hips off mine and pressed back in. Long, deep strokes that ground against the top wall of my channel and made me see stars. A high-pitched wail escaped my throat and he quickly covered my mouth with his hand.
“Okay, no more of that, young lady. Or we’ll have Baxter in here faster than we can get off this bed.”
“Sorry.” I said from behind his hand. When he moved it, grinning, I said it again. “Sorry. You need to save that trick for when we’re alone.”
“Or you need to just control yourself a little better.” He winked at me and repeated the motion. This time I was expecting it and bit into my cheek, eyes filling with tears, both from the pleasure he caused and the bite of pain I caused myself.
“Sshhh.” He covered my mouth with his in a deep kiss and pumped his hips rapidly, fucking me harder than before, but quickly taking me to the edge of a second orgasm.
“Oh, god, god, Daniel, I’m going to come again,” I moaned.
“Do it quietly. Can you be quiet?”
I nodded my head and he thrust again and again and I fell into the abyss of indulgence as my body convulsed with completion.
“Good girl. So beautiful.” He kissed my sweated forehead, looking at me with reverence. My heart swelled past full. I had to choke back tears. I reached up and kissed him, hoping he felt my gratitude for the generous attention he gave me.
“Now me, love. Hold on to me.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and he buried his face in mine and thrust like a madman into my pussy. He stilled then shuddered and I could feel his cock jerking inside my channel. He collapsed on top of me, kissing my neck, down my shoulder, then turned his head to the side and we fell asleep in one another’s arms, his cock still deep inside my body. It was the perfect way to end our first night together.
Until a roar of a jet plane woke us up hours later.
Wait. Not a jet. My father, William.
“Get the fuck off of her this minute!” His booming voice bounced around the cavernous room.
Daniel leapt out of bed and was on his feet in a split second.
“Jesus Christ! Put some fucking clothes on! Katherine, get out of here. You don’t need to see this. Are you okay, Jane? Did he hurt you? Did he attack you?”
“No! No! Father! It’s not like that! Stop! We love each other. He didn’t hurt me. Stop! Take your hands off him!” I clutched the sheet to my naked body, searching for my robe while trying to stop my father from his tirade.
He dragged Daniel out the door by his arm and I hysterically screamed and cried for him to stop. Daniel barely had time to put his pants on. His shirt lay on my bedroom floor, along with his shoes and socks.
“Mother! Stop him! Don’t let him hurt him! I love him!” I chased after them until Katherine blocked my path in the hallway.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a child. What do you know about love?” she answered. “Get back in your room and don’t come out until someone comes for you. And put some clothes on, for heaven’s sake. You look like a tramp.” She sneered at me and turned to leave. Stopping abruptly, she doubled back, shaking her finger at me in warning. “You’re in big trouble, young lady. How dare you defy us like this in our home. We took you in. We took him in. And this is how you repay us?” She took a deep breath, lethal calm replacing her anger. “I don’t want to see your face. Don’t come out of your room. Have I made myself clear?” With that final decree, she spun and left to presumably join Father in dealing with Daniel.
I was devastated. I found the love of my life and lost him all within a twenty-four-hour period. I had no idea where they took Daniel that day, and up until my father’s funeral that afternoon, I hadn’t seen him again. I’d tried to contact him to no avail. Phone calls went to voicemail, and eventually the number was disconnected. Emails went unanswered and finally bounced back from an undeliverable address. He basically disappeared off the face of the earth. I assumed it was my parents’ doing, but I never really knew. Now, he was back in town and asking me to meet him.
If I followed my heart, I stood a good chance of really getting hurt. Again. If I followed my head, I stood a good chance of leading a boring existence and never feeling the passion I had when Daniel was in my life. I ran the risk of never knowing what my life could be like if I reached for the brass ring instead of sitting quietly in the safety zone.
Chapter 4
Daniel
Seeing Janvier was all the things I knew it would be and a few I didn’t anticipate at all. I paced the open area of my hotel suite, trying to organize the thoughts pinging around in my head, but the jumble of emotions in my heart and those clawing up my throat from my stomach were all vying for top billing. I went to the minibar and considered the options, settling on a small bottle of vodka. Downing the clear liquor straight from the tiny flask, I welcomed the discomfort of the burn as it traveled down my throat. Unfortunately, there was only one other on the tray, so I grabbed that one and opened it just as there was a knock on my door.
Quite certain I’d hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the knob when I came in, I was thinking of creative ways to tell housekeeping to shove off as I strode across the room when there was a second knock. I whipped the door open while simultaneously shouting “Can you read?”
Janvier’s friend Anna stood in silence, unimpressed by my outburst. “Hello to you, too.”
“Anna. I beg your pardon. I thought you were housekeeping. I’m really not up for visitors.”
“Too bad. We need to talk.” She pushed past me and walked into the room, her brazen New Yorker attitude front and center.
“Please. Do come in,” I said sarcastically as I followed her into the suite. “I’d offer you a drink, but I wasn’t expecting company.”
“That’s okay, I’m not here for refreshments. And I won’t keep you long. I’ll get straight to the point.”
“I would expect nothing less. You look well. How’s the family?” I dug deep for the appropriate nicety.
“Everyone’s fine. Thank you for asking. And you look amazing as always. Jane wasn’t kidding.”
“She said I look amazing?” Hopeful interest took root.
“Well, not in so many words, but seeing you definitely knocked her for a loop. But you need to act quickly if you have any hope of not screwing up a chance of winning her back.”
“She was never mine to win. Or lose, for that matter,” I added dryly.
“Cut the bullshit. If you can’t be honest with yourself—either of you—you’re going to let another decade pass by while you live in regret. I’m going to say this once. You do with it what you want. I’m heading a charity luncheon next week at the East Hampton Golf Club. I know it’s very last-minute, but Jane will be there, so I thought you may be interested. The theme just so happens to be ‘Fashion Through the Years.’ Maybe I could interest you in donating a few of your designs? We could do a display of your work, some sketches and actual pieces if you can arrange to have things sent? I don’t know who you’re designing for, but I’ve seen your name during fashion week, so I know you haven’t switched careers.” She gave me a sideways smile, seeming to think she had it all figured out.
I walked over to the window and stared out across the lawn while she spoke.
“
Well? What do you say? She’s only staying until William’s will is read, then she plans on going back to California. If you let her leave again, you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were, Daniel,” she challenged.
I spoke while still facing the window. “You don’t know anything about me. You have no idea what it did to me to walk away from her all those years ago. How they blackmailed me to leave her alone.” I finally turned to face her. “While they didn’t destroy me in some respects, they completely ruined me in others.”
“She always assumed they ran you out of town.”
“That’s a romantic way of wording it,” I scoffed.
“Will you at least consider my offer? I’ll leave my card here on the table. Call me in a day or two with your decision. We’d love to feature your designs in the auction. Not only will it bring you and Jane to the same place at the same time, but it will raise a lot of needed funds for the cause.” She placed her business card on the small, round table by the window.
“I’ll think about it.” It was as much commitment as I was willing to give at the moment. I walked to the door and held it open for her to leave. She’d said what she came to say, and I was ready for her to leave.
“I guess that’s my cue. I hope to hear from you soon.”
“Take care of yourself, Anna.”
Again, I made sure the placard was in place on the doorknob so I wouldn’t be disturbed and let the door shut behind her.
In theory, I could have a few sample dresses sent to the hotel from the office. It would be as simple as a phone call. I always had a sketch pad and colored pencils with me wherever I went, so drawing new ideas to display at the auction wouldn’t be an issue, either.
The problem was inspiration. I was having a hard time finding a muse lately. Although I knew deep down why that was, I shoved the truth back behind a bunch of bullshit reasons.
I grabbed the second little bottle of vodka and made as quick work of it as the first. The burn wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the first, but the warmth moved down my throat and into my stomach just the same.
My sketch pad sat on the second, unused bed like the telltale heart. Its beating could be heard in the quiet room, taunting me and reminding me of my lack of creativity and enthusiasm for a job I’d once felt a burning passion for. I watched out the window again for a few long minutes as hotel guests passed below.
Alphas of Seduction Page 4