Having waited so long, Cameron felt at the end of his rope. Had it only been three and a half weeks since he made love to her? It felt much longer.
She barely had time to cross the threshold before he was on her. He had no remorse about his actions. She knew why she was there. He knew why she was there. They were both fully aware and conscious of what they were about to do and the reason they were together at that exact moment.
Cameron covered Simone’s lips with his own, pushing both hands into her tumble of midnight curls and crushing her to him, his body aching with need—an undignified need to possess, consume, and devour her.
To his utmost satisfaction, her ardor matched his. Her fingers gripped the base of his spine, pressing into his bare skin underneath the cotton pullover. Fingernails scored his flesh. Moans of pleasure filled his ears as her tongue forged past his teeth and delved boldly into his mouth.
Cameron popped open the buttons at the front of the dress and revealed the white lace underneath. The bra cupped her supple breasts like a pair of hands and lifted them as if in an offering to his mouth.
Impatiently, he pressed his lips against the soft fabric and sucked one swollen nub until the material became dark and wet from his attention. Gasping, Simone clutched the back of his head and murmured his name, making an incoherent, raspy sound that was little more than a throaty whimper.
Sweeping her up into his arms like a prize, Cameron headed up the stairs to the bedroom. Inside, he removed her clothes, almost tearing the fine garment made of chiffon from her curvaceous body.
He discarded the dress in a heap to one side and then laid claim to her mouth again.
“Did you fuck him?” he asked against her mouth, hands on her waist, jealous anger building inside him. He wanted to know and didn’t want to know at the same time.
Wide eyes stared back at him. “No.”
The weight of worry lifted from his shoulders.
“And you…did you…with her?” She seemed to have difficulty asking the question, her breathing sounding labored and pained, shoulders tightening as she braced for the answer.
“No.” Cameron reached around and unhooked the bra. “Apparently, lipstick stained my collar and my mouth. This color right here.” His thumb swiped her bottom lip.
Satisfaction lit her pupils and, keeping eye contact, Simone sucked his finger between her ruby-tinted lips, swirling her tongue around the tip in a tantalizing tease that sent a pang of hunger through his loins.
Stepping back, she let the bra fall to her wrists, tossed it into a corner, and stood before him, a goddess enveloped in beautiful brown skin, wearing nothing but a pair of white lace panties and heels.
He stripped off the shirt, and she touched him, raking her nails over his firm skin and letting her fingertips glide through the soft hairs that arrowed down to the waistband of his trousers.
“I want to taste every inch of you, Cam,” Simone whispered, releasing the button on his jeans.
The sound of the zipper lowering mingled with the sounds of their uneven breathing. Then Simone sank to her knees on the plush rug before him and dragged the jeans past his lean hips, past his muscular thighs, all the way to his ankles. She kissed his hips, the heat of his boner pressing like a hot brand into her cheek. Licking the inside of his thighs, she heard the sharp intake of breath—a sudden, involuntary sound.
Then her tongue traced from the base to the tip, dragging a hard groan from the depths of Cameron’s chest. Clasping his thickness in one hand, Simone sucked the tip between her lips, and while keeping her tongue broad, slid her mouth up and down his shaft. He groaned and placed a hand on her head.
The fingers in her hair trembled slightly as they curled into the tresses. But she continued to move, using her mouth to bring him pleasure while stroking the inside of his thighs.
Swearing viciously, Cameron’s short, labored pants filled the room while she worked him in her mouth. Biting his lip, he moved his hips slightly, gliding in and out of her mouth. The noises he made turned her on and filled her with satisfaction, and she grew wet with anticipation of when their bodies would be joined.
Swearing again, louder this time, Cameron thrust his hips faster. “Sweetheart…”
Simone heard the warning in his voice. She knew what it meant. But she ignored it, moving her mouth more rapidly over him. Sucking harder.
Looking up, her gaze met his. His eyes were a dark swirl of chocolate, his face contorted into a pleasure-filled grimace as he gripped the back of her neck and bit down hard on his bottom lip.
At last, his head lolled back and with a violent shudder, his mouth fell open on a throaty, guttural roar. Gasping, he unleashed into the back of her throat while his hand held her head in an almost painful grasp.
Cameron collapsed onto the bed on his back, breathing heavily. His chest heaved. His eyes remained shut as he savored the remnants of bliss.
Simone kicked off her heels, tugged the denim pants completely off his legs, and wiggled out of her panties.
“You like?” she asked, smiling to herself.
Cameron pulled her on top of him. “You couldn’t tell?”
Her soft feminine form glided over his body, her hands wreaking havoc as they ran over his pecs and down to his abs. Heat washed over his skin. Every single inch of him was aware and alive and attuned to her touch.
When her hand reached between his legs, his shaft immediately began to harden, growing longer and harder as she massaged it back to life.
He sucked air between his teeth. “Goddamn, woman.”
He spread his fingers wide and ran them down her spine all the way to her bottom and squeezed. He kissed her throat and then rolled her onto her back so he could take the tip of one breast into his mouth. Her breasts were amazing. Full and soft. The dark tips seemed to fit perfectly to his mouth, and her moans of pleasure only served to urge him on. He went from one to the other, gorging to his fill, refusing to stop even when she squirmed and begged for a break.
Finally, sheathed in a condom, Cameron lay poised above her on his elbows. One thigh scissored between her smooth legs and he thrust his hips downward. She lifted toward him—ready, eager.
“Cam…”
He could never get enough of her saying his name like that.
“I got you,” he whispered.
He kissed her throat again. Her lips. Her eyes. Her brows.
He moved. Long, deep strokes.
She clung to him. Meeting each thrust.
Cameron lifted one of her legs and angled his hips. Goddamn, she felt so good. Too good. It took great effort to hold back and not explode the way he ached to.
But he held on. Working his hips. Sliding through the slick heat until she cried out and convulsed around him. Even then he continued to hold on—pushing his body to the limits of restraint until she stiffened into a tight arch beneath him as another orgasm ripped through her frame.
Watching her lose control—head tossed back, eyes closed—finally made him yield to the pressure and come undone. The climax sliced up his spine, his ass contracting as he plunged one more time into the ecstasy between her legs.
Cameron collapsed on the middle of the bed and pulled Simone with him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to let her go.
Simone murmured something unintelligible and settled half on top of him. Tucked under his chin, one arm thrown across his chest, her even breaths fanned his skin in a slow, constant rhythm.
Cameron’s lids grew heavy in the dark. The restless energy that had plagued him for weeks was now long gone.
Kissing Simone’s damp forehead, he ran a hand over her back and side and hips. He never wanted to move from this position. He could stay like this indefinitely, their brown limbs intertwined, and their bodies seared together as if they were still one.
Chapter 14
The sharp cry of the ringing telephone pierced the veil of sleep, and Simone stretched and mumbled her displeasur
e at the interruption. She eased away from Cameron’s warm body as he stretched across the big bed and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
Simone watched his profile in the dark room. He listened for a moment and then cursed.
“Anybody hurt?” The person on the other end answered the question. “Well, that’s good. I’ll be right there.” He hung up and sighed heavily, running a weary hand down his face.
“What’s wrong?” Simone asked.
“There’s been an incident at the club. A guy named Reeve pulled a knife on our bartender, Josh, when he went on break.”
Simone gasped and raised onto an elbow. “Oh no. Is everybody okay?’
“Josh is fine, but the perpetrator got injured in the scuffle. Police and medics are on their way.”
“How did he get a knife into the club?”
Cameron shook his head. “Believe me, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Every time we employ a new security measure, some asshole tries to find a way to circumvent it. It’s a constant battle to stay one step ahead. This Reeve guy apparently had a problem with Josh because he feels he stole his girl. He’s been hanging around the club, just watching, night after night. Fortunately, our security had been keeping an eye on him, so when he made his move, they were right there.”
He got out of the bed and flicked on the light in the walk-in closet. Simone heard him moving around and wasn’t sure what to do. Should she stay here, or leave with him?
The answer to that question was resolved when Cameron came out of the closet, tucking a dress shirt into his pants. “Hopefully, this won’t take too long to resolve. Mason’s not much of a talker, and I personally prefer to talk to the police. I should be back in a couple of hours.”
Cameron ducked back into the closet and flicked out the light. He stuck his arms in the sleeves of a black jacket and leaned across the bed. He brought his face so close to hers she could see his eyes in the dark.
“Make sure you’re here when I get back,” he said in a low voice, his gaze steady.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Simone promised.
He dropped a kiss to her lips and left, quietly sliding the door into place.
Alone, Simone smiled in the darkness and tugged the sheet up around her shoulders, burrowing into the warmth Cameron left behind on the linens and pillows.
At some point she must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing she knew, she felt movement on the bed when Cameron returned.
She groaned grumpily.
“Sorry I woke you.” He pulled her close from behind and nuzzled her neck, pushing one hair-sprinkled thigh between her legs.
Simone yawned and stretched, sleepily reaching back for him in the dark. Her hand landed on his firm, naked butt.
“Did you get everything resolved?” she asked.
“Yeah. We had to file a report. The usual stuff when there’s an incident like that.”
“Any problems with the police?”
“No, but I wasn’t too worried. I have a good relationship with the chief, and we give officers special treatment when they come through.”
“You have them wrapped around your finger?” she teased, though she wouldn’t be surprised. Look at how easily he’d managed to get her at his beck and call. She hadn’t thought twice about coming over when he asked. She’d only hesitated because she didn’t want to seem too eager.
Cameron chuckled, and his warm breath brushed the back of her neck. “Nothing like that. It’s just that in this business, you have to have a good rapport with the police. Especially when incidents like this occur. They wield a lot of power, but because they know us and we have a good relationship with them, they allowed us to keep the club open the rest of the night and minimized the disturbance by taking Reeve out the back instead of the front.” He yawned.
“I’m glad,” Simone said. “You sound tired.”
“I am.”
She twisted around to face him and flung one leg over his hip and an arm around his neck. She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead near the edge of his hairline. “Get some sleep.” She massaged his neck with her fingertips and the heel of her hand.
Cameron groaned. “That feels good.”
“It would feel much better if I could stand behind you and do it right, but this will have to do. It’s a trick my masseur uses to help me relax.” She continued the movements for a few minutes longer until the tension left his muscles. Then she smoothed a hand over his back.
Cameron nestled his face into her neck. “You have anywhere to be in the morning?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She didn’t think it was possible, but he somehow he managed to pull her closer.
A few minutes later, Cameron placed a kiss to her collarbone. “I could get used to this,” he said quietly.
“Get used to what?” Simone said groggily. She was slipping fast into sleep again.
“Coming home at night to you in my bed.”
Simone’s eyes popped open, and she stared into the darkness, her heart beating a little faster. She understood the way he felt. Lying in his bed, waiting for him, had felt like the most natural thing in the world—as if she’d been doing it for years. And now, with his pelvis pressed solidly between her legs, they were as close as two people could be without being joined physically.
With her heart feeling as if it was about to explode, she closed her eyes and whispered, “I could get used to it, too.”
Chapter 15
Simone woke to the scent of coffee and sausage. For the third Sunday in a month—having missed one because of travel—she awoke to the smell of one of Cameron’s breakfasts.
Smiling, she inhaled deeply and stretched before hopping out of bed, but instead of getting the clothes she’d brought, went to his dresser. Rummaging through the drawers, she found a gray V-neck T-shirt, perfect for lounging around the loft on a lazy Sunday morning, and a pair of burgundy drawstring running shorts she’d seen him wear on a jog around the neighborhood.
Simone slipped the soft T-shirt over her head, dragged on a thong, and slipped on his pants. The clothes swallowed her, but she always preferred to wear his than the ones she brought. After brushing her teeth and washing up, she pulled her thick mane into a loose ponytail with a rhinestone ponytail holder and then padded down the stairs in search of Cameron.
She found him reading the paper in the middle of the sofa, sipping coffee with his feet propped on the low table in front of him. Hair dusted his cheeks and jaw because he hadn’t shaved yet, and he wore a pair of black sweats and his reading glasses, his bare chest exposed to her appreciative eyes.
When he heard her, he looked up and scanned her attire. A small smile, one of approval, tugged at the corners of his lips before he dived back into the article. “Why don’t you ever wear the clothes you bring?”
“I’d rather wear yours.” Simone headed into the kitchen and the scent of pork and eggs greeted her. “Smells good in here.”
“Figured you’d be hungry when you woke up after I put it down last night. Again.”
Simone giggled, shaking her head. “I am.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and went into the living room with a plate of eggs, sausage, and strawberries.
She settled down beside him and ate quietly while he read. Everything was delicious, of course. The eggs were scrambled soft with cheese, the way she liked, and the coffee flavorful and strong. “Ethiopian blend?” she asked, holding up the cup.
“Yep,” Cameron answered.
She finished her meal and set aside the plate and coffee cup. She peered at the article, a story about the changing business landscape in Atlanta and the opportunities for entrepreneurs. “No one gets the paper anymore.”
“I do.”
“Did you know you could get newspapers and magazines electronically now? They’re called digital subscriptions.” Once again, she thought about how old-fashioned he was, an old soul in a young body.
He looked at her. “
Are you being smart?”
“Me?” she said with false innocence.
He smiled at her. “Gimme a kiss.”
She gladly obliged, leaning into his warm skin and giving him a sweet, prolonged morning kiss.
“You taste like coffee, scrambled eggs, and sausage,” he murmured.
“And strawberries,” she added.
“That, too.”
Simone giggled and flicked her tongue against his mouth. She couldn’t help but laugh when she was with Cameron. Simply being in his presence made her happy. She kissed his neck and then his hair-roughened cheek, unable to resist being affectionate with him. He grumbled, but she knew he liked it.
In retrospect, she’d never truly experienced these tender, intimate gestures of affection with the men she dated. They always behaved more like acquaintances—there to fill the time and the needs of her body. But Cameron filled her heart and relaxed her spirit.
She didn’t want to complain because she knew she lived a life of untold wealth, privilege, and opportunities not afforded to the less fortunate. Nonetheless, she appreciated this simpler life where she didn’t have to worry about being Simone Brooks. Always on, performing for prying eyes, unable to make the smallest misstep without being castigated in the press or by “well-meaning” family members.
With Cameron, she was free. Not restricted or stifled because of her position and family legacy. Free to wear drawstring shorts and comfy T-shirts, and she didn’t have to be perfect, dress perfectly, wear makeup all the time, none of that. Cameron accepted her in her many forms. And while the sex was great, being here with him, and allowed to loosen up and be silly, were equally important.
“What are we doing today?” she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“I need to go to the supermarket. And…we could check out some furniture.”
Her head popped up. “Furniture? For what?”
A Passionate Love Page 8