“And you saw something wrong with that?” she asked, not sure what he was getting at.
“No, not at the time. But think about it. How far would we have gotten on our own without finally asking your family or mine for help? And eventually I would have resented having to ask anyone for handouts. Granted, I had my land, though legally it didn’t belong to me until I turned twenty-five, which meant we would have had to live in the cabin, but only if Dillon agreed to it. But then I doubt the cabin would have been enough. I would have wanted to build a house just as big as my brothers’. One large enough to raise our kids in.”
He paused a moment before adding, “And we talked about having a house full of kids without really giving any consideration to how we would take care of them.”
She nodded. Although a part of her didn’t want to admit it, she knew what he was saying was true. After her miscarriage she had cried for months because she’d lost his baby. After all, they’d talked so often of having a child together one day. But neither had talked about how they would take care of one financially. She’d known the Westmorelands had money, and her young, immature mind had assumed that whatever she and Bane needed his family would eventually take care of. He was right; all she had wanted to do was marry him and have his babies. And she had hated school. Or so she’d thought. The kids had been mean and hateful and resented her ability to ace every test with flying colors. After a while she’d gotten tired of being the class star and having the haters on her back. She’d finally convinced herself that going to school was a waste of her time. Her family had blamed Bane for that decision but it had been hers and hers alone.
She glanced over at him. He had gotten quiet again as he cut into his steak. Her Bane. And then a part of her finally got it. He had loved her back then and he loved her now and had told her so several times since he’d walked through her front door. Bane had wanted to give her a better life five years ago because he loved her enough to believe that she and his kids deserved the best of anything. And to give them that, he had made sacrifices. And one of those sacrifices had been her. But she could finally say she understood why he’d made them.
He had wanted to grow up, but he’d also given her a chance to grow up, as well. And she had. She knew how to think for herself, she had two college degrees and was working on her PhD. That had been a lot to accomplish in five years’ time and she had done it thanks to him. He had practically forced her to realize her full potential.
“That steak was good.”
She glanced over at his plate. It was clean. “You want some of my salad?’
He shook his head and grinned. “No, thanks. I’m good.”
Yes, she agreed inwardly. Bane Westmoreland was definitely good. “Bane?”
He pushed his plate aside and glanced over at her. “Yes?”
“I’ve finally taken my blinders off, and do you know what I see?”
He leaned back in his chair and stared at her. “No. What?”
“A man who loves me. A man who truly loves me even after five years of not seeing me or talking to me. A man who was willing to give me up to give me the best. And for that I want to give you my thanks.”
Instead of the smile she’d expected, she watched as a muscle twitched in his jaw. “I really don’t want your thanks, Crystal.”
No, he wouldn’t want her thanks, she thought. He would want her love. Pushing her chair back, she eased from her seat and went to him. Ignoring the look of surprise on his face, she slid down into his lap and turned around to face him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned up and slanted her mouth over his.
He let her kiss him but didn’t participate. That was fine with her because she needed him to understand something with this kiss. She’d know the moment he got it, the moment he understood. So she kissed him, putting everything she had into it, and when she heard his breathless moan, she knew he’d almost gotten it. He then returned her kiss with as much passion as she was giving and she felt his hand slide down to her thighs before moving underneath the T-shirt to caress her naked skin.
She knew things could turn sexual between them real quick if she didn’t take control. If she didn’t let him know what was on her mind...and in her heart. So she pulled back, breaking off the kiss. But that didn’t slow up his hands, which were still moving. One was still underneath her T-shirt and the other was sliding up and down her back, stroking the length of her spine.
“I love you, too, Bane,” she whispered against his lips. “I guess you can say I never knew how much until now. And you never stopped loving me like I never stopped loving you. I get that now.”
“No, baby. I never stopped loving you,” he whispered back against her lips. Then he tightened his arms around her as he stood with her and headed toward the bed.
After placing her there, without saying a word he tucked his fingers into the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing and took it off her.
She watched him step back and ease his jeans down his thighs and legs. Her gaze roamed up and down his naked form. Good thing she wasn’t wearing any panties or they would be drenched. She wanted him just that much. And she could tell from the look in his eyes that he wanted her with all the passion he’d stored up for five years. He’d told her as much a number of times, had proved it last night and all day today. She saw it now while looking at his engorged erection and could hear it in his breathing.
He came back toward the bed, and before he could make another move, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his swollen sex. It fit perfectly in her hand. “Nice,” she said, licking her lips.
She heard Bane groan deep in his throat before saying, “Glad you think so.”
“I do. Always have thought so.”
When she began stroking him with her fingers, even using her fingernail to gently scrape along the sensitive skin, he threw his head back and released a growl that seemed to come from deep within his gut. And when she leaned down and swirled her tongue over him, she felt his fingers dig through her hair to her scalp. That drove her to widen her mouth and draw the full length of him between her lips.
* * *
Pleasure ripped through Bane to all parts of his body. Crystal was using her mouth to build a roaring fire inside him. A fire that was burning him from the inside out. And when she used her fingers to stroke the thatch of curly hair covering his groin, he could feel his erection expanding in her mouth. That pushed her to suck on him harder and he fought hard not to explode right then and there. Instead, he reached down and entwined his fingers in the silky strands of her hair before wrapping a lock around his fist. And then he began moving his hips, pumping inside her mouth. The more he did so the more she stroked him before using those same fingers to gently squeeze his testicles.
Was she trying to kill him? Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Did she know how hard it was to hold back and not come in her mouth? He knew if he allowed her to continue at this rate, she was liable to soon find out.
“Crystal,” he whispered, barely able to get her name past his lips as his heart raced and blood pulsed through his veins. “Stop, baby. You need to stop now.”
She was ignoring him, probably because he hadn’t said it with much conviction. And honestly, there was no way he could with all the pleasurable sensations tearing through him. Her desire to please him this way meant more than anything because even with her inexperience she was doing one hell of a job making him moan.
When he could no longer hold back, he shouted her name and tried pushing her away, but she held tight to his thighs until the last sensation had swept through his body. He should have felt drained but instead he felt even more needy. Desperate to get inside her body, he jerked himself out of her mouth and eased her back on the bed.
He felt her body shudder the moment he entered her. She was wet, drenched to the core, which made it easy to thrust deep, all t
he way to her womb. Then he positioned them so that her legs were wrapped around his waist and back.
He stared down into her face. “I love you. I love your scent. I love your taste. I loved making love to you. I love coming inside you. And I love being buried inside you so deep it’s unreal. Heaven. Over-the-top wonderful.”
“Oh, Bane.”
He was certain she would have said more, but when he began moving, she began moaning. He lifted her hips and began thrusting in and out of her with rapid strokes, taking her over and over again, and intentionally driving her over the edge the way she’d done earlier to him.
He couldn’t get enough of her, and when she screamed his name and he felt the heels of her feet dig deep into his back, he knew she was coming. However, he refused to go there yet. But it was the feel of her inner muscles clamping down on him, trying to pull everything out of him that was the last straw, and he couldn’t hold back his explosion any longer.
“Crystal!”
He was a goner as he emptied himself completely inside her, filling her in a way that had his entire body shuddering uncontrollably. He could feel her arms wrapped around him and could hear her softly calling his name. Moments later when the earth stopped shaking and his world stopped spinning, he managed to lift his head to stare down at her before crashing his mouth down on hers.
And the words that filled his mind as he kissed her with a hunger he couldn’t contain were the same ones he’d said a number of times recently.
This is just the beginning.
Sixteen
“Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Crystal slowly opened her eyes and looked out the car’s windshield. They were parked at what appeared to be a truck stop decorated with a zillion Christmas lights that were blinking all over the place, although she could see the sun trying to peek out over the mountains.
They had checked out of the hotel around six the night before, which meant that they’d been on the road for twelve hours or so. They’d only stopped twice for bathroom breaks. Otherwise, most of the time she’d been sleeping and he’d been driving. She had offered to share the driving time, but he had told her he could handle things and he had.
He probably figured she needed her rest and she was grateful for that. Before getting dressed, the two of them had taken a third shower. The third in a single day, but all that physical activity had called for it. Besides, she enjoyed taking showers with Bane. He could be so creative when they were naked together under a spray of water. The memories of all they’d done had her body tingling.
Pulling herself up in her seat, she glanced over at him. “We’re here already?”
“Yes, but plans changed. Instead of meeting up at the Alabama-Georgia line, we’re meeting here.”
She glanced around and lifted a curious brow. “And where is here exactly?”
“North Carolina.”
North Carolina? No wonder they were surrounded by mountains so huge they reminded her of Denver. “Why the change?”
“They preferred meeting at Delaney’s cabin but didn’t say why. My guess is because it’s secluded, and the way Jamal has things set up, you can spot someone coming for miles around.”
“I see.” And honestly she did. She had met his cousin Delaney once and recalled hearing how she’d met this prince from the Middle East at a cabin in the North Carolina mountains. To make a long story short, the two had fallen in love and married. “I read an article about her in Essence a couple of years back.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. And she and her prince are still together.”
“Yes, they are. Only thing is that now Jamal is king. He gave the cabin where they met to Delaney as a wedding gift. Since she lives outside the country most of the time, she’s given us permission to use it whenever we like.”
Bane’s phone went off and he quickly pulled it out of the pocket of his jacket and answered it. “This is Bane.” After a few seconds he said, “We’re here.” Then several moments later he said, “Yes, I recall how to get there. I’ll see you guys in a little while.”
After he hung up the phone he glanced over at her. “I know this has to be both taxing and tiring for you, Crystal, but hopefully the guys and I will come up with some sort of plan.”
She nodded. “Still no word on the whereabouts of those other two chemists?”
“No. None. I spoke to Nick while you were sleeping and he’s not sure what the hell is going on now. It seems that with the revelation of a mole in the agency, everyone is keeping their lips sealed.”
Crystal figured that didn’t bode well for her, since Nick had been Bane’s source of information from the inside. She bit back an exasperated sigh and leaned back against the headrest.
“Everything is going to be all right,” Bane said, reaching over and taking her hand in his. Not waiting for her to respond he asked, “Did you enjoy yourself yesterday and last night?”
That brought a smile to her lips as the pleasant memories washed over her. Hot and spicy memories that made her nipples suddenly become hard and sensitive against her blouse. “Yes, I did. What about you?”
“Yes, I thought it was nice. Best time I’ve had in a long time.”
She was glad he thought so because she definitely felt the same way. The chemistry they’d always shared had been alive and kicking. It didn’t even take a touch between them. A look sufficed. At one point he’d lain across his bed and she’d lain across hers with the television going. She had been trying to take a power nap and had felt his gaze on her. When she’d looked over at him and their eyes connected, she couldn’t recall who had moved first. All she knew was that the glance had sparked a reaction between them. A reaction that had them tearing off their clothes again.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I can’t wait to get you back home.”
“Home?” She thought of her house that had been set on fire.
“Yes, back in Denver.”
She nodded. Although she realized there was nothing back in Dallas for her now, it had been a long time since she’d thought of Denver as home. “What’s the hurry?”
“I can’t wait for everyone to see you, and to finally introduce you to them as my wife. And we’ll have a house to design and build.”
Instead of saying anything, she met his gaze and couldn’t ignore the flutter that passed through her stomach or the way her pulse quickened at that precise moment. She watched his gaze roam over her, and noticed how his eyes were drawn to her chest. Specifically, the hardened buds pressing against her blouse.
Releasing her hand he turned on the car’s ignition. “Come on. We better find Delaney’s cabin, and if I figure right, it’s about a half hour drive from here. If it was left up to me we’d check into another hotel and have another play day.”
Crystal glanced over at him. His eyes were on the road and he was concentrating on their surroundings. She should be, too, but at the moment she couldn’t help but concentrate on him.
Brisbane Westmoreland had always seemed bigger than life to her. The past five years hadn’t been easy for either of them, but they were back together and that was all that mattered. Now, if they could only stop the men who were trying to kidnap her, everything would be great.
When he brought the car to a stop at a traffic light he glanced over at her and smiled. “You okay, baby?”
She nodded, smiling back at him. Releasing her seat belt, she leaned toward him and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “You’re here with me, and as far as I’m concerned that’s all that matters now.”
She rebuckled her seat belt and sat back. Satisfied.
* * *
“What the hell?” Bane muttered through clenched teeth.
Crystal looked over at him and then sat up straight in her seat and glanced out the SUV’s window. “Wha
t’s wrong, Bane?”
He shook his head and stared out at all the cars, trucks and motorcycles that were parked in front of the cabin they’d pulled up to. “I should have known.”
“Should have known what?”
“That it would be more than just Quade, Dare, Clint and Cole meeting us today. Some Westmorelands will find just about any excuse to get together.”
Chuckling, he brought the car to a stop and turned off the ignition before unbuckling his seat belt. He then reached over and unbuckled hers. “Before going inside, there’s something I need to give you.”
“What?”
“This,” he said, pulling a small black velvet box from his jacket. When he flipped open the lid, he heard her breath catch at the sight of the diamond solitaire ring with a matching gold wedding band.
“Oh, Bane, it’s beautiful.”
“A beautiful ring for a beautiful woman,” he said, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it on her finger. “It looks good on you, as if it’s where it belongs.”
She held up her hand and the diamond sparkled in the sunlight. “But when did you get it? How?”
He smiled. “I got it in New York. I had a layover there for a couple of days due to bad weather, and to kill time I checked out some of the jewelry stores. When we got married I couldn’t afford to give you anything but this,” he said, reaching out and touching the locket she still wore. “I figured it was time I get you something better. It was time I put my ring on your finger.”
He got quiet for a moment and then said, “You don’t know how much it bothered me knowing you were out there not wearing a ring. I wondered how you were keeping the men away.”
“I told you what they thought.”
Yes, she had, which he still found hard to believe, but at least it had kept the men at bay.
He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. He then leaned over and lowered his head to kiss her. And he needed this kiss. He hadn’t made love to her in over twelve hours, and it was too long.
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