“Please, do it now,” she begged.
He entered her without further preamble, thrusting deep, holding still a moment.
“Oh God.” The words fell from her lips. “That’s so good.” He filled her. She leaned forward, savoring the feel of him as he slid even deeper with the new position. “More,” she whispered.
He began to move, withdrawing slowly, maddeningly, then plunging deep. His rhythm was flawless, turning her wild, sensation exploding. Her legs quaked and he wrapped a hand around her waist to steady her. She was going to come, oh God, yes, then it was rolling through her. She might have cried out, might even have screamed. As her body contracted around him, he thrust hard, deep, fast, throbbing inside her, the guttural sound of his climax dragging her under with him.
* * * * *
“Mmm, lust is good,” Livie purred against him as he carried her back into the bedroom.
There was a hell of a lot more than lust between them. His gut was telling him that his relationship with Livie was the most important of his life. Screw the why of it. Nothing else mattered. He’d just have to convince her of it.
He laid her in the bed, patted the covers around her, half expecting her to tell him to go home now that she was done with him. He wasn’t leaving. He was spending the night, waking up with her in the morning. They’d done too much tonight for him to walk out now.
In her girlie bathroom with all the lavender towels and bottles on the counter, he tossed the condom, cleaned up. By the time he returned to her bed, her breathing had already deepened into the cadence of sleep. He crawled in bedside her, pulled her into his arms, and wrapped himself in her warmth.
* * * * *
Goddamn them. Toni fisted her hands around the steering wheel. He’d screwed her right up there on the balcony. Sure it was dark and they were high up in the shadows, but Toni had known what they were doing. She’d unrolled her car window, and swear to God, she thought she heard Livie crying out. Her bitch of a sister.
Anger bubbled and boiled inside her right along with desire. It was a potent combination. She’d touched herself while she’d watched them grinding together up there on the balcony. It had been exciting, the intensity of her emotions, need swirling inside her. She knew deep in her bones exactly how he’d feel buried to the hilt. Briefly closing her eyes, he was screwing her, not Livie.
But then it was over, and they’d gone back inside. He’d actually carried Livie in his arms. How pathetically romantic. Toni wanted to throw up.
She’d followed him here. He hadn’t even known. She was adept at following men, staying a few car lengths behind, letting other cars merge between them, but always keeping an eye on her quarry. After several turns, she’d known where he was going. Asshole.
She should never have left Livie alone. She’d let her anger get the better of her when Livie wouldn’t take her shopping. Though maybe this was better; now she knew for sure what Livie was up to. She just had to figure out what to do about it.
She’d waited out here in her car for hours, but he was actually spending the night with Livie. If she knew her sister, that meant they’d been seeing each other for a while. Livie was too boring to go to bed with a man on the first date, let alone allow him to spend the night.
Just the same, Toni sat for another half hour, counting the minutes. Goddamn him, he really wasn’t leaving. She pounded the steering wheel until her fist ached. A car passed and she ducked down. It was late. She looked suspicious sitting out here.
Maybe she should let herself into Livie’s apartment. She could walk in on them, pretend she’d had a panic attack and had run to Livie for help. That would freak them out.
She’d parked three spaces down and across the street from his car so he wouldn’t notice her. Such a nice car. Always clean. Always perfect. Toni had a brilliant idea.
Glancing up and down the street, she opened the door and popped the trunk lid. Rummaging through the crap she had back there, she found the tool kit. She kept a tire iron just in case she was stranded with a flat. It was heavy in her hand, cold, hard steel.
She checked the street again. Livie’s road wasn’t a high-traffic area. She slipped down the sidewalk beneath the shadow of overhanging trees, then crossed the street, hitting the shadows again.
Such a shiny black car. Toni breathed deeply, hefted the tire iron, and brought it crashing down on his windshield. Exhilaration exploded inside her, almost like an orgasm. The car alarm began to shriek, but she didn’t care. She slammed the windshield again, cracking, splintering, destroying.
Oh God, it was good, so good. Her body trembled with excitement, need, and desire. It was better than sex. She wanted to go on and on, smashing and rending.
But she wasn’t stupid. Someone would come for the screeching alarm. So she ran, fleet of foot, toward her car. But the feeling, it was too damn good to resist. She slammed the tire iron into the passenger side window of an SUV. Another alarm blared. She didn’t have much time. She had to hightail it out of there. But before she crossed the street, she buried the iron in two more windshields, the smashing of glass like an aphrodisiac.
Then she threw herself into her car, cranked the engine, gunned the motor and sped off into the night amid the wail of car alarms.
Ah yes, violence was better than sex. She was wet and hot and on the edge, her body screaming. Blocks away, she yanked the wheel, pulled over and put her hand in her panties.
The orgasm was better than anything she’d ever known.
Chapter Eleven
Livie woke him. She made a sound, not a scream, more a throaty moan of terror. She didn’t thrash or toss her head. Yet something was wrong.
He brushed disheveled hair from her face, trying to wake her gently. “Livie.”
She bolted up in the bed, breathing hard, the sheet falling to her waist. Then she looked down at him. Even in the dark, he could see her wide eyes.
He touched her arm. “Are you all right?”
She swallowed, then seemed to realize the sheet covered only her lap, and she jerked it to her chin. “I’m fine.”
“Bad dream?” he coaxed, caressing her arm with one finger.
She nodded her head, then rolled her lips together, saying nothing.
“Lay down,” he murmured soothingly.
She did so slowly and he pulled her into his arms. She was trembling.
“Wow, that really was a bad dream, huh.” He stroked rhythmically up and down her arm.
She nodded again.
He realized then that there was some sort of racket outside. It had been there in the background when he woke Livie, but he hadn’t paid attention. He listened a moment. Car alarms, the sound muted by the double-paned sliding glass door. His car was parked on the street, and he thought about going down, but he didn’t want to leave Livie, not when she was shaking like a leaf.
“Want to tell me about it?” It was just a dream, but it made him ache to see her like this.
“Snakes,” she said, then gave a full body shiver.
He remembered how she was with the lizard. She’d said she didn’t like snakes either. “I guess it was finding the lizard in the sink. Gave you nightmares.”
She shook her head. “No, I have them a lot. At least I have in the last few weeks.”
“How often?”
He felt her shrug against him. “It seems like every night. Sometimes I wake up screaming.”
No wonder she came to work with dark circles under her eyes.
In the backwash of fear, the whole dam broke lose, and she told him. “I had them all the time as kid. When I got older, they went away for the most part. Until recently.”
When she first saw him? That couldn’t be it. He was good for her. He hoped he was.
“It always starts in a tranquil setting. This time I was enjoying the sun in a meadow. It was peaceful and pretty and warm. Then my sister appeared and threw a snake in my lap. I screamed.” She raised her head sharply. “Please don’t tell me I screamed out loud.�
�
“No. You were just making a small noise, enough to wake me.”
Outside, the last of the car alarms stopped. Livie hadn’t even seemed to notice. He didn’t hear any sirens. It was probably just kids setting the alarms off on purpose.
She buried her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe I let you—” She stopped abruptly.
He could finish the sentence for her. She couldn’t believe she’d let him spend the night, or something similar to that.
Yet all his protective instincts went out to her. “Is it always your sister in the dreams?”
Livie nodded. “Yes. I don’t know why. I’m actually the one who has to take care of her most of the time.”
He’d noted earlier that there was little of a personal nature in Livie’s condo, and certainly no pictures of the sister. Maybe that was a telling detail.
“Go back to sleep. I’ll be here.” He stroked her hair like a child until he felt her body slacken against him. Her breathing slowed. And she slept.
She was a caring woman, and the way she’d so simply said that she was the one who took care of her sister made him realize that she was her sister’s rescuer. He’d admired her dedication to her career, but now he realized there was so much more to her.
He waited a few minutes longer, until he was sure he wouldn’t wake her. Then he left her. He needed to check out his car, in case one of those alarms had been his.
* * * * *
God, she felt guilty. And stupid. It was after lunch, and Livie couldn’t get her act in gear. The month-end shipping reports were on her desk, but she hadn’t finished verifying the data. The numbers didn’t make sense, far lower than her projections, even versus last week. Her boss wanted prelim quarterly sales for the three o’clock staff meeting, and she couldn’t have him reporting this mess. Mr. Donaldson’s words had been flat: Figure it out.
She was tired. She’d slept badly the last few nights, the nightmares waking her, being unable to fall back to sleep. Then last night with Bern. She’d had that damn dream and had woken later to find him missing. She’d thought he’d walked out in the middle of the night after realizing she had major baggage. Of course, she’d told herself she wanted no attachments, no spending the night. Yet she’d been pissed. She was so freaking contrary.
Only she’d heard voices outside, though they were faint through the sliding glass door. She’d stepped out onto the balcony to discover a small crowd milling about on the street below. There was Bern, taller than the rest, obviously taking charge.
Livie had pulled on a pair of sweats and gone down to find out what was going on.
His car, along with three others, had been vandalized, their windows broken. Thankfully nothing had been stolen. The police hadn’t come when he’d originally called, but Bern had been told a detective would contact him in the morning to take a phone report. Hell. His car had a blown windshield, and her street was a war zone.
Livie had driven them both to work. Bern claimed he kept a change of clothes there for emergencies. He planned to call one of those shops that replaced the glass on the spot and had left his car key with her building’s manager for that purpose.
It was just kids making mischief. The car will be fixed by tonight. Don’t worry.
He’d minimized it, but Livie felt like crap. She was so damn tired that she couldn’t process. Things were moving too fast. It had been nonstop sex almost from the moment he’d arrived. He’d slept in her bed all night, then they’d driven to work like they were a couple.
She didn’t have time to think about it now. Concentrate. She flipped a page on the sales report. It wasn’t a slipped digit during data entry; that would have been obvious. It could be an incorrect price in the system. She scoured page after page until the numbers started to blur.
So tired. It occurred to her that with Bern holding her last night, she’d recovered so much more quickly from the nightmare, falling back to sleep almost right away. If only he was here now, holding her, soothing her, she could sleep soundly for fifteen minutes. That’s all she needed, just fifteen minutes.
* * * * *
Toni pointed at her, laughing. Livie frantically grabbed at the snakes raining down on her from the trees overhead. She’d get rid of one, and another would fall. They were all over her, tangled in her hair. And Toni, her hand over her mouth, bent double with laughter. Livie started screaming when a snake crawled inside her ear.
“Holy shit, wake up, Livie,” Julia hissed.
Livie jerked, the hard wood of her desk beneath her hands as she pushed herself upright. Oh God. She was at work. The reports were a mess, as if she’d crumpled them. Julia was staring at her like she was a freak, and three of the order entry clerks stood outside the door.
“Show’s over,” Julia snapped. “Get back to your desks.” Then she leaned over Livie. “Are you all right? You screamed when I walked in your office.”
Livie was shaking. And she was mortified. They’d all heard her. She glanced at the clock. She’d taken fifteen minutes, all right, and fallen right into a nightmare. “How long was I screaming?” she whispered. One side of her face felt squished where she’d lain on it, and she had a crick in her neck.
“Just the one time before I woke you up. But who knows how long it would have gone on if I hadn’t walked in.”
Livie put her hands to her burning cheeks. Thank God Julia had walked in—though five minutes earlier would have been good. “Was I really loud?”
Julia shrugged. “Sort of piercing.”
Livie’s shoulders sagged. “This is so embarrassing.”
Julia sat in the chair opposite. “You’ve never fallen asleep at work before. Was it one of those dreams about the snakes?”
Livie nodded. “I was up late.” She smoothed the pages of the sales report.
Julia raised a brow. “Does that mean you called him and you’re tired for a very good reason?”
“Don’t look so happy.”
Julia’s eyes sparkled with glee. “Tell all.” Trust Julia to be more interested in that than the nightmare. And thank God for it, too.
“Not now. I have to finish checking this report. And I’m still mortified I fell asleep and screamed in the office.” But at least she was fully awake now. She’d asked for fifteen minutes, and she’d gotten it.
“Well, I’m not letting you out of this.” Julia pointed a polished nail at her. “Drinks after work, and I want details.” There must have been something on her face because Julia gasped. “You’re seeing him after work. Oh my God.”
They sounded like teenagers gawking over the captain of the football team. The truth was way too much to explain when she hadn’t even told Julia what happened on Friday night. “It’s just a date.”
Julia narrowed her eyes. “Girlfriend, I’ll let you get back to work because I know Donaldson is breathing down your neck for the sales numbers.” She leaned forward, shaking her finger threateningly. “But you will tell all soon. Promise.”
“Promise.” Livie always kept too much to herself. Julia would be hurt if she knew all the things Livie hadn’t told her.
“And,” Julia added, “you need to do something about that nightmare. It’s not normal to scream yourself awake.” She paused, her lips parted, letting Livie know something else was coming. “I can set you up with my shrink. She’s really good.”
That was the thing about Julia, she was so open. She didn’t care if people knew she saw a therapist. In her opinion, everyone should see one. And Livie had to wonder if maybe that was true. It was one thing to scream in the privacy of your own bed, but she’d screamed in her office, for God’s sake. If Mr. Donaldson knew? She shuddered even considering it. She hoped the order entry girls would keep their mouths shut.
“I can’t do it right now, too much going on with month-end.”
“All right, fine, but think about it. I’ll email you her phone number.” Julia rose, smoothing her tight pencil skirt. “Now I�
�ll let you work. But no falling asleep.”
Her phone rang before she could answer. Julia waved her hand in a go-ahead-and-get-it-gesture.
Her boss’s extension flashed on the digital readout. Oh God. She grimaced at Julia and picked up. “Yes, Mr. Donaldson.”
“Livie, get in here.”
This was turning out to be one hell of a day.
* * * * *
Bern hated to say it, but Livie looked like death warmed over, pale skin, dark circles beneath her eyes. She’d called him on the phone just before six o’clock to say she was ready, her voice heavy and apologetic. Now, as they exited the elevator on the garage level, her shoulders sagged.
“Long day,” he asked now that they were alone.
She sighed. “You have no idea.” Even her feet seemed to be dragging.
He gave her a smile. “I’ll take you home and give you a backrub.”
She swallowed. “I,” she started, then closed her lips. She tried again. “It’s complicated, but I really don’t think you should be at my house two nights in a row.”
Because of the sister, he was sure. “That’s fine. You can come to mine.”
He’d thought it would make her smile, but if anything, her lips drooped. They’d reached her car, and she dug in her purse without answering him. When she couldn’t find her keys, she yanked the purse off her shoulder, slammed it down on the trunk lid and opened it wide.
He saw the key remote hanging from the front pocket, and he pulled it out for her. She slumped when she saw them.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said softly.
She bit her lip. Then everything seemed to pour out. “I fell asleep at my desk, had a nightmare, and I freaking screamed right there in my office. My best friend thinks I need a psychiatrist, then my boss called me in to ream me a new one because I was late with a report. And honestly, I don’t want to deal with my sister tonight if she comes over and finds you there. Okay?” She held up her hands in surrender. “It was just a bad day.”
Twisted By Love, Reincarnation Tales, Book 1 Page 9