Remembrance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 4)

by Lynn, Rebecca

  “Stop,” he practically roared, pulling her off him and catching her by surprise. In a frenzied tangle of limbs, he pulled her to the edge of the bed to face her floor mirror leaning up against the exposed brick wall. He went behind the mirror on the floor and came out with another condom. If she wasn’t so turned on, she would’ve laughed at the placement of it.

  He sheathed himself quickly then sat on the bed with her in front of him. She saw their two naked forms in the mirror and let out a shaky breath.

  “I want us to come together. I want you to watch us come together.”

  She looked at them in the glass, her pale skin flushed from their coupling, her nipples large and dark pink. His olive colored skin was so dark behind her, his hands now appearing on her waist as he leaned around her to kiss her rib and look at their reflection.

  “Open your legs for me.” She did and he had her move back so she was straddling his knees. “Move back more.” She did and he wrapped his arm around her waist and eased her down onto his erection.

  They both let out sighs of satisfaction, not only from the union of their bodies but from watching it take place in the mirror.

  He kept one hand around her waist and reached the other up to her breast. She loved seeing his darker skin against hers. He nuzzled his face into the back of her hair then moved to kiss her temple. She used her thigh muscles and pushed off of his legs to raise herself, then fell slowly back down onto him.

  They began finding their rhythm, their eyes glued to each other in the mirror. She let her head drop back onto his shoulder and reached her arms up and back to secure her hands into his hair.

  “Janie,” he murmured into her neck. “Mi tesoro, mi corazón.”

  “Translation,” she gasped as he pushed himself deeply inside her, pulling her down onto him again and again. She knew the second word, not the first.

  “My treasure,” he whispered, nuzzling her temple. “My heart,”

  “Luke,” she said, her eyes misting. Again, she knew his love words were cutesy or odd to someone outside of the Spanish culture, but knowing he meant each word with the sound of them so beautiful coming off of his tongue, made her feel wonderful. She seriously wanted to cry at the reality that was becoming her life. She was with Luke. He wanted her. Only her. He didn’t want to share her. She’d never in her life been this happy. “Mi corazón,” she repeated back to him. “You are. You’re my heart, Luke,” she said, moving faster in his lap, his hand leaving her breast and now cupping her face so he could turn her face to kiss her lips.

  “This is what I wanted to do to you in the dressing room,” he breathed into her mouth as his tongue stroked hers. “I wanted you to see what you did to me. What you do to me.” He groaned. “Hold on, Janie. Hold on.”

  She hadn’t had time to register his words before he began thrusting up into her, forcing a gasp from her lips. He was deep and felt huge in this position, but oh, he felt so good. The pace picked up as she worked her leg muscles to keep up with him. His growl behind her spurred her on and she whimpered as she felt the euphoric build between her legs. The hand around her waist moved to that spot and massaged where they were connected, causing her to buck even more on his lap, racing to that finish line. Her vision lost focus, but not before she saw them in the mirror, and it was that image that took her to the ultimate culmination, shattering her.

  She gripped his hair and let out a high pitched keening sound, climaxing. Whatever control he’d had disappeared. With five more hard thrusts, he yelled and reached his own peak. Her inner muscles pulsed around him while she tried to catch her breath. Her hands fell from his hair behind her and forward to his knees as she began to collapse in exhaustion.

  He caught her and rolled them back onto the bed so they were on their sides. There they lay, breathing heavily, his face in the back of her neck and his arms wrapped tightly around her. She didn’t want to move from that position. She was floating in a dreamlike state and didn’t want it to end.

  Minutes passed until she finally felt his hand squeeze her waist. “I need to get rid of the condom,” he murmured. “Doctor’s appointment. Definitely tomorrow.”

  She smiled sleepily. “Definitely.”

  He pulled out slowly and went to the bathroom and her eyes drifted shut. When she felt the bed move again, she turned into him. He arranged the blankets so they were under them then cuddled her to him. She snuggled some more and sighed contentedly.

  “What are you thinking?” he murmured into her hair, his hand lazily stroking her back.

  “You love asking me that question,” she mumbled into his neck, smiling.

  “That’s because I love hearing what’s on your mind.”

  She squeezed him, touched by his words. “That was really sweet.” She looked up at him and he kissed her nose. She settled back to where she was nuzzling his neck. “I’m thinking that I can’t remember if I’ve ever been this happy before.” She swallowed her emotion down. “And I still can’t believe you wanted me all this time. I’m a little in shock over that, I guess.”

  He pulled her more tightly to him. “Don’t be.” His voice got serious. “Baby,” he said, waiting for her to look at him. She rested her chin on his shoulder and met his eyes. “Everything is different now.” He smiled so beautifully at her. “Perfectly different,” he chuckled, kissing her lips. “It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

  She grabbed his face and kissed him back. Then she blurted out, “I love you.”

  He gave her a look, then smiled sweetly at her, kissing her back. He murmured into her mouth, “I love you, too.”

  He said it too nonchalantly for him to have understood the gravity of what she’d just said to him. Like when friends hug each other goodbye after a night at the movies and say, “Love ya!”

  She looked at him pointedly. He looked at her pointedly. Then he smiled like someone who knew a secret. “What?” he asked. “You change your mind? I hear it’s a woman’s prerogative, but I’ll just have to change it back again.”

  She shook her head, “No. Did you hear me? I said I love you.”

  His smile turned into a grin. “I did hear you,” he said in a husky voice, “but if you want to keep telling me, I’ll gladly keep listening.”

  She frowned at him. He mimicked her frown but she could tell he was teasing her. “I don’t understand,” she stuttered. “I don’t think you understand.”

  He cupped her face, still smirking. “I understand perfectly. You love me. And I love you.”

  She blinked then swallowed and her breathing accelerated a bit, her ears now hearing a rush of water from somewhere. It wasn’t possible that he understood her meaning, was it?

  “Breathe, baby.”

  “Luke,” she tried again, this time grabbing his face and feeling hyperventilation about to hit her. “I’m in love with you,” she said emphatically, sounding angry. She needed him to understand what she was saying.

  “Mmm, I like it when you get forceful with me, dulzura,” he said back. “Let’s try this again.” Then he gave her a playfully stern look and said, “Janie, I’m in love with you.” He looked like it was the most matter of fact, natural conversation two people could be having after their first night together. Then, out of nowhere, he threw out, “I’m going to marry you.”

  A beat of silence passed before she shot up and screeched, “What?!”

  He lay there and linked his hands behind his head while he smiled up at her innocently. She sat there on the bed staring down at him, her mouth opening and closing like an idiot.

  His eyebrow went up as if to say, What’s the problem?

  She sputtered, looked around the room, then back at him, then around the room again, then before she could stop herself, she burst into tears.

  He sat up immediately and wrapped his arms around her, burying her face in his neck while he rocked her. “Too soon?” he asked dryly but with a smile in his voice. “This doesn’t look very promising to me, unless those are happy tears.”
r />   She let out another wail, sobbing and holding him tightly, saying his name over and over.

  “I’ve loved you forever, Janie,” he finally said, stroking her hair, her back, rocking her. “It’s taken on different forms over the years, but I know you’re the only one for me. I’ve known it for a while and fought against it for too long, but I’m not fighting it anymore. I love you, pure and simple. You’re my home.”

  That started another bout of crying until it subsided and she began kissing his face, murmuring his name and telling him she loved him. When she finally got control of herself, he smiled an amused smile, took deep breaths with her then they lay back down where they held each other quietly.

  Eventually, Luke asked softly, “So. You would say yes if I asked?”

  Holy shit. She held her breath then let it out slowly. Her confident, fearless Luke Daniels sounded a little nervous. She smiled and murmured into his neck, “Luke, I would say yes to you a million times over. Again and again.”

  She couldn’t believe this was happening.

  He seemed to let out a sound of relief and relaxed next to her. He pulled her even closer.

  “Are you,” she paused. “Are you asking?”

  It was his turn to smile which then turned into a laugh. He whispered into her temple. “So forward,” he tsked. “Just like when you were eight.”

  She stuck a finger in his rib to tickle him. He yelped and grabbed her hand, laughing.

  “Patience,” he said. “Didn’t you just remind me that the more patient you are, the more pleasurable it will be after you’ve waited?”

  She looked up at him to give him a dry look.

  He kissed her nose. Then her mouth. Then her neck. “Te adoro, Janie Callahan.”

  She melted. She understood his words. ‘I adore you’, he’d said. “Te adoro, Luke Daniels.”

  “I’m going to like teaching you more Spanish.”

  “My vocabulary lesson earlier was by far my favorite of all of your lessons. Although the salsa one was up near the top, too.”

  “I like dancing with you,” he nibbled on her lips. “Me gusta sentir tus curvas en mis manos y pegarte a mi cuerpo.”

  “Translation, please.”

  “Figure it out.” His eyes were twinkling while his hands skimmed over her curves and he pressed himself into her.

  “You like feeling my curves in your hands and on your body?” she guessed. She’d recognized a few of the words.

  “Nicely done,” he praised her with a smile, then kissed her.

  “Well you certainly felt them that night,” she said pointedly. “Talk about needing a fire extinguisher.”

  He chuckled. “Were you a little hot and bothered?” he teased.

  “Did you realize how much you kept touching my butt and boobs that night?”

  He looked at her with a lazy smile.

  “Bastard,” she said lightly.

  He laughed, “I was just making sure I stayed at the forefront of your mind. When you said you were going to dance with Mo, I almost kidnapped you.”

  She smiled. “He did have some pretty nice moves out there.”

  His smile turned predatory. “Don’t fucking tease me, Janie. You won’t like the consequences.”

  “Hm,” she said, running her hands up his back. “I disagree. I think I’ll love the consequences. And for the record, if you had used some of your earlier incentives when you tutored me in high school, I may have been a better student.”

  “I’m going to like exploring your dirty side, baby girl,” he licked at his lips. “And I’m sleeping over, by the way.”

  She glowed, beamed. Then she rolled her eyes. “If you must.”

  He shut her up and kissed her slowly. “I must. I told you there isn’t anything I would rather do than spend the night being tortured by your sparkle. I want to bottle it up and take it with me everywhere I go.”

  She sank into his kiss. They settled in to hold each other, touching and whispering in the quietness of the loft.

  Then she asked the next question that had been on her mind.

  “So,” she paused significantly. “How did your meeting go with Mr. Weston?”

  Chapter 18

  Luke made an annoyed growling sound. “He’ll call you again, I’m sure.”

  “Did he say something about me in the meeting?” she asked surprised.

  He took a second, then said in a droll tone, “Before he left he asked me if I would be pursuing you.”

  “Did you tell him I wasn’t interested in men?” She smiled, biting her lip. “Because I hear calling into question one’s sexual orientation is a good strategy for dissuading potential suitors.”

  He tickled her for a second until they were both laughing. “I should’ve thought of that, but that probably would’ve given him an even bigger hard on for you,” he said wryly after they’d settled down.

  “How did you respond to him?”

  “I told him it was none of his fucking business if I was pursuing you or not, and that you were unavailable regardless.”

  “Did you?” She smiled and looked coyly at him. She waited. “And?”

  He flipped them so she was on her back. “And I’m sure he’s going to try to call you again,” he repeated. “So, let’s rehearse what you’re going to say to him when he does.”

  She giggled. “I’m going to tell him I have a list of qualities that he didn’t measure up to.”

  “No,” he clarified. “First, you’re going to tell him that you’re madly in love with me.”

  She smacked her smirking lips. “Oh, is that what I’m going to say?”

  “Uh, huh. Then you’re going to tell him that I’m madly in love with you.”

  Her heart raced. “Yeah?” she breathed out.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Then you’re going to tell him to go fuck himself.”

  She laughed and touched his face. “That seems a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

  “No,” he grumbled.

  “The poor guy’s just trying to get a little,” she teased.

  “Yeah, well he can get a little from his hand for all I care. He’s not getting it from you.”

  She smiled then chuckled again. “You really are adorable when you get all commanding and jealous like this.”

  He kissed her chin. “We did add ‘authoritative’ to your list, I believe.”

  She sighed. “Do you remember the other qualities?” she asked while he kissed her face.

  “Endurance, skill, patience, creativity, well-endowed, dirty talk, ‘has balls’, sweet, sense of humor,” he rattled off without hesitation.

  She blinked. “Wow. You really have had this list on your mind.”

  He nuzzled her nose. “Every time you listed another quality you wanted,” he looked into her eyes, “I realized I had it.” He smiled confidently.

  “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  He nodded slowly.

  “When you told me your qualities,” she began, “about how you wanted someone to come home to, how you wanted your ‘queen’? Someone you could trust and make you laugh?”

  He nodded slightly and waited.

  “I was hoping it was me.”

  He touched her face and whispered, “It was always you. I was thinking of you when I said them,” he confessed. She cuddled into his hand and kissed his palm. Closing her eyes, she began shaking her head slowly.

  “What?”

  “I just can’t believe how this night began and now how it’s ending. Honestly, I feel like I’m going to wake up from a dream.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “We’re going to go to sleep, then tomorrow morning when you see me sleeping next to you, you’re going to know. It’s not a dream, Janie.” Her lips were pressed to his neck and she felt him swallow. “It’s the best fucking day of my life.”

  She squeezed him and felt the prick of tears. “It really is. Best ever.” They held each other a moment longer, then she spoke again, propping her chin on his sho
ulder. “Why did you go to that particular wine bar tonight?” She couldn’t help but smile.

  “Mike called me and said he and Jem wanted to take me out for a drink for my birthday. It was last minute because none of us had planned anything ahead of time. Mike suggested the bar.” Luke’s mouth quirked up. “He seemed surprised to see you there, but now I’m beginning to wonder if he knew all along.”

  “Emily knew. She called me right before I left to meet Chaz. I’m sure she told Mike to take you there. I don’t know if she told him I was going to be there, but I’m sure she suggested the bar.”

  “Remind me to thank her.” His hand went to her hair and he pulled her up to kiss her. “And that brother of yours has turned into the matchmaker from hell lately,” he added dryly.

  “I know. It’s hilarious.” When she moved back, she continued. “If you didn’t see me at the bar tonight, you really were just going to wait outside for me?”

  He nodded. “I’d already had my laptop ready to do some work while I waited.” He had a smug look on his face while he said, “You were going to be mine tonight. I was done with the wondering and it was my plan to find out why you were pissed and then to convince you otherwise. And to kick the ass of whomever you’d gone out with tonight. I was ready for all possibilities.”

  “You did a very good job of convincing me not to be pissed at you anymore,” she said, kissing his shoulder.

  “I’m good like that,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Janie chuckled then sighed with contentment.

  They fell asleep just like that, holding each other.

  ……

  The bright sunlight through her gauzy curtains brightened her bedroom as Janie opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. She felt incredible, having slept beautifully the night before. Cuddled in the arms of Luke.