She thought of her older brother Ted and his wife Jane. After the accident she had been forced to endure Ted’s endless attempts to pry into the root causes of what she kept insisting was a simple accident. Luckily her privacy had been protected at the hospital and aside from a single follow-up visit she’d never allowed any of the painful truth from that time to find the light of day.
By the time they’d all retired for the night Shannon was as keyed up and tightly wound as an antique pocket watch. Nick of course had been watching her all evening like a hawk and while she had been friendly and light-hearted through dinner and the happy together time that followed, she knew he could see right through her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
They’d been placed in the master suite with Nick explaining at Shannon’s quizzical look that this entire wing of the house had been redone years after his father’s death and also that his mother preferred a suite of rooms on the first floor.
Relieved to be alone with him at last Shannon didn’t rest on ceremony and simply melted into his protective embrace needing to feel the thumping of his strong heart through her sense of touch.
Nick was quietly assessing Shannon’s every action, aware for some time that she was distracted and unsettled although not by word or manner could anyone else have picked up on her unease. Something was going on so when she walked into his arms and held on fast he didn’t hesitate to offer her the comfort she needed.
He wasn’t a genius, especially not where women were concerned, but he knew enough to realize that putting her on the witness stand for a cross examination wasn’t going to get him anything except a cross and out-of-sorts female to deal with.
This situation called for tactics a bit more subtle if he was going to get her to share whatever was going on in that head of hers.
Arriving at the perfect strategy to get him the result he was after, Nick pointed out where their bags had been placed and suggested they relax together in the Jacuzzi bath. He suspected his clever segue to relaxation and comfort would be enough to give Shannon the space to let him in, in more ways than one.
Filling the impressive two person tub didn’t take long at all. Nick was pleased when Shannon reappeared after just a few minutes donned only in a short satiny robe that showed a great deal of leg. She might be distracted and overly worried about something, that was for sure, but she apparently wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to snuggle with him in the warm bubbling waters.
Trying to lighten up her mood he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and playfully teased, “Ms. Reynolds, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me.”
Throwing him a sexy pout Shannon tossed back a faux-whiny, “Oh really? Darn it. I hoped it was you seducing me again.” while she placed a dainty hand on her hip and provocatively cocked one sexy leg to the side.
Vapor lock. That’s what his brain did. She looked delectable standing there with nothing but a scrap of shimmery satin covering the mouth-watering curves he knew were hidden beneath.
“Okay cheeky minx, into the tub you go.” he instructed, waving her forward. His smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger when she untied the robe and let it slither to the ground at her feet. He had followed the motion of the falling garment and noticed with intense satisfaction that she was wearing nothing underneath.
When she sashayed past him with an intoxicating sway of womanly hips he patted her on the butt for good measure and stood by while she eased into the steaming water.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” Nick said before disappearing from the room. Shannon used his retreat to center herself and get control of her careening emotions. The water was helping; once again Nick had seemed instinctively to know what she needed.
He returned minutes later, buck naked; carrying a chilled bottle of champagne, two champagne flutes and sporting an impressive erection. The sight of him with those dimples and a wicked smile atop a chiseled physique that stole all coherent thought seeped into her sense in comforting waves that quickly turned sharp and exciting.
“Champagne, Mr. Barrett? Are you trying to get me drunk?” she asked.
Setting the bottles and glasses next to the tub he hopped in and sank below the bubbling waters tangling his legs with hers as they sat on either end of the big tub.
“I don’t know about drunk but it did seem like we skipped an important part of getting engaged.”
Quickly filling the two flutes he handed one to her and made a short toast. “To us little one,” clinking glasses he added “and to the rest of lives.”
Watching her soft smile as she sipped from the elegant flute he whispered “I love you Shannon. For always.” and then drank deeply of the delicate liquid.
They sat quietly, sipping their champagne, talking about nothing and everything. He waited, she prevaricated. He waited some more.
Were women always this complicated he wondered? He’d never even gotten close to a real relationship with anyone other than the silent brooding female who was presently twisting him inside out so how the hell would he know?
The irony of wielding incredible power in the board room set against being tongue tied and unsure of himself with Shannon was not lost on him. God, she was challenging and exciting and completely, adorably drop-dead gorgeous. What’s a guy to do?
Crap, he thought. I might as well just go for it since she didn’t show any signs of suddenly opening up.
He adjusted their positions in the swirling waters by pulling her across his lap and settling her in the crook of his arm. She didn’t resist, making relief surge through him and giving him the fortitude to push ahead.
“Spit it out, babe.” he quietly said. “Whatever it is, we’ll be alright. I can feel that you’re troubled. Did my mom say something to upset you? Was it something I did?”
Shannon wasn’t surprised that he’d finally asked what was going on. She’d been a fool for thinking she could worry without his knowing.
“It’s nothing at all, really Nick. I’m just being silly.”
“You aren’t fooling me Sharona, out with it.”
“Let it be Nick.” she sighed.
“Absolutely not.” he shot back in response. “We made a promise to speak the truth and pretending everything is hunky dory when you are clearly worried and upset about something you won’t talk about is not being honest.”
Snuggling closer to his massive chest Shannon sighed some more and after finding no more ways to hide from her emotions she lay her head on his shoulder and looked up into his worried face.
“It’s all been so perfect, y’know? The last few days I mean.”
Damn if she didn’t wiggle just at that moment causing Nick’s barely leashed libido to kick into overdrive. Why the hell couldn’t she just hold still he wondered as he fought to stay focused on the situation at hand? He’d tame the wiggle later and maybe add a few shimmies of his own, but for right now the subject wasn’t her sexy rump but whatever was making her so quiet.
“Your mom is great Nick. Really and truly great.”
More nervous wiggling ensued while Nick revisited the fine art of counting backwards from 100. Ninety-nine, wiggle. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven. Ninety-six … and then she lay her leg over his under the churning water. The only word his mind could find to slot into the situation was a pithy ‘fuck’ as he employed every distracting skill he knew to stop from hauling her slippery wet ass from this tub and subjecting her to the sort of wildly primitive coupling that didn’t exactly fit into the current scenario.
“It’s my family actually. Been some time since I’ve been home is all and I suppose that’s making me sort of stressed.”
She started playing with the droplets of water trickling through his chest hair, tracing the wet path with gentle fingertips. He was going to have to back up to a thousand if he was going to survive. Nine hundred and ninety-nine, keep breathing. Nine hundred and ninety-eight, swish. Fuck. Nine hundred and ninety-seven, plunk. Her fingers dawdled against his flesh below the surface of
the water. Nine hundred and ninety-six, help me god.
“We’re going to cause a bit of a stir, wouldn’t you think? It’s their anniversary and all. I don’t want to be answering a master’s thesis of questions when the attention should be on them.”
She was making a good point Nick knew and though she seemed convincing there was still the tiny spark of something yet hidden. Unfortunately the distracting sensory activities of her beautiful hands were enough to limit him to a single thought track if he didn’t want to embarrass himself.
“Shannon.” he replied. “I am eager to meet your parents and know the extraordinary people who made you such a wonderfully caring, sensitive and scary smart woman.”
She warmed at his words feeling a shy smile return to her eyes.
“Just to clarify, I left the sexy as sin part out for the moment since I don’t think that’s an area you want thoughts of your parents to be involved in.” he smirked.
Shannon elbowed him lightheartedly and giggled into his shoulder. When she sighed as if about to say something, he jumped in and continued.
“Hopefully we’ll be a five minute wonder and that will be it. Don’t borrow worries, little one.” he admonished as he lay two fingers against the frown lines showing between her eyes.
She was noticing that when wet, his hairline served as a straight and direct route to what sat lower. She liked the hair. Liked all that manly virility. She’d seen far too many pumped up, waxed, spray tanned Hollywood hunks in the past few years to last a lifetime. All that smooth head-to-toe skin didn’t seem natural and freaked her out.
Shannon was drawn to Nick’s potent masculinity. Rubbing her sensitive breasts against the hair on his chest, she lost herself in the feeling of his rock hard abdomen flexing against hers while smooth legs tangled with his hairy strong limbs. Yeah, she liked it all. Liked how big his hands were and the way he used those huge paws of his to cup and fondle her plump breasts. What were they talking about? Damn if she could remember.
“After all, they say I’m a master negotiator so I’m sure I can bring your parents on board pretty easily.” Oh right, Shannon thought. That’s what they were talking about.
“Uh huh.” Hmmm, he’s so big and hard all over.
“Shannon, are you even listening?” Nick chuckled when instinct took over and she continued lower with her questing hands until finding what she was searching for.
His sex felt huge in her hands, already fully engorged with a wide rounded head that she explored with infinite thoroughness.
Nick hissed in startled astonishment as she’d grabbed on to his erection and nearly blacked out when she began mapping him with her fingertips. The way her touch glided over his shaft, and the slow swirling strokes she was driving him crazy with on the head of his cock, were making the steam filled room grow even hotter.
He moaned as she worked his tumescent hardness while her passion surged in a crazy white hot explosion of primal desire. He was hers and she was a desperate wanton on a one-way mission to blow his control to shreds. How had he put it the other night? He wanted her helpless with desire? Begging for his possession? Pretty much summed up where her thoughts were languishing.
While one dainty hand caressed him with slow firm strokes all along his throbbing length, the other reached lower and cupped the twin spheres tight with his desire. With his arms spread wide across the back of the tub Nick could only let his head fall back while he grunted a primitive mating call to her senses. He felt his leg start to tremble; the one that had her sexy leg thrown over his. There was something unbearably erotic about his shaft bobbing in the warm water while she slowly stroked him.
Shannon shifted on his chest and began putting her lips and mouth to work while she continued driving him insane under the water. She was testing his limits and found herself relishing the female power she was exploring. The sensation of his aroused body sliding against her fingers under the water was amazing.
He was so big and hard. Shannon marveled at the strength and power of his manhood while shivering over the soft, smooth impossibly wide shaft that she felt with her touch. He’d shuddered and moaned when she’d reached for his balls so she continued fondling him there too. Could she get him to surrender totally to her?
He had so much command over practically everything that the image of a helplessly aroused Nick, completely beyond all limits of control lost in the throes of passion, fired up her lady parts until the persistent thrum in her core made her want to scream.
She got control of herself though and decided it was time to exit the bath tub no matter how awesome the heated swirling water was. She wanted to do a hell of a lot more before the night was through than just touch.
Laving his chest and neck with wet, sweeping strokes of her tongue Shannon latched on to his neck with an open mouth kiss that immediately went ballistic. In the realm of love bites, she was pretty sure this one was going to be epic.
She was rewarded with a low rumbling growl as his arms went around her while his head shifted just enough to give her more access. Ahhhh, she thought. So he likes this. Likes it a lot, if the pulsing hard on sliding through her fingers was any indication.
Yep, enough with the tub she thought when she suddenly stood up allowing water to drip down her very turned on body. From this position her mound was right in front of his eyes when they opened to focus on her quick movement.
She let him think about what was on display for a moment and then as seductively as she could, stepped from the tub while giving him quite the show of what was concealed in the downy tangle of dripping wet blonde curls between her legs.
Shannon had never seen Nick move so fast. When he alighted from the tub she was ready for him with a large, soft bath sheet clutched in her twitchy hands.
His eyes were flaring and she felt a surge of delicious satisfaction when his gaze drifted over her body in a way that left no doubt what he was thinking.
Using her hand she waved him forward with the crook of a finger saying. “Let me dry you off so you don’t catch a chill.”
Her cowboy pirate grinned and agreed that cold would be a bad thing when hot was so much better.
Okay then, Shannon noted. Distracted and very turned on but not even close to helplessly aroused. Mmmmmm, this was going to be fun.
Nick swiped the water from his chest and stepped up to Shannon indicating that she should get busy drying him off. Laughing she decided to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
Wrapping a towel around his hips she took her sweet time rolling over the top and securing it after which she ‘accidentally’ brushed her hand down the front of the fluffy towel causing his rather serious erection to jump at her touch.
The innocent expression she tossed at him smoldered around the edges before she gracefully dropped to her knees on the bathmat to begin rubbing another smaller towel against his sturdy legs. She was pretty sure she had his full attention; I mean after all what guy wouldn’t be paying attention to a wet, naked female kneeling at their feet while she put her hands on his lower body.
Just to mess with him she tapped his legs indicating a wider stance; which he did giving her greater access and making it possible for her to pretend she was serious about trying to catch each and every droplet of water. Snaking her hands under the towel around his hips she rubbed higher up his thighs.
When she stood to start drying off his torso she noted with satisfaction the twin slashes of color slashed across his cheeks as he struggled to stay upright while she teased him to the limits of his endurance. She moved around him languidly swiping the towel she held across his broad back and made sure to step close enough for him to pick up on her groaning ‘hmmmm’ as she signaled her enjoyment in touching him.
Keeping him off balance was critical Shannon thought if she wanted to take him to the edge. Without any warning she finished the drying, tossed the damp towel in the nearby hamper and headed back into the bedroom. She could feel his eyes on her nakedness and felt an intuitive fe
male smile light up her face.
He followed her of course, what else could he do with her flaunting her curves in his face? When they made it to the bedroom Shannon made a production of removing the clip from her hair to loosen the curls. Knowing he was standing quite mesmerized behind her, she bent forward from the waist to shake out her long tresses treating him to a sizzling view of her derrière .
Shannon chuckled when, just like a man, he read an invitation in her actions and stepped up behind her allowing his jutting staff, which was barely concealed by the towel slung low on his hips, to rub against her pert bottom.
She straightened quickly whirling around to face him and purred, “Heads or tails Nick?”
When his desire clouded brain didn’t come up with a quick enough answer she wrapped her arms around his neck and cooed in his ear. “No answer? It’s my choice then so……. heads it is!”
The route from where they stood to the king size bed melted beneath their feet while Shannon pressed wet kisses over his face before she pushed him down onto the mattress.
With a matador’s flourish Shannon didn’t know she possessed, she whipped the towel off his body and then made quite the show of letting her gaze wander slowly over every glorious inch of his massive frame. She let him squirm under her steady appraisal knowing that with each passing second his arousal ramped up higher and higher.
With hands on hips like some ancient warrior queen, Shannon studied her prize where he lay sprawled before her. So he had no doubt of her intentions she fixed him with a look that smoldered before informing him, “I’m going to run my tongue over every inch of your body and when you can’t stand anymore,” she ran her tongue around her lips then for good measure, “I intend to take you into my mouth, driving you crazy until you can’t help but come.”
It wasn’t the best or most creative of seduction lines but it would have to do, Shannon realized because all kidding aside, she couldn’t wait to wrap her lips around the engorged head of his throbbing manhood. A tiny droplet of fluid had leaked from the tip and sat glistening as if taunting her to swipe it away with her tongue. She wondered if he knew how appealing he truly was to her.
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