The Thrill of You

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  She began putting food on the plate. “My luggage was in the foyer, then all of a sudden it’s in your bedroom on stands. There were eggs, toast and bacon a few hours ago, and now there are salmon filets. I know you aren’t doing or cooking any of this. Who else is here?”

  “I have a small staff.”

  “Are you serious?” she said, looking around nervously. “We were just in the pool having sex and there were people walking around watching us?”

  “I assure you they weren’t watching us.”

  “How do you know that? Maybe they’re used to seeing you walking around naked, but not me. Have you never heard of pictures put up on the internet? That’s all I need are nude pictures of me to turn up while I’m performing onstage.”

  He slipped her plate from her hand and set it down on the table. He pulled her chair out.

  “Does that bother you, to be seen naked?”

  “By strangers, yes,” she said.

  “Okay, I’ll make sure that no one else in this house sees you naked, except me of course. When we swim in the nude, it’ll just be the two of us here. Okay?” She nodded.

  “Good.” He put his plate down and sat across from her. He smiled.

  “What?” she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

  “Stubborn, with a temper. Who would have guessed that of the prim-and-proper concert violinist?” he said.

  “I’m not prim and proper. I just know the correct way to behave. I’m not stubborn. I want what I want, when I want it—everyone does. And I don’t have a bad temper. I have you.”

  He laughed out loud, then grabbed his water before he choked. “You know what? I can’t wait to meet our baby.”

  “We may have already done it,” she said, touching her stomach.

  He shook his head. “No, that was just the preamble. In your professional terms, the conductor hasn’t even warmed up yet.”

  She flushed as her heart slammed against her chest and her stomach shuddered. She needed water, but her hands were shaking. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and wondered about the man sitting across from her. There were so many different parts to him and still he was the same as before. She always thought that she had imagined him that way. Nobody could make her feel like he did. There was a quiet, still part of him that was tender and caring and comforted her when she needed it. She’d seen that part in her apartment. Then there was the strong and powerful man. He could look at her and she felt sheltered and protected.

  They ate while talking about nothing in particular. Afterwards, Cyanna asked the question that had been on her mind since she arrived. “Why this way?”

  His eyes softened. As if reading her mind, he knew instantly what she meant. “You mean instead of a test tube at some sterile lab where machines spin samples of my sperm to get the best quality and then pierce and inject your egg with a needle to perform the act of inception?”

  “That’s a pretty cold and sterile depiction.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  She nodded. “Okay. I understand your point. But I think this is even more personal for you.”

  “I told you about my sister Natalia. She’s married to David Montgomery,” he began. Cyanna nodded. “Well, there’s more to their story and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me telling you. She went to a very reputable clinic and purchased all the sperm from a particular donor just by reading his information, statistics and physical description. She used that sample and had two wonderful boys. Unfortunately, that sample was never supposed to be sold, let alone used.

  “When they got married, David officially adopted my sister’s sons as his own. But what most people don’t know is that they’re actually his biological sons. The clinic made a drastic mistake. Yes, it turned out to be a happy ending for my sister and David, but I don’t want to take a chance. I want my sample going exactly where I want it to go. No errors, no confusion, no oops, test-tube mix-ups and unintended mistakes. Can you understand that?”

  She nodded. “So we just have sex for the foreseeable future.”

  He smiled lazily. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my days.” He stood and offered her his hand. She took it and stood in front of him. He kissed her lips tenderly. “All day and all night,” he promised.

  She nodded. “Okay, I can do that. When do we start?” She instantly felt the bulge between his legs and smiled. “Are you always ready?”

  He kissed her nose playfully. “For you, definitely yes.”

  He took her hand and walked back to the pool. “No, not in the water again. That was way too tricky.” She watched as he glanced at the small cabana beneath the far tree. “Excuse me, do you have a problem with the bed in the bedroom?”

  “Too conventional. And you, my love, are anything but.”

  He walked and she followed until she stopped and looked at the house. “Wait. What about your staff?”

  “Trust me.”

  She nodded and continued following him. They stepped up into the tiny wooden room with a large padded chaise that could double as a king-size bed. She looked around at the openness. He released the drapes that were hidden behind the open doorway and pulled them together. Suddenly the open, airy room was private and cozy. He toggled a switch, and the ceiling fan began to turn slowly. It was a scene snatched right out of paradise. He turned to her. “Better.”

  “Yes, much,” she said as she walked over to him. He reached out to her, but she blocked and pushed his hands away. She pulled the towel free from around his hips and smiled at her prize. He was most certainly ready for her. She put her hand on his chest and pushed. He didn’t budge. She changed tactics and pointed one finger at his chest and then pushed. “Sit down,” she whispered gently. He sat, obeying her without dispute.

  She removed her towel and stood in front of him. Her breasts were exactly at his eye level. She saw the need and want in his eyes to touch her, but she wasn’t ready to be touched and he knew it. “I like this room,” she said. “It makes me feel in control.” She tipped his chin up to look into her eyes. “I like being in control.”

  “Sounds good to me,” he agreed.

  “Good, as long as we understand each other.” She placed her hands on his strong shoulders, feeling the strength of his trapezius muscle. He was still looking up at her as she leaned down to him. “Kiss me.” They kissed tenderly. It was nice and tame, but she wanted something else. “Kiss me like you want me.” She barely got the words out before his mouth was on hers, devouring as much of her as he could get. The kiss was long and fierce and consuming. She had to push back for air. She looked at him breathlessly and smiled. “Very good. Now touch me.”

  He looked down at her body and began touching, caressing and stroking her. Her legs wobbled. “Now, touch me like you want me.” He grabbed her, and her mind went blank. She closed her eyes as the madness ensued. His mouth, his tongue, his hands were everywhere. He licked and suckled and prodded her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have sworn there were two or three of him in the cabana with her. Unable to take much more, she pushed him away. He stopped instantly. His breathing, more like panting, was erratic and forced.

  “Lie down,” she ordered.

  He lay back, and she climbed on top of him. Sitting up, she impaled herself onto his hardness and began to ride him in slow motion. He closed his eyes and arched his hips, deepening her pleasure as their friction grinded even closer. Then she felt it. Her body trembled and shook. She rode him faster and nearly cried from the sheer intensity of her actions. She exploded with a scream of rapturous pleasure. She slowed her pace but kept going.

  “Okay, now make love to me like you...”

  The last two words never left her lips. She was on her back in an instant. He gripped her butt and raised her hips up off the cushion, and he thrust down into her. Her legs spread wide, then wrapped around hi
s waist and all she could do was hold on to him and climax over and over and over again. In that afternoon, in the span of enigmatic time, he took her body to places she’d never seen or imagined existed. Later, she smiled as she curled her body into his, thinking he must have really wanted her.

  She woke up hours later. She sat up and looked around. She was alone or not, considering his invisible staff. There was a note tented on the pillow beside her.

  In case you’re wondering how you got upstairs, I carried you. I need to go out for a few hours. The tub is filled with bubbles and the refrigerator is filled with food—make yourself at home.

  P.S.—Yes, you are now alone in the house.

  She squinted her eyes and grimaced. “How does he read my mind like that?” she said aloud, then lay back down. “Good Lord, what was that?” She tried to think back. But no matter how hard she tried to remember the past few hours and particularly the last few minutes in the cabana, she couldn’t. They were a complete blur of pleasure. She knew that she’d told him to make love to her like he wanted her. After that everything went fuzzy. She shook her head and got up, padding barefoot into the bathroom.

  She looked at her face in the mirror and then at her stomach. She didn’t look any different. But she felt different; she was sore and achy. Sex had never been her sporting occupation like some of the women she knew. She wasn’t particularly promiscuous and because she traveled so much having a steady relationship was impossible. Then, seeing the tub reflected in the mirror, she turned.

  As promised, the tub was filled with bubbles. She stuck her hand in and tested the water. It was lukewarm. She added hot water, then eased her body in and laid her head back on the padded cushion. She pushed a button and jet streams began to flow from several points in the tub. She closed her eyes and sighed in lavish relaxation. This was day one of their time together. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

  Chapter 6

  After a nice, long, relaxing bath, Cyanna dried off and went back into the bedroom. She turned to where her luggage had been placed on the stands, but it wasn’t there. She glanced around, then hurried over to the closet and looked inside. She found that her clothes had been either hung up on padded hangers or tucked neatly away in drawers.

  She wasn’t used to having people do things for her, but she had to admit, it was nice once in a while. For their first evening together, she chose to wear a knee-length fitted slip dress. It wasn’t overtly sexy, but it accentuated her body nicely. It was cobalt-blue and sleeveless and dipped slightly lower in front than she was used to. She slipped on stiletto sandals and buckled a thin matching belt around her waist. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, but then decided to just let it flow freely over her shoulder and down her back.

  She went downstairs. The clicking of her heels on the glistening hardwood and polished marble floors echoed all around her. “Hello,” she called out. “Anybody here?” There was no answer. She looked around the foyer, then peeked in the living room and office. Both were perfectly neat and very masculine. She went into the dining room and into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator. There was a fruit plate covered with plastic wrap. She pulled it out along with a bottle of water and began nibbling.

  She walked over to the family room and looked up at the expansive bookshelf. It took up nearly the entire wall. She picked out a novel, read the cover description and first page, then turned to the sliding glass door. She opened it and stepped outside. A warm sultry breeze blew into the cool air-conditioned room. She walked over to the covered gazebo and sat down at the table. Moments later she was snacking on fruit, drinking water and knee-deep in a scintillating murder mystery. Her cell rang.

  “Woman, do you have any idea who this man is?”

  Cyanna knew exactly to whom she was referring. “Yes, Donna, I do,” she said, recognizing her manager’s voice instantly.

  “He’s a friggin’ national hero. I mean a real hero. He saved the head guy of the United Nations. Oh my God. That’s insane. Plus I saw a picture of him and damn, that’s all, that’s it, just—damn!”

  Cyanna chuckled. “Yes, he is a very attractive man with a bona fide dangerous body and a serious aura of power that’s a hundred miles beyond seductive. And he has soulful bedroom eyes that can make a woman’s panties melt off her body.”

  Donna gasped, then sighed. “Okay, one question. Are we talking steroids or is that really all him?”

  “It’s one hundred percent all him,” Cyanna said lustfully.

  “Good Lord,” Donna whispered. “Sex repeatedly with that body.”

  “We’re actually doing it for a reason, Donna.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. To have a baby. But seriously, girl—sex repeatedly with that body, damn. So, does he have any brothers?”

  “Yes, a doctor, but he just recently got married.”

  “Cousins?” Donna asked.

  “I just met one of his cousins. His name is Stephen. He and his wife just had an adorable baby boy.”

  “Okay, friends, business associates, gym buddies or college roommates—hell, you know I’m not that picky,” Donna added.

  Cyanna laughed out loud.

  “Wait. Is he there with you now?”

  “No, he’s at work. He’ll be back later this evening.”

  Donna sighed. “Okay, okay, actually I do have a legitimate business reason for calling you. Your Arabian Prince Charming wants to set up a performance as soon as possible.”

  “He’s not Arabian—he’s from Qatar. He’s not my Prince Charming, and I’m on break. I can’t.”

  “Cyanna, are you serious?”

  “Yes, absolutely, this is too important.”

  “Okay, I understand that, but what happens later, in a year when you want to go back to work? You can’t turn private clients and patrons on and off like a light switch. Ammar may not ask you back.”

  “That’s a chance I’ll have to take.”

  “Are you sure? I’d hate to lose him as a patron.”

  “I can’t worry about that right now.”

  “Understood. I’ll give him your answer. But between you and me, I have a feeling he’s not in the habit of hearing ‘no thanks’ very often. The man has a thing for you, and you know it.”

  “I’m not his type. I know that, too. Gorgeous or not, filthy rich or not, royalty or not, there’s no way I could live my life as a subservient wife or mistress or concubine or whatever they’re called these days. Talk to you later.” She ended the call and went back to the murder mystery.

  “Do you have any idea how enticing you look sitting there?”

  Cyanna gasped, then looked up at Mikhail standing in the doorway.

  “Hi,” she said, putting the book down on the table.

  “Hi,” he said, walking over to her. “I didn’t mean to startle or disturb you.”

  “No, you didn’t. You’re not. I was just reading this book.”

  He tilted his head with interest. She turned the book and showed him the cover. He nodded. “It’s a good story, very engrossing. Do you want to know the ending?”

  She grimaced. “No, of course not. What’s the fun in that?”

  “Sometimes the endings are the best part,” he said. “They aren’t always what we expect.”

  “And sometimes they are,” she said.

  “Trust me, not this story. It has a very unexpected ending.”

  “Still, reading and getting there is the best part.”

  He nodded. “As you like. So, how was your nap?”

  “It was good. I guess I didn’t realize I was so tired.”

  “And your bath?” he asked.

  “Perfect, thank you,” she said. “How did you know I like taking bubble baths after a nap...” she asked, then stopped, remembering. They had made love, napped and taken a bath toget
her at her apartment months ago. “Oh, never mind.”

  Mikhail smiled. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Yeah, a little bit. Would you like to go out for dinner?”

  “Actually I was thinking we could stay in tonight.”

  “Okay, we can do that. But I should warn you, I haven’t cooked in a while. I usually order in when I’m at home.”

  “Yeah, me, too, but I do grill. I picked up a couple of steaks.”

  She grimaced. “I don’t eat red meat,” she said. “Sorry.”

  “Good to know since I picked up a couple of salmon steaks. I hope fish is okay.”

  “Yes, fish is fine. I love salmon.”

  “Good, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen?” He offered his hand to help her stand.

  She stood. He held tight to her hand and pulled her back into his arms. He wrapped his arm around her waist, held her close and whispered, “You look beautiful this evening.”

  “Thank you. And you have on clothes.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I do, for now.”

  The deep rich sound of his voice made her body start tingling inside. He pulled her closer into his arms. Her nipples hardened as he pressed his hips against hers. He kissed her neck and tenderly trailed more kisses around her ear to her cheek and then to her mouth.

  “This dress is killing me. It’s making me want to make love to you right here, right now,” he whispered as he stroked the full length of her back.

  Her heart began to beat quickly. “How? I’m completely covered up. Most men are sexually visual. They’re aroused by what they see. This dress is down to my knees with a high neckline and it’s—”

  “Do you really think that matters? Trust me, the higher the neckline, the longer the hem, the more tantalizing you are,” he said, smiling and gazing admiringly into her eyes. “And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not most men.”

  “Yeah, I noticed.”

  “Good.”

  “So I guess I could wear a micro mini and a tube top then.”