Of Love and Deception

by Melisa Hamling

  Turning slightly, she glanced at his peaceful face and watched him sleep. She wanted to crawl up inside of him, never come out. Okay, maybe not inside, but alongside him. Her mind reeled. How the heck was she supposed to get any sleep? If she hadn't been so conscious about everything, if she were brave, she would run her fingers along his smooth skin.

  Must get sleep. Inhale. Exhale. Sleep, sleep, sleep, dammit!

  It was no use. Daniella couldn't sleep. She sighed, and arched her back as another rush of cold chill whirled along her flesh. Her body trembled.

  Cruz stirred and scooted closer. “Hey. You okay?”

  “Mm-hm. Just chilly.”

  The bed shifted as Cruz sat and pulled the burgundy comforter up but not over them.

  He ran his hand along the curve of her hip. “Turn around.”

  She rolled onto her back and warmed instantly at his touch.

  Cruz was on his side, elbow bent with his head propped against his palm. He stroked her cheek while she stared into the depths of his blue eyes, visible only by the light of the moon streaming in through the white curtains. The turn of his lips warmed her heart, and she smiled. He grasped her hand, and in slow strokes, he brushed kisses over her palm. His gaze never wavered.

  The blaze of lust ignited, stirring the fire back to life within the intimate place between her thighs. With a quick brush of his tongue, he wet her bottom lip. Butterflies surged out of control in her stomach, a sensation so magnificent it was nauseating. With sweet fervor, he captured her lips. The deliciousness of his mouth drove a passionate urge deep inside of her. Not wanting the emotions to end, she slipped her hands along the ripples of his abdomen, up to his chest, and stopped at the back of his head where she held tight.

  Cruz stroked the skin of her naked belly. “Mmm,” he groaned as he trailed kisses down her abdomen.

  Flickers of tingles pulsed through her, and she sucked in a lungful of air as spasms of delight rocketed through her. He peppered a sensual path of kisses up the center of her tummy, paused, and then nibbled around her breast.

  She examined the smooth bronze expanse of streamlined muscle tapering down to a taut, flat abdomen. Lifting a hand, she traced his nipple and continued a path along his sides, until she reached his tight toosh.

  When Cruz slid not one, but two fingers slowly between her parted thighs, she moaned. She was just about to reach down when he rotated his hips and slid between her legs, parting them further with his own. He sat up on his knees, grasped her thighs, raising her bottom half, and with slow rocking motions, he slid into her. Slow and deep, he swayed as he shifted her up and down.

  The depth, the sensation, urged an instinct she hadn't known she possessed. She twisted, cooed and writhed against him. He thrust harder, deeper, and let out a guttural wail while she panted with sheer pleasure.

  Both collapsed, satisfied.

  Laying on his side, one arm bent with his head perched on his palm, Cruz caressed Daniella's cheek, pushing back long strands of stray hairs clinging to her damp skin. He leaned down, kissed her forehead and plopped his head down against the pillow now bunched up under his arm. His free hand slipped away from her cheek, and he lightly glided a finger down her neck, chest and settled his hand against her hip, urging her to move closer.

  Rolling to her side, she rested her head on his pillow, nose to nose with him. They both smiled, snuggling together, as they closed their eyes.

  Daniella woke with a start. She felt an instant chill, suddenly aware the warmth of Cruz's body was no longer there. She rolled over just in time to catch him walking naked toward the bedroom bath.

  Overwhelmingly sexy. Even his silhouette... larger, more dominating. What an incredibly male!

  ~~~

  Cruz's touch lingered. All day, Daniella lay on her couch replaying the scenes of last night. Every touch, every sensation he created within her, down to the last sweaty moment. The explicit details, the magnitude of emotions... it was almost painful to be away from him now.

  Could it be… am I… is he… are we… “I’m in love. Wow. This is crazy.”

  Cruz gratified Daniella’s heart in all the right places. Happiness, blissfulness, togetherness—all of the ingredients for love, or disaster.

  Did he say he loved me last night? Or did I imagine it? And he said ‘Marry me’. But was it only for that moment? Those moments we were drawn together? Yeah, that’s probably it.

  ~~~

  Careful not to give away the fact that she was sore, or that her overnight weekend strained every muscle from her hips on down, Daniella measured every step she took. Her pace was slow, but if she tried to speed up, the muscles in her thighs tightened.

  Today's challenge: go the entire day unnoticed by the cheer squad. The last thing she needed was her female groupies questioning her about her weekend.

  “Daniella?”

  Fat chance!

  “Daniella, wait!”

  Great.

  Two steps forward and she was in her office. She rounded the desk and sat down, carefully.

  “What's wrong with you? You walk like you were riding a horse all weekend,” Lori said. She perched her elbows on the counter and cradled her cheeks.

  Daniella tried to hold a straight face, but Lori made it a difficult task with her eyes beaming and prodding for the truth. “Maybe I was. Or possibly I strained the muscles in my thighs working out.”

  “Liar.”

  “What?”

  Lori dropped her hands and pulled herself up on the counter top. “You heard me. If you were riding a horse, it wasn't the kind with four legs.”

  Daniella stood. “What. Are. You. Doing?”

  “Oh, just getting comfortable.” Lori rolled on her side, stretched her legs and propped her head on a half-bent elbow. “Do tell. I'm not leaving until you tell me a good bedtime story.”

  “Lori! It's not bedtime and you're—”

  “Daniella Kurtz?” The muffled voice of a man interrupted. Not just any man, but that of the poor delivery guy buried behind a bouquet of four dozen red roses.

  “Oh, I'm definitely not leaving!” Lori scooted further on the counter, and patted her hand on the open space. “Right over here, Mr. Delivery man, right over here.”

  He heaved the arrangement up on the counter, and wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. “Ooph… I'm supposed—”

  Daniella waggled a finger close to her lips. “Ah, ah. No need to tell me I'm supposed to open the card. I think I've got that part down by now. Thank you, though.”

  Deliveryman trailed out of the office and mumbled, “Good day, Ma'am.”

  She smacked Lori's contemptuous hand away from the card. “Oh no you don't! That is none of your business my friend.”

  “Well? When are you going to tell me?” Lori scooted up, stuck her nose in the flowers, and inhaled. “They sure smell purdy. Must be from a handsome chap.”

  “You know who they're from,” Daniella said, irritated. Lori wasn't about to budge until her inquiring mind was satisfied.

  Lori beamed. “Must have been some weekend. Four dozen roses. Red to boot. You must have ridden that buck all night long, filled his loins with the fruit of your loom.”

  “Whaa? That makes no sense.”

  “Doesn't matter. You sucked the cream out of the john. Just admit it, you lucky dick.”

  “I was lucky, alright. Ugh! If you must know, then listen up.” She drew her hands to her face. “He was damn good. Best I ever had.”

  She sucked a finger into her mouth and pulled it out. “Mmm. And he was tasty.”

  Lori shot up to a sitting position, nearly tumbling off the counter. Her eyes bugged. “I like this already. Do keep telling.”

  Daniella wiggled her hips and ran her hands down her thighs. “He touched me all over. We did it on the deck. Then on the back lawn.”

  “No way.”

  “But the best place…”

  “YEAH?” Lori bounced.

  Daniella pumped her hips. “The bed
room. It was sweet… such a rush. There. You got your bedtime story, now get off my counter.” A snorting giggle burst out of her.

  “What. Is. Going on in here, ladies?”

  Crap! Parker.

  “Well. Um. Hmm. Yeah, well, I was just giving Lori some tips on how to ride a horse… fast and furious without falling off.”

  “Yes, sir. She's a very good teacher. Do you know how to ride, Mr. Parker?” Lori teased. Her attraction was obvious… and always flirtatious.

  “Ah, yeah, well. I don't think I'm ready to saddle up, Lori, but what you can do is get off the counter and get back to work.” Parker reached for Lori's hand and tugged her down.

  “Ta ta. For now. We'll speak again, Daniella. I still have much to learn.” Lori flitted past Parker, but not without a flirtatious grin.

  ~~~

  Finally alone, Daniella opened the card.

  It read: Best weekend ever. I'm missing you already. Can't get you out of my mind. We'll talk later. Unfortunately, I'm headed to Colorado for another unexpected business issue. I should be back by Wednesday. Till then, Cruz.

  She laughed inwardly. “Till then.”

  10 - Good Bugs Bad Bugs

  The first thing Daniella noticed as she walked toward her office was a bouquet of red roses sitting on her counter. “Aw… how sweet. He's been out of town almost a week and still…” She reached for the card, excited to see what he wrote, but it was blank. She grabbed the bouquet and examined the vase.

  No. It can't be… him. Did he find me? Oh no. Oh gawd no. Not now. Please, God, don't let him…

  Bile rose in her throat, and she lifted her head, fearful of who she might see. Nobody stood outside her office and not a single person roamed the hallway.

  A black bow was wrapped neatly around the vase, and one very black rose peeked through the surrounding red roses. A riveting chill snaked down her spine. Was Blake Sheldon stalking her? Would he bother Cruz? Maybe vandalize his home or his car? Should she tell him? No. She decided to wait. There was no reason to get Cruz all paranoid.

  Several minutes later, Daniella marched toward the exit at the back of the building with the bouquet. She stared at it.

  There was no time to ponder over the past. She pitched the bouquet in the dumpster and shrugged off the possibility of Blake Sheldon coming back to haunt her. She wouldn't be around for a week. She was leaving on a business trip, something she had dreaded, but now welcomed.

  ~~~

  Danielle threw her keys on the bed. Two weeks! All without Cruz. She was glad her disastrous business trip was over. Time for a soak in the jacuzzi.

  After a quick dinner, Daniella lit the candles surrounding the jacuzzi, dimmed the lights, and slipped into the warm bath. She washed and shaved, and then refilled it with water and lavender. A mound of bubbles caressed her chin as she slid under the water. She tried to think of other things, but the nights she'd spent with Cruz slowly emerged.

  Deep in thought, lying in the tub, missing him, Daniella concluded she absolutely needed to see him.

  Submerged in water, just above her ears, all she could hear were sounds of the jets blowing. The vibration and hum practically lulled her to sleep, but…

  The sound of a door creaking caused her to shoot up and scramble backward. Her heart skittered as she recalled the black rose in the bouquet delivered to her two weeks ago. Someone was in her bathroom. Shit!

  Candles didn't give off enough light, but something was by the door. And then it creaked just a little more…

  Daniella panicked. The darkness behind the door wore all black, but the white of the eyes was unmistakable. She sat, too stunned, too afraid to move, her voice trapped in her throat. The swish, swish, swish of her frantic heart pulsed in her head drowning all other sounds. She blinked several times, wiped the water away from her eyes, and when she looked again, there was only the blackness of the hallway.

  It was just a figment of my imagination. That's all.

  Daniella relaxed back into the tub, forcing her mind and body to calm down. It took about ten minutes, but then another sound came from the hall. She didn't look in the direction of the door, but stared at the sink out of the corner of her eye. The shadowy silhouette of a large male was cast along the wall, and her heart thudded heavily in her chest.

  She let out the breath she was holding and patted her chest, willing her heartbeat to slow down a pace. “You! You scared me.”

  A warm, mischievous grin spread across his face as Cruz eased into the hot water.

  Damn is he ever so sexy!

  Placing each of her legs over his, he slipped his hands around her back urging her closer. “Mm. I've missed you. No phone calls for the last week really make a guy wonder.”

  “I'm so—” she started, but Cruz planted his lips against hers.

  “Shhh.”

  “My pho—”

  “Shhh, shhh.” He licked her lower lip. “Mm.”

  Daniella attempted to speak again. “Bu… I whaawha teh you—”

  He stopped sucking, pulled back and cupped her cheeks in his hands. “Just shut up and let me kiss you—to make up for the past two weeks we've been apart.”

  She couldn't resist, not when he slid his tongue between her lips and probed every corner of her mouth. His lips sizzled a steamy trail down her neck as he caressed and stroked—pressed her back into an arch—burned a trail down her abdomen, and another leading back up to her breast, which he sucked in hard and then released.

  Cruz grabbed her hips, and with a jerk of his wrists, he closed the distance between them. Daniella expelled an anxious breath with a slight moan as he entered her, deep and hard, impossibly delectable. She clenched his broad shoulders and buckled her hips, then went rigid, held her breath as ripples of tingles surged through her with each thrust of his pelvis. There was no holding back. They'd been apart too long and the reunion in the jacuzzi only enhanced their reunification. With his mouth to hers, they moaned in unison and the tides of the climax crested and spilled over, causing both to shudder in sheer pleasure.

  There was a lingering silence, only the sound of her rapid heartbeat slowly winding down echoed in her ears.

  “Mm. So damn hot.” Cruz climbed out of the jacuzzi. He lifted Daniella's bathrobe off the door hanger and held it against his chest.

  “It's always that way for me… I mean, when we're together, I… Mm. Never mind.” Daniella flushed.

  ~~~

  They snuggled in her king sized bed, on their sides facing each other. Cruz traced the outline of her face and smiled warm and sexy. She closed her eyes, smiled, and reopened them.

  “I want to tell you something,” Cruz whispered, his voice husky.

  Daniella blinked. “Hmm. Okay, but only if it's something good.”

  His eyes twinkled and turned into mere slits. “You probably know this already, but I haven't said the words yet.” He continued to trace the outline of her face, making his way to her lips.

  Daniella reached up and grasped his hand, pressing it against her lips with a tender kiss. “Don't make me wait or guess. Please tell me.” She blinked and fluttered her eyelids—her way of begging.

  “Come closer.”

  She inched up to him.

  “Even closer.”

  Daniella scooted closer, but Cruz made sure they were skin on skin. He pushed the stray strands of hair away from her face and planted his lips against her forehead. He kissed the entire left side of her face before he tipped back and met her gaze.

  “I. LOVE. YOU.”

  It took a moment before the words registered. Daniella's heart skittered, the words hung on the tip of her tongue.

  Did… did he really just tell me he loves me?

  Cruz shifted. His gaze wavered before he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Daniella's lack of response must have agitated him. He leaned over, grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and sat up.

  What the heck is wrong with me? That beautiful male specimen just told me he loved me and I
just lay here? Say nothing? Hell no!

  “Wait!” Daniella crawled toward Cruz, sat on her knees and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. “Don't leave.” She rested her chin in the crevice of his neck, enjoying the sweet smell of his scent.

  “I'm sorry, but—I guess I didn't expect a no-response reaction.” Cruz slowly slid his hand into the sleeve of his t-shirt. “I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to feel the same way, but I did and now that I know, now that I have my answer, this relationship won't—”

  Daniella mugged his mouth with her hands. “Shut up. Just shut up! Oh my gosh. I so love you! I-I… well, it just shook me, your words, took me by surprise. And, and, and—did you really just tell me you loved me?” She let her hands fall slowly from his mouth and grasped his biceps.

  “Lay back down. I just need a minute.” He didn't bother to look at Daniella, he only sat with his hands clasped, and dropped his head between his legs.

  Daniella fell to her back, slipped her legs beneath the white cotton sheet, and stared at the ceiling. He was really blowing this out of proportion.

  Cruz snuggled up beside her. He ran his fingers lightly along her jawline.

  They focused on the other with unwavering stares, not even a flinch. Cruz broke the uneasiness Daniella was experiencing as he leaned forward.

  His lips almost touching hers, he whispered, “I don't know what I'd do if you didn't love me. I can tell you that I've never said those words to any woman, and meant it, until I met you.”

  Daniella's heart soared in leaps and bounds, and before she could think or react, Cruz fully engaged his lips with hers. She was lost in a kiss—hot, moist, intoxicating.

  “One more thing,” Cruz said. “I've got a little trip planned.” His blue eyes gleamed underneath the disheveled mess of brown hair.

  “You're not leaving again? I mean, we've both been away and I'd hate to go another week without you.”

  “No. Not a business trip. I'm taking you to the Hanging Lake in Colorado. Meg and Falcon have a cabin there and invited us to stay. Then you and I will spend some alone time in Nebraska City, Nebraska.” He hesitated and searched her eyes, obviously anticipating her answer.