She felt his hips slowly push against hers, felt him slide within her body. She stiffened involuntarily, unsure how she would accommodate him, but then he withdrew and did the same thing again, this time probing a little farther, waiting a little longer. Her body stretched and molded around him, at first uncomfortable and then not. Tremors racked his frame as he held himself partially within her. The next time he moved, she pressed back, taking him inside her a little farther.
A new sensation began to build inside her, one that demanded more, demanded him, so much so that when he thrust all the way inside her on his next stroke she ignored the sharp tear of pain and clutched at his hips, urging him to continue. With no barrier impeding him, Alex deepened his strokes, propelling her once more toward the growing pleasure whose epicenter lay hidden within her.
He gathered momentum and Loren found her body meeting him stroke for stroke, both of them reaching for the shadowy pinnacle of their desire. And then it burst upon her. Wave after wave. Bigger than before, deeper than before. A cry of sheer delight broke on her lips as Alex shuddered in release against her, before collapsing, spent, against her body.
In the aftermath of their lovemaking Loren gave herself over to the delicious lassitude that spread through her body. She knew of physical pleasure, but she’d never dreamed it could be like this. She trailed her fingers up and down the length of Alex’s sweat-dampened spine and in that moment she loved him more than she ever had before.
Alex watched his wife as she slept naked in his arms. His heart still hammered in his chest. Coming down from the high of their first physical union had taken its time. Even now he still felt twinges of pleasure, aftershocks of satisfaction that seemed endless in their reach.
It had never been like this before, with anyone. Somehow the knowledge that he was Loren’s husband and her first lover had lent a different note to the act itself. He’d always prided himself on being a considerate lover but it had become even more important to him to ensure that her first time be special than he’d believed possible.
And in giving he’d also received. The climax that had wrung his body dry had been spectacular. He rested one hand on her smooth, flat belly. Perhaps even now he’d managed to achieve his goal.
He had scarcely been able to believe his luck when she’d followed him to his room. After last night he’d hoped they’d gained a new high ground together, but her reaction to him this morning had dashed that hope. Until he’d heard that gentle knock at his bedroom door.
Alex dropped his head back against the pillow. He’d made that first time special for her. No matter what came after, she would always have that. Somehow that truth didn’t help assuage the kernel of guilt that had nestled somewhere in his chest. She deserved to have her first time with someone who loved her. But whatever she deserved, Alex was what she had—what she would have for the rest of her life, since he had no intention of ever letting her go.
She stirred against him, her slender body curling around his as naturally as if they’d always slept together. He’d had enough of thinking, enough of trying to justify his decisions. Action came more naturally.
Pushing aside thoughts that could only plague him, Alex gathered Loren closer to him and began to stroke her with long sweeps of his hand. He was already hard for her again. Mindful that she might be tender, he decided this time to take things even slower.
She woke as he dragged his fingertips along the inner curve of her hip. A tremulous smile pulled at her lips, soon to be lost in a moan that tore from her throat as he slid one hand between her legs to gently stroke her soft folds.
“Too much? Too soon?” he asked, watching her face carefully, hoping against hope that she would say no to his inquiry.
“Oh!” she cried as he brushed over her clitoris. “No, not too much. Not too soon.”
“Good.” He smiled in return and focused on the task at hand.
She had so much still to learn about the pleasure they could give one another, and he thanked his lucky stars she was such an eager pupil.
Her legs began to quake in what he recognized as the precursor to her climax and he slowed his touch, drawing out the pleasure for her as far as he was able. When he himself could hold on no longer he pulled her beneath him and sank inside her, the action sending her skyrocketing over the edge. Just like that he was with her, his body pulsing, spilling his seed, his mind filled with nothing more than wave after wave of ecstasy and the overwhelming sense of rightness that consumed him with Loren in his arms.
Nine
While Loren loved living at the castillo she adored the compactness of this stone cottage perched on the hillside. The small kitchen that had so tormented her with its closeness when she and Alex had first arrived was now a teasing adventure. And, even though they had neighbors in abundance, with the mature trees and the staggered terrace style of building around them, she felt as if she and Alex were totally isolated. There was a delightful sense of freedom in knowing that she could do whatever she wished.
It had been one glorious week since the morning they’d first made love. A week filled with discovery as she’d learned to bring the strong man she’d married exquisite physical delight and receive the same in return. Her one regret was that while they grew closer physically with each encounter, Alex continued to maintain an emotional distance between them she couldn’t seem to break through.
They’d done all the tourist things available in the area, enjoying the food and the countryside almost as much as they enjoyed one another in the close confines of the cottage. Going back to the castillo would be difficult but she had very definite plans for her and Alex to plan more time alone together.
A smile pulled at her lips as she heard Alex come up the stairs from the pebble beach below where they’d been swimming together. Only the knowledge that they’d been visible to some of their neighbors while in the water had held them back from making love as they’d floated together. But now, her smile deepened, now they were in their own cocoon of privacy again and she could do what she wished.
Alex lowered his body onto one of the sun loungers on the terrace, the white-and-navy striped cushion beneath him accenting the depth of his tan. Black swim trunks clung to him, outlining his hips and the tops of his thighs. Loren’s mouth watered at the prospect of what lay hidden beneath the dark fabric.
Her hands gripped the edges of the tray she’d brought through from the kitchen and she put it down on the terrace table, none too gently, and grabbed at one of the highball glasses before it toppled over. Even after all they’d shared he continued to have the power to rattle her senses. Just thinking about him had her heart racing, her lower body flushed and eager for his touch.
She forced her hands to still so she could grab the pitcher of iced tea and pour two glasses. She took one over to Alex, aware of his eyes watching every step she took toward him.
“Cool drink?” she said, offering him a glass.
“After that swim I think I need more than a cool drink.”
He took the proffered drink and drained the glass with a series of long, slow pulls. Loren watched, mesmerized by the play of muscles working in his throat. Alex put his glass down on the terrace beside him, the unmelted blocks of ice tinkling in the bottom, and gestured to Loren to join him on the lounger.
“Here, come and sit with me.”
“There’s no room,” Loren half protested.
“So use your imagination.” Alex smiled in return.
Loren lifted the folds of the emerald green sarong that matched her bikini and straddled the lounger, settling on Alex’s strong thighs.
“Like this?” she said, her voice a husky rasp as she felt the hairs on his legs tickle the already sensitive flesh of her inner thighs.
“Oh yes, exactly like that.”
Alex pushed the flimsy sarong aside, baring her legs completely and exposing the shadowed area of her body at the apex of her thighs. He traced the outside edge of her bikini bottoms, from the tie at her hip to her i
nner thigh and back again.
Heat and moisture flooded to her lower regions and she drew in a sharp breath as one finger slipped inside the edge of her bikini pants to brush lightly over her inner folds. Back and forth he stroked, until finally he slid one finger inside her. She clenched her inner muscles against him, tilting her pelvis forward and rocking slightly against his palm.
“You like that?” he asked, his voice deep and low.
“You know I do,” she whispered back and gasped anew as he slid another finger inside her.
With his free hand, Alex tugged at the bows that held her bikini bottoms together and pulled the fabric away, dropping it beside the lounger, exposing her and what he was doing to her.
Loren looked down and felt another sharp jolt of pleasure rock through her body as she watched him. She ached for release, wanted to rush toward the starburst of pleasure she knew was just around the corner, yet conversely wanted to make it last as long as she could. When Alex’s thumb settled against the hooded bud of nerve endings at her core she nearly lost it, but she clenched against him, harder, tighter, determined to remain in control.
“Come for me,” Alex commanded, his voice guttural now, his eyes molten with desire.
He started a gentle circular motion with his thumb, slowly increasing and releasing pressure with each stroke. She was near mindless when she felt the first flutters of her orgasm begin to wash over her. Finally, she could hold back no more. She tilted her hips some more, leaning into his hand, and let his magical touch send her flying over the edge.
Loren slowly returned to her surroundings, to the man who lay beneath her. A beautiful sensual smile pulled at his lips and she felt herself smile back in return.
“You’re beautiful when you climax, did you know that?” he said.
Loren felt the heat of a blush stain her cheeks. Even after what they’d just done she still felt embarrassed when he spoke to her like that. In lieu of a response she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. He tasted of a delicious combination of sunshine, tea and a hint of mint.
She broke off the kiss and pulled free from his arms.
“It seems to me that things are a little unbalanced here,” she said.
“Unbalanced?”
Loren traced the prominent outline of his erection through his swim trunks with her fingernails.
“You heard me.”
“Hmm, you could be right,” Alex said, his speech thickening as she continued to tease his length. “It’s always important for things to be balanced, of course.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing,” Loren said and rose from the lounger in a fluid movement.
She undid the knot of her sarong and let it drop to the terrace floor, and then undid her bikini top, allowing it to fall on top of the puddle of emerald green fabric. Her nipples tightened in anticipation in spite of the warm air as she bent toward her husband.
“Lift your hips,” she said.
As he did, she eased his trunks down, exposing him to her hungry gaze and her eager hands. She tossed the shorts behind her, uncaring of where they fell.
“Now, spread your legs,” she requested. She knelt between them on the striped cushion as he silently obeyed.
Loren leaned forward and took his erection in her hand, curling her fingers around the velvet hard length and stroking firmly from base to tip and back again. Bending down, she swirled her tongue around the tip of him. Again and again, before gently rasping her teeth over the smooth head. She smiled as a harsh groan tore from Alex’s lips.
“Too much? Do you want me to stop?” she teased. She knew what his answer would be before he could even verbalize it.
“Stop now and I may have to punish you severely,” Alex said through gritted teeth.
Loren laughed softly and took him in her mouth. She loved that she could do this to him, for him. Just a few months ago, she would never have dreamed she could be so bold, so forward, but he’d taught her much in this past week. Most importantly, he’d taught her how to give him pleasure and how to draw that pleasure out until he finally let go of the iron control with which he held himself.
She looked up at his face. His head was thrown back against the chair cushion, his eyes squeezed closed. He’d flung his arms back and his hands gripped the back of the lounger. Loren took him deeper into her mouth, suckled more firmly at his tip, relished the hot salty taste of him as he fought to hold back.
Then she stopped, releasing him to the warm air around them. Alex tilted his head back up, his eyes narrowed as he watched her rise and spread her legs before lowering herself back down. She guided his shaft to her with unerring accuracy.
His hands let go of the lounger, finding a new home cupping her breasts as she took his length inside her body. She leaned against the strength of his arms as she started a rhythm guaranteed to bring them both to completion. Beneath her she could feel Alex’s body tremble with the sheer force of his indomitable will. She knew he would not allow himself the freedom of his climax unless he knew she too was near.
But this time she wanted to drive him over the edge. This time she wanted to show him that love was not all about control or always about giving. Sometimes it was about taking what you needed, when it was offered. And she was offering herself. Everything. Her heart, her body, her soul.
She knew the second she’d overcome his resistance. Felt the moment his body began to let go. Intense joy flooded her mind. Hard on the heels of that sense of elation, her own orgasm shuddered through her.
Loren collapsed against Alex’s body, both of them slicked with sweat, and lay against his chest, listening to the rapid thud of his heartbeat.
“I love you, Alexander del Castillo,” she whispered.
In answer he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer—but the words she wished to hear, more than any other from his mouth, remained unsaid.
They’d been back from Dubrovnik for nearly a week. Already their time together seemed as if it was a distant memory. Alex had disappeared back into his work as if nothing else existed. Apparently bookings at the resort were on the increase. The publicity surrounding their marriage had seemed to have done the trick as far as lifting the profile of Isla Sagrado in the media. Once again the island nation was becoming a popular holiday destination for the moneyed and famous.
Loren was pleased for Alex that things were improving so steadily although she sometimes wished the demands of his work were less so they could recapture some of the wonder of their honeymoon again. It was rare that Alex arrived home before she went to bed anymore, and he hadn’t been to her room or in her bed since their first night back.
She’d believed they’d built a foundation for their future together in those exquisite days and nights at the cottage, yet now she was no longer so certain. This morning a courier had delivered her a copy of their prenuptial agreement for her records. It served as a sobering reminder of the parameters under which she and Alex had married.
Had he encouraged their intimacy, their discovery of one another, purely to make the child he was so determined to produce? Before the wedding, he’d gone with her to the doctor where she’d had a physical check and the doctor had discussed her cycle. Alex had known when she should have been most fertile. That that time had coincided so soon after their wedding was fortuitous, he’d said, as they’d driven back from the clinic.
Was that why he’d been so patient with her? So passionate? Had making a baby been the sole object of their lovemaking?
Her period had been due a few days ago but as yet hadn’t made its appearance. She placed a hand on her stomach, wondering if Alex would have his wish after all. As much as she desired to bear his child, she wanted more from their marriage before she felt ready to bring a child into it. Especially now she knew just what it would be like to share a life with him.
Unless, of course, their honeymoon had been a farce—nothing but a means to an end for Alex.
“Señora?”
Loren turned
from the flowers she’d been arranging for the dining table tonight and greeted the maid who’d brought a cordless phone on a silver tray.
“A call for me?” she said, picking up the handset.
“Sí, it is Señor del Castillo.”
Loren felt an instant rush of elation and hit the hold button, saying “hello” before the maid had even left the room.
“Loren, I left some papers in my office at home and I can’t spare Giselle to come to the castillo to collect them. Would you be able to bring them to the resort?”
Hard on the heels of disappointment that he didn’t so much as ask how she was feeling, she found herself agreeing to do so.
“Sure, I can do that. I’m expected at the orphanage at lunchtime for a concert with the children. I can stop in to your office on my way through.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. You’ll find them in the blue folder on my desk.”
Without waiting for her to say goodbye, Alex disconnected the call. He’d treated her as no more than one of his staff. Loren felt a bubble of anger rise in her throat. Anger mixed with another emotion she didn’t want to examine too closely for fear it would bring her to tears.
She swallowed hard against the obstruction in her throat and squared her shoulders. She would tell him what she thought of his manner when she saw him. If he thought he could treat her like that and get away with it, well, he had another think coming.
Half an hour later Loren drove her new Alfa Romeo Spider—a belated wedding gift surprise from Alex when they’d arrived home—toward the resort’s main offices and pulled into the visitor parking lot outside. She looked around for Alex’s Lamborghini but it was nowhere to be seen. Strange, but then perhaps he’d used a driver today.
She collected the blue folder he’d requested from the passenger seat and walked with clipped, sure steps toward the office door. Inside, with a wave to the receptionist, Loren made her way directly to Alex’s office.
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