Remembering one of my favorite photos, an idea struck, and for the next while I worked, layering and highlighting until it was exactly the way I envisioned it in my head. When it was done, it was the perfect symmetry of the two. A photo of sunset over the ocean, the waves rushing to the shore, with the washed-out, barely seen image of Ally drifting though the sky, the bright waves of her hair dipping into the ocean, diffused stars scattered around her. The layered effect of the clouds had captured my eye the night I had taken the picture and now they were like the blankets that covered her. With a few more touches, I brought out the freckles in the shimmering light my lens had captured.
I called it Sleeping Angel.
It would bring a high price—I’d make sure of it.
I stopped working only once, when Ally called. Her voice was drained, although she assured me she was fine. Brunch, she told me, had gone exactly as she thought it would. She was informed her decision to stop seeing Bradley was a mistake and they were disappointed in her selfish actions. I wanted to hang up and go find them and show them precisely what selfish actions looked like. I’d hold up a mirror and let them talk.
I wanted to go and get her, but she refused. I stopped arguing, deciding she’d probably been doing nothing but arguing for the past few hours, and told her I would call her tomorrow.
However, I was there when she left for work, waiting outside her building, needing to reassure myself she was all right. The way she flung herself into my embrace let me know my decision was a good one. She held a small bag, and as we were driving I asked her what it was for.
“The people above me started renovations today. I barely got any sleep so I’m going to crash in the on-call room tomorrow. At least I’ll get a few hours in.”
My brow furrowed. “How long will this be going on for?”
“They said a week to ten days.”
“You can’t get by on a few hours that long.”
“Well, I don’t want to go to my parents’. I’ll crash on Elena’s couch when she gets back.”
I pulled up in front of the hospital. “I have a better idea. Stay with me. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
“Then I’ll interrupt your day.”
“No. I have some work to do. The loft is quiet, and you can sleep.”
“I’d like that, but are you sure?”
I wrapped my hand around hers, kissing the knuckles. “I want to make sure you’re okay. Please let me do this.”
“I’m not used to anyone looking after me.”
“I want you to get used to me doing it.” I studied her. “Does this bother you?”
“Bother me?”
I place my hand on her neck, feeling her steady pulse. “This need I have—to take care of you. It’s so important to me. I’m worried I may overwhelm you.”
Her voice was quiet in the car. “Does it overwhelm you?”
I stared at the dashboard, thinking. “At times. I’m not used to thinking about someone else. I’m afraid I’m going to scare you away.”
“Adam…” She began, waiting until I met her gaze. “Aside from Ollie or Elena, no one has cared for me. Once my dad died, I was alone. It doesn’t scare me. I understand it, because I feel the same way about you. I want to be with you when you’re here.” Her voice caught. “I know when you leave again, I’m going to miss you even more.”
There was nothing else to be said. I kissed her, and watched her walk into the hospital, her words ringing in my head.
Had anyone missed me before she came into my life?
I was certain the answer was no.
The next morning, I picked her up, taking her to my place, parking underground. Her eyes grew large as she stared at the gleaming black motorcycle parked beside my deep blue Audi RS7.
“Is that yours?”
“Yep.” I ran my hand over the gleaming metal. “You like to ride, Ally?”
“I’ve never been on one.” She eyed the bike with trepidation. “What kind is it? It looks powerful.”
I slung my arm around her shoulders as we walked toward the private elevator. “It’s a Harley. It is powerful, but I’m careful. I’ll take it out soon. We’ll get you some gear and you can come with me, if you want.”
“I would!”
“Good.”
I stayed busy during the day while she slept, once again wearing my T-shirt. I had hung my old sheets in the windows by the bed, hoping to at least dim the sunlight so she could rest.
I was furious when her phone went off and I grabbed it, lowering the volume so it wouldn’t disturb her. It went off multiple times throughout the day, and my mood got darker every time it did. Bradley and her mother were the two persistent callers.
They knew she worked all night, the selfish fuckers.
My fingers pounded on the computer, and I stepped into the hall when I needed to make calls, planning a few more changes in the loft.
I didn’t question my motives now. I wanted to look after her. It was important to me, because she was fast becoming the most important thing in my life.
When she woke up, we spent some time talking. She made omelets, teasing me about my dwindling supplies, and having to be inventive.
“I was busy today.” I laughed, picking up the somewhat dry toast. I did have to get to the store, and purchase some groceries.
“Do you ever keep much food here?”
“No. I never know when I’ll be called away, and it spoils. Takeout is easier.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“Now that I have you, I can get a few more things. You could always come and stay here if I was away.”
Our gazes locked.
“I could,” she murmured.
“I’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow.”
She laughed, slipped off her stool, and went to get ready for work.
I drove her again, already filled with plans for my night. At the hospital, she turned to me. “I slept so well today. Thank you.”
I ran my finger down her cheek. “I’ll be here in the morning.”
“I could drive myself.”
“I’d like to come get you, if you’d let me,” I added, unable to explain the yearning I felt when it came to her. I needed to be close to her as much as possible. A small part of me knew it was irrational, yet I didn’t care. It was there and I wasn’t fighting it.
Her lips were warm on my cheek. “I would.”
I stayed up most of the night installing the blinds I had ordered and picked up. That was one of the perks being the owner and only tenant living on the top floor of the building. No one complained about the music I blasted or the sound of my drill as I hung them one by one, until they were done. Simple, white wood slats I could leave open when I wanted and pull tight to shut out the daylight when needed. I wasn’t much of a handyman, but they looked damn good when I was done.
When I arrived at the hospital, she was waiting. She slipped into the car, immediately leaning over for my kiss. I held the back of her head securely, enjoying the feel of her mouth.
“You look tired,” she observed.
“I was awake most of the night.” I grinned. “Busy.” I lifted her hand, kissing the knuckles. “I plan on sleeping beside you today.”
“Oh.” That was the only word she uttered, but her smile was bright.
It was even brighter when she saw the blinds, and she seemed surprised.
“Why?”
“For you. So you can sleep.”
“I can’t sleep here every day,” she reminded me gently.
I tucked another item into her hand I had picked up at Home Depot. She looked down at the shiny keys in her palm and her gaze flew to mine.
“Anytime, Nightingale. Whether I’m here or not.” I had been home for a couple of days now, and I never knew when I would have to head out again. “You’re welcome to be here. Day or night.”
“Adam—”
I shook my head. “Anytime. The larger one is the front door—at least for the times the
lock isn’t broken—the other one is for the loft.” I added another item to her palm. “This pass is for the garage. You can park in there beside me—you’ll be safer. Use the private elevator—you know the pass code already.”
I closed her hand around the keys and pass, silently begging her with my eyes to accept them. Accept me.
She lifted them, giggling at the little key chain that had a camera on it. I showed her how it worked as a flashlight if she needed extra light to see the keyholes. I was thrilled when she slipped it into her purse after grazing my cheek with her lips. I handed her another T-shirt, apologizing for the threadbare condition. I winked when I told her I’d been too busy to wash the other one since she’d bought me too many damned sheets to wash.
We moved around, quietly comfortable with each other. She nibbled at the toast I made her, talking about some of the happenings in the ER the night before, making me laugh with her imitations of a groaner who it seemed never stopped.
“All for a sliver.” She shook her head and snickered. “You’d think we were cutting off his arm.”
She smirked at me over her shoulder as she walked away. “He was worse than you.”
I laughed at her teasing. I was an awful patient—I knew that, but it had gotten me her. Well worth it, I’d say.
She paused by the side of the bed and turned to me.
My breath caught in my throat. Standing there in the morning sun, she was an incredible vision. The light behind her highlighted the curves beneath my shirt, the thin material showing the faint outline of her nipples straining against the material. As she lifted her arms, gathering her hair into a ponytail, the shirt rose, exposing her hips. Tiny straps sat low across the bones and a red triangle nestled between her legs—small, lacy scraps of material that passed as underwear.
A hiss escaped my mouth, and my cock hardened at the sight of her sensual beauty.
She froze as I pushed off the stool and stalked toward her. I stood in front of her, so close our chests were touching, her nipples hardening into pebbles as I pressed nearer. “You’re so sexy,” I murmured. “Standing here in the light, in my clothes, beside my bed.” I ran my fingers up her bare thigh. “I want you, Ally.”
Her breath began to come out in small gasps as my fingers edged higher, barely brushing the lace I had seen. “I’ve never seen anything sexier than you are, right here, right now.”
“You think I’m sexy?”
“Maddeningly so.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her to me, letting her feel what she did to me. Her eyes widened and her fist tightened on the material of my shirt she was holding.
“I’m not a virgin,” she blurted out.
I laughed low in my throat. “I’d hardly expect you to be.” I rubbed my nose along hers affectionately. “I’m not, either,” I murmured, dragging my lips across her cheek to her ear.
“I don’t have a lot of experience, though.”
“We can work on that.” I tugged on her soft lobe, smiling as she moaned quietly. “You just have to tell me what you like. Show me how to please you.”
“That’s the problem, Adam.”
I leaned back, frowning. “I don’t understand.”
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “When I say I don’t have a lot of experience, I mean with any of it. I can’t tell you what pleases me, because…I don’t know what pleases me.”
Chapter 9
“What are you talking about Ally?”
She flung her hands in the air in complete exasperation. “How can I tell you what I like when I don’t know? I’ve only had two short relationships, and only had sex with one of them.”
I blinked. This beautiful, sexy woman had only had sex with one man?
“Impossible,” I breathed.
Her cheeks flushed. Not the diffused blush I was used to seeing on her cheeks when I would tease her, or kiss her unexpectedly. This was the color of embarrassment—Ally’s embarrassment.
“You know how sheltered my teens were. I didn’t have a real boyfriend until I was at university.”
“That’s not a big deal, a lot of people start late.”
“Did you?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “No, I didn’t. Trust me, if I could, I’d go back and change some of my behavior, but I can’t.” I ran my hand along the back of my neck. “Besides, we aren’t discussing me. We were talking about you.”
“My first time, with my boyfriend, Ben, wasn’t enjoyable.”
“I don’t think any woman’s first time is,” I agreed. I tried to keep my voice even. I hated, loathed, the thought of her with anyone else, but I had to ask. “But you tried again?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “We did. We tried a few days later. But I think he was so afraid of hurting me he treated me like spun glass—as if I would shatter any second. It hardly felt as though he was touching me, and I wasn’t, ah, ready…and, yeah, it wasn’t good. And we broke up not long after. He said it wasn’t anything to do with what happened, but I’m not stupid. Who wants to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t respond to you sexually?”
I could hear the embarrassment in her voice. Between the way her parents second-guessed every decision she made, criticized her, and how her jackass of a boyfriend had treated her, she had no confidence in this area of her life. Not to mention the “fake” relationship she’d had with Bradley. She had no idea how truly sexy she was.
“Nightingale,” I said quietly. When she didn’t respond, I tried again.. “Ally—look at me.”
I waited until she looked up to speak. “Your so-called boyfriend was an idiot,” I stated flatly. “Obviously, he had no idea how to please you, and instead of manning up and doing something about it, he walked.” I insisted. “He probably had as much experience as you did and didn’t want to say that out loud.”
She frowned. “He had other girlfriends.”
“Was he your first boyfriend?”
“No. I had one other in high school. It wasn’t much of a relationship—not at that age. I was too young and naïve for that, and with the restrictions I had, well, it never had a chance.” She shrugged self-consciously.
“So, Ben, he was the first man you slept with?”
“Yes. I wasn’t ready before.” She sighed. “I don’t think I was ready then, either. But he kept at me.”
“Maybe it was the same for him.”
Her eyes widened. “I never thought of that. He never said—he kept pushing…”
“Of course he didn’t say anything.” I smiled knowingly. “Of course he kept pushing. I mean, look at you.”
“What?”
“He wanted you. The same way Bradley does.”
She shook her head. “Bradley’s never tried anything with me. I just assumed…”
“You assumed wrong. He was just playing the game, hoping to wear you down. Trust me, he wants you.”
I moved closer. “I want you—I want you so fucking much, I ache with it.” I sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right—you weren’t ready. He wasn’t the right man for you. Neither was Bradley.”
“And you are?”
“Yes,” I stated with conviction. “I am.”
“What if I disappoint you?”
“Impossible. We’ll learn together. I’ll teach you.”
“I don’t…”
“Don’t what? Tell me,” I demanded.
“I don’t want to be treated like glass all the time.”
I laughed, the low sound rumbling in my chest as I shook my head. “I don’t plan on it. When I make you mine, you’re going to feel it; I promise you that.”
A small whimper escaped her lips. Her chest was moving rapidly, her skin flushing the pretty petal color I loved. It tinted her cheeks and swept down her neck, covering her chest. I wanted to know how far down that color went—if her skin was warm when my tongue dragged across the surface. If I could make the color deepen the way her eyes were darkening as she looked at me.
“There
are so many things I want to do with you,” I assured her, and licked my lips as I stared at her, my voice husky. “To you.”
“Tell me,” she insisted, her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
I stepped behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her to my chest. I smoothed my fingers up her arm, trailing them along her skin. Small goose bumps broke out, pebbling the surface as I dropped my head down into her neck, kissing and swirling my tongue. “I’m going to explore you—everywhere. I’ll touch and discover every part of you. I want to know what makes you gasp, what drives you to distraction. I’ll find out what I can do to make you groan and beg me to take you. I’ll know your body better than you do.” I drew her skin between my teeth, biting and sucking. “I want to kiss you…taste you everywhere.” I slipped my hands under her shirt, teasing the softness of her stomach and side, stroking upward until my hand cupped her breast lightly. “I bet you taste different all over. Sweet some places”—I dropped my hand down, running it along the edge of her waistband—“musky and tangy others.”
She moaned and clasped the back of my neck, tugging on my hair. Her back arched, pushing her breast into my palm, the nipple puckering as I kneaded and teased the firm flesh, and she breathed my name, the sound raspy in her throat.
I lowered my hand to between her legs, listening to her breathing pick up as I cupped her warmth. I could feel the blazing heat of her through the fabric—the dampness telling me without a doubt how right I was for her. I grazed my lips over her ear. “I want to lick you until you scream my name, Ally.” I caressed her with my finger. “And you will scream.”
“Oh God…”
“No, God won’t be there,” I growled. “But I will.” I pressed my finger against her harder. “I want my face between your legs. I want to fuck you with my mouth. I want you to come all over me, riding my fingers and my tongue.” I bit down on the skin by her shoulder, knowing I would leave a mark. My mark.
“Then,” I promised her, releasing her flesh with a small flick of my tongue, “I’ll drive into you so hard you’ll see stars. I’m going to fuck you so passionately we’ll end up on the floor. I want you to take me, take all of me, and when you’re finally done—when I’ve fucked you so much you can’t take it anymore…I’ll keep going until I’m done.”
My Image of You Page 10