Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2)

by Susan Schussler

  He leaned over her, sucking her lip into his mouth. His breath hummed as he pulled back. “Don’t move.” His eyes, almost colorless in the moonlight, pinned her to the bed as he turned to go back inside the house.

  She sat up, propping her elbows behind her for support, and took in the picturesque cove. Tall rock cliffs rose on either side of the small bay, completely cutting it off from the rest of the island. It looked impassable on foot, and that comforted Sarah. The waves lapped with a soothing roar, and the clean salt air awakened her. It was so beautiful.

  The water trailed out endlessly, and down the center of the bay, the moon reflected its luminous tail. Her eyes followed the light to the stars singing in the night’s sky, millions of them dotting the darkness. A warm glow of a dozen waist-high candles flickered in the warm breeze along the edge of the veranda. The candles reminded her both of the night Jon proposed and the night in the blackout of the rainstorm when they first made love. This place couldn’t be more perfect.

  She could hear him when he came back out, the rustle of his pants maybe? Sarah turned, and he was standing in the doorway watching her. He’d changed out of his tux and was wearing a pair of white cotton pants that flapped in the wind as he stepped out of the doorway. No shirt. No shoes. Just the pants hanging low on his hips. With every one of his glorious muscles catching the moonlight, he prowled toward her.

  A smirk drew on his face as he passed her one of the two goblets in his hand. “Drink up, beautiful.”

  “Water?” she questioned before taking a sip. The ice water did nothing to soothe the burn that was growing inside her.

  “I want you fully aware of what I’m doing to you.” He drew a mouthful from his goblet and swallowed slowly. Only Jon could make drinking water look sexy. “I thought about an energy drink because you’re going to need stamina for what I have planned, but I prefer your natural state.”

  He wasn’t even touching her and he already had her body’s full attention. She took another sip from her glass before Jon grabbed it from her hand, setting it with his on the table next to the lounger.

  “Thank you for leaving this on.” He bent down, pinching the hem of her dress between his fingers. “I’ve been fantasizing about pleasuring you in this dress for over a month. Every time I closed my eyes on my tour of Europe, all I saw was you in a white dress, this dress. It’s just like I imagined. And now I get to live it.”

  With a glint in his eyes, he lifted her dress and let the breeze catch it, ballooning it up until the air slowly dissipated. His smile looked both innocent, like a child unsure of himself, and devilish, as if all his evil plans were coming together. He leaned forward for her hand and guided her to the edge of the lounger. God, he was gorgeous. He was hers. No one could take this from her—not the media, not Mia, not Alli, and not a crazy stalker. This was her and Jon’s moment and she would never share it with anyone else. Jon pulled a pillow from the seat next to her and dropped it on the patio in front of him before collapsing on his knees.

  Now eye level with her, he clasped her face in his hands and gently brushed his lips against hers, soft as the breeze. Pulling back and starting over again and again, each time he came forward, his pressure on her lips grew until he pushed into her with his tongue. Sarah gasped, her heart racing. He could do more with just a kiss than any other man had ever accomplished with her body. Her hands moved to his bare chest as he trailed his tongue down her neck. The heat radiated off him, warming her deep inside. She wanted nothing more than to lose the dress, but Jon seemed so enthralled by it she couldn’t deny him.

  As his mouth moved over her bodice, his breath burned through the satin fabric. His hands followed, cupping her breasts, and a small moan slipped from her throat. As his lips moved down her, he softly pushed her back against the cushion and all she could do was submit to his touch. He kissed her side where her scars used to be and then found his way to her navel. Her eyes closed as he lifted the hem of her dress. His hand grasped her thighs, pulling her closer and then smoothed down her silken stocking to her ankle. He unbuckled the strap of her sandal with ease and then started the process at her thigh again for the other leg as the first shoe fell to the ground, the motion slow and sensual. Back at the top of her thigh again, he unfastened the buttons of her garter and rolled her lace-topped stocking to the tip of her toes, following his touch with his lips, before moving to the second leg.

  “Be patient,” he scolded as her muscles tensed. He could obviously tell what she wanted.

  When his fingers slid under the edge of her panties, she moaned. She knew what was coming. Jon could push her over the edge with just his touch. Sometimes he would do it two or three times before the main event. She wondered what his plans were for this night. She was ready for the main event right now. Right now. Her panties soon joined her shoes on the patio floor. As the scruff from his day’s beard brushed against her inner thigh she realized it was definitely in her best interest to let him carry out his plans. But she couldn’t even lace her fingers through his hair in this position with him under her gown. She clutched the blanket beneath her as he teased her, and too quickly she hung perched on the edge ready to jump. “I want you.” Her words came out breathy and barely audible.

  “You have me, beautiful. I’m your husband.”

  She could hear the smile on his lips. He knew what she meant.

  “I need you, all of you,” she begged. And she did.

  He pulled the white satin off his head with a smile and said, “Oh? We’ll need to get this dress off then.” He offered his hand and pulled her up, spinning her around to deal with the tiny buttons down her back. He kissed down her back as each button opened, exposing more skin. When he reached the last one, she heard the distinct sound of his zipper. He lifted her skirt again and pulled her back against him. Her body screamed for more as she felt him pushing into her, but just as she thought she would get what she was begging for, he grasped her hips, freezing in place.

  “I so want you right now, but I want to see your face.” She could hear the hesitation in his deep husky voice, his hands still locking her in place. Then he took a deep breath and stepped back, dropping his grip as he let out the breath he’d been holding. “Let’s go for a swim.”

  A swim would be good, she thought. It would refresh her and give her a chance to regain her composure. She nodded as her dress fell to the ground with a soft thud. She stepped out of it and Jon laid it over the back of a nearby chair. When she turned, her eyes met his face. He looked so confident, so beautiful. If she had been there without him, she would have felt bare, too vulnerable, but with Jon, she felt strong. No one could hurt her. She glanced out over the water, the walled cliffs providing privacy to the lagoon. She knew Jon would never take her in the open water naked if there was any chance someone would see them. She didn’t need to ask—she trusted him completely. She took his hand, and he led her across the warm sand to the water’s edge. The salt water lapping at her toes seemed so gentle compared to the hard sprays on the other side of the island. The waves were rhythmic but not overpowering. It took little effort to walk out into the current, and very quickly she was submerged enough to cover her chest.

  Jon turned her to face him and then kissed her forehead. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, both inside and outside, and somehow I convinced you to marry me. I’m the luckiest man in the world. I get more.” His dimple-laden, heart-stopping smile lit his face. And her heart did stop. He didn’t give her time to respond to his words before his lips covered hers. He lifted her off her feet so he wouldn’t have to lean over so far and then wrapped her legs around his hips, positioning her just right—all while his tongue plunged into her mouth, soft and gentle.

  When he pulled back, he was no longer smiling. He stared into her eyes, burning into her core.

  “I love you, Jonathan Williams,” she whimpered as she draped her arms around his neck. The words didn’t seem strong enough. She wanted him closer, so much closer. His hands caress
ed her backside, and his lips kissed down her neck, settling on one of her breasts. Her body arched back, giving him better access as he moved to the other one. He held her in his arms with ease. She could hardly breathe. Intensity radiated off him, and she knew that of all the women he had been with, she was the only one to experience this with him. She alone got to see him this raw, this exposed. She alone was his more and he hers.

  The groan he made when he pushed into her almost set her off—let alone all that came with it. The passion splayed her. Maybe it was the month of celibacy, or maybe it was just the fact that they were man and wife; she didn’t know, but there, in the water, under the stars, they were one. Jon turned. His body, his gorgeous naked body, catching the waves as the water headed for the shore. He stared into her eyes while the rhythmic push and pull of the water did most of the work, slow and gentle but more than she could have imagined.

  “I’m never going to get enough of you, Sarah Isabella Williams.”

  His words set it in motion. His blue eyes burned into her as her entire body released. He held her in his arms, watching her as she fell apart around him. And when she finally took a breath, he crushed her to his chest and held her even tighter.

  “God, I love you.” His words came out gasping, and Sarah could barely hear them above the sound of his heart in her ear. They stayed that way for several minutes, until Jon slid her to her feet and crouched down in the water saying, “Climb on my back and I’ll carry you to the beach. We’re not done.”

  His promise sent goose bumps down her arms and legs. She wasn’t going to argue. She was lucky her knees held when he set her in the water. She clung to his muscular back, and he tucked her legs around his waist. The warmth of his skin heated her as he carried her to the lounger.

  It was a miracle that they had found each other. She never dreamed when she first spoke to him online that he was such an incredibly giving man. She never dreamed that she would fall in love with him or that he was famous. The way fate had somehow drawn them together was unexplainable.

  When she settled back on the large, round lounge bed, she immediately missed the heat of his skin. He spun to face her, and the light of the moon glowed behind his head, giving the Adonis standing over her an angelic glow. She stared up into his darker-than-usual blue eyes, his face as serious as Sarah had ever seen it, and she wondered if she was dreaming. When he pressed her into the cushion, his eyes penetrated her with so much raw emotion she could feel his presence in every cell of her body. Heat radiated from him like never before. Every thrust, every touch, every tease tightened her insides. She felt as if they had never been closer. How could this be so much better than anything she had ever felt before? Jon had always been amazingly good, but tonight somehow he brought it to an entirely new level.

  Closing her eyes, she clutched him like a lifeline, hoping she wasn’t leaving marks on his back but not being able to control herself. Every movement brought sounds to her throat she couldn’t suppress. He teased her with his lips and ground against her so perfectly. Sarah could hear the pleading in her moans as he pushed her to the edge again.

  “Look at me, Sarah,” he demanded.

  She strained to focus, trying to follow. His piercing gaze tensed every spring inside her as he took her hands and pinned them above her head, interlacing his fingers with hers. She was so close, and he always knew somehow. Stretched out above her, he moved tenderly but controlled. She arched against him, feeling each one of his muscles contract with every plunge. Then, suddenly, he stilled with the most gorgeous sound she’d ever heard as he claimed her with his eyes, and she could feel him pouring into her. It set her off, and she was right there with him.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Jonathan

  HOW MANY DREAMS had he had in the last weeks about this moment only to wake unable to exact his desires on the warm, supple body lying next to his? It had been hard, very hard, but after five weeks of frustration, abstaining from Sarah was definitely worth this. Being with his wife was better than he ever imagined. He covered her lips with his and dipped his tongue into her mouth. WOW. She was incredible. He rolled off her and collapsed on the bed, closing his eyes and waiting for his vision to become normal again.

  She reached down and touched him. He couldn’t believe she was ready for more.

  “You are insatiable. That was the most mind-blowing sex I have ever had. Give me a minute to catch my breath,” he panted. With his eyes still closed, he trailed his finger across the tip of her breast to pay her back for the zing she had given him. “I won’t need much time though, thanks to your magic little fingers electroshocking me.”

  “You’re not wearing a condom.” Her voice was soft and satiated, and it made him smile.

  “I know.” Why should I if she’s on the pill? He should have talked to her, but he didn’t want her to feel bad about keeping it from him. This was a much better way to open the discussion. He turned on his side propping his elbow against the lounger to see her face.

  “You always wear a condom.”

  He cocked his head smugly as she stared back with a stunned expression. “I’m pretty sure you enjoyed my performance. Two times, mind you. But I’m not keeping score. Besides, I know you’re on the pill and have been for months. Your mother told me.”

  “Jon—”

  “I’m not mad. I just wish you would have felt like you could tell me how you were feeling. We need to be honest with each other.”

  “But—”

  “Just let me finish. I’m sorry I made you feel as if you had to hide it from me. I know that when I get something into my head it’s hard to argue with me. I don’t mean to pressure you into having kids.”

  “But—”

  He kissed her lips to silence her. He needed to get this out. She didn’t need to apologize. “It’s just, now that I’ve found you, I can’t wait to have them. Ever since Jack’s death and then this crap with the stalker, I just feel so temporary, like my life could end tomorrow. I want to get to experience everything with you. I want to cram as much into our life together as I can, and kids are part of that for me. If I die I want to know part of our love will live on. That’s why I want kids. I finally figured it out. It doesn’t have anything to do with anybody but you and me. I know you’re not ready and I can wait. But if you are on the pill, there is no way I’m going to use those damn condoms. I’m glad we waited until our wedding night, though. It was so worth the wait. Life-changing. Best. Lovemaking. Ever!” He looked at her wide-eyed for her response.

  She blushed and looked away from him. “I lied.”

  “You lied about what?”

  “I lied to my mother about being on the pill,” she laughed. “I told her how you wanted children right away and how I wasn’t sure if I was ready. Then she lectured me on how it was my body and how I should be in control of it. She kept bringing it up, and I was tired of talking about it, so after I went to the doctor, I lied to her. I told her I started the pills and she hasn’t brought it up again.”

  He squished his eyes together. “Fuck!” He buried his head next to her ear and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” She turned and kissed the side of his head. “I don’t want to wait. That’s why I never started them. I couldn’t think of a single reason to put it off. We’ll make it work, just like we’ve done with every other part of our life.”

  He crushed his lips against hers, not able to control himself. He didn’t deserve her. Ever the optimist, Sarah could turn dirt into sunshine.

  After a minute or so, she pulled back. “Do you want to go again?”

  “Hell yes,” he admitted before mashing his lips back to hers.

  ***

  Four months had passed since the wedding, and Jon’s next film was in full production. He and Sarah sat in the dirt perched on the side of a hill looking down into a ravine where all the cameras and the crowd’s attention were focused. Lighting towers blared false sunlight against the Texas Hill Country’s dark sky, and thou
gh they weren’t far from the shooting, they were in shadow—inconspicuous.

  Jon leaned in and stole a quick kiss before saying, “Let’s do this now.” The look of dread on her face spoke more than any words. “Come on. I only have forty-five minutes before I have to be back down there.” He pointed to the ravine below. “That doesn’t give us much time,” he pleaded.

  She lay back, flat on the hill, obviously forgetting about the scorpions and spiders surely lurking within inches of them. She pleaded up at him with those gorgeous green eyes he couldn’t resist. “You are not playing fair,” he muttered.

  “Well…it’s your fault.”

  She was manipulating him. She knew him so well, but he couldn’t let her win. “Really?” he said calmly. “Because I remember someone asking if I wanted to go again. I’m only human. I can’t resist those words from your luscious lips.” He dragged his finger from her lip to the top of her abdomen. Two can play at this game. “And you’re the one who lied to your mother in the first place. That’s what got us into this,” he continued. He leaned down and kissed her stomach, then ran his hand over the hard, round, barely there bump. If they hadn’t been surrounded by a hundred people, he would have found better use of his forty-five-minute break.

  “We can just text them a picture,” he said as he took the phone from Sarah’s hand, pulled her sweatshirt up, and took a selfie of him kissing her belly. “They’ll figure it out.”

  As she glared at him, he typed, The rumors are true, and pressed send.

  “We can’t take it back now,” he laughed. “They were going to find out at Christmas anyway when you didn’t drink wine with dinner.”

  Her phone began to buzz within seconds. “I hate you. You know that, right?” she said, shaking her head. He kissed her on the lips once quickly before she answered the call. Jon knew she didn’t hate him. She just wanted him to make the call.