by Avery, Joy
Christian took a step toward her, but she warned him off. “No. Go, Christian. Leave, please. Marry Yasmin. Have a house full of babies. You deserve to be happy.”
He ignored her plea, moving test-your-will close to her. Cradling her face between his hands, he said, “You’re right again. I do deserve to be happy. You make me happy. No other woman can do what you do for me. No other woman.”
Everything moved in slow motion, or it could have been the speed of light. She wasn’t sure. The second his lips touched hers, her mind went numb. He kissed her cautiously at first. Exploring, teasing, filling her with desire.
It wasn’t long before his passion grew, both their passions grew. The heat of his mouth sparked a flame that ignited her entire body. She melted a little more with each stroke of his tongue. He offered so much and she unapologetically accepted it all. Greed drew her closer to him. Hunger kept her there.
It’d been two years since she’d been kissed like this. Two years since she’d been kissed by him. Both at once were overwhelming, but she’d weather the devastation to her system if it meant enjoying this a second longer. Christian snaked his fingers up the back of her neck and entangled them in her hair. Holding her head in place, he deepened their kiss.
She wanted him unlike anything she’d ever wanted before. Her heart cried out to him, her body cried out for him. Her soul simply cried because it knew this had to end.
“This is wrong, Christian,” she said against their joined mouths. “This is so wrong. You belong to someone else.”
“I belong to you. I’ve always belonged to you.”
His words tore through her fog of desire. Resting her hand against his chest, she pushed away from his spellbinding mouth. Her lips ached from the intensity of their kiss. “What are you saying?”
Christian dragged a finger down the side of her face. “I’m saying I couldn’t marry another woman when I’m completely and absolutely in love with you. I’m saying I’d risk my own life—in the deepest waters—to save you from drowning. I’m saying let me to be your life preserver.”
He searched her eyes as if attempting to gauge how his words had affected her. Oh, they’d affected her. So much so that she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “You ended your engagement?”
“Yes.”
For some reason, panic set in and she backed away from him on shaky legs.
Christian reached out and hooked her around the waist. “Oh, no, you don’t. Don’t run from me now.” Nestling her against his chest, he said, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
How pissed Yasmin must be. Of course, she only said it in her head. Out loud, she said, “You said you loved her.”
“I’m sorry. I said what I had to say to be able to walk away from you that night. If I would have stayed, I would have made love to you in a thousand different ways.”
She chortled. “I think I would have had some say so about that.” She wiggled out of his embrace. “How do I know you’re not saying what you need to say now?”
“I’ve never played with your feelings, Emory. I won’t start now?”
What in the hell had he believed he’d done a few nights ago? “You shouldn’t have cancelled your wedding, Christian. Especially because of me.”
“I didn’t do it for you, Em. I did it for me. For the first time in a long time, I’m crystal clear about what I want. And I want you. No one else.”
“And you’re a St. Claire, which means you always get what you want, right?” She regretted the words the minute they’d slipped past her lips. Why was she allowing his grandmother’s venom to poison her thoughts about Christian? She knew the man in front of her, better than most. And he was sincere.
Christian’s brow furrowed. “Where did that come from?”
When his cell phone rang, Emory breathed a sigh of relief. “You should take that.”
He shook his head. “There’s nothing more important than this moment.” He rested large hands on either side of her neck. “You love me and I damn sure love you. Nothing else matters. I don’t care about what happened in the past. I just know I want you in my present and my future.”
“You say you don’t care, but—”
He rested his thumb over her lips, then dipped close to her mouth. “I can’t lose you again. I won’t lose you again.”
He captured her mouth, kissing her like a man deprived. His strong arms held her close. Her nipples beaded, the space between her legs throbbed. Her need grew to hunger that craved to be nourished.
Christian abandoned their kiss, but apparently had a change of heart because he recaptured her mouth. He grunted and freed himself again. “Get dressed,” he said.
Get dressed? She’d kinda hoped for the opposite. Get undressed. He’d ignited her. The least he could do was extinguish the blaze. “Where are we going?”
“We’ve only been apart two years. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
Two years equivalent to a lifetime. She raked her brain in an attempt to decipher what in the heck he was talking about. “I’m lost,” she admitted.
“How could you forget our Christmas tradition? I’m hurt.”
Understanding kicked in and she grinned. “The sleigh ride.” Which was actually a horse-drawn carriage fashioned to resemble a sleigh. Sentiment flooded her. “You remember?”
When they were together, trotting through downtown had always been one of the things she looked forward to most during Christmas. Wrapped in his warm arms and not a care in the world.
“Of course I remember. You’re embedded in me, woman.” He pecked her gently. “Plus, I have to get you in the Christmas spirit.”
She liked that notion. A smile crept across her face. “Give me ten minutes.”
***
The second Christian landed back in North Carolina he’d given his driver Emory’s address. Once they’d arrived, Christian had given him instructions to wait because he wasn’t sure how things would play out between him and Emory. He’d hoped for the best. He glanced over at Emory. And he’d gotten it.
Splaying his fingers, Emory rested her hand in his. After a short drive, they arrived at a private airstrip. The expression on Emory’s face was priceless—a mix of delight and confusion.
“What is going on, Christian?”
“A new beginning, a new tradition. Well, kind of a new tradition. Sorta a twist on the old one.”
Emory laughed. “Quit talking in riddles.”
“A sleigh ride in Central Park.”
Her mouth gaped, then a wide smile touched her lips. But a beat later, she frowned. “New York? I can’t go to New York, Christian. My mother—”
“Is in good hands. I’ve worked it all out with Jordyn.”
Her brows crinkled. “Jordyn? When?”
“At your place. Right after she threatened to cut my balls off and feed them to me if I continued to toy with your heart.”
Emory slapped her hand over her mouth and muffled a laugh.
“I deserved that,” he said. “Your sister doesn’t bite her tongue. But I like the way she protects you.”
When the driver opened the door, Christian saw a glint of hesitation in her eyes. “Your mother will be fine.”
“It’s not that.” She paused. “The pizza man. We left before he came. I’ll never be able to order from there again.”
Christian laughed. “We’ll call from the air and tell them something urgent came up.”
Emory inhaled and exhaled slowly. “New York?” She bit at the corner of her lip. “Okay.”
The flight took a little over an hour. Once they landed, they took a cab to the Horse-drawn Carriage Company in Central Park South.
“Our chariot—er, sleigh—awaits,” said Christian, extending his hand toward a black, white, and red partially covered carriage. The horse—all white with a red pom-pom atop its head, and bells draped around its neck—was gorgeous.
Moments later, they were nestled beneath a Christmas inspired throw, which did a surprisingl
y good job at keeping the icy temp from turning them into popsicles. For the next hour and a half, they trotted through Times Square, oohed and ahhed at the breathtaking decorations of the Fifth Avenue shops, enjoyed the display at Rockefeller Center, and marveled at the sheer beauty of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
“This is nice,” Emory said, snuggling even closer against him.
Christian’s teeth chattered. “Yeah, it is.”
She laughed. “I never understood why you put yourself through sleigh rides. You hate the cold.”
“But I love you. And the smile that spreads across your face always warms me nicely.”
Emory stared into his eyes, then smiled.
“See, I’m good and toasty now.”
“I love you, Christian.”
When she frowned, he grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”
She leaned against him again, this time resting her head on his shoulder. Something heavy weighed on her mind.
“I feel guilty being here with you, Christian. I keep thinking about Yasmin and how hurt she must be. Just twenty-four hours ago, you were engaged to be married. Now, you’re here with me.”
Christian placed a finger under her chin and tipped her head so that he could look into her eyes. He contemplated sharing with her the fact that Yasmin hadn’t wanted to get married either. Instead, he chose to keep it to himself. He knew Emory. Her first thought would be that he was only there because of it, which couldn’t be any further from the truth. He was here with her because this was where he was supposed to be.
“Let me shoulder that guilt. You did nothing wrong. I should have ended things with Yasmin months ago.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He eyed her for a moment, then turned away. “The night of the miscarriage…” He began again, “The night of the miscarriage we were supposed to attend a charity event. I was running behind schedule. Work. I snapped at her for being so impatient.” He sighed. “She stormed out of the bedroom, lost her footing on the stairs. Emory, I’m the reason we lost our child.”
Emory rested her hand on his cheek. “No, you’re not, Christian. Accidents happen. And that’s exactly what that was. An unfortunate accident. But it wasn’t your fault.”
He’d told himself that a thousand times, but it still didn’t make it any easier. “I’d convinced myself I could be content with Yasmin, then I walked into your shop... The second I saw you, I remembered how it felt to be truly happy. I lashed out at you that day in your shop because I was so angry at myself for still loving you after two years.”
Emory tilted her head and smiled up at him, then puckered her lips for a kiss. He was more than happy to oblige.
She snuggled against him again. “This skyline view is amazing.”
Being here with her was amazing. “Are you comfortable? Not too cold?”
“Perfect,” she said.
So was he.
Once they’d finished their tour with a loop around Central Park, a cab whisked them to The Plaza Hotel. Not wanting Emory to think he expected anything from her, he opted for a two-bedroom suite. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. “You can have your pick of whichever room you’d like,” he said, as Emory moved about the main room.
She faced him slowly, a hint of confusion on her face. “Okay.”
A second later, she recovered and flashed a smile. One he deemed forced.
She pointed. “I…I guess I’ll take that one.”
Her reaction peaked his curiosity. Had she wanted to share a room with him? Was he taking things unnecessarily slow?
“I think I’ll go and freshen up a bit,” Emory said.
“Okay. I think I’ll take a cold shower—” Damn. “Hot shower. I’m going to take a hot shower. Thaw out.”
The atmosphere between them mimicked an awkward first date. He wanted to kiss her but knew he wouldn’t be able to stop there. Not with the way he craved to be deep inside of her. Patience, he told himself. Heck, when they’d first met, she’d made him wait four months before having sex. He’d survived then. Granted, he’d almost gone insane, but survived nonetheless.
Christian shredded the cloak of silence. “Afterwards, we can grab room service. Or go out. Cull & Pistol at Chelsea Market is amazing.”
She shrugged. “Either sounds good.”
When he nodded, she walked away. The sway of her hips put him in a trance. Once she’d disappeared through the bedroom door, he shook his head. Damn thawing out. He needed a serious cool down.
Chapter 10
Emory hadn’t enjoyed the hot shower as much as she normally would have. Not with things so weird between her and Christian. His awkward behavior caused a thousand scenarios to play in her head. The most troubling—him having second thoughts about being there with her.
It didn’t make sense. He’d kissed her at her place with such intensity it’d left her breathless. Then they’d been cozy and affectionate during the amazing carriage ride. Now, he acted as if he were afraid to touch her. And separate bedrooms? What’d happen between then and now?
Okay, she understood him not wanting to rush into a sexual relationship, but they could at least hold each other, right?
Thinking about what she’d just said to herself, she laughed. Hold each other? She laughed again. There was no way she could intimately snuggle with that man and not want to make love to him. Especially with the insane way her body responded to his touch.
Fastening a towel around herself, she stared at the huge, empty bed and shook her head. An eerie reminder of the past two years. Pondering that fact, something rushed over her. No way was she spending tonight alone. She’d suffered too long without Christian.
Emory entered Christian’s bedroom and posted at the window. When he exited the bathroom, she faced him just in time to see the surprised expression crawl across his face. Still in her towel, she strolled toward him in a slow, seductive manner. “I changed my mind. I think I like this room better. It has an amazing view of central park.”
Christian eyed her for a moment, then his lips curled. “That’s too bad, because I’ve grown quite fond of this room. I don’t think I want to give it up.”
“Hmm. Then it seems we have a problem.”
“Appears so. How do you suggest we solve it?”
Emory’s eyes slid to his mouth, then seared a trail down his damp torso. A line of fine black hairs disappeared beneath the towel he wore. Finding his eyes again, she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
A look danced in Christian’s eyes… Potent. Primal. Promising. Without a doubt, the next few hours would be ones she would enjoy. Answering her body’s plea, he placed his hand in the gather of her towel and pulled her toward him. A beat later, his mouth covered hers.
Winded, Christian pulled away. “I need to make love to you. I know you probably want to take things slow and I respect that. So, I’ll wait if you say I have to. And I’ll do it with patience. But I want you, Emory. I want you so bad it hurts.”
She’d always been good at giving him what he wanted. Without uttering a word, she loosened the gather of her towel, allowing it to fall into a puddle on the floor. It was time to see who wanted whom more.
Her body had changed over the past two years. Breasts that once stood at full attention weren’t as pert. A once flat stomach now had a small pouch. Thin thighs were thicker than they used to be. But she loved every inch of her body. And by the way Christian’s crotch tented his towel, so did he.
He drank her up with his eyes. “Damn. I don’t think a female body could be more beautiful than yours.” He glided a finger over her shoulder, across her collarbone, and down the center of her chest. “Every inch. Beautiful.”
The sensation from his touch caused her words to come out in a clumsy mess. “You were engaged to a supermodel. I’m definitely not that.”
“There’s something a supermodel can never be. Something no woman could ever be.”
Emory moistened her lips. “And what’s that?”
He rested
a hand on the side of her neck. “You. Tonight is all about you. About your every want. Your every need. Your every desire.”
“I want this moment to be about more than pleasure. When we make love, I need you to know I’m returning a part of myself to you I snatched away. My every want, my every need, my every desire…is you. I love you like no other, Christian St. Claire.”
Christian walked her backwards until the back of her legs touched the bed, then guided her flat onto the mattress. Emory held his eyes until he broke contact, knelt, and kissed along her inner thigh. Her body sizzled each time his lips touched her scorching flesh.
Delicate kisses peppered the thatch of curly hairs on his journey to the opposite thigh. Each time he made contact with her skin, she grew more and more anxious. Why was he torturing her? He had to know how much she wanted him, needed him, craved him. As if he’d sensed her urgency, his warm mouth claimed her core.
Instant sensations tore through her, causing every muscle in her body to twitch. If she experienced this kind of reaction now, her body would surely short-circuit and shutdown when he brought her to an actual orgasm.
Christian spread her further apart, using his tongue with the skill of a trained marksman, who aimed right…on…target. He hadn’t lost his touch, bringing her to a climax in record time. Emory’s back arched off the mattress. Her nails made a zipping sound as she dragged them across the bedding. There was no taming the intense waves of pleasure crashing through her, so she didn’t try.
The kisses Christian planted on her as his body inched up hers only intensified the sensations already claiming her. He sucked one of her hardened nipples between his lips and teased it with his tongue. A deep moaned flew past her lips when his hand settled between her legs.
“Yes,” she whispered, when his fingers curved inside of her. She ground her hips into him, wanting…needing deeper penetration.
“I can’t take it another second,” Christian said, stopping abruptly.
For the next few seconds, everything was a blur: Christian undressing, sheathing himself, and blanketing her body with his.