by Marie Force
“I know exactly what I’m saying.” The thought of her with another guy did him in. With his hands on her hips, he tugged her in tight against him and took her mouth in a kiss that should’ve been sweet and innocent, like her. But the instant her lips met his, he lost his mind after the long day of dreaming about her. The kiss became fierce and demanding. He fisted her hair to keep her right where he wanted her as he set out to weaken her defenses with passionate kisses.
When he finally came up for air, they were both breathing hard. Her brown eyes were focused on his mouth, and when she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, he nearly came in his pants. He tugged on the belt holding her robe together and about swallowed his tongue when he realized she was naked under there.
“Wait, Evan…” She grabbed hold of his hands before they could venture inside the robe. “We need to talk.”
“We will.” He pressed his lips to the spot on her neck that he already knew rendered her helpless and pushed the robe off her shoulders.
“Evan…” She tilted her neck to give him a better angle.
Sliding his hands from her hips over her ribs, he cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over the pebbled tips. The aching drumbeat in his head was nothing compared to the throbbing need that surged straight to his groin when her soft hands ventured under his T-shirt to pull it up and over his head.
Returning his hands to her breasts, he backed her up to the bed and came down on top of her, lowering his head to taste one of the pink-tipped crests. He took his time, determined to savor every inch of her before he sated his own overwhelming desire. While his free hand pinched and rolled her other nipple, he sucked hard on the one in his mouth.
Her hips launched off the bed, seeking him.
Evan pushed his erection into the V of her legs, simulating what he wanted more than his next breath. While everything in him was urging him to hurry, he didn’t. He licked and sucked and squeezed, reveling in every sigh and moan he drew from her.
“Evan. Please…”
“What do you want, love?” The word rolled off his tongue, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to use such an endearment.
Her eyes flew open and connected with his, leaving no doubt that she’d heard him.
It occurred to Evan that he could still put a stop to this whole thing. He could stand up, utter his apologies and get the hell out of there before she succeeded in totally changing his life. Or he could stay. He could try his best to be the guy she wanted and deserved. The choice was his, and the time was now. The one thing he knew for sure was that if he made love to her again, there’d be no going back and no running away. Not this time.
Watching him study her, Grace furrowed her brows in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
Say it. Tell her there’s something very wrong. Tell her you can’t do this. It’s not your thing. She deserves better. Say what she needs to hear so she’ll know it’s you, not her.
She ran her fingers through his hair and then gently over the wound on his face. “Are you in pain? Evan? What is it?”
“I…I don’t want you to see anyone else but me.” Now where in the hell had that come from? That wasn’t what he’d planned to say! Oh, who was he trying to fool? If he walked away from her, she’d haunt him for the rest of his life. She’d be with him everywhere he went, and he would never escape the yearning for more of her.
Her face slackened with shock at his declaration. “What’re you saying?”
He kissed her again, a tongue-tangling kiss that went on for what felt like forever. “I’m saying,” he said, kissing her face, the end of her nose, each eyelid and then her lips again, “that I don’t want you to do this with anyone but me.”
Kissing his way down the front of her, he paid homage to each breast before continuing to her belly. He could tell by her gasp that he shocked her again when he delved his tongue into her belly button. Looking up at her, he said, “Is that going to be a problem?”
She made him wait a long, breathless moment before she said, “No.”
With that single word, she sealed her fate—and his. Using his shoulders to push her legs apart, he settled between them, teasing her with his fingers as he left openmouthed kisses on her hips and then her core.
“Evan! Oh my God.” Her voice hitched on what sounded like a sob as he teased her with his tongue for a long time before he sucked hard on her clitoris and sank two fingers deep into her. The abrasions on his face hurt like a son of a bitch, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from bringing her the ultimate pleasure. She came apart under him, thrashing and crying out.
Reluctant to leave her, even for a minute, Evan reached for the condoms that were still on the bedside table from the other night and rolled one on. Returning to her, he said, “Hey, are you still with me?”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him with unabashed affection that touched him deep inside, in a place no one else had ever reached. “Barely.”
Did she have any idea how cute and sexy and sweet she was when she looked at him with amusement and affection in her eyes?
“I need to be inside you.” With his elbows propped on either side of her head, he used both hands to brush the hair back from her face. “Are you sore from the other night?”
“Not anymore.”
He pressed the head of his cock against tender flesh that was slick and ready for him. “So you were? Yesterday?”
She raised her hips, seeking him as she caressed his back in gentle strokes that somehow managed to calm him when he was feeling anything but calm. “A little.”
“I’m sorry about that. I should’ve been here to make sure you were okay.” Capturing her bottom lip between his teeth, he ran his tongue back and forth over it. “It was wrong of me to leave the way I did yesterday morning. Do you forgive me?”
“No,” she said, breathlessly, grasping his ass with both hands to encourage him to take her.
“Grace. . . Come on! I’m being serious. Tell me you forgive me.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“No,” he said, kissing her again because he couldn’t help himself. “You really shouldn’t, but you will, won’t you?”
“This one time.” She looked up at him, as if to ensure he understood what she was saying. “Not a second time.”
“I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t worry.” Relieved, he flexed his hips and entered her slowly, carefully, holding his breath until he was deep inside her. “Grace… Ah, you feel so good.” Letting his forehead drop to her chest, he tried to summon the control he needed to make this good for her.
The light stroke of her fingers on the back of his neck was nearly his undoing. Every time she touched him, it was like the first time all over again.
“Wrap your legs around my hips,” he said.
Watching him with a mixture of awe and trepidation, she did as he asked.
The new position allowed him to go deeper, which made her gasp in surprise and then moan with what sounded like pleasure.
“Good?”
She nodded and dragged his head down for another of those kisses that made him so crazy—sweet and hot at the same time.
He hooked his arms around her legs, opening her even further. “Touch yourself,” he said, his voice harsh from the effort it took to hold back and wait for her.
Her face turned bright red, which he found utterly charming. “I…I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can.” Reaching for her hand, he placed it between them and used his fingers on top of hers to stimulate her most sensitive place. The combined action of their two hands made her entire body flush with heat, turning her rosy nipples a darker shade. Her lips parted, and her back arched into him.
He picked up the pace, pumping into her with abandon. When he felt her legs start to quiver, he bent his head and sucked hard on her nipple.
As her internal muscles clamped down on his cock, she cried out, and the combination sent him with her into the single most exquisite release of his
entire life. His body was racked with shudders as he came for what felt like forever.
Breathing hard, he rested on top of her, mindful of not crushing her with his weight. At least he knew now that what’d happened the other night wasn’t a one-time thing. A bead of sweat rolled into his eye, forcing it to close against the burn.
He started to move off her, but her arms tightened around him. “Not yet,” she said.
Settling into her loving embrace and breathing in her enticing scent, Evan acknowledged that his goose was good and truly cooked.
For Grace, that morning was something out of a dream. They made love again, slowly this time, and she couldn’t help but notice something had changed. She wasn’t sure what, but the first time they were together, he’d been lighthearted and amusing. Now he was serious, almost reverent, as if what they were doing together was the most important thing he’d ever done.
Grace wasn’t complaining. This new Evan was someone she could see herself spending a lot of time with—if he was here to stay. And wasn’t that the big question? If they spent another night together, which Evan would she wake up to tomorrow morning? The one who ran for his life at the first sign of something that smacked of commitment? Or the one who was so tender and attentive?
“I’m starving,” he said, his voice muffled by her breast.
“I’ll order some breakfast.”
He kissed the side of her breast and left a trail of kisses to her lips. “I’ll do it. What do you feel like?”
“An English muffin and some fruit would be good.”
Turning up his nose, he said, “That’s not enough for a bird.”
She needed to tell him why she ate so little, but not now. “It’s more than enough for me.”
“If you say so.” He got up to prowl around the room in the nude.
With her head propped on her hand, Grace watched his every move as he called room service and ordered enough food for ten people.
“Who’s going to eat all that?” she asked when he crawled back into bed and pulled her close to him.
“I am.” He nibbled on her neck, sending shivers down to her toes. “I need to keep up my strength so I can keep up with you.”
“Right,” she said, laughing. “Because it’s all about me.”
“It certainly is.” He ran a finger lightly over her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Everything is suddenly all about you.”
“Why?” she asked, unnerved by the intensity of his gaze and the sincerity of his words.
“For one thing, you’re beautiful—inside and out. But of course you already knew that.”
She shook her head. “Not until you said so.”
“Come on! What’s wrong with the guys in Mystic? Are they blind?”
“They… I…” Tell him! Say it! “I don’t know.” Anxious to redirect his attention, she rested her hand over the scabs on his face. “Does it hurt?”
“Not so bad. That’s also your fault, you know.”
“How in the world is your surfing accident my fault?”
“I was thinking about you when I should’ve been paying attention to the wave.”
Touched by his confession, Grace brought his face down closer to her and placed soft kisses on the wounds.
“That makes it all better.”
She smiled at him and rolled her eyes as he snuggled into her chest, seemingly his favorite place to be when they weren’t making love. “You’re full of it, McCarthy.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Have there been a lot of them?”
“A lot of who?”
“Women.” Grace was already sorry she’d asked because she didn’t really want to know. Well, she kind of wanted to know.
“None that mattered.” He brought her hand to his lips. “Until recently.”
They were quiet for a long time before she said, “Evan?”
“Hmm?”
“Last night, you said something about your CD and the record company being bankrupt. Is that true?”
Releasing a deep sigh, he said, “I’m afraid so.”
“What will happen to your album?”
“That’s a very good question. There’s some talk about Buddy Longstreet’s record company trying to buy it from Starlight—that’s the company I signed with. If that happens, I’m saved.”
“And if not?”
“I don’t want to think about that. It’ll mean years of litigation that’ll totally screw my career before it even starts.”
“I hope that doesn’t happen. You’ve worked so hard. I want to see you get your big break.”
“Even if it means you’ll be here and I’ll be God knows where most of the time?”
The question was asked somewhat flippantly, but there was nothing flippant about the way he looked at her, as if his very happiness depended upon her answer. “If this is what we both want, then we’ll make it work. Somehow.”
“And is this what you want, Grace? Am I what you want?”
“I, ah…” She was afraid of appearing far too eager if she blurted out her true feelings on the matter.
“I’ve put you on the spot. I’m sorry.”
“No, no.” Before she could say anything more, there was a sharp rap at the door.
“That’ll be breakfast,” he said, bounding out of bed and heading for the door.
“Evan! Put some pants on!”
“Oh, hell, I knew I forgot something,” he said as he pulled on his shorts.
Grace was seized by a fit of laughter as she tugged the covers up and over her shoulders, mortified by the idea of the waiter seeing her in bed.
Apparently, Evan had thought of that because he took the tray at the door and didn’t let the waiter in. With a great flourish, he presented the meal to her in bed, tucking the rose from the tray behind her ear. “Coffee?”
“Absolutely,” she said, ridiculously pleased by the romantic gesture.
“I take it you’re addicted?”
“Completely and totally. I normally can’t function without my first cup.”
“You functioned just fine without it this morning.”
The comment made her blush, which seemed to please him.
“Cream and sugar?”
“Both please.”
He handed her the mug and watched her take the first sip, awaiting her verdict.
“Perfect,” she declared. In fact, coffee had never tasted better. She watched his brows furrow with concentration as he spread butter over her English muffin.
“Jelly?”
“Grape.”
When he was satisfied with the distribution of condiments, he held it up for her to take a bite.
“You need to go ahead and eat,” she said, “before it gets cold.”
“If you insist.” He handed the rest of the muffin to her and dove into the eggs and pancakes he’d ordered for himself. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he looked like a little boy who’d had a particularly nasty crash on his two-wheeler the day before. But when he looked over at her with intent in his eyes, he was every bit the man. “You never answered me, you know.”
Of course she knew exactly what he meant. “What was the question again?” she asked with a coy smile.
“The question, as you know darned well,” he said, leaning over the tray to bring his face in close to hers, “is…am I what you want, Grace Ryan?”
Chapter 23
At ten o’clock, Owen took the stairs to the third floor two at a time. Sure enough, the sounds of violent retching greeted him. Right on schedule, he thought grimly, hating that she had to go through this every day. Wondering how much longer the morning sickness would continue as a daily event, he stepped into Laura’s suite and went to the kitchen to fill the kettle.
Leaving the tea to steep, he waited until the vomiting finally stopped and went into the bathroom to collect her off the floor. After he helped her to rinse out her mouth and brush her teeth, he scooped her up.
“We’ve really got
to stop meeting like this,” she murmured as she looped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.
Amazed that she could be so droll when she was clearly miserable, Owen chuckled. Her good humor in the face of so many daunting challenges was just one of the many things he was coming to love about her. Love? Yes, he thought with a sigh. At this point, it would be foolish to deny that he was falling fast and hard.
“Why the big sigh? I keep telling you that you don’t have to do this.”
“And I keep telling you I don’t mind.” Rather than take her back to bed, he settled into one of the upholstered armchairs, keeping her on his lap next to the table where he’d set her tea.
“Owen—”
He rested his hand on her head to keep her snuggled into his chest. “Relax, Princess. I’ve got you.”
Her entire body went lax as she released a deep, shuddering sigh of her own.
“Do you want your tea?”
“Not quite yet.” When she flattened a hand on his chest, he wondered if she could feel the effect her nearness was having on his heart rate. “You’ve really got to stop waiting on me hand and foot. What’ll I do without you when you leave?”
“I’m not going.” He hadn’t planned to tell her for a while yet, because he knew she’d protest. But the words were out of his mouth before he could contemplate the consequences of tipping his hand too soon.
She raised her head and met his gaze. Those dark circles under her eyes bothered him more than they should. He’d get rid of them if it was the last thing he ever did. “What do you mean you’re not going? Of course you are! It’s the great gig in Boston that you do every year—”
Owen placed a finger over her lips. “I’m not going.”
“Why?”
His face twisted into a wry smile. “You know why, Princess.”
Incredulous, she stared at him for the longest time, during which he hadn’t the foggiest idea what she was thinking. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe she didn’t want him around, and perhaps he’d made a huge mistake in judgment. Before that unsettling thought could take hold, she cupped his face with her soft hand, making his heart stagger.
“None of this is your problem, Owen.”