by Chelle Bliss
Her eyes are glassy, but she hasn’t stopped staring toward the sky. “He finished training and was assigned to a specific mission, but…” Her voice trails off.
Oh God. I’m flooded with guilt.
She doesn’t have to say another word. I know I’ve opened up an old wound that she’s kept hidden and locked away from the world. We’re no longer in business mode or even Lou and Elizabeth world. This is Lauren and her feelings for the taking, and she’s spilling them to me, or at least trying.
I roll over and prop myself up on one arm, peering down at her. “You don’t have to tell me.”
She glances at me with a pained smile. “No, I want to tell you. You need to understand why Interstellar is so important to me.”
I nod and remain silent.
Her eyes slowly slide across the sky, not focusing on one particular area. “A few weeks after he finished his training, there was a terrible accident.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, interrupting her.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.” She smiles softly at me, and the ball that had formed in my stomach starts to loosen. “It was my parents’ date night. Every Friday, they’d hire a babysitter to look after me, and my dad would take my mom out to dinner and dancing. I never minded because I thought of Mindy, my babysitter, like an older sister. We’d play dress-up, and she’d put makeup on me. I loved Friday just as much as my parents did.”
I can imagine her as a child, with her long hair, prancing around in her mother’s shoes, covered in too much red lipstick and blue eyeshadow, much like my nieces do when my sister allows them.
“But then a car crossed the center line and struck them head on. My family shattered that day, along with my father’s dream.”
I’ve never dealt with the loss of a parent. Mine are still at home in Italy, probably arguing over what to have for dinner or some other mundane thing. They drive me crazy at times, but I can’t imagine not having them in my life, especially as a child.
“The police said my mother died instantly, but my father survived.”
I don’t know what to say in this moment, so I don’t speak. I can’t say that I’m thankful her father survived because there’s still the sadness at the loss of her mother. I can’t imagine being in love with someone and having them die by my side in the blink of an eye. The man had to be broken, not physically, but emotionally, with no way to ever repair the hole that had been left in his family.
“He broke his back, and the healing process took a long time. He was eventually cleared to reenter the space program, but he declined.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He didn’t want to leave me behind, Antonio. He always worried about me, never himself. He could’ve touched the stars like he always dreamed and left me with my grandparents, but he chose to stay and be there for me. It took me years after his death to get over the guilt that he gave up his dream for me.”
“Sometimes dreams are just that…dreams. Just because he never stepped foot in space doesn’t mean he gave up his life, Lauren. Men are simple creatures. At times, we can be self-absorbed, but when push comes to shove, we’re loyal and protective.”
She giggles softly and turns, propping herself up and staring me straight in the eyes. “It took me a lot of years to figure that out. I meant more to my dad than his fanciful dream to touch the heavens. I was the last bit of my mother he had left, and he couldn’t stand to part with me, even for a few weeks up there.”
“I would’ve made the same choice as him. I think most men would in his shoes.”
She glances down to where our hands are almost touching in the open space between us. “He and I would lie under the stars like this and talk. That became his new Friday night ritual as soon as he could walk again. He’d tell me that my future was up there and pushed me toward where I am now. I became the head of Interstellar because, even though I was too afraid to go into space myself, I wanted to make the dream come true for so many people like my father. I want to allow people to go further, deeper than we’ve ever been able to go before. Every day when I go to work, I picture my father cheering me on, propelling me toward my destiny.”
And I’m the asshole who’s trying to take it all away from her. Not only is Cozza attempting to take her company, but she knows that she’ll no longer be at the helm, and in a sense, I’d be killing her dream as well as her father’s.
“You’ve achieved it.”
“Not yet, Antonio. The engine’s done, but it hasn’t carried a human beyond the moon yet. Once it’s done that, I’ll feel like I’ve fulfilled my father’s dream. Not a moment sooner.”
“You’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible, Lauren. More than I’ve ever dared to dream.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “Oh, please. You have a giant team of researchers that have been working on a similar engine, I’m sure.”
“Yes, but I’ve never found the right combination of people to make it a reality. Never in a million years would my team have thought up something so simple, yet so perfect. They’re too busy studying dark matter as a means of propulsion and trying to solve the riddle of how to stop it from destroying the craft with the chain reaction.”
She smiles brightly, knowing exactly the type of stupidity I’m talking about when it comes to dark matter. “My team is pretty impressive.”
“It takes a great leader with enough knowledge to push their people to achieve such greatness.”
“Why, Antonio, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re impressed and maybe a little jealous.”
The lightness in the air between us makes me hopeful. I scoot my body closer, placing my hand on top of hers. When she doesn’t recoil or pull away, I know I have her.
“I’m very impressed by you,” I say, reaching out and tucking a flyaway strand of her hair that’s been blowing in the breeze. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I weren’t.”
“Come on. I’m sure you bring plenty of women here and show them your private island. It’s pretty impressive.”
It’s my turn to laugh. She doesn’t understand how far from the truth her words really are. “Besides the caretakers of this island, you’re the first person to step foot on this sand besides me since I purchased this little slice of heaven.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Completely. This is my escape from the world. I come here to be alone and think. It’s not my sex palace or used to impress anyone. It’s mine and mine alone.”
“Why did you bring me here?” she asks with a sigh. “I just don’t understand why me.”
I push her hair off her shoulder, letting it fall down her back, and rest my hand against her cool, wind-kissed skin. “I felt something with you that night at the W. Do you believe in destiny, Lauren?”
“I don’t believe that things happen for a reason. I think we’re all just particles, scattered across the universe, and if we bump into each other, we cause a reaction. There’s nothing fated about what happens. It’s all happenstance and chance.”
I slide my hand down her arm, warming her skin with my touch and relishing the feel of her against my palm. “I don’t believe a word of that. Out of all the bars in Chicago, you ended up in mine.”
“It was mine first, Lou.” She smiles.
“Either way. Our paths crossed for a reason.”
Her smile fades. “For you to steal my company.”
“Maybe you were placed in my life at that moment to push me onto another course. Ever think of that?”
She contemplates my words, blinking at me while chewing on her lip before she raises an eyebrow. “The universe is conspiring against you?”
“Possibly.” I move closer and slide my hand up her arm. “Or maybe reminding me of what’s really important in life.” My fingers trace her hairline on the back of her neck before tangling in her hair.
I lean forward, waiting for her to pull away, but she closes her eyes and gives in to me.
Chapter Fourteen
LAUREN
In this moment, under the stars with our bodies intertwined, I can almost believe in fate.
Antonio yanks at the bow of my sarong, exposing my shoulder as his kiss deepens. I wrap my legs around his back as his hardness presses against my core, just his thin running shorts between us. The warmth of his body mixed with the cool ocean breeze sends goose bumps running across my skin. My body wanting more of his heat and his flesh against mine.
“Antonio,” I moan into his mouth as he starts to pull away. I’m not ready to give him up, to give this up.
“Shh,” he whispers back before his lips trail down my neck, nipping the skin near my shoulder. “Don’t stop me now, please, Lauren.”
“I want you.”
He lifts his head, searching my eyes for reassurance that what I said is true. “I need you,” he admits with his blue eyes boring into me.
I dig my fingers into his hair and push his face back against my skin. “I’m yours.”
My words shock me. I didn’t know what else to say when he freely admitted that he needed me. I know he doesn’t mean that he needs me to survive or that he needs me to feel whole. I need him, want to feel him against me and lose myself again, much like I did our first night together.
The moment isn’t tawdry. We shared something on this beach. I gave him a glimpse into my world. Into my past that I’ve told very few people about before now. He didn’t feel like the enemy, but like a friend with a kind ear and an open heart.
There’s nothing rushed in his exploration of my body, and the anticipation is nearly killing me. He slowly slides his hand up my leg, and my body is on fire, longing for his touch. Every inch of me remembers what it felt like to have his body pressed against mine and wants more.
Using his teeth, Antonio pulls my dress down, exposing my breast for his taking. My back arches as if offering myself to him freely, without words. His lips close around my nipple, giving warmth to my flesh.
I crave more.
I need the friction of our bodies rubbing together as he toys with my breast, making me hotter and driving me mad with lust. I try to grind against him, but he’s too far away to get enough satisfying contact.
Knowing exactly what I want, he slides his hand down the side of my body until he reaches the hem of my dress. His fingers slip underneath and make a quick ascent to the very place I’m dying for more contact. Lifting his body from mine, he presses his fingers against my clit, and my bottom rises off the sand.
Between the long, slow make-out session on the plane and the kissing here on the beach, I’m ready for him to fill me. I’m not picky at the moment. His hands will do. I remember them well, and the amount of pleasure he can give with only one part of his body is devastating.
He pushes a single finger inside, testing my readiness and toying with me because he knows it isn’t enough. A second quickly joins, and my hips begin to move, almost chasing his fingers every time he pulls back.
I whimper when his mouth leaves my breast for a moment to switch to the one he’s completely ignored. I close my eyes, letting myself only feel and not think as Antonio drives me closer to the edge. When my orgasm is within reach, he stops.
“Not like this,” he says, peering up at me with my breast near his lips. “I need to be buried in you when you come.”
I can’t deny that I agree. Even if I want to beg for the orgasm, there’s nothing better than his thick, stiff cock pummeling into me as I fall over the edge of pleasure.
“Fuck me,” I whisper. “I want your cock.”
“You drive me wild with that filthy mouth,” he says back and moves quickly to remove his shorts. With the waves of the ocean crashing near our feet, Antonio positions himself above me with his cock in his fist and stares down at me. “Say it again.”
“Fuck me, Antonio. I need your cock.”
His eyes almost roll back in his head as he moans, pumping his stiff dick harder before pressing it against my pussy. My legs fall to the sides, giving him better and deeper access to me. He pushes inside, and my fingernails press into the skin of his shoulders, delivering a small amount of pain as he fills me.
Little is said as he thrusts inside of me. We’re face-to-face. Eye-to-eye. Staring at each other in the glow of the moon with the stars twinkling above us. Our bodies fit perfectly and move in unison as if we’ve done this a million times before.
It’s romantic and sensual. I feel so connected to him when I shouldn’t. I should detach myself from the moment, but it doesn’t matter who we are when we’re not here. The only thing that matters in this moment is us.
***
ANTONIO
I drift awake with Lauren in my arms as the sun dances near the horizon. Her warm, naked body is intertwined with mine, and I don’t dare move for fear of waking her.
I blink away the sleep and think back on last night. Will she wake up and regret anything that happened? It wasn’t quick like the fuck-fest in the hotel. This was slow, almost loving.
Whatever connection I felt with her that night has grown, becoming undeniable after last night.
She shared so much of herself—not just her body, but her soul too. I stare down at her as she sleeps. She’s peaceful and delicate as she lies in my arms. I push a tendril of hair away from her face and run my finger along her jaw.
I’ve never been so absolutely captivated by someone as I am by her. I shouldn’t be. I should be trying to ruin her, not win her over.
The dozen companies I’ve taken over in the past, I’ve done without even so much as a moment’s hesitation. Everything about the Interstellar deal has turned into a mess. The raid was supposed to be quick and effortless, but my team failed to make it happen as promised. On top of it, sleeping with the CEO and falling for her hasn’t helped the deal go smoothly either.
“Lauren,” I whisper, but she doesn’t move. I untangle her from my body and stand before wrapping the blanket around her. I stretch out the soreness from sleeping on the sand, my muscles aching from the hardness and uneven ground.
Lauren still hasn’t moved, but I can’t leave her out here. The dark clouds in the distance signal a storm is coming straight toward the island. When I lift her into my arms, her head flops against my chest, and she mutters something that I can’t quite make out. Her arms fling around my shoulder as her breathing deepens with each step.
Once inside, I place her on the bed and set out to make a pot of coffee and start breakfast for us both. In the excitement and emotion of last night, I forgot to make dinner like I’d planned once we arrived. Eating isn’t always on the top of my priorities because business often gets in the way, but this time, it was Lauren stealing my attention and making nothing else matter.
Lauren starts to stir when the espresso pot whistles on the stove, and I move quickly to quiet the noisy bastard before it wakes her. She seems like the type who hasn’t slept in since the day she took over Interstellar, always having to be the first one in the office to show she’s on top of her game.
More than anything, I want her to savor the weekend. Not just what I have to offer, but what my life is and how it can be hers if she wants to share it. But it still leaves the question of what to do with Interstellar. I promised her that I’d put the takeover on hold and I have, but it won’t be on hold forever. I’ll need to find a way to make her happy along with the people who work for and with me at Cozza. It’s going to be a balancing act and will only work if she sees me for who I really am and not as the man who’s trying to kill her dream.
“Good morning,” she says from the bed as she stretches underneath the covers.
“Morning, beautiful.” I smile softly at her as I pour two glasses of espresso. “Cream and sugar?”
She pushes herself up on her hands, letting the blanket fall from her chest and exposing her beautiful breasts. “Just sugar, please.”
I growl softly, trying to maintain my civility when all I want to do is leap over the kitchen island and pounce on her naked body. The memories of last night are vivid. The softness of her body, the wetness she had for me, and the way she moaned my name as she came on my cock. I want it again. I want it forever.
I prepare our coffee, waiting for my cock to soften just a little before carrying it over to her.
She pulls the blanket over her body and smiles weakly. “Thank you,” she says as she takes her coffee from my hand.
I sit across from her on the edge of the bed and take a sip. So far, so good. She doesn’t seem upset or angry about what happened last night. There’s no remorse in her body language, and she hasn’t backed away. “Sleep well?”
“I did. I don’t remember the last time I slept so soundly.”
“The ocean can do that to a person.” I smile against the rim of my glass and take in the beauty of her tousled hair and bare face. “It always helps me sleep. It’s the rhythm of the waves.”
She nods while looking around the house. “I’m so used to Chicago with the sirens and the L.”
The large interior seems endless with the sliding glass doors folded into the walls at the four corners. The high ceiling with the Caribbean woven fans keep the space cool without the sterility of air conditioning. It’s the ultimate island getaway—peaceful and secluded.
“How did I get in here? I remember being on the beach.”
“I carried you in this morning.”
I can’t read the expression on her face as she stares at me over the rim of her mug.
“There’s a storm coming in, but it should pass quickly and then we can have the entire day to have fun.”
This time, her face hides nothing. She chews on the corner of her lip, unsure of what I mean.
“We can go paddleboarding or take the Jet Skis out for a little more action.”
Her eyebrows draw down, and tiny wrinkles form under her hairline. “You don’t want to stay in bed all day?” She’s skeptical of me, and I can’t blame her one bit for thinking I’m the world’s biggest asshole.
“If that’s what you want. The day is long, and we can do whatever you wish.”
I can’t hide my smug smile. I’d like nothing more than to spend the day making love to Lauren, exploring every inch of her body in the sunlight.
-->