He trailed kisses to her neck, needing her so badly it hurt. He undid the first few buttons, giving himself access to her chest and her perfect breasts. She murmured something, but didn’t pull away as he took one nipple into his mouth, lace and all. She moaned and cradled his head. His hand moved lower and slipped under her waistband.
She tore her lips from his. “Crap. The stew.”
Lex groaned when she jumped up and left his lap. Damn it. Her duties didn’t include cooking. He might like the domestic picture she made, but he didn’t want her slaving over the stove. They could hire a decent cook. He got up and followed her.
“No, stay back, Alexander. You can’t be in the kitchen when I’m cooking.”
“You’re not supposed to be cooking.”
“I’m helping Douglas, and you are hereby kicked out of the kitchen.”
He grinned. He distracted her. Still, he asked, “Why?”
“You know why.” She looked beyond him, and she groaned. “Oh no. Douglas. This is so embarrassing.”
Lex turned, expecting to see Douglas. Instead grocery bags were on the floor by the archway leading into the kitchen. Douglas must have returned while they were kissing and decided to give them privacy.
“I’m never going to look him in the face again,” Jillian wailed. “And it’s your fault.” She shook a spoon at Lex. He grinned. “It’s not funny. Go find him and… and apologize.”
He wasn’t apologizing for kissing her. “Jillian—”
“Ask him to join us for dinner. Please.”
She looked so adorable flustered, even though it was over nothing. Douglas was a grown man who understood the nature of their relationship. And it wasn’t the first time he’d walked in on Lex and a woman, except Jillian wasn’t just any woman.
“Lex,” Jillian begged.
He couldn’t refuse her anything when she looked at him with those gorgeous turquoise eyes. He got up. “He’ll understand.”
She glared at him. “I don’t. I should have stopped things before they went too far.” She shooed him. “Go talk to him.”
Lex was still grinning when he knocked on Douglas’s door. He liked that he had that much power over her. Just like she had over him.
“Jillian would like you to join us for dinner,” Lex said when Douglas opened the door.
“Thank you, sir, but I already have my dinner.” Douglas indicated behind him. Lex wondered if he really had bought food or just wanted to give them privacy.
“Jillian will be disappointed,” Lex said.
Douglas didn’t crack a smile. “Offer her my apologies, sir.”
“I’ll do that. Goodnight, Douglas.”
“Will you need me to cook breakfast tomorrow morning, sir?”
“That would be great. I want you to stay with her until this situation with her father is fixed. Mathews will fly the two of you to the studio. I’ll have a talk with Barbs about your presence there.”
“Can I contact Mr. Manos to find you another driver?”
Lex thought about it and shook his head. “I’ll be in the office the next few days. If I need to go anywhere, I’m sure I can manage. Keeping her safe is a priority now.”
Back upstairs, the scent of garlic bread filled the air. Jillian had already set the table for three, laid out a fruit and vegetable tray, and was serving the stew into bowls.
“Is he coming?” she asked.
“No. He’d already prepared his dinner.”
Jillian frowned. “Are you sure? Were you polite and nice and genuine?”
“Very.” Lex closed the gap between them and carried two bowls back to the table. He patted the chair beside him. “Come sit here.”
She shook her head and took the seat across from him. “I’m not going to fall for that trick. We’re eating, not kissing or doing whatever naughty things those eyes are promising.”
“My eyes?”
“Very expressive.” She picked up the spoon. “I don’t know how you conduct business. I know when you want to kiss me or”—she grinned—“rip my clothes off.”
Dinner was fun. He focused the discussion on his friends, what they did and how they met in college and forged a relationship that had endured for years. He didn’t bring up her family, the Fearless Finnegans, or the Bay Area Circus, though he needed to find out more. The mood was too perfect to spoil it with morbid discussions. Still, he noticed that she didn’t touch her wine. “I have other vintages if this is not to your taste.”
“That’s not it. I don’t drink much. A sip here and there at parties, but that’s it.”
“Why?”
“Low tolerance. One glass and I’ll start dancing topless, or worse.”
He laughed, imagining her dancing around the room, stripping. “I don’t mind.” Then it occurred to him that she might be talking from experience. Someone else shared that memory with her. He stopped smiling. “What could be worse than going topless?”
She ducked her head and shook it. “So you and your friends are terribly wealthy, party hard, and…?”
He wasn’t ready to share Infinitus Agendum with her yet. “We go on wild adventures. I’ve skied K2.” Her jaw dropped. She scooted closer when he talked about diving the Blue Holes in the Bahamas and swimming with great white sharks in South Africa.
“Can I come with you next time? Please?”
Lex groaned. He should have known better than to mention extreme adventure to her. The stunts she’d pulled as a teen flashed in his head. “Girlfriends are never allowed. Too dangerous.”
Jillian gave an unladylike snort. “What do you guys date? Pearl-wearing debutants?”
His ex-girlfriend had loved pearls, and she never wanted to know where he disappeared to with his friends. “I’m not sure where our next trip will take us, so we’ll see. Maybe we’ll kayak in the Bashkaus River again or Vanuatu.”
Jillian’s eyes narrowed. “Siberia and Marum Volcano in South Pacific? Now you’re just bragging.”
He loved that she understood him. “Dom is making us heatproof suits. We might beat Mackley’s record.”
“I hate you.” She got up.
“Leave them,” he said when she picked up the bowls. “Douglas can take care of them tomorrow.”
“You don’t leave dirty dishes on the table, Alexander.”
“Says who?”
“My mother. She was stickler for rules. Didn’t matter where we lived. The rules were the same. Then there’s the leftover stew. Leftovers must be put away.” She cocked her eyebrows.
“Woman, you drive me crazy.” He took the bowls from her hands. He imagined her and her mother living in some murky backroom. He’d build her a mansion in every goddamn town his company had a holding. “I’ll do it.”
She grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. You need to learn to take care of yourself.”
“If you must know, I took care of myself in college.”
“Yeah, in a frat house. Didn’t you have someone cooking and cleaning for you?”
“Nope. We did it all.” He carried the plates and placed them in the sink. “When do you need to be at the studio tomorrow?”
“Ten.” She tucked hair behind her ear, a gesture he now associated with nervousness. “I’ll, uh, finish putting my clothes away.” She looked at her watch and frowned. “Wow. It’s only eight.”
He wasn’t sure why she was acting nervous all of a sudden. “We’ll find something to do to pass time,” Lex said and winked, grinning when her cheeks grew pink.
“How about chess. I’d like to beat you fair and square instead of you letting me win.” She gave him another tiny smile and left the room.
There were far more fun games they could indulge in, and they didn’t include a board or small wooden pieces. Maybe moving into his home had changed the dynamics of their relationship. It was up to him to make sure she was comfortable. She wanted board games? They would play board games. As long as he got to sleep with her in his arms.
Lex dumped everything in th
e garbage disposal. He had no bowls for leftovers or any intention to reheat the beef stew tomorrow. He placed the utensils in the sink. Turning off the lights, he stopped by the living room, grabbed his handcrafted wood and leather case of chessboard and pieces, and headed for his bedroom.
Their bedroom.
Jillian wasn’t there. Her suitcases and the shopping bags he and Douglas had hauled upstairs were missing. Panic slammed into him. He threw the chess set on the bed, left the room, and once again followed sounds to the only guestroom in the penthouse.
The empty suitcases and shopping bags littered the bed. Shoes and boots were on the floor. Sounds came from the walk-in closet.
He knocked and entered.
~*~
Jillian had dreaded this—Lex finding out she’d chosen to use the guest room despite his invitation to put her clothes in his closet. Yes, she’d been tempted to play house. Have his and her sides of the closet. Even his bathroom had two sinks. And yes, she enjoyed sex with him. Who wouldn’t? He was an amazing, generous, and innovative lover.
Lex didn’t do small. He probably didn’t know how. He was larger than life. The ultimate alpha male. The problem was she wasn’t ready to let him take over every aspect of her life.
He knocked again. “Are you hiding in there?”
She was. He wasn’t going to like her decision.
Jillian got up and left the closet. He stood by the door, hands shoved in the front pockets of his pants, drawing attention to his gorgeous body. He chuckled, and her eyes flew to his. Jillian could feel her face grow red. His ability to make her blush was getting old.
“What are you doing?” he asked, stepping into the room.
“Unpacking. I think this bedroom is perfect for me.” She picked up the shopping bags and shoved the smaller ones inside the largest. “I’ll be out of your hair in a couple of days.”
He moved closer and stopped in front of her. Gently, he pried the bags from her hand and put them down, then lifted her chin. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
He ran his thumb across her lips. “You’re pushing me away.”
She couldn’t concentrate with him caressing her. She moved her head, forcing him to stop. “I’m not, Lex. We’re not married yet, so Douglas won’t be surprised to see me use the guest room.”
“I don’t care what Douglas thinks,” Lex said. “And you are wrong on both accounts. First, there’s a more perfect bedroom down the hall. Second, you’re never going to be out of my hair, because every time I close my eyes and inhale, it’s you I breathe. Your scent. Your essence. When all is quiet, it’s your voice I hear. Your laughter when you’re happy. Your moans when we kiss. Your cries when you fall apart in my arms. And when you’re gone I feel the imprint you leave in my arms.”
Jillian stared at him with rounded eyes, her heart pounding hard. Surely, he didn’t mean he loved her? “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love what we have going on here, Jillian. The sex is great, and we have a lot in common outside the bedroom. We should explore these feelings without the bullshit.”
Wow. Not exactly the declaration of love she’d expected. “The bullshit?”
“Not being on the same page.” He ran his knuckles down the side of her face. “Which will make both of us miserable. We are going to live in this house as husband and wife, so let’s agree to give us a chance.”
What happens if it doesn’t work out? Right now she was enjoying their time together while guarding her heart. Or trying to. If she let him in, would she survive? Love sucked when it was one-sided.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said.
He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. “Then don’t say anything. Go with the flow. So…”
“Yes?”
“Pack up your clothes and move into my room.”
Her jaw dropped. “So this is about me sleeping in here?”
“No, it’s about you sleeping where you belong. With me.”
Un-fucking-believable. “Goodnight, Lex.” She turned to walk away. The next second she screamed when he plucked her up and slung her over his shoulder. “What are you doing? Put me down, you Neanderthal.” She kicked and wiggled and punched him.
“It’s impossible to have a conversation with you. One second I think I’m getting through to you… Ouch. Pinch my ass again and we won’t play strip chess,” he warned.
“I don’t want to play chess.” He entered his bedroom and threw her onto the bed. Jillian bounced on it, legs and arms flailing. “Strip chess?”
“We’ll make the rules as we go.” He picked up the box and watched her lazily.
She stared back at him, studying the masculine angles of his face. He was such a beautiful man. Her heart squeezed. Would she ever get tired of looking at him? Wanting him? Needing…? No, she didn’t need him. She didn’t need any man.
But she wanted him naked and sweaty. Loving her. Making her forget her problems. “I don’t want to play chess.” She moved her leg and nudged him with her foot. “I want you.”
Lex cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Yes. Now.”
“Then show me,” he challenged, his voice dark and smooth as velvet.
“Show you?”
He leaned in and kissed her. He tasted of wine and his unique blend of flavors. “Remove your clothes.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. This was what she wanted. Why was she hesitating? Their eyes met, and the look in his took her breath away. Standing, she pushed her thumb in the waistband of her jeggings.
“No,” Lex ordered, and she stopped.
Thoroughly confused now, Jillian sighed. “What do you want, Lex?”
“You.”
He scooted to the edge of the bed, gripped her shirt, and tugged her closer until she stood between his legs. He studied her, his gray eyes flashing with so much heat her breath caught.
“Remember how I always complain about never getting to undress you?” He undid her buttons one at a time, kissing the exposed skin. “I get to do it tonight.”
A shudder rocked Jillian. He was doing it again. Killing her with his gentleness when she wanted mindless sex. She wanted him to devour her and give her the release she sought.
She tried to take over. “Lex—”
“Shh. This is me unwrapping you, savoring you, loving you, and I refuse to be hurried.” He removed the last two buttons and parted her shirt. His breath was hot on her skin as he buried his face in her stomach and dipped his tongue inside her belly button.
He stood and pushed her shirt off, kissing her shoulder. His teeth nipped her skin, followed by the warm stroke of his tongue soothing the bite. His lips trailed down her arm as he removed one sleeve. Then he moved to the other arm, until her shirt fell in a heap at her feet. It was a slow torture, but she soaked it in greedily.
Lust spiked, nipples aching for his touch as heat pooled between her legs. For once in her life, she was enthralled by the pleasure of a simple kiss. Not that anyone would call what Lex was doing to her a kiss.
“The way I feel when I touch you is like nothing I’ve ever felt before,” he whispered, warm breath fanning her neck. “The taste of you.” He tilted her head and captured her mouth in a hot, bone-searing kiss that was both languid and commanding.
He made love to her mouth, tasting every inch of it. Outer lips to inner recesses, tongues caressing, dancing side by side, on top of each other. Blissful sensations rocked her body. All Jillian could do was cling to his shirt and weather the storm. When he lifted his head, she whimpered in protest.
“I’m just starting, sweetheart.” He captured her mouth again, and she was lost in his kiss, the taste and scent of him. “The things I plan to do to you tonight.”
Call her greedy, but she wanted it all. She pulled his head down and kissed him this time. Pouring all her yearnings, even those she refused to admit to herself into the kiss.
“Tell me,” she murmured against his lips. His
eyes blazed with more desire that she’d ever seen on anyone’s face, thrilling her.
“I’ll show you,” he vowed.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He reached behind her, unclasped her bra and sat as he took it off. He studied her lushness. “So breathtaking. Every time I touch you, it’s like the first time. You are... mine.”
She was. For now. “Love me, Lex. Please.”
The words barely left her lips when he cupped her breasts in his large hands, leaned forward, and took one sensitive peak into his mouth. At the same time, he rolled the other one between his thumb and fingers.
Jillian’s knees gave away. She would have crumpled onto the floor if she hadn’t clutched his head. He moved from nipple to nipple, driving her insane as sweet sensations rolled through her.
“I need more,” he murmured as he lifted his head. He hooked his fingers under her waistband and peeled her jeggings off her hips, then lifted her and gently laid her on the bed. A few minutes ago, he’d thrown her on the same bed. The change in behavior was messing with her head big time. He knelt by her legs, his eyes burning with heat as he studied her.
Jillian stopped breathing, a weird vulnerability washing over her. She loved her body. Worked hard to stay in shape because of her line of work, but for whatever reason, she felt exposed. She wanted him to love what he was seeing. To desire her above all.
His eyes flicked to her face. “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”
Jillian swallowed.
“What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Perfection. You were made for love, Jillian. To be worshipped. And I…” He ran a finger from her toes to her ankle, leaving behind a heated trail. Her muscles clenched. She never even knew her toes were sensitive. “I am lucky to be the one you’ve bestowed this honor upon.”
He lowered his head and started on her toes, kissing, caressing, worshipping every inch of her body just like he’d promised, while she squirmed and moaned. He took cues from her cries, heightening her pleasure with his mouth, teeth, and hands.
“The scent of you can drive a man insane,” he whispered as he kissed her inner thighs. Jillian trembled. She wanted his mouth on her.
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