Kalin smiles with delight. “So eager and ready. We have plenty of time. I could fuck you all day like this. But first I want to see you wet and ready. Look at you get so hot and ready for me. Yes, baby. That’s it. Nice and slow. Nice and ready.”
Kalin primes me to a melting point, and my desire turns into agony. “Kalin, please. Fuck me, now.”
I press myself over Kalin, and he continues to hold me just enough to rub along the length of my slit with his hard shaft and engulfed head. His touch is painfully teasing, and my body catches fire that spreads from my aching center to every nerve in my body. Beads of sweat pool on my skin, and I force myself over Kalin but he holds me in place, caressing the length of my slick folds with his long, hard shaft. I press my thighs over him, and he thrusts his tip into me with deep groan. I am in heaven and burning up with agony at the same time.
“Now baby. You’re ready for me.” Kalin palms my hips and gently lowers my body over him. He angles himself over my aching upper wall, triggering a sharp pinch from the sudden invasion, and then, aching and expanding, I take in his fullness. I lean back on him, angling him further into me as Kalin lifts me with his thrusts, slow at first, and then in increasing rhythm. Rocking into his thrusts, I gyrate my hips to take in his thick hardness pumping into me faster and faster. Bursts of heat erupt from my center and spread to every cell in my body, and my breathing increases with the pounding of my heart.
I steady my palms on Kalin’s thick thighs in preparation of the tidal wave I feel building up inside of me. I gasp and yelp, clenching tightly around Kalin. My body no longer belongs to me, but to the orgasms that rock through me and take possession of every nerve ending now on fire and exploding through me. I arch my back and cry out, and my body convulses and comes in wonderful, turbulent waves. Kalin’s dark eyes burn with lust and passion. He holds my hips and comes in a loud guttural groan.
He holds me on top of him for a moment, his eyes sparkling. “God damn what a beautiful sight. There is nothing as beautiful as having you come with me against the sound of the ocean, so natural and naked and beautiful,” he rasps.
I lean my head down and sigh. Kalin traces my jaw with his fingers, and claims my quivering mouth with a slow, lingering kiss.
Chapter Fourteen
My body is light and happy in the luxurious shower, as if it has a mind of its own, coaxing me to pay more attention to what feels right. I know that this feels right. I know that the sex is incredible. But I also know that Kalin opened his heart to me during the most painful time in his life, and I cannot shut myself off from him.
I lean against the wall and let the warm water caress and soothe my sore body. I recall how Kalin held me close to him, his eyes sparkling with mirth and love. He was showing me who he really is, and here I was doubting him. The fact that this man has not closed the door on the world and retired into a life of seclusion and self-indulgence is beyond me. Kalin believes in love at his core. He is not a fool, and he is smart enough to know when people are using him. But he also knows love when he sees it, and he has never turned his back on it. Kalin would rather be hurt, and vulnerable, and even financially compromised, than to turn his back on it. Some see that as a weakness. Others see it as an opportunity to be exploited. But Kalin sees it as essential to being a strong leader, and a strong man.
He is ready to confront those who see it as an opportunity to take from him what he has built. It scares them, because they underestimated him. So they went after Lia instead, expecting that I would also respond with fear. Did I give them what they wanted? I lower my head and my body feels heavy from the thought, and I feel my heart pounding in my chest.
I step out of the shower to dry myself off. I was a fool to believe a man like Kalin comes around too easily. They don’t. He said he was lucky to have found me. I now know I am the lucky one.
“Annabelle, I’m heading to the store to pick up some things. It looks like the fridge is a bit empty. Do you want anything?”
“We may be low on cooking oil, coffee, and I think wine.”
“We’re never low on wine. It comes from the cellar downstairs. The staff stocks that. They haven’t been here since the police were here. I told them to skip a week.”
“Well, I can come with you.”
“No, sweetheart. I want you to get ready for dinner, and I’ll be right back so we don’t have to worry about this tomorrow morning. I just want your sweet ass on my mind tomorrow after a wild night of making love to you.”
I blush. “You’re shameless.”
“I know.”
I press my fingers to my lips to disguise a goofy grin. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“Rick’s. It’s up the highway about fifteen miles. Incredible food. Whatever you want. Steak. Fish. Lobster. Best wine selection. Celebrities, bankers, Wall Street types. It’s a real who’s who of luminaries, dignitaries, stars, and wealthy degenerates.”
“Sounds wonderful.” I snicker.
“Nothing but the best, my sweet. Take your time getting ready, and I will be back in about thirty minutes.”
“Okay.”
“I love you.”
I exhale a laugh at his persistence. “You are so unsubtle.”
“Does that mean you love me?”
“It means a woman’s heart is a mystery.”
“Nothing some good wine won’t fix. See you in a few.”
“Okay. Thank you, Kalin.”
I hear the front door shut, and I look at myself in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed. I put on some makeup and notice that my skin has a vibrant glow to it. It could be the fresh air, the ocean, the salty air, Kalin’s magic touch, and probably all of the above. But I know it’s mostly Kalin.
Kalin gave my clothing size to his staff, and they apparently filled up the closet with beautiful clothes for me. Unreal. I pick out a sleeveless pacific blue bandage-knit dress with a V neckline and back and a flared hem. The dress tapers and flares around my body for an hourglass figure. Absolutely beautiful.
I wait for Kalin with the back zipper partially undone. I want to surprise him, and have him zip—or unzip—the dress, as the case may be.
I hear the roar of Kalin’s SUV in the driveway, and for some reason I breathe a sigh of relief. Kalin comes in with two sacks of groceries, and stops in his tracks when he sees me. “My God, Annabelle, just when I think you couldn’t get more beautiful.” His eyes rake over my body, and I flick my eyes to the floor and back to him with a small smile.
Kalin approaches me from behind and presses his hands over my thighs, gliding them over my stomach, and then slowly over the curves of my hips. His breath is hot and moist on the sensitive skin under my ear where he plants a trail of light kisses. I tilt my head and moan, and he zips my dress up from the back and kisses the nape of my neck before letting my hair spill over my back. “Wrong direction on the zipper,” I mutter.
“We have reservations, my dear. We will have plenty of time for this later.”
Kalin quickly puts the groceries up with my help before we head to the restaurant. I check up on Lia on the way to the restaurant, tapping her number into my phone.
“Jesus, Belle, it’s about time you checked in.”
“I’m in the Hamptons. We’re going out to eat.” I turn my head to Kalin. “Do you know when I’ll be back?”
“Not tonight.” He smirks.
“Not ton…”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Yeah, all’s quiet in the ghetto side, girlfriend.”
“Yeah, well there won’t be a ghetto in your future, Lia.”
“Promises, promises. Oh, wait, I am talking to moneybags.”
I roll my eyes and glance at Kalin. “Get some studying done or something while you don’t have me bustling about.”
“Yeah, good point. You do get kind of obnoxious.”
“See?”
“I miss you, Belle. Stop taking these excursions without let
ting me know. I get worried about you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll probably see you tomorrow?”
“Where else am I going to go, until I meet my own Kalin?”
“I’m sure he has friends available.” I give Kalin a mischievous smile before looking straight ahead.
“Fix me up,” she exclaims.
We both giggle.
“Bye.”
“See you later, Lia.” I press ‘End’ and toss the phone in my bag.
“What was that all about?” Kalin cocks a brow at me.
“Lia says ‘hi.’ We were just wondering if you had a friend available.”
Kalin’s gruff laugh permeates my ears. “I thought she was in a serious relationship.”
“She is. I think she was joking.”
“Well, if there is a friend I can trust right now, I would like to know about it. Right now everyone is suspect.”
“Everyone?”
Kalin places his hand over mine on the leather seat. “Not you. And you’re a helluva lot more than a friend. I hope. By the way, you should know, in confidence, that if you think I’m letting Lia stay at that apartment without someone watching out after her, you’re crazy. Security is not following her around, like she requested. But they are keeping an eye on her. Let’s just say if anyone shows up on her doorstep, we’re going to know about it.”
My defenses go up immediately, but then I realize he’s right. My protest calms into relief. “So there’s a security team watching our apartment?”
“Yes. They keep their distance. They’re not listening to phone calls, invading her privacy, or creepy stuff like that. They’re just watching to make sure no one shows up there who has no business there.”
Kalin presses his hand on mine and caresses me with his fingers. “Okay?”
“Do you have a team watching me?”
“They’re watching both of you. At your residence.” Kalin glances at me. “This isn’t going to last forever, Annabelle. If I walk away from the company, they will be gone. But I would prefer to find out who this is. Based on what we’ve seen, you can be assured they’re watching us too, from what we know. It’s only fair you should know that.”
I exhale deeply. “I know.”
“Let’s not let them stop us from living our lives.”
“I won’t. And I’m actually glad that there is some security keeping their eyes on Lia. I’ve been worried about her. Thank you.”
Kalin smiles at me and checks his rear view mirror.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. We’re almost there.”
I smile at him and we pull into Rick’s five minutes later. My eyes widen like a kid’s on Christmas morning. The parking lot is filled with limos, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and other shameless displays of wealth.
“I told you. A real orgy of ostentation.” His tone is laced with amusement.
Kalin takes my hand and walks me to the front of the restaurant.
A shorter man in his mid-fifties greets us. “Mr. Kalin Davis. So nice to see you again. Miss.”
I nod politely.
“Please follow me. We have your table ready, Mr. Davis.”
“Thank you,” Kalin says.
I smile up at Kalin and shake my head. “At the kings’ table, you’re still the king.”
“Something like that.” He gives me a smug half grin.
I notice the large windows and the spectacular view of the bay, beautiful dark oak floors, a long mahogany bar, and a cozy fireplace. On each table is a beautiful arrangement of orange and red spray roses, miniature carnations, and white lilies. Kalin orders a bottle of Bordeauc Chateau Cheval Blanc. I glance at the price and give him a soft smile. “Eight hundred and seventy-five dollars?”
“You can taste the subtle and perfect harmony of these wines, Annabelle. They coat the tongue with elegant, smooth explosions of essence. It’s seductive and powerful and…sensual.”
His firm and sensual lips turn up into a small smile. He’s teasing me with the same lips that pushed me over the edge and kept me captive to rapturous, agonizing pleasure. I take a sip of water to hide my flushed cheeks.
Kalin’s eyes scan the room and he leans into me. “See the shorter gentleman there by the fireplace?” I glance over to where Kalin is looking. “That’s Steven Spielberg. We probably have the largest concentration of actors, musicians, designers, movie directors, and of course bankers than any place in the world. Now look over your left shoulder, very slowly.” Kalin grins at me.
“Oh, my God! It’s Jimmy Fallon. He’s hilarious.”
“Yeah, I was actually referring to the guy he’s talking to.”
“Who’s that?”
“Jerry Seinfeld.”
“Wow, I didn’t recognize him with the short hair.”
Kalin smiles and glances around the room. His brows furrow and he tosses his napkin on the table. “I don’t believe it. Hold on, sweetheart. I’ll be right back. There is someone from my college days here.”
“Okay.” I decide to do some star-gazing as Kalin walks over to his chums. My eyes search the room for familiar celebrities. I swear there is a guy who looks like Howard Stern laughing it up with a couple of people at a table across from me. He glances over at me. I twist my mouth and glance at Kalin. He’s still talking to the men by a table next to the larger window overlooking the bay. He looks so natural in this environment, and I feel so…ordinary. I graze my neck with my fingers at the thought and take a sip of wine. Oh, my. Kalin wasn’t kidding. This is like a sensual explosion in my mouth. The smell alone is divine, with a mix of black cherries, blackberries, and hints of vanilla and chocolate. I savor the taste on my tongue. Hmm. Kalin returns with his buddies.
“Annabelle, this is Brian McMillan. We went to college together at Northwestern University. And this distinguished-looking gentleman is Jeff Corman. He’s on the board of TALVIS.” Kalin shoots a knowing glance at me.
“How do you two know each other?” I gaze at them and blink.
Kalin perks up and waits for their response. Jeff pauses, glances at me, and then turns to Kalin. “It turns out Brian has a lot of experience at ProEast Energy, one of the largest energy companies on the East Coast.” He presses his hands together. “We may be able to use his management experience at TALVIS. What do you think, Kalin?”
“Another manager from ProEast Energy. You guys trying to take over?” He laughs. “I’m surprised you didn’t contact me first, Brian. You know I’m good for a reference.”
“It’s been so long, Kalin. I didn’t want to presume.”
“Nonsense. Brian was flipping burgers, working his way through Northwestern.” Kalin chuckles and rubs his large hand over Brian’s shoulder.
“I have a good work ethic, Kalin. I recall using my tip money to buy you a lot of food and beer.”
Kalin breaks out in laughter and brushes his hand over Brian’s back. “I guess I still owe you.”
“All that hard work paid off. You made it to the top. Congratulations. The rest of the Northwestern gang are a bunch of working stiffs. Except for Jerry Preslon. He sold a company to Microsoft for a few hundred million. I am sure you heard of it. He invented some kind of local searching.”
“Yes. It’s brilliant. We use it all the time for local advertising for our clients. Maybe we should hire him on the board.”
Brian cocks his head at Kalin. “Right. Except I hear he’s on vacation for the next, oh, thirty years. Something you should consider, Kalin.”
“I’m easing out slowly. I’m learning to delegate. In fact, Annabelle here is my new marketing assistant. She is in charge of just about every top-level project, so be on your best behavior around her. Both of you.” Kalin flashes me an adorable smile. I rest my chin between my hands and smile back.
Jeff and Brian briefly glance at each other and then turn to me. “This guy’s going to make you earn every penny. Don’t trust him for anything.” Jeff points a thumb at Kalin.
“Annabelle hasn�
�t officially signed anything, so don’t scare her away, Jeff.”
Jeff drags his finger down his cheek and glances at Brian.
Kalin turns his attention from me to them. “So what are the terms, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Jeff tweaks his neck and straightens his posture. “I don’t mind. It’s still your company, Kalin. We’re offering him standard executive pay, plus five percent stock.”
“Five percent?” Kalin’s forehead creases. “They must like you, Brian. They never offer anyone more than one percent until you prove yourself. Just make sure it’s yours, Jeff.” Jeff laughs as Kalin slaps him on the back before turning back to Brian.
“It’s great seeing you, Brian.” Kalin holds his hand out, and Brian grabs it and pulls him in and hangs his arm around Kalin’s neck.
“It’s good to see you again, old buddy,” Brian says.
I faintly hear Brian say something about his fiancée passing, and I watch Kalin’s lips form the words ‘thank you.’ They hug briefly, and Kalin joins me for the rest of dinner. “Talk about strange coincidences,” he says. “My old college buddy getting a position at my own company. I am out of touch.”
“Doesn’t the board have to approve the stock transfer?”
“Yes, they do. I can tell you it won’t be mine. Or yours. If you ever decide to take it, that is.” His gaze flicks to me and he takes a sip of water.
“Do you trust them?”
“I don’t trust anyone right now. Except you.”
I give him a soft smile, and the waiter brings us our dinners.
After dinner Kalin takes me dancing on the patio in the moonlight. I take in the distant rumble of the ocean and the smell of the salty air with a deep, satisfying breath. I lean my head on Kalin’s chest as we gently sway under the clear summer sky.
“How long do you plan on living in that apartment?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I’m still hesitant to move because I would miss Lia. And now, after all that’s happened, I wouldn’t want to leave her.”
“Annabelle, you can afford to buy her a secure condo in the city if you ever take the job.”
“I know.”
Undeniably His Page 14