by Nana Prah
Then it did. He pulled her into the water and joined her. They were silent as they explored each other’s bodies with their lathered hands. She gloried in every perfect muscle he possessed as he smoothed his hands up and down her body as if worshipping her.
When he reached the apex of her thighs, she groaned when he slid his fingers along the outside of her, then pushed his thumb between her folds and stroked. She jumped and landed with her back against the stall’s wall at the intimacy of his touch.
He continued rubbing, making her whimper. She didn’t even care that her hair was getting wet. His ministrations felt so good. Then he slid a finger inside and the sensations jacked up ten levels. All she could do was hold on to him so she wouldn’t send them tumbling.
When his mouth found her nipple again, he sucked hard, and she exploded in a way she’d never experienced before. The orgasm lasted forever, and when she came back to reality, he had her wrapped in his arms.
“You were stunning,” he whispered. “I will see you come again. Next time, I’ll be buried deep inside you.”
Unable to understand how she’d be able to experience such a thing again without slipping into a coma, she leaned heavily against him as he turned off the water. After grabbing a towel, he took his time drying her in the steamy room, and then did a rush job on himself while she drank in every inch of his incredible body.
* * *
The thousands of fantasies he’d had over the years couldn’t have prepared Miguel for actually being with Tanya. Bringing her to climax had been one of the most pleasurable experiences of his life, and his body had become impossibly harder.
Once he’d laid her on the bed after their shared shower, she’d fallen asleep. Content to have her anywhere near him, he’d watched her for the past half an hour in utter amazement. He kissed his sleeping woman’s shoulder. Mine. His brain roared as if he needed reminding. He’d known it since forever, but immaturity and insecurities on both sides had kept them apart. Not anymore.
“Baby,” he whispered into her ear just before nipping it. She raised her hands above her head, exposing her delectable breasts to his hungry eyes. Her arched stretch brought the succulent dark brown nipples closer to him. An offering. He ignored the summons and returned his gaze to her face. “Tanya.”
Her eyes popped open to meet his and then widened before glancing down at her naked body covered to hip level with a sheet. She reached down to pull up the cloth, but he stilled her hand by interlacing her fingers with his. “Don’t hide from me, sweetheart.”
She ducked her head and then snapped it up again. “Oh, my goodness. I fell asleep and you’re still...”
He wiggled his eyebrows and winked. “Bet you didn’t know I could put it on you so good.”
Giggling, she shifted onto her side to face him. “That’s what you get for not letting me touch you.”
He rubbed their noses together before dipping his head to taste her. He indulged in the sweet texture of her tongue against his as she wrapped her arm around him and brought him closer. He pulled back so their lips brushed. “I didn’t mind. Your pleasure was more important.”
He could feel rather than see the smile on her lips when she kissed him. He groaned when her hand slid between them and stroked the part of him that needed her most. The touch was initially tentative and then she started exploring. It had been too long since he’d had sex. If she continued, he’d come in her hand instead of inside her body where he longed to be.
Pulling himself away from her tantalizing lips and touch, he went to his suitcase and pulled out a box of condoms from the side pocket. Maybe he enjoyed the way her gaze devoured him from head to toe a little too much. He rushed back to her side and jumped onto the bed. Was he being too enthusiastic? He didn’t care. He’d waited years for this moment. To be with the woman he loved. Had always loved.
He pulled out a packet from the box, opened it and slipped the condom on. She’d been so fascinated with the process that she’d left her body bare for him to feast on. He prepared to enjoy holding on to her curves as he drove into her over and over again. Anticipating the feel of her strong thighs wrapping around him as they joined in the most intimate way two people could.
He loomed over her until she lay flat on her back. Bracing his hands on the outside of her breasts, he pushed them together and wished he could indulge by placing both nipples in his mouth at the same time. Instead, he grazed his lips along the underside of her breast until he reached his destination. Rounding his tongue against one nipple, he smiled as she grabbed the back of his head and pushed him toward his intended goal.
Writhing beneath him as he suckled one breast while rolling the other nipple between his fingers, she emitted whimpers of need that drove him. He gave the other mound the same attention with his mouth. By the time his hand slid down her belly to her tempting center, the smell of her arousal had his nostrils flaring.
He looked down at her as he slid a finger into her before circling her bud. “Do you know how wet you are?”
His vixen gave him his answer by opening her legs wider as she ground against his finger with a loud moan. “Please, Miguel.”
“What do you want me to do to you?”
Their gazes locked. “Come inside me. I need you.”
The words had him between her legs in a flash. He kissed her as he slid slowly into her. Nothing else had ever felt so right. So complete. He pulled out to the tip before filling her again. He couldn’t maintain the slow pace for long, not when she met him with each stroke.
Speeding up their rhythm, he stared at her. “Open your eyes.”
When they fluttered open, she smiled and his heart leaped. Increasing their rhythm, he plunged into her.
The initial tightening of her inner walls urged him to delve into her faster and harder. When she cried out his name, her clenching shelter pulled an orgasm from him so intense he ended up lying on her with his full weight.
She didn’t seem to mind, because she held on to him.
When he found the strength to lift himself up, he gazed into her glowing face. No one should be so beautiful. Still joined, he spoke the words he’d never said to any other woman. Now he knew they’d always been reserved for her. “I love you.”
Chapter 20
A smile and a brief kiss on the lips after Miguel’s declaration was all she could give him before claiming she had to use the bathroom. She’d panicked, wanting to tell him how deeply she cared, but couldn’t. Had it just been the sex talking? Something he said to all his conquests? Her heart had soared for a brief moment as she hung on to every word, and then her brain had brought logic into the equation and deflated the moment.
She was annoyed with herself for allowing her self-doubts and the differences in their social statuses to keep her from basking in his professed love. Her attention caught on the shower stall. Would she ever be able to feel water slide against her skin without thinking about his passion-inducing touch?
Hell, she had difficulty not thinking about him with every breath. She didn’t hold out hope she’d get over him any time soon when he decided to leave her for someone classier, richer, slimmer and more glamorous.
“What time are we leaving?” she asked when she stepped out of the bathroom wearing the hotel’s fluffy white robe. She prayed she hadn’t made things uncomfortable between them. The ego was a fragile, living thing, and she hoped she hadn’t injured his to the point of destroying their newfound friendship.
To her surprise, he strode over to her, bare-chested, last night’s trousers slung low on his lean hips, and mushed her against him. “I meant what I said, Tanya. I love you. I’ve always loved you, and nothing can or will ever change that. You can’t run from what we have forever, but I’ll give you time.”
Her heart screamed the words of adoration back at him, but they got stuck in her clogged throat. What if he hadn’t changed? Could peop
le change? She had her doubts.
Rather than admit to her feelings, she pulled back and changed the subject. “I have the perfect name for the club.”
His eyes filled with what she swore was disappointment. And then he gave her his teasing grin, showing off her two most favorite dimples in the world. “Let me guess.” He tapped a finger to his lips. “‘Club Dance-A-Lot’? No, wait. ‘Club Drink-It-Up’?”
She laughed at his silliness. His lovemaking had been the catalyst. The name had popped into her head when she’d drifted back down to find herself in the arms of the man she loved so much that she felt his presence in every cell of her body. “How about... ‘Fervor’?”
His eyes brightened as the corners of his mouth tilted up even more. He kissed her hard on the lips, lifted her and swung her around. “It’s perfect.”
“Put me down, Miguel.” She struggled to get the words out through her giggles.
He settled her on her feet and splayed his hands along her hips. “How did you come up with it?”
I love you with a white-hot fervor that I have to deny. At least for now. She attempted to smooth her wild mess of hair. “It just came to me.”
He beamed. “It’s brilliant. I can already see it hanging on the building with its white glow and red outline.”
His enthusiasm was contagious, and she could envision it along with the ideas he’d mentioned last week. This trip had opened her eyes to what her club lacked and she was grateful for the revelation. Unable to help herself, she grasped his face between her hands and kissed him. “Thank you so much. I can finally see your vision and it’s going to be wonderful. Broderick will be so jealous.”
Miguel’s jaw clenched and his eyes darkened like they always did when she brought up her ex. “This is about making what you own a success, not about him. By the way, we have a lot to discuss on the jet. We’re taking off in about an hour so we’d better get going.”
Their oasis of bliss had ended. The real world would interfere with whatever they’d created and shared. The love he’d expressed would be lost to her forever. Even if he hadn’t really meant it, the temporary knowledge that he’d proclaimed his love sent warmth spreading through her chest. Should she take the risk and tell him how she felt or stay safe by holding it in?
Would she ever be ready to take the leap? What could she truly offer him? And what would the tabloids say when they found out he was seeing a nobody like her? She’d be crucified, and his reputation might suffer because of it.
Stepping out of his reach, she nodded. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes. Thank you for the clothes and the trip of a lifetime.”
He held his arms out wide. “This is just the beginning.” With those words he turned and left the room.
If only it were true. He’d probably find her interesting for the short time they had to refurbish the club, but after that, he’d lose interest, just like he had with all the others. At least this time she’d be ready to be tossed away.
* * *
Relaxing into the jet’s bucket seat, Miguel looked out the window as the plane approached Cleveland. The conversation had consisted of the changes they’d make to the club. He liked that they were on the same page and ready to move things forward.
What he didn’t care for was her reluctance to fire her club manager. Although the financial report his sister had emailed to him that afternoon didn’t show he’d been tampering with the money, Miguel still didn’t trust him. He couldn’t understand why Tanya refused to even consider letting him go when the man was so useless at his job. Did she have feelings for Clint? The rage of jealousy that had filled him was superseded by a sense of calm. The woman he knew wouldn’t have given herself to him if she were in love with another man. Would she?
“Why won’t you fire the club manager?” Miguel had asked.
Crossing her arms over her chest, her lips had thinned and she’d remained silent.
His ire had risen. “I’m warning you—if you don’t get rid of him now, he’ll destroy your business.” Maybe he should’ve chosen his words better because all she did was squint her eyes at him and maintain her silence.
Drawing in a deep breath, he held it for a count of five. How had he forgotten just how stubborn the woman could be? The quality he appreciated least about her. Rather than make things worse, he’d left it alone until now, because the issue had to be dealt with. “I can fire him if that’s what’s bothering you.”
A weaker man would’ve shrunk back at her narrow-eyed glower and snarl. He didn’t flinch. At least not so she could see. He stared right back.
“Not only is he a friend,” she said, “but he’s the only one who stuck by me when Broderick left.” Her shoulders slumped. “Two weeks after the divorce, I was feeling so lonely and depressed that I went to the club just to get out of the house. I ended up in the office bawling. Clint came in and, instead of leaving me at my most hysterical, he sat without saying a word. His presence strengthened me. When the tears had abated he told me I was one of the strongest people he’d ever met and that I deserved more than Broderick. Those words buoyed me and cemented our friendship.”
Her gaze softened. “He always asked if I needed to talk. On the few occasions that I took him up on the offer, he really listened. I’ve only known him as a good man.” She hung her head, stealing away their eye contact. “I’m having a tough time believing he stayed with me only to mess up my life.”
Being deceived by a friend was a thousand times worse than with a stranger. Miguel still didn’t like the guy, but he’d gained a level of respect for the compassion he’d shown to Tanya. It didn’t change anything where the club was concerned. “Sometimes you have to let people go.”
“It doesn’t make it any easier.” She looked straight into his eyes. “Especially when you find it almost impossible to trust in the first place.”
Was she talking about what he’d done to her years ago? What he’d apologized for? The one thing he regretted more than anything else he’d ever done? Ignoring the Fasten Seat Belt sign that had come on a few minutes ago, Miguel undid his seat belt, knelt before her and squeezed her hands.
“I don’t know what to say. I did this, and I will apologize for the rest of my life if that’s what you need to move on. All I know is that I’m a different man than I was then and I’m ready to prove it to you. To commit to you.”
He ignored her gasp. “I love you, Tanya. It wasn’t the heat of the moment speaking back in the hotel room. I’ve loved you since the first time we argued back in college. I’m sorry I took away your ability to trust others.”
She blinked at him a few times, opened and closed her mouth, and then slammed back against the seat and smiled. Not one of joy and celebration but one that he suspected to be a combination of amusement and disbelief. “You are one arrogant man. I’ve already forgiven you. You do remember the guy who married me and left me for another man right? He played pretend for almost three years and I believed it.” She shook her head and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Stunned, speechless and more than a little confused, he got up and sat in his seat.
She shook her head. “Not everything is about you, Miguel.”
He relaxed with his relief. At least she didn’t blame him. Maybe he did take their past a little too seriously. He should’ve known she’d forgiven him when she said she had.
With a hand to her chest, she grinned. “Thanks for the sweet words, too.”
He sobered. Had she just thanked him for professing his love? Now that hurt. If the past wasn’t their issue, why hadn’t she told him she loved him? It was written in her eyes and on her face when she looked at him. Perhaps he was seeing what he wanted and she didn’t love him. He rubbed the area over his heart, trying to relieve the tightness that had come from nowhere.
“Are you in love with your club manager?” He just had to know.
The humor left he
r eyes and trepidation filled him at the potential of her answer. He’d never been so afraid of a response in his life. He didn’t do fear often, but it overwhelmed him now.
“You’re an interesting man, Mr. Astacio.” She shook her head. “Do you really think I could make love to one man while being in love with another?”
All he heard in her sentence was that she loved him. Okay, maybe he’d jumped a few steps ahead, but at least she wasn’t in love with her smarmy club manager. Even if she didn’t have feelings for him yet, Miguel would do everything in his power to make sure she would.
His heart lighter and renewed with hope, he stated, “So that’s a no then. Will you fire him or should I?”
His eyes were drawn to her incredible breasts as they rose and fell with the exasperation flowing from her. He held up both hands, knowing that, in his attempt to win her over, pissing her off wouldn’t help. “Fine, handle it your way.”
At her heartwarming smile, he realized he was a goner. He’d do anything to make her happy. Absolutely anything.
Chapter 21
“I called Broderick yesterday,” Tanya admitted to Becca as they waited for their breakfast order to arrive.
“Get out!” If the woman had been standing next to her rather than sitting across the table, Tanya may have been shoved off her feet. “Why?”
Tanya flopped back into her seat. A week after their return from Florida and she’d gotten up the nerve to find out more about Clint from her ex-husband. “Not to ask how he’s doing, that’s for sure.” She angled her head. “Although we did have a pleasant conversation once my reason for calling was out of the way.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Which was?”
“To get information about Clint. Deep down, I know Miguel is right and I should fire him, but I need a legitimate reason. After all, I do consider him a friend.”
“So did you get one?”
Boy, did she. “You won’t believe why Broderick promoted Clint to manager.” Knowing how much her friend loved drama, she paused to take a sip of juice. “The weasel found Broderick and his business partner—now husband—in a compromising position a few months before he presented the divorce papers. Clint threatened to tell me if he wasn’t promoted to manager. Broderick basically managed the place anyway, so it didn’t disturb his flow of money.”