by Lexy Timms
Elijah did not argue. His tongue slipped between her parted lips and stroked her mouth to ecstasy. Their near-naked bodies pressed against each other, unable to get close enough as their kisses deepened. Elijah’s tongue darted in and out of Charity’s mouth in a faster rhythm as his hands roamed over her satin smooth skin. Lying on their sides, he had access to all of her.
Charity tried to focus on what his mouth was doing to her body but when his warm fingers pressed against the curve of her hip and gently pushed it away from his, she pulled her head slightly out of reach of his lips to concentrate on what his hand planned to do. She panted, trying to catch her breath.
Elijah’s strong hand curved against her knee and forced her to spread her leg back. Her hips rotated and she let her body roll so she lay on her back. As his hand moved against her inner thigh, Charity could not stop the moan that escaped her lips.
At the apex of her legs, his fingers pressed against the thin satin of her panties to her passion-moistened depths.
She wanted him. Now.
Unable to hold back any longer, Charity reached for him and he rolled on top of her willingly. She loved the feel of his shoulders beneath her hands and the hard muscles of his chest. His broad shoulders tapered down to a taut, flat abdomen. She caught her lower lip against her teeth as she boldly pressed her hand against the hardness of his arousal.
He groaned and buried his head against her neck, sucking and kissing her as his lips trailed down to her breasts.
Her hand slipped inside his briefs. She continued to squeeze and gently massage his straining masculinity. She debated about telling him that her lace bra opened at the front, but the thought was lost when Elijah forced a breast free and captured her nipple inside his mouth.
As he sucked, his hand found the clasp and freed her straining breasts. The bra clicked and fell away. He pulled his mouth away and grinned at her. “I always wanted to do that.”
She smiled and lifted her hips to remove her panties. “I’ve been wanting to take these off for a while.”
Elijah’s eyes followed the motion of her hands and returned to her face with burning desire. When her hands reached for the elastic around his waist he helped here, wanting them off faster.
He lay back on top of her, his swollen erection pressing around her belly, but he did not lower his hips to enter her. He sensually rubbed his lips against hers. “I love you, Mrs. Charity Bennet.”
She smiled against his lips. “Mrs. Charity Thompson-Bennet, you mean.” She rotated her hips so the tip of his throbbing shaft nuzzled her slippery softness.
A guttural growl vibrated deep in his throat and the soft kiss turned more demanding. In one thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. She arched in the pleasure it sent throughout her entire body. He sank himself into her, again and again. Her hips matched his fervent movement.
He slowed their frantic movement, pulling back a moment before gliding himself slowly, inch by incredible inch inside of her. Charity clenched and shuddered, tiny muscles exploded into millions of ripples of pleasure. She arched, trying to bury him deeper inside of her. The blinding, pulsing moment of release surprised her, she hadn’t expected to come so quickly, but the pleasure grew deliciously unbearable.
Elijah lifted her hips to his thrusting inside her again. Their arching and colliding found perfect rhythm, her body obeying an instinct she hadn’t known she possessed. Elijah sucked in a short sharp breath. His frantic movement increased as he abandoned himself to the pleasure. His body stiffened just before he exploded inside of her and groaned in blissful agony.
As they clung together, Elijah murmured, “I love you, baby. I love you.”
“Me, too,” she whispered into his neck savoring the moment and hoping it would last forever.
Chapter 14
They lay against each other, their glistening bodies being cooled from the fan moving above them. Elijah rolled off Charity onto his back, one arm staying under her head so his hand could play with her hair. “You’re amazing.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She snuggled against him and closed her eyes enjoying their moment of perfect marital bliss. “What a perfect day.”
He kissed her forehead. “It couldn’t have been any better.” He reached over and turned the lamp off on the nightstand beside the bed. The room turned into moonlit darkness.
Charity rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat its steady rhythm. “This house is amazing.” She let her eyes wander to the two large open windows that led to a private balcony. A slight wind ruffled the light curtains and the moon gave the room a slightly blue hue. “Not because of the size but the whole design to it. Nothing was missed.”
Elijah’s hmmmm reverberated against her. “My dad designed it. He thought of everything. Anything he forgot, he added later or my mother did. It is a gorgeous place.” He cleared his throat. “Shame to let it go.”
Charity sat up, her hair falling over her shoulder to cover her breast. “What do you mean?”
“My mother’s staying till December, but she’s bought a condo on the mainland that will be finished in November. The will left the house to me, with the clause that my mother could stay here as long as she wanted. I hoped it would be a few more years, but she doesn’t want to stay. It’s too big for her. We’re in New York and I can’t justify keeping this place as an occasional holiday place for us.”
“Think your boss will let you spend six months in New York and the other six months here?”
He stood and pretended to move to the door. “I could go ask him now if you want.”
Charity laughed and threw her crumpled bra at him. “Not like that.”
“Right.” He snapped his fingers and grabbed his phone. “I should at least have a schedule to show him it could work.”
She jumped out of the bed and raced to beat him to the door. “He’s my dad, I should probably ask him for you. He likes me more.”
Elijah wrapped his arms around her bare waist and pressed up against her. “You sure about that? I could’ve sworn he loved me more.”
She playfully elbowed him in the side. She could feel him grow hard against her as he nuzzled against her naked body. His breath hit the back of her neck in warm gusts. His touch sent quivers up her spine, waking every sensual cell in her body again. Cool air rushed against her skin as Elijah stepped back.
“Turn around,” he whispered, his voice thick with desire. “I really want you. Now.”
Charity turned around as Elijah’s hands gripped her hips and pulled her roughly to him. His lips crushed into hers, he walked her backward against the wall beside the door. She didn’t resist. The natural light and shadows from the windows and crashing of the waves against the beach outside seemed to possess something in the air that created a sexual stir again.
His tongue pressed deep into her mouth only to move a moment later to send a trail of hot kisses down her throat. He captured one of her breasts in his mouth and sucked hard.
Charity gasped from the pleasure. Her fingers linked together against his neck, pulling him closer to her.
Elijah roughly slid his hands along her rib cage and stopped on her hips. He easily grasped and lifted her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him as his mouth found her again. He held her tight as he entered her in one hard thrust.
She kissed him and moved her lips against his neck and ear, licking and sucking so it grew hot in the small cavity between her face and him. She tightened and squeezed her thighs, relaxed slightly and then did it again.
“Fuck! Just… don’t move,” he begged. One of his hands pressed against the wall while the other arm cupped around her buttocks.
A sly smile spread across Charity’s face. “You don’t want me to do this?” she whispered into his ear and twirled her tongue against his earlobe. She didn’t let him respond. “Or is it this?” She clenched her thighs firmly at the same time tightening the muscles that surrounded his erection.
Elijah groaned. His m
outh hung open and his eyes were shut tight. He slid slowly out of her before thrusting deep inside her again.
She repeated her movement as his became frantic. “Fuck! You… feel so good.” He pressed tight against her, crushing her and himself into the wall as his body spasmed and he spilled into her.
He slowly unwrapped her legs but moved his arm cupping her derrière so it slipped under her knees. He wrapped his other arm under her shoulders and carried her to the bed, kissing and nuzzling her face as he laid her down. Elijah gently pulled the sheets up and then hopped over her to spoon the length of her body.
He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arm around her.
Charity smiled against the soft pillow. “Twenty minutes,” she murmured, “and we go again?” Her body ached from tiredness and sex. It was a delicious feeling and one she would take every day of the year if it meant being beside Elijah. She thought about his wedding vow. “You’re somebody to me,” she mumbled, not sure if she’d said the words aloud or inside her head.
Elijah cuddled her tightly. “That’s all I ever want to be.”
Chapter 15
Morning came with another round of sex. Charity lay giggling in the bed after. “Do you think anyone can hear us downstairs?”
Elijah dropped back against his pillow. “I bloody hope not.” He cupped her breast in his warm hand. “Though we might need to soundproof this room with all your screaming.”
“I wasn’t screaming… was I?” She knew from his laughter that he had only been teasing her. She thought she heard voices in the hall and sat up. “Do you hear something?”
Elijah cocked his head to the side. “No. Just your racing heart.”
“That’s yours, silly. Mine never went above sixty bpm’s.”
“Liar.” He grinned and tucked his hands behind his head. “What do you want to do today? Besides me, of course.”
“Coral reef snorkeling? Kangaroo watching?” She stood, enjoying the warm breeze from the window against her bare skin. “Anything that is completely New Zealand-ish.”
His eyes hungrily followed her as she moved about the room. “S-Sure.”
She turned and faced him, completely naked, hands on her hips. “I left all my clothes in the other room. All I have in here is my wedding dress and lingerie in the bathroom.”
His brows shot up. “You brought lingerie? Go put it on now.”
A sharp knock on their bedroom door made Charity jump. She dove back under the covers.
“Who is it?” Elijah stood and grabbed a pair of shorts, slipping them on as he walked to the door.
“Simon.”
Elijah shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Not a good time, Simon.”
“I know. But I need to speak to you a moment.”
Something in the tone of his voice caught Charity’s attention. It caught Elijah’s too. He walked, but his pace picked up as he went to the door, opened it and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him.
Charity tried to hear what they were saying. Simon spoke in a low voice. She froze when she heard Elijah.
“Shit no! Just now?” His voice rose. “Is he downstairs?”
“On the way to the hospital.”
He? The only other male here was her father and Albert. Albert wouldn’t be here. He’d be with Mia at their place.
Her father!
Charity jumped out of the bed and rushed to Elijah’s dresser. She grabbed one of his tee shirts and threw it on. “What’s going on?” she demanded as she swung the door open.
The worried look on Simon and Elijah’s faces made her stomach drop. “What’s going on?” she repeated.
“Charity,” Simon began.
Elijah stopped him. “Go grab clothes from your room.” He pushed her in the direction, following her.
She tried to resist. Panic filled her lungs, making it hard to breathe. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Your father had to be rushed to the hospital. Julie’s with him.”
A gasp flew out of her mouth. “What?” She began running. She dressed in a skirt and tank top, throwing her hair in a ponytail as she came rushing out of the room. “What the hell happened?” she asked Simon who was still waiting by Elijah’s bedroom. Elijah must have gone back in to change.
“We’re pretty sure he had a heart attack.”
A what? “Impossible. He’s really fit.”
Simon’s face shifted from friend to doctor. “There could be other reasons that factor in. The stress from the court hearing, high cholesterol—”
She slapped at his hand as it reached to comfort her. “When did it happen?”
“This morning. We were in the kitchen. Julie was there with him. She shouted for me and Margaret called the ambulance. We were with him the whole time.”
Elijah came barging out of the room. “How was he? Responsive?”
They all moved quickly down the hall and stairs.
Simon ran his hand through his hair. “Julie said the two of them were sitting in the kitchen having coffee. He mentioned a tightness in his chest and was pale. When he began having trouble breathing he reached in his pocket for his aspirin and grabbed his chest before toppling over. He told Julie he was having a heart attack. That’s when Julie shouted for me. Scott managed to say he had a copy of his medical file in his room. I checked it. He must have run some tests before we left.” Simon looked at Charity. “Did he say anything to you?”
She shook her head, afraid to speak.
Elijah pushed open the front door and began running to the overhang outdoor garage. Simon and Charity followed. They hopped into a four door Mercedes and tore out of the driveway.
“You have his file here?” Elijah asked as he sped along the long drive and under the Rapt Bach sign.
“Julie took it with her when the paramedics arrived.”
“Why didn’t you get us sooner?” Charity asked. She knew the answer to the question but asked it anyways.
“I came as soon as I knew he was stable,” Simon replied quietly.
“Is he going to be alright?” Her eyes shot back and forth between the two men sitting in the front seat.
Elijah shot her a quick glance through the rearview mirror. “My guess is that he had an idea and the aspirin was probably nitroglycerin tablets. He probably figured he could take care of things when he got back from here.”
“He ignored it because of our wedding?” Charity covered her mouth with her hand.
“He’s going to be alright.” Elijah kept his eyes trained on the road.
“How bad was it?” She turned to Simon, determined to watch for any reaction in case he was trying to hide something.
Simon glanced at Elijah, which Charity didn’t miss. “He went down pretty fast. However he’s a fighter. That man doesn’t give up on anything. He knew what was happening and immediately told Julie to get his medical file and call nine-one-one. He wasn’t responsive when he left in the ambulance but that doesn’t mean…”
“He’s not dead.” Charity sat back against the rear seat and burst into tears. She didn’t want her dad to die. She had already lost her mom so it wouldn’t be fair if something happened to her dad. Something had happened. It was happening now and there was nothing she could do. “Drive faster, please,” she begged.
It seemed forever before the bright blue “H” symbol appeared on a sign ahead on the road. Elijah pulled in front of emergency and jumped out of the car. “Park it somewhere, Simon.” He and Charity rushed inside.
He went straight to the counter and pulled a doctor aside. A minute later the New Zealand doctor had all the information they needed and Elijah grabbed her hand to rush up to the next floor. Julie stood in the hallway by the elevator as they came barging through the stairway door.
“Hey! I was just coming down to try and find you guys.”
“How’s my dad?” Charity’s body trembled and she squeezed Elijah’s hand for support.
Julie hugged her tight. “He’s in surgery now.”
“I, uh, think I’ll wait here.” Charity wanted to follow him, but knew he would find out what he needed to because he was from here, and was a doctor. It wouldn’t surprise her if her husband found his way into the operating room and performed the procedure himself.
Julie led her to a small waiting room just to the right of the elevators. She made Charity a cup of black coffee. “Have you eaten?”
Charity took the coffee. “Is he going to be okay?”
Julie sat down beside her. “I think so. He flat lined in the ambulance but it was moments and he was right back. He knew what was happening. That’s important. He’s a doctor, surrounded by doctors. Everything that needed to be done, was done.”
Simon found them in the waiting room and a short while later, Margaret came in.
“Where is Elijah?” Charity asked as she paced back and forth inside the small waiting room.
Simon grinned. “Probably doing surgery on your father as we speak.”
Charity hoped so. At least then she knew her dad was in good hands. She tossed her empty coffee cup into the trash. “I cannot believe this.” She said it more to herself than to the others.
“He’s going to be okay,” Julie comforted her.
Charity shook her head. “This has been one hell of a year. When is this roller coaster ride going to stop? This stress is going to give me a heart attack. It’s ridiculous.”
Simon chuckled. “You could write a book and turn it into a trashy romance or soap opera.”
Julie punched him. “Not now, Simon.”
“What?” His eyebrows and hands went in the air.
He’s right, Charity thought. She sat down beside Julie covering her face with both her hands. Maybe this was just a bad nightmare and she’d wake up any minute now.