“No. I’ve got it.” As nervous as she was, she was excited, too. She proceeded to stand, offering herself to the man she married.
* * *
Rand gazed up at Allison, puzzling over her complexity. She seemed timid, yet anxious to be dominated. Or maybe in her own shyly sexual way, she was dominating him. This was her seduction, after all, her idea to bathe together.
“This is a first for me,” she said.
He moved closer. “A first what?”
“You know.” She gestured to him, down on his knees in front of her.
Holy hot-blooded hell. His pulse nearly jumped out of his skin. “No other man has ever...?”
“I’ve never been comfortable letting anyone touch me that way. And now here I am standing completely naked in a brightly lit bathroom, in an old-fashioned tub, with my husband...”
He liked that she narrated the scene, even if he was smack-dab in the middle of it. The verbal picture she painted was wildly arousing. So was the sudsy water snaking down her stomach and heading for the V between her thighs.
He wiped it away in one fell swoop. Then, eager to take what he wanted, he spread her with his fingers and tasted her with his tongue. She shivered on contact, and he repeated the sweet, slick process.
He glanced up to see if her eyes were closed. But they were wide-open. Little Miss Innocent was watching.
He licked and swirled, and she reached for his shoulders, using him as an anchor. He planted his hands on her butt, one on each cheek, prompting her to widen her stance.
She moaned, and he went no-holds-barred. He enjoyed turning on his lovers. But being the first to give Allison this kind of pleasure was exhilarating. She pitched forward, tugging her hands through his hair.
Everything she did, every reaction, encouraged him to take her to the next level, to ramp up the heat, pushing her further and further. He created sensations that he could see in her eyes. She was still watching him.
Rand pulled her closer, treating her to more of the same, and she came in a series of sticky-wet convulsions, pulsating against his mouth.
Upon her completion, she swayed on her feet. Sinking back into the tub, she smiled dizzily at him. Neither of them spoke. There wasn’t anything to say. Allison looked as if she might melt and swirl, right along with the leftover foam in the water.
Rand wasn’t done with her yet, but with her as loopy as she was, he gave her time to recover.
He continued their bath. He even released her ponytail and washed her hair, using a handheld shower attachment.
She sighed. “Everything you’ve been doing to me feels so good.”
He nuzzled her nape. Presently, she was nestled between his thighs, her back to his front. “If I’d known how seductive losing a football match could be, I would have hurried up and lost it sooner.”
She sighed again. “I haven’t even done anything to you yet.”
“You let me be the first guy to put his mouth on you. That’s a major deal.” It made him feel more important than any of her other lovers.
She leaned against him. “Do you want to finish this now?”
“Here, in the tub? I’d rather take you to bed.” As tempting as her invitation was, he would prefer to roll around in the sheets, where there was more room to play.
“That sounds good to me, too.”
“Then let’s go.”
They exited the bath, and once they were warm and dry, Rand carried his wife straight to her canopy-draped bed.
* * *
The crush Allison had on Rand before was nothing compared to how she felt now. This was turning out to be the most compelling day of her life.
While she waited to be ravished by him, he went to his suite to get protection.
He returned with a box of condoms, removed one and put the rest of them in the nightstand drawer. “These are for future use. I still have extras in my room, too.”
“You’re such a responsible playboy.” The Band-Aid on his forehead made him seem boyish. But his big, strong body was all muscle. “You deserve a merit badge.”
He settled into bed with her. “You can give me one.”
She reached between his legs. “Maybe this should be your reward instead.” As she stroked him, the intensity of touching him rippled through her: the hardness, the silkiness, the power that radiated from him.
He smiled, and she glanced down. He was leaking at the tip. She circled him with her thumb, and he kissed her.
With lust shimmering between them, they closed their eyes and kissed some more, steeped in romantic rapture.
He lifted his mouth from hers, and she opened her eyes. His were open, too, and focused on her.
He roamed his hands along both sides of her body, following her shape, her curves. “Now I have to decide how to take you.”
A hungry shiver slid down her spine. She assumed he was talking about sexual positions. “You can do it however you want.” She just wanted him inside her, thrusting hard and deep. After what he’d done to her in the tub, she was more than ready for him.
He grabbed her, full-force, and they tumbled over the bed, messing up the covers. “I want it every way imaginable. I think I’m getting consumed with you. But no one has been forbidden to me before.”
“I’m not forbidden to you anymore.” She arched her hips, savoring the feeling. By now, he was braced above her, his chest upright, his pelvis pinned to hers.
“I know, but it still seems as if you are.” He took the condom from the nightstand and tore into the wrapper. “There’s just something about us being together...”
She bit down on her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s the no-sex clause we’re breaking.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it. This taboo thing we’ve got going on, with you seeming so innocent to me.” He sheathed himself. “I’ve been trying all of this time not to corrupt you, and now here you are, being bad with me.”
Allison keened out a moan. There was no time to formulate a reply. Not with how quickly he slid between her thighs and pushed inside.
He set a potent rhythm, and soon they were rocking back and forth, moving together, hot and slick and desperate. He caught his breath, and she wondered if his heart was machine gunning his chest. Hers thumped like mad.
He whispered something distinctively dirty in her ear, using his favorite word. She repeated it to him, and a sound akin to a growl rumbled from his throat. His feral behavior thrilled her, but she was being animalistic, too. She dug her nails into his back, probably leaving half-moon marks on his skin.
From his growl of approval, he obviously liked it. So she clawed him with even more force, making the sex rougher.
A few breathless beats later, he rolled over, putting her on top. She straddled his lap, impaling herself and taking him all the way inside. He circled her waist, lifting her up and down. She leaned forward to kiss him, to devour his deliciously sinful mouth.
Nothing was ever going to be the same, Allison thought. Not after having Rand Gibson as her lover. She wanted to eat him alive.
Within no time, he maneuvered their positions again, reclaiming his place on top. Admiring his godlike presence, she thought about that very first day at the statue of Diana and how far they’d progressed since then.
He used his fingers to enhance her pleasure, driving her toward a release. Thrashing beneath him, her vision blurred and her brain went fuzzy.
She came in a flurry, making orgasmic sounds, lost in the forbidden sensation. She’d never been noisy in bed, but Rand made everything feel so wild and new.
While she morphed into a pool of mush, he spiraled toward his own core-shocking release. When it happened, he tossed back his head, the cords in his neck straining.
In the aftermath, or the afterglow or whatever it was supposed to be, his arms buckled, his body assailing hers with a masculine jounce
.
She buried her face in his neck. “I think I just got tackled.”
He laughed, his breathing labored. “Am I crushing you?”
“No.” She enjoyed holding him this way, his nakedness warm against hers. She skimmed a hand down his spine, following each and every vertebra. “You can stay a while.”
He didn’t stay as long as she would’ve liked. He made his way to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He returned and got back into bed with her. But he didn’t lie down. He propped a pillow and sat up. Alison followed his lead and braced herself with a pillow, too.
He said, “If we smoked, this is where we would break out a pack of cigarettes and light up.”
“Have you ever smoked?” There was still so much they didn’t know about each other, so much left to learn.
“I tried it when I was a kid, but I didn’t like it, so I never did it again. I assume you never have.” He reached over to smooth her hair. “You don’t seem like the type.”
“Your assumption is correct.” She appreciated the way he touched her, the gentle dusting of his fingers in her hair. He’d already done a splendid job of shampooing it.
He lowered his hand. “You’re not going to go all wifely now that we did this, are you?”
She furrowed her brow. “Are you asking if sex is going to make me feel more attached to you?”
He nodded. “This could never turn real, Allison. No matter how good it is between us, I don’t have it in me to be anything more than a fake husband.”
Something inside her went tight. Her chest? Her lungs? Her pride? All of the above? Shielding herself from the discomfort it caused, she said, “I can handle having an affair with you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I guess I just got a sudden fear of how starry-eyed you are.”
“I might be a hopeless romantic, but the last thing I want is to fall in love with the wrong man.” She wouldn’t—couldn’t—lose her heart to Rand. “Being around you is helping me learn to trust again. But I’m not going to turn it into something more than friendship. Or desire,” she added, letting him know how important the sex was. “It’s just my cure for lusting after you.”
He smiled and invaded her space, lifting her off her pillow and into his arms. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to get enough of you.”
“We’re just going to have to learn to pace ourselves.” She trailed a finger down the center of his chest, heading toward his abs and making his stomach muscles jump. “Maybe after this, we should wait a day or so to do it again.”
“Are you suggesting that we deprive ourselves of what we want most?”
“Why not?” She liked the idea of rebuilding the tension, of putting each other under a torturous spell. “It’ll make the next time even more exciting.”
“Maybe so, but I’m not even done this time.”
She pondered over him, this man who inspired her to play flirtatious games. “I’m not sure if that makes you incorrigible or insatiable.”
“I’m both, especially now that I’m with you. But sex has always been my outlet.”
“I think it’s becoming mine now, too.” She trailed lower. He was getting hard again. “And it’s all because of you.”
He watched her, his gaze following the movement of her hand. “So I really am corrupting you.”
She gave him credit where it was due. “It feels amazing to be this free, this wild, and especially with you.” Plus it was a whole lot safer than getting attached to him, she thought.
“Then I’m glad I could be of service.” With a tongue-tangling kiss, he stole her breath.
A moment later, he went after another condom and nudged her legs apart, getting both of them ready for another hot, steamy, wickedly depraved round.
Eight
On the day of the fund-raiser, Allison went to Pure, the spa at The Bellamy, the same fabulous five-star resort where Allison and Rand had spent their wedding night. Megan arranged the entire thing, making sure Allison got everything the luxurious salon had to offer.
Nevertheless, Allison still fretted. Her package included a full makeover, but would it be enough to make her as glamorous as the other women attending the fund-raiser? Would it make the internet trolls sit up and take notice? Of course it wasn’t just about them. She wanted to impress Rand, too.
Along with Allison, Megan was getting pampered, as well. And so was Selena Jacobs. Selena was a feisty little thing, graced with sultry features and glossy black hair. She was also Will Sanders’s ex-wife—the real Will, not Rich Lowell.
From what Allison gathered, Selena and Will had been too young and incompatible to make their marriage work and had gotten divorced years ago. These days, she was engaged to rancher and business tycoon Knox McCoy. Although Selena and Knox had known each other since college, their friendship had just recently blossomed into love. They were even expecting a child. But the early stages of pregnancy hadn’t slowed Selena down. She remained focused on her career as the creator and CEO of Clarity, a locally sourced, cruelty-free line of skin care products and cosmetics. She’d secured an exclusive deal with Pure, and today her products were being used to transform Allison.
Or so Allison hoped. For now, she was getting her hair done. She’d already had a facial, and she had to admit, the deep cleansing mask they’d applied had left her skin feeling smooth and dewy.
Rand didn’t know she was at the salon. She hadn’t told him that she was getting a new hairdo and having her makeup completely redone. Allison barely wore cosmetics so aside from her wholesome look at their wedding, with just traces of mascara, lip gloss and blush, Rand had never seen her glammed up.
As far as he knew, she was having lunch with Megan and Selena. But Rand was busy this afternoon, too. He was joining forces with Will to discuss the impostor case. Later, he and Allison would meet up at home and leave for the fund-raiser together.
With Megan’s help, Allison had already shopped for a gown. She’d chosen a long, flowing, gold-sequined number. She hadn’t shown it to Rand. She wanted to surprise him with her makeover, including the dress. This was an important night for both of them. It marked their first public appearance as husband and wife, with lots of photo opportunities. Then there was the friendly conversation they hoped to have with Ted and Sharon Marks, an exchange that could ultimately help Rand land the Brisbane deal and save his career.
Talk about pressure. Allison could barely breathe.
Struggling to relax, she gazed at herself in the mirror. A male stylist stood nearby, mixing a concoction for her hair. Megan and Selena were on either side of her, also getting their hair clipped and swooped and swirled. But they were used to preparing for glamorous parties.
Allison glanced over at Megan. She actually seemed a bit out of sorts today, quieter than usual, as if she had a lot on her mind, too.
As for Allison, she was just trying to fit into Rand’s high society world without feeling like a fish out of water. She was also trying to get a grip on her relationship with him. By no means did she regret the marathon sex they’d had. If anything, she craved him more and more. More than she should. More than was natural.
It had been her idea to wait to do it again, and he’d honored her wishes. So yesterday, they hadn’t touched each other at all. They hadn’t even slept in the same bed. And now she wanted Rand in the worst way.
In the future, there would be no more waiting, no more hungry days or tortuous nights. The next time they made love, they would keep doing it, at least until the divorce. Regardless of how intimate they’d become, their marriage was still going to end. There was no reason to stay together. Allison would be a fool to fall in love with an untamable man.
She might be a hopeless romantic, but she wasn’t going to put herself through the wringer.
When Allison fell in love, it would be wi
th someone who wanted her to be attached to him, who wanted to be married forever. The type of guy who valued commitment, needing it as much as she did. Rand had helped her trust again, but he’d warned her time and again that he wasn’t meant to be her dream man. All Rand could give her was the affair they’d embarked on.
With lots of glorious hot sex.
* * *
Rand met Will on the outskirts of town, with their vehicles parked on the side of an unpaved road. They considered getting together at the Texas Cattleman’s Club in one of the private conference rooms, but they changed their minds. On this fund-raiser day, the club was besieged with activity, with caterers and florists and organizers preparing for the event, and Will couldn’t take the chance of being seen by anyone who wasn’t involved in the case or didn’t know he wasn’t dead. Since Will was lying low, he never came into the office anymore, either. So, now, whenever the two men consulted about business, it was done behind the scenes. But today they would be talking about the impostor.
Will claimed that he had lots of news to share, and Rand was eager to hear it. They stood outside of their cars, a dry summer breeze stirring the air.
Between the isolated setting and Will’s dark glasses and low-brimmed hat, Rand felt as if he was in the throes of a movie with a mysterious plot. Only all of this was real.
Rand studied his friend in the harsh glare of the sun. Will had always been Royal’s wonder boy, the envy of many a man and the fantasy of scores of women. Along with his family’s connection to Spark Energy Solutions, he was rich and handsome and lived in the main house at the Ace in the Hole, one of the biggest and most impressive ranches in Royal. Success oozed from his blood. At thirty, he was younger than Rand by about seven years.
Today Will looked more like a ranch hand than a wealthy guy. Not only was he dressed like a cowboy, he was driving one of his ranch’s work trucks. Rand was driving the luxury sedan he’d offered to Allison for the duration of their marriage. But she was still taking Uber around town.
Will said, “The DNA results from the ashes still aren’t in yet. But I’ll let you know as soon as they are.”
A Convenient Texas Wedding Page 10