Solace in Scandal

by Kimberly Dean

  Although she hadn’t seen that side of him tonight … or at all since he’d returned to the manor …

  ‘I shouldn’t,’ she amended.

  ‘Most people would agree with that.’ His other hand settled possessively on her hip. ‘Then again, they’ve already got the Wolves and Bardots in bed with each other.’

  Warmth spread from his hand around to her stomach and down to her core. She leaned her head against the door. Her resolve was wavering.

  He nuzzled against her hair. ‘You need to connect with somebody as badly as I do, Elena. We’ve been drawn to each other from the first moment we saw one another. Yesterday proved why.’

  Oh, that wasn’t fair.

  Talking about their explosive coming together while touching her …

  The book hit the floor as she turned around. Her brain felt clogged. She knew she should be thinking a certain way, but she suddenly didn’t know which way that was. The wine. The sexual magnetism. Her moral compass was spinning.

  He was already leaning towards her. Seeing the look on her face, he moved in those last few inches. ‘There’s a reason why we were put here together.’

  Was there?

  Eyes locked on hers, he took off his overcoat. Tossing it aside, he reached for the belt of hers. ‘We could be each other’s salvation.’

  His lips settled over hers and the kiss was slow, full-on and sensual. He kissed with his entire body, his weight pressing her against the door. Arousal seeped through Elena and she clutched at him, her fingers sinking into his trim waist.

  At her touch, some of his rawness came through. Hungry. Impatient. Whip-sharp.

  It brought her up onto her toes, and he flattened her against the door with his knees and hips.

  ‘You are so unbelievably gorgeous,’ he grated against her lips. ‘I want you so badly, sometimes I can’t think straight.’

  A mew left her lips, and the irony wasn’t lost on her. Yesterday she’d opened a door and freed him and his sexual needs. Today he was trapping her against one, making her face her own.

  She speared her fingers through his hair. It was softer than it looked. Like a pelt, thick and luxurious.

  He nuzzled against her neck and smoothed his hands down her body. Her jacket came off in the process and she shivered violently.

  ‘Cold?’ he asked, nipping at her ear. Goosebumps ran down her neck and she quivered again. Clipping her hair back had been the ultimate temptation for him. He’d been obsessed with that barrette and her exposed skin all night.

  Feeling his lips move along her neck, she was becoming a bit fixated, too. ‘I don’t know what I am.’

  He hauled her up against him, curling one arm around her waist and lifting her. She clung to him, wrapping both arms around his neck. He made her feel tiny and feminine when he did that.

  ‘You just hold onto me, baby.’ Sealing his mouth over hers, he carried her through the kitchen on autopilot.

  Elena didn’t know where he was taking her until he put her on her feet. They were in the grand room in front of all the plate-glass windows. With night fully settled over the landscape, their reflections bounced off the glass like a mirror. As she watched, he reached around and caught the zipper at the back of her dress.

  There was a soft hiss and then the material was loose. He peeled it from her body, pushing it down until it pooled at her feet. She instinctively covered herself with her hands. Anyone out in those vast woods would be able to see. Yet seeing him standing over her, fully dressed and businesslike, while she stood in nothing but her underwear and high heels was so erotic she couldn’t stop staring.

  He traced the strap of her navy blue bra. ‘You like sexy lingerie.’

  She blushed.

  ‘I’ll make a note of it.’

  ‘You didn’t give back the bra I was wearing yesterday.’

  ‘I know.’ He cupped her breast. She caught at his sides, but arched in pleasure.

  He squeezed possessively, watching her face with laser-like focus. She bit her lip, but groaned aloud when his thumb rubbed hard over the centre of the cup.

  Determinedly, he pressed her down onto the sofa. The leather was cool, but the sumptuous cushions wrapped around her like a second lover. They pulled her in, warming to her flesh and cradling her in comfort. She settled back and watched him curiously, her eyelids feeling drugged.

  That wine had been potent.

  Or maybe it was just him.

  He was breathing hard as he stood over her. ‘Don’t move.’

  The sensual feeling intensified when the lights were doused. Instead of falling into pitch darkness, the room was lit by a golden glow that flickered and moved as if alive. Her heavy gaze fell on the hearth. Someone had started a fire.

  The flames licked upwards, eating oxygen and spitting it back in pops and hisses. The warm glow reached out to her, tickling her flesh. She looked up as Alex stepped in front of her. His tie was already off and his shirt was unbuttoned. With the fire backlighting him, he looked like sin itself as he shrugged off his shirt and threw it carelessly across the room.

  She reached for him as he halted in front of her.

  ‘We’re going to go slower this time,’ he said as he caught her by the wrists.

  He dropped onto his knees and pressed her hands firmly onto the sofa. He was looking into her eyes so deeply, she felt like he was staring into her soul. When he let go of her hands, she left them where they were, her fingers biting into the soft leather.

  He caught her knees then, drew them apart and inserted himself between them.

  Elena’s heart began to pound like a big bass drum.

  It rumbled in her ears when he caught her hips and drew her forward. He didn’t stop until the hardness of his hipbones pressed into her inner thighs and the stiffness of his erection rubbed against the crotch of her panties. Lodged so tightly, only thin layers of material separated them.

  He watched her face intently. ‘I’m sorry if I scared you yesterday.’

  Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t fear she was feeling now.

  Compelled, she reached for him again. His physique was so lean and ripped, so hard and chiselled. He came to her, leaning over her, and her fingertips dug into the muscles of his back. With the fire illuminating him, he looked like a golden Michelangelo.

  He hovered over her, one hand still firmly wrapped around her knee, the other stroking her hair. He ran his thumb over her barrette and traced the lobe of her ear. ‘Did I hurt you?’

  The knot of air in her throat wouldn’t move so she answered with a shake of her head.

  ‘I was mindless,’ he confessed.

  He brushed his lips over hers. ‘I’m going to make you need me the same way.’

  That knocked the breath out of her in raspy jolts. She sucked it all back in when he ran his hands down her front, palms flat and fingers spread wide. He raked over her breasts, along her stomach and over her hips until he caught the straps of her thong.

  The stretchy material was no match for him.

  She bit her lip, but lifted her hips when he raised an eyebrow at her. The nylon pulled wide as he coaxed it over her spread legs, the material biting into her skin. He refused to budge from his place, though, and she had to lift her heels high off the floor to rid herself of the nipping garment.

  She groaned aloud when the movement rubbed her core over the bulge at the front of his pants.

  The sensation was so erotic and naughty. She was bare while he wasn’t.

  Shyness had her trying to close her knees to hide herself, but the move only caught him tighter. He’d planted himself in the best and worst spot possible.

  She groaned.

  ‘Need me yet?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she hissed.

  ‘Not enough.’

  The front closure of her bra gave way with a pop and he tossed the cups aside, exposing her. Elena gasped when his mouth came down on her. After all the drama with her panties, she’d expected him to tease and coax her.<
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  He did neither.

  Instead, he gave her all she could handle.

  She clutched the back of his neck as his mouth tugged at her nipple. ‘Alex!’

  ‘Mmm,’ he hummed, giving her a soothing lick. ‘That’s better. You refused to say my name for too long.’

  He caught the tender nub with his teeth. ‘I want to hear you scream it.’

  She let out a whimper.

  Her tummy trembled as his attention drifted lower. His mouth was hot, but his tongue was like one of the flames in the fireplace. It dipped into her belly button and she twisted. Those flames only licked lower and lower still.

  She writhed against the smooth white leather as the fire crackled hot and bright. She was rocking from side to side as he kissed his way from one hipbone to the other, but went shock still when he slid his hand between their bodies and cupped her.

  ‘Oh!’ Squeezing her eyes tight, she clutched at his forearm.

  He ground the ball of his hand in a tight circle. ‘So sweet.’

  He spread her legs wider and she flushed from head to toe when he removed his hand to look at her. His concentration was so intense, the flames in the fireplace might as well have jumped onto her.

  ‘Easy,’ he murmured. His fingertips were gentle as he petted her, spreading her folds. ‘You waxed.’

  She had. She didn’t know why. She hadn’t planned for this to happen ever again with him.

  Or had she?

  ‘I shouldn’t …’ she panted. ‘It’s too …’

  ‘It’s just right,’ he said as he leaned in for an intimate kiss.

  Her body stiffened when his tongue dragged over her core in a long lick. Nerve endings fired and muscles contracted. He settled in deeper and she let out a cry when he prodded the sensitive bundle of nerves at her apex.

  Shyness and self-consciousness left her as pleasure consumed her. More than pleasure – need. With his hands, his mouth, and that raspy beard, he went down on her. Fully and enthusiastically. Her body undulated on the sofa. With the fire and her rising body temperature, the leather had warmed. Beads of sweat rose on her skin as he pushed her body harder and higher.

  ‘Ah!’ she cried when she felt penetration.

  He pushed a finger deep as he sucked on her, his tugging tight and insistent. Propped up on the cushions as she was, she could see everything he was doing. She cupped his head, threading her fingers through his hair as he buried his face against her. The sight was carnal enough, until she caught their reflection in the windows. The golden glow from the fireplace lit them, caressing them both as it moved and shifted. There was no doubt as to what he was doing to her, and the darkness of the world outside pressed against the windows, looking on. The wind howled and trees clacked as it was held at bay.

  ‘More,’ he growled.

  He was voracious as he demanded her pleasure. He was firmly in control, but this was a different kind of control. His emotions were on the surface. He could no more push them away than she could.

  Elena let out a soft cry when he pulled his fingers out of her, but then he was sliding both hands under her bottom and tilting her hips upwards. The position couldn’t have been more submissive. She was splayed out for anything he wanted to do, anything he wanted to see.

  His head dipped again, and he replaced his fingers with his tongue. The thickness was startling, and she flew into a fast orgasm that rocked her entire body. Ecstasy clashed with need and she pushed her hips at him, wanting more, begging for more.

  He continued going at her until she sagged back onto the slippery white leather. With gentle hands he lowered her hips. His grey eyes were stormy as he stroked her body. He cupped her breasts and pushed himself up onto his haunches. She felt weighted down as he crawled up over her, his gaze never wavering from hers.

  ‘Need me now?’ he asked, his voice like sandpaper.

  Oh, dear God.

  ‘Yes,’ she panted, her breaths ragged and uneven.

  ‘Good,’ he said in that same rough voice. ‘Because I need you.’

  He lifted her legs until her calves were braced against his shoulders. It was only then that Elena saw that she was still wearing her black high heels. The picture made her belly contract. He was right. They were much better for this than for walking down that hill. The sight was even sexier when he left her legs where they were and undid his pants.

  Their gazes connected as the rasp drew out across the room.

  When he leaned over her again, she felt the stretch in the backs of her thighs and the pressure at her entrance. His erection was stiff and thick. Heavy, but he’d made her slick and hot.

  He pushed harder and her entrance surrendered. She let out a choked gasp when he moved up inside her. She was small compared to him, and the position made him seem huge.

  ‘Relax,’ he crooned. ‘Your body is ready.’

  She had to stretch to take him. His hands tightened around her shins as he held her legs where they were, pressed against his chest. In instinct or in panic she pushed back, but his shoulders just dug deeper into her calves.

  And her hips tilted up, greedy for more.

  ‘Ohhh,’ she moaned.

  He gave her what she wanted, burrowing into her steadily until she’d taken all of him. Her nipples peaked and tendrils of lighting shot out from her sensitive nub when he ground against her.

  ‘So good,’ he breathed.

  She caught at him, at the cushions behind her head, anything she could latch onto.

  But then he started moving, and she had no sense of time or place. All she knew was him and the perfect way their bodies came together. He pumped into her, slowly at first and then with more insistence. Harder. Faster. His hips swung in a wide arc, pulling back to almost leave her before plunging in deep yet again.

  Her toes pointed straight up in the air, her heels close to his ears.

  It was overwhelming. Primal. Undeniable.

  And then she was coming again, over and over. One big wave came at her after another. She cried out in completion and he thrust hard, driving home. His head snapped back and a masculine groan filled the air. His fingers bit into her hips, and then one last wave took her under.

  When her senses righted, Elena opened her eyes. Alex was braced over her, his weight on his arms as he tried to catch his breath. His muscled chest was working and his eyes were bright and clear. Firelight flickered over them, making shadows dance on the wall.

  She pulled her legs down, and they both grunted as their connection shifted. His erection had softened, but he was still buried inside her.

  A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead and splattered against her chest. He wiped it up with his fingertips, but then cupped her breast possessively.

  ‘No running away this time,’ he said, his voice quiet but fierce. He moved in for one last kiss. ‘Stay with me.’

  Chapter Seven

  Alex was disconcerted when he awoke. For once, his body wasn’t tense and his senses weren’t on alert. All was still around him. The bed was warm and comfortable. The mattress accommodated his height and the covers didn’t scratch. Most confusing, though, it wasn’t the dead of night. Early tendrils of light, really just the hint of them, were brightening the east-facing window.

  It hit him then. He was out. He was free, and he’d slept the whole night through.

  Again.

  Rolling onto his back, he stretched. His head was foggy and his body was logy. He wasn’t used to getting so much sleep, even though he craved it. He’d developed such a light trigger that the drip of a faucet or the creak of a floorboard could set him off.

  Learned behaviour could become as sharp as instinct.

  And instinct told him he was alone.

  He reached for the other side of the bed, but he knew without opening his eyes that Elena wasn’t there. Her heat wasn’t warming the sheets. Her slight weight wasn’t rolling towards him, and he didn’t hear her soft breaths.

  The fact that she was gone didn’t surprise him. />
  He rubbed his hand over his chest.

  With a sigh, he dropped his arm over his head against the pillow. He just couldn’t seem to help himself around her. The little waif had gotten under his skin, which wasn’t a good thing. He knew the danger of allowing her close. He still didn’t know her intentions, although everything Leonard had told him about her had proven true. She was an economics student at NYU, and apparently a good one. She’d ranked near the top of her undergraduate class and had achieved her master’s degree with honours. She was working on her doctorate, but he couldn’t get past one thing.

  She was a Bardot.

  At once, his brain cleared. His dulled senses tingled in warning, and he sat straight up in bed.

  His office. Shit.

  His hand fisted in the sheet. It was in the adjoining room and full of sensitive information, business as well as private. There were things in there she could not see.

  Had she gone through his papers? Would he have heard her? He’d been out cold.

  A breeze sent a chill down his back. He’d sworn to himself he wouldn’t trust anyone ever again. Not partners, not family, and certainly not a seductive femme fatale.

  He shoved back the covers and began stamping towards the other room but pain shot through him unexpectedly. Sucking in a breath, he reached for the bedpost. The bruises on the bottom of his feet looked like storm clouds.

  He muttered a curse under his breath.

  She made him forget himself whenever she was around. His goals, his promises to himself, his self-defence mechanisms … The ache in his groin was all that mattered.

  ‘Damn hormones.’

  He hadn’t even considered taking her someplace else. He’d wanted her in his bed. He hadn’t given a thought to the risk he might be taking.

  His fingers wrapped around the doorjamb as he swung into the next room. His gaze scoured the office, moving fast and then going back for a second, slower pass. On the surface, everything appeared as he’d left it. The chair hadn’t been moved, the drawers were shut tight and there was no way she could have gotten into his computer. Still, prickles bit the back of his neck.

  His gaze landed heavily upon the red notebook that sat open next to his laptop, and his vision turned nearly the same colour. He slapped the doorjamb viciously, then stalked over to his desk, the pain in his feet fitting his mood. He stared down at the narrow-ruled notebook. It was still open to the page where he’d blacked out most of his notes because he’d been going down a rabbit hole. There wasn’t anything to see.