by Lee, Nadia
And she didn’t care. Her brain had ceased to work a long time ago, and there was only her body and its insatiable need for the sensation only Alex could give her.
The sound of flesh slapping against flesh. Harsh breathing. Her own voice in another piercing scream.
He gave a guttural groan and one final thrust. He leaned heavily against her, and she welcomed the solid reality of his body on hers. As the tides of sensation receded and she slowly came back to her senses, she was surprised and a little frightened to realize that Alex had reached something inside of her that was far beyond the physical.
* * *
She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. When he got his breath back, he gave her a kiss and went to the bathroom. Sated and sleepy, she followed him to the master bedroom and leaned against the door frame. She’d thought the cabin was a hunting lodge and expected a decapitated stag head mounted over the bed or something. But instead there was a modern painting. Oak walls gave the room a light touch, with a large window that faced the woods. The sunlight filtered through the pale emerald drapery and dyed the ivory sheets on the bed green.
Natalie heard the toilet flush, and Alex reappeared with a small towel. He cleaned her gently, and she sighed. Even the soft fabric was too much for the sensitive junction between her legs.
“Let me take you to bed,” he murmured.
Alex picked her up, carried her to the bed, and laid her on the cool sheets. She curled into a fetal position. He spooned her, and she relaxed into his body heat. After their passionate lovemaking, his presence next to her felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They lay there for a few moments, his hands skimming her curves. Then he murmured, “You mentioned something about doing it from the side…?”
There was a slight but slowly increasing pressure along the back of her thigh. Her eyes widened.
“You don’t need to…rest?”
She didn’t need to turn around to know there was a smile on his face. “Apparently not.”
Chapter Ten
It was the damnedest thing, Alex thought as he wrapped her silky hair around his fingers.
What had happened in the Halls’ backyard had stayed with Alex through the rest of the day and far into the night. When nothing, not even an arctic shower, had worked, he’d thought he could sate the need if he slept with her.
What a huge miscalculation.
What they’d just done was more than sex. He’d never been so attuned to another person. And when she’d demanded that he take her…he’d been filled by a savage exhilaration he thought would kill him.
Look at what she was doing to him without even touching him. His teenage years were well in the past, but she made him feel like he was back in high school, hormones running rampant. He wanted to mark her as his. Make her forget Charlie Rodale, that moron Marcus O’Dell, and every other man on the planet.
The ferocity of his possessiveness startled him. He didn’t get involved this deeply this quickly. The primary reason for approaching Natalie in the first place had been to strike at the Rodales. But now he found himself stricken.
Bitterness filled his mouth. Hadn’t he learned from what happened to his father?
Emily Rodale, young, beautiful, and ambitious, had slept with James Damon only for the business secrets that had enabled Charles Rodale Sr. to destroy the Damons’ company. When the family lost its fortune, Alex’s mother hadn’t been able to deal with the situation. She had loved James only for the financial security he had provided for her. Being poor hadn’t been something she could understand. Growing up rich tended to do that to people.
And look how everything had turned out for James himself. Destitute and alone. Alex’s mother had been able to find someone else. She’d been a beautiful woman, after all, with zero maternal instinct; Alex had woken up one day to find her gone.
She’d never come back. Had never written or called or sent him Christmas cards or birthday presents.
He still remembered the humiliation and the terrible, racking pain. The feelings of helplessness and inadequacy.
Emily would feel them tenfold. A hundredfold.
Natalie rolled over and looked at Alex with wide eyes, dark and clear, and he was immediately jerked back to the present. “What are you thinking?” she said.
“Nothing.” Then he smiled. “Well…maybe something.”
He reached for a condom. The second he was protected, he grabbed her and parted her thighs. He entered smoothly, finding her ready and hilting himself in one exquisitely long plunge.
She adjusted to his invasion. He kissed her, and it was as if he hadn’t had two killer orgasms in the past hour.
It took longer this time. She cried out at the end, back arched and face contorted, and he gave in to the wave of desire consuming them and let himself go, falling forever.
* * *
Natalie opened her eyes. The dim light in the room told her some time had passed. Her hands crept to the other side of the bed and touched the cool pillow. Just that small movement made her wince. Her entire body felt sore and abused…but it was a good soreness. Grabbing a fistful of the sheet, she raised herself up and blinked.
The bed looked as if it had gone through World War III.
“You’re up.”
She turned her head. He walked through the door, only a pair of loose black shorts covering his naked body, and kissed her mouth. The mattress dipped as he rested his weight on the edge.
She closed her eyes, savoring the brief, tender touch. When he lifted his head, she said, “What time is it?”
“Quarter after four.” He wrapped her hair around his finger. “Hungry?” he said, his eyes on hers.
Her stomach growled before she could respond. She put a hand over it guiltily, and he laughed.
“I guess that answers that.” He kissed her again. “Come to the kitchen. I’ll whip something up.”
She watched him disappear. Dragging the sheet, she looked for her clothes until she remembered that the last time she had them on, she and Alex were…in the kitchen. The memory of what had happened there sent a tremor through her body. Apparently, the pyrotechnic quality of their lovemaking had done nothing to blunt the sharp edge of her desire.
The scent of food called out to her, and she made her way to the kitchen, the sheet draped across her naked body in a makeshift toga. She picked her clothes up from the floor and put them on her lap as she sat down on one of the stools by the island. Alex’s mouth quirked into a smile as he placed a plate piled with ham and cheese sandwiches on the smooth top in front of her.
“I can’t eat two of those,” Natalie said. Then she eyed his plate. Four?
“Sure you can. Gotta keep your strength up.”
She bit into her sandwich. Salty ham and sharp cheese melted on toasted rye bread created a nice harmony of flavors. She sipped her Diet Coke, looking at Alex through her eyelashes. He seemed casual and relaxed as he munched on his food. The man could eat. He must’ve found Louise’s bird-sized, high-society portions from the night before sorely lacking.
After he finished his meal, he came around the island and gently massaged her shoulders and neck. His touch loosened her muscles and made her sigh. And just like that, she turned into a puddle of needy flesh. This time, they made it to the bedroom.
Now they were able to go more slowly. A gentle touch here. There. Her fingers skimming his muscles. A brush of silky sheet on bare skin. The feel of his hair against her cheek, her stomach, her thighs.
The intoxicating scent of desire and heat.
His eyes, lit with passion, watched her, his caresses shaped by her subtlest responses.
This was everything Natalie thought a physical union between a man and woman should be and more. It went beyond physical pleasure to emotional bonding.
It frightened her.
She rolled him over until she was on top. Then she pulled his arms up until his hands grazed the wooden spokes that formed the headboard.
“Hold these,” she said.
He obeyed with a bemused look on his face.
She used his belt and a scarf that she’d brought along to tie his wrists to the spokes. She’d seen how strong he was, but they looked sturdy enough to hold him. Not that he seemed to be in any hurry to get away.
“You were in control last time. Now it’s my turn,” she whispered and kissed his lips.
He kissed her back, but when she finally broke off, he glanced up at the restraints.
“Not used to this?” she murmured.
“I prefer being on top.”
“Mmmm. Maybe later…if you’re very good.”
First with her hands, then with her mouth, she explored every inch of his body and felt satisfaction at every muscular tremor, every hiss of his breath. After a time, she didn’t know where her pleasure ended and his began.
She covered him with a condom and sat on him. His thick length filled and stretched her. She gulped for air and began to move, then ground her hips against his pelvic bones. This was her show: she set the pace, and he had to follow. Just the thought was intoxicating—the billionaire at her mercy.
Desire grew and threatened to split her. She moved faster over him, pulled herself completely off, reinserted him instants later, pulled off him again. His breathing grew rough and gasping, tremors shaking his body at every clasp and release, and he began tugging at the restraints. She savored every moment of it.
“Stop.”
Natalie didn’t even bother to dignify that with an answer. He was going to come when she wanted him to.
One more stroke pushed both of them over the edge. He let out a guttural shout, and she bit her lower lip hard to contain her scream while her entire body spasmed as a powerful climax hit her.
She collapsed on him, post-orgasmic euphoria turning her body into mush.
“God damn it!”
The words rang like a gun shot. Natalie raised her head, frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“Untie me!”
“Okay, okay.” She fumbled with the restraints, finally getting the scarf to unknot. “What’s wrong?” she asked again.
“The rubber broke.”
* * *
Alex left her on the bed and went to the connecting bathroom, threw away the useless ring of latex that was still on him, and cleaned himself off with a towel.
“Maybe the timing’s off,” he said, pacing back into the bedroom. He was hoping she wouldn’t panic. She was just staring at him, her eyes blank and wide.
He wanted to punch something. Who the hell had a condom break like that in the middle of an orgasm? Didn’t companies do quality assurance anymore?
He raked his hair and cursed. Despite all his careful planning for contingencies, a broken condom had never entered his mind.
“You don’t happen to be on the pill, do you?” he said.
She shook her head. “I don’t do well on it.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath. “You know…uh…the timing could be totally off. And there’s no reason to think it’s going to lead to…unintended consequences.”
“Probably not.” That polished mask he’d seen on Louise’s face descended over Natalie’s. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. “You’re probably right. It’s just not the right time.”
It’d better not be. Fathering a child wasn’t part of the plan. Not any plan he’d made.
Still… He had to make sure she wasn’t going to do something rash. He had a feeling she cared a lot about her reputation. Maybe more than she should. The last thing she would want was a pregnancy when her father was trying for reelection in traditionally conservative Virginia. So if she were pregnant, she would run and hide. It wasn’t difficult for someone like her—moneyed, highly educated, and well-connected.
“Yes… Not the right time. But if there are any…problems, we’ll get through them together,” he said, making his promise as vague as possible but with just enough to let her know that he would be her ally. To make any concrete commitment would be foolish. Unlike the Rodales, he kept his word and didn’t give it lightly. But that empty look on her face was driving him crazy. He wanted her to know everything was going to be okay…that he wasn’t a complete bastard.
She blinked once, then shook her head as if to clear it of clutter. “Um… I think you should take me home. There’s no point in discussing this until we know for sure.” She started getting dressed.
Something about her voice—despite its smoothness—warned him to stay away, but his instinct told him to stay with her. The wall around her now was stronger and higher than the one he’d had to breach to get to her, and it made his guts twist. Suddenly, it wasn’t just his revenge at stake. This was more.
“Please,” she added.
Somehow that one word made all the arguments he was marshalling disappear. He stood indecisively for a moment, then put on his clothes and went outside. She followed him silently, her bag in her hand, and they started back.
“Natalie, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. He found he couldn’t read her expression. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. What was wrong with him? He knew how to deal with women. He shouldn’t be fumbling for words.
He’d overcome her defenses before, and there was no reason he shouldn’t be able to do it again. He was nothing if not persistent.
She unbuckled when they reached her condo. He jotted down a number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.
“This is my personal cell phone. Only about five people have the number. Use it anytime you want,” he said.
She nodded and folded the note in half.
“Natalie…”
“Thank you for a lovely day,” she said, the smooth mask still intact. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She climbed out of the car before he could say anything else.
Biting back a curse, he slammed the heel of his palm on the stick shift, then sped off before he did something stupid—like following her in.
* * *
Natalie walked into her condo, shut the door, and leaned against it. This wasn’t happening. She didn’t want to even think about the possibility of getting pregnant.
Matto came to her and mewled. She sank down and scratched his head absently.
How did everything go so quickly from scorching intimacy to a desperate need to be alone?
It wasn’t Alex’s fault that the condom broke, and she didn’t blame him.
Blood will out.
God, she didn’t want to have a baby. Not because she would be an unwed mother, which would already pose more problems than she knew what to do with, but because she didn’t know if she could handle being a mother at all. If she was going to bring a child into the world, it would be for love and after careful deliberation, not because of a defective piece of latex.
What kind of baby would she have?
But if there are any…problems, we’ll get through them together.
Of course it would be a problem if she got pregnant. A big one. She rose to her feet and paced back and forth in the living room. She hadn’t been lying when she told him the timing was wrong. Her period wasn’t regular, but she really dou—
Her cell phone went off, and she picked it up. It was Kerri.
“How come you never log onto Skype?”
Natalie took a deep breath. She didn’t want to start weeping all over her friend. Most likely Kerri was calling from her office. “I’m not at work right now.”
“Neither am I, but I’m logged in.”
Natalie began to tremble. It was almost like an invitation to pour all her problems to Kerri. “You home?”
“Yeah. But I can’t fall asleep.”
“Oh god,” Natalie said and sat back on the floor.
“You all right?”
That did it. Natalie told her everything, including the defective condom.
“Wow,” Kerri said when Natalie was done. “You should sue the company even if you don’t get pregnant,” she added, her
tone deliberately light. “For pain and suffering. I mean, you have to go through the mental anguish of wondering.”
Natalie let out a tremulous laugh. “You know I can’t do that.” She smoothed her hair. “Just imagine what it would do to Brian. This is a condom company.”
“Well, maybe if he loses the election.”
“Right.”
Kerri sighed. “You could just come to Hong Kong and avoid the situation altogether.”
“How does that solve anything?”
“One, Alex will have to leave you alone. I can’t imagine him following you all the way to Hong Kong. He’s got a company to run.”
Natalie nodded although Kerri couldn’t see her. That made sense.
“Unless you want him to not leave you alone.” Kerri hummed a little tune, a sign that she was thinking. “Do you?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Since their first dinner, she’d been fascinated by his confidence and intensity. And now…
“Huh. Not like you to waver. Anyway, moving on while you think about that—two, you can discreetly either get rid of the baby or give it up for adoption or something here. Since it’s halfway around the world, I doubt the media would follow you. Unless your dad decides to run for president, that is.
“Three, we can hang out all the time. Think of all the fun things we can do.
“Four, you’ll be away from your god-awful family.”
Natalie opened and closed her mouth. “How…why would you think that I’d want to be away from my family?”
Kerri snorted. “Come on. How many years have we known each other? You told me enough for me to know what’s really going on. Most likely you’ll let your family walk all over you out of some weird sense of duty. Like I always say, you gotta take care of yourself first. Besides, you can start fresh here. Annnnnnnnd…” Kerri paused dramatically. “You-know-who’s going to get canned.”