“You’re mine.”
Tears rushed down my cheeks. “Cai, please don’t leave me again.”
I was begging, I was so damned. I covered my face with a hand, it was all too much. He pulled out from behind and helped me lie on my back. He watched my eyes carefully while he slid back inside, inch by torturous inch. He watched with fascination while he made love to me, his body so meant for mine. His kisses were tender suddenly and he made time for sweet union, planting his mouth on my throat, my arms. I swept my hands across his back, his beautiful arse, and cried as he continued to rock into my body.
“God, from the first day I knew… I couldn’t do casual with you, gorgeous. I couldn’t do it.”
“Promise me, don’t leave,” I begged, chewing his shoulder.
“Chloe, as if I could forget these amber eyes. My tigress’s eyes,” he purred, bussing his nose against mine, his hands tangled in my hair.
I held him closer, reassuring him, “It’s never been like this before.”
“I’m with you. I’ve always been with you. Say you’re mine.”
He pulled on my shoulders, my hips rising to meet his.
“You say it,” I growled.
He swiped my nipple into his mouth and growled, “Mine.”
“Yes. I’m yours,” I moaned and cried into his mouth.
I clutched his buttocks with the soles of my feet, banging him hard into me each time he fell deep. He was a snug fit, his girth sealing the emptiness inside me.
“You feel amazing, Chloe.” He drew almost all the way out and slid all the way back inside me, each movement tugging on the strings of my pleasure, strumming until I was no longer a creature of sense. He loosened and then tautened my resistance until I was almost begging for mercy.
I love you. I love you. I always loved you.
“I never let a man do me bareback before.”
“I… never rode bareback before,” he gasped, moaning as he plunged deeper. Always deeper, always my arousal climbing.
He brushed his nose against my nipple, a tingling heat rippling through my whole body from that one, loving touch. He used his elbows to lever himself and I saw his eyebrows meet in pain and yearning. He worked hard to stop himself coming.
“Chloe, beautiful, Chloe,” he groaned, his eyes pinched. He planted a little kiss on my top lip.
“Stay with me, Cai.”
He held my cheek and nodded, stupefied. “I’m so fucking sorry I left.”
“You’re forgiven.” My vision blurred, my body suffering in its need for one more release. My cheeks itched with heat, burning for him. Sweat had me stuck to the sheets.
Our eyes never left each other’s as he took control, slowing his pace to use everything I had, snaking his hips tight between mine. He watched for my signs and I rose to meet his every thrust, our hands twined tight at the sides of my head. He drew slowly in and out, bringing me ever closer to the most exquisite ecstasy.
I succumbed to all the sensations and emotions I was battling—need, vulnerability, passion, ecstasy. I let him and his beauty seep into every pore, every tendril of my tender being, and he swallowed me up. He pressed his soft lips to mine and whispered, “Come, come for me. I’m ready to know what heaven looks like.”
“Cai!” I gasped for air, my body prostrate, my climax rolling over the edge, beyond pleasure, pain.
We clung on, wrapped up tight together. He picked up the pace and my whole body arched and ground into his. I made noises that didn’t seem to be coming from me.
“Fuuuuck, Chloe! Fuuuuck!” His breath ragged, his length swelled inside me. My blood coursed faster when he moaned and bit my collarbone, the rapid beat in my groin sending me delirious.
His ejaculation exploded at the neck of my womb and that moment was mind blowing, the first time I let a man come inside me unhindered. Fire circumnavigated my insides, so pure and primitive, him spilling himself inside my body. He carried on slowly emptying, his groans at my ear fuelling my own explosion.
“Please don’t stop,” I groaned. “I am gonna come so fucking hard.”
I bit down hard on my lip, soaking up whatever dark look emanated from him. I sensed a soul cleansed, from our lovemaking. He was conflicted but kept thrusting inside me. My own climax transformed from a thunderbolt to a racing tremor clutching at me over and over again. There wasn’t a thing I could do to stop it, nor did I want it to end. I shook from head to toe, no longer in control, my cries loud and unashamed. My ankles locked to keep him buried deep inside, both hands on his arse too—no space between us.
“So… hard… so… hard!” I was a gibbering wreck until the blast hit my clit and the muscles wrapped around him contracted. I screamed his name, literally, screamed. I strained with everything I had to contain myself but I was shaking and trembling all over, pulling him deeper. I watched his cock still hammering into me, my pussy enveloping that thick column of muscle. He saw me watching and something in him snapped too.
He pinned me down and hard fucked me. Hard. Fucking. Fucked. Me. It was soul burning. Body bruising. Heart hammering. Mind altering. Deep connection.
The elusive happened. He came a second time alongside me and bit down hard on my earlobe, calling out for me to stop. I couldn’t. Given more time, I knew I could love this man deeply. All those months of yearning! I was dying for him to use me, take me—ruin me for all time.
The contractions spiralled out of control and I was lost, gone, dying that little death toward infinite oblivion. He obliterated me, thrusting a few more times, his body heaving impressively over mine. My lower back knotted uncomfortably and I gave in, taking one deep breath after another to get oxygen pumping round me, eventually allowing myself to flutter around his solid caress. Finally, I weakened and slumped, my body in awe of his.
“Ugh,” he grunted. “I love you, damn it.”
He fell on top of my numb, marshmallow body and I held him against my breast, my limbs wrapped around him.
“Oh, god, oh, god, hmmm. I love you. I love you, Cai.” My heart blistered its cage.
We caught our breaths and it was some time before either of us could move. He slowly slipped out of me and rolled me on my side.
“I’m never letting you out of my sight.” He wrapped me in his arms and legs. I was so drained, so bizarrely ensconced in love and confusion and a sense of something wrong that was right again. As my lids fell shut in the utter sanctuary of his body, a protective shell around mine, he mumbled, “Tigress, you don’t know how much I love you.”
I drifted away with his whispers and words of love at my back.
Chapter 18
I WOKE IN his arms later that day, having slept the afternoon away, perhaps because of jetlag but mostly from the unbelievable peace I got from being with him. My head nestled on top of his warm chest, he held me tight to his body. When Cai realised I was waking, he pulled me closer, our limbs becoming even more entwined. I curled my hands around his shoulders and rubbed my nose in his short chest hair; some sense of certainty between us meant we didn’t require words, not anymore. He shifted my body so I lay more on top and he took handfuls of my buttocks, growling beneath me.
I stretched out over him and neither of us could suppress our smiles, gazing at the reality of finally—after all this time—being right where we wanted to be.
“You feel pretty pleased with yourself, don’t you?” I goaded him with a raised brow. “Snatching me from your gallery to bring me to your tower.”
“You feel pretty pleased with yourself, you mean.” He took my chin in his hand and brought my mouth to his, swirling his tongue around mine, making it clear he enjoyed me even though I probably had sleepy breath. “Upsetting my assistant… calling my concept a bunch of crap. I mean it’s not like you to say what you really mean.”
He wiggled his eyebrows and the bristle of his body against mine, the hardness between his thighs, made me blush furiously. I pinned his hands down by the sides of his head and buried my breasts in his face, my sole i
ntent to suffocate him.
“Way to punish me… I hate this so much.”
I squealed when he caught a nipple between his teeth and we rocked the bed, play fighting for dominance. He got free of my grip and then I was imprisoned by his legs before he got his nails in my ribs.
I screamed, “You dare! You fucking dare!”
“Oh, I dare.” He had a great, big grin on his face.
He tickled me there until I fell on my back, begging for mercy. “No, no, no! STOP! I’m not ticklish!”
“Your feet aren’t at all ticklish, right?” His expression was wicked, an evil smirk curling the sides of his mouth.
“You dare.”
He got my feet but I kicked furiously, gasping for air. He was relentless and strong and eventually, I had to give in. Both arms flung over my eyes, I gave up. “I’m ticklish, I’m ticklish! Okay!”
He climbed over me, my arms still covering my eyes. He peeled them away and I was still catching my breath when he wrapped his arms beneath me and began kissing me, worshipping me.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, pointing to my heart, “in here.”
He took my breath away, saying something like that, his deep eyes never leaving mine. I slid my legs around his body and he lifted to position himself, entering me slowly.
He began gently making love to me because we were both pretty raw from earlier. His kiss was powerful and desperate while he clung to my body and I urged, “I’m not going anywhere, Cai.”
He feared it would never last; I wanted it to go on forever.
“I have to make love to you, Chloe.” He held my breast and kissed my flesh.
He brought us both to sitting, me across his lap. I quickly got the feeling my arse was something he liked, his hands all over me there.
“Hmm,” he groaned, kissing behind my ear while we lifted up and down together, “tell me what you like.”
“Your kiss… the way you taste me with your nose.”
“Oh yeah? Oh god… I’ll never get used to how good you feel around me.”
I picked up the pace a bit, jamming my feet in the mattress behind him to gain more control. I lifted my hands over my head and shut my eyes. I wasn’t of myself then, I was floating and free. He latched onto a nipple and didn’t let go.
“I love how protected you make me feel. With your arms around me, keeping me safe, holding me even when I’m wild like this.”
He moaned, close to climax, his arms wrapped around me what felt like twice over.
My back snapped back as ecstasy neared and when he flicked his thumb over my clit, I soared. He barked his own release against my chest, begging for mercy.
“Hot damn, woman.”
We both fell back on the mattress laughing, laid facing one another. I threw a leg over his body and linked one of my hands with his, kissing his fingers. I sighed and briefly closed my eyes, hanging onto blissful moments, storing them delicately between folded sheets of tissue paper.
He touched my face and gave me one of those looks… a man in love, appearing shy and in pain. He tucked some hair behind my ears and stroked my cheeks while I stared at him. Whatever needed healing in him—I wanted to heal.
“When did you know that you loved me?” I asked him with a grin.
He groaned and buried his head in the pillow, flipping onto his front. “Fuck… why do chicks gotta be knowing all our shit?”
“Ha! Cos, that’s why!” I giggled and laid my head in the dip of his back, clutching his hands in mine, my arms resting on top of his.
He turned his head slightly and I pecked his mouth.
“You really wanna know?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
He coughed to clear his throat, his voice gorgeously timid. “In the Savoy. When I understood it wasn’t about the mark… that it was something more.”
“You could see the mark?” I frowned to myself.
“I couldn’t see it but once… when we were kissing, I touched it.”
“I feel… confused.” I felt sure I’d remember that but then I didn’t know much about anything, every time he kissed me.
“I did, too. Until I understood why you go round like you don’t give a damn… it’s really that you’re just so fragile inside.”
“Cai—” I began but didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t believe the things he was saying. Was I so transparent?
“What I should’ve said was… that was the moment I let myself love you. Maybe before then, I just… thought of you as a threat to me.”
“A threat?”
He breathed into the pillow. “Another person who might leave me.”
I stuttered and began to cry, really ugly cry. He quickly whipped onto his back and held me against his chest. Nobody had seen that I was fragile, not in such a long time. It was a relief.
AFTER we cleaned up in the shower, I attempted to make the best of what was left of my earlier preened self.
“New York always gets this hot in the summer?” I asked while I tried to smooth the creases in my dress before putting it back on.
I saw he had air conditioning installed but it wasn’t switched on as far as I could tell. He was happy suffering the heat.
“It does get hot,” he said, pulling a clean shirt on from the walk-in closet, doing up the buttons. “But I have Latin blood. I like the heat and grew up roaming the outdoors, until I was 14 at least.”
He went downstairs and into the kitchen at that point and I knew it was because there was something he was going to say next, but didn’t want to. Something about the look on his face.
I followed and stood in the doorway, fanning myself with a hand. I’d lost all my make-up and my kit was back at the hotel.
“When you left London, the temptation to read about you on the net was too great.”
He turned with a glass of water in his hand and seemed anxious, his lips in a tight line. He replied wearily, “Everything but the truth is online.”
“Don’t worry,” I walked forward, my arms out ready to stroke his shoulders. “I don’t believe anything until I see or hear it for myself. Working in this business long enough, you get to realise how stuff can become so mixed up. Always better to seek the truth from the source.”
He put his glass on the side and lifted his hands to holds my cheeks, ignoring what I said. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips and sighed, pulling me into his tight embrace. I burrowed against his chest and sighed too, until his hand came up to the exact place I didn’t want it to.
“Are you gonna tell me this story?” His voice was quiet while he traced the scar.
“One day,” I murmured, as I held the muscles of his back, taking succour while I could. I wondered if he’d hate me when he found out.
“One day, I’ll open my wound too,” he assured me, kissing the top of my head. “Not right now, though.”
“Okay,” I breathed against his chest, taking in his spiced scent.
“You’re the boss. What shall we do tonight?” he asked, pulling my chin up between his thumb and forefinger. I could see what was happening between us was making him feel mightier, giving him the assurance he craved. He stood taller and didn’t avoid my eyes anymore.
“I thought I’d know but… now I’m here, it’s kind of daunting.”
“Hmm,” he looked thoughtful. “You’ll crash here this week? Yeah?”
I wanted to, but wasn’t sure it was right. “What and tell Trevor I am staying at Kincaid Matthews’ place? It’ll be all over the newswire within seconds.”
Cai laughed loudly, his amusement echoing around the apartment. He pulled me tight into his arms again and I snuggled, right under his chin. His hugs weren’t shy, but strong and possessive, and the most comforting I’d had in years. He didn’t want to let go. Not now.
Cai whispered, “Empty your room but don’t tell him. Let’s keep it hush-hush.”
“And waste a whole hotel room for a week? The maids will know nobody is staying there!”
“Oh yeah,
” he conceded, “hadn’t thought of that. Hmm. Well, you know, I’m shooting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Late shoots, too.”
I reached up and kissed his throat absentmindedly, taking his taste into my mouth. I nuzzled and mewled, scraping my lips across his stubble.
“What are you shooting?”
“Keep doing that, we’ll never leave this place,” he warned, squeezing his hands on my arse. I kept on though, tasting his skin. “Hmm, yeah, I’m shooting a bunch of models who all wanna hit this.”
I punched his chest and he stumbled back to the counter, caught off guard. His eyes wide. “Jealous?”
“No,” I tried to convince him. I was. I was so jealous.
“Okay,” he stepped back to me, taking me gently in his arms, “perhaps what I should’ve said was I will be forced to spend time with a bunch of preening posers who don’t interest me because they don’t have your eyes, or your smile.”
I hit him harder and he chuckled. Between his laughter, he demanded, “Better?”
“You know I don’t give a shit. I am what I am.”
“That’s the best thing,” he replied, and kissed me hard on the forehead. “Some must hate you a little for it… you don’t care what they think.”
He took my hand and led me out into the apartment again, talking as we walked. “Shall we say… you stay at your hotel Monday and Tuesday night, it’ll put Trev off the scent. In fact, I might rough it with you Wednesday night. Though it’ll be a job sneaking in without paps snatching us.”
“Thursday is my last night,” I reminded him.
“Well, then,” he took his keys and phone off the hall sideboard as we left, shutting the door behind us, “we’ll make a night of it. I’ll organise a thing for your last night.”
Last night. The words made my stomach roil, the thought of leaving him unbearable.
“Okay,” I grinned. Or tried to.
We kissed hard in the elevator as we rode back down to his car. He pulled back, gripping my waist. “You’ll stay tonight and tomorrow? Yeah? Please say yes. My cock will pine if not.”
Unbind (Sub Rosa Series Book 1) Page 15