by Lucy Leroux
Elynn did start to shout then. There was no one near them, and she didn’t want to disappoint him after all. She’d only got a few words out when Alex dropped to his knees in front of her. Thinking he was finally going to propose, she stopped yelling, but he didn’t say a word. Instead he parted her legs and put one leg over his shoulder.
“If anyone gets close, tell me, and I’ll stop,” he said in a low voice before he tore her delicate lace panties off.
He has to stop doing that. She would have no underwear or nightgowns left if he kept ripping them all. She was about to tell him so when he began to touch her, and she lost the ability to speak.
“God, you taste so good. I can’t get enough of you,” he murmured between long hot licks.
Elynn clutched the rail on the side of the boat while Alex licked and probed with his tongue and fingers. He forgot technique and finesse, consuming her with abandon. Her cries seemed to fuel his hunger, and he fucked her hard with his tongue until she splintered and broke, and finally he had to catch her when she collapsed.
He stood then, carrying her in his arms to the cushioned seat to cuddle her on his lap.
“Say yes, Elynn.”
She stirred on his lap, barely able to lift her head and arms. If she was honest with herself, she desperately wanted to be his wife. People would say she was too young, but she didn’t care. She felt ancient most of the time trying to keep up with Alex.
“Yes.”
He rewarded her with a hungry kiss, one she felt in every cell of her body.
Elynn closed her eyes, almost afraid of the sheer force of her feelings. Alex was an earthquake, a force of nature. But she felt protected in his arms, and eventually her heartbeat slowed. One weak hand moved up to caress his cheek.
“You need a shave,” she said in a distant voice.
He nodded and pressed a box into her hand. Uh oh. She stared at it apprehensively.
“Go ahead. Open it.”
She flipped open the lid and frowned in surprise. There was a silver-colored ring, probably platinum. But the huge solitaire in the middle wasn’t a diamond. It was a shiny black stone. Puzzled, she held it up to the light. She had been expecting a diamond or a sapphire of some size, but this ring was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
It was beautiful.
“What is this?” she asked, brow wrinkled.
“It’s a black diamond, cut from the heart of a meteor.”
Elynn gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am,” he said, taking the ring and slipping it on her finger. “It’s the only thing I could think of that would be precious and rare enough to be on your finger. I bought the rest of the meteor as well. I think it will serve as an excellent first anniversary gift. But…you have to marry me first.”
“I already said I would,” she laughed, resting her weary head on his shoulder.
“Yes, you did,” he replied with satisfaction as he turned them to face the sunset.
Together, they watched the light fade around them. When the sun had set, he drove them back into town and they spent the rest of the night making love in their hotel room.
Before Elynn drifted off to sleep, a thought roused her. “I guess you are going to win our bet. You’ll still be in the Oxford house this fall.”
“That’s right,” Alex murmured with a smile, throwing a possessive hand over her waist.
“Did you decide what it is that you wanted as a prize?” she asked, shifting in the bed to look him in the eye.
He lifted her hand and kissed the ring adorning it before tightening his grip and hugging her closely.
“I already got what I wanted. What I’ve always wanted.”
Chapter 20
Elynn could barely believe she was getting married in two weeks.
Not long after she and Alex had returned to London, he had promptly departed again for ten days. He had scheduled a long series of business meetings in order to free himself up to take time off for their honeymoon. They were going to spend several weeks on the ‘Elynn’ until it was time for her to start her graduate program.
In the meantime, she stayed in the London townhouse on her own, spending her days shopping for the perfect wedding dress. She also took the time to catch up with a few trusted friends.
Most were stunned when she confirmed that the tabloid stories were true, that she and Alex were a couple. They had believed the stories were faked by unscrupulous gossip sites looking to make money. One even suggested that Elynn sue them for libel, before she admitted the truth and told them she and Alex were getting married.
The tabloids were full of speculation about her and Alex’s relationship, but so far none had found out about their wedding plans. Elynn swore her friends to secrecy with the promise of an invitation to the small intimate event. In total, less than fifty guests would attend the ceremony, which would be held on the grounds of the Oxford estate.
Elynn missed Alex fiercely while he was away, but she was consoled by his frequent texts and videophone calls. She didn’t know how much comfort she would find in his attentiveness until she went out for drinks one night with Eric and Fred.
Her friends were in fine form that night. They had seen the tabloids, and they didn’t believe a word of it. Scanning the darkened bar to make sure no one was within earshot, she leaned in conspiratorially.
“Uh guys…it’s true. Me and Alex are together. Like together together,” she said with a ‘yes I’m crazy’ look on her face.
Eric choked on his sip of beer, and Fred whistled.
“Damn, girl. I told you to get out there, but when you jump, you go right for the deep end,” Fred said.
Eric coughed and scowled. “This better not be big brother looking for some kinky thrill.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t call him that, please. And no, it’s serious. He told me he loves me. That he’s loved me for years—since I was seventeen.”
Eric’s jaw dropped. “Fuck!”
“I know,” Elynn agreed, widening her eyes for emphasis.
“But he did date. Not a lot, but some,” Fred said before Eric dug a pointed elbow in his side.
“I know, and I did give him shit for that. But I had some stuff to work through, so I can’t really hold it against him. And he does love me. I know for sure.”
“Wow,” Eric said with a disbelieving shake of his head.
Elynn sipped her drink and nodded understandingly. It was unbelievable. “Listen, Alex wants you two to come to a party,” she said. “A business thing that he wants to be a little more social than normal. It’s the Saturday after next. Will you come? To the estate at Oxford?”
“Will we?” Eric said. “I’ll camp out there in the woods if Alex wants us to,” he said laughing.
She felt a little bad for lying, but much as she loved the pair, Eric was a terrible gossip and they wanted to make sure no tabloids got wind of the upcoming ceremony. The three of them continued to drink, and Elynn was more than a little tipsy when the driver took her back to the townhouse.
Her happy buzz died quickly as soon as she stepped inside the house. One of Alex’s junior security men came up to her to whisper an apology.
“I’m sorry, we just didn’t know what to do.”
Perplexed, she stepped into the salon. “Sorry about what?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Sonia Steele demanded from the couch.
****
Stunned, Elynn stepped toward the couch.
Sonia was wearing a skintight, barely-there red dress. The sleekness of the gown made it obvious she wasn’t wearing any panties. Andrea was standing above the scantily clad woman, scowling as if she couldn’t wait to throw her out. Preferably on her ass.
“I live here. What the hell are you doing here?” Elynn asked before she could stop herself.
This woman was an intruder. She didn’t have to be polite to her.
“I’m waiting for Alexandros,” Sonia said, stretch
ing languorously. “I think you should run along to your room while I wait, since I’m apparently not allowed in his bedroom,” she added, shooting Andrea a nasty look. “I’ll just have to give him his surprise here.”
Does she think I’m a guest?
“I don’t think I understand,” Elynn said.
“Well, let me make it clear,” Sonia droned as she leaned back on the couch provocatively. “Alexandros and I got back together a few days ago. He told me to come here and wait for him to get back into town. I would wait for him in our bedroom, but these people keep getting in my way,” she said, glaring at the security people.
Elynn’s stomach twisted into a painful knot. It took her a minute before she recovered. Sonia had to be lying. She was an actress. It’s what she did for a living. Alex had no idea that the other woman was here. There was no way Sonia could have been in contact with him. This was all a big bluff, an attempt to win Alex over with her daring. Or at least get Elynn out of the way. Sonia either hadn’t seen the tabloids about their relationship or she didn’t believe them. Eric and Fred hadn’t believed them at first, either.
Steeling her resolve, Elynn stood up a little straighter. “You don’t have a bedroom here with Alex. His room is my room. We’re together—a couple. And you have to be on your way now,” she explained as calmly as she could.
Sonia laughed at her. “I think it’s very sad how you’ve latched on to your stepbrother the way you have. Oh yes, I know about his little fling with you. He told me all about it. He didn’t sue the tabloids that published their dirt about the two of you because he feels sorry for you. But he’s already bored. His attention does tend to wander, but I don’t mind. Like most powerful men, he doesn’t want to be tied down, but then neither do I. It suited both of us to be apart for a while, but he’s crazy about me. He wants me back. So I’m back,” Sonia said in a husky voice as she leaned deeper back into the couch cushions, her arms resting along the back of the couch in a deceptively casual pose.
She rolled her eyes. “Get rid of her,” she said to Andrea.
The bodyguard went from silently hostile to thrilled in the blink of an eye. “With pleasure,” Andrea said.
“Where the hell do you get off throwing me out, you bitch?” Sonia shouted as the bodyguard grabbed her and hauled her to her feet.
Elynn stepped up to her. Sonia was a good six inches taller than her, but she didn’t flinch or back down. “You’re a terrible actress. No wonder you didn’t win that Oscar,” she said as Andrea started to pull the woman to the door.
Male laughter took both women by surprise. Elynn whirled around. Alex was standing in the doorway still holding his briefcase. His chief of security was behind him, shooting daggers at the junior man he’d left in charge. Someone was going to get hell later for letting Sonia into the house.
Alex didn’t even look at the actress. He continued to ignore her as he went to take Elynn in his arms. His eyes searched hers rapidly before he kissed her softly. Despite his laughter, she knew he was anxious underneath the façade. She could see the tension in his posture. And he should be anxious. His womanizing past was catching up with him with a vengeance.
He turned back to Sonia, his face growing cold. “Baby, go upstairs to our room and wait for me,” he said in a tone of controlled anger as he focused on the actress.
Very sensibly, Sonia kept quiet, and for all of two seconds, Elynn thought about moving.
“No,” she said quietly. Alex turned back to her, surprised. But Elynn was fine. She had this. “I think you should go upstairs,” she said firmly. Alex started to protest, but she cut him off. “I want to handle this,” she said, touching her hand to his chest. “It’s my right. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll be right up.”
****
Alex stared at Elynn’s face. She seemed so calm. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to throw that bitch Sonia out. The sooner she was gone, the sooner he could apologize for ever having looked at the woman. There was no way Elynn was as calm as she was acting.
If she wants to do this, maybe you better let her.
He would probably do whatever she wanted right now. Even leaving her alone to deal with one of his biggest mistakes.
But he wouldn’t go far. If Sonia lashed out or did anything to upset Elynn further, he would be nearby to throw her out on her ass. Reluctantly, he nodded slowly and left the room, enjoying Sonia’s slack-jawed amazement. She had always thought of him as a control freak and a misogynist because he never indulged any of her whims. Not that that had mattered to her. Only his money mattered, and the press they got when they were together.
He went upstairs, but came back down the second the women’s backs were turned. He ducked into the dining room next to the salon, keeping the door open so he could hear everything. If Sonia so much as looked at Elynn funny, he would swoop in to take care of matters himself. As it was, his security team was at her side, eager to protect her from the shallow actress who had treated them like dirt.
There were a few minutes of quiet conversation. Elynn stood very close to Sonia, and he couldn’t hear what she was whispering into the older woman’s ear. He shook his head in agonized frustration. His sweetheart wouldn’t stand a chance once Sonia started in on her. The actress was a snake-tongued tart, and he regretted every second he’d ever spent with her.
Sonia started to interrupt whatever she was saying, but Elynn silenced her with a swift motion of her hand. She hissed something in her ear and Alex was stunned when Sonia burst into tears.
Elynn continued whispering and eventually Sonia nodded. After that Elynn’s expression softened and she actually put her hands on Sonia’s shoulders in a comforting fashion. She murmured something else and led the crying woman to the door.
“Good luck,” she said generously as she shut the door.
Bewildered, Alex stepped out of the dining room. The security staff melted away when Elynn returned. He met her at the stairs, trying to decide if he should apologize first or demand to be told what she’d told Sonia to make her cry.
But she didn’t give him a chance. She just rolled her eyes at him and went straight up the stairs.
“Elynn?” he called after her. When she didn’t respond, he started after her. She beat him to the bedroom, and he followed her in, holding his hands up in surrender. “Baby, I know you’re upset. It’s only natural. I don’t know what that woman told you, but she lied. She—” he stopped short when he realized she was undressing.
She was down to her bra and panties, and he lost his train of thought. He made an inarticulate noise as Elynn turned to the bathroom, her back to him as she removed her bra. She tossed it behind her, and the blood rushed completely out of his head.
The torture continued as she turned on the shower and shimmied out of her panties with a provocative look over her shoulder. Her adorable heart shaped derriere had a pink flush over it. His muscles locked tight.
She should be trying to twist off one of his testicles right about now, not getting naked.
****
Elynn wanted to laugh. Alex looked so confused. When he still didn’t move, she decided he needed a little more incentive to join her. She stepped under the water and reached for the soap. With slow deliberate movements she lathered the soap in her hands and ran it over her body, paying special attention to her breasts.
She shot him another heated look, and he cracked. With quick jerky movements, Alex grabbed at his clothes, tearing off his shirt instead of trying to open it properly. Buttons flew everywhere. The pants and boxers followed, and he rushed toward her.
“Alex your socks.” She laughed.
“Oh, right,” he said, bending down to yank them off.
He was on her in seconds, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around him. His lips came down on her, and he plunged his tongue inside her mouth—kissing her long and hard before pulling away.
He breathed into her mouth. “I’m sorry about all that downstairs
.”
“Shut up,” she whispered back before she kissed him again, pulling him closer by tugging on his hair.
****
Alex ran ecstatic hands over Elynn’s body, enjoying the silky feel of her skin under the warm water. Her tongue stroked his, and he growled low in his throat as the hunger rose higher. He shifted her in his arms and prayed she was ready for him as he pinned her to the wall of the shower.
“I’m sorry I can’t stop. I can’t wait. Kiss me harder,” he ground out between kisses as he worked himself inside of her.
Blood pumping in his ears, he stroked into her again and again. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. Luckily for him, she was right there with him, tightening around him and crying out in climax. He tried to make it last, but the way she was clamping down on him was too intense. He came hard, groaning as he poured himself into her.
It was the longest, hottest climax he had ever experienced, even compared to the others he’d shared with her. They stood under the water for a long moment before she pushed at his hands, and he let her slide down off him. He leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed, resisting the urge to collapse down on the floor until he regained his strength. His eyes flew open when he felt Elynn’s hands over him. She was smiling up at him as she soaped his body, washing him gently until he was hot again. He grabbed her roaming hands to pull her roughly to him. He didn’t let go for a long time—not until they were both ready to collapse.
Afterwards, he took great pleasure in drying Elynn with a big towel. He even brushed her hair, taking his time to work out the slight tangles so he wouldn’t pull on it too hard.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?” she asked, prompting him to put the brush down.
“No, I love combing your hair. We should do this all the time,” he said before he pulled her into bed, wrapping himself around her. “I missed you. I hate going anywhere without you. I would refuse leaving town without you from now on, but I know that’s not possible. You have your own career to build, and the best I can do is make home wherever you are.”