Tiana (Starkis Family #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  She inched us back against the wall, forcing me to sit on the submerged bench. I realized what she had in mind when she climbed into my lap. Flashbacks of our last time came flooding back, reminding me what had happened when I let her take the lead.

  Her eyes were dark and hooded as she slowly claimed my shaft. Her eyes drifted closed, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she tipped her head back, bracing her hands on my shoulders. Watching her let go was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, but I couldn’t let myself get caught up in the moment the way I did last time. This time had to be different.

  Grasping her slim waist, I controlled her movements, guiding her to an outcome that had been elusive to her before. I watched her carefully, looking for any sign she was close before claiming her mouth in a lingering kiss that encouraged her to seek her own pleasure, using my body as her means to an explosive end.

  Her body tensed as she tore her lips from mine and sank her teeth into my shoulder. “Blake…”

  I was merciless, taking without asking, coaxing her into a whirlwind of indulgence that must have felt unnerving to a woman who’d never been taught where her body was capable of taking her. I blamed myself for that. I should have taken my time with her our first time, but I intended to make up for that now. And every night from now on if she’d let me.

  “That was amazing,” she said, finally forcing her eyes open to look at me. “I had no idea it could be like that. I’ve read that a lot of women just don’t or can’t during sex. I’d assumed I was one of them.”

  I smiled before drawing her close. I was beyond aroused from watching her come apart like that, but I needed to give her a few minutes to catch her breath before I told her that this was only the beginning for us. “You thought wrong, baby.”

  “Hmm,” she said, moving her hips slowly. “I can see that now.” She threaded her hands through my hair before kissing me. “I love the way you make me feel.”

  “Tell me.” I sucked in a sharp breath when she milked me. “How do I… make you feel?”

  “Fearless.” She was obviously enjoying the power she had over me, prompting me to fist my hand in her hair and tug hard to slow her down.

  Her big dark eyes widened and she gushed, so I knew she liked it. God, could she get any hotter? And if she did, could I survive it?

  “You like that?” I told myself there was no place for dominance or submission in my relationship with Tiana. She was a sweet, innocent girl looking for a normal relationship with a nice guy. But the glint in her eye told me to probe deeper. “Tell me.”

  “I like that you push me out of my comfort zone. I love that you talked me into making love outside tonight. It’s so… hot.”

  Wanting to push her further out of her comfort zone, to take her to the edge and back again, I lashed her ear with my tongue while guiding her hips vigorously. “Tell me how it feels, beautiful.”

  “Oh God, it feels amazing.”

  I could tell she was close again and trying to fight it. “Tell me more, Ti. Talk to me.” My breath became labored with the effort of holding back until she had no choice but to surrender.

  “You’re so hard,” she whispered, gasping when I got even harder. “So deep like this.”

  Hearing her talk like that nearly sent me barreling over the edge. “More. Tell me what you like.”

  “I love riding you like this.”

  I groaned, thinking I’d finally met a woman with more self-control than I had. “What else do you love?” You. That’s what I wanted her to say.

  Instead, she ran her hands over my wet chest. Her hands felt warm and slippery as my muscles contracted with the effort it took to control her movements. She finally linked her hands behind my neck and raised her body ever so slightly, tilting her pelvis. “The way that feels. Right… oh God… there.”

  Sweet Mother of God. This woman was going to do me in.

  Her slow roll, coupled with the friction, was maddening, sending me into a litany of prayers and curses. When she got close to completion, she picked up the pace until it became a frantic onslaught as desperation stole over her.

  As I erupted inside her, groaning my release, I buried my face in her neck. I was completely gone over this woman… with no hope of ever returning to the life I knew.

  ***

  Tiana

  As I sat against Blake’s headboard, sharing a plate of fruit and cheese I’d prepared in his kitchen, I said, “Damon tells me you guys have a lot of exciting things in the works.”

  “We do.” He grabbed a small stem of grapes off the platter before popping a square of cheddar cheese into his mouth. “We’re getting new proposals every day, and I’ve got to say, some of them are really exciting.”

  He was so sexy when he was passionate about something. Especially when that something was me. I still couldn’t believe what had happened between us in the hot tub. I had been like a different person. And I liked her. A lot.

  “Do you miss being at Alabaster’s?” I knew he maintained his ownership in the company, but Deacon said he didn’t spend more than a few hours a week at the office now. “It was a big part of your life for a long time.”

  “Yeah, it was,” Blake said, reaching for his wine glass on the nightstand, “but I was ready for a new challenge.”

  I couldn’t help but wonder if that was the reason he was pursuing me, because he liked a challenge. Knowing how my father felt about him, having a real relationship with Blake would definitely be a challenge, unless I wanted my parents to disown me.

  He smirked when the sheet slipped and I pulled it higher to cover my breasts. “Don’t do that.” He pulled it lower. “I like to look at you.”

  I’d never felt very comfortable in my own skin, except when I was dancing. I’d developed very early and had large breasts for my petite frame, which my mother always implied was a source of shame. She encouraged me to dress conservatively, to cover up so I wouldn’t attract the kind of guy who was only interested in one thing. If my parents hadn’t been out of town tonight, I probably would have worn a one-piece instead of a bikini to the pool party.

  Pathetic. I was twenty-seven years old and still letting my parents influence my clothing choices.

  I screeched when I felt cool liquid land on my breast. I gaped at Blake as he tipped his glass and lapped up the wine.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered breathlessly.

  He took the platter from me and set it on the nightstand. “You were drifting away on me. I had to do something to get your attention.”

  “You definitely have my attention now.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Watching him lick the sweet liquid off my skin so thoroughly was a huge turn-on. He peeled off the sheets before coaxing my legs apart. I was his for the taking, and we both knew it.

  “We’re going to get your sheets sticky,” I said.

  His laughter was low, his chest rumbling against my thigh. “I can promise you we’ll get these sheets sticky tonight, but it won’t be from the wine, beautiful.”

  My face caught fire as I squeezed my eyes shut. He was so brazen. No man had ever talked to me the way he did. I loved it. “Promises, promises.”

  He grinned before silencing me with his talented fingers. It was late and I should be thinking about getting home, but when he was playing my body like a finely tuned instrument, it was difficult to think about all the reasons why spending the night was a bad idea. I didn’t want to get too attached. I didn’t want him to think this was more than it was, or worse, for him to assume that I thought I had the right to spend the night just because we’d made love.

  “I should go,” I muttered, digging my heels into the mattress as I shifted the sheets to keep from touching him.

  “I thought we were focusing on coming, not going.”

  I gave him a wry smile. I had never been more into a man in my life. Not only was he gorgeous, sexy, and smart, but he made me laugh, and to me, that was priceless. I’d always been encouraged to take life serio
usly. Get good grades. Make the right friends. Use my talents wisely. Avoid trouble. Don’t waste time on dead-end relationships…

  He was doing it again, distracting me.

  “Jesus… Blake…” I didn’t think it was humanly possible to detonate as many times as he’d set me off tonight.

  “I could do this all night,” he whispered, kissing my neck. “Watch you like this.”

  That was what I was afraid of. If I wasn’t careful, this man could become an addiction, like my favorite milk chocolate truffles or my cupcake-of-the-month club.

  And just like that, with barely any effort, he set me off again. I grabbed him, kissing him hard instead of screaming the way I wanted to. I didn’t want him to start referring to me as a little banshee in the bedroom.

  I wanted him again. I knew it was a mistake, but I couldn’t help it. I had to have him. Pushing his shoulders back against the bed, I attempted to climb on top of him. But he had other ideas.

  Flipping me over, he gripped my wrists in one of his hands and held them over my head. “Oh hell no, we’re doing it my way this time, baby.”

  Just when I thought he couldn’t get any hotter, he said or did something to convince me there was no limit to the ways he could turn me on when he put his mind to it. I’d always dated meek men—metrosexuals, my girlfriends liked to call them—but Blake was all man. He was big and tough, always in control, with a sharp tongue and a sharper wit. He could put a smart-mouthed guy in his place and make his lover feel like a queen.

  It hit me like a ton of bricks. Oh God, I was falling in love with him.

  “You okay?” he asked, loosening his grip on my wrists after thrusting inside me. He held still, watching me carefully. “If you want me to let go—”

  “I don’t.” I remembered asking him to tie me up the first time we were together. I’d been so naïve then, wanting a taste of his world and thinking it would be enough. Now I knew better. A mere taste of him would never be enough. That was like asking me to sample ice cream and leave the shop empty-handed.

  His eyes raked over my body slowly, bolstering my self-confidence as I felt him get even more rigid. If that was possible.

  “Don’t be shy,” I whispered, wanting him to take me forcefully, the way I thought he’d intended to when he restrained me.

  Something shifted as his eyes softened, and he released my hands. “Change of plans.” He moved slowly, gliding his hands down my arms before following the path down my ribs.

  I held my breath as he gathered me in his arms and held me close. His breath was warm against my neck, his breathing labored as he made love to me slowly and sensually. Before I knew it, his tongue was circling mine. Our bodies found a rhythm that had always remained just out of reach to me as a dancer. Some called it a “state of grace” when the mind shut off and the body switched on.

  “What are you doing to me?” he whispered, bringing tears to my eyes with the simple question.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Our connection felt almost dreamlike. It transcended words, barriers, and fears. It lit me up from the inside out, and I knew I must be radiant, because I’d never felt happier.

  “Give yourself to me, beautiful. I want all of you.”

  “You have all of me.” There was no point trying to disguise the truth anymore. He must see it in my eyes when he looked at me.

  “Do you mean that?” Holding his body still, he framed my face with his hands while supporting his weight on his forearms. “I need to know, do you really mean that?”

  I didn’t know exactly what he was asking of me, nor did I know what I was capable of giving. A relationship with Blake would mean the end of my relationship with my family, or at least with my parents. Was I really willing to take that kind of risk for a man who’d never had a committed relationship in his life?

  “I love the way I feel when I’m with you.” That was all I could give him now. This wasn’t the time to make decisions about the future, when I was still coming to terms with my feelings for him and the impact it could have on the rest of my life. “I love the way you make me feel.”

  As though he feared I might withdraw if he pushed me too hard, he smiled and kissed me. “That’s enough for now.”

  I got lost in him as I tried to shut off my mind, to get back to the place where I’d been before I started worrying about where this was going or what it all meant. I just wanted to enjoy him, to enjoy a sexual relationship, for the first time in my life, with a man who seemed intent on making me happy in every way.

  I finally gave in to the longing, taking him with me. In the aftermath, with my mind still reeling, I held him as tightly as he held me. I knew in that moment, no one could have torn us apart.

  Chapter Four

  Blake

  “I don’t want you to go,” I said, kissing her bare shoulder as I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. No matter how close we were, it wasn’t close enough.

  She sighed. “It’s not that I want to go. I have to.”

  I knew I was pushing my luck. She’d spent the night and agreed to breakfast in bed, if I could ever haul my lazy butt out of bed to make it, but I didn’t want to let her go. I was afraid if I did, she wouldn’t come back.

  “Let me come with you.”

  She laughed, slapping my forearm. “Right, we’re going to show up on Deacon’s doorstep together at this hour and tell him what?”

  “The truth: that we spent the night together.”

  Tiana turned her head, obviously trying to gauge whether I was joking. When she realized I wasn’t, she paled. “Blake, my brother can never know what happened between us.”

  Uh oh. I didn’t like the sound of that. I gripped her shoulder, forcing her to roll onto her back so I could see her face. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  She closed her eyes as though she’d been dreading this conversation. “This isn’t the way I want it. It’s the way it has to be. You know how my family feels about us being together.”

  Deacon could be overprotective at times, but he was still my best friend. I believed if he knew Tiana was different, that I’d never felt about anyone the way I felt about her, he would support us. Her father, however, was another story. I could understand why she’d be concerned about telling him. He hated my guts, and the feeling was definitely mutual.

  “So I’m going to be your dirty little secret, is that it?” I knew this wasn’t the time to pressure her. We’d only shared one night. Okay, technically two nights, but I didn’t count the first since it was five years ago and I’d hardly made it memorable for her.

  “We just to need to slow down,” she said, curling her hand around my bicep. “You know I think you’re amazing. I love spending time with you, but—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” I was being irrational, but she made me feel out of control, desperate.

  “Well, you’re going to hear it whether you like it or not.” She pushed me off of her as she sat up. “I know you like to call all the shots, but I’m tired of men who think they can run my life!”

  She had a valid point, though I refused to admit I was anything like the other domineering men in her life. I leaned my back against the headboard and crossed my arms as I scowled, waiting for her to let me have it. Any other woman, and I would have told her to hit the bricks if she didn’t want to be with me. But Tiana wasn’t just any woman. She was the woman, the one I’d been fantasizing about for years. She was finally right where I wanted her—in my bed—and I wouldn’t shove my big foot in my mouth and drive her away. Not this time.

  “I don’t know what you want from me,” she said, running a hand through her sleep-tousled hair. “You know the way things are. What would you suggest I do, risk alienating my entire family so we can have a little fun?”

  “Don’t diminish what we have,” I said, gesturing between us. “It’s a hell of a lot more than that, and you know it.”

  “No, actually I don’t know that,” she said, her voice
softening. “I haven’t even had time to process what happened between us last night. I came over here so we could talk about what happened between us five years ago. I never expected to fall into bed with you again.”

  I controlled my tone carefully, afraid she might jump out of bed at the least provocation. “Are you saying you regret what happened?”

  “No!” She sighed. “I’m just…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what it means. I like you. I think you’re great. We obviously have a connection, but is that enough for me to go against my family and uproot my entire life?”

  “You tell me. Is it?” I desperately wanted her to tell me it was, but I couldn’t put words in her mouth. It had to be her decision.

  “Blake, please try to understand where I’m coming from. You’ve never had a serious relationship.”

  I wanted to argue, but she was right. I’d never been big on commitment. Women just sort of drifted in and out of my life, and I preferred it that way. Once they realized they wouldn’t get to pull into my house, drive my fancy cars, or have an all-access pass to my bank accounts, they were gone. “There’s a first time for everything.”

  “That’s not the only problem,” she said, pulling on a loose string on the top sheet.

  “Fine, list all the reasons this’ll never work.” So I could obliterate them one by one.

  “I know why Deacon doesn’t want me to be with you. I’ve heard the rumors.” She blushed before glancing at me. “You like rough sex.”

  That was one way of putting it. “Tiana, there are all levels of BDSM. You know that, right?”

  She cringed, obviously scared to think I might want her to be a part of that lifestyle.

  Reaching for her hand, I said, “Listen to me. You have nothing to be afraid of with me, ever.”

  “I know.” She ran her thin gold necklace through her fingers. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m just concerned that I could never give you what you need.”

  I understood her concerns, but she didn’t understand me, and that was my fault. I’d never given her, or anyone else, the opportunity to get to know the real me. “Come here.”