“Fancy meeting you here.” Her voice was low, uncharacteristically sultry. She saw the confusion flash across his face but chose to ignore it.
“Well, yeah,” he replied. “London is a big place.”
Sophia crossed over to him, tentatively leaning against the window sill, slightly turned so she was facing him.
“A little too stuffy in there for you?” She touched his disheveled tie.
“You could say that.” He rocked backward, jamming his hands into his pockets. Frown lines creased his handsome face.
Noticing the distress, Sophia inched closer and ran a finger down his cheek. His puzzled look made her retreat. Silence hung between them for several beats.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Well, yes and no.” His tone was low, gruff. “What are you doing here?”
“I came here with my mother for the charity—”
Xavier silenced her with a shake of his head. “No, what are you doing here…with me, right now?”
The light in his eyes faded to dark. His lips twitched as his eyes intently focused on her.
“I saw you inside earlier, and you looked like you could use some company.”
“Company?”
“Yes,” she replied quietly. “And to say I was sorry about last night.”
“And just what are you sorry for?” His magnificent eyes locked on hers, but his posture was rigid.
Sophia shifted uncomfortably, making her dress rub against her sensitive skin. “I didn’t mean to throw myself on you like that and then run out on you.”
He arched a brow. “Oh no?”
“No.” She drew in a slow breath. “I was afraid.”
His other brow shot up. “Of what?”
Sophia shifted her gaze down. God, Xavier would think she was crazy if she told him she’d been drawn to his sea-eyes like a dehydrated starfish. After all, this was the Xavier Cain. Garnering all her will, she looked up at him through her thick lashes. He looked bemused and not nearly as smitten as the previous evening. Her heart thundered, and she didn’t know if he wanted her the way he’d seemed to before.
“You.”
Her hand shook as she adjusted his tie once more. She swallowed the unsure lump in her throat, let go of the tie, and trailed her finger down the buttons of his shirt, stopping just above his belt. After standing up to her mother and grandmother, Sophia focused her new resolve on Xavier; she was being as brave as she possibly could.
He shivered beneath her touch, and his jaw clenched. It pleased her. Her longing rose to the surface, and an unfamiliar emotion overcame her. It swam beneath her skin, lighting little flickers of recognition. It was the same heat—the same feeling—that had made her run the night before. Not this time, though. This time she would own it. Embrace it. Ride it. Enjoy it.
She licked her dry lips and looked at him with heavy eyes.
“Afraid of me? Why?” he asked.
Still unsure of the whirlwind in her stomach and the fact that Xavier was practically a stranger, she took that last step between them and let the need for him take control of her body.
“You’re a famous fashion designer with a slew of girls at your fingertips. I didn’t think I was good enough.”
Xavier snaked a sturdy arm around her back as he pinned her against the smooth, cold window. Her breath caught in her throat. “Don’t ever think you’re not good enough, Sophia. You’ve always been good enough.”
Breathe.
Being wrapped in his embrace was better than anything Sophia could have imagined. His warmth seeped through her dress, melting her insides. His scent engulfed her, weakening her knees. He’d said she was good enough. For him. And in that moment, she somehow already knew that. Knew him. Thunderous vibrations tumbled from head to toe, and she needed to know where they would take her.
She tilted her head and allowed herself a deep look into his eyes. Being that close made the clarity of his blue eyes shine. The roll of the sea waves once again became her familiar focus, blocking out everything she feared.
“Truth is,” she said nervously, “I’ve wished for you.”
“I’ve wished for you, too, Sophia.” Xavier slowly brought his mouth down to hers, and their lips brushed together.
Eagerness engulfed her from that one simple touch. His mouth hovered lightly over hers, exchanging breaths of anticipation. His hand stroked up her back, stopping at the curve of her shoulders, lightly caressing the exposed skin. It left trails of fire, inciting her body to throb in all the right places.
He moved his head to the side and blew a long breath of warm air over her neck before reaching up to capture her earlobe, and he suckled it gently. She went limp and let out a whimper against his cheek. Sophia caressed her bottom lip with her tongue, aching for him to pull her closer, melting from his nimble caress. As he assaulted her senses, she thought that no man had ever tasted her in such a way. It was wonderful and exhilarating. Her eyes fluttered from the tingles along her bare skin.
Xavier moved his head back and smiled at the look on Sophia’s face. “Come home with me,” he insisted.
Sophia looked into the coolness of his face and was sucked in like the first time she’d seen him at the fashion show. Now she would allow herself to enjoy everything she had yearned for since.
“Yes.”
That was the word Xavier had waited a lifetime to hear. With her taste lingering on his lips, he took her by the waist and led her down the steps, back the way he’d come. After crossing the lobby, Sophia stopped dead in her tracks.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered along the curve of her neck. He’d have taken her right there, right then, if there weren’t all these people around them.
Her eyes swept the space. “Um, well…I—”
A bright-eyed redhead rushed over and stopped in front of them.
“Sophia,” the woman blew out quickly. “Bloody hell. I wished you could have seen the looks on their faces when you walked off. Talk about having your knickers in a knot.”
Sophia tensed. “Where are they now?”
The woman looked over her shoulder. “I think they’ve checked everywhere but the loo so far, so probably there.” She cast a quick look at Xavier. “Whoa. He’s even better close up.” She gripped Sophia’s arm. “Listen, darling, I applaud you for this, but you’d better leave before they see you with him.”
Sophia was trembling from head to toe. Unease coiled around Xavier, stiffening his body.
“If I leave, they’ll know. We rode with them, Anne Marie.”
This woman, Anne Marie, waved a perfectly manicured hand in front of Sophia’s face. “No worries, I’ve got it sorted. But you and you”—she pointed a finger at them both—“need to turn round and skitter out of here. Now. Oh…” A smile curved her lips. “And have a good night.”
Anne Marie turned and scurried off in the direction of the bathroom.
Sophia was still tense, so Xavier grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “Are you sure you want to come with me?” he asked.
The fear on her face faded away as she looked up at him. She smiled and drew in a shallow breath. “I’ve never been so sure of anything.” She touched his cheek, featherlight. Her scent lingered there, making Xavier hard as a rock in a matter of seconds.
“I want you to be sure, Sophia. What just happened makes me think something isn’t right.”
He knew exactly what wasn’t right, and if Sophia made what she’d later consider a mistake, he’d be doomed all over again.
She shook her head. “My mother and grandmother are less-than-approving of this.” She waved a finger between them, all she could likely manage after Xavier had pinned her body to his, needing to feel all of her. “But don’t mind them,” she continued. “It’s not you—it’s me they don’t approve of.”
A flash of emotion crossed her face, and Xavier wasn’t so certain she believed her own words.
She leaned into him. “Please, let’s just go.”
Chapter Eight
XAVIER OPENED THE DOOR of his limo, and Sophia slid inside. Once the door closed behind them, a small frisson of panic zipped up her spine. Had she really had the guts to disobey Katherine and Elise?
She had, and it felt wonderful. To know this was her doing, and no one could take it—or him—away.
So why was she all twitchy? Because she hadn’t had sex with a man in eons? Or because she was getting ready to have sex with the most drop-dead gorgeous man she’d ever met?
Both.
His fingers rubbed her thigh. She hid a shiver.
“Are you all right?”
“Never better.” She turned to face him, certain she flushed with the warmth flowing through her. “Before we go any further, though, I want to say thank you.”
His head cocked as his eyes skimmed over her features. “For what?”
“For saving me.”
Xavier cupped her cheek, and their lips met full on.
The same mind-numbing sensation Sophia had had during the previous night’s kiss exploded again, doubled in size and pleasure. The fear vanished, replaced with a pure, bleeding craving. Their kiss deepened, and before Sophia knew it, she was panting and hungering for every part of him.
He knew what to touch. What to do. Every way to make her moan.
Another flash of recognition sped through her mind. It’s him, her thoughts whispered through the fog of arousal. And she wanted to know who he was. What else he could do for her. What he’d feel like inside her. What he would unleash within her.
Sophia pushed Xavier back on the seat and straddled him. His erection rubbed against her thin silk panties. She throbbed from the inside out and knew she had to have him or die. She tugged at his tie as she placed fervent kisses all along his face. Tossing the tie aside, she started unbuttoning his shirt and grew frustrated because her hands wouldn’t quit shaking. She couldn’t undo the buttons fast enough.
Xavier moved his hips underneath her, and it tore through her senses, making her panties go wet with expectation. She grabbed his shirt and yanked it open with all her strength, breaking loose the last few restricting buttons. Lowering her face to his chest, she inhaled his scent. To her surprise, she didn’t smell the sea. He smelled sweet, like honey with a mix of soap and starch from his dress shirt. Wanting to taste, Sophia’s tongue traced the thin line of hair down his chest.
Her hands were steady and possessive as they ran over his body. His muscles flexed each time she brushed her fingers over his skin. She was an adept woman who knew what she wanted, and she wanted to taste all of him. When she flicked her tongue over his nipple, Xavier groaned, grabbed her legs behind the knees, and dragged her snugly against his chest. She drew him in for a long kiss. He reached around her back, found the zipper to her dress, and slowly slid it down. His other hand trailed down the newly uncovered skin as the gold fabric fell effortlessly off her shoulders and rested around her waist.
His brow arched. “No bra?”
Shaking her head, she pressed into him more as she nipped at his bottom lip. She grinded against him, pleased when he grumbled and the grasp of his hands tightened.
Xavier’s fingers traced down her cheek, and their lips separated. Breathing in short spurts, he spoke deeply. “You’re beautiful, Sophia.”
With maddening slowness, he traced the outline of her nipples with his fingers. She arched her back and moaned. He covered one breast with his mouth and the other with his hand. Occasionally switching, he licked and teased them until they felt on fire.
She ran her hand through his thick hair as she drew him closer for a kiss. Their lips cruised together as their tongues taunted each other for more. Sophia lightly scraped her nails down Xavier’s back, and he grabbed her by the waist and flung her around as he pressed her body to the seat. He kissed every inch of her stomach as she silently begged for him to just take her.
His hand pushed her dress the rest of the way down, leaving it in a soft pile on the carpeted floor of the car. He snatched her panties away in one swift move, removed his remaining clothes, and sheathed his erection with a condom. Huffing, he kneeled in front of her and looked at her body in the dim light. Sophia suppressed a shiver. His eyes were dark as they combed over every inch of her. His features were hard, hungry. The face of a man who knew what he wanted. That alone made her throb.
She wanted him.
He wanted her.
For that moment, that’s all her body desired to know. Xavier parted her legs as she let out a muffled cry. He placed his lips over her slick folds and flicked his tongue over her most intimate part as she writhed underneath him. As he worked her folds to the edge of reason, his fingers traced all the lines of her body he could reach.
Unable to take one more moment, Sophia begged him, “Please, Xavier.”
One…two…three slow licks up the length of her moist flesh had Sophia crying for even more. Xavier rose up, arched forward, and with one solid thrust, two became one.
Sophia cried out his name as Xavier tried to keep himself from completely going over the edge, but he wasn’t strong enough. Her smell, her touch, her body undid him in a way that broke all rationale. Unable to control himself any longer, Xavier’s hands clenched around Sophia’s hips as he plunged his body into hers as fast and hard as he could. Sophia continued to cry out and dug her fingernails into the leather seat.
The mating was primal, a frenzy like he’d never felt. He couldn’t get enough. Her cries. Her moans. Her legs entangled around him like she would never let him go. Xavier wanted to push himself to the boundary of his sanity with each movement, each thrust, and each cry from Sophia’s lips. She clung to him, her nails biting into his back as her body clenched and spasmed, drawing out each sizzle of her climax.
Xavier propelled his body into hers and let himself release as he cried out her name. Both motionless and breathless, he laid his head on Sophia’s chest and listened to the fast beating of her heart.
Her fingers traced over his face. Her lips pressed against top of his head.
Xavier couldn’t believe it. It was better than he remembered. Far better.
Paradise?
It was here. It was now. It was this moment with the woman he’d always loved in his arms. This time, he wouldn’t let her get away.
The limo came to a slow stop. Xavier didn’t want to move from that spot. Being tucked into her lap was more than adequate at the moment. Then again…they could do even more once they got to his suite.
He lifted his head. “We’re here.”
Her dark hair swept over her face as she looked at him. She smiled brightly. “Brilliant. I hope your bed is more comfortable than this limo seat.”
He went hard again instantly. Since they were still both undressed, she noticed and cocked her head.
“I see that you’re hoping the same thing,” she said.
For the first time in a long while, he laughed effortlessly. “I guess we should get dressed, then, before getting out, huh?”
“Perhaps.”
He kissed her inner thigh. “Unless you want to stay here?” he murmured.
“Oh.”
“Yes?” Another kiss. A small lick. “Here?”
Her breaths came quickly. “No…inside. Hurry.”
Xavier’s hand rested comfortably on Sophia’s back as he led her through the doors to his suite. After their frantic lovemaking in the limo, Xavier thought he would be exhausted, but he felt energized and alive. Yet instead of taking Sophia on the elevator floor, on the tight-weave carpet of the hallway, or the hard foyer of his suite, he wanted to slow things down. Way down.
When he flicked on the lights, she gasped. “Nice.”
He shrugged and moved past her, his shoes clicking quietly on the marble floor. “It’s only a hotel room.”
She shook her head. “Not the room, Xavier.” She waved a hand in front of her at the vast space of the living room. “Those.”
His hand found Sophia’s elbow as he guided her further into the room. “It probably looks messy. Sorry.”
“No,” she whispered. “It’s wonderful. I don’t know if you noticed”—she looked down at her gown—“but I’m quite fond of the XS collection. That’s almost all that fills my wardrobe.”
His heart pounded a little faster. His plan had worked after all. Sophia had found his clothing line and become attached to it, just as he was attached to her. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Sophia took a step toward the collection. “You’ve got Spring 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2012, and Autumn 2013. And it looks like you’ve got the makings of a new collection. Next year’s, maybe?” She cast him a questioning look. “Do you have every year here?”
“Almost.”
Her brow rose while her eyes scanned over the racks once more. “Why?”
“Because I like to have my inspiration and designs close.” He drew her in for a quick kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed. “Go ahead,” he prompted. “Have a look while I get us a drink.”
Her eyes popped open. “May I?”
He couldn’t stop grinning. Her eyes twinkled vibrantly, and her face stretched with a happy glow. It had been a long time since he’d seen her like that. Too long. He would almost bet if he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, he would smell her vanilla and cherry scent mingling with the scents of the ocean. He could almost hear the waves crashing behind them now. As though they had never left America so long ago.
“Of course.” He trailed a finger down her cheek. “Like I said before, they were made with you in mind.”
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