“It does.” Leaning over, Dallas drew her lower lip into his mouth, sucking on it gently. “Touching you produces the same kind of heat in me.” He brought her onto his lap. Nuzzling his nose against her neck, he inhaled the perfumed scent of her skin. “I never get sick of anything about you.” His grin was full of mischief. “I know what I have on under my pajama bottoms, but I’m not sure what you’re hiding or not hiding. Want to clue me in?”
Lanier laughed gently. “No, but I won’t keep you from exploring on your own to find out.” Knowing she had nothing on under her shirt, she laughed inwardly. The shirt was long, but if she felt his nudity beneath his pajamas, he should be able to feel hers.
Instead of putting his hand under the shirt, Dallas began exploring her body through the soft material. At first touch, his manhood snapped to attention. As he had suspected, she wore nothing beneath the top. Slowly, tantalizingly, he stroked her smooth-as-silk bare legs. Gently clamping his mouth down over hers, he kissed her deeply, tasting and teasing her mouth with his tongue. He moaned with yearning.
As far as Dallas was concerned, Lanier was as sexy as women came, but she had an aura of innocence that had remained untouched. Thinking about the first time he’d made love to her always drove him a bit crazy. It was a night he’d never forget. She’d cried afterward, worried that he’d thought she’d been an easy conquest. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth. They had dated at least six months before giving in to one another.
They could’ve made love on the first night of meeting and Dallas would’ve still thought Lanier was a treasure. She had been a virgin. She had dated but had never found anyone who understood her. One previous relationship that had had potential hadn’t worked because the man she was involved with had been too immature to respect decisions she’d made for her life. Had she not fallen in love with him, Dallas was sure she would’ve ended it with him, too.
Lanier flashed her eyes at him. “Are you up for being seduced?”
Dallas opened his arms wide in a gesture of surrender. “Seduce me.”
Sliding her hand up under his pajama top, Lanier stroked Dallas’s broad chest. While rolling his nipple between her thumb and forefinger, she loved his jerking reaction to the sensations running through him. Her gentle giant was extremely sensuous and very sensitive. He never failed to let her know how much he ached for her.
Dallas rolled Lanier on top of his outstretched body. His hands slipped under the back of the shirt but went no farther than the top of her thighs. While massaging her flesh with his fingertips, it was hard to keep his hands off her sweet, firmly rounded buttocks. He had no intentions of denying himself the pleasure much longer.
It was hard for Lanier to keep from squirming. Dallas’s manhood was granite-hard, and she couldn’t help thinking of how wonderful it felt when he was inside her. The man knew how to satisfy her and held nothing back. She was glad he didn’t make her beg; dignity was a hard thing to muster up when she wanted him this badly. She couldn’t even count the times she’d awakened in the middle of the night desiring him like crazy, wanting to call him to come be with her. With young girls in the house, that wasn’t a luxury she had been privy to.
Looking up at her, he studied her stunning features. Desire was in her eyes, and he was sure his own eyes mirrored the same. “Let’s go into the bedroom.”
“Let’s not.” Looking over at the fireplace, she pointed at the plush white rug laid out in front of it. “I want you to take me there.”
Dallas’s heart took off to the races. “That I can deliver.”
Taking her by the hand, he led her over to the fireplace. Dallas lay down and guided her on top of him. He cupped her face in both his hands and kissed her thoroughly. It was now time to get down to serious business. Fully satisfying his beautiful woman was the only thing on his mind.
His hands once again snaked up under her shirt. This time his fingers went straight for her firm behind, squeezing it gently. Rolling her off him, he laid her on her back and hovered over her, kissing her until they both were breathless.
Dallas’s hands stroked her intimate core, his fingers probing inside where her flesh was soft, warm and wet. Knowing how much she liked foreplay, he did to her body all the things that drove her insane. His head began a slow descent to the lower part of her body and his mouth and tongue followed the same moisture-laden path his fingers had taken.
“Dallas, I’m ready, ready for you to take me there. Please…” She moaned softly.
“Hold on to me, baby. I’m as ready as you are. I love you, Lanier.”
Pushing up her shirt, he exposed her nakedness, his eyes roving over her body for an instant. Poised slightly above her, he lowered his body just enough to gain him entry. Heavy gasps escaped his lips as he slowly made his way inside her, where their body heat mingled, inducing a firestorm within.
Time and time again, he plunged in and out of her, stroking slowly and tenderly. Dallas continuously filled her up with his hardened flesh. Lanier matched his exquisite strokes, rising up to meet each one, drawing him as deep into her as he could go.
Clinging to Dallas as if he were a lifeline, Lanier felt her body shaking, rattling and rolling. As her climax came upon on her with uncontrollable force, tears of passion streamed from her eyes. “Yes,” she cried out, “yes.”
Every time Dallas made love to Lanier it was different, but it was always spectacularly physical and highly charged with emotions. Feeling his body shuddering hard then slowly going numb, he buried his face against her shoulder, tremendously enjoying the powerful release. He’d never admit it to her, but making love to her wore him out completely.
Dallas awakened and found that Lanier had already gotten up. He knew she hadn’t left because he’d driven her there. Getting up from the floor, he stumbled languidly toward the back of the house. As he entered the master bedroom, he heard water running in the adjoining bathroom. A peek inside the room revealed a naked Lanier standing under cascading water inside the glass-enclosed shower. He stood there and stared at her for several seconds, mesmerized by her beauty.
Dallas entered the bathroom, opened the shower door and stepped inside.
Lanier turned, smiling brightly at him. “I wanted to wake you before I came in here, but you looked so peaceful.” She wound her arms around his neck. “I’m glad you came looking for me.”
Lanier adjusted the water temperature to Dallas’s preference. Like her, he was into steamy hot water with lots of bubbles and oils. Picking up a tube of wild cherry blossom shower gel and a bath sponge, Lanier scrubbed his body, standing on tiptoes to reach his shoulders.
Drenching the sponge with water, Lanier drizzled out the sudsy liquid all over his body. As she moved down to his genitals, she couldn’t help smiling broadly at how well-endowed Dallas was, even when not aroused.
After Lanier rinsed off Dallas, she grabbed a bottle of shampoo. He loved it when she washed his hair, and she jumped right into it, lathering up his waves and scrubbing his scalp vigorously.
After stepping out of the shower, Dallas and Lanier took turns drying off each other’s bodies. Large bath sheets easily extracted the moisture from their water-soaked skin. As they took turns applying lotion to their limbs, they felt totally relaxed. Lanier knew she could fall back to sleep at the drop of a hat, but that’d have to wait.
After slipping into his bathrobe, Dallas playfully tousled her hair, which now hung completely straight from the moisture. “Are you hungry?”
“After that vigorous romp on the carpet, I’m starving. What do you have in mind?” She slipped on a white bathrobe Dallas held open for her.
He looked at a clock on the black-and-gold granite dressing table. “It’s too late to have anything delivered in. Let’s just go raid the refrigerator. I bought groceries recently, so we’ll have lots of goodies to choose from.”<
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Lanier chuckled. “I’m all for goodies.” Walking up to Dallas, she stood on tiptoes and kissed him passionately. “I’m eager to see what you shopped for. At 3:00 a.m., it’s closer to breakfast time than anything else, but I’m not in the mood for that.”
Dallas’s humongous futuristic kitchen had a wraparound breakfast bar and endless cherrywood cabinets, burnished granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. The flooring was made of beautiful earth-tone slate tiles, complemented by a matching backsplash. Lanier always had a good laugh when she opened the built-in refrigerator, the largest one she’d ever seen.
Lanier turned around to say something to Dallas, but he was nowhere in sight. Although he had given her permission to get anything she wanted, she still preferred them to pick out something together.
In the refrigerator Lanier spotted several packets of deli-cut luncheon meats wrapped in white paper. Dallas loved to make huge sandwiches drowned in mayonnaise and mustard.
Pulling a couple of packages from the bin, she read the labels: smoked turkey and salami. She put back everything but the smoked turkey and took out a loaf of whole-wheat bread, which she used to make sandwiches. She made Dallas a triple-decker sandwich, which was how he liked it.
Carrying a sweet-potato pie in his hand, Dallas came in from the garage. “See what I got. Mom held it back for me. Since you fixed three pies, she thought I should take one home.”
“Your mom has your back.” Lanier cracked up. “I’m glad she saved you one so I can help you eat it. Your sandwich is ready. Where do you want to eat?”
“At the breakfast bar. I don’t see any chips or pretzels. I’ll get them. Go ahead and sit down,” Dallas instructed.
“I know how you love your salty snacks. Sorry I forgot to put out some.”
“No big deal. You took care of the main course. I can’t wait to bite into that sandwich.”
“Triple-decker, just how you like it. I can’t deal with all that bread. Three slices in one sitting is calorie hell for me.”
Dallas laughed. “Do you see how big I am? The way I work out, that little bit of bread doesn’t stand a chance of becoming a problem for me. What do you want to drink?”
Lanier wanted hot tea, but she didn’t want to keep Dallas from eating his sandwich. If she said what she wanted, he’d fix it. “Do you have any Diet Coke with lime?”
“I keep your favorite drink on hand. I’ll get you one. I know you want ice.”
“Please.”
In less than a minute Dallas came back to the breakfast bar with a bag of chips and a Coke and ice for Lanier. He set the items on the counter and mounted a bar stool with ease.
Lanier bit into her sandwich. The meat tasted as fresh as the lettuce and tomatoes. She wasn’t a regular sandwich eater, but this one was delicious. “Where’d you get your meat?”
“Harden’s Deli. Dad buys special cuts of beef from a butcher friend he’s patronized since we were kids. Dad has Mr. Harden divide a whole cow and give each of us equal portions. When my brothers and I see that we have a lot left from the previous purchase, we tell Dad to exclude us until next time.”
“He pays for it, too?”
“If we’d let him. We love his generosity, but he taught us that men handle their own business. He can’t argue with his own teachings.”
“I guess not. It must be nice to have lots of money at your disposal. I often wonder what it’d be like to shop and not look at prices.”
Dallas chuckled. “Little darling, it’s not like that with us. Our parents don’t buy anything that’s not on sale. You should see Mom pouring over grocery ads. She goes to several stores before she’s through with her weekly shopping. Angelica Carrington is what we call a professional shopper. She gets a bang from every buck.”
Lanier laughed. “I know she shops for clothing that way. I’ve been to the mall with her.”
Dallas nodded. “If it’s not on sale, she’s not buying it. That’s how rich people stay wealthy.”
If you were my wife, you could have anything your heart desired. Price wouldn’t even enter into it. All you’d have to do is pick out what you want and take it to the register. I’d buy you the world if it was up for sale.
The couple grew silent, concentrating on eating and drinking.
As Dallas thought back on the evening, he was pleased more by the latter part than its onset. Learning that Austin and Ashleigh were pregnant again had made him happy, but it had also made him long for a family of his own. Dallas didn’t want to be an old father. Like his father, he wanted to be involved in every aspect of his kids’ lives. If he had sons, he hoped they’d be interested in playing sports, but he’d love them no less if they chose to play the piano, sing in the choir or enter into some other profession of their own choosing. He’d feel the same way about daughters.
Lanier nudged Dallas with her shoulder. “Where are you? I feel like I’m here alone.”
Leaning over, Dallas kissed her on the chin. “I’m here, babe. Just got caught up in thinking about the dinner at Houston’s. Sorry if I made you feel left out.”
Happy for his attention, she laid her head on his shoulder. “Want anything else to eat?”
“I’m good. What about you?”
“Couldn’t eat another bite. Once I clean up in here, I’d like to go to bed.”
“Okay. I’ll get dressed and take you home. Leave the kitchen. I’ll get it when I come back from your place.”
Lanier suddenly looked disheartened. “I didn’t say I wanted to go home. I want to go to sleep in your bed. If that’s not what you want, I’ll get dressed.”
“Sweetheart, you know I want you here with me. When will you get it through your thick skull that I love wrapping you up in my arms? I can’t believe that after all this time you can’t say to me exactly what you mean. It’s frustrating when I have to try and second-guess you.”
“I don’t see it that way.”
“You never do. It’s kind of insulting when you make negative assumptions about me. I don’t know what you want or need if you don’t tell me. I’m also left to assume. When you said you wanted to go to bed, I assumed you meant your bed. Had you said I’m ready to get into your bed, I wouldn’t have had to assume. It’s not that difficult to make yourself clear.”
Lanier didn’t want to argue. Without commenting, she got down off the stool and took her plate and glass over to the sink, where she rinsed everything off and stacked it all in the dishwasher. She then went back for Dallas’s plate and glass, repeating the same steps.
Coming up behind Dallas, she wound her arms around him, kissing his neck. “One day I’m going to stop assuming that you don’t want me around. You let me know that you want me in so many ways, but my uncertainty continues. I’m going to get into your bed.”
She felt Dallas’s eyes intently on her as she left the kitchen. She had managed to frustrate him yet again. Getting into bed and falling asleep was on her mind. She didn’t want to go home. He wanted her to stay, and she desired to sleep in his arms.
Lanier went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth with a toothbrush Dallas had given her the first night she’d stayed there. After running warm water over a facecloth, she wiped off her face and hands.
“Bedtime,” she said to herself. “I’m going to sleep like I’ve been deprived for weeks.”
Dallas hadn’t come back to the room yet, so she took off the robe and got in bed. After she turned off the bedside lamp, she pulled the comforter up over her nude body.
Dallas entered the master bedroom and went straight through to the bathroom. Because Lanier’s eyes were closed, he thought she was asleep. At the same time, he hoped she wasn’t. He hadn’t gotten his good-night kiss. In fact, he wouldn’t mind receiving a few more kisses from the lady with the sweetest lips.
His hope for her was total freedom from a past that still had her bound. The new Lanier she’d been revealing to him was intriguing and happy-go-lucky. The highlights in her hair had told him how much she was ready to breathe life into a new image of herself.
To tell the truth, he loved Lanier no matter what. To only love certain parts of a person wasn’t true love. Dallas didn’t want her to make changes for him; he wanted Lanier happy and in love with herself. Communication was everything, and she had to find a way to do it effectively.
Deciding to let her sleep, Dallas shed his robe and climbed in between the sheets. “I love you,” he whispered. “Sleep peacefully.”
Lanier was a light sleeper. Dallas getting into bed aroused her, yet she continued to lie perfectly still. Then she slowly scooted across the bed. Without uttering a word, she laid her head on Dallas’s chest and covered his heart with her hand.
Lowering his head slightly, he leaned it against hers and closed his eyes. This was what he wanted every night for the rest of his life, but their professions wouldn’t allow it to happen until he retired. Plans began to form in his head as he lay there, mentally designing their future.
The peace Lanier experienced lying in Dallas’s arms was perfect. Neither of them had to speak a word for everything between them to feel okay. She didn’t have to wonder if he was quiet because she’d said or done something wrong. This sweet man could lift Lanier up just being near her. She desperately wanted to be worthy of a man as wonderful as he. She loved that he didn’t want her to change anything about herself for him.
Tempted by a Carrington Page 10