Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4)

by D. D. Lorenzo

  “No, but if it makes you happy I’ll make sure he addresses you like that more often.”

  The rest of the drive was a study of control. He was happy he’d paid attention to what she liked when they were in Vegas the last time.

  He loved watching how her eyes widened when they pulled up in front of the Bellagio. She was thrilled they were staying there. The suite he had selected was the kind of beautiful she deserved, and it was more than he’d imagined. It overlooked the Strip with an unobstructed view of the fountains. Everything about it defined luxury. She was speechless—and that made him very happy.

  “Do you like it?” His voice was gentle. He closed his arms around her waist, and pulled her to him. Her expression was one of wonder.

  “It’s so beautiful.” He placed a kiss against her temple and she leaned into the sensation of his lips against her skin.

  “I thought you might like it. It looked like your style.”

  She looked around as she breathed in the décor. She was overcome with a well-controlled display of emotion, but seeing her struggle with her composure pleased him more than if she had burst into tears.

  A bottle of champagne was on the table and sat chilling beside the flowers. Their private butler had introduced himself and, with Falcon’s permission, was opening the bottle. The man handed both glasses to him, and he in turn gave one to Paige. He looked deep into her eyes, feeling the affection reflected there.

  “To us, and the best life we can live.” He tipped his glass to hers as he wrapped his arm around her. Her eyes were moist with tears.

  “To us,” she answered softly.

  Another of the surprises was room service. That was another of the things she said she loved about getting away, so he arranged it. They had dinner in the suite, the dining room table set intimately for two. Candlelight flickered in multicolored shadows as it reflected off the smooth Italian marble. Her bare feet padded softly on the cool stone, and they moved over to the sofa to relax. Their view was perfect as the sky darkened in hues of cobalt, navy, and indigo. He’d chosen this room for the view of the fountains. It was another of her favorite things, although she had only seen them from the street. Tonight she would have her own personal viewing.

  The butler brought Falcon a scotch and sat a glass of wine on the tray in front of Paige. He relaxed against the plush cushioning and put his feet up on the ottoman. She snuggled against his side and they shared the peaceful aura that had surrounded them since they arrived.

  “Will there be anything else, sir?” The butler patiently waited while Falcon gave Paige a questioning glance. She shook her head ‘no’.

  “No, thank you,” he answered. “We’ll be fine for the rest of the night.”

  “Very well, sir. I will see you both in the morning. Don’t hesitate to call should you need anything.” He nodded to them both, and then exited the room via private elevator. Once he was gone, Falcon turned to Paige.

  “The fountains will be starting soon.”

  “Mmhmm.” She drew lazy patterns on his thigh with her fingers. He put his arm around her and stroked her neck and throat with his knuckles.

  “You’ve been very quiet today.”

  “I’m enjoying myself.” She tilted her head to give him better access. “I feel like I’m in sensory overload. The suite is a dream, the food was delicious, and I’m about to watch one of my favorite things: the fountains of the Bellagio against the black sky. I’m not sure I could find the right words to explain to you how I feel, but I know I love it.” She gazed up at him. “Thank you…for all of this.”

  He rested his chin against her hair. It was so silky and the sweet fragrance filled him as it assaulted his senses and his fingers played with the buttons of her blouse. It had been two weeks and he craved the feel of her skin. One by one he unfastened them, taking plenty of time to savor the touch. His fingers drifted across her midsection and she leaned back, allowing him better access. He toyed with the lacy edge of her bra, dipping his thumb underneath to tease her. She was as eager as he was and she fed his sensual appetite. As her desire mounted, he enjoyed the sweet sound of her breath quickening. A dewy flush spread across her pale skin, coloring it a pleasing pink. He took his time seducing her, playing under her clothes. He pushed the cup of her bra down, releasing a breast, and strummed his fingers on the globe. The sensitive tip hardened under his touch. He played there for a while, enjoying her reaction to the brush of his hand. He had purposely left the lights low instead of turning them off. He wanted her to get used to him seeing her body in the light. It was his intent that eventually she would see herself the way he did—beautiful, sensual, and feminine.

  Paige turned her body into his. Her lips begged to be taken and he stole them like a carnal bandit. She so willingly gave herself and his hands became more insistent. Physically and emotionally, she surrendered herself. The kiss grew more demanding and she completely melted. He so enjoyed the flavor of her. She whimpered and he lingered, enjoying the sweetness of her surrender and the taste of her submission.

  She pulled away and seductively locked his gaze. With her fingertips she pushed her blouse off her shoulders and it floated to the floor. Pulling her bra off of her shoulders, her hands disappeared behind her back. She unhooked her bra, now releasing both her breasts. The full mounds bounced lightly on her chest. As she teased him, her eyes never broke their connection. He enjoyed her striptease as she held her bra with one finger, and then dropped it at her feet. She bit her bottom lip and gave him a heated gaze as she ran her hands from her breasts to her stomach. She removed the rest of her clothes by wiggling out of them until she was completely bare.

  His gaze commanded her and his body responded to the effect she had on him. His erection was evident, the bulge restraining painfully against his zipper. Whether wantonly or unconsciously, she licked her lips as she savored the anticipation of their lovemaking. Continuing on her erotic quest her hands roamed over her hips and the lush curves behind her. He took a long sip of scotch, the burn equaling his heat, as Paige stepped out of the soft material beneath her toes. She straddled him placing one knee on each side of his hips. Her pupils dilated as she rocked against the cool metal of his zipper. She was sweet nectar to his thirsty libido and he loved that her former timidity was giving way to a new, sensual boldness.

  He lifted her as his fingers dug into her luscious backside, then dropped her on the hardness hidden inside his slacks. She gasped in surprise but he kept her there. Every little move she made pressed against her most sensitive spot. Her soft mews were returned by a groan. He sucked her bottom lip against his teeth with just enough pressure that she couldn’t pull away. She was a siren who’d awakened the beast within, and he planned to use her until he was satisfied. In one quick move he wrapped her legs so tightly around him that her cheeks were spread to their limit. Her hair tickled his arms as her head fell back, and he buried his face in her neck. He alternated nips and kisses as he carried her into the bedroom. Laying her down he enjoyed her breast, the tip held prisoner between his lips, and the moment he released her he unbuckled, unzipped, and removed his clothing in rapid succession. He sank between her thighs as he positioned himself at her entrance. Her welcoming heat was almost too much to bear and he sheathed himself in one powerful thrust. She cried out. He stilled and enjoyed the carnal view as he allowed her a moment to adjust to his size. Her body was a beautiful sacrifice to his lust and he loved how perfectly created she was.

  Moving slowly, tortuously and with long, feverish strokes, he rubbed and pressed against every nerve to assure the uppermost height of her pleasure. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the sensations but he wanted her to watch their bodies together.

  “Eyes on me, baby.” His voice was rough and the moment he spoke he felt her clench around him.

  She did as he asked, looking deep into his eyes as he drove their synchronized rhythm. Her skin heated and the impact of cool air against hot flesh caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. He drove h
imself into her sweetness and took away what was left of her control. She gasped with the mounting sensations and her mouth fell open as she moaned. Her legs tightened around him, equaling his lust, and she dug her delicate heels into his skin. Her willing immodesty was an addictive drug and the more he pumped the more he craved. His thrusts grew faster, harder, and deeper. The combination of her eyes on him, and her milking him from within, were almost too much to bear. He became primitive and plunged into her with a driving madness. She screamed out his name until he drove her over the edge of their maddening bliss. He rode the crest with her, thundering out his release.

  Warm eyes, the color of a rich wood, were gazing into his as he woke up. One arm was under her pillow, the other lay casually on his waist. He brushed the hair away from her eyes. Neither of them said a word. The moment was consumed by touch as they simply enjoyed the intimacy of stroking and holding each other.

  “I think we need food.” Paige’s smile of contentment filled his heart. He kissed her on the forehead.

  “Good thinking. I’ll be right back.”

  He felt her eyes on him as he exited the bedroom and came back with a tray filled with cheeses, bread, and fruit.

  “How did you do that so fast?” She sat up cross-legged and pulled her hair back.

  “I had him make it before he left. It was in the fridge.”

  The sheet fell around her waist. He sat the tray between them on the bed. When he leaned in to her, she grabbed his chin and gave him a light kiss.

  “I love a man with a plan.”

  “Lucky for you I always have one.”

  He placed a small piece of cheese in her mouth and noticed that she was unconsciously moving the bedding to hide her scars. His brow creased.

  “I’ve seen every inch of you. Why are you trying to hide yourself?”

  “I don’t know.” She cast her gaze down to the tray. “Habit, I guess.”

  “Uh huh.” He tilted her chin up. “I want you to understand something; those marks mean nothing to me, but I know they mean something to you.” He ran his thumb along her jaw and she turned her face into his palm. “I have another gift for you. It’s one that may make you feel less conscious about the scars. But you have to keep an open mind.”

  “What is it? Tell me.” Her puzzled expression accompanied a cute smirk.

  “No.” He held a piece of cheese for her to bite into. “I’ll show you instead. Tomorrow. And once I show you, you can decide if you’d like to have it.”

  All through the night, no matter how she pried, he refused to offer any more details. She was a determined little spitfire, he would give her that, but there was no way he was giving in and telling her what it was ahead of time. This could be a game changer. His lips were sealed. Finally, she gave up. She wasn’t happy but after they ate he smoothed her ruffled feathers with a hot shower. When they were done he wrapped her in a soft white robe taking the belt away so he’d have easy access to her body. He put one on as well and took her by the hand into the living room and sat down in an oversized chair, positioning it in front of the window. Pulling her onto his lap, he curled his fingers around her nape.

  “I love you, Paige. You’re everything I want, and more than I deserve. I want to make your dreams come true.”

  Just then, as if he’d planned it, the fountains came to life before her eyes.

  As I walked down the strip to meet Liz, I realized that for the first time in my life that I was truly happy. Last night had been magical. I was so glad that Falcon had a meeting this morning because I needed the walk down the Strip. It gave me some time to reflect.

  For someone like me who was so methodical about everything, being spontaneous was unchartered territory. If I was to be truthful with myself, I didn’t know what I was missing. I’d always adopted the ‘it is what it is’ attitude. That mindset kept me going for years. Although I would never say my happiness depended on Falcon, I had been much, much happier since I met him. From that first walk in the woods, he had changed my perspective. He was also changing my view of my childhood accident. I wasn’t a religious person. For as much as I believed in a god, I didn’t believe that he cared for me. I humored my parent’s faith, and never disrespected it. My mother used to tell me there was a reason for everything. That God’s timing was perfect, never early, never late. I listened but I didn’t really hear. When I became an adult, I remembered her words but never understood the meaning. Even though I was too young to understand faith, the accident compromised my future beliefs. My mom told me that God was always with me, but then I wondered where was He when I was burned? It was so much easier to believe that I was a peon in his kingdom of souls and I escaped his notice because he didn’t love me. When I had this discussion with Falcon, he asked me to consider that I might be wrong.

  I would never have considered my husband to be a man of faith. To look at him he didn’t look like a Christian; he was rough talking and tough looking, and he was covered with tattoos. But his faith was much deeper than I knew. He had a good argument. He talked about when he was deployed to Afghanistan and he told me how much he had to rely on his faith. He said that when you’re on the front lines you have no choice except to rely on God and your fellow soldiers. In the battlefield that statement could be taken literally, but in life your front line could be any situation that tested your faith because that was when it grew the strongest. It sounded good, and I was happy that he found someone he could rely on. I still couldn’t relate to his conviction, but he asked me to consider if the accident hadn’t made me who I was. I said that it made me strong, and the bullying refined my personality. So he asked me, to just once, look at everything I’d gone through from a different perspective; what if God didn’t put me through it, but he walked me through it? The concept was speculative at best, but certainly worth exploring.

  Interesting conversation was just one thing about him that I loved, and I was thankful that my friends were growing to care for him too. Elizabeth really liked him. She had asked us to go to lunch. I was meeting her now and Falcon would be joining us when he was finished. Now that our secret was out, she was anxious to see us both. I caught her up on the details of everything by telephone, but this was the first time I had seen her since my life had unraveled. Now that my marriage wasn’t considered a Vegas mistake, Falcon was certainly helping me to stitch it back together with colorful thread.

  It was gorgeous Las Vegas morning, as sunny as my new outlook and as warm as my introspection. Although Jorge was more than willing to drive me wherever I wanted to go, I chose to walk today instead. It was too lovely to do otherwise. The streets were a little less crowded in the morning, but certainly no less interesting. Most people were so focused on getting to their destination that they never paid attention to anything but themselves, but I wasn’t one of them. I was enjoying my walk down the Strip when a commotion from the side street diverted my attention. I wasn’t too far away to see what it was, but was shocked at what I saw. Blake was leaning against the corner of a building. It looked like he had kicked a trashcan over and was most likely the source of the noise Now he was as relaxed as I’d ever seen him. His head was tilted back while he blew rings of smoke from his cigarette. Anger quickly sparked within me. Why was he here, now? Was he following me? It felt like more than a coincidence, and it was the last thing I expected.

  I silently fumed and was quickly escalating from irritation to irate. Suddenly, everything came back to me with a blinding double punch—the attack in Vegas and his presumptive attitude. Rationale was something I had in short supply as I started toward him. He was so into himself that he didn’t even notice I was coming. I was running a race with sanity; I was much too close to back down and not far away to use common sense. He was an unpredictable douchebag and I was alone—and I didn’t care.

  “BLAKE!”

  My hands curled into fists as I shouted at him. He jumped to an upright position and jolted out of his stupor. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was shoc
ked to see me, so I dismissed the thought that he was following me. Still, I wanted to set him straight once and for all, and when I was done with him he would never want to come near me again.

  He looked to the left and right before he noticed me. I was waiting for his cocky attitude to surface, but instead he looked agitated.

  “Get out of here, Paige.” He wore a scowl. I presumed it was because Falcon nearly kicked his ass.

  “No! I’m not leaving until we get a few things straight.”

  I was foolish.

  This was ridiculous.

  He was crazy.

  I stopped right in front of him, my hands on my hips. “Why are you in Vegas? Are you following me? Because if you are, you’re going to stop!”

  “What?” He looked at his watch, and to the left and right again. Then he focused on me and became irate. “No! I’m not following you. Now, get the hell out of here!”

  He started to walk away from me, but he wasn’t getting away that fast. I grabbed his arm. He spun around and gave me a deadly look. His eyes were empty, black, and cold. An unwelcome shiver went down my spine, threatening my vigilante frame of mind. He looked down at my fingers as if he couldn’t believe I touched him. Without missing a beat, he wrenched his arm free and pushed me. I stumbled.

  “I said get the hell out of here! I’m not telling you again!” His chest heaved furiously as he took breaths of anger and indignation. I concentrated on regaining my balance’

  “Who the fuck is this, Matthews? I told you to come alone.”

  My head spun in the direction of the bastardizing voice. I could barely see the shadow of a man who jumped back into the building’s concrete shade. By the look on his face I could tell that Blake recognized the man, and that the two were supposed to meet.

  “I did come alone. She’s leaving.” He spat the words to the hidden man, and the air grew thick with tension. I couldn’t see the man’s face but I saw his gun and Blake’s head flew between us.