by LR Potter
“Cold?” he asked against her ear as he wrapped his arm around her and tucked her closer to his side.
“A little,” she replied.
“I’ll have to see what I can do to warm you up,” he said with a grin.
A wash of heat flowed over her body at just how he would warm her up, and she shivered.
They followed the sidewalk running between the two condominiums and entered the lobby of Dragon Towers II. He dropped his arm as they entered while retaining her hand. He reached into his back pocket and removed a keycard that would give them access to the penthouse from the elevator. She moved to the back of the elevator and leaned against the gold handrail as he inserted his keycard into the security panel for the penthouse.
When the doors slid shut, he turned and stared into her eyes with such intensity, she was forced to look away. In one step he was to her, and in the next instant, he had her pressed between him and the elevator wall. As if unable to stop himself, he pressed his lips against hers and forced her lips opened with his. He slid his tongue over hers, causing her to cling to his rock-hard arms for support. He cradled her face within his strong hands and kissed her until she struggled to breathe. He urgently ran his hands over her shoulders to her back and pressed her closer to his body. She felt the evidence of his arousal against her belly and trembled in nervous anticipation, not knowing what to expect.
The elevator doors opened and he slowly eased his lips from hers. As if he hated to break the contact, he stepped slowly away from her. He trailed his hands down until he clasped both of her hands within his own. He stared once again into her face and began to step backward, leading her out of the elevator. Once she became aware of something other than him, she gasped. One entire wall of the suite was made up of walled glass. The view of the city lights was spectacular.
The condo was painted a soft taupe color and accented with rich deep woods. A two-sided fireplace separated the living room from the kitchen. A burning fire was the only light aside from two lit tapered candles on the small intimate dining table. She thought how different this warm room was compared to the cold, formal room of her father’s.
She lifted her eyes back to his and he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.
“Welcome. Can I take your wrap?” he asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
Hesitantly, she shook her head.
“Would you like a glass of wine? I have a nice selection of local wines.”
“That would be nice,” she replied softly.
“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the couch, and I’ll get us a bottle.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
She set her purse down on a side table as he draped her wrap over the back of one of the dining room chairs, keeping her eye until the kitchen wall blocked her from his view. She crossed the room, taking in the rich leather furniture, the bearskin rug in front of the fireplace, and the jewel-toned accessories strategically placed on bookcases.
She sat on the couch’s edge and once again ran her hands nervously over her thighs. She straightened when Rush entered carrying two glasses of pale, golden wine.
She cleared her throat. “You have a lovely home,” she said.
He handed her the wine. “Thanks.” He sat next to her and leaned his side into the back of the couch with one leg bent on the couch between them. He casually laid one arm across the back of the couch so that he was facing her fully.
He stared at her for a long moment, his eyebrows bunched as if he were trying to decide something. He lifted his glass to hers. As the glasses clinked together, he said, “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too,” she replied quietly. Keeping her eyes on his, she lifted the glass to her lips. The wine was crisp, but sweet. She licked the residue from her lips nervously, and he watched her actions closely. The dim light in the room made the atmosphere between them seem much more intimate.
He lifted his glass and took a speculative sip. “So, tell me about your father, the Judge,” he said.
She blinked her surprise at the question; it wasn’t what she was expecting. She sat back a little further and turned her shoulder into the back of the couch so she faced him as well.
“What do you want to know?” she asked.
“Are you close?”
“Of course. Since my mother died, it’s just been he and I. While he can be a tad overprotective, I know he loves me.”
“Was it him calling you last night?”
She inhaled deeply and looked down at her glass. Guilt was beginning to creep into her being. Guilt at leaving her father who’d just been shot and was lying in a hospital. Guilt for the angry words she’d spewed at him. Guilt for being here when her father needed her. A gentle hand on her shoulder had her lifting her gaze back to his.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I just realized how terribly selfish I am.”
He chuckled. “I doubt that. How are you being terribly selfish?”
She gave a wry twist of her lips and looked back down at her wine. “The day before yesterday, my father…” she hesitated, not wanting to go into detail, “…was hurt. He’s in the hospital right now.”
She glanced up to see his eyebrows arched at her. “And… you hurt him?” he smirked.
She gave a small laugh. “No. But I should be home helping him instead of here. He just made me so mad with his control-freakery.”
“Control-freakery?” he asked.
“For whatever reason, my father feels he should control every aspect of my life. On one hand I get it – he lost my mother in a tragic way and he doesn’t want anything to happen to me. But he just takes things to such extremes. He had my phone tracked, for goodness sakes.”
He contemplated her as he sipped his wine. “Hence the violence you unleashed on the despicable device.”
“Exactly.”
“Is your father alone?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, he has a bodyguard with him all the time, and Ms. Gibbons, our housekeeper.”
“Is he going to be okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I think so. He’ll probably be home in a day or two.”
“It sounds as if he can take care of himself,” he said. “Don’t beat yourself up.”
“I’m angry at myself because I told him to stop treating me like a child, and yet, that’s exactly how I acted.”
“Sometimes it takes a drastic action to get someone’s attention,” he murmured as he lifted his wineglass to his lips.
She sighed. “Well, I certainly did that. I just did it in the wrong way. He’s been through a lot and has enough to worry about without adding me into the mix. I’ve never defied him like this.”
Rush leaned forward and grabbed ahold of her hand. “You’re being way too hard on yourself.” He studied her for a long time. “Can I ask you something personal?” At her nod, he continued. “Do you remember anything about when you and your mom were abducted?”
She blinked, once again surprised at the question. “Umm… yes,” she answered softly.
He stared at her intently as he ran his thumb over the knuckles of her hand. “What do you remember?” he asked just as softly.
She watched the wine in her glass as she swirled it round and round. “I was pretty young, almost ten. My mom and I had gone to the movies. I’d begged her for weeks to see the Lion King.” She bit off a bitter laugh. “I wish everyday, I’d never even heard of the Lion King. We were on our way home when a car ran us off the road. I remember my mother’s hands were trembling so much she dropped her cellphone on the floorboard of the car. When she leaned over to get it, a man in a black ski-mask broke out her window.” Trinity shivered from a cold that rose from deep within. “Two other guys in similar ski-masks opened the door and snatched my mother out. She screamed so loud it hurt my ears. One of them punched her so hard in the side of her head that she never woke up. Just like that… s
he was gone…” she trailed off as memories of the past invaded her. She cleared her throat before continuing. “After they snatched me out of the car, they blindfolded me and shoved me into the backseat of another car. I don’t know how long we drove, but eventually I was led into a small room. The only thing in the room was a wooden chair, which had been bolted to the floor. They tied me to the chair and left me there. I remember being so scared. There were no windows in the room and it was so dark. I didn’t realize my mother had been killed at that point, so I kept waiting for her to come and save me… but she never did.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
She blinked up at him, almost forgetting where she was. Shifting uncomfortably, she said, “As you said… it was a long time ago.”
Leaning forward, he set his wineglass on the glass table in front of the couch. He picked up a remote and clicked a button. Suddenly, music began playing softly from speakers hidden around the room. He rose and extended a hand to her. “Dance with me,” he commanded in soft tones.
With a small shake of her head to ward off the bad memories, she placed her hand in his and he pulled her up until their bodies were touching. He gave her an opportunity to set her glass down before tugging her into the middle of the room. He captured her hands with his and slid them up behind his neck before he moved his hands down to her waist. Her heart began to thud in her chest and visions of the past slowly faded away.
In slow, easy movements, he moved them in small circles in time to the music. He moved one hand to her hip and the other slid up to cup the back of her neck. Holding her steady, he gently forced her head back with his thumb against her jaw. He lowered his lips and placed soft kisses down the column of her neck. She inhaled sharply at the touch of his lips against her skin.
“You have the softest skin,” he murmured.
He raised his head to stare into her eyes, drawing her under his spell. She moved a trembling hand to run it against his ruggedly beautiful face – a face that could make angels weep. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. When she ran her finger across his lips, he nipped it gently before sucking the fingertip into his mouth. She gasped at the sensation.
Leaning down, he captured her lips with his own. With a minimal amount of pressure, he forced her mouth open to allow him access. With deliberately slow, soft touches, he explored her mouth. She ran her hands down his chest and encircled his waist. He placed her face within his hands and deepened the kiss. The silky slide of his tongue against hers made her strain up into the kiss. She gasped when he nipped her bottom lip gently. Fire began to burn in her belly as his aggression grew.
Abruptly, and with his chest heaving, he pulled his lips from hers and brushed them against her temple. She felt the column of his neck move as he swallowed hard. Stepping back from her, he caught one of her hands with his and slowly turned, moved quickly to the dining room table, and extinguished the candles. Slowly, he began to walk out of the room and down a hall. Her heart began to pound when he led her into the master suite. She had only an instant to glimpse the blue glow in the room which was lit by a massive fish tank. The backlight of the tank caused shadows of waves to be reflected against three of the four walls. Like the living room, the fourth wall was glass. The overall effect was surreal and sensual.
He led her to the bed and sat down on the edge and pulled her to stand between his thighs. She placed her hands on his shoulders.
“I want you,” he murmured.
Instead of replying, she leaned forward and touched her lips lightly to his.
After the brief contact and while maintaining eye contact, he slowly lowered his hands to curve over her bottom to the end of her short dress. Sensually, he ran his hands slowly up the bare skin of the back of her thighs until he touched the edge of black panties. She gasped at the sensation. With deliberate slowness he ran his hands down her legs and helped to remove her shoes. Being out of her shoes put her closer to his level. Running his arms around her, he unhurriedly unzipped her dress. Reaching up, he tugged at the halter tie at the back of her neck. Sinfully, the silky material of the dress swirled around her body, falling to the floor.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze to follow the curve of her body: her breasts, her trim waist, and then lower still. She trembled beneath his hands. He moved his eyes back to hers as he ran his hands once more over her bared back and panty-covered bottom. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the soft skin above her belly.
He pulled her gently onto his chest as he fell back on the bed. He rolled her until she was underneath him. The sensation of the cool bedding compared to the scorching heat he radiated made her groan. He brushed her long hair out of her face and gently traced the angles of her face.
“So very beautiful,” he whispered.
He pressed kisses behind her ear and then down her neck. He ran his hands lightly over her breasts, causing her to arch her back at the intimate contact. His lips followed the path his hands blazed. With soft, sensuous licks, he kissed each breast. The fire in her belly which had begun as a small flickering flame was becoming a blazing inferno. She grabbed his head and held it tight against her. She groaned at the sensation of his soft, firm lips against her skin. Each suck and pull of his lips against her breasts caused ripples of fire-hot desire to zip through her body – starting from where his lips were, down to her very core.
As he kissed and nipped her breasts, he rubbed his erection over and over against her. Even through his jeans and her panties, she could feel the hard length of him and she shivered in need. Moving from her, he lay beside her and slowly slid her panties down and off. She trembled with a variety of emotions as his hand glided over her taunt stomach down to stroke her intimately, causing her once more to arch off the bed. He moved his lips back up the column of her neck and plunged his tongue into her mouth as she moaned and writhed under his expert touch.
He lifted his lips from hers and asked raggedly, “Are you on birth control?”
She stilled and gave a small shake of her head.
“It’s okay, I’ve got condoms here.”
Rising quickly, he stepped to a side-table, slid a drawer open, and withdrew a packaged condom from a box. He moved back to the foot of the bed and began to strip his clothes off in the bluish glow of the room. He raked her body with his eyes as he snatched off his clothes. His body was magnificent. His shoulders were broad and his chest and stomach muscles were finely chiseled and well-defined. She couldn’t believe this gorgeous man wanted her. He placed the condom package between his teeth and slowly tore it open. His eyes were nearly black with desire and his stare promised her salvation from the intense yearning filling her body. With practiced ease, he applied the condom and climbed over her, settling between her thighs. Her heart began to pound. This was really happening. She swallowed against the nerves which threatened to overtake her.
He caught her hands within his and raised them up above her head. As he positioned his body against her, he leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. “I hope you’re as ready for me as I am for you,” he groaned. Her breathing was laborious and her heart thudded almost painfully against her ribs.
She swallowed hard when she felt him pressed intimately against her. Even though it felt as if fire were being forced through her veins, a small fission of fear began to thread its way through her. She pulled her hands loose from his, captured his face, and pushed it gently away from her own. Breathing heavy, she whispered, “Rush, I’ve never been… done… this before.”
His body stilled and he stiffened immediately. Slowly, he opened his eyes to gaze down at her with his jaw clenched. “You’re a virgin?” he asked incredulously.
She swallowed against the near accusation. “Yes.”
His chest was heaving as he struggled to rein in his lust. He swore softly.
Not liking the distance now between them, she withered and whimpered beneath him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to bridge the distance between their bodies. “Please,”
she begged. “I don’t want you to stop, I just wanted you to know,” she explained.
He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. Seeming to reach a decision, he eased himself off of her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” He turned and sat once more on the edge of the bed, his back to her, as he ran brutal hands through his hair.
Want, need, frustration, longing, and unbelievable hurt flooded her. Embarrassment came in as a close second to her other emotions. She sat up and drew her knees up to help cover her nakedness. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.
Taking a deep breath as he panted to regain his equilibrium, he said, “I… I just can’t do this. In a dead voice, he said, “Please get dressed and I’ll take you back.” He rose as he spoke and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Shame and embarrassment flooded her. She scrambled off the bed, and while keeping an eye on the bathroom door, she snatched up Sundra’s dress and shoes. She searched frantically for her panties. Not finding them right away, she turned a panicked eye to the bathroom door and decided to just forget them. Struggling to hold back tears of mortification, she stumbled into the doorframe and into the hall. She snatched her clutch purse off the side table and with hands that trembled she pushed the elevator call button. She scrambled into the dress and was tying it at her neck when the door pinged. She fell through the doors as they opened. With frantic hands, she hit all the elevator buttons, praying the doors would hurry and close. She leaned back against the gold handrail just as she had done earlier in the night. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of a panicked, near naked Rush, as the doors slid blessedly closed.
Because of the way she’d hit the buttons, the elevator stopped at every floor. She hurried out the elevator doors into the lobby. Shame colored her cheeks as she walked out carrying her shoes. She could only imagine how she looked. She avoided direct eye-contact with anyone she passed, humiliated at her obvious walk of shame. She raised a hand to smooth her hair back into place and strove to regain some control. She shivered against the cold when she stepped out into the late night air and thought briefly of Sundra’s wrap lying across the chair upstairs. She walked quickly back down the sidewalk that she’d previously walked on happily just hours before.