by Barb Han
“Shhh,” he said as he leaned forward closing the distance between them and pressing his lips against hers to quiet them.
“I shouldn’t.” But her hands tunneled in his dark mane pulling his face closer to hers. Her body craved contact even as her mind told her not to.
His gaze locked onto hers possessively as his thumb grazed her bottom lip.
It quivered.
“I need to—”
“No more arguments,” was all he said. All he had to say.
She couldn’t fight the primal urges rushing through her any more than she could make it rain in the desert. Lying back, she closed her eyes and gave in to the warm current of desire pulsing between her thighs.
His hefty frame blanketed her before she could take in another breath.
He ripped the sheet off and took a moment to stare at her.
“Jesus Christ, you’re beautiful.”
She gave a throaty sigh at the sensation of his thumb against her bare sensitized skin. Her breasts were heavy with want, craving his touch, and they strained.
His thumb grazed her nipples. They reacted instantly, flowering. A little moan escaped before she could suppress it.
Her head fell back, and her lips parted.
“Daegen...” Had she ever imagined desiring a man so deeply? The pull toward him was even stronger. A force of its own, incapable of being rationalized away no matter how strong the arguments.
His soft full lips blanketed hers, swallowing her protest. Her breasts lifted underneath the erotic ecstasy of his touch as he stroked their peaks. A low moan escaped as she felt him palm her breasts.
Sensation shot through her, quickening her breath, parting her lips more. More. She wanted more. Craved more.
Her body, alive with awareness, strained underneath his exquisite touch.
For moments upon endless moments, he stroked and caressed her breasts until she could hardly endure the fiery sensations burning through her body, lighting her senses, awakening every inch of her. Awareness trilled every cell.
Defenseless, Rae succumbed to her physical need. She set aside her fear of being vulnerable to leave herself wide open to the very hurt and pain she feared most. She had to be with Daegen. If only for a moment. This moment.
Daegen’s eyes lifted, locking onto her gaze. His expression softened, and he swept her into his arms and carried her into his bed where he gently placed her on top of the crumpled duvet. And when those gorgeous lips of his claimed her mouth, possessively marking her as his, she got lost.
His fingers stroked her body as his warm hand flushed a hot trail along her skin where he touched.
He seemed to feel as much pleasure as she did from his fingers exploring her body and then gliding over her nipples, teasing them as they strained. He groaned a feral, throaty growl as his hand cupped the bare skin of her full breasts.
“You are as beautiful as ever,” he said before lowering his head. He took a nipple in his mouth, his tongue gliding and licking along the crest. Urgent sensations rose throughout Rae’s body.
Defenseless, her body took over. Her hands moved along the strong, solid muscles of his back.
His hand slid down her stomach and moved between her legs. “You’re incredible. Just as I remember. Magnificent.”
Strong and male, he was naked in a split second. One look at his masculine body and Rae’s heart drummed. Her face flushed. She took in the rippled muscles of his chest down his perfectly toned stomach. To say he worked out was a lot like saying summers in Texas were hot. Those piercing dark eyes of his—pupils small as specks from desire—darted over her body, eagerly and hungrily, leaving a hot trail of desire in their wake.
He fumbled with a condom and sheathed himself.
Braiding her fingers with his, he raised her hands above her head.
Slowly, he entered her with his tip. Every muscle in his body tightened and tensed.
Rae moaned as she opened her legs a little more for him, moving her hips in rhythm with his.
Her breasts swelled to the point her hard nipples ached to feel his skin, she wriggled her hips until he reached a little deeper. A long, slow moan released as his gaze locked onto hers.
An animal sound released from his throat, and it was sexy as hell.
Now her fingers glided along the lines of his body. He tensed and eased further inside her.
She gasped. “More. Now.”
He made a final deep thrust, reaching her core. Her body flowered, and she could feel his tight-gripped control falter and his body shake. She loved knowing she made him feel that way.
His guttural groan was so damn sexy Rae almost climaxed right then.
Her body arched and released. Her eyes closed. The tension in her muscles tightened and stretched. She arched again while her hands clutched at him, tugging and clinging, pulling him into her deeper and deeper as their bodies molded into one.
She could feel his heart pounding, his breathing rasp as he thrust deeper inside her until she came undone in his arms.
His body went rigid...his muscles tensed...his pupils dilated to specks...his eyes closed and his release thundered with a deep animal-like growl.
He didn’t move right away.
“Wish I could stay here, inside you, all day,” he said, his gaze locked on hers.
His coppery eyes were intense.
They fit together so naturally. Everything in the world righted itself with Daegen this close.
He shifted his weight and rolled onto his back.
“You need to rest, dammit,” he grunted.
She turned to look at him to figure out why he suddenly sounded frustrated. He was already hard again. Desire threaded through her. She reached out to his shaft.
He caught her hand. “No.”
“But—”
“Believe me, I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone or anything in my life.” He pulled her into the crook of his arm and cradled her head on his chest. “I promised to take care of you, remember?”
The corners of his lips turned up in his sexy closed-mouth grin. “I don’t break my promises.”
Rae curled against him, feeling safe in his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Eight
Rae woke with a start. Her gaze flew to the alarm clock. She’d been asleep for another five hours. This was the most sleep she’d gotten in a single stretch in months.
She grabbed a robe and searched for Daegen. She was surprised to find him outside sitting on the porch watching the sunset while sipping his usual neat Scotch. She also noticed on the table next to him sat a full glass of wine. Her glass. And for a moment she wished like anything they could stay there forever, history between them be damned.
Rae finally knew what it was to be happy. Surely this kind of happiness didn’t last anyway. It would be short lived as all happiness had been in her life up until then. To flirt with the thought it could stick around was a children’s story-worthy fantasy. Laughable really.
Oh, but the wonderful sparks that had been burned into her memory.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as his arms reached for her and looped around her waist pulling her down on his lap. His strong hard chest pressed against the small curve of her back.
“My father,” she lied. “Did they call?” How could she tell him she was already facing the pain of when she would leave again?
“He’s resting peacefully. His health is improving.” Daegen shifted her position until he could touch her face. An emotion Rae couldn’t discern crossed his features. As he gazed down at her, she allowed his lips to graze hers, easing them apart.
“That’s good news. Did they say when I could visit?”
“Tomorrow. They gave him something to help him sleep.”
Her body responded to his lightest touch, moving against his like they danced to a secret rhythm.
Rae’s life had been about carefully guarding her plans, making certain she wouldn’t end up vulnerable and exposed, ensuring she
could hold her own no matter what life handed her. Because she’d had a hell of a lot to deal with over the years and she’d done fine depending on herself. Hadn’t she?
Not wanting to deal with that, she turned to Daegen instead. She could feel his erection against her backside. She felt a jolt, like a thunderclap, of desperate aching need for him. Her body cried out to feel his skin against hers.
Without hesitating, his hands went to the hem of her robe. A deep growl rose from his chest as he lifted it.
He took her by the hand and led her back to the bed. Awake, alive with desire, with a need for him to be skin-to-bare-naked-skin, she tugged at the waistline of his boxers.
Daegen stripped them off faster than she could settle on the bed.
Rae lay back and reached up to touch him, but he stopped her. “No. I want to really look at you.”
“But—” was all she could get out before his lips crushed down on hers, his gaze locked on hers the entire time.
He was telling her to trust him.
****
They would make love on Daegen’s terms this time. He’d been more than patient so far. His body ached with need. For Rae.
He marked every curve of her lithe body as his, trialing a line from her nipple to her kneecap. He couldn’t imagine wanting a woman more than he wanted her. Now.
“God, you’re sexy.” He breathed into her thick mass of curly hair.
A red blush crawled up her neck to her cheeks, flushing her silky porcelain skin. “Me? No—”
“Stop. Don’t say it.” That Rae’s beauty somehow embarrassed her tugged at Daegen’s heart. Didn’t she know? Couldn’t she see? She was the most beautiful woman. That she let down her guard enough to allow him access to see her, really see her, brought to life every protective instinct inside him.
All rational thought disappeared, replaced by the very real feel of her hands on his body. To hell with reality. Happiness moved through him, allowing a peek of light into his heart, and he planned to grab hold.
Daegen rolled his tongue around her nipple, taking her pointed peak in his mouth. She groaned. Sexy. Feral. Causing his tongue to flick and play as every one of his nerve endings, every cell in his body heightened with familiarity.
Her fingers dug into his hair as his tongue swirled and licked.
He positioned his hips between her open thighs. He bucked and his erection plunged inside her where he buried himself. Home.
With every drive of his hips, he reached deeper inside her. His sensations climbed, rocketing him beyond the sky. Driving. Exploding.
Her body shook, and she breathed his name as her muscles tightened and released around him. She had so completely given everything of herself to him.
Her heart beat against his chest in perfect rhythm with his.
Damn that weakness made him want to stay with her like this forever.
There was no reason to fight the truth. The state of ecstasy he found himself in wouldn’t be permanent. No reason to bargain with the devil to make this last longer.
She’d walked out once, and she’d do it again.
****
A crack of thunder woke Rae with a start. She’d been lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, clinging to the fleeting feeling of happiness, knowing how quickly it would disappear.
Daegen’s ringtone blared from the next room.
“I’ll be right back,” he said as he pulled on his shirt.
He returned with fresh coffee cups in hand wearing a solemn expression. “I have to go.”
“It’s about to rain.”
“Someone spotted the herb. If I don’t go now, I risk losing the trail to mud,” he said, his dark brow furrowed. “My son’ll be here soon.”
Three’s a crowd. “How do you feel about seeing him for the first time?”
“Nervous. Excited.” He glanced at the clock.
A dark thought hit her. With the way the paparazzi hung on his every move, a woman could lie to try to get a piece of the Tan fortune. She needed to ask the question delicately. She took his hand and squeezed. “Are you sure he’s really yours?”
“I am now.”
“You’ve had him tested.” It was then she noticed the needle prick on Daegen’s arm. “And you’ve obviously been to the doctor as well.”
His serious gaze intensified.
At least now she knew where Daegen had disappeared to.
After long moments of silence, he finally broke the quiet. “I need something from you. Will you stay here in case I’m not back in time?”
“Why me? Can’t you wait for him?” Panic gripped her. She’d be a total stranger to the boy. She didn’t want to scare him. His world had already been turned on its hinges.
“I don’t want to lose the trail again. If I don’t go, everything will be lost.”
Thunder sliced through the air overhead.
“I don’t know, Daegen. Is it safe out there?”
“For me? Yes. I sent a text to Steve.” His gaze pierced through her. “Will you be here for him? I don’t want him coming to an empty house. You alone would understand his confusion, his pain.”
True. He would be excited at the possibility of finally meeting his father. And yet, depending on what had happened to him at the orphanage, his emotional scars could run deep. He’d be scared that his father wouldn’t live up to the fantasy he’d created. Daniel would not be disappointed when he found out who his real father was. He might be resentful at first. If he understood the circumstances...if she could get through to him that his father had no idea where Daniel was or that he existed at all, she could repay some of the kindness Daegen had given her father.
Then again, Daniel was a wild card. He may not listen to her. And as much as she wanted to help, she might end up making things worse. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Daegen turned, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her hair. The power of his emotion almost overwhelmed her. Her eyes blurred and she held back tears threatening. Daegen Tan had never been so vulnerable before.
Her heart hurt.
“I need you,” he said.
His admission shocked her.
She would be there for him. She would comfort Daniel through his transition. She would help Daegen.
“I can stay.”
Chapter Nine
Rae listened as the unmistakable whop, whop, whop of helicopter blades drew near and her heart thundered. Daniel must be here.
She knew all too well what it was like to be a child who lay awake at night dreaming about your real father—a father who would show up and rescue you in the blink of an eye a la comic book hero style. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually learn your father was a rich and powerful man like Daegen Tan.
Even so, to be ripped out of the only home you’ve ever known—the pain and the fear that would surely accompany such a realization—but the hope too. It was a lot for an eleven year old to take in.
“How lost and alone you must feel,” she said wistfully. The last thing she wanted to do was add to his confusion with her presence. Surely he would want to know how she fit into the picture. Sorry, kiddo. Can’t explain what I don’t understand.
She took a deep breath and reminded herself this was a situation where she could do some good.
Stepping outside against an onslaught of rain and wind from the chopper, she put on her warmest smile.
As soon as the boy climbed down from the cockpit, Rae searched for signs of his father’s son. He seemed tall for his age and serious to the point of being almost stoic.
He smiled in return, and she noticed his identical straight white teeth right away. Unmistakable in his brown eyes was a mix of hope, excitement and fear. And mostly, Rae thought, apprehension. She looked beneath the dark tones straight through to the fear that lurked down deep, the fear every orphan held close to the chest—that his father wouldn’t love him. Daniel would worry that he might not measure up. That he would turn out to be a di
sappointment to the one person he’d idealized. A man who possessed an almost deity-like status in his young mind.
She remembered her devastation at one day having the security of a family and the structure of a home, and the next day nothing. The floor hadn’t just dropped from underneath her, it disappeared. Wiped out. Nothing.
Had this child ever known the warmth of a loving embrace on a cold morning?
You will.
“You must be Daniel,” she shouted over the blare of chopper blades whirring.
“Yes.” His brow knitted in confusion. “I thought my father would meet me.”
Thankfully, his English was near-perfect. Then Rae remembered he’d been brought up in Hong Kong. He must look like his mother because she saw nothing of Daegen in the boy. “He will. Let’s get out of this noise, shall we?”
He bowed politely as he nodded his agreement.
When they could speak without shouting, Rae introduced herself. “Your father should be back any minute. He is so very sorry he couldn’t be here to meet you personally.”
On closer inspection, Rae saw the confusion and hope behind Daniel’s serious expression. He seemed to carefully guard his real thoughts and she instantly knew why. Fear and uncertainty were emotions that had to be swallowed in the worlds they grew up in.
Show no fear had been Rae’s childhood mantra. Fear had consequences. Because frightened kids were taken advantage of. It was a lesson children in their circumstance had to learn early in order to survive. “Would you like to freshen up?”
“No. Thank you. Does he live here?” His gaze darted around.
She nodded. “Not all the time though. This is his vacation villa. You must be hungry. Can I make you something to eat?” She wanted to reach out and hug him. To somehow let him know he was safe now. But she didn’t want to scare him off. He’d been taking care of himself. And his pride was written all over his squared shoulders and stiff chin.
“Yes. Please.”
She directed him to sit at the counter while she dug in the fridge. She found papaya, mango, and star fruit. She pulled a knife from the drawer.
“Can you tell me about him, please?” Daniel asked, and his face was stoic.