Dylan took a step back as if she’d hit him. And, verbally, she had. She’d taken a cheap shot and he’d stood there and taken it.
Corinne turned back toward the window and held her hand up to the cool glass. “Just go, Dylan. We’re only saying things that are hurtful and I can’t take any more in my life right now. But more than that, I don’t want to hurt you. I want to take out my anger on someone, something, and you just happen to be in the path.”
He sighed, but didn’t reach out to touch her. “I can handle anything you throw at me, Cori. And if you need me for target practice, then use me. I’m just happy you’re finally talking, opening up.”
“I don’t like it,” she whispered as she rested her forehead on the glass next to her hand. “I don’t like this vulnerable feeling.”
“I know, baby. I know.”
This time when he turned her, she went into his open arms and clung to his shirt as he stroked her back. She didn’t cry, didn’t think she even had any more tears left in her. But she did, for the briefest of moments, enjoy the strength he offered, and she wondered, not for the first time, how their lives would’ve been different had she never left.
“For the record, I know you didn’t use me to get me into bed,” she said against his hard chest. “I wanted you as much as you wanted me, and I would’ve made sure I ended up in your bed somehow.”
His soft chuckle vibrated against her. “I fought the urge for about three seconds.”
“I don’t think I lasted that long.”
He eased her back, framed her face and kissed her slowly, deeply, purposefully. Corinne didn’t care that she was vulnerable, didn’t care that her home was still torn apart from the wreckage caused by a giant tree limb, and she didn’t care that her future was so unbalanced she didn’t know what even tomorrow held.
But she had a good feeling about tonight.
“Why is it when we’re together we always end up naked?” she asked against his mouth.
He nipped at her lips. “Because that’s how I like you best. Oh, and when you’re cooking. I like that a lot too.”
Playfully, she smacked at his chest, but the heat in his eyes turned the fun moment straight into passion and desire.
“I won’t ask what we’re doing here,” she murmured. “But I will say that I’m getting in deeper with you than I’d thought I would.”
Dylan nodded. “I know.”
He knew? What did that mean? Did he know how deep her feelings were running or was he feeling the same?
She didn’t have too much time to think about his answer before he grabbed her and lifted her against him. Instinct had her wrapping her legs around his waist as he held on to her. Never in her life had she ever felt so safe, so cherished, as when she was in Dylan’s arms. No other man had ever given her that sense of stability.
He moved through the house and got as far as the dining room before he sat her on the edge of the mahogany antique table, settling between her thighs. She slid her arms around his neck, tickling his neck, running her fingertips along the spots behind his ears where she knew he was sensitive.
“Is your hand okay for this?” he asked.
“My hand is fine.” Throbbing a little still, but no way would it ruin this moment.
“I wish I could get you out of my system,” he whispered against her lips. “I wish I didn’t want you so badly. But damn if I can’t think of anything but being inside you.”
Some women would be hurt by his words, but she understood all too well. She wished she could get him out of her system before she left town again. Of course, maybe by the time she left they would be done. At the rate they were going, they certainly should have exhausted each other by then.
“Would you like to take this little party into the shower?” she asked as she kissed along his jawline.
“Actually, this portion of the night is just for you. I fully intend on utilizing more rooms. The shower is a good place to start.”
Oh, the possibilities the night held. Corinne gripped his broad shoulders as he slid his strong hands beneath her fitted, ribbed tank. That skin-on-skin contact never failed to cause a plethora of goose bumps to break out across her skin from her head to her toes. Those rough, calloused hands were so talented and he knew exactly the amount of pressure exactly the amount of pressure for maximum sensation.
He unclasped her bra and threw it and the tank across the long, narrow dining table. Bending his head, Dylan took one nipple into his mouth. Corinne braced herself on her hands and arched back, silently begging him for more.
“Get these shorts off,” he told her.
She slid her thumbs into the waistband and wiggled from side to side until her pants were near her knees, then Dylan’s impatience took over and he yanked them down and flung them over his shoulder.
She laughed. “In a hurry?”
“Always with you.”
His rough, tanned hands settled high on her thighs, his thumbs dangerously close to where she craved his touch most. She scooted farther to the edge of the table, and cried out when his mouth came back down and took the other breast. She grabbed back on to his shoulders, sliding her knees up his sides and holding him as close to her as possible. The man could turn her inside out with barely a smile, much less when he had his hands and mouth on her.
And when he dropped to his knees before her, she merely stared down as he gave her a visual lick.
“You’re the one thing I could never deny myself.”
“Right this moment, I’m so glad to hear that.”
He chuckled as his thumbs parted her, sliding over her and causing her to lie completely flat on the table because there was no way her arms could hold her up—and the man hadn’t even gotten started yet. Corinne knew from past experience Dylan had so many talents left to reveal. That she remembered from when they were teens. She could only imagine what he could do now.
Because she’d lain back, that first contact from his lips, his tongue totally took her by surprise and had her hips jerking up off the table. His hands pushed firmly against her thighs as if he wanted to hold her in place. Good luck with that. No way could she be still when he was assaulting her with his mouth.
Corinne’s fingertips pressed against the table and she wished she had something to hold on to, something to grip.
The longer he made love to her with his lips, his tongue, the crazier she was going. Her hands went to her hair, her stomach, and finally settled on top of his strong hands, which were still holding on to her thighs. He laced their fingers together while never missing a moment of satisfying her.
As his momentum increased, so did her heartbeat, her anticipation. She tried to scoot farther down—she just couldn’t get close enough to him. She needed more, so much more.
“Dylan, please,” she panted. “I need…”
He slid one of his hands from hers and inserted one finger, then two, all the while laving her up.
Corinne exploded. Her free leg wrapped around his back, her heel dug into him and she gripped the hand that he still held. Wave after wave of utter bliss swept over her.
When her tremors finally ceased and that beautiful state of euphoria settled over her, Corinne tried to sit up. Tried and failed.
Dylan all but crawled up her body, kissing his way up and over her abdomen, pausing at each breast and moving on up her neck to her jaw.
“How about that shower,” he whispered as he got to her ear.
“I don’t have the energy to move.”
Dylan eased her up and, with one hand behind her back and the other beneath her bent knees, he carried her from the room.
“Since your lack of energy is my fault, I’ll gladly help you to that shower.”
She nestled her head against his chest, allowing herself, for the moment, to pretend that this meant more than what it was. Sex.
“I have a feeling your motives are a tad selfish.”
He laughed as he moved up the staircase. “Your feeling would be absolutely corr
ect.”
When Dylan moved down the hallway to Corinne’s bedroom with its attached bath, he placed her on her feet in front of the vanity, its mirror stretching across the wall.
Good Lord, she looked like a wild woman. Her hair was a hot mess, her mouth was swollen, her breasts were moist and her breathing was still fast and sharp.
And the night had just begun.
Dylan reached into the shower and turned on the water before coming to stand behind her. Their gazes locked in the mirror, much like they had downstairs in front of the window. But now there was no raw emotion from past secrets. She wouldn’t allow that nightmare to break this bond they were forming.
And she could no longer deny the fact they were indeed forming a bond that was deeper than she wanted, needed.
His hands slid around her waist, over her stomach. One hand remained there, holding her body back against his, while the other came up to lift one breast.
“I love your body, Cori. Love the way it looks, the way it tastes, the way it responds to my touch.”
Her head fell back against his shoulder.
“No, don’t look away,” he murmured. “Watch in the mirror. Look how sexy you are. Look at how your body is compared to mine.”
“It’s hard to tell when you’re still dressed.”
He nuzzled the side of her neck and she tipped her head to the side, still watching their reflection in the mirror.
“I’ll get undressed in a minute. Right now I’m enjoying you.”
“Didn’t you thoroughly enjoy me downstairs?” she asked.
Dylan nipped at her ear. “That was just the beginning.”
Sweet mercy, she didn’t know if she was going to die from want or die from weak knees around this man.
“I want you naked, Dylan.”
His eyes found hers again in the mirror and a corner of his mouth kicked up in a naughty grin. “Your wish is my command.”
She turned away from the mirror to admire the quick stripping routine he put on. Okay, so hopping on one foot to get a work boot off wasn’t exactly the erotic image she’d been hoping for, but still, it was getting him closer to his birthday suit, so she just smiled and waited for him to finish.
Within no time, he was standing before her, fully aroused and utterly beautiful.
He stepped forward, gliding his fingertips up her bare arms and across her shoulders.
“I wish we could hold on to this moment.”
She hadn’t meant to speak her thoughts out loud, but now that the words hovered in the steamy air around them, she wasn’t sorry.
“All we can do is live for now, Cori. I intend to do a lot of living tonight.”
He captured her lips beneath his as he crushed their bodies together. Enveloping each other with their arms, Dylan walked her back toward the steaming shower. Sweat dampened their bodies before they even stepped in and Dylan barely broke his mouth from hers as he helped her over the lip of the shower and slid the glass door closed.
Her back was plastered against the cool tile, but the hot water and Dylan’s passion overrode any chill she might have had.
“I can’t wait, Cori. I need you now.”
His hands slid down her waist and to her backside, then he lifted her up against him, and with very little warning, he slammed into her.
She needed him too, in so many ways. But she’d have to learn to take his advice, enjoy this moment and not worry about what would happen to her career or her future. Because right now, with Dylan’s body on hers, in hers, she only wanted to concentrate on the glorious passion they never seemed to have lost.
Dylan’s hips pumped against hers as Corinne wrapped her arms and legs tightly around his hard body. They came together in a rush and Dylan captured her mouth when she cried out. As their crest died down, he rested his forehead against hers and their eyes locked.
And what Corinne saw terrified her. Love. She saw it plain as day. She knew Dylan probably wasn’t even aware of how he felt, but his heart was looking back at her. If she didn’t get back to her old life soon, she’d be falling headfirst in love with the one man her past secrets could destroy.
Chapter Twelve
Dylan jerked at the pounding on the back door, but he didn’t move too far. With Cori wrapped gloriously all around him, he almost didn’t want to move at all, but the persistent, uninvited guest was about as welcoming as the bright sunshine beaming directly through the slat in the curtains and right into his eyes.
Apparently Cori was dead to the world because the constant knocking downstairs wasn’t bothering her in the least. She also didn’t stir when he pulled himself out from beneath her warm, curvy body.
He threw on his jeans, buttoned them and padded down the steps to the back door. As he passed the wall clock he saw that they had indeed slept in, seeing as it was now ten o’clock—but, hey, they’d had a pretty active night.
He couldn’t make out the silhouette of the person knocking because of the curtain hanging on the back door, so Dylan unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
Eyes wide, mouth open, Mary from the therapy center stood with her fist up at the ready.
“Mary,” Dylan said, leaning against the doorframe, “what would bring you by here?”
To her credit, Mary composed herself rather quickly. “I assume Corinne is home and probably…in bed?”
Dylan crossed his arms over his bare chest, refusing to rise to the baited question. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s her mother,” Mary said. “I tried calling, but didn’t get an answer from the cell or the landline. Inez was taken to the hospital. We believe she’s had another stroke.”
Dylan jerked upright and spun around to head toward the steps. “We’ll get right down there.”
Leaving Mary at the door, Dylan took the steps two at a time, but by the time he went back into Cori’s bedroom, the bed was empty and the toilet had just flushed in the bathroom.
When she came out she was all sleepy-eyed and messy in that sexy way, but her world would soon be tilted on its axis.
“You need to get dressed,” he told her as he looked around for his shoes. “Mary just came by when she couldn’t reach you on your cell. They believe your mother had another stroke.”
Cori’s eyes rounded as her hand flew up to her mouth. “No,” she whispered. “Oh God…”
He crossed the room and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “They think, Cori. They aren’t positive. You know you shouldn’t react until you hear for certain. So let’s get dressed and get down there. This may not be as bad as it sounds.”
She nodded and he released her, though with as pale as she’d gone, he really wished he could’ve pulled her into his arms and held her, blocking out all the hurt the world seemed to keep throwing her way.
But true to Cori fashion, she tilted that defiant chin and went to her closet where she pulled out jeans, a tank, a cardigan and simple flats. In no time she was dressed, with her hair pulled low in a ponytail.
“I’ll call you when I know what’s going on,” she told him as she started down the steps.
“I’m going with you.”
She turned on the landing and stared up at him. “That’s not necessary. The construction guys are coming back today and I need someone here.”
“I hired them, Cori. I trust them and they have my cell.” He moved down a couple more steps until he was right in front of her. “I’m going and I’m driving.”
Her eyes searched his and she sighed. “This was just supposed to be sex, Dylan.”
When he stroked her cheek and she turned that delicate face into his palm, he nearly crumbled at her vulnerability. She truly thought herself to be all alone. He wasn’t having any of that.
“This is a friend helping a friend,” he told her. “Don’t turn me away.”
Her eyes held his. “As if I could.”
Cori bounded down the last few stairs before he could question that statement further.
Yes
, the sex was great and, yes, they had a past, but truly, what did they know about each other now? He knew that she’d been arrested for a crime she swore she was innocent of and that she was still loyal as ever to her parents. But she was hiding something so huge she was adamant it could destroy him. And if that was the case, how could he get in deeper with the woman if she was holding back something so damning?
Dylan didn’t want to think about what mystery secret Corinne had or what this newly formed union they had should be called. What he wanted was to get her to the hospital so they could see the doctor and her mother, and find out exactly what was going on.
And he didn’t even want to think about Mary seeing him half-dressed. That woman was starting to give him the creeps, and the way she’d nearly devoured him this morning was a very telling sign that she didn’t just admire his carpentry.
When they reached the hospital, Dylan escorted Cori in and waited in the lobby of that wing while she went into her mother’s room. Apparently in the time it took them to get here, she was taken from the ER straight to a hospital bed.
That couldn’t be good news.
While Dylan waited, he called his friend who was helping with Cori’s house and informed him he would be by later. And because his nerves were already shot after the intimacy of last night, combined with sitting in the hospital waiting room, he called the real estate agent who had the small, empty brick building on Sunray Avenue. He might as well take the plunge…it wasn’t like he hadn’t made mistakes before.
When he hung up the phone, he was surprisingly okay with the fact he’d spent a good chunk of his savings. That is, if the deal went through—and he highly doubted the seller wouldn’t take his generous offer.
Dylan had just slid his phone back in his jeans when Cori came back down the hall, swiping at her tears. He met her halfway and enveloped her in his arms.
Damn, her vulnerability nearly knocked him to his knees. A woman could only take so much before finally breaking. Which made his plan all the more perfect if she’d just agree to it.
Secrets from Her Past: Scandalous, Book 2 Page 10