by Lora Ann
She actually looked affronted. “What the…?!” She stood and began to pace the room. “Expound, please?”
“I meant what I said,” I reiterated, “We’ll be married on paper only.”
She spun around and marched right up to me. While she pointed her slender finger at my face, she growled, “Seriously? You expect us to be married for what”—throwing her hands up in exasperation—“months, years perhaps? And we won’t share a bed. Is that what you’re saying?”
Well, yeah. I thought that’d make her happy. Obviously, I was mistaken. “We don’t love each other.” At least, you don’t love me. I wasn’t so sure about me loving her. Which was just beyond fucked up, I couldn’t love her. Or could I? Dammit. It was never going to work if I didn’t get my head on straight.
She blinked her eyes furiously. Was she crying? Way to go, Nik. “Maybe not yet. But later…Well, we could eventually, right?”
I could hear the hope in that question. Time to quash it, so I lied, “No.”
She gasped, “You won’t even give us a chance?”
I can’t, Aimee. Don’t you see that? If I allow myself to love you, or worse, you love me, something bad will happen. It always does. “Many marriages don’t have love involved. It’s nothing new,” I pointed out.
“Omigod! Do you really expect me to be caught in a loveless marriage for the rest of my life?” She was appalled, and honestly, so was I. What the hell was I thinking? She hissed, “So no sex? Am I supposed to live without it forever? Or find it elsewhere?”
Now that pissed me off. No way would I let her give that sumptuous body to another man. “Sex and love are not mutually exclusive. You of all people should know that.”
She stamped her foot. “Did you just call me a whore?” she screamed.
What a frustrating woman! I had not called her that. How could she think such a thing? I snarled, “I would never call you something so vile. How dare you accuse me of such?”
“How dare I? Oh, Nik, you are beyond exasperating!”
“Me? Woman, you aggravate the hell out of me.” With that, I turned and left the room. But I heard the glass shatter, along with her sobs. I knew I should turn around. Comfort her. At the very least, talk to her and share my thoughts. Not. Going. To. Happen. I really am a bastard.
*****
I needed to calm down, so I took a shower. Every cell in my body cried out for Aimee’s. There was nothing I wanted more than to shove her against the wall and take her. No other woman had ever stirred my emotions like she did. Well, the exception was the beauty from that masquerade. Something about the masked goddess had called to me on an elemental level. I had to have her. Kind of like now. Who was I kidding? I was fighting a losing battle. If it were simply lust, I would act on it. Yet even in this agitated state, I knew it was more. Knew, I couldn’t live with just one time. No, if I had sex with Aimee, I’d only want more. So, the solution was not to do anything stupid. Yeah, right. Stupidity has never stopped you before. As the visions of the masquerade played through my head, I stroked my enormous erection. Hell, I didn’t know I could swell to this size. What was the connection between that one night from my past and Aimee? How could two different women cause the same reaction? Why had my wife not had such an effect on me?
This was exactly what I needed—release. I poured more body wash into my hands and allowed myself the escape. As I pumped myself harder and faster from base to tip, I thought I heard a sigh. My eyes popped open as I tried to see through the steam on the shower door. Then I froze, literally, with my dick in my hands, as I recognized the figure watching me. Aimee. I held her gaze and began to stroke again. Without breaking eye contact, I grunted as I came harder than I ever had in my life. The orgasm wouldn’t stop as I continued spurting the shower door and walls over and over again. Holy shit. At this rate I won’t have any left. She stood there blatantly aroused, watching. The lust dancing in her eyes made her appear to be a goddess standing there before me. One pleased with the effect she had. Minx. Fine, I could play.
Once I cleaned myself up, I shut off the water, grabbed my towel, stepped out of the shower, and, without pause, stalked towards her. After I dried off, I clasped her waist and lifted her onto the vanity. I ran my hands through her hair and fisted it. Then I pulled her head back and ravaged her throat with my lips, tongue, and teeth. I continued to taste her until she was breathing rapidly. In response, she rubbed her body against mine like a cat in heat. Fuck. Yeah. When she arched her back, I could feel her nipples harden through her blouse and bra. Unable to resist such an invitation, I took one of them into my mouth. All the while she begged for more. Against her breast I whispered, “Take it off. All of it.”
There was no hesitation as she bared herself to me. And I could do nothing else but step back and admire the beauty before me. “Lovely,” I purred, “So damn perfect.” Once more, I zeroed in on her voluptuous tits. They were enough to make a man weep with joy. There was no other choice, homage must be paid. Under my assault, her head thrashed back and forth. She was close, so close, but I didn’t want to bring her this way. My fingers traveled down to the dripping crevice between her thighs. As I stroked her clit, she moaned deeply. “That’s right, Aimee. Come for me.” I circled the bundle of nerves again with my thumb and entered her hot core with two fingers. While my hand was busy between her legs, I once again laved, first one, and then the other nipple. I used my other hand to hold her in place by the waist and gave her no choice but to accept all I had to give. After a few moments, she broke apart. Damn, her detonation was spectacular. A smug, yeah, I did that echoed through my mind. And I had every intention of doing it again when we both heard:
“Oh, sorry.”
Shit. Why was my brother here? Without taking my eyes off Aimee’s I said, “Give me a minute, Alex.”
He stammered, “Yeah…okay…I’ll wait for you in the study.”
Once he left, I asked, “Are you all right?”
Aimee’s face was flushed a beautiful shade of pink. Unsure if it was from embarrassment or pleasure, I wrapped a robe around her. She finally answered, “I’m fine.”
I walked into my bedroom and grabbed some sweats and a t-shirt from my dresser drawer. She stood in the doorway. As I passed her, I stroked her cheek. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Alright.” She turned and padded away.
I couldn’t help but wonder what in the world I was going to do now. Like I had predicted, once I had a taste of her, I wouldn’t want to stop. Damn it all to hell.
*****
Alex sat pensively on the chair in front of my desk with a scotch in his hands. Hell, this did not look good. After I filled my own glass, I took the chair next to him. “Lay it on me.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t realize the two of you had gotten so close.”
I shrugged. “Neither here nor there. Talk to me.”
He was affronted. “Don’t give me your I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude, Nik.”
“You really wanna go there?” I snarled while giving him a baleful look.
He squirmed under my heated gaze and put his hands up in a surrendering fashion. “All I’m sayin’ is you care.” As I leaned forward, he wisely pushed back as far as possible in his seat. “You don’t want to, but you do,” he bravely stated.
Damn. I wasn’t ready to own up to anything. My head, my heart, and my body were in knots over Aimee. I couldn’t. No, wouldn’t voice a thing. Not until I had some ounce of control back. Funny, self-control had never been an issue for me. Probably the reason why I was so good at business. Knee-jerk reactions weren’t in my repertoire. Until Aimee. You have no control around her. Oh, shut the fuck up, I told myself. I stood and then strode across the room. After a beat, I finally proclaimed, “You’re not here to discuss my love life.”
“So, you admit to having one?”
For Pete’s sake! “Why do you give a rat’s ass?”
He gave me an are-you-shittin’-me look. “Because I love you, my brother. I
thought that’d be obvious,” he snorted.
Ah, hell. I loved him as well. But he knew I wouldn’t say it. I crossed my arms over my chest and softened my voice. “It is. Tell me why you’re here.”
He chuckled, “Still can’t admit to your feelings, can you? Not even for your own family. Sure hope Aimee knows what she’s getting herself in to.”
No, I couldn’t. Every time I shared my emotions, I lost that person. I wouldn’t risk my brothers’ lives or anyone else’s, ever again. For whatever reason I shared, “She agreed to marry me.”
“No, shit. Congratulations, Nik!” he exclaimed as he walked over and clasped me on the shoulder.
Shame welled up, hot and heavy, along with a side of guilt. Not an easy mix to swallow. “It’s not like that, Alex,” I cautioned. “She needs protection from Reynolds. That’s all. Just an agreement,” I pointed out.
He smirked, “You keep telling yourself that.”
I growled in response.
“Easy there, big guy. Reynolds is actually why I’m here,” he announced.
That got my attention. “Is he, now?”
“Yep. I had a little chat with one of his goons. He was most forthcoming,” he smiled.
Arrogant bastard. While my brother was a damn good attorney, he knew how to toe the line. He continued, “Let’s just say, a certain business deal will go in his favor tomorrow.”
Yes, I’d taught him well. “Learn anything new?” I inquired.
“Nope. Just confirmation on what we already had knowledge of.”
“Fuck. When will the asshole mess up so we can catch him red-handed?” I asked exasperatedly.
“Your guess is as good as mine on that one, Nik,” he replied.
My fist doubled up at my side. The need to handle things with brute force was tangible.
Alex didn’t miss my inner turmoil. “He’s going to screw up,” he assured. “And when he does, we’ll be waiting.”
“Damn straight.”
For emphasis we knocked knuckles.
He tossed back the rest of his drink, clapped me on the back, and headed out the door. On his way out he said, “I’ll let you get back to business.” Then he winked.
I called, “Alex?”
As he turned around, I flipped him off. Jerk-off actually laughed while he walked away. I stood there with a ghost of a smile on my face. You will not pussyfoot around this, I told myself as I worked up the courage to go talk to my future bride. For whatever reason, there was purpose in my stride when I walked down the hall to her room.
Chapter Fourteen
Aimee
After I had just experienced the best orgasm by a man’s hand, I was a bit revved up. Soooo ready for more. If he could finger that well, how spectacular would his mouth be? Or, better yet, his cock? Geez, I needed a cold shower. Although thoughts of a shower brought back the image of Nik masturbating. Dang, that was hella hot! Sure, I’d seen plenty of men stroke-off, but there was something primal in his exhibition. I hadn’t meant to walk in on him like that. Furious with the way he’d left the room; my intentions had been to tell him to forget it. I wasn’t going to marry him, after all. Yet when I saw all of that hard, rugged maleness in the throes of self-pleasure, I had to watch. Of course, watching only made me want to join the party. When he prowled out of the shower, I knew I was a goner. Everything about the man screamed sex, especially, the dagger tattoo over his heart. Next time, I would trace it with my tongue.
I had only ever met one other man that had such an effect on me. Visions of that one amazing night at the masquerade played through my mind. It really was unfortunate I had left town only twenty-fours afterwards, which hadn’t been on the agenda. However, Ann and Jack needed to move their business. Pronto. So naturally I tagged along with Renée, who would always follow the brother and sister team. To her they were a lifeline—the reason she wasn’t selling herself on the streets.
In a matter of a few short weeks, I had learned of Daddy’s cancer. As if that hadn’t been a big enough blow, then his company decided to downsize and let him go. After twenty years of service, they just wished him well. No way would an escort job cover surgery and chemo. But that was all water under the bridge. I couldn’t—no, wouldn’t—regret my decision. Now I’m caught in this pickle. Marriage to Nik was a whole lot more inviting than to Caleb. At least there was attraction between Nik and me; also, deep in my soul, there was familiarity. Over time we could fall in love, if he’d only allow himself to feel. Of course that was the elephant in the room, Nik’s lack of emotions. Maybe I could help him open up? Possibly. But odds are you’ll get hurt. He’s a mess. Yes, he was—yet worth the pain if I could somehow reach him.
All of this reverie wouldn’t change what had just happened with Nik. There must be some way to crack through the walls he had so expertly built. From what I could see, he loved his brother. I was willing to bet he loved the youngest one as well. So he was capable, even if he refused to acknowledge it. How did I reach him? We had a connection; I simply needed to tap it. Perhaps physically was the way. Whether he admitted to it or not, sex could bring people closer together. It was the reason I had to be so careful in my previous job. To keep the emotions and mental bonding out of it was complicated. Could I now purposely let myself do what I’d spent five years avoiding? To save this man, I’d do whatever was necessary. Nik. Was. Worth. It. At what price? You’re going to lose your heart over this one. Probably. Yet sacrifice was all about that. Shoot, I had already begun to lose it to him. There was no stopping it. When the end came, hopefully, I would survive. Because let’s face facts, inevitably he would push me away.
As if on cue, he appeared in my doorway. “How’re y’doin’?”
With a smile I answered, “Good.”
His lips curled up slightly. “Glad to hear it.” He ran a hand through his incredible mane. “Listen, I’m sorry ‘bout Alex’s interruption.”
“Seriously, it’s okay. Although…” I sashayed towards him, figuring now was as good a time as any to seduce him. The sooner I had him, the better. When I approached him, I ran my hand up his gloriously hard chest and purred, “I would really like to get back to where we were before the disruption.”
“Uh…” He cleared his throat while I watched him make up his mind. “About that. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Which one?” As both memories hit me full force, I licked my lips.
By the look in his eyes, he remembered, too. “Both,” he rumbled, not out of anger but sexual tension.
If he spoke long enough, I would orgasm. His voice was just that sexy. “Why’s that?”
“I shouldn’t have let you watch me,” he admitted. “And I damn sure shouldn’t have touched you.”
“I walked in on you. I’m the one who needs to apologize,” I confessed while I stroked his huge shoulder. “As for the other”—standing on tip toes and leaning in close enough for my lips to touch him—“I want you to do it again. Now,” I whispered.
Before my hand could cup his magnificent manhood, he clasped it. “No. It won’t happen again,” he asserted.
What the hell? Was he serious? “Are you trying to tell me you’re not attracted?” I let my gaze roam over the very spot I almost touched a moment ago. Oh, yes, he was aroused. Not to mention there was enough electricity between the two of us to light up all of Fifth Avenue. No, I don’t buy it.
“Of course, I want you. That’s fairly obvious,” he declared. “But I’m choosing not to act on it.”
“So, we’re back to marriage with no love, as well as no sex. Correct?”
With his lips in a tight, thin line, he gave me a curt nod. “That’s the way it has to be.”
“Horseshit!” I threw my arms in the air and marched across the room. Once I was out of slapping range—because trust me, I wanted nothing more than to slap him silly—I pivoted around and exclaimed, “Hypocrite! You have fucked more women than I can count. Odds are, you’ve had more partners than I have. Your reputation of one-night-
stands is phenomenal. You’re a damn legend in this city. So don’t you dare tell me it’s best this way,” I huffed.
He shrugged. “That may all be true. However, it doesn’t change a thing.”
I yanked open my robe and let it fall to my feet. Desire flared in his eyes as his erection actually grew more. He was interested, yet held himself back. Therefore, following my instincts, I began to stroke my breasts, rolling and tugging my nipples until I let out a moan. All the while I held his heated gaze to let him know I was thinking of his hands on my body. Then, I ran my hands down my body until I reached the apex between my thighs and dipped into my wet folds. His jaw tightened as his nostrils flared. No doubt he smelled my arousal.
“Lay down,” he commanded, “Spread your legs wide.”
Hell, yes. As I continued my self-exploration, I stepped backwards till I hit the edge of the bed. He strode forward, moving with animalistic grace. I assumed he would climb on the bed along side of me. I thought wrong. Instead, he fell to his knees at the end of the bed and tugged me downwards. Once my most private parts were at his eye level, he placed my heels on the edge while he pushed my knees as far apart as possible. With his chin resting on his folded hands, he announced, “Continue.”
I paused for a moment. Did I really want to give him a show? Oh, hell yeah, I did. Without any more thought, my fingers began to work my sex. Since it was his show, he decided to call the shots. “Slower. Yeah, like that. Circle your clit for me, but don’t touch the center.”
O-M-G! This was beyond erotic. To prove my point, my hips writhed of their own accord.
He continued, “Use your other hand. Put your middle finger inside your core. Now, push in and pull out. Faster,” he growled, “Add your ring finger. Harder.”
I moaned loudly. And before I could hold back, I pled, “Please. I need to come.”
“Not yet,” he pronounced. “Easy. Move slower. Don’t you dare touch the center of that swollen bundle of nerves.”