by Trish Wylie
The words were so low they were almost lost in the storm he could feel raging inside him. It was possible she might not have said them, the need coming more from him than from her. But even if he hadn’t imagined them he couldn’t let go. If he did a mountain of torn and bleeding emotions would collapse and he would be crushed under their weight. He was too worn down, too exhausted from fighting the demons who took him to hell night after night. If she knew how inadequate he was, the number of times he’d failed someone who reached out to him …
‘Jo—’ He choked on her name.
‘Shh …’ Pressing soft lips to his mouth, she fed him kiss after desperately needed kiss.
At first there was only the taste of her, her heat and a sense of glory he had never known could be found in surrender. Then she rocked her hips, grinding her heat against the tight fit of his jeans and lust exploded inside his body with the force of a percussive blast.
With the equivalent of a dying breath, Daniel dragged his mouth from hers to rasp, ‘Tell me to go.’
‘No.’ Full lips curved into a decadent smile against his mouth. ‘Make love to me, Danny. Take me to bed.’
It was the sweetest command he’d ever been given.
CHAPTER TEN
‘Mix and match can have a disastrous outcome if you get it wrong. But step outside your comfort zone and you might discover something unique.’
DENSE lashes fluttered as he started to wake up, the movement absurdly delicate against the masculinity of his face.
Jo smiled when she was looking into vivid blue eyes. ‘Good morning, sleepyhead.’
‘ ‘Morning,’ his deep voice replied, the mattress dipping as he rolled towards her. ‘What time is it?’
‘Saturday o’clock and I believe your shift doesn’t start until midnight.’ Moving closer to the edge of the pillow, she rested her cheek on her palm. ‘I’ve been thinking …’
‘Uh-oh …’
‘You know what I’ve never done?’ ‘Spent the night waking someone up so you can sleep?’
It was the kind of opening she could have used to get him to talk to her. But considering the major step forward they’d taken in intimacy she found herself wary of taking an equally giant step back. ‘I’ve never spent the day in bed with a sexy naked guy,’ she confessed with a dramatic sigh. ‘Don’t suppose you know where I could find one?’
‘I prefer not to start my day with hitting someone.’
‘Guess I’ll have to settle for you, then.’
He smiled lazily. ‘How come?’
‘Because you’re the only naked guy here?’
‘I meant how come you’ve never spent a day in bed with a sexy naked guy before?’
‘Workaholic.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Sad, I know.’
‘No,’ he said in a lower voice. ‘Just surprising …’
‘There’s a little more to my job than sitting in a coffee shop three times a week.’
‘After seeing your work schedule I don’t doubt that.’ He stretched his large body, claiming even more of the bed. ‘What I find tough to believe is some other guy hasn’t tried.’
Jo stifled another smile. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but until recently weren’t you convinced men were throwing me out of their apartments in the middle of the night?’
‘That was before I knew you better.’
‘And you think you know me better now?’
‘I’d like to hope so.’ He took a long breath. ‘But it’s more a case of show than tell.’
Heat flared through her body when he slanted his mouth over hers. Her skin was hyper-sensitive, as if everywhere he’d kissed and caressed while he undressed her had been branded by his touch. If there had been any question her body was tuned into his there was no doubt now. His need magnified hers. His desire for her made her want him more. For years they had been unable to hold a conversation but in one night it felt as if they’d learnt to communicate without words. He dragged his mouth from her lips to blaze a heated trail down her neck, his magic fingers skimming her body from hip to waist. A purr of sinful pleasure ran through her body in response; the combination of strong male and gentle touch unbelievably carnal. But when he moved his hand higher and got to her ribs, she squirmed.
‘Mmm,’ he hummed in a low, vibrating rumble into her ear. ‘That I didn’t know.’
‘Don’t,’ she warned unconvincingly.
He did it again.
Amid squeaks of protest and bursts of laughter, naked limbs tangled with sheets. Deeper chuckles of laughter joined hers, filling her with a sudden burst of undiluted joy. When they rolled off the edge of the bed and she landed on top of him, Jo leaned back and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. She still didn’t know why their relationship had changed, but as she smiled down at his grinning face it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was he looked as happy as she felt.
Beyond happiness she could feel an irresistible, heart-warming tenderness. Whether it came from him or from her, she didn’t know. She ran her fingertips over early morning shadow and warm skin, her gaze studying the different shades of blue in his amazing eyes. How he had looked at her as their bodies joined together was something she would never forget. It felt as if he had given her something she never had to give back. To deny she had given him something in return was pointless.
For the first time, instead of allowing someone to occupy a tiny corner of her heart, she’d given part of it away.
Without warning emotion clogged her throat. Leaving him would be one of the most difficult things she’d ever had to do. How was she supposed to tell him she was leaving when she couldn’t cushion it with the confession she didn’t want to go? She would miss him. But she’d been alone before. She could do it again. She didn’t have a choice. Not if giving up the dream within her grasp meant replacing it with one she could never—
‘What is it?’ he asked in a deeper, rougher voice.
Unwilling to take a chance he would know she was lying—even if it was just with a shake of her head—she leaned down and pressed her mouth to his. The one more minute she’d once wanted had become one more day. She didn’t want what they had to be over yet. She wasn’t ready to let go.
In the absence of honesty, she sought the lightness she’d been aiming for when he awoke.
‘Know what else I figured out when I was thinking?’ she mumbled against his lips. ‘A woman must have taught you some of those moves you used on me last night.’
‘Not going there,’ he mumbled back.
‘I’m thinking older woman, younger Danny …’
His mouth curled into a smile. ‘Jealous?’
‘Since I’m reaping the benefits I was thinking more along the lines of a thank-you card …’
‘What makes you think I’m not a natural or inspired?’
‘Inspired is good. I’d roll with that if I were you.’
He did, reaching a hand above them for a pillow when Jo was pinned beneath him. Tucking it beneath her head, he smiled a predatory smile.
‘This whole day in bed—does it have to be in the bed to count?’
She batted her lashes. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Again,’ he said in a rumble so soft it was more like a vibration in his chest. ‘More a case of show than tell …’
The ‘interrupt the interrupted sleep’ ploy was clever; he had to give her that. He was feeling better than he had in …
Yeah, it had been a while.
The first real test of how well they were doing appeared on their third night together. When he jolted into reality she was staring at him with wide, fear-filled eyes. But it hadn’t been fear for herself, it was fear for him. Daniel felt the whispered caress of her touch soothing him. But when he looked at his hands and saw how tight he was holding her upper arms, he was filled with horror. What the hell was he doing? A wave of nausea rolled over him at the thought of leaving a bruise on her skin and he knew he had to get away from her. Fast.
She hadn’t
tried to stop him when he said he was going to run it out of his system. But before he left, her soft voice asked, ‘What did it mean?’
He froze in the doorway. ‘What did what mean?’
‘You kept saying you needed two more; two of what?’
He walked away without answering. But despite the vow he made to place some distance between them, after a quiet shift filled with thoughts of her he was back at her door. Seeing her robbed him of his ability to speak. Determined to show her how much he needed her when unable to say it aloud, he kissed her welcoming smile and took her straight back to bed. One eight hour coma later and he was able to demonstrate what a damn fine specimen of manhood he could be when firing on all six cylinders. Unfortunately, it also meant something else.
But if he was being forced to leave her bed again he was determined to give her an afternoon to remember.
Leaning against a tree at the edge of the photoshoot in Central Park, his gaze took in the details of a world he knew next to nothing about. Judging from what he had observed he wouldn’t have the patience, whereas Jo seemed to thrive on it. She was animated, lively and enthusiastic; sparkling as if she inhabited some kind of secret magical kingdom. She obviously loved what she did. It glowed from her eyes.
For a second he found himself curious what it would feel like to have her look at him that way. But since it made the something he didn’t want to identify ache in his chest …
‘And that’s a wrap, boys and girls!’
While models and assistants breathed a visible sigh of relief, the photographer held out a hand to Jo and waggled his fingers. ‘Hand it over, my sweet. Have to be careful what awful images of me you place in the public domain …’
‘With someone as photogenic as you?’ Jo scoffed as she gave him a small digital camera.
Head bowed, he scrolled through the images. ‘Not that one. Definitely not that one, and when I’ve deleted everything which doesn’t meet my approval we can discuss your new friend.’ ‘What new friend?’
‘The guy who has been watching your every move for the last fifteen minutes.’ Waving a hand at a security guard with a silent let him through as Jo’s gaze found Daniel, he made the comment, ‘Obviously doesn’t work in fashion …’
‘No,’ she replied. ‘He’s a—’
‘Don’t tell me. It’s much more fun to fantasize.’
Daniel stepped over the line to claim his place beside her. ‘Hey, babe.’
‘Hello, handsome.’ The photographer grinned.
Jo bit her lip and stifled a chuckle. ‘Behave. Christophe Devereaux, Daniel Brannigan. Danny, this is Chris.’
‘Explains a lot about the smile you’ve been wearing this morning,’ the man remarked as he looked Daniel over. ‘How long have you been dating? Because seriously, honey, those clothes?’
‘Kinda work for him, don’t you think?’
‘I suppose, in a blue collar kind of way. But picture him in Armani or Gucci or maybe a little—’
‘Not gonna happen,’ Daniel said dryly when he got tired of being talked about as if he weren’t there. Being objectified was both uncomfortable and unfamiliar and since he’d been dressing himself from the age of two, he didn’t need any help.
‘Not a fan of labels,’ Jo felt the need to explain.
It wasn’t necessary in Daniel’s opinion. He didn’t have to answer to anyone, least of all a guy who obviously spent too much time in front of a mirror.
Christophe blinked. ‘Well, that must be refreshing …’
Judging by the soft, almost affectionate smile she gave him, Daniel assumed it was a good thing. Somewhat pathetically it forced him to resist the urge to smirk at her friend. Five minutes in her magical kingdom and he suspected he wouldn’t be viewed as much of a prince.
‘You done for the day?’ he asked.
‘Yes. But you already knew that or you wouldn’t be here. Someone obviously sneaked a look at my planner this morning …’ Leaning forward, she placed the air kisses Daniel had always hated above each of her friend’s cheeks. ‘I owe you one for today. Thanks for letting me sit in.’
‘We’ll call it even for the support you gave me when I was a virtual unknown; nothing quite like a mention on that blog of yours to raise one’s profile.’ He aimed a haughty, almost territorial look at Daniel. ‘Take care of her or you’ll have me to deal with.’
Somehow managing to keep a straight face, Daniel gave him a nod in reply. It wasn’t much of a threat. What was the guy going to do, fluff him to death? Eager to leave, he took Jo’s hand. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Just out of curiosity,’ she said as they walked through the park, ‘what would you have done if I’d met Liv today the way I was supposed to?’
‘Still bugging you, isn’t it?’
‘That I’m keeping something from my best friend?’
‘Even when we come out there will be certain things you can’t discuss with her, you know that, right?’
Her eyes widened. ‘When we come out?’
Oh, no, she didn’t. ‘We’re not arguing today. I have plans for what’s left of it.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘Wait and see.’
‘Is it a surprise?’ She brightened. ‘For me?’
He smiled when it literally put a skip in her step. ‘Do I need to explain the concept of wait and see?’
‘Are we there yet?’
‘No.’
Several repetitions of the same Q&A later, he stopped in the middle of a path and her brows lifted in anticipation.
‘You have two choices. Zoo—’ he jerked a thumb over his shoulder ‘—or that …’
Leaning to the side to look around him, she stilled and for a moment Daniel thought he’d got it wrong. Then her face lit up. ‘Are you kidding me?’ She threw herself at him. ‘I love this!’ After a tight hug, she stepped back and grasped hold of his hands. ‘You’re coming on all the rides, right?’
‘I’m not sitting on the little wooden horses.’
‘Ever kiss a girl on a carousel?’
‘Wouldn’t that be kissing and telling?’
As they stepped through the gates she turned towards him. ‘I refuse to participate in my surprise until you agree to do everything with me.’ She focused on his mouth, looked into his eyes and smiled meaningfully. ‘But I promise to make it worth your while if you do …’
‘Attempting to bribe a police officer?’ Daniel assumed a deadpan expression. ‘You know I can arrest you for that.’
‘Silly.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘If you put me in a cell for the night how will you collect your reward?’
If he was getting to spend the night with her it would be a good point. ‘You want pink fluffy stuff on a stick or do you want to eat something sensible?’
‘Pink and fluffy.’ She tugged on his hand. ‘We can take it on the carousel with us.’
Leaning against a ridiculous-looking wooden horse was as much of a compromise as he was prepared to make. While the platform began to move he watched her suck her fingers before peeling off another lump of fluffy candy. She’d been driving him crazy with that move while they stood in line; the glint in her eyes telling him she knew exactly what she was doing. Reaching out, he curled his hand around the back of her neck and pressed his mouth to hers. Intended as punishment for her actions, it instead led to the first sugar rush of his life. When he lifted his head she stayed where she was, eyes closed and a blissful smile on her face.
She sighed. ‘Carousels officially rock my world.’
Daniel smiled. Not as much as she rocked his.
Several rides later, he was hooked on her enjoyment and feeling pretty damn proud of himself for satisfying her need for fun. It was another thing he could add to his new list, having scrapped the one he made before they got involved. Now she was his to take care of, his to protect and her needs were his to satisfy; the mantra of his, his, his going a long way towards pacifying his inner Neanderthal every time one of the guys running a ride was fool
ish enough to flirt with her.
They took a break to grab a couple of soft pretzels with mustard. Jo shared her pretzel with a horde of cocky, well-fed pigeons while Daniel managed to share a dollop of mustard with his jeans. Biting down on a corner of her lower lip when he did it, she helpfully tried to remove the stain with a paper napkin until he was forced to remind her they were in a public place. Where there were children present. After a leisurely kiss to promise she could do whatever she wanted to him when they got home he watched as she looked over the crowd and smiled. Following her line of vision he discovered one of the children he’d mentioned with what was either a mother or a nanny; lightning-fast fingers fixing a braid in dark hair.
‘Do you remember her?’ he asked.
‘My mom?’
When her smile faded a little, Daniel sought out a hint of regret for asking but couldn’t find it. Hypocritical as it was, he wanted to know everything about her while remaining unable to give her the same in return.
He nodded. ‘Yeah.’
Jo took a short breath and thought about what to tell him the way she always did when they discussed a subject she found difficult. It was how he knew when she was sharing things with him she hadn’t told anyone else, the knowledge both humbling and adding to his guilt for being unable to do the same.
‘Little things,’ she replied as she fed the last of her pretzel to the pigeons. ‘I can remember how she brushed my hair. She used to follow the brush with her hand.’ A hint of wistful smile appeared.
‘I still do that.’
‘I know.’ It was part of her morning routine. Watching her dress was almost as fascinating to him as taking her clothes off. When she looked at him in a way that suggested she knew what he was thinking he added another prompt. ‘Keep going.’
There was another moment of thought as she selected a gift for him from a cache of precious memories. ‘She used to hum when she was doing housework. My dad would say one of the reasons he loved her was because she had a song in her heart. He used to wink at me before he sneaked up behind her to dance with her. It drove her crazy if she was in the middle of doing something but she always laughed.’ Jo nodded and smiled again. ‘She had a great laugh.’