TATIANA: Book Three; The Trouble Sisters Saga

by Lee Taylor

  Now that she’d eaten and drank more than she could remember doing, Zane had thrown down the marker she’d been expecting. He’d essentially declared that it was high time she belly up to the bar and give in to the stated intention of his supremely planned evening. Standing in front of him, in addition to the fear that was threatening to overtake her, she felt an even more powerful emotion. She wouldn’t have recognized it three weeks ago. But now the feeling had become an insistent part of her overwrought psyche. In a word, it was passion. Passion that at some level she’d always known she was capable of. And now, because of the extraordinary man who was gazing at her hungrily, she was about to experience it in all its glory. When he extended his hand, rather than move toward him, she slowly loosened the tie on her robe, then let it drift over her shoulders to the floor. Instead of her naked body, which she was sure he expected, she was wearing her most erotic lingerie that she now realized she’d been saving for this very moment.

  Zane couldn’t hold back a startled gasp. He’d thought he was at least somewhat prepared for what he was sure was her beautiful body. To his surprise, rather than the naked goddess he expected to see, Tatiana was wearing beautiful lingerie. If her intention was to ramp his libido to astronomical heights, she more than succeeded. The emerald satin and lace bra barely contained her full breasts. Instead, its clear intent was to underscore their extraordinary opulence. The most startling aspects were the openings through which her lush, pink nipples escaped. In a fitting accompaniment, the satin thong, covering what he barely dared to hope was her bare mons, was miniscule. Slamming his eyes closed for a second to recover, he flicked his fingers in a circle, instructing her to turn for him. When she tossed her head and turned in a slow circle, he couldn’t hold back the groan that rumbled from his chest. The sight of the slender, satin string buried in the enticing crack between her firm, round cheeks almost took him down.

  When she turned back to him, she shot him a smile and said with a slight shrug, “Before you ask, no, these are not Tara’s.” Thinking she needed to explain, she said, “Um . . . after I got divorced . . . I decided I would only wear beautiful lingerie. My . . . my ex-husband hated lingerie, said they were perverted, that . . . only ugly sluts wore—” She stopped and pressed her fingers against her lips, horrified at the words that had tumbled from her mouth. Jesus God, what was she doing? Intentionally trying to turn him off? Make him think she was as big a freak as Arnold? Knowing that her cheeks were wildly flushed, she stepped back.

  To her surprise, he shook his head and reached for her hand. His voice was low, firm. “You are a lot of things, Tatiana, including the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You are also the most desirable woman I’ve ever known. At some point, but not now, we will deal with what I’m coming to understand was your debilitating marriage. But for now, tonight, I am going to make love to you. Deep, passionate love, worthy of the extraordinary woman you are. Do you understand, Tatiana? Tonight is about you and me. No one else. Not any of the myriad women I’ve known or that apparently despicable asshole you were married to. No, sweetheart, this is about you and me. Agreed?”

  When she visibly swallowed and tentatively nodded, he continued. Making a supreme effort not to reveal the shock he’d felt when she’d referred to her former husband’s hideous assertion, Zane forced himself to sound calm. “Now that we have that settled, my lovely woman, I want you to strip for me.” At her clearly startled reaction, he persisted, determined to make her focus on him. “Will you do that, Tatiana? Take off that extraordinarily sexy camisole and reveal your astonishing breasts to me? And then will you turn around and bend over as you take off that microscopic thong and reveal your superlative ass to me?”

  When she nodded nervously, he continued. “And when you do, I will do my damnedest not to throw you down on the floor and fuck your brains out.” At her surprised startle, he smiled. “How about it, sweetheart, is that a deal?” Gratified at her tremulous nod and slight smile, he pointed with his chin to her breasts. “Good, let’s start with that.”

  When she flushed a deeper pink, then reached behind her and unsnapped the bra and held it up against her, he flicked his hand, indicating that she should drop it. When she hesitated, he smiled at her and said softly, “Don’t tease me, sweetheart. I’m having enough trouble breathing as it is.” He reached out, gently unwound her fingers from the silky treasure, and pulled it away from her. Stepping back, he managed to swallow his heated gasp, then shook his head. At her startled gaze, he murmured, “Jesus fucking Christ, Tatiana, how could you be more beautiful? Jesus, sweetheart, your breasts are gorgeous. As in fucking perfect!”

  Flicking his fingers, he murmured, “Now, do as I told you.” At her questioning start, he narrowed his eyes. “You heard me, baby. Turn around and bend over.” When she slowly turned her backside to him and bent over at her waist, then made a production of skimming the miniscule lacy treasure over her curvy hips, Zane choked back a groan.

  Confirming that she was as turned on as he was, she gracefully stepped out of the thong. Tossing him a sultry glance over her shoulder, she turned back to him with a shy smile and tossed him the thong.

  Gazing at her naked body, Zane blew out a long, hard sigh that sounded more like a tortured groan. As he hadn’t dared hope, to his shock, her mons was bare. It was clear that she’d seen his stunned appraisal when she said in a studied, off-hand voice, “That was the second thing I did—uh . . . after buying the lingerie.” She hesitated, then cleared her throat and murmured, “Is it okay? I mean, do you . . . like it? I mean . . . I hope you don’t think it is weird . . . or ugly . . . ”

  Choking back his startled response at her stunning assertion, he managed not to address her troubled suggestion that he might find her bare mons “weird” or, God help him, “ugly.” Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he forced a smile to curve his lips. “I admit that if you’d told me that you were bare under that scrap of lace, I’m not sure where my next breath would have come from. But randy reprobate that I am, I willingly risked asphyxiation in hopes of seeing you like this.” He added seriously, “Just know, lovely lady, if you’d had so much as a strip of hair shielding your glorious cunt, I would have shaved it off myself.” At her surprised start, he said softly, “All I can say is thank you, Tatiana, for preparing yourself for me. For being willing to be so gloriously, bravely naked. It is a sight and a gift that I will always treasure.”

  Forcing his eyes to travel up over her slender waist, he allowed himself to focus on her breasts. Perfect didn’t begin to describe the full, pale globes that were much larger than he’d expected. And how could he possibly have known they would be topped by full, pink nipples that under his penetrating scrutiny were beginning to tighten into rosy peaks. Seeing the mix of hesitation and excitement warring on her face, Zane nodded to her, indicating that she should come to him. When she took one and then another hesitant step toward him, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Feeling her tremble, he eased his grip. Lifting her chin, he leaned down and began to kiss her. When she cried out and clung to him, her agitated response ramped up his desire to astronomical heights. Scooping her up his arms, he groaned, a deep, passionate male sound. “God, baby, I’ve been waiting my whole fucking life for you. I have to have you, Tatiana. Now!”

  Chapter 17

  Laying her on the bed, Zane crawled in beside her. To her surprise, he pressed his finger against her lips, then leaned over and kissed her—gently, slowly. Rubbing his beard shadow against her chin, his lips quirked up at her tremor. Lifting her chin, he gazed into her eyes. His voice was soft, serious. “I need you to listen to me, Tatiana. I don’t want to frighten you, but I’m going to restrain you.” At her wide-eyed gasp, he shook his head. “No, sweetheart, don’t be afraid. All you have to do is say stop and I will. But first I’m going to slip on these cuffs that our sagacious host placed on these bedposts and secure your hands over your head, like this.” He added with a teasing grin, “That’s right, sweetheart, now you
can’t stop me from doing all the sexy things I plan to do to you.”

  She frowned, then nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

  Seeing a flash of excitement in her sparkling emerald eyes, he pulled out a blindfold and tied it over her eyes. At her surprised cry, he murmured, “It’s okay, baby, you know that you’re safe. But I need to quiet that crazy, busy brain of yours so that you can just focus on me, on us, on what we are doing to each other. Can you do that, Tatiana? Focus on just us?”

  When she stiffened and then seemed to let go, he breathed out a relieved sigh. Gazing at her beautiful body now tantalizingly restrained, he groaned. “Aah yes. God yes, sexy woman. And now, baby, prepare to go crazy!”

  Startled at the wave of sensations that rolled over her at his husky threat, Tatiana couldn’t hold back a gasp. In response, he caught the edge of her mouth and lightly bit her lip. The slight sting shot a streak of heat straight to her clit. She couldn’t keep from raising her hips, wanting to press her mound against his hard thigh. To her shock, he smacked her hip, not enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention and send a shimmering sparkle of heat to her now-throbbing clit. His murmured rebuke sealed the deal. “Uh-uh, sweetheart, I’ll decide what I want you to do and when.”

  As he’d clearly intended, the restraints, blindfold, and carefully placed smack on her butt ratcheted up her desire tenfold. They forced her to focus on the sensations she felt as his lips moved from her neck, to her throat, and finally to her breasts. Tatiana intuitively knew that her breasts were sensitive. But now they felt full, achy. And no one had ever done to them what Zane was doing now. She quivered when he brushed his calloused fingertips over the tender skin, then nipped at the tight nubs with his teeth. Grasping one erect nipple between his fingers and thumb, he pinched it, causing a surprising sting of pain that sent a firestorm of sensation to her now-damp pussy. Unable to hold back a cry when his lips closed over the peaked nipple, she arched up, dying for him to suck it deep into his mouth. A quick smack, just hard enough to release a gush of moisture between her legs, reminded her that she was restrained.

  She was shocked that his slightest touch elicited a reaction that swept from her aching breasts to her throbbing clit and fired up every synapse in between. It was as though her impassioned lover were following an erotic roadmap etched on her body, touching and tasting every erogenous zone she’d never known was there. As Zane moved stealthily from one wildly sensitive place to another, every nerve in her body was on high alert, waiting impatiently for the sweep of his facile tongue or skillful fingers probing, touching, stroking.

  When the sensations were too intense to hold back a frantic cry, he lightly slapped her bottom and then the top of her mound, causing her body to erupt in a responsive chorus of sparkling shockwaves. By the time he moved between her legs, separating her swollen lips with his fingers and then his tongue, she didn’t know how much more she could take. As he explored every inch of her succulent folds that were thrumming with need, she knew she should be horrified. How could she not be, given what he was doing to her most intimate places? Instead, she did her best to focus on him. On his masterful hands, his amazing mouth, and his erotic words praising her beautiful body, her taste, and the musky fragrance of her arousal. When he finally pressed his burgeoning cockhead against her erotic lips, she had to hold her breath to keep from giving in to the frantic climax that was threatening to overtake her.

  Lifting her hips in his big hands, he held her tightly, then began to ease into her. His tense murmur was harsh. “God, baby, you are tight, so goddamned tight.” He entered slowly at first, one agonizing inch after another, then little by little he began to thrust, scraping against her most sensitive places again—and then again.

  Riding high on a precipice of passion, every nerve in her body screaming for release, Tatiana knew she couldn’t hold back another second. At that moment, he drove in deeper, thrusting to the hilt. At the same time, he pinched her clit and bit down hard on one tender nipple. When she shattered, screaming one aching cry after another, he pounded into her, urging her on. His shout was triumphant. “Now, Tatiana! Now you can come! Yes, baby, like that. Oh God, darlin’. Like that. Just like that!”

  ****

  After he freed her hands and removed the blindfold, Tatiana didn’t know how long they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, laughing, crying, and clinging to one another.

  His chuckle rasped in her ear. “Damn, sweetheart, I’d put us in the shower, but hell, we haven’t tried out the hot tub. How about it, sweetheart? Are you up for a quick dip in a pool of erotically bubbling water?” He added with a satisfied sigh, “Christ, as if we could get any hotter.”

  They frolicked in the bubbling water, but within minutes their playful splashing became more intentional. Flipping her onto her stomach and fastening her hands on the rim of the tub, Zane came up behind her. His voice was gruff in her ear, rife with intent. “Oh yeah, love, this is what my big prick is crying out for. Lifting your sexy ass in the air and coming in you from behind.” At her tortured cry, he crooned, “How about it, sexy lady, think you can hold on tight while I take you as hard and deep as I can?”

  When she cried out and pushed her bottom up against him, he gave a gratified hiss. “That’s the way, sweetheart; lift your beautiful ass up like that. Let me feast on you, all of you!” Holding her hips in his big hands, he spread her legs apart with his strong thigh, then thrust his iron-hard prick against her lush opening. Her sobbing cry was a siren call to his libido. He groaned as he thrust into her. “Christ, I should have known I couldn’t stop, that I could never stop!”

  ****

  Slowly waking, Tatiana vaguely remembered Zane drying her off with a fluffy towel and carrying her in his arms back to their bed. She remembered stirring several times during what was left of the night. Each time she roused, he wrapped her in his strong arms and held her tighter against him, his comforting whispers lulling her back to sleep. Now seeing the streaks of sunlight flowing though the blinds, Tatiana realized it must be morning. She allowed herself to rest in Zane’s arms for another minute. Rubbing her cheek against his bare chest, she reveled in the feel of his strong muscles and the tickle of his chest hair against her skin. Breathing in the smell of his body, she couldn’t help writhing in delight. Then, as though an impish devil were charged with making her life miserable, she remembered they had to leave, had to go back to their real life.

  She nudged him and murmured, “Are you awake, Zane?”

  “Yeah, sweetheart, I am. And much as I hate to admit it, I do believe that it is morning. In fact, if my watch is accurate, it’s damned near noon!”

  Tatiana jumped up, horrified. “Oh God, Zane. I told Tara I would pick Marcie and Max up at noon.”

  Zane shook his head and tugged her back against him. “Hang on, sweetheart. I have a feeling your sister won’t be surprised if we’re a little later than we planned.” When she tried to wiggle free, he shook his head. “I know we have to go, sweetheart. How about this: you hustle that gorgeous bod of yours into the shower. While you do that, I’ll see what our attentive host has prepared for breakfast. Hell, Tatiana, you have to be as hungry as I am.”

  When Tatiana nodded in agreement, Zane released her from his grip and allowed her to slip out of bed. But as quickly as she stood up, he was beside her. “Uh-uh, not so fast, lovely lady.” Pulling her tight against him, he murmured in her ear, “I trust you don’t think you can waltz away from me without an appropriate good morning kiss.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes, his hooded azure eyes gleaming. Rubbing his finger across her swollen lips, he murmured, “Or that I will let you go without telling you what last night meant to me.”

  When she closed her eyes and leaned into him, he tugged her closer to him. Nipping at the tender place under her ear, he chuckled at the tremor that shook her. “I’m glad to know that even now, in the cold light of day, I can make you tremble when I touch one of your many amazingly responsive erogenous zones.”


  At her surprised gasp, he added as he stroked the tender skin, “Yes, love, tender, scintillating places, even here on your beautiful neck.” Needing her to know how completely she’d rocked his world, he held her more firmly, insisting that she meet his intense gaze. “But, Tatiana, it’s important that you listen to me, that you let me tell you what last night meant to me.”

  When she blew out a hard sigh and nodded, he spoke carefully. “I need you to understand. In all of the questionable ‘experiences’ in my jaded life, I never before did what I did with you last night.” When she shot him a questioning frown, he said, “To be specific, in addition to the most extraordinary sex I’ve ever had, I did something even more remarkable.” He paused, needing her to understand the seismic shift that had reordered his life. His voice shook with quiet intensity. “Tatiana, for the first time in my life, I made love. Yeah, we had mind-blowing sex, but more than that, sweetheart, we fucking made love.” When she bit down on her trembling lip, he pinched her cheek and murmured, “And just so you know, now that I know the difference, I plan to make love to you as often as I can find a way to spirit you away and into my arms.” His voice dropped lower and his eyes narrowed. “One more thing you need to understand, baby: there’s no turning back.” At her wide-eyed gasp, he smacked her on her butt. “Now, get that spectacular ass of yours into the shower, or I can’t be responsible for what happens next.”

  Tatiana stood in the shower as long as she dared, trying to come to grips with Zane’s surprising declaration. So much of her wanted to believe him, to revel in what had been the most incredible night of her life. For several long moments, she relived the extraordinary things that he had done to her, heck, that she’d encouraged him to do. Finally, she got out of the shower and began to get ready to go home. All out of Tara’s high-end wardrobe, she put on her shorts and tee shirt and tossed herself a shrug in the mirror. Yep, Zane may as well see her as she was. A stressed-out woman with far too many challenges facing her and mundane clothes that fit her convoluted lifestyle. Damn, nothing like Cinderella coming home from the ball. She sighed, acknowledging that midnight had come and gone and the clock had definitely struck twelve. Squaring her shoulders, she prepared to join the impressive man waiting for her. Unfortunately, unlike her abbreviated “princess reign,” that particular man would always be a charming prince. Because as opposed to her brief time at the “ball,” Zane was a prince to the core.