Dylan spoke into the microphone. “Dex is the man.” He lifted his hand and gave a peace sign.
The crowd laughed.
“And we have Ginny Tompkins,” I said. “Who’s got to be the sweetest little thing ever.”
Ginny kicked her feet before she brought the microphone to her lips. “Hi…” Her cute little quiet voice filled the room, making everyone chuckle in fondness. “Dex fixed my heart. I was really scared, but he promised I would be okay…and now I can ride my bike and play with my friends on the playground. I have this line down my chest, but…I’m happy.”
Oh my god, she was so freaking adorable. And so brave too.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I said. “That’s nice of you to say.” I turned to the audience. “Ginny had a hole in her heart, but her parents couldn’t afford the surgery, so she had to live with this disability, unable to breathe, for five entire years. It sounds like I’m describing a totally different country, but this is happening in our backyard. Her family came all the way from California to see Dex, and Dex successfully repaired the hole in her heart, fixed a damaged valve, and gave Ginny the life every little girl deserves.”
Ginny looked into the darkness of the audience, like she was searching for something. “Is Dex here?”
Dex rose from the audience, and the lights swung to highlight his face. “Right here, sweetheart.” But instead of looking at her, he was looking at me, staring at me with that same hard expression, that deep and potently emotional gaze. “Can I join you?”
“Sure!” Ginny scooted over in her large chair so they could sit side by side.
Dex walked up onto the stage then took a seat beside her, the two of them shoulder-to-shoulder.
Ginny hooked her arm through his then looked up to give him a smile.
He gave her an affectionate nudge in the side, like they were two peas in a pod, like she was a daughter to him.
I paused to take it in, to appreciate this man even more, before I turned to Dylan to continue.
By the time everyone filtered out of the ballroom, it was probably close to midnight. Everyone wanted to talk to Dex, and since there were about five hundred people in attendance, it took a very long time.
I would help the staff clean up when it was over and start gathering the decorations that the vendors were nice enough to loan to me for free as long as I returned them in the condition in which they came.
I went over to the Hamiltons to say goodbye. Dex was on the other side of the room, talking to a couple with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, still animated even though he was probably exhausted. “Thank you for everything, Deacon. Everyone enjoyed that speech as much as I did.”
“Happy to do it.” He gave me a gentle pat on the back.
“I can tell it meant a lot to Dex.”
“Well, it means a lot to me that it means a lot to him. They say you can never be a prophet in your own land, but I feel like I’m one in mine.”
Cleo came over. “Can we help you—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “I’ve got this. You’re not on the clock, Cleo. Remember.”
She pressed her lips tightly together and tried to suppress a smirk. “Habit, you know?” She pulled me in for a long hug. “You’ve been such a blessing to my son. So happy that you came to us. It was meant to be.” When she pulled back, she gave my forearms an affectionate squeeze. “Goodnight, honey.”
“Goodnight.” I smiled and watched Deacon circle his arm around her waist as they walked toward the exit.
Daisy hugged me next. “Thanks for everything you do for Dex. It’s been a really hard year for him, and he’s already doing so much better. Getting closer and closer to becoming his old self. I talk a lot of shit about my brother, but he’s honestly the best guy I know—besides my dad and Derek.”
“He is,” I said in agreement. “How are you and Mason?”
“Good. I’m going to introduce him to my parents soon.”
“Oh wow. It’s serious, then.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I think so.” She stepped away so Derek could say goodbye.
“You want a ride home?” Derek asked.
“Oh no, I’ll be here for a while,” I said with a chuckle. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
“Well, Dex better give you a hand.”
He probably would, even though I would tell him not to. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” He gave me a pat on the arm before he followed his family. They all grouped together and took turns giving Dex a hug before they walked out.
Dex stayed behind, his hands sliding into the pockets of his slacks as he watched them walk away.
I should get to work, but I took a moment to stare at him, to study his side profile, his carved jawline, his smooth cheeks because he shaved before he came down here. With his shoulders back and one foot forward, he was posing for a photographer that didn’t exist. I forced myself to look away and started to grab the things off the table to put them in the cart.
He walked over a moment later and stood there.
When he didn’t say anything, I looked up from what I was doing and regarded him. “What are you still doing here? You should get home. It’s been a long night.”
He continued to look at me, his hand reaching up and swiping across the skin below his bottom lip, almost like he had an itch he needed to scratch. When he pocketed his hand again, he released a quiet noise, like he was clearing his throat and trying not to make it obvious.
I stopped organizing the candlesticks and the vases and straightened because it seemed like he had something to say but didn’t know how to say it. He was pretty good with words and expressed himself fluidly, but perhaps everything I’d done that night had truly overwhelmed him, and now he didn’t know what to say.
I walked closer to him, my dress so tight I could barely breathe. It fit me like a glove, like a second skin before it flared out around my hips. My hands came together in front of my belly button, and I tried to think of something to say to make it easier on him, because I knew how much he appreciated everything without his saying it. “I know you appreciate everything that I do, even if you don’t say it. And I want you to know that you’re the reason I have the most meaningful and fulfilling—”
He stepped even closer, stepping into my space like he might hug me, but the look on his face told me that wasn’t what was coming. His arm slid around my waist, but not with professional affection, the way Deacon might hug me, but with a possessive grip that tugged on the fabric of my dress like it was the reins of a horse. He pulled me closer to him, his other hand moving to my neck then gracefully sliding farther to my cheek, his thumb resting along the line of my jaw. He directed my eyes to his face, his eyes on my lips, and after one more breath, he pulled me in just a little more and kissed me.
My eyes instantly closed at his touch, my chest turned rigid because my body suddenly didn’t need air anymore. My stomach tightened, my thighs clenched, but my mouth softened once his lips were in contact with mine, naturally sliding apart like they knew exactly what to do.
His fingers slid deep into my hair as I felt my lips between his, his palm pressing harder into my lower back to keep me against his chest, to give me an embrace so warm it was like standing next to a roaring fire.
I hadn’t touched him because my mind and body hadn’t connected yet, hadn’t processed what was happening. That Dex Hamilton, the man of my dreams, was kissing me.
He turned his head slightly and kissed me a little harder before the embrace turned soft again, his fingers grabbing hold of my hair now, a deep breath leaving his nostrils like he loved the feel of my lips against his.
When I realized this was real, that this dream was a reality, my arms circled his neck, and I rose a little on my tiptoes to have greater access to his mouth, to fulfill my fantasy and do whatever I wanted to this man.
I parted his lips and gave him my tongue as one hand slid down his body, over his hard chest, over his beating heart, and I
felt the grooves of muscle of his body, felt how strong he was against my fingertips.
He moaned into my mouth when I got into it, when I touched him and gave him my tongue at the same time, when my fingers moved into the back of his hair and gripped the soft strands.
He took it further by fisting my hair entirely, yanking my head back a little farther, kissing me harder like he might throw me on the table and yank up my dress and fuck me right there.
I wouldn’t say no to that.
But then he pulled away, his breathing deep and labored, his eyes burning into mine like it took all his strength to stop. “If you’re willing to be patient with me…I’d like to try.”
I’d wait forever for this man, the only man I would ever really want, the man I could picture myself married to when we’d only had our first kiss five seconds ago. He was the love of my life—I already knew. It was one of those moments that changed your life forever, that you looked back on decades later and your feelings about it never changed. Innate, true, unconditional. “I’d wait a lifetime for you, Dex.”
16
Dex
By the time we were done packing everything up in the rental van and were back at my place, it was almost two in the morning.
I was exhausted, but I didn’t care.
She didn’t seem to care either.
I hadn’t planned on kissing her. It kinda just happened. In a moment of sharp clarity, I realized there was something special here, and I’d be an idiot not to do something about it. She was special, and I wouldn’t find someone else like her. It was better to give this a try, to take it slow, than to spend my time with someone else I didn’t even want to be with.
When we got inside, I didn’t bother turning on the light, especially when the lights from the city kept the place permanently illuminated all hours of the night. She was in her beautiful blue gown, her wrap around her shoulders to stay warm.
Now that she was here, and not for work, I wasn’t sure what to do with her.
I’d asked her to come over, and she said yes.
She was warm inside my apartment, so she pulled the wrap off her body and left it on the back of my couch. Then she looked at me, as if waiting for me to decide what would happen next.
I didn’t have a plan. “You want to lie down…?”
“Sure.”
I felt like a schoolboy who had no experience, no idea what to do with a girl who actually liked me. I made my way down the hallway to my bedroom, the floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in light from the skyscrapers across the street. I kicked off my shoes and socks before I sat at the foot of the bed.
She joined me, sitting beside me and removing the pretty shoes that matched her dress. She looked out the window for a moment before she looked at me again, subtle glitter on her cheeks that matched her dress, looking like the princess of a winter wonderland. The light hit her eyes in this perfect way, making them a little greener than usual.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” I blurted it out without hesitation, finally free to speak my mind, abandoning my sense of professionalism and telling her my thoughts as they came into my head. I felt free.
She gave a quick blink before she looked down for a moment, as if she couldn’t believe those words actually came from my mouth.
“And you have no idea, do you?” I whispered.
She looked up again, a slight smirk coming on to her lips. “You’re one to talk…”
I was a handsome man, but I wasn’t this anatomically, symmetrically, mathematically perfect person like she was. And the beauty on the outside went all the way down to her bones. She was just as stunning on the inside as the outside. “I want to make love to you, but I think we should wait.” This entire night was spontaneous, and I wanted to make this work, make it last, not rush to the finish line and ruin something so perfect. She wasn’t Natalia or one of the other girls I brought home. She was someone who meant more to me than anyone in the world besides my family.
Disappointment moved into her eyes, just for a split second.
And it was so sexy. This beautiful woman wanted me, wanted me without hesitation, wanted me inside her all night long, her dress on my floor, her shoes sitting at the foot of the bed, her moans creating endless echoes.
“That’s fine,” she whispered, giving me a slight smile to hide her earlier reaction.
I faced forward and stripped off my jacket, letting it slide down my arms until it fell to the floor. My tie came next, along with the buttons of my collared shirt. I took it all off, leaving the necklace underneath, which I never removed. These people considered me to be their champion, and it felt insulting to take it off.
Her eyes took me in, looking at my thick arms, my strong chest, and my chiseled stomach. It must be freeing for her too, to be able to look, touch, speak…do whatever she wanted without reservation.
She reached behind herself and pulled down the zipper of her dress. The material slowly came loose, and the straps over her shoulders started to fall until the entire thing slid down her stomach, showing her tits, her little rib cage, her sexy belly button.
Oh lord have mercy…
Naked from the waist up, she watched me watch her.
I didn’t have to hide my gaze anymore. So, I just looked at her, looked at the nicest tits I’d ever seen. They were plump, though compatible with her slender size, but her nipples tilted up. They were small, and they were perky. I had a photographic memory, so I knew I’d memorize this image forever.
My eyes didn’t leave her body as I undid my belt and pulled down my fly, letting my dick get some air after being strangled by my slacks for the last few minutes. I stood up and let my pants fall, let me get down to my black boxers, the bulge of my dick obvious even in the limited light.
She stared at me like I was somehow as attractive as her, sitting there with her tits out, her beautiful hair down one shoulder. And she had her belly button pierced…fuck, so hot.
I kneeled in front of her, grabbed her petite waist in my hands, and pulled her closer to me, bringing our faces close together as I prepared to feast on her, to taste her, to feel her in all the ways I’d never thought I’d be lucky enough to do.
My mouth moved to her neck, and I kissed her, tasted her, my hands squeezing her bare waist.
Her head tilted back instantly to let me have her, her arms circling my shoulders, her nails digging into my upper back. She released a sexy moan when my lips came into contact with her skin, when my hot kisses set her body on fire.
I moved down to her collarbone and took a gentle bite before I kissed her petite shoulder. I kissed the hollow of her throat, right where a necklace would rest, and then moved farther down, pulling her back by the neck so I could get to her tits.
Fuck, these tits.
The second I got one into my mouth, I was lost.
I sucked her nipple hard, made her wince, then licked the valley between her boobs before I went after the other nipple, making sure to do the same damage to the other one. I stayed there for a while, letting my face rest between them as I smelled her lotion and perfume.
She gave these quiet moans as I kissed her, her body completely flat on the bed, her fingers digging into my hair. Her legs lifted and locked around my torso, keeping me anchored to her like she didn’t want me to stop.
My kisses moved down to her stomach, and I licked around her piercing. Her lean abs were visible under her fair skin, her body lithe and tight, absolutely sexy. Her dress was bunched around her waist, so I didn’t go any lower, knowing if I didn’t keep her panties on, then I was going to rush into this.
I lifted my body over hers and then dragged her dress over her ass and legs to get it to the floor.
That was when I could see her little blue thong, which matched the dress almost perfectly, like she hoped I would peel it off tonight and see her matching panties. My arm lifted her to me, and I carried her up the bed before I dropped her at the top, her head on my pillow, her legs around my waist once more.
&
nbsp; My dick was right against her opening, feeling the wetness soaking through her underwear and my boxers, telling me just how wet she was for me, how much she wanted my big dick inside her like she wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the size of it.
Her hands clawed my back, and she rocked against me slightly, giving herself some friction against my length, letting out a quiet moan like my dick was a goddamn vibrator. She looked into my eyes as she breathed hard, like I was already inside her, making love to her on my sheets.
This no-sex thing wasn’t going to last long.
I lowered my lips to her mouth and kissed her, feeling my veins become electrified with the chemistry that was so potent, it was like a combustible reaction. I gave her my tongue, and hers was ready to take it, our mouths moving together in perfect unison like we weren’t brand-new lovers, learning about each other for the first time. It was like we’d done this before, hundreds of times, but the heat was still there.
She squeezed my waist with her thighs, her ankles locked together against my ass, pulling me into her with a gentle motion, getting my dick to grind against her clit with the perfect pressure to make her wetter and wetter.
Her hands would claw at my back, sometimes dig into my hair, and sometimes feel the muscles of my arms, touching me everywhere, like she wanted to explore every muscle, every vein, every strand of hair.
Now her panties were completely soaked, unwearable, the moisture seeping through my boxers until the skin of my dick was damp. When her kiss halted and she just held on to me, just rocked with me, I knew she was about to fly off the cliff without my even being inside her.
The Doctor Who Has No Closure (Soulless Book 10) Page 18