What time for dinner?
She sent back:
Seven-ish?
He smiled to note how accurate he had been.
See you then, he sent back to her before stripping off his clothes and heading for his shower. He also straightened up his beard, in case he ended up staying the entire night again.
He paused a moment as he realized he was acting in anticipation of spending the full night with her. She had offered no such invitation. Oh, she was clearly inviting him for an intimate evening, but not necessarily the intimacy of sharing her bed the whole night. Just because he had done so the night before didn’t guarantee he would do so again.
He hated not knowing exactly where he stood with her. That wasn't at all her fault though. He didn’t know what he wanted from her himself. Hell, there had been so much upheaval in his life lately, was he wise to add more to it? Was it wise to let himself get carried away on a wave of lust? Especially with this woman? With this extraordinary woman who required a great deal of care? More than was normal. He wondered if he was the right man for the job. He could take care of her physically, but it was quite another task to take care of her heart.
Then again, that was part of what he had signed up for. To be her friend. Her confidante. Her sounding-board. How was that different than any other mature relationship? It was all the intimacies of a relationship, a marriage of sorts. He had just pushed it beyond into a new level of intimacy…one it was perhaps not wise to have done.
However, wisdom flew out of the window whenever he got close to her. She simply oozed sensuality, inviting him quite obviously to respond. And besides, it was a little late for caution…for second-guessing. He had made his choices and now he had to live with them. Not that it was promising to be any great chore, but he had to accept that what was done was done…and it was his responsibility to see that it was done for the better.
He finished showering and redressed himself. He then made his way out of his apartment and took the elevator to the penthouse. Darcy let him in and indicated with a sweep of her arm that he should go right in.
As he came into the living room he was also treated to the view of the dining area, as it was an open floor plan straight from kitchen through dining room through living room. He immediately saw that the table was set only for two and that it was set with crystal and china and two lit tapers in the center on either side of the centerpiece which was a seasonal bowl of pine cones and holly. He then caught sight of Simone sitting on her couch with her bare feet tucked up under her bottom, her shoes on the floor beside her. She was wrapped in a very soft looking shawl of red velveteen fabric. On her lap was a folder with some sort of file she was reading. Curiosity overcame him and he walked up behind her and read over her shoulder a moment. He realized it was a dossier on the prince of South Africa. His queen was nosing around her beloved authoritarian's new boss.
Her loyalty touched him. He reached out and petted her long, loose hair and she immediately turned into his touch like a cat seeking attention. She caught his hand in hers and nuzzled his palm, taking an obvious breath in to take his scent. The affection instantly stirred him. He felt his entire body respond to the intense feelings she inspired within him, both physical and emotional. The visceral response took his breath away. He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him and then bent to lower his mouth to hers. The kiss was light. Warm. Full of tenderness and promise. He felt her smile against his lips and it prompted him to do the same. He lifted away from her, just far enough to look down into her stunning eyes.
Careful, he counseled himself. It would be far too easy to get swept even further away than he already was.
However, as he looked down into her candid eyes he began to understand that it was far too late for warnings. She had gotten under his skin and she was there to stay. It didn’t matter how quickly it had happened. It was merely a testament to what a remarkable lady she was.
“Working?” he asked her even though they both knew what she was doing. She had the presence of mind to look sheepish.
“I just…I want to make certain he’ll be all right.”
“So you had his new boss followed?” he asked archly. “Do you know what kind of trouble it would cause if you got caught?”
She frowned darkly and in a hard voice said, “I am completely aware of the ramifications of my actions. If Danton found out he would be heartily offended. He would be very angry with me. Also the prince would take exception to being examined by me as well. However I could care less about stepping on a few toes…as long as I can be confident that he will be all right where he is going.”
“I understand,” he said gently. “You don’t have to defend yourself to me. I imagine I would do the same were I in your position. For instance, I researched the hell out of the guy who is taking my place at Leopold’s side. I wouldn’t leave his well being up to just anyone. And I promise you, Danton has done the same, researching me down to what color underwear I wear.”
“Blue. At least…that was what you wore last night,” she said with an impish grin.
“Tonight they’re black. Want to see?” he asked suggestively.
She laughed. “Later. I want to feed you first.”
“I noticed only two place settings. You don’t eat with Darcy?”
“It’s a fifty-fifty sort of thing. Half of the time she eats with me, the other half she doesn’t. She usually doesn’t when I have company. She prefers to make herself scarce and protects my privacy and intimacy.”
“As long as we’re not excluding her because we’re elitist snobs,” he said with a broad wink.
“Hardly that. Darcy and I are great friends. She takes her job very seriously, but not so seriously that we have not been able to grow a close personal friendship. There are those who might frown on me being friendly with someone who works for me, but I couldn’t care less. I don’t work that way.”
“As was proven last night,” he said softly, searching her face as he said it. She frowned and he smiled, knowing she was about to jump to her own defense. And to his. “I’m not judging you or us. Merely pointing out facts. I work for you. Last night it became personal. If I have my way, it will stay personal.”
He watched her carefully. It was the first move in the chess of what their relationship might become. She would either let him in or keep him at arms length. He had stated his intentions, and the rest was up to her.
A smile bloomed across her lips and he expression turned sly. “I think I’d like that,” she said. “Especially if getting personal comes with multiple orgasms.”
“Mm. Now that I can definitely promise you,” he said, reaching to catch her mouth in a blistering kiss. But just as swiftly he stopped and backed away from her. “But Darcy went through a lot of trouble making a meal for us I'm guessing. So let’s eat.”
She nodded and got to her feet. She ignored her shoes and padded barefoot across to the kitchen. She opened the door to something and he realized it was a warmer. Not like an oven, but meant to keep a meal warm for a little while. She removes two dishes covered with cloches. He immediately jumped to help her. Scooping up his own plate he led the way to the table.
“She usually would serve us directly, but she had somewhere to be this evening. Probably hunting.”
“I don’t need to be served,” he said with a small smile. I prefer it like this. Just the two of us. We’re fully capable of serving ourselves.”
“I agree. But Darcy usually insists. She doesn’t want her food to be eaten outside of its peak of freshness. She takes great pride in her work and eagerly prefers to serve her meals in person. I think you’ll find she’s quite good,” she said.
They sat at the dining table and Marcus picked up the bottle of wine that was sitting there. He poured for both of them, conservatively, and then put the bottle aside. She smiled at him with amusement.
“What? Not going to get me drunk and take advantage of me?” she asked with a wink.
“I thought I’d try
attracting you with my natural charms and seducing you with my obvious hunger for you,” he said, his tone half teasing and half intense. She returned his intensity with a hungering look, but then picked up her glass and took a sip, artfully putting distance between them. He accepted her withdrawal, understanding that Darcy’s meal would got to waste if they kept on the heated track they seemed to constantly travel.
They removed the cloches and displayed a meal that was more a piece of art than it was something to eat. Darcy had made sea bass, settled on a bed of mashed purple potatoes and some prettily placed roasted Brussels sprouts with dots of two different colored sauces plated at what should be random, but was obviously painstakingly executed.
“Wait until you see her desert. It’s a work of art,” she said, setting aside her cloche with a smile. She eagerly picked up her fork and took her first bite. He watched the relish with which she enjoyed it, smiling with an increasingly intense hunger for her. She was so passionate. So eager to feel everything every moment had to offer her. She thrived on life and its experiences. It was something so rare in someone so old. However, his fascination with her did not interrupt his massive craving for the delectable meal set before him. He decided to follow her lead and enjoy the sensuality of eating the meal.
It was quite honestly one of the best meals he’d tasted. He realized it was a pity it had not been served at peak freshness, the warmer having aged the dish a little past its prime. But if this was past prime, he was eager to see what she could do in the moment.
“She’s quite talented,” he said with a content sigh after he had cleaned his plate. She had beaten him to the finish and was watching him and sipping her wine at he concluded his meal. She smiled seductively.
“Do you want desert now…or later?” she asked.
“Are you suggesting I might want to get naked with you?” he asked with amusement as he picked up her nearest hand and place a kiss in the center of her palm. Her scent suddenly filled his nostrils and intensity and hunger followed. He wallowed in it happily letting it wash over him.
“Hmm. Are you waiting for permission? If so consider it given.”
“Is there an actual desert?”
“Yes,” she said with a laugh.
“It’s be a shame to let it go to waste,” he said.
“I’ve been beaten by a sweet tooth! How shall I ever recover?”
“Your ego can handle it,” he said, standing up and picking up their plates. They both walked to the kitchen, Marcus putting the plates in the sink and Simone nosing around in the refrigerator. She came up with two prepared desserts and they walked back to the table. He was surprised at how eager he was to taste the lovely looking creation.
Dessert went quickly. He enjoyed it just as much as he had the rest of the meal. This time it was Simone who put the dishes in the sink and he came up behind her, trapping her against the counter. His hands drove over her hips, pulling her back against him, then traveled up beneath her sweater, over her belly and teased at the bottoms of her breasts.
“Oh. So this is how it is?” she asked teasingly. “I’ve fed one appetite now I’m obliged to feed another?”
“Tell me you’re not famished for me,” he whispered against her neck as his lips nibbled at her skin, “and I’ll stop.”
“Why would I want you to stop?” she asked huskily.
“Then shut up and let me love you,” he murmured against her ear.
Chapter Fourteen
Simone loved the commanding feel of his body against hers and his hands sweeping up over her breasts. She was teasing him verbally, but he was teasing her with his ghosting touch. It was incredible the appetite she had for this man.
She still wore her shawl, so it was a bit awkward as she turned in his arms to face him. He pulled his hands away from her body and stripped the fabric away, dropping it to the ground by their feet. Then his hands were immediately on her again. Urgency entered the situation and she was breathless as her sweater went by the way of her shawl. He didn’t even pause before he was unhooking her bra and pulling it from her arms, letting it fall to the floor as well.
He took in an audible breath and stood staring at her bare breasts with hungry eyes. He slowed down then, raising the back of his hand to brush over the distended nipple on her left breast. She took in a breath this time as light zings of sensation and response zipped through her. His intensity stimulated her just as much as his touch did. It was chilly in the room, but his touch heated her bare skin quickly.
He turned his hand and caught up her breast, massaging it, weighing it. As he did this he leaned into her, pressing her back into the counter, his hips coming into contact with hers. As he nuzzled at her neck she was amazed at how aroused he was already, the hardness between his hips very evident beyond his zipper. He switched gears so quickly. Either that or he truly wanted her that badly.
She was inclined to believe the latter. She sighed with aroused contentment. Her back arched as he fondled her. She watched as one well-manicured hand enveloped her and pulled at her in erotic tugs. He bent at the back, lowering his mouth against her, dragging his lips down along her clavicle and on to her breastbone. He pressed her back. Made her arch her back, thrusting her breasts up to meet his descending mouth. He caught her left nipple between his teeth and pulled in a scraping tug that set her world on fire. Her leg came to wrap around his, instinctively holding him tighter to herself even as she threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled, dragging his mouth from her breast. He looked at her questioningly, but it was only a brief expression because she was dragging his mouth onto hers in the next instant. Her hands raked down his neck and shoulders, coming to the front of his shirt and unbuttoning it swiftly as she devoured his mouth with a barely matched hunger.
She stripped back his shirt, pulling it from his pants and down his arms all in the same desperate action. There was a moment of awkwardness as he had to calm her long enough to unbutton his cuffs, but the next moment the shirt fell free, leaving him gloriously bare-chested. She wrapped her arms around him, sliding her hands under his arms and across his back and pulling herself into hot contact with him. Chest to chest she reveled in the heat and strength of him against her.
His hands went to the front of her pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them smoothly before he broke from her mouth long enough to push them over her hips and down her legs. As he knelt before her he pressed a kiss just below her belly button and above the line of her bikini panties. He had her step free of her pants, then returned his hands to her hips and hooked her burgundy colored panties onto his fingers and dragged them next down her legs. She stepped free of those as well, all the while burrowing her hands through his hair, her fingers stimulating his scalp, neck and ears…the only places she could presently reach to touch him.
Marcus wrapped a hand around her lower thigh and urged her to step out to the left. Then he drew her leg up over his shoulder, her calf clinging to his back as he kissed her, licked her and nibbled at her all over the sensitive areas at the tops of her thighs, the span below her navel and the plump curve of her mound. As part of her spa treatment that afternoon she had been freshly denuded of all of her hair, leaving her sensitive and bare and slick with anticipatory need. He introduced himself to her sex and licked her directly between her lips and over her clitoris, his mouth latching on to her hungrily. She gasped as bold sensations rocketed through her. Her clit twitched under the direct stimulation and she grew even wetter in invitation.
He drew back only a moment, taking in a deep breath as she watched from above him. As he nuzzled her she realized he was taking in her scent, and that it was affecting him strongly. Just the idea of it ratcheted up her arousal a hundredfold. His left hand clutched at her buttock, digging in to the soft plump flesh of it even as his right hand trailed up the inside of her thigh and his fingers traced an erotic line from her mound through her labia.
“Christ you’re wet,” he muttered against her flesh.
She dropped her hea
d back, her gaze tracking up to the ceiling, unable to bear looking at him as he stroked and devoured her. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the stimulation and sensation. She gasped when he finally thrust two fingers inside of her and fixed his mouth upon her distended clitoris. She cried out…his name perhaps…and the clutch of her leg across his back tightened as her standing leg began to tremble. She didn’t think she could do this, to remain standing as he ravaged her body with erotic sensation. She moaned and said, “I’m going to fall.”
“I have you,” he assured her with confidence. Then his mouth attacked at full press, licking and sucking at her most sensitive tissues until her mind was spinning out of control. Orgasm rushed up on her then broke over her, her shout filling the open air of the apartment. As she had warned him her leg gave way beneath her, but he was there, surging to his feet and sweeping her weakened body into his arms. As her mind continued to spin with pleasure, her body vibrating with the aftermath of the sharp rush of pleasure, he kissed her mouth, sharing the taste of herself and the aroma of herself with him. She moaned with erotic delight and he chuckled as he walked them to the rear of her apartment and into the bedroom.
“You are a hot little thing aren’t you?” he contemplated.
“With you I most certainly am. But it’s been a while since I’ve…since I’ve felt so stimulated and so desperately in need of another person. I think part of it frightens me with its intensity.”
“No. Nothing frightens you,” he corrected as he laid her on the bed. He stood back just long enough to kick off his shoes and finish stripping until he was as naked as she was. “You’re just overwhelmed. I know it because I feel the same way.”
He crawled like a cat onto her bed and over her body, settling himself above her. He parted her thighs with the driving presence of his hips. He kissed her mouth at the corner of her lips even as his cock slid along her slick channel, rubbing at her provocatively. She couldn’t seem to help the sounds that escaped her, be they gasps or moans or shouts of his name. All of it felt out of her control…just as her pleasure was out of her control.
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