by Parker, Ali
"God, I forgot how good it felt to be close to you." She pursed her lips and pressed her head to the seat behind her as she let out another soft sensual sound.
"Keep it up." He licked his lips, trying to taste her again before they started to talk.
"Why did you let Delilah push me around at the office?" She lifted her eyebrow at him.
He shook his head and pulled the car back onto the road. "I didn't know she was giving you such grief until Ben and Patrick came to see me the day you quit."
"I should have been more clear about it." Bethany shook her head. "The woman is a whorish bitch."
"Good, then come back to work and put her in her place."
"Why aren't you firing her?"
"I am," he glanced over at Beth, "but I have to have proper cause to do it. She's been a little too flirty with me lately, which has me verbally beating her back each chance I get. I can't fire her without proper cause. Come help me find a few good reasons."
Bethany laughed sardonically. "You're just looking for a way to get me back up there. I'm not doing it. She's not worth the strain of working with you."
"What if I change?" He reached for her hand, pulling it toward his lips and licking at her fingers one at a time.
She whimpered softly and tried to tug her hand free, but he gripped it tighter. Everything about him turned her on. The soft pulse between her thighs had moved from something that she was able to ignore to a violent ticking that demanded her attention.
"You're not going to change." She bit her tongue as he sucked one of her fingers deep into his mouth, rolling his tongue around the digit and pressing his teeth against her flesh. "Stop, Damon. You said we would just talk."
He released her and kissed her hand one more time before putting it back in her lap. Her request seemed ignorant all of a sudden.
"I've already started to change, Beth. I don't want to be a different man than the man I've grown into, but if explaining myself and working hard to make sure you and every other fucking person in our lives know that you're number one in my world, then so be it. Delilah's days are numbered. My father made a huge mistake in hiring her, and he knows that now. He feels like shit about it." He glanced over at her. "I never would have brought her to the firm to work beside me. You thinking that I would lie about it is almost crazy."
"It looked that way, but I'm starting to realize that a lot of things that looked that way were just me expecting the worst from you." She shrugged. "My father woke me up the morning he left and kissed me on the cheek. He promised that he would be home that night and that we'd work on my bike out in the garage. It wasn't much of a bike, but it was all we had. We were pretty poor."
"Beth." Damon reached over and squeezed her thigh.
"No, let me finish." She took a deep breath. "I went to school that day and came home to find my mom in the house and three big thugs tearing up everything. He'd skipped town because he owed them drug money, but he left us there without saying a word. He forced us to be the victims of poverty, of fear, of a whole host of other fucked up things." Tears filled her eyes, but she kept going. "I've never been whole or complete. When we first got together, I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall, but it didn't. I think I started just to assume that everything you did had some small seed of malice in it. Why wouldn't it? We couldn't last. You wouldn't want a broken girl like me. I had nothing. I have nothing. I'm poor, and you’re rich. I'm average, and you're beautiful."
"Beth." Damon pulled into the driveway at his place. "You're everything I want in my life. You're beyond beautiful to me. You're talented and smart, and you could run circles around all of us put together if you believed in yourself."
"But I don't." She pressed her fingers to her eyes and wiped at her tears. "I think that's why I bastardized all of it in my mind."
"I believe in you completely." He got out of the car, walked around, opened her door and pulled her out, wrapping his strong arms around her. "And this isn't just about you making yourself out to be a victim. It's about me needing to have tight control on our relationship, so tight that I almost ruined it. It's about my fucked up situation with my mother forcing me to turn every outing you had without me into a rendezvous with some incredible lover."
"No one is better than you," she whispered against the side of his throat.
"I just knew that you had something for Philip, and then Kendal and God knows who else. Every man I look at around me is better for you. I'm an asshole, and I deserve nothing for the way I've treated women, but I want you so goddamn bad."
He licked up the side of her throat, leaving her knees weak. "I would pay penitence for the rest of my life if you were in it. I'd do anything I could to make you happy, to give you anything you wanted, baby. I would do all of it for you."
His words softened her, driving the truth deep into her heart. He loved her. He had to. There was no way someone that loved her like the man clinging to her could have malicious intent toward her.
"Why were we fighting? Why did I leave my ring with you?" She turned and pressed her lips against his as a sob left her. "When did all of this shit start?"
"I don't know, but I need it to go away. I don't care about anyone else, Beth. I gave you that ring and asked you to marry me because I love you, baby. I love you so fucking much." He gripped her face and leaned down, consuming her with his kiss. She melted against him, letting go of her promise to leave untouched, her hope to work things out, her need to facilitate a full night of working through their demons. She didn't need to talk about their shit anymore. It was invalid, and both of them were in the wrong.
"I love you too. I've missed you so much." A fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks as Damon gripped the back of her thighs and forced her to wrap her legs around him. He kept his tight grip on the side of her face and wrapped his free arm around her rear as he walked them toward the house.
"Let’s not do this shit anymore, okay? Just tie me down, and we can talk about things as they come up. Yes?" He kissed her again before letting her slide down the front of his body.
A moan left her as she brushed by his thick erection. Why in the world would she have thought that anything but love making would be the end result if things went right? Sex was his love language, and nothing felt better than being pressed beneath him, covered by him, spread wide open for him.
She nodded in response to his question and kissed him softly one more time before moving out of his way.
He worked on the door, and she moved up behind him, wrapping her arms around his narrow waist and pressing her cheek to his back. She breathed deeply, trying to stain her lungs with his scent. Everything about him left her breathless and needy. All of the bullshit they'd put each other through slowly started to dissipate as she let herself consume the truth.
"Are we still making dinner?" She pressed her teeth against his shoulder and closed her eyes, not sure she wanted anything but him hovering above her, naked and sweaty.
"Anything you want, Beth." He opened the door and walked in, turning and pulling her against him as he closed the door.
She groaned as he pressed her to the wall behind her and ran his hands up her sides, cupping her breasts and squeezing. The firm press of his body against hers left her with little question where his mind was.
Some part of her wanted to make dinner and talk more, but it seemed irrelevant. They could make love and then get up and eat then. There wasn't much more to talk about other than the ring.
"You smell so good, baby. Like lust and roses." He pressed his lips against her ear and groaned as he rocked against her. "You know how badly I wanted to bed you over the conference room table the other day just to teach you a few lessons?"
"And what would you have done to me?" she whispered roughly as she slid her hands over his hips to squeeze his ass.
"Knelt behind you and forced you to scream my name a few times." He brushed his thumbs over her nipples. "Wear my ring again, Beth. We can work through anything you want to work through,
but don't give up on us. I can't let you do that. I love you too much."
She closed her eyes and lifted one of her legs, locking her knee over his hip as he ground against her. Pleasure danced in the center of her stomach, and everything seemed so far away all of a sudden. The pressure building between her legs and deep inside her chest caused something to shift deep inside of her. She loved him too. More than anyone she'd ever loved in her short life. How could she fathom giving that up? The hopeless situation wasn't at all hopeless. He was willing to open himself up and work it all out.
"Where is it?" She turned her head and brushed her nose by his ear. "The ring? What did you do with it?"
He moved back and reached into his pocket, pulling it out and turning it over in his palm. "I carry it everywhere with me." He smiled shyly, not looking like the aggressive bastard that would have her panting like a whore by the time the night was over. "I honestly couldn't let the hope die that you'd want it back. I'm not sure I could live with that thought.”
"Damon." She reached out and plucked it from his palm. "I didn't want to let it die either. I was just so hurt."
He cupped her face with both hands and leaned in to kiss her. "I don't want you hurt. Marry me, Beth. Let me fix all of it and make it better. Let's build another house together and start a family someday, baby. Can we do that? Please?"
She leaned against him and closed her eyes. Nothing sounded better.
"And when things get rough?" she mumbled against his lips.
"We talk about it and work on it together."
"You promise?" She slid her hand between their bodies and cupped his cock, squeezing it as she ran her nails up the swell of his sack.
"Fuck yes." He licked at her mouth and shifted his hips, pressing himself against her hand. "Let me make love to you tonight. Don't deny me."
"I don't think I could if I wanted to." She nipped at his lips and leaned back, pulling her hands up to rest in front of her. "I don't want to ever take this off again. Don't ask me to."
"Never. I swear it." He reached out and plucked the ring from her before sliding it onto her left hand and leaning down to kiss it. "You're mine forever. Don't ever run from me again."
"I won't." She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Make love to me after dinner. Fuck me now."
"Hell yeah," he growled and picked her up, walking back toward the bedroom as he kissed her with a passion that left her insides trembling. "You're all mine tonight, pussycat."
She clung to him and licked at his mouth as he growled low in his chest, the promise one that she was more than happy to hold him to.
Chapter 91
Bethany
She laid on the bed as he moved around the room. There were a million things she wanted to say, but he'd laid her down and told her to hush the minute she started asking questions. There was nothing left to do but watch him walk around the room, lighting candles. She'd pulled his shirt from him as he kissed her before getting up, which left the view from her vantage point beyond spectacular. Thick muscles bunched up as he reached up to pull the curtains closed. His arms and back were beautifully sculpted, as was his chest and stomach.
He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a sexy smile. "What are you thinking, Beth?"
"I was wondering what kind of pasta we were going to make." She tried hard not to smile in the middle of her fib, but much like her mother always warned her, the devil made you smile each time you lied.
"Oh yeah?" He turned around and unbuttoned his slacks, pushing them over his hips and letting them fall to the ground. The sexy bastard didn't have on underwear, which was less than surprising.
Her eyes moved down his body, coveting every part of him. He was well endowed and as naughty as it was, one of the things she would have missed about him was the way he forced her to take all of him, regardless of whether she thought herself capable of doing it. It was exhilarating.
"Your nipples budding so tightly against your dress tell a different story." He reached down and stroked himself as he walked toward the bed.
"What story do they tell?" She moved to her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed as excitement raced through her center and played with the most sensitive parts of her body.
He stopped in front of her and reached out, brushing his fingers over the tops of her shoulders and down her arms. Chill bumps ran rampant on her exposed skin. He took his time, touching her everywhere as he reached for the bottom of her dress. He pulled it over her head and took a deep breath. "Wow. So fucking beautiful."
"You're avoiding answering me. Why?" She slid her hands up his strong chest and cupped his neck. She couldn't help but revel in the softness of his skin and the way his muscles clenched under her feather-light touch.
"You already know the answer to that question, you bad girl." He leaned in, wrapping his arms around her and undid her bra before leaning over to worship her breasts one at a time. The tenderness in his touch was almost surprising after her request for him to unleash every bit of himself all over her. Maybe he wasn't capable of separating the lust and love anymore. The thought caused her heart to flutter as gratefulness rolled over her.
"Thank you," she whispered and kissed the side of his face as he rolled his tongue around her nipple and pulled it deep into his mouth, flicking it hard a few times.
She groaned and ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled back and glanced up. "For what, baby?"
"For giving us another chance." She pulled him down for a long kiss, giving herself over to him and trying like hell to push as much passion into the kiss as she could.
He nipped at her lips and stood back up as he pressed the back of his fingers against her stomach.
"You have nothing to thank me for, Beth. Both of us made mistakes and misunderstood the other. I should have been more open with you. This is as much my fault as anyone's." He glanced down where his hand rested and smiled. "Tell me you’re wet for me."
She nodded. "I always am when you're around. I hated myself for it when we weren't getting along, but it didn't matter how I felt. You've captured my body in a way I can't begin to explain."
"Then don't try to." He slid his fingers into the top of her panties and forced them down until he brushed through her wetness. He licked his lips and lifted his gaze to hers. "Lay back. I wanna clean that up for you."
"Damon, let's do that later. I want-"
"Good. You'll get anything you want, but I'm a greedy bastard, and I haven't stopped thinking about tasting you." He pushed softly at her shoulder. "Lay back and let me taste you."
She moved back and laid down as a shiver ran down her spine.
He reached up and pulled her panties slowly down her legs as his eyes dragged across her. The way he watched her left her without a doubt in her mind that he planned on taking his time and forcing her to remember that if nothing else, they had this. This burning passion that left her insides fuming, her inhibitions lost to his demands.
"I want to touch every part of you." He ran his hand up her stomach, between her breasts and gripped the base of her throat lightly. "There’s a huge part of me that wants to hear you scream, to feel you cry out for more and more of me. Does that girl exist anymore?"
"Yes," she whispered roughly and bent her knees, rubbing them along his sides as he leaned down and pressed his mouth to the soft skin just below her breasts. "I want all of that with you."
"Good girl." He brushed his nose down her stomach and pressed his mouth to her mound, flicking his tongue over her clit as she cried out and arched her back. The intensity of having him between her legs again was almost too much. He was so much more than she'd ever expected to end up with, but after having him and losing him again, she was ready to pony up, to put up anything it would take for him to feel as if he'd met his match.
She sunk her fingers into his hair and let her knees fall to the side, rolling her hips as he took his time lapping at her soft skin. He groaned and sunk two fingers deep inside her as she worked herself
against them.
"Harder," she murmured and extended her hands toward the top of the bed to grab a pillow. She wanted to see him better, to watch him enjoy himself in the ways that only he could.
"So demanding." He brushed his lips down her sex and glanced up at her before sucking her skin back into his mouth. "Just tell me what you want if I don't give it to you. I don't want to leave you wanting for anything."
She nodded and rolled her hips again as the delicious burn of orgasm resurrected in her stomach. There is no way in hell she could be with someone else after being with Damon. No one would love her the way he did.
"I'm so close," she groaned and gripped the sheets as he mumbled across her skin and worked her harder. The cry that left her almost frightened her. It was needy and filled with angst.
"More." He groaned and licked at her as his eyes moved up to lock onto hers. The sexy look on his face combined with the soft press of his tongue and wicked hard pumping of his fingers caused her to buckle as she came again.
She rode the high as he continued to stoke it. "No more." She pushed at his shoulder with her foot and rolled over onto her stomach, squeezing her legs together and pressing her face to the cold sheets as she panted for air.
"So fucking hot, Beth." He slid his hand up the back of her thighs and squeezed before crawling up on the bed with her. "I want you to ride me tonight." He pressed himself down on top of her and leaned down to kiss her neck and the back of her shoulders. "Can you do that for me, baby?"
"Anything you want." She forced herself to calm down a little. Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it was trying to break free from her chest.
"Good. I want to see you enjoy yourself." He moved off of her and laid on his back, reaching for her as she moved up to her hands and knees.
"I'm sorry about being a bitch the last time we-"
"No." He lifted his finger toward her and pressed it to her lips. "No more apologies tonight, baby. I was a cock to think that sex would fix everything. It makes me feel whole and complete when we make love, but that doesn't mean you feel the same."