Chapter 14
For a full pulsing minute, neither of them moved. The very air was still as if in respect for the tension swirling around the couple.
He made the first move. Dropping his bag, he strode towards her.
Reacting to the emotions swirling between them, Julesa rose slowly, her body tensed.
She waited for him to come to her, heart pounding, knees weakened by the heat raging throughout her body.
God Almighty, she was in love with him! The sudden burst of that knowledge had her sucking in a breath.
He stopped in front of her, eyes skimming her face, lingering on her lips.
"You looked pensive just now." His gaze flickered towards the laptop she had been working on.
"Struggling with a scene." She sucked in a breath. "You're back. I expected you tomorrow or Saturday."
"I decided to return early." He gazed at her hungrily. "I cannot touch you. If I do, I'm going to devour you. Christ darling! I am burning for you."
Her heart simply shattered, and she felt like crying.
"We should go inside."
"We should." He agreed, but did not move. "How have you been?"
"Good." She clasped her hands in front of her. "They're working on the house. Removing the damaged pillars, adding a deck around the back. You were very specific."
"I wanted to please you." He lifted a hand to toy with her hair. "I always want to please you."
"There's something I should tell you."
"Go on."
"I have fallen in love with you." She unclasped her hands. "I never expected it to happen, but it did. I love you."
He stumbled back and felt the emotions raging, blowing through him. For a minute, all he could do was just stare at her, paralyzed with joy.
"Say it again," he demanded hoarsely.
"I love you."
"Jesus. Jesus." His hands were trembling. He turned away, he had to or run the risk of scooping her up and swallowing her whole. He paced away and then paced back.
"Come inside with me. Now."
She nodded. "I--" She broke off with a little squeal, when he simply swept her into his arms.
"I have to warn you right now." His breathing was shallow, his body so hot, he felt as if he was melting. "I'm going to be rough. I'm starving."
"So am I. Your bags--"
"Damn." Changing directions, he scooped the bags up without letting go of her.
"My laptop." She laughed as he charged for the door.
"Of course." Striding swiftly towards the bench, he leaned over so she could grab the computer and the notebook. "The cup can wait."
"Good," he muttered. It took him several long strides to reach the door. Kicking it open, he stepped inside and slammed it shut behind him. It was a small miracle that he remembered to secure the lock.
"Bedroom," he muttered as if to himself.
Closing his mouth over hers, he tried to take the edge off a hunger that was almost consuming him.
With unerring accuracy, he made it to the bedroom, while his lips explored hers.
She clung to him, fingers digging into the corded muscles of his neck.
He lowered her slowly, his tongue tangling with hers.
"Baby, wait." Dragging his mouth from hers, he unlocked her hands from around his neck and just stood there staring at her.
"We should take a minute."
"No." Laughing huskily, she tugged at his shirt and had buttons flying. "It has to be now."
"Jesus, sweetheart, I don't want to hurt you."
"I don't give a damn." Letting go of him, she pulled the shirt over her head.
His eyes almost rolled to the back of his head as he stared at her unfettered breasts, the nipples already rigid.
"Get naked," she advised, shimmying out of the shorts. She was not wearing panties.
"Good God," he whispered raggedly as he tore at his pants. "If you're trying to kill me, you're doing a good job of it."
"Far from it." She reached for him as he climbed in next to her.
"Wait, baby--" He groaned when her hands started their journey through the hairs on his chest. "I want to-- Christ!" He let out a shaky laugh which turned to a tortured groan when she used her nail to graze his nipple.
"Sweetheart." He crushed her lips, his hands slowly exploring her ribs and the sides of her breasts.
"Love me," she whispered, fingers tangling through his hair.
"I am. I do." He trailed a hot path from her cheek to the sides of her breasts.
She was quivering, heart racing. She had declared her love for him and felt empowered by his response.
She had come into this relationship with cold-blooded reasons, but now everything had changed.
She did not care about his name, which was now hers.
The past was right where it belonged, behind them.
All she wanted to think about was this, being right here with him.
A sigh, a moan, a touch, fire and heat sizzling--the newness of everything swamped them.
He nibbled at her throat, tracing the pulse hammering against his lips.
He loved the taste of her, the fresh warmth of her skin, the scent of the sun and body wash she had used just this morning. The silky feel of her skin.
Her body arched in response, her fingers digging into the bunched muscles of his shoulders as he blew on her nipple.
A moan escaped her, breath strangling inside her throat, when he used the tip of his tongue to wet the flesh.
Passion and heat exploded inside her as he pulled the nipple between his teeth.
When he started suckling, she exploded. She simply shattered, her body arching, a cry escaping her.
Realizing that she was at the peak, he reached a hand between them and pressed down on her sex. The climax was devastating. It simply picked her up and threw her off the cliff. She felt as if she was free flying, her heart bursting from her chest.
She fluttered back down slowly, a dazed expression on her face, her body trembling. He could not wait any longer. If he did not have her, he was going to die.
Lowering his body on top of hers, he framed her face with his hands as he entered her slowly. His heart was pounding so hard, he felt faint from it. She loved him. That alone had the power to make him weak and vulnerable. Nothing else mattered, except the two of them.
"Tell me you love me," he whispered.
"I love you." She felt achy and teary. She had never dreamed she could be this happy, especially not with this man. "Oh God, I love you so much."
He crushed his mouth to hers and started moving, his body driving into hers with a purpose and intensity that had her moving forward, her heart racing, desire tumbling around inside her and making her faint.
Her hands wandered over his shoulders and down his back as she kissed him back.
This man was now her life. Not even her career, which had been the focal point in the past, meant as much to her as he did.
He couldn't stop kissing her. She tasted like honey, incredible sweet and addictive--she was his--she belonged to him, he was hers.
The climax slammed into them simultaneously, shattering them enough to have them clinging to each other. It rolled through them with a force that sent them into a dizzy spin.
He swallowed her moans. Someone groaned--bodies shuddered and quivered. Fingers clung, hearts raced, sweat-coated skins moved in synchronized harmony.
He knew he had to move for fear of crushing her. She was so tiny; he was afraid of hurting her. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, holding him to her. She could feel the unsteady thrumming of his heart against her. And she loved the feel of him.
His face was buried in her hair and he was comfortable to stay where he was forever.
Lifting his head, he brushed back tendrils of hair clinging to her moist forehead.
"I can't feel my legs," she murmured, lifting a hand to touch the stubble.
"I can't feel my entire lower body. I am crushing you."
"I don't want you to move."
"Just let me--" Twisting slightly, he moved until he was beside her, arms wrapped around her waist. "Better." He kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose.
"I brought you back something."
"Yeah?" Her tapered brow lifted. "I happen to love presents. What is it?"
"I'll show you later." He touched the tip of her nose. "I want to take you away--a trip. Anywhere you want to go."
"Here's where I want to be." She brushed at a lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. "Just be alone with you. Like this." She took a deep breath. "I suppose it's time to talk."
He closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "I suppose we should."
"We should--" He inched up towards the headboard and brought her up against him. She settled against his chest. "Comfy?"
She nodded and stayed silent for a few seconds as if contemplating how to begin.
"I was wrong about my dad," she began. "For years, I mistakenly believed he was perfect.
Yes, I knew he drank and could be mean with it.
I closed myself off and did not want to know that he was abusing my mom and my brother.
He was so sweet to me, you see--" Shifting, so she could look at him, she continued.
"I told myself that Caleb had left because he wanted to.
" Her lips tightened. "And I held onto that even after he died.
He used to tell me stories, called me his princess, and pampered me.
I refused to look past that." She stared down at the hand splayed over his chest for a tense few seconds. And he waited.
Her eyes lifted to his and he felt his heart moved at the agonized look on her face. "Caleb and I spoke just last week and for the first time, I really listened. My dad was a monster--" Her breath hitched, lips quivering. "I knew it and I refused to see it--" She shook her head.
"Baby--"
"No. Let me finish. I need to get it out. Everything." Her eyes met his and he tensed because he knew what that meant.
"All right." Taking a deep breath, he tightened his hold on her as if to reassure her that no matter what, he was with her.