Chapter 8 #2
He laughed, but there was an edge to it. “I wasn’t always.” Running his hands over her arms, he looked over her shoulder at the view from the patio. “I had my parents up here one weekend so they could see what I was doing. Do you know what she said?”
Liana winced. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
He shifted his gaze back to her. “She said, ‘It sure must be nice to have so much money.’ I made sure they had everything they needed for life before I spent a dime here. Why did she have to say that?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never understood people who have to tear others down to make themselves feel important.”
“Yes,” he said with a sigh of relief. “Yes. That’s exactly what she does.”
“She won’t talk to the press, will she?”
“I don’t think so. As much as she likes to whine and complain, she wouldn’t do that to me.”
“What’s your dad like?” Liana asked.
“He’s a good guy, but he drinks. A lot. I think it’s so he won’t have to listen to her.”
“I’m sure in their own way they’re proud of you, Travis. How could they not be?”
He shrugged. “I tell myself it doesn’t matter.”
“You’ve done a really incredible thing here. I’m proud of you. Not that it’s the same thing . . .”
“No,” he said hoarsely. “Don’t qualify it. Thank you.”
She caressed his face and brought him down for a soft, sweet kiss.
Travis held her close and took possession of her mouth. Filled with desire and what was starting to feel an awful lot like love, he pulled back to focus on her neck. “How did you end up comforting me?”
She rolled her head to the side to give him better access. “I don’t know,” she said breathlessly.
“There is one bit of good news.”
“What’s that?”
“She’s been insinuating lately that I’m gay because I’ve never gotten married.”
Liana pressed against his erection as she laughed. “You’re definitely not gay.”
“She won’t be able to say that now that she knows I’m seeing you.”
“I’m glad I was able to help.”
“You did help, Liana.”
“Good.” She reached up to toy with his hair. “So why haven’t you gotten married?”
“After growing up with my parents . . .” He shuddered. “Plus I’ve never met anyone I could imagine spending that much time with.”
“I know what you mean. On the few dates I’ve been on in the last couple of years, my first thought is usually how long will it be until I can go home and get into my pajamas.”
He laughed softly as he smoothed his hands over her back and bottom.
She trembled from his touch.
“Are you thinking that now?”
“What I’m thinking about right now,” she said, skimming her lips along his jaw, “has nothing to do with pajamas.”
With his eyes fixed firmly on hers, he took her hands and walked backwards to his bedroom.
“Where are we going?” she asked with a coy smile.
“Somewhere less public.”
“I thought you liked public.”
“Not for this.”
“What about the salmon?” she asked, sounding nervous.
“It’ll keep.” He moved behind her, nudged her hair out of the way, and left soft, wet kisses on her neck as he reached around to cup her breasts.
She leaned back against him.
He unbuttoned her blouse and eased it over her shoulders. When she tried to turn around he stopped her.
“Travis . . .”
“What, sweetheart?”
“You’re making my legs weak.”
He smiled against her neck. “And I’m just getting started.” Unclipping the front clasp of her bra, he brought it down over her arms. “Hmm, very sexy.” With his other hand he drew her panties out of his pocket and held them up next to the bra. “A matching set. I like that.”
Liana lunged for the panties.
He held them out of her reach. “Uh, uh, uh.” He put them back in his pocket. “I’ve got custody of them.”
“Let me turn around. I want to touch you.”
“Soon.” He dragged his finger from the top of her skirt, up over her belly, and between her breasts. Her sharp inhale encouraged him to do it again.
She turned around and whipped the shirt over his head.
He gasped at the feel of her breasts against his chest.
Her mouth devoured his as she pulled at his shorts.
“Hey,” he protested. “You’re taking over my seduction.”
She unzipped his shorts and pushed them down. “You were taking too long.”
“You like it fast, huh?” He backed her up to the bed and came down on top of her.
“Fast would be good.”
“The last time we were right here, you freaked out on me. That’s not going to happen again, is it? Because I’m almost to the point of no return here.”
She sifted her fingers through his hair. “No freaking out.”
“Maybe a little?” he asked with a smile as he reached under her skirt.
Biting back a moan, she clutched his shoulders while he kissed his way to her breasts.
He loved the way her back arched into him as he licked and tugged and sucked until she wiggled under him. He unzipped her skirt and pulled it down over her hips. Hooking her legs over his shoulders, he felt a tremble go through her as he dragged his lips over her inner thigh.
Liana covered herself with her hands. “Don’t,” she said in a voice thick with desire and maybe fear.
“Why?”
“I don’t like that.”
Her thigh muffled his laughter. “Then you haven’t had it done right.”
“Travis, really, I don’t want that.”
His lips kept up their northbound journey as he pinned her hands on either side of her hips. “I thought you were going to trust me.”
“I do.”
“Then relax.” He trailed his tongue over the outline of her outer lips.
She inhaled sharply. “How am I supposed to relax when you’re doing that?” she squeaked.
“Try,” he whispered, releasing one of her hands. He laced the fingers of his other hand through hers and squeezed reassuringly.
Falling back on the bed, she said, “Oh, God. Oh my God . . .”
His index finger slid through her dampness as he sucked hard on her clitoris.
Almost as if she couldn’t help herself, she raised her hips.
He looked up to find her eyes closed and her lips parted in an expression of total abandon that filled him with desire. His already painfully hard cock throbbed. When he pushed two fingers deep into her and flicked his tongue over her throbbing center, an orgasm rocketed through her.
Travis stayed with her until the last spasm passed and then skimmed his lips over her belly. “Things are starting to get sweaty,” he whispered as he recaptured her nipple.
Panting, Liana tugged him up to her. “I need to catch my breath.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him, dropping soft kisses on her face.
She caressed his chest and drew a deep breath from him when she ran a finger down to his belly the way he had done to her. “It’s no fun if only one of us is sweaty,” she said, pushing him onto his back.
“Liana . . .”
“Trust me?”
“You can’t use my own words against me . . .” His breath got stuck in his throat as she divested him of his boxers.
“These are mine now,” she said with a grin, spinning them around on her finger.
Travis burned for her but forced himself to remain still while she took a visual inventory and seemed to like what she saw.
The feel of her lips on his chest and her hair sliding over him brought a fine sheen of sweat to his skin.
She caressed his straining erection, and he reached for her hand.
“This is going to be over before it starts if you keep that up, sweetheart,” he said in a choked voice.
“We’ve got plenty of time,” she whispered, replacing her hand with her mouth.
Through a red haze of desire, Travis fought back the need to explode.
“Liana, honey,” he gasped. “Stop.” But rather than stop, she became even more eager.
She took him deep, stroking him with her hand as she worked him over with her lips and tongue.
As he watched her and conjured up images of his fat Aunt Sarah to keep from coming too soon, he was quite certain Liana hadn’t done this very often in the past. But what she lacked in experience, she more than made up for in enthusiasm.
She ran her teeth lightly over him and finished him right off.
The powerful climax left him depleted in every possible way.
His heart hammered in his chest as she stretched out on top of him.
He buried one hand in her hair and held her tight with his other arm.
“You’re full of surprises,” he whispered when he could speak again.
She looked up at him with a smug smile. “Why should you have all the fun?”
Filled with emotions he couldn’t seem to identify, Travis swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. “Will you stay with me tonight, Liana?”
“I want to, but my mother . . .”
“She gave you permission, sweetheart. Stay with me.” He captured her earlobe between his teeth. “I want to make love to you all night long.”
She trembled. “I’d have to call her, or she’ll worry.”
“I’ll let you out of bed long enough for that.
” She snuggled into him, and he was astounded to realize he was already aroused again.
“Stay right there.” He kissed her, eased himself from under her, and reached for his bedside table.
In the drawer he found a condom and rolled it on.
When he turned back to her, he found her looking pensive. “What’s wrong?”
“You’ve got a ready supply, huh?”
He put his arms around her. “I bought them last night after I took you home.”
Her cheeks colored with embarrassment. “Oh.”
He captured her lips in a deep kiss that he hoped would reassure her. “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. I’ve been too busy building my business.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, caressing his face. “I sound like a jealous, insecure girlfriend.”
“I like it,” he said with a grin before he became serious again. “But you don’t need to be jealous of anyone, Liana. You have my full, undivided attention.” He nudged her legs far apart and kissed her gently as he entered her.
She gasped against his lips and struggled to accommodate him.
He moved slowly until he filled her.
She looked up at him with wide, violet eyes.
In those amazing eyes he could see that she trusted him, and the realization infused him with tenderness as he began to move faster.
Clutching his back, she met his thrusts with the rise of her hips.
He felt her tense the moment before she climaxed, and her cries shattered the fragile hold he had on his control.