Beautiful Scars (7 page)

She sighed and stroked her hand down the front of his shirt. “Is that really a good idea?”

Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back, staring down into her eyes. “At this point, what can it hurt?”

“Hmmm. Well, put like that…”

Stroking his hand up the sleek length of her thigh, he said, “You should know I plan on getting the two of us in the shower. Then I plan on getting us in my bed where I can lay you down and take my time with you.” He cupped her in his hand and stroked his finger around her entrance, watched as she shuddered. “I never did get to taste you.”

“Hmmm.” Her lashes drooped. “That all sounds lovely…but…”

“But?” Fuck. What…

“Maybe I could take a shower by myself.” She darted a look at him, jerked one shoulder in a half shrug. “I told you. I’m…”

“Shy.” Laughing a little, he slid his hand out from under her skirt and eased her off his lap. Once he got to his feet, he helped her up. “Okay, you head on upstairs…my room is at the end of the hall, on the right. Bathroom is straight on through. You’ve got fifteen minutes and I’m not coming up until the time is up, because I’ve got a thing for naked women.”

Chapter Four

Chaili found a shirt hanging off the foot of the bed and grabbed it.

In the shower, she scrubbed off with his soap, washed her hair with his shampoo, and shuddered as she realized she’d leave here smelling of him in so many ways.

She was done in under eight minutes and that left her with too many minutes to dry her short hair and stare at her reflection.

At her scarred reflection.

She could just show him, she supposed.

But she didn’t see the point.

This wasn’t going to last once morning was over. Marc traveled all over the world and was in Chicago once in a blue moon. She didn’t see him often and over the past few years it was even less frequent than normal.

It was almost like he avoided Chicago anymore.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to catch a dream and she was going to run with it, enjoy every second of it while it lasted. Closing her eyes, she started to button the shirt, hiding away the scars.

In a few more hours, she’d leave.

Like Cinderella, and the magic of this very strange night would end…and maybe she wouldn’t have her glass slipper but she could have the memories.

With that in mind, she squared her shoulders and stared at her reflection. She’d wanted to spend a night with him. Just talking. Maybe it was kind of lame. Yeah, it was. But…

“Stop it,” she whispered. She wanted a night. One brief, fun night, something she’d done on a whim and, damn, had she gotten her night. And more.

She even felt…whole, in some ways. Some part of her felt
real
again. She felt
wanted—
she hadn’t felt that way in years.

He took longer than fifteen minutes.

It took that long just to get his head on straight.

Of course, when he walked into his room and saw her standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out over the lake, wearing one of his shirts, he had to stop and catch his breath.

“What is it about a woman wearing a guy’s shirt?”

She startled and turned around, stared at him. She looked puzzled and then glanced down, stared at the black dress shirt, shrugged. “Sorry. I wasn’t exactly planning on spending the night and I figured you didn’t keep pajamas on hand for guests.” She bit her lip, tugging at the collar. “I can use a T-shirt or something.”

He shook his head, staring at her. “I think I might have the shirt bronzed or something. I’ll never be able to wear it without thinking about how you looked in it.”

“Whatever,” she snorted, rolling her eyes before turning back to stare out over the lake. “You must like the water. I never realized you were that into the lake.”

“I’m not.” He came up behind her, stroked a hand down her spine, watched as she shivered. So fucking responsive…it was almost painfully erotic, just to watch how she reacted when he touched her. “I just like the privacy. I told the realtor to find me a quiet place, someplace well outside the city and this was one she showed me. When I saw the house…well, it was just mine.”

“Hmmm.”

Resting one hand on the base of her spine, he stroked, easing the shirt up. In the glass, he could see just the faintest outline of her face, watched as her lashes dipped.
Mine…
he thought. It was a rather dizzying surprise to look at her and realize he felt a strong, stunning possessiveness.

This was weird. Deeper than anything he’d felt. Different. He wanted to spend a hell of lot more time with Chaili than just one night.

Something he’d think about in the morning.

One of many things he needed to process.

Something he’d have to take his time on and think through, because Marc was damn good at screwing things up when he didn’t think them through.

“Come to bed,” he whispered against her ear.

“Aren’t you going to shower?”

Groaning, he dropped his head against her shoulder. “Damn. I knew I was forgetting something.”

Chaili chuckled, turning around and pressing her lips to his neck. “Well, the shower was your idea. I’m just fine with going to bed now.” She paused and then took a deep breath. “Marc…you smell like me. I kind of like it.”

He wrapped his arm around her, hauling her against him. “You’ve got my shirt on…” He buried his face against her neck and breathed in the faint scent of his own soap on her skin. “And I can smell my soap on you. It’s never been that fucking sexy on me. I swear, I could eat you alive.”

A shudder wracked her. “Ah, I’ve got no problem with that. Not one.”

Killing me
, he thought. He kept his head buried against her neck for a minute, waited for the racing of his heart to stop.

The bed cradled her like a damned cloud and if she’d been lying on it at any other time, she just might have closed her eyes, sighed in sweet bliss. But just then, as Marc laid her down, tugged her to the edge, she was having a hard time doing much of anything but reaching for him.

He caught her wrists and pushed them back to the bed.

Groaning, she fisted her hands in the sheets—cool, silky sheets that felt as smooth as satin against her skin. He caught her hips and dragged her to the edge of the bed, her legs hanging over where he knelt between her thighs. “I think I’m going to have that taste of you now,” he rasped, draping her legs over his shoulders. “But I don’t want you coming yet.”

Staring at him through her lashes, she licked her lips—her mouth was so dry. Looking at him had a way of doing that to her, but now…? “I’m about to come just
looking
at you.”

“Don’t.” He closed one hand around her ankle, guiding her leg up until her heel was pressed against her ass.

As his dark head bent down, Chaili closed her eyes and cried out. Need was a painful whip, lashing against her. His tongue rasped against her clit, circled, teased…dipped lower.

He pushed inside and she could feel the climax rushing up. Swearing, she clutched at the sheets, arching off the bed. She stared at his bent head, but that didn’t help.
Don’t come…I can’t…can’t come yet—

“You’re close to coming,” he whispered, lifting his head and watching her from under heavy-lidded lashes. “I don’t want you coming yet.”

“I won’t,” she panted. “Just don’t stop.”

Fuck, she was beautiful.

Face flushed, a sexy little snarl on her lips as she glared at him… It made him hotter than he thought was possible. “Hmmm…” Dipping his head, he stroked his tongue around her clit, teased the hard little bud with his teeth. At the same time, he pushed a finger inside her, screwing his wrist. “You sure of that?”

Her head fell back, exposing the elegant line of her throat as she shuddered, moaned. “Damn it. Yes. I’m sure…” And as she spoke, she twisted her hips and started to rock against him.

“Be still.” He rested one hand against her belly, watching her.

Her body tensed, but she stilled, her head still hanging back. He could hear the ragged rhythm of her breathing. Fuck, he wanted to see her naked. Shifting around, he reached for the placket of buttons, but the second he did, she tensed, scrambling around and sitting up.

“No.” She hunched her shoulders in.

“Chaili…” He eased in, leaning in to kiss her.

She stilled, opening her mouth for him, but when he reached for the front of her shirt again, she twisted away. “I said
no
,” she snapped.

Narrowing his eyes, he said flatly, “I want you naked.”

He’d already noticed that while she was cocky as all get out about it, when he gave her an order…she followed it. But this time, she remained there, hunched, those proud shoulders slumped. “I said
no
, Marc.” She shook her head and squirmed away.

As she went to stand, he rose and caught her wrist, kept her from walking away.

“Okay.” Lifting her wrist to his mouth, he murmured against her skin, “I don’t get why, but okay.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed and in the depths of her eyes he saw a glimpse of something that made him want to scream. Made him want to break something. Tear something apart.

Stark, naked pain.

“I can’t take it off, Marc,” she said quietly. “Don’t try again, okay?”

Nodding, he pulled her against him. “Okay.” He wasn’t about to lie and say he understood, and one thing was damn clear…the next time they were together, he wasn’t going to back off quite so easily. And there was going to be a next time, if he had anything to say about it. And another. Another.

But for now…

Catching her hands, he lifted them to his shirt. “Take off mine, then,” he told her.

They said nothing else as she stripped away his shirt, although she left it hanging open as she undid his belt, unbuttoned his trousers. Then she went to push his shirt off his shoulders and her breath hitched in her throat. White teeth caught the swell of her lip as she reached up and touched the silver hoop he had through his right nipple. Her pupils spiked and she swayed closer.

“I’m still dressed,” he rasped, reaching up and fisting his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck.

She closed her eyes, shuddered. Her shoulders rose, fell, and then she lifted her lashes, stared him in the eye as she finished pushing his shirt off. As she did, though, she leaned in, caught his nipple in her mouth, tugging on the hoop. Heat hurtled through him, straight from where her mouth touched to his balls. As she went to her knees in front of him, her hands catching the waistband of his trousers and the boxer briefs he wore, Marc sucked in a ragged breath.

Staring at her, on her knees in front of him, the black shirt she wore still hiding too much of her from him, he helped kick the rest of his clothes away and stood there, waiting to see what she’d do.

She just stayed there.

Slowly, he reached out, closed his hand around the aching flesh of his cock, stroked. Her breath caught. “Look at me,” he ordered.

She tipped her head, her eyes darting from his face to his cock. Each time her gaze dropped, it lingered longer. Longer. He continued to stroke himself, watching her face, and when she licked her lips, he swore, pressed his thumb to the lower one. “I want your mouth on me.”

Chaili shuddered and lifted herself higher, her mouth open.

Aw…his eyes closed at the first touch. There was no hesitation in her, no shyness. As she swayed against him, soft little humming sounds vibrated out of her throat and even
that
was a brutal pleasure against his senses. Fisting his hands in her hair, he cupped her head, opened his eyes to watch her.

Her mouth stretched open wide to take him, deep…then shallow.

And she was watching him. Shooting looks up at him every now and then, as though she just had to see how she was affecting him. The muscles in his thighs tensed and his balls were on fire—but he wasn’t going to come. Not yet. This was too fucking good—

Snarling, he caught her hair in his hand, stilling her movements. “Get up,” he ordered, but he didn’t wait. He caught her arms, dragged her up against him and tumbled them both back onto the bed, shoving that stupid shirt up to her waist. “Ride me. I want to watch you this time.”

Should have turned on the damn lights.

The dim glow coming in from the bathroom, the hallway, just wasn’t enough, and although the moon was full, the silvery light that fell in to gild her skin and hair wasn’t enough, either.

He wanted to see all of her, and he wanted to see her in the full, bright light, learn every last curve of her. Learn every last taste. Every nuance and sigh…

But for now, this was pretty damn excellent he decided as she lifted up and closed her hand around him, guiding the head of his cock to her gate. Hot and tight, she closed around him like a glove, sinking down on him slower, slower… Oh, so perfect…

“Chaili,” he rasped.

She shuddered, her eyes going wide before drifting closed, a fey little smile dancing on her lips. He wanted to see her eyes, wanted her watching him as he watched her, but in that moment…