Deceived 5 - New Beginnings (9 page)

He stepped back and ran a finger under the edge of the lace. “This has to go.”

I shivered. My breasts had increased two cup sizes from their previous average-sized state, but that wasn’t the only thing about them that had changed. Their sensitivity was almost unbearable, but the good kind. The lightest touch made me feel like every cell was coming alive. Sometimes, I thought I could come just from his mouth on them.

He slid his hand around me. His talented fingers made short work of the clasp and I moved my arms to let the garment fall away.

“Beautiful,” he breathed.

His hands moved to cup my breasts, to feel their weight. At one time, he’d been able to cover them with his large hands, but now, there was too much. He brushed his thumbs over my nipples and I gasped. He smiled at my reaction and used his fingers to tease the pale, rose-colored flesh into hard points.

“I love the way you sound when I touch you,” Patrick murmured as he lowered his head to take first one nipple into his mouth, then the other.

He was gentle, swirling his tongue around the tip, never sucking even though my body cried out for that delicious suction, knowing how it would leave me wet and wanting. After he’d repeated the movements several times, he opened his mouth wide, taking as much between his lips as he could, and then he sucked. I cried out, my head falling back. He put his hands on my back to hold me steady as he moved to my other breast. I could feel the pressure inside me building up and my breathing quickened. Then, suddenly, his mouth was gone.

As he released me, I swayed. My legs were trembling and my mouth was dry. I’d heard from a lot of people that after two people got married or had a baby that the sex became bland, that the touches weren’t as exciting since they’d been experienced over and over again. I knew that wouldn’t happen to Patrick and me. If anything, my body responded more to him now than it ever had before.

“Now for the good part,” he said, as his eyes moved further down my body.

That wasn’t the good part? I gave him a dazed look.

He stepped back and hooked his fingers under the edge of my lace panties. I pressed my legs together as he slid them over my hips and down to the floor, kneeling as he went. He waited for me to step out of them and tossed them over his shoulder as he tilted his head back to look up at me around my stomach. The dark, hungry look in his eyes made my heart pound harder. No matter how unsexy I felt, I would always want him.

His head disappeared so that I could only see the back of it, and a moment later, I felt the warmth of little kisses feathering across my legs. His lips moved from one side to the other, inching their way up as he went. His tight, lean body was so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him as he worked his mouth ever closer to where I wanted him. I opened my mouth, gasping for air. A flood of warmth pulsed to my core and the anticipation was exquisite torture. I bit my lip when he paused.

His voice was low, liquid sex, as he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

My face flushed. “Kiss me.”

He pressed his lips against my thigh. “What do you want me to do?”

I moved my legs further apart and his hands circled to the back of my thighs, holding me. He was going to make me say it. “Lick it, damn you.” I practically growled the words.

His voice was teasing, but still sensual. “I don’t think you know what you want. You’re being so vague. Tell me what you want.”

I groaned. I knew he was playing with me and I knew what he wanted. I ran my fingers through the hair on the back of his head since it was all I could reach. “Oh, baby, I want you to lick me. I want your mouth on my pussy. I want your tongue inside me. Your fingers, your cock. I want you inside me.”

“That’s my girl,” he said before burying his face between my legs.

I whimpered even louder, then sucked in a short breath of air through my teeth as his tongue found my clit. I could feel his fingers sliding through my slick folds to tease at my opening as his tongue and lips moved over my clit.

He pulled back just long enough to say, “Damn, baby. I love it when you get this wet for me.”

His tongue ran up the inside of my leg and then delved deep inside me. A wave of pleasure rolled through me once more as he started licking, this time curling his fingers and pushing them inside of me, fucking me with his knuckles. My knees began to tremble as he sucked on my clit, each pull of his mouth making me cry out. I was so close and I knew if I came, I wouldn’t be able to stay standing. He needed to stop, but I didn’t want him to ever stop.

Then, suddenly, he had me lying on my back, on the bed with my legs spread apart and he was kissing me again. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but the way his mouth was moving between my legs was the way I’d felt it against my lips and I whimpered.

Just as I was about to beg him to take me, his mouth was gone and he was standing up. I hadn’t seen him remove his clothes, but they were gone and he was gloriously naked. He crawled up over me, his cock brushing against my stomach as he leaned down to give me a kiss. The angle was awkward, but I put my hand around his neck to hold him a moment longer, letting my tongue explore his mouth as his had explored lower just a short time before.

He moved back down my body, kissing every inch of me, and lingering on my breasts until I pushed against his head, eager for him to finish what he’d started. Then with his tongue, that teasing tongue, he went down on me again, not taking it slow this time as he worked his magic. I moaned and bucked, thrusting my hips up to his mouth, begging, demanding, that he make me come.
 
His tongue flicked and swirled around that bundle of nerves while his fingers pushed deeper inside me, striking and teasing me toward the pinnacle of my orgasm. I gasped as he balled his knuckles up and rotated them against me. I’d never felt anything like it.

“Again,” I begged and he complied.

I felt the tremor of my orgasm coming, rising through my entire body, causing my inner muscles to clench again, and then I let go, crashing over the edge, letting his name roll off my lips as a hot blaze of endorphins sparked every nerve from the tip of my toes to the top of my head.

As I came down, Patrick was kneeling next to me, his fingers lightly brushing over my hair. When I smiled up at him, he leaned down and kissed me again, this one nothing more than a press of lips, but it still sent a wave of heat through me. He offered me his hand and helped me to my knees.

He moved around me carefully, his hands caressing my stomach even as he helped me straddle his waist. I was aching to feel him inside me, so before he had even finished laying back, I was sliding down on him, relishing the feeling of him entering me, inch by inch. My body stretched to accommodate his girth, sending ripples of pleasure up through me. I loved the feel of him inside me, fitting me perfectly, as if we’d been made to come together.

He placed his hands on my thighs, sliding one up so that his thumb could stimulate my clit as I rocked on top of him. He moaned and growled inaudible words of pleasure, moving faster and increasing the rhythm of our little dance. He’d taken his time pleasuring me and I knew this part wouldn’t last long for either of us. I leaned forward, putting my hands on his chest to help me balance as I rode him. My breasts heaved as I panted and he raised the hand not working between my legs to cup one of my breasts.

His hips jerked under me and I could see the strain on his face as he fought his desire to pound into me. The fact that he could control himself like this, when the friction was driving both of us crazy, that he loved me enough to make himself resist, that was enough to push me over the edge and I came again, squeezing him tightly inside me. He came with a long, drawn out groan, his fingers tightening around my breast and giving me an extra wave of pleasure at the end of my climax.

My limbs felt like rubber and I gratefully accepted his help to roll off of him before my legs couldn’t hold me anymore. He turned toward me, our faces together, waiting for our breathing to still.

Our noses were nearly touching and I looked into his eyes. “You have a rose petal stuck to your butt.”

He twisted his body around and gave me a nice side view of his muscular ass. “Hmm.”

Using his thumb and forefinger, he plucked the petal from his bare skin and lifted it up high above me. He released it and let it float down until it landed on my breast. I laughed as he winked at me and scooped up a fistful of petals from behind him. I rolled onto my back under a waterfall of red velvet petals as he released them from his hand. My giggles just encouraged him and he jumped up to his knees, scooping and throwing more petals onto me, like a child at the beach trying to bury someone in the sand. Still laughing, he fell back onto the bed and pulled me into his arms, holding me until our laughter subsided. He kissed me on the nose and rested his forehead against mine. “I love you, Chloe.”

I lightly kissed his lips. “I love you, too, Patrick.”

“You should get some sleep now. Today was a long day.” His fingers brushed hair back from my face and I leaned into his touch.

I snuggled in closer, situating myself so that I could cuddle comfortably, and closed my eyes. “Mm-hmm, baby.”

“We have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

I gave an inarticulate answer. His plans for giving me a relaxing night in the bedroom had definitely left me relaxed. I wasn’t sure I could move even if I’d wanted to, though I was certain I’d have to waddle off to the bathroom soon enough. I wanted to enjoy the moment while I could.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?”

I opened one eye and looked at him.

“I thought you wanted me to sleep.”

Patrick had a bad habit of continuing the conversation at night just when I was ready to fall asleep. It was one of those charmingly annoying things that I wondered if he’d continue when we had a baby waking us up at all hours. I really
hoped
not.

“Well, yeah, but what about tomorrow?”

“Uh…” It took me a moment to remember what I had planned. “I’m probably going to work in the morning and then maybe go to lunch with Nina and then work some more.”

“Nina.” His voice was flat.

“Yeah.” I closed my eyes again and put my head against his chest.

“There’s something strange about her.”

I lifted my head, puzzled by his statement. “Strange like how? Like she’s really a man dressed up as a woman and she had a sex change operation?”

He shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face. “Like weird. Just...something’s off about her. That’s all.”

I yawned. “You’re weird. Nina’s my new best friend.”

“
Mmm
, it’s just a hunch.” He closed his eyes.

“Well, you’re wrong. Nina is a very sweet person and I like spending time with her. End of story.” I gave one last definitive snuggle and closed my eyes.

“You’re right. It’s probably just me.” His voice was trailing off, getting heavy with sleep. “Night, hon.”

“Night,” I murmured as I drifted off. Something up with Nina? That was just silly.

The opening of Nina’s store had arrived at last. It was decorated with balloons and banners, but only a few, nothing gaudy. She wanted her boutique to represent elegance, and she didn’t want the opening event to be perceived as cheesy or unsophisticated. She was all about being sophisticated and her store had to reflect that also. It had been challenge to find the perfect balance between class and accessibility, but I thought the end result was perfect.

“The musicians you hired are excellent,” I said to her as we listened to the talented group she’d hired.

“They make for the perfect atmosphere, just like you told me. And the drawings for prizes.” Nina beamed at me. “Chloe, you’ve done a great job with this opening. If it weren’t for you, this store wouldn’t be filled with customers already. I can’t thank you enough for doing such a great job.”

I was about to politely deny her accolades, once my blush died down, when I was interrupted by the editor of
Glow
magazine, a woman who had faded out of our conversation earlier but had now returned.

She continued to talk as if there hadn’t been a twenty-minute break in the conversation. “The magazine is planning to write an article on small clothing boutiques and the economy. You know, how hard the economy has been on little specialty type boutiques. This will tie in nicely with that piece and I could feature your store in the article.” She waved her hand around, indicating the entire store, then added, “Nina, is it alright if I take a few pictures?”

“Absolutely. That would be great.”

Just then, I noticed Patrick stepping up to our group, looking dashing as always. He placed his hand on my upper arm and said, “Excuse me.” He gave the other women a charming smile. “Chloe, I need to talk to you for a second.”

Immediately, concern flooded me. “Is something wrong?” I asked as I followed him to the side of the room.

Patrick faced me with a sheepish smile on his face. He leaned closer so that he could pitch his voice low enough that no one else could hear. “No, I just couldn’t get last night out of my mind.” He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. “I hope we can have a repeat performance again tonight.” He brushed his lips across mine, then whispered, “What do you say?”

Everything else faded into the background as I smiled up at him. “As long as you can handle it, stud.”

Suddenly, Nina interrupted, her tone teasing, “Hey, get a room. I hope I’m not paying you two by the hour.”

We all laughed as I pulled my attention back to my reason for being there. I was in the middle of Nina’s store opening and I needed to maintain a professional demeanor, no matter how badly I wanted to do all sorts of naughty things to my husband’s body.

Patrick gave another one of his charming smiles. “Don’t worry, we’ll deduct these five minutes from our hours when we submit our invoice.” His eyes swept around the layout of the store and he smoothly transitioned the conversation. “I love what you’ve done with this place and you seem to have lots of industry people here besides customers. That’s always a plus.”

“Thank you,” Nina said. “But it wouldn’t have happened without your beautiful wife. You can thank her for all of this.” She smiled at me to include me in the conversation. “Like I said earlier, Chloe, you’ve done a fantastic job.”

Patrick put his arm around me, then let his hand drop to rub my back and said, “She is amazing, isn’t she?” He looked down at me with that special, soft look that only I got.

Nina held her drink up in the air and concurred, “You’re a lucky man, Patrick.”

After a moment, Patrick slid his hand up my spine and gently squeezed the back of my neck. “If you two lovely ladies will excuse me, I have to attend to some business.” He turned to me and brushed his lips across my cheek. “I’m looking forward to tonight,” he whispered in my ear before he walked off to join another small group of industry people who’d gathered near the cash register.

The front check-out was just as sleek and elegant as the rest of the design of the store. Nina had chosen a modern, minimalistic look, using furniture with clean, straight lines. In the sitting area in the center of the store, there was a modern white leather couch with no arms. It sat on a shaggy orange rug and there was a matching round orange pillow with a big button in the middle on the couch, but its lines were smooth and sleek, offering a contrast to the thick rug. All the tables were glass-topped with metal legs, lending them also to the uncluttered modern look. Her designer was amazing.

Nina pulled a drink off of a tray as a caterer walked past and handed it to me. “It’s okay, that one is just sparkling water.”

I smiled and accepted it, again thinking of how nice it was going to be to not have to worry about being so careful. I was ecstatic about becoming a mother, but the actual experience of being pregnant wasn’t exactly thrilling.

“Listen, Chloe,” Nina continued. “I love this opening, but I want to have a real party to celebrate my new business venture here in New York. I wanted to have it at the Hamptons but it’s just too cold this time of year and I’m getting sick of the dreary weather. Since most of my business partners are in Florida, I decided I should have it down there, especially when I have the most amazing house that will be perfect for it. It’ll take a couple days to get things ready, but I want you and Patrick to be there.”

A party in Florida sounded like a great idea, but I couldn’t ignore my doctor’s advice about not flying this far into the last trimester. I gave her an apologetic smile. “That sounds so amazing, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend. I’m only three weeks away from my due date and I’m not supposed to fly.”

The smile on Nina’s face told me she’d already thought of that. “You can’t fly commercial, but you can fly on a private jet. And I have a connection to a great guy who has such a service. Think of it as a little bonus for the excellent work you’ve done.” She downed the last drop of her wine and set the empty glass on a nearby display table filled with folded tops in muted pastels.

I bit my lip while I considered her proposition. It would be great to get out of the city. Who knew when Patrick and I would have the chance once the baby came?

She added, “I’ll hire a nurse to be on board the entire time. Would that make you feel better about flying?”

I was impressed. Nina had thought of it all. “You really want me to come, don’t you?”

“Of course,” she said. “I couldn’t have this party without you.”

I relented, though it wasn’t exactly a sacrifice to do so. “Well, as long as there will be a nurse on board, we’ll come.”

Suddenly, a familiar face caught my eye and I waved my hand to get his attention. “Ryan! It’s so good to see you.” I gave him a one-armed squeeze. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were into women’s clothes.”

 
“Funny, Chloe.” He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “No, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Besides, I wanted to thank you and Patrick for coming to the performance last night.”

“It’s me who should thank you. That was a magnificent play.” Nina cleared her throat and I realized I hadn’t introduced them yet. “Oh, Nina, I’m sorry. I’m being rude. Nina, this is Ryan
Barrick
, one of our friends. He’s a partner in our advertising firm, and he also owns some amazing art galleries in the city.”

Nina’s eyes lit up as she held out her hand. “Oh, no need to explain. Ryan
Barrick
, that’s the guy you worked for in Paris?”

Ryan answered the question. “Yes, that’s right. She was my most valued employee.”

“Why’d you let her go, then?” Nina asked.

“I guess I couldn’t compete with what Patrick had to offer.” He chuckled.

Nina tipped her head to the side, a thoughtful expression on her face, and said, “Ryan, I was just telling Chloe that I’m having a party next weekend in Florida. I think you should come, too. And you can bring a guest. The private jet will have plenty of room.”

Ryan looked as surprised as I felt. I didn’t understand Patrick’s misgivings. How generous was Nina to not only offer a private jet for the two of us, but to also invite our friend and tell him to bring a guest?

Ryan looked down at me and I nodded. “Well, I don’t want to intrude, but it’s hard to say no to a party in Miami.” He grinned at me. “And I know exactly who I’d like to bring.”

“The more the merrier,” Nina announced.

“Well, in that case, I’m in. I’d be happy to attend, Nina,” Ryan said.

“Great. Chloe can fill you in on the details. I’m afraid I have to get back to networking. In fact,” Nina threw a glance over her shoulder. “I think that’s the editor for
Vogue
. Pardon me…”

As soon as Nina was out of earshot, I said to Ryan, “Isn’t she great?”

Ryan’s tone was blank as he watched her go, a strange expression on her face. “Yeah, she’s marvelous, except…”

That wasn’t the answer I’d expected.

“Except what?” I prodded.

“I don’t know. There’s something...like I’ve seen her before.”

“Maybe you’ve crossed paths in the past. You’re both business people,” I suggested.

“
Mmm
. I think I would have remembered her.” He shook his head. “Never mind me.” He lightly touched me on the top of my stomach and said, “Don’t work too hard, darling. You have a lot to take care of here. Take care of yourself.”

I sighed. “To be honest with you, Ryan, I can’t wait. Three more weeks. I’m so ready to get this baby out of me.”

Ryan rocked back with a short laugh and squeezed my shoulders. “I don’t blame you, sweetie. Not one bit.”