Evolve Series Box Set (33 page)

“Yes,” she pants.

“Good girl,” I croon, pinching her clit and sending her off like a rocket. She writhes and twists, a vision, my vision. When she comes down, I ease off the bed to the bathroom, returning with a condom that I toss on the bed. Lowering my trunks, my eyes never leave her face. Standing before her naked, I watch her expression go from skittish, to surprised, and finally settle on warm. She raises her gaze to mine and my heart seizes in my chest at the love and acceptance I see there.

Shifting to her hands and knees, she crawls to the edge of the bed, rising up inches from me. She traces every line of my upper body, smoothing her palms across my abs, switching back to fingertips along the grooves leading down to my groin. Her chestnut eyes peek back up at me as her little tongue slips out over her bottom lip. “You are magnificent. Thank you for waiting for me, for this.” She blows out a long breath. “I love you. I didn’t know what that really meant until I met you. You were made to be my other half and I yours.”

I know this should be a sweet, romantic moment, but hearing her heartfelt words draw out every barbaric chemical in my body. I lift her, shifting her to the middle of the bed, and swiftly settle over her. “Gotta have you baby, gotta get inside.” I kiss her manically, working her up again. “Not gonna lie, love,” I say, firmly kneading her breasts, “it’s probably gonna hurt a little bit, but I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

“I trust you,” she whispers breathily. She watches intently as I roll on the condom, eyes curious and sparkling. Opening her arms to me, I move back over her, wanting to savor every second as much as needing to take care with her. “Ah,” she winces and bows her back off the bed as I enter her.

“Relax for me,” I growl, bracing myself, running my hands through her hair, kissing her face. Holding back for what seems like hours, her body becomes less rigid. “Ready for more?” I whisper, waiting for her eyes to say yes. Every baser instinct screams at me to thrust deep into her but I fight against it, my jaw clenched. She’s so damn tight, so warm, and I will never, ever be the same. I couldn’t have dreamt she’d feel this good or imagined the all-consuming feelings that would instantly enter my head, my heart…my soul. Amazing that I’m able to have profound thoughts at this moment, but even more amazing when I realize my body and mind’s recognition of another person as my whole collide. Not a fuck, not a crush, not lukewarm- cosmic.

She nods jerkily, so I ease further in ever so slowly, kissing along her neck, devoted to the spot behind her ear that drives her mad. Hitting her barrier, I rock back and then break through in one smooth stroke. She cries out, her chest heaving rapidly, her legs clinching. “Relax through it, baby.” I nuzzle her neck. “Tell me when you’re okay.” I resolve myself not to move until she tells me, again, no matter how badly I want to.

Blowing out a few breaths, she runs her hands down my back, picking up her head to kiss my chest. I feel her body began to relax. “I’m ready. Love me, Dane,” she says sweetly.

I rock slowly into her, lost in the sensation. Perfection; hot, mind-blowing perfection. “You feel amazing, Laney.” My words are a huff. I slide my hands under her ass, tilting her up, wanting to get as deep into her heaven as possible.

“Oh, oh,” she murmurs, igniting the animal in me once again. Her little sounds are my undoing and my cock hardens impossibly more with each one.

”Wrap your legs around me, baby,” I command her as I lean down to pull on her pebbled nipple with my teeth. “Just like that, yeah. Oh shit, unbelievable, baby. So. Damn. Good.”

Barely able to comprehend, Laney shocks me, splintering the man in me to pieces, by reaching up and bracing her hands against the headboard. She uses the leverage to push back into me, hard.

“Fuck, Laney, I’m not gonna last if you keep doing that.”

“S’okay, let go, Dane,” she goads in the sexiest growl I’ll ever hear.

Just a few more strokes and I explode with a guttural roar. White sparks blink on the edges of my vision, but I dare not close my eyes, taking in every nuance of Laney’s face, eyes, body. My orgasm draws out longer than any I’ve ever had and I keep thrusting slowly into her long after I’m finished, not ready to lose the connection with her quite yet.

Finally completely spent, I collapse astride her, caressing her hair and tucking my face into her neck. She smells of Laney, sweat and…me, best thing I’ve ever smelled in my life. “My bad, baby, I finished without you,” I mumble.

Her body shakes against me with her sweet laugh. “I don’t think I’m expected to, you know, um, during the first time. The pain kinda throws ya off. The warm up was stellar, though.” She offers me a smile and kiss on my nose.

“We’re not stopping next time until you come around me.” I run my tongue along her lips. “At least twice.”

CHAPTER 39

Dizzy

***Laney***

Hot, too hot. What? I groggily come to, overheated, odd for me since I’m always cold. Getting my bearings, the hot flash quickly becomes complete incineration. One very fine man is covering me, the heat of his body suddenly not a burden, kissing his way up my body.

“Looking to try out that morning breath theory of yours, huh?” I giggle, my voice rough with sleep.

Dane lifts his head and flashes me a dazzling smile. His sleepy eyes and messy bed-hair are irresistible and I feel my nipples tighten at the sight. He slides up me, placing kisses along my jaw, forehead and nose before finally greeting my lips softly. “Good morning baby,” he rumbles sexily.

“Good morning yourself, did you sleep well?”

“Mhmm,” he hums into my neck, where his tongue is toying with my sanity. “Never better.”

I run my hands up his back, tracing the taut muscles there, and shift my legs slightly so he can fall deeper into the cradle of me. I’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin than I do right now, never more in sync with another person. No, never; not like I do with Dane. Being with Dane, I feel womanly, sexual, alive, and even rhythmic. My reverie is broken by the sound of Dane’s phone. He leans across me to grab it off the nightstand, laughing when he reads it.

“What’s funny?” I ask.

“I forgot to tell Tate it was okay for them to come out. They’re hungry and want to go in the kitchen.” He types out a response and tosses the phone back down.

“You told them they couldn’t come out?” I grin. “You’re so bad. Thank God they at least had access to a bathroom. Speaking of which, I need to get up and shower.” I push on his shoulder. “Get off me, you brute.”

“Why the hurry?” He looks up at me with big eyes. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Well, at some point today, yes. I have stuff to do before my trip home.” I try to slide out from under him but he cages me in, both arms beside my head.

“Laney, are you running?” His brow crinkles and worry etches his face.

“No.” I run my finger down his nose. “It’s Christmas break. Of course I have to go see my dad for the holidays. Don’t you have family stuff to do?”

He doesn’t answer for far too long, letting his forehead fall against mine. Pain emanates from him and I brace myself for whatever it is he’s working up the courage to tell me. I lightly stroke my hands through his hair, patiently waiting for him to open up to me. Finally.

“Tate’s the only family I have, Laney.”

No sudden gasp or line of questioning; I don’t react, but rather keep the same calming speed to my strokes of his hair. Placing kisses on his crown intermittently, I remain silent and mentally will him to continue.

“My parents aren’t just never home, they’re gone. Been almost three years,” his voice wobbles and I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him to me.

“Go on,” I whisper.

“My dad, our dad, loved to fly. He’d whisk my mom away for weekend trips, hell sometimes even just lunch,” he lightly chuckles, “all the time. One trip, they didn’t come back. Mechanical failure, landing gear didn’t even come down.” His voice is somber now and a shudder runs through him. “So Tate’s all I have now. And you.” He lifts his head and looks at me hopefully. “I have you.”

It’s a statement, but question lurks in his eyes, laced with insecurity. “Yes, Dane, you have me.” I smile weakly, still saddened to hear about his parents. Every time I asked where they were or if they’d be home, I’d been driving a dagger in his heart. I talk about my dad non-stop. I left Dane here alone on Thanksgiving. I’ve been an idiot and Bennett’s words ring in my ears. “Dane,” I cup his cheek with one hand, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about your parents, and I’m sorry I didn’t know, or ask—”

“Laney, don’t. Not your fault at all. I didn’t exactly tell you the truth. I wanted to, so many times, especially knowing how you feel about your mom, but I just didn’t. So I’m sorry, too.”

“Don’t even think about apologizing to me. You told me now, when it felt right, and that’s all that matters.” Wrapping myself around him once again, unable to not just hold him, love him, comfort him, I continue. “And Dane, your mom didn’t leave you, she was taken. I’m sure she loved you very much. How could she not?”

“Let’s just say I didn’t know my mom as well as I thought I did, and maybe there are things you don’t know about yours, too, Laney.”

“What do you mean?” I lean back and look up at him.

He sits up and drags me on his lap, wrapping a sheet around me loosely. “My mom, not Tate’s mom, was our father’s second wife. When they died, I got everything. I have more money than I’ll ever spend, Laney, and Tate got nothing.” He looks down, as though ashamed, speaking again from that pose. “My mother couldn’t accept Tate. He represented her husband’s past life, the one before her. She was so jealous she took it out on Tate, till he finally just quit visiting. I didn’t know that’s why he disappeared until he came for our father’s funeral and I had to drag it out of him.”

Running a slow hand down his face, he kisses my shoulder and leaves his lips there, his next words soft upon my skin. “I was sole beneficiary, to everything. So it would seem my mother talked our father into hurting him, too, even after death. I’m not sure why he even speaks to me, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to him.”

“Look at me.” I lift his head, cupping his face. “It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t feel guilty for their wrongs, Dane. All you can control is you, and you are a wonderful person.”

He covers my hands with his own. “Tate won’t take a dime; says he won’t touch their hate money. So I just see to it that he benefits in clever ways.” He almost smiles. “That’s our secret though, baby, okay?” He raises his brow in question.

I nod and smile, his secrets are safe with me and my heart floods with admiration. Dane doesn’t have a greedy bone in his body and knowing what he does to help his brother, well, it’s just another reason I adore him. I’m still a little lost at how this all relates to my own mother, however.

And cue the slightly frightening Dane ESP. “So, sometimes you may think you know people, and things are actually worse. Whereas sometimes you may think the worst and don’t know the real person at all.” He quirks a brow at me.

What? “What?”

“Go take your shower, and brush your teeth.” He laughs and kisses me. “Then I want to give you one of your Christmas presents.”

The hot shower feels wonderful. I ache in the most intimate places, and think for a second about really milking out my discomfort to tease Dane. I decide to go easy on him, though, when I step out and see the casual set of pants and shelf-tank he’s left on the counter for me. Silky and light pink, the new clothes glide over my body and I smile to myself, thinking about how good he is to me; but I damn near tear up when I see the two pain relievers and glass of OJ. This man—if I told people the things he does for me, they’d think I was making him up.

Steam billows out as I open the door and walk back into the bedroom, scrubbing a towel through my damp hair.

“Come here, baby,” he says to me, sitting in the overstuffed chair in the corner.

“Thank you.” I smile as I saunter to him, motioning to my new outfit.

“You’re very welcome, beautiful. They look lovely.”

I climb onto his lap and wait impatiently for…I don’t know.

“Promise me you’ll let me finish before you react, and that you will try to remember, no matter your initial instinct, that anything I ever do is because I love you. I want to take care of you, in every single way. I want to be the one you come to when you need or want something, when you’re hurt, sad, scared…anything. Even if it’s me that pisses you off, I want it to be me you scream at about it.” He reaches behind the chair and pulls out a folder; not a present. “Promise me,” he reiterates.

“You’re scaring me,” I whisper.

“Laney, you are my forever, and we can’t move forward until we clear up the past. I would never put you in a bad spot, I of course checked things out first, and feel sure this is something you need to know. I will help you every single step of the way, baby.” He hands me the folder and moves his arms tightly around my waist.

I open it, hands trembling with the anticipation of the unknown. The first thing that catches my eye is a picture of my mother; I’d know her anywhere. I quickly slam the folder shut and jerk my eyes to Dane. “What is this?!”

“It’s your mom, Laney. It’s important that you know; I didn’t just set out to find your mom, get in your business. It started as my desire to keep you safe and it led here,” he grabs my hand and squeezes, his eyes full of doubt. “You told me about the stalker and it worried me, badly. You got flowers on your birthday—”

“Those were from Evan,” I interrupt, agitation in my voice.

“You got another delivery, while you were out. I had Tate open the card, I admit it, and I didn’t like the message. So,” he lets out a shaky breath, “I did some digging. Sometimes money comes in handy, like when you’re trying to track down a stalker. I only did it to keep you safe, Laney, I swear to you. I had only the best intentions.”

I believe him, but I still feel somewhat violated. “You and Tate had no right to open the card,” I huff.