Inner Core: (Stark, #2) (24 page)

Against the coolness of the wine my body heats up. Slowly bending his head toward me while his eyes still bore into my flustered face, Daniel stoops and puts his warm mouth over my tantalized nipples. It's slow, delicious torture as he gently runs his warm tongue over the moist trails of alcohol, adeptly bringing my nerves to a complete frenzy. His tongue descends ever so leisurely down my skin, followed by succulent kisses.

When he reaches the soaked hem of my lacy underwear I let out an audible gasp and tilt my head back, closing my eyes. To my reluctance he slowly inches up again, but as soon as I see his pants and boxers piled on the floor I smile. He gives me his hand, and submissively, I follow his few short steps to the wooden ladder that leads to the ocean. Daniel goes in first and turns to kiss me as I'm seated on the first rung with my legs in the water. He gently pulls my body toward him and I wrap my legs around his waist.

My rear comes into contact with the lukewarm water as my skin connects with Daniel’s warm chest, and the combination of the two makes my blood boil. Once our tongues meet, we thoroughly, fervently explore each other’s mouths, taking our time to reach every hidden spot. As our kisses gradually become hard and demanding, so do our touches and strokes. Soon we are two tangled bodies frantically trying to get closer, dissolving into each other.

When he slides into me the sensation makes me let out a blissful cry that he echoes with a masculine moan. The blend of the water, the night, the breeze, and us is surreal.

“I love you,” I breathe hoarsely into his ear while nibbling on his bristly yet soft skin, his low purr making me cover any exposed area of his neck with kisses and bites. I thread my fingers in his soft hair and pull him to my mouth, squeezing him deeper into me with my legs around him in a death grip. He runs his hands over my back til he reaches my rear and pushes me forcefully into his thrust, spreading me further so I completely absorb him. I arch my back and cry out in sheer ecstasy.

We are utterly absorbed with each other and the divine sensations this deep connection produces. Our bodies, rocking together, cause little waves around us that become tidal when we become crazed, at which point our every movement turns frantic. We rub and grind and gasp loudly in a whirlwind of need, til we both reach the top of our want with utter euphoria, wrapped up in one another.

“Hales,” Daniel whispers to my neck with his head resting in the nook next to my pulsing artery. “I more than love you, baby,” he says, and the few parts of my body that weren’t molten from our recent encounter liquefy.

And I you.

Chapter 26: Every Saint Has a Past

Only when our skin turns unpleasantly pruny do we finally leave the serene ocean. Bathed, snuggled up in bed, exhausted and sated, I rest my head on Daniel’s chest while he draws airy circles on my bare back. I'm not sure what exactly possesses me, but I feel like I can’t wait one more moment to remove even the tiniest of barriers between us. Thinking back on our conversation in which he bared himself completely to me, his overwhelming, grand gesture this evening, and everything we’ve been through, I'm reassured that now would be the best time to remove any unspoken fence we still have between us.

“D,” I say and kiss his chest, which is a creation of steel covered in soft skin.

“Yes.”

“You know how we always end up diverting the conversation away from my sexual history?”

“Yes, why?” he says lazily.

“Well... I guess I want to talk about it.”

“Now?” his body turns a degree tenser. “You don’t have to, surely not on my account.”

“I want to. I want full transparency. I don’t want anything held back between us.”

“Hales,” he warns softly. “You know my punching bag is back home, right?” He tries to loosen up the sudden tension, but I can still sense the inhibition that he radiates with his stiffness. I stroke his chest and plant another kiss on his skin. He waits for me to start talking, while I mentally assemble the puzzle of my glorious teen years before I continue my flow of words. I feel as though the details are clearly reflected by my agitation. The words are hanging on the end of my tongue, jazzing up my blood.

“Well, here's the account of my days as a floozie.” I try to make the subject lighter, because it's clearly hard for my boyfriend to swallow. I glance up to catch his eyes. Daniel's lips don't even move at my try at humor.
Au contraire:
it's clearly an immense job for him to stay poised, though his cringing tells me what lies beneath the surface. He swallows hard; twists his mouth, disturbed, and nods.

“Let’s put it this way: I wasn’t the relationship type all through my teens and early twenties, though I did enjoy sex.” I bite my lips and seek out his eyes, now squinting under taut, furrowed brows. He just nods again, seems as though he'd much rather not comment.

Jekyll is defiantly fighting Hyde…

“It's not dramatic, or highly traumatic. It is just about a girl who fell in love, well, thought she was in love, slept with her first sweetheart who she thought was her one true love,” I say, and take a deep breath. Daniel clears his throat and stays silent.

“Right after that horrible first time, which was so short I didn't even grasp what was going on, I genuinely thought he would carve my name across his heart, and he turned completely indifferent to me.” Daniel’s hand on my back becomes heavier as I continue. “Let alone the fact that I probably didn’t mean as much to him as he meant to me, the douche bragged about our night to his entire posse. Later, I was horrified to hear about it everywhere, flying from mouth to mouth.” My next words are hushed. “I decided that all this 'emotion' stuff was one big joke, and started to enjoy meaningless sex.” Daniel cups a warm hand to my cheek for a meaningful beat.

“Do we know where he lives now?” he asks seriously, and I smile at him.

“It was more than a decade ago, c’mon.”

His mouth presses into a hard line.

“What it did, young and unripe as I was at the time, was make me close up. I built high walls around myself and made a decision to use guys before they had the chance to use me.” I heave out a dismissive breath.

“Basically, from that point on, that was my view of relationships. I never did let myself open up or get hurt again, and as time passed I actually grew to enjoy this carefree behavior.”

Daniel turns to sink his fingers into my hair and lightly caresses it, staying quiet, giving me the full stage.

“Like I mentioned before, I did enjoy sex, and therefore I kept on having it, never giving any of my partners anything
but
sex.”

“What made you change your mind with me?” he asks, now in a low voice. And before I can answer, he adds, somewhat cross, “I can’t believe I behaved just like that douchebag. The way I treated you after our very first time.”

“There was just something about you that made you get under my skin,
against my better judgment
and despite conscious resentment.” He gives me a smile that’s a blend of devilish and boyish.

“I’m glad,” he says, and pulls me up so our lips connect. He then sinks his head deeper in the pillow, looks at me sincerely, and says, “I apologize for back then.” “

“No need. It's not like I wore your varsity jacket right after and swore to be just yours…”

He snorts. “Hales, just for the record, let’s not mention there was anyone before me
ever again
. I really don’t want to hear about it. I could seriously hunt those scumbags down.”

I shake my head.
I believe you, psycho.

“And anyway, I guess you just knew I was the one.” His scarred lip curves up, exposing the tip of his teeth, giving him that bad boy look I so lustfully admire. I openly roll my eyes and he starts tickling me all over.

“Daniel stop,” I squeal. “I can hardly breathe!” I beg for mercy.

“Say it loud and clear, baby, I want to hear it,” he says in a tone bursting with humor.

“Say what?” I gasp for air under his attack.

“Daniel Stark, you are the one,” he says and chuckles, now caging both my arms with his hand while the other tickles me in one of my most sensitive spots. I yelp and then stammer, between severe bouts of laughter, “Dani…el. S…tark. You… are the…one.”

“You got it right, baby,” he snickers, and crushes his mouth to mine.

“Very mature,” I say breathlessly. He grins and pulls me under him, settling himself between my legs. His arms, on either side of my head, hold his body above me. He looks at me, and a few golden strands fall forward onto his forehead.

“Hi.” The pull of his lips is somewhat naughty.

“Hi.” I smile back. He bends slowly and starts a new form of torture, this time a very pleasant and welcome one.

Chapter 27: Just Another Day in Paradise

Morning makes for a sluggish awakening. I stretch my limbs and yawn before lazily opening my eyes. The room, illuminated brightly by warm rays of sun, makes my eyes squint til they slowly adapt to the brightness. I look ahead and a picturesque vision of the clear, powder-blue waters of the ocean greets me from every panoramic window of our South Pacific heaven. I smile to myself with the urge to french kiss the morning, while inhaling the scent of coffee that comes from the opposite side of the villa. Being so far away from civilization—and any other villa in the resort for that matter—I just pull on the thong and bra I deserted on the edge of the bed last night. Wearing these sole articles of clothing, I make my way out of bed.

Daniel watches me with an intense, hungry look, while I shuffle toward him. He stands leaning against the terrace door with a cup in his hand and a grin on his lips. His eager stare makes me ask, “What is it?”

“It’s amazing how you can just roll out of bed in the morning and still pull off insanely sexy.” I swallow hard while a surge of heat travels between my legs at the implications.

“Well, good morning to you too.” I smirk and walk over to him. I reach for his cup of coffee and bring it to my mouth, my eyes teasing him cheerfully.

“By all means, help yourself.” He chuckles and covers me with an embrace, pulling me close to him. Nuzzling my hair he takes a deep breath in. I luxuriate in the niche of his hug and keep drinking the aromatic coffee. I tilt my head back to face him. He inclines his to stare back at me.

“This is the best birthday I could have ever dreamt of. Thank you.” I flex my toes and leave a soft kiss on his mouth.

“My pleasure, baby. I'm glad you like it,” he answers into my partly-open lips. He puts the cup on the counter as he carries me back inside. In no time at all we are doing a horizontal cardio exercise session rather than waking up with caffeine.

~~~

“Hey there, sleeping beauty, you're about to meld with the bed.” Daniel rubs my behind through the thin white sheet covering me. I open one eye and glance at him standing beside the bed, arms folded over his chest. I give him another look and lift the sheet over me, burrowing deeper into the warm bed.

“Oh no you don’t,” he says, amused.

“Says who?” I murmur to the pillow.

“Says me.” I feel his hands gripping the hem of the fabric that covers me before hearing his reply. I start squeaking as he tears the cover away and easily lifts me off the bed and over his shoulder.

“What do you think you're doing?” I yelp from my helpless position.

“Rescuing you from bedsores.”

I roll my eyes.

“What will it be: you wake up and freshen up by yourself or do I have to make you?”

“You have to make me.” I say, imitating him.

“What was that? Are you testing me?” he says, and without any warning, I find myself, against the rules of both gravitation and adult behavior, hanging upside-down, thighs held firmly, blood rushing to my head. My hair is almost touching the water in the deck’s swimming pool.

“Are you insane?” I scream.

“Hmm, I think it was you who called me a psycho. So the answer is yes.” He laughs while I wiggle, airborne.

“All right, you win,” I say, and shake my head. “Psycho,” I murmur as my feet finally touch the floor.

“As we’ve also established before, it takes one to know one.” He beams and slaps my departing butt.

After taking a quick shower and putting on one of my white, linen sundresses and Jackie-O sunglasses, I return to the main room.

“Now that I’m up, what do you want to do?”

He runs his eyes over me and smiles, pleased. Reflexively I mirror his contented gesture.

“Let’s go for a walk and then have lunch at that fisherman's shack we passed on our way here,” he suggests, and I nod, shoving my palm into the back pocket of his grey bermudas and giving him a firm squeeze. He chuckles and laces his hand underneath my arm and around my waist. I lean into him as we start walking on the white, sun kissed sand in this surreal, strikingly beautiful place.

“I might have to fly out already next week again,” Daniel says after a lingering, pleasant silence. The last word comes out deflated. I rest my head against the taut muscle of his arm and heave a loud sigh.

“For how long this time?”

“The only positive thing is that it shouldn’t be more than a couple of days.” He kisses the top of my head. “I want you to come with me,” he says.

“I’m not sure I can,” I reply and contemplate the option, coming to the conclusion that it isn't possible. “Actually, I’m sure I can’t. We’ve all had almost a week away. I took an extra day off to be here. I’m pretty sure Josh will need me back in the office Monday.” Daniel looks at the ocean, absorbed in thought. “I want you there, Hales.” The determination in his words is almost tangible. I turn my head to look at him.

“I would love to fly with you to Thailand, believe me, but besides the fact that you’ll have your hands full, I seriously can’t allow it, work wise.”

“Think about it,” my Mr. Stubborn says firmly, which I choose to disregard. I'm completely disinclined to start any sort of argument.
Not here, not now
.