London Falling (22 page)

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He pulled away and gripped me around the waist, practically dragging me to his apartment. Once inside, he backed me against the door, pushing up my sweater and ripping it over my head. His mouth instantly went for my breasts. He plunged into the cup and encased a tight nipple with the welcome wet heat of his tongue. He flicked and nipped until I brazenly rubbed my lower half along the hard length pressed into my hip.

“Need to get in you.” He bit down on my nipple. I cried out, my voice hoarse from the heavy breathing, sucking his length at the theatre, and the car fun we had earlier.

“Jesus, Collier, if you don’t take me now I’m going to lose my ever loving mind!”

He pulled me and into a fireman’s hold, practically running to the master bedroom, smacking my ass. “Fucking tight arse,” he gritted through his teeth on a particularly hard smack.

Once in his room, he unceremoniously dropped me onto the bed. His chest puffed and heaved as if he’d run a marathon instead of from the effort of restraint. I shimmied out of my skirt, left only in the tall suede boots it would take too damn long to remove and the lace panties. Apparently, Collier agreed because the second the skirt came off, his jeans dropped to the floor.

In seconds, he had me spread wide, feet flat on the mattress at the end of the bed where he still stood. He yanked down my panties, only removing them from one leg but he didn’t care. With his shirt still on, his eyes glazed with desire, he lined up his cock with my center and plunged into me hard.

A fuse lit. The moment our flesh connected, a storm of need, lust, and want roared between us. Moving in tandem, I pushed against his body. He pressed both palms on my inner thighs and moved my legs up and back toward my head, opening me wide for his taking. I’d never been taken with such ferocity. It was as though he wanted to brand me, burn me up and use me in a way that could never be matched or outdone.

“Look at me, Beauty. See what you’ve done.” Collier held my legs tight as he hammered into me, spinning his hips like a madman, skating over every single pleasure neuron I had. My body shook as he took and gave in equal parts.

“You’ve fucking ruined me for other women. “ His eyes burned black as coal but were brighter than I’d ever seen them. He plunged deep. A long moan tore from my lungs. He grinned wickedly.

“That’s right. I’m going to ruin you, too. Shag you so grand, another decent fuck won’t do. Only my prick will fill you and make you feel this way.” Passion tingled through the words he spoke. “Do you feel it, Beauty? Do you feel how this is different?”

It was hard to respond. Shimmering waves of ecstasy rolled through me, stealing my breath and my words. “Oh God,” I swore as my orgasm rippled through me.

“That’s right, Beauty. Give me your pleasure. It’s mine now.” He slammed into me, relentless in his pursuit. As the pleasure subsided he ramped it up once more. “Oh no, you don’t. I’m not done with you yet!” he yelled. He leaned over the bed and me to get at my tits.

Collier licked, nibbled, and used his teeth to bite on the tender peaks as he moved my knees up and over his shoulders. I was in a pretzel position as he fucked me long and hard. Collier placed those large hands over the sweat slicked skin of my shoulders cupping them and using them for leverage. His cock hammered into me, slight twinges of pain turning into pleasure as with the perfect tilt of my hips, he slid along that heavenly place inside, stroking it over and over until I almost blacked out.

“I want it all, Beauty. Now. You don’t come for
you
, you come for
me
!” he commanded, pulling my shoulders and slamming his cock home, mashing the pleasure center inside and outside of me. I screamed, tormented gloriously as rolling streams of nirvana swept me away into nothing but a ball of light, a cosmic energy where I could feel everything Collier felt.

It was no longer my pleasure, it was his. It catapulted me into the most painful and pleasurable experience of my life. A wall of pure love and lust tangled together as Collier plowed into me one last time. When he finally gave in, taking his release from my willing body, I too received that same release, once more but through his outpouring of emotions.

Minutes or hours later, we lay facing each other, snuggled into one another’s warmth, giving and receiving this moment of peace for what it was. A change. A huge plateau had been crossed. I enjoyed sex, especially with men I cared for, like James and now Collier. But never had I felt anyone else’s orgasm as if I was the one having it. Nothing could describe it nor compete with it ever again.

He was right. Collier Stone ruined me for other men. At this point, I could only hope I’d done the same for him. He said I had, but I wasn’t sure I believed him.

Men had a habit of saying whatever shit comes to their minds during sex. I’d heard a great deal of that in my promiscuous past. With Collier, things felt different. I actually wanted to trust him, believe the words he’d said. Now I just needed him to prove it.

Could he put up with me and my history with men? Aside from the fact that I was so damaged by the love I’d lost that I wasn’t even sure it was possible to fall again.

Collier’s words broke through my thoughts. “Fancy that shag, eh?” Collier grinned salaciously.

“I don’t even know what to say.” I shook my head and smiled, knowing a rosy hue crept over my heated cheeks and neck.

“I bonked you mute, did I? Well, Bob’s your uncle.” He fist pumped the air and I laughed. “In truth, what we did tonight--“ He looked nervous and uncertain. “--Did I hurt you? I was a bit out of sorts.”

Taking his hand, I curled it to my bare chest and kissed his knuckles. “That was by far, an experience I’ll never forget. Never. I’ll take it with me to the afterlife.” I looked down, not able to meet his brown-sugar eyes. He tipped my chin with one long digit, forcing my gaze to his.

“Hey, for me too.” He searched my eyes. I saw truth and honesty there. He didn’t try to hide anything from me. I liked that…too much, if I was honest with myself. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you ruined me for other women, London. Now that I’ve had you, the love we made tonight, I’ll do anything to keep you in my life.”

I closed my eyes and let his words wash a blissful serenity over me. He splayed his feelings open and I received them, letting them coat my heart with kindness and grace.

“Collier, the only thing I can commit to you is now. This moment.” My voice trembled. “Maybe with the hope for more.”

“For now, it’s enough.”

***

As I entered the bedroom, towel low around my waist, I caught site of my smiling puss in the mirror over the dresser. Pure, unfiltered happiness stared at me. It was a look I hadn’t seen on my face in a really long time, probably since I first opened Stone, Walker & Associates with Nathaniel five long years ago.

The sound of London humming as she soaped up for the second time lulled me into a sleepy haze, grinning like a loon. We definitely needed sleep. Between the movie theater and our need to immediately copulate the moment we got home and then again against the shower cube’s wall a minute ago, had us both spent.

Tonight we’d had a breakthrough of sorts. She agreed to letting me hope for more. I meant what I said when I told her it was enough for now. The fact that she was here with me, made love with me all night, proved something to her as much as to me. It proved that this thing wasn’t one-sided. It was real and over time, I’d get her to understand I wasn’t asking for more than I was willing to give.

That moment when I had her pinned to the bed, her legs over my shoulders, my lips surrounding her flesh as I surged into her…epic. It was unlike any other love-making experience. Even with Claire, our mating had been a little humdrum and luke-warm. The fires burned scalding hot without hope of ever being extinguished with London. I craved her body, her taste and her scent almost like I was genetically predisposed to fall for her.

And of course I would fall for a woman afraid of love, hurt by it so badly she couldn’t see what was before us on this plane. We were both very much alive and meant to share this human world together. I just needed to convince her of that.

I don’t begrudge her the grief she feels. Quite the opposite. I want her to let her dead husband go, yet cherish his memory and their time together. It’s part of her past. I want her to make room for me in her world, her future. I needed her to consider the possibility that she may love again. I may be the one to make that reality possible. Queen mother, I was bloody tired. After a night like this, sleep never sounded so good.

Thoughts of snuggling up to her were interrupted by a vibrating noise. London’s phone lit and rattled against the wooden side table where she’d dropped her purse in our haste to be filled with each other.

I grabbed the phone and saw Tripp’s annoyingly handsome mug on the screen. In the image his arms wrapped around London in what I would consider a more than friendly embrace.
Smarmy cocksucker.
The phone continued to ring as I glanced at the nightstand clock. Fucking two-thirty in the morning. And he’s calling her? Probably drunk dialing her.
Imbecile
.

Without a second thought, I answered the phone. Before I could say hello, Tripp started speaking.

“Bridge, baby, I need you.” His voice sounded guttural, inhuman. Fear and anger split through my thoughts. My hands shook with the energy it took for me to not rip into him.

“It’s Collier. What can I help you with, Tripp? It’s two-thirty in the fucking morning mate. This better be good!” Apparently my ability to stay calm went out the window, along with my sanity. He had no right to call her at this hour, knowing she was in my arms for Christ’s sake. Friend or not, I will not have him interrupting our time together for his loser shite.

“I need her. Now. Please?“ His voice trailed. I could hear a muffled sob through the line.

“Who is it?” London’s blue eyes looked worried. I was glad she wasn’t pissed that I answered her phone. Even though I thought of us as an official couple, she might not agree, even after the monumental thing we discovered this evening.

“It’s for you.” I handed her the phone, unable to conceal the contempt in my voice. Her eyes narrowed as she gripped the towel around her body and reached for the phone.

Water ran in rivulets from her hair into the sexy crease between her breasts. Christ, she was wet and slick like Amphitrite, the Greek water goddess, and the mate of Poseidon in Greek mythology. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to be her mate. To rage the seas and cross oceans with her by my side for all of eternity. Instead, I had to listen to her take a call from her best friend, otherwise known as ’dick in a glass case’: Break in case of emergency.

“Hello?” Her face instantly tightened as she slumped down on the edge of the bed. “Tripp honey, what’s the matter. What do you mean?” She listened a couple moments. “Don’t you dare. I mean it. You will ruin everything. Fucking everything you’ve worked for.” Anger made her spring into action. She immediately rifled through her suitcase and shoved on a pair of jeans, sans underwear.

That did not make me happy. I had to grit my teeth while watching her. She grabbed my t-shirt from the back of the chair and threw it over her head and screamed into the phone. At least it was my shirt. Again, she didn’t take the time to encase her perfect breasts in an undergarment.

“What the fuck is going on?” I grabbed a clean pair of jeans, sliding them on. Whatever she was doing, she was most certainly preparing to go somewhere. Wherever she was going, I was going too. Non-negotiable. She threw up a hand to cut me off.

Rage fired through my entire body as I watched the woman I lo…what? The woman I what? Loved? I couldn’t even think about that right now.

“I’ll be right there. Don’t you do it, Tripp. Don’t. No. Yes, God, yes. I love you. More than anyone.” Those three words put me at a screeching halt. All the air left my chest and I slumped onto the bed. I put my head in my hands. She loves him.
More than anyone
. Fuck!

She hung up the phone and slipped on some shoes. “I have to go. I’m sorry. I need to pick up Tripp.”

“What do you mean? If he’s drunk or whatever, he can take a cab for crying out loud!” I roared.

She swung her head back. “It’s not like that. He’s about to use. I have to go get him. Right now. I’m sorry. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“You’re fucking kidding, right? Tripp calls and you run off? London, stay. Just stay,” I pleaded, wanting her to understand.

“I can’t.” She shook her head; there were tears in her beautiful blue eyes.

“Yes, you can. He can take care of himself. He’s a big man. But this, me and you, right now…this is our time.” I struggled to get the words out. I wanted and needed her to understand how serious I was about her not leaving right now. For him.

“You don’t understand, Collier. He needs me. I have to go.” She turned and walked through the flat to the door.

“This is bloody insane! We’ve just had a night of incredible shagging. I thought it meant something this time.”

Tears welled in her eyes once more and she walked over to me to cup both my cheeks in her small chilled hands. For a second I thought I might actually convince her to stay. To not leave me for him. Just like Claire left me for that rich fucker.

“It has meant more than anything to me in a very long time.” She kissed me hard and pulled away. “But I can’t let my best friend down. He’s in a world of hurt, and about to use drugs again. It’s my job to pull him out. Do you understand?” Her gaze searched mine, pleading.

I shook my head. “No. No, I don’t fucking understand. I’m exhausted and am being denied sleeping next to the one woman in the entire world I want to be with. Who I know, I can
feel
, wants to be with me. Yet, she’s leaving me for another man.”

“It’s not like that--.”

“Isn’t it?” I cut her off.

Her hands trembled as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and twirled a fat lock of black hair. “I have to go.”

“Stay.” I tried one more time. It was now or nothing.