Meant For Her (17 page)

Chapter 32

Closing the trunk of her Sunfire the next morning, Sierra did a mental run-through of her checklist. She’d gotten a call from Everly about ten minutes ago letting her know that Cole was on the way with Evan. Since Cole had to get back home to take Everly to the ultrasound appointment, Sierra knew he wouldn’t be sticking around.

Heading back inside, she stopped by the front desk. “How’s it going, Oliver?”

“Hi there, Ms. Sierra. So far, it’s been quiet for a Monday.”

“Don’t worry. It’s only nine-thirty. I’m sure some type of emergency will crop up,” she said with a smile. “Are you all set with the mail situation?”

“Absolutely. We’ll set it aside for you and Mr. Dorsey.”

“Thanks, Oliver. You’re the best.”

Giving him a wave, she headed to the elevator. Evan would be there any moment. Once she got back upstairs, she double-checked her camera bag and did one last look around the apartment. She was good to go.

Three minutes later, the elevator dinged. Smiling, she headed to her door. She opened it and glanced both ways down the hall, spotting Evan’s back as he approached his apartment.

“Welcome home, Evan,” she said as he opened his door.

“Thanks,” he replied without looking at her.

The door closed behind him. Her smiled faded. Something wasn’t right.

A minute later, he walked back out. His expression reinforced her suspicion. Something had happened while he was at Cole’s, she realized. Something that had sent him spiraling back to the dark place she had hoped he would avoid.

“Where are my dogs?” he asked.

“They’re fine. I—”

“I’m not up for any games today, Sierra. Where are my damn dogs?”

Swallowing her surprise over the anger in his tone, she considered her approach. She sensed that the control he had over his emotions was more fragile than even he knew right then.

Walking over to him, she held his gaze. “Do you trust me?”

He opened his mouth to reply.

“Before you respond,” she hurried on, “consider the fact that I don’t deserve to be a verbal punching bag because of pain caused by someone else.”

His mouth snapped closed. She watched his jaw work as he fought for his control. Eventually, he gave her a brief nod.

“Thank you. Please come with me for a minute.”

She took his hand and walked with him back into his apartment. The fact that he didn’t resist gave her hope that she could get through to him. They continued into his bedroom, stopping at the foot of the bed. Just as she’d hoped, his eyes went to the photograph she’d hung a few days before.

“Evan, do you remember what I told you when we first met?”

He didn’t respond, but she saw the subtle softening of his expression. Her hold on his hand tightened.

“This image made me think of you because of the hope it represents. Seeing you right now, I can sense that you’re letting the darkness take hold of you again. I’m giving you the option of coming with me right now…and choosing the light instead.”

They stood in silence for several minutes. She released his hand and slid an arm around his waist, pressing herself against his side. He reached up and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Where are we going?” he asked at last.

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Another pause. “Do I need to pack a bag?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

Smiling, she pulled away from him. “Thank you, Evan. We’ll be in the car for a while, so make a pit stop if you need to. I’ve got to grab my bag and then I’ll meet you at the elevator.”

Stretching up, she gave him a quick kiss before hurrying out the door. She didn’t want to give him time to change his mind. When she’d first planned this time with him, she’d had no idea how important it would be. It appeared that fate had intervened at the best possible time, keeping Evan here rather than in Cincinnati. He needed this.

He needed her.

They met at the elevator two minutes later. She took his hand and they rode down to the lobby together. Oliver gave them a wave as they passed through and headed out to the parking lot. Sierra unlocked her car as they approached and climbed in behind the wheel. Evan sat down and nearly ended up crushing his knees on the dashboard.

“Oops. Sorry,” she said, reaching down to help him move the seat back. “Hannah was the last person to ride up front.”

Only when she lifted her hand from the seat lever did she think of the fact that it was between his legs. He watched her hand as she slowly sat back up, sliding it along the inside of his thigh. His pupils dilated and he stopped breathing.

“Where did you say we were going?” he asked in a tight voice.

“On a road trip,” she said, pulling her hand off his thigh and turning the key in the ignition.

“Isn’t it supposed to rain all afternoon and into tomorrow?”

“Not where we’re going. Besides, I don’t plan on us spending much time outside.”

He looked at her, but didn’t speak again as they headed out of the parking lot. She turned on the radio to fill the silence, traveling on surface streets until they reached the interstate. From there, she knew they had a solid four hours of drive time ahead of them.

“If you get hungry or thirsty, there are snacks and bottles of water in the cooler behind my seat,” she said.

He turned and saw the cooler she mentioned. Again, his gaze moved to her, but he didn’t say anything.

They travelled without speaking for the next hour, the car filled with music from the local Top 40 station. Occasionally, she sang along if she knew the song well enough. So far, the rain had held off and it had turned into a beautiful summer day. She hoped Evan could see that, too. His gaze was intent on the scenery outside his window.

Two hours into the trip, his cell phone rang. He picked it up.

“Hey, Parker. Spill it. No shit? Congratulations, mate. Yeah, she’s right next to me. I’ll let her know. Good luck at the game tomorrow.”

Sierra gripped the steering wheel in excitement. She glanced over and caught Evan’s gaze, a wide smile on her face.

“What are they having?” she asked once he hung up.

“Where are we going?”

“Evan…”

“Do you want to know what they’re having or not?”

Sighing, she said, “Savannah. Tybee Island, to be exact.”

“It’s a girl.”

“Oh, yay!”

She bounced in her seat, having visions of the many things she could do for the upcoming pregnancy shoots with Everly and Cole. She’d have to go shopping when she got home and find the most frivolous, impractical, fluffy pink thing she could find to give the happy couple. Maybe they’d like some themed photos for the baby’s nursery.

Her mind raced with ideas. At some point, Evan reached behind her and pulled out a bottle of water and package of cookies. He offered her some of each, which she accepted.

When they were about twenty minutes from Savannah, he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry I ruined your surprise.”

“Were you surprised?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then you didn’t ruin it.”

She felt his gaze on her as she took the exit they needed. She knew he had more to say. She was even pretty sure she knew what he had to say. But she was still impressed when he actually said it.

“It’s just…when I feel like this, it’s much easier to bring others down with me than it is to accept the hand that offers to pull me up.”

It took her a moment to center herself as she realized how much progress he’d made over the past few weeks. Reaching over, she captured the hand resting on his thigh and wove her fingers through his.

“Then you should acknowledge how much strength you show when you accept that hand.”

He looked at their joined hands before moving his gaze back to the view outside of his window. “You sound like her sometimes,” he said.

“Like who?” she prompted gently.

“My mother.”

Tears burned her eyes. She fought them back and gave his hand a squeeze.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

He turned and looked at the road in front of them. “I think so. Maybe. But…not right now.”

“Okay.”

They rode in silence for another minute or two. She knew she needed to change the mood if this trip was going to have any chance at succeeding.

“Do you want me to tell you what I plan on doing with you when we get to the rental?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Sure.”

Releasing his hand, she once again slid her palm along his thigh. Within seconds, he was adjusting his position in the seat.

“Allow me to enlighten you,” she said.

Chapter 33

By the time they reached the rental house, Evan was as hard as carbon steel.

He’d had no idea what he was in for when Sierra suggested telling him what she wanted to do with him on this trip. Maybe it was his frame of mind at the time that had him thinking she’d say something about long walks on the beach or chatting about their favorite movies. He really should have known better.

Everything she said to him was erotic, punctuated by skillful stroking with her free hand. She didn’t seem to care that they were driving past other vehicles as she touched him, and who was he to fight her off?

He barely focused on the three-story home supported by stilts that she pulled into and parked under. Once the car’s engine cut off, her hand finally moved from where it had been steadily driving him to the brink of insanity. She got out and walked to the trunk, so he followed her lead. It took a few adjustments for him to walk without discomfort. As he reached her side, he saw a single suitcase. Apparently, this was more than just a day-trip.

“I’ll get this if you get the cooler,” she said.

He met her gaze. The beautiful sea glass color appeared depthless. Nodding, he moved around to the driver’s side and reached in to grab the large cooler. It was heavy enough to have him wondering how she got it into the car in the first place.

A ramp ran along the side of the house, leading up to the main level. When they reached the top, Sierra used a key to open the front door. They stepped into what Evan saw was the primary living space of the house. All around them were tall windows, contemporary furniture in neutral tones, and framed black and white beach photographs that he suspected Sierra had taken. He was beginning to learn her style of photography.

Spotting a modern kitchen with an island overlooking the family room, he carried the cooler over to it. He set it down with the intent of unloading it.

“Are you hungry?” she asked from behind him.

“Not really,” he said, turning to look at her. “Are you?”

“Not for food.”

She backed him against the island, tugging his T-shirt up as she did. He obliged her by lifting his arms so she could get it over his head. No sooner had she done so than she was rising on her toes to kiss him.

The delicious taste of her combined with her magical touch on his bare skin hardened him almost instantly to the point of pain. She’d gotten him so worked up in the car that he had maxed out his level of tolerance. He knew then that this was going to be a raging disappointment for her.

When her mouth moved from his and progressed to his neck, he said in a ragged voice, “Sierra, it’s been almost a year since I last—”

His voice cut off when she pressed against him and took his earlobe between her teeth. Her fingers brushed over his abdomen, moving toward the button of his shorts.

“It’s been two for me,” she said breathlessly, alternating between kissing her way down his chest and branding his skin with her tongue. “I hear it’s like riding a bike.”

“If I had known, I would’ve—”

She got the button to his shorts open and pushed them down, breaking his train of thought. Her hand stroked him through his boxer briefs.

“Oh, God,” he managed.

“Evan, I’m sensing you’re feeling a lot of pressure right now.” She tightened her grip on him, producing a strangled sound in the back of his throat. “Well, we can’t have that. Allow me to help.”

He started to argue as she lowered the boxer briefs and knelt in front of him, but then she was using her wicked tongue on him and all rational thought fled his brain. He gripped the counter behind him and closed his eyes, his head falling back on a moan. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to breathe. Never before had he been driven to such heights of pleasure so swiftly.

So selflessly.

In no time at all, her masterful tongue and equally talented hands sent him flying over the edge. No sound made it past his paralyzed vocal cords as she worked every last blissful spasm from him.

Eventually, he came back to his senses enough to lift his feet as she removed his shoes and clothes. It vaguely occurred to him that he was standing there, naked and replete, while she was still fully clothed. Yet she was the one with the smile on her face.

He felt as though he should be embarrassed, but he couldn’t be when she looked like he’d just given her a tremendous gift.

Her gaze lifted to his as he reached down to help her up. Something else shifted inside him as he bent down to touch his lips to hers. He knew they’d just reached another significant point between them, and they were far from done.

He deepened the kiss when her lips parted. Soon, his body reacted as if nothing had just happened. This time, though, it would have to wait.

He spanned her waist with his hands and lifted her so her legs wrapped around him. Without breaking away from her mouth, he walked them over to the sofa in the family room, lowering them both so she was pressed against the cushions. His hand slipped beneath the skirt of her sundress.

Reaching the narrow band of fabric lining her hip, he broke away from her mouth and asked, “How much do you like these panties?”

“I’ve got others,” she panted.

With a flick of his wrist, the fabric tore away, exposing her to his touch. He once again captured her mouth as his fingers explored beneath the dress. Discovering how hot she was, how much she wanted him, produced a growl of satisfaction in the back of his throat.

He stroked and circled, penetrated and retreated. She issued sexy moans that had him desperate to be inside her.

But not yet. Not yet.

His lips and tongue moved along the line of her jaw until they reached the curve where her neck met her shoulder. She gasped when he gently suckled her tender flesh, giving her a glimpse of what was to come. Using his teeth, he drew the thin strap of her dress down along her shoulder until her breast was revealed. He took advantage of the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, using his lips and teeth until she writhed against him.

“Please, Evan,” she begged.

His lips curved up. He shifted the rest of the way along her body, kneeling on the rug under the sofa and lifting her skirt so it bunched around her waist. He took a moment to appreciate the view before he gave her what she wanted.

Just a few deft movements of his tongue did the trick. She cried out and held him against her as he drove her through the splendorous waves. He didn’t give her much of a chance to recover before he got back to work again. For what she’d given him, he figured she deserved at least a three-to-one pleasure ratio.

By the third time he brought her to peak, his body was aching with the urge to take her. He eased back up to kiss her.

“Did you bring protection?” he asked.

“Front pocket of the suitcase.”

Getting to his feet, he moved to the suitcase and unzipped the pocket, pulling out the box of condoms. Thank God she’d thought to bring an entire box, he thought, as he tore into it and pulled one out. When he was ready and turned back around, he realized she’d gotten up from the sofa and removed her sundress, laying it protectively over the cushions. Sunlight streamed in from the many windows overlooking the ocean, highlighting her blonde hair and casting an angelic glow over her. She rose and looked at him.

And smiled.

His chest clenched. He had no idea how she’d gotten to him so intensely so quickly. Everything he’d vowed since his mother’s death just didn’t seem to apply to her.

These were dangerous waters, he knew. Yet right then, he found himself willing to drown in them.

She held a hand toward him. He walked up to her and took it, lifting it to his lips and kissing the inside of her wrist. The tattoo there was simple black script reading,
Believe
. With her, he thought he could.

“Thank you, Sierra,” he said.

“You’re welcome, Evan.”

They met each other for another kiss. Without the desperate sense of urgency driving them this time, they were free to enjoy every brush of a tongue, every stroke of a fingertip, every thrill of skin-on-skin contact. He eased her back onto the sofa, holding her gaze as he finally entered her. He watched the tendons in her neck stretch as she strained backwards against the cushions, her body accepting him an inch at a time.

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

She drew him back to her for another kiss once they were fully joined. The feeling of being inside her as their tongues mated produced another growl. He couldn’t stop himself from moving.

Before long, they were both focused on reaching that explosive peak again. He reached between them, coaxing her until she gasped his name, going tight as a bow beneath him.

It sent him completely over the edge with her, right to the place he’d thought he’d never go again.