Perfect Picture [The ShadowDance Club 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) (6 page)

He was the first to admit he’d made a lot of mistakes and missteps in his life, but there were none he regretted more than those he’d made with Ilaina Red Cloud. And it wasn’t that he hadn’t been warned. Christ, Alex and Zach Lamont had tried a thousand times to get him to not make the same mistake they’d made with Katarina. But Noah had been young and so sure he was doing to right thing. Then to top off several other mistakes, he’d done the wrong thing for all the right reasons—and the result had been disastrous. But all he could do now was try to rebuild their relationship and the trust he’d failed to treasure so long ago. And looking back wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

He nodded once. “That’s good enough for now. We’ll work it out, I promise.” And then he brushed his lips softly over hers before speaking close to her ear. “We’ll have plenty of time to work it out, but tonight isn’t about that. Tonight is about me making love to the woman who captured my heart and soul a very long time ago.” After he’d unwrapped her from the towel like the exquisite gift she was, he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms and then gently laid her in the middle of his large bed. When he climbed in alongside her he reached for her and wanted to sigh in contentment when she pressed her entire body against his. He felt her relax into his embrace and he wasn’t sure anything had ever felt as perfect as this moment.

“
Cara,
you fit against me so perfectly it’s as if the angels made us for each other.” He’d moved so that his knee was pushing her thighs apart and then he pressed his knee up against the damp junction of her thighs so that it put just enough pressure on her waxed pussy to cause her to gasp slightly. He knew he could bring her pleasure the likes of which she’d never known if he could gain her trust and then her submission. Those things would take time, but he planned to start earning them both right now.

“The candlelight loves you, sweetness. It skims over your skin like a stone on a calm pond. I remember how moonbeams always seemed to seek you out when we’d lay under the stars and talk. We’d both be on the hood of my car, side by side, yet the moon knew you were the canvas it wanted to paint its palette of colors upon.” He had continued kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear all the time he’d been speaking. When he felt the subtle shudder move through her body he moved lower and placed his hand at the small of her back so that she arched into the kisses he was raining over her collarbone and chest as he made his way to her perfect breasts.

He licked all around the nipple closest to him and then blew a soft puff of air over it and he smiled as it responded immediately. When she moaned softly he spoke, “I’ll give you everything your body seeks, just relax and let me enjoy the gift of you. Your body is so responsive and I am enjoying watching as your skin flushes a deep rose with your arousal.” When he’d pulled her tight nipple into his mouth and pressed it against the ridges along the roof of his mouth she’d started to tremble and he wondered if he’d be able to get her off just by talking to her and playing with her luscious breasts.

“Oh God, it feels so good. It has been so long.” Ilaina’s words were so quiet that for a few seconds Noah wondered if she even realized that she had spoken them out loud. He wondered exactly how long it had been since she’d had sex because she was already very close to her release and he had really only started playing with her. When he started slowly pulling his fingers through her wet fold, he heard her breaths coming in short pants just before she started trembling again. When he lightened his touch she nearly growled, “No…please don’t stop. Oh crapping crickets, I was so close.”

Watching Ilaina squirm trying to get closer to his touch had to be one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen. “Tell me what you want, sweetness. I want to hear the words.” He remembered that this had been a sticking point for her before and he wanted to make sure she was able to get past the obstacle now, because there wasn’t much of anything in the world that was more of a turn on than a woman who could articulate her needs and desires.

“Oh…Noah, you are torturing me. You know I…I can’t think when you are close let alone touching me. Please let me come, I was so close.” The fact that she couldn’t think when he was close was certainly news to him.
Well at least she is as affected by me as I am by her.
He didn’t comment. He had learned a long time ago that you could often find out a lot more information if you just waited patiently. Most people tend to want to fill the silence particularly when they are nervous.

He let his fingers feather over her clit and smiled when her entire body ached off the bed. She had an innate, sensual beauty that just seemed to draw people to her. There was a mystical quality to it that defied any accurate description. He’d read a lot of the words various writers had used and often laughed when even the most seasoned writers for various media outlets admitted they didn’t know exactly how to describe the unique beauty of the woman they knew only as
Ilaina
.

When he finally slid his fingers inside her he was stunned at the tightness he found there and he wondered again just how long it had been since she had had sex. “How long,
cara
? How long has it been since you have enjoyed this type of pleasure?”

And if he thought he was surprised by the tightness, he was absolutely floored by her answer. Her control was nearly gone and the words little more than panted whispers. “There has been no one since you.”

Noah felt like the world had dropped out from under him. How could a woman as sexual as Ilaina Red Cloud appeared to be, manage to avoid the pleasures of knowing a man’s touch for the past several years? And further, what kind of idiot men had she been around that none had wanted her as badly as he did at this moment? Or had she been doing exactly as he’d done and craved not just the sexual release itself, but the intimacy that could only be found with this person?

Feeling her stiffen in response to his silence he leaned down and placed a kiss right over her navel. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. Now let’s see about getting your sweet body a bit more relaxed before I slide into your wet heat. Put your hands above your head and don’t move them.” As soon as she had complied, he pushed two fingers into her and curved them up and easily found his spongy target. Pressing down with both fingers he made sure his next words were more command than entreat. “Come for me, my sweet
cara
.”

Noah’s words had barely crossed his lips when Ilaina seemed to shatter right before his eyes. It was without question the most spectacular thing he had ever seen. Feeling her channel clamp down on his fingers with such strength had him wondering how painful that would be on his already aching cock. And the flood of her honey over his fingers ignited a hunger to taste her that was almost more than he was able to resist. But he’d moved up so that his words were caressing her ear. “You are even more exquisite when you come,
cara.
Watching as your entire body flushed with its release was amazing. Seeing you arch into my touch brings me far more satisfaction than you could possibly know. And knowing I’m the only one who will ever have the privilege of witnessing that beauty is the answer to each and every prayer I’ve sent up to heaven since the last time I made love to you.”

While she’d been catching her breath he managed to sheath himself and was holding himself over her, resting his weight on his forearms and stroking the sides of her face with his fingers when she finally opened her eyes. The look of vulnerability in her gaze tugged at his heart. “I want you with a hunger that I can’t even begin to explain. Keep your eyes on mine,
cara.
I want to see you when I push myself into your hot pussy. Your heat and your wet silk are wrapped around me so tightly I can barely breathe. The smell of your arousal is like a wisp of magic that wraps a rope around me and pulls me deeper into your soul.”

Sliding his cock into Ilaina was the sweetest feeling in the entire world. If he died in the next minute he’d go out happy as a clam, he was just sure of it. “Oh dear God, the feeling of you wrapping yourself around me is pure rapture. Your muscles tremble around me in random pulses and it is stretching my control to the point I’m afraid I’m going to just fuck you right into the mattress, love.” Noah had frozen and was mentally reviewing every boring statistic he’d ever learned in hopes of staving off the loss of control that was starting to literally blur his vision.

Just as he thought he might be getting himself under control, Ilaina tilted her hips back and tightened her pelvic muscles. But it was her softly moaned plea that detonated every bit of his restraint. “Oh fuck,
cara
, hang on baby, this is going to be fast and furious.” He pulled her hands over her head and held both of her wrists tightly in his hand and he set a fast pace of long strokes in and out of her soaking pussy. “Come with me baby.” He heard her scream his name just as electricity spiked through his entire system before settling in his balls causing his seed to explode out of him and shoot into the end of the condom in hot jets. Sealing his lips over hers he felt as if she had just pulled a piece of soul from the deepest part of him.

Keeping himself seated in her was dangerous he knew but he couldn’t help stealing just a bit more time inside of her as he rolled to the side taking her with him. He held her tightly against his chest until both of them had gotten their breathing under control. “
Cara
there are just no words to describe that. But I do promise round two will last longer.”

“Well, I’m not sure I’ll survive
longer
. Wow.” Even though her words were softly spoken he could hear the unease in her voice. He quickly excused himself, but returned quickly after taking care of the condom. Using a warm rag first he cleaned her despite her protests and then dried her before returning to the bed. Settling himself against her, he pulled her into his arms and smiled when he felt her relax.

“Sleep baby, I’ve got you.”
Know that your heart will always be safe with me. I handled things all wrong once, but I’ll not make that mistake again.
Kissing the top of her head he tunneled his fingers under the silky curtain of her hair and gently massaged the base of her skull until he felt her breathing even out. Once he knew she was asleep he finally allowed his eyes to close as he simply breathed her in.

* * * *

When Lainy woke up it only took her a few seconds to realize two things. First, she was surrounded by a very naked Noah Drummond and second, she really needed to use the restroom. It took her several minutes to untangle herself from his hold without waking him so when she finally made it to the restroom she was fully awake. Deciding she was thirsty, she scooped his shirt from the floor and went in search of the kitchen. She made her way down the hall, her bare feet not making a sound, until she finally found what she was looking for.

The floor to ceiling windows let in enough moonlight that it was easy to find her way around. Moving back down the hall she glanced through a doorway she hadn’t noticed earlier and was surprised to find a large room that looked like it was being set up to use as an elaborate photo set. But the thing that caught her eye was the baby grand piano in the center against a wall of tall windows. The beautiful instrument was centered in the moonlight as if tonight’s full-moon was spotlighting it just to capture her attention. She knew Noah had never played the piano, but he had known that she did. Losing herself in music had always been something she’d used to escape various kinds of stress or daily pressures she might have been feeling.

Moving closer so that she could run her fingers over the smooth finish of the gleaming instrument she felt the warmth of its musical potential almost as if it was a living thing. Sitting down on the bench seat she felt an almost magnetic draw as her fingers found the gleaming ivory keys. She had always longed to have a piano exactly like this one. She remembered the night she and Noah had talked about it. They’d been leaning back against a bench in the city park watching as a movie was shown on a giant screen during the summer before their senior year. It had been an old Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly movie and she’d commented on the beautiful piano the two were dancing on.

After she’d sighed and admitted how much she would love to have one like it, Noah had taken her hand in his and pulled it to his lips. He’d kissed the back of her hand and said, “
Cara,
someday I will buy you one that is even better.” She wondered if it was possible that he’d remembered that long ago promise when he’d bought this beauty.

When she softly depressed one of the keys and heard the clear tone resonate through the room she was lost. Before she even realized what she was doing her fingers were dancing over the keys, making love to them in a way that only a person who truly loved music could understand. It was easy to lose yourself in the wonder of good melodies especially when the instrument was designed for musical perfection. In Ilaina’s opinion, music was meant to heal and comfort. Many pieces were reflections of the composer’s state of mind, the ebb and flow of emotion evident in the composition of the song itself.

When she played she was able to forget everything but the music, it had always been a sweet escape. One time she’d let a crew she was working with know she could play and they’d badgered her to play in the hotel bar. It had been the only time she’d ever played and not loved it so she’d never mentioned it again.