Reunited in Love (11 page)

Lisa had insisted on seemingly irrational and incomprehensible things without explaining herself. Her family had thought he was lying about her behavior to smear her name and paint her as a crazy woman.

Something crashed on screen. Kerri started and dropped a couple pieces of popcorn.

He smiled and reached over, and she took his hand. The salt felt gritty between their palms. Of course Kerri wasn’t like Lisa. His ex hadn’t been able to talk to him or accept any sort of warmth from him in the last few weeks of her life.

He relaxed into his seat. It had to be just him being sensitive. Lisa had died in late fall, just as the gold-and-red season was being bleached into winter. He sometimes thought of her around this time of the year, that was all.

Couples had petty and pointless disagreements here and there. But that didn’t mean anything major was wrong.

After the movie, they returned to the penthouse. Ethan had to get ready for a charity function he’d been invited to. Hiding a small smile, he went to his walk-in closet and pulled out a large garment box. It contained the dress he wanted Kerri to wear. He’d seen it at a mall when he’d gone to pick up a present for his nephew during lunch break, and instantly known he had to get it for her.

She was in the living room watching the news, standing with her arms wrapped around her torso. “Hey, come here,” he said.

She came over to the dining table, ponytail swishing with every step. He had a sudden carnal urge to grab her by it and bend her over the table.

But first, the dress.

“Here.” He gave her the box.

She opened it and gasped. “Oh wow. It’s gorgeous!” She pulled out shimmery golden silk, carefully cut and sewn into a backless gown. “My god.”

“There’s a charity ball tonight,” he said. “It’s for a really good cause—building schools in Africa. I thought you’d like to come with me.”

“Oh.” She looked away. “Do I have to go?”

“Ah…” Not exactly the response he’d anticipated. “Well, who else would I go with? The ticket price is for two, so I kind of need a date,” he joked.

Something desperate and hard crossed her face.

“What’s wrong?” He had the most absurd desire to fix things so she’d never wear such an expression again.

“I…just don’t feel comfortable at events like that.”

“Why not?”

“Not my kind of thing.” She shrugged and started to fold the gown and put it back into the box. “This is beautiful, and I want to wear it out with you sometime. But I think you should take someone else tonight.”

“We’re supposed to be exclusive while we’re together.”

“Well, I don’t want you to
sleep
with her. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take somebody else to a public event. As you said, it’d be a waste since you paid for two.”

He clenched his jaw so hard, even the muscles in his neck tightened. “What’s the real issue here? It’s not like you have something to do tonight.”

“Ethan, I don’t know what to do at high society functions.”

Frustration rose. She was lying to his face. They’d been together for several weeks now, and Kerri had always known exactly what to do, every action proper. Studying Emily Post for an afternoon wasn’t enough to give someone that kind of refinement. She’d grown up in a genteel moneyed background. “Are you ashamed of being seen with me?”

“
What?
No!” Her eyes grew as big as saucers. “Oh my god, Ethan, it’s not like that.” She rubbed her forehead, turned slightly away. “This is such a mistake. I was wrong, thinking everything would work out,” she said, low enough that it was slightly hard to hear her.

His insides grew cold at the resignation in her voice. “No, you didn’t. You can regret other things if you want, but not what we have.”

“But if you need a date for—”

“I’ll deal with it.”

“But—”

He went for the most effective way to shut her up: he kissed her.

There was an instant of resistance, then she melted against him, her mouth responsive and ready. It made up for a lot. Even if there was a problem being seen with him in public—he couldn’t imagine why—she wanted him.

He savaged her mouth, his teeth scraping her delicate lips. He wanted to mark her, for her lips to remain tender and pulsing all night long, so that every time they throbbed she’d remember this. Remember him.

He unzipped her dress and pushed it down her shoulders, down her trim torso and long legs. His hands ran over the beautiful curves and lean lines, then traveled up to her inner thighs, where she was sensitive and impossibly soft. He could feel the damp heat radiating from her core and wanted to shout with triumph and frustration.

This arrangement was supposed to be more than a job, and more than just sex.

It was also to ease his mind by keeping Kerri near him, not drive him insane as she seemed to drift further away.

He ripped her panties and threw the scraps on the floor. A tremor ran through her, and a low moan escaped her lips.

He teased her, his fingers caressing the creases where her pelvis met her thighs, but without touching her sex. He knelt and blew lightly over her curls, feeling her shudder, her muscles clenching with need.

He kissed her between her legs. She widened them, silently asking for more.

It wouldn’t work. She could be in need a little longer. He wanted her to scream his name over and over again by the time he was through. He wanted her so vocal she’d be hoarse afterwards.

His thumb touched her clit, just barely. She put her hands in his hair and angled her pelvis for more friction. He pulled back. “Tell me what you want.”

She swallowed, her slender throat working.

He ran his palm roughly over her beautifully curved butt, letting her know he was serious. His mouth pressed a kiss on her navel. Her stomach jumped at the contact. He ran his index fingers along her nether lips with just enough pressure to let her know she could have more if she’d just give in.

“Touch me,” she begged.

“Where?”

“My…”

His tongue caressed her inner thigh.

“My clit,” she said, her voice hitching.

He touched it perfunctorily with his thumb. “Like this?”

“Noooo,” she moaned.

“Be explicit.”

Her chest rose and fell. He wanted everything off her body so he could see her. “Take the bra off. And let your hair free.”

She yanked the straps down, then undid the hooks on her bra and let it drop. The scrunchy came off and she shook her hair out.

He couldn’t stop staring at her breasts, their tips rosy and pointed, begging for him. Yet he couldn’t give into the urge. This wasn’t just about sex. This was about more. He needed her to know this was more.

She grabbed his head again and gently pushed him toward her, showing him what she so desperately wanted. His fingers at her core were already soaked with her arousal. Still, he resisted. “Say it.”

This was the only way he’d get full honesty out of her, not all the half-truths and deflections. Even if it killed him, he’d stop now unless she told him exactly what she wanted from him in explicit detail, so she could never deny this crazy heat between them later.

She finally sobbed out, “I want you to put your mouth there, then open it and suck hard.”

“Like this?” he said, then did exactly as she’d asked. The taste of her desire flooded his mouth, and he groaned at the sweetness.

“Yes!” Her grip on his head tightened, her back arching. Her breasts trembled, and he loved her for the honest response of her body.

“Use your tongue on me,” she begged. “Please.”

He ran his tongue over the tight little bud. Her muscles tightened, her legs shaking. She was close, but not quite. He wasn’t through with her yet. She wasn’t coming until she screamed his name.

She undulated her hips, timed to each strong pull of his mouth. She drenched his fingers near her entrance, and he
accidentally
brushed his index finger there.

“Oh my god,” she moaned.

“Not god, darling,” he said against her clit. “It’s just me.”

“Yes, yes.” She rolled her hips, trying to get his fingers inside her. “Damn it, Ethan, put your finger there.”

“Where?” he asked, pulling back.

“Deep inside me.”

He put it inside her, taking his time. God, she was so slick, so tight. His cock throbbed, demanding to be inside of her instead of his damned finger.

“Another one,” she said.

He obliged and watched her ride them mindlessly, while he continued to lick and suck on her clit. He could feel her orgasm build higher and higher. She now stood at the precipice. All she needed was a little bit more push, and—

He lessened the pressure on her clit. She sobbed. “Oh my god, Ethan. Please.”

“Look at me,” he demanded. “Look at me.”

She looked down at him, her eyes completely glazed and near-black with passion, while her hips still pumped back and forth on his fingers. His gut clenched. He wanted to thrust inside her, claim her hard and fast.

It didn’t matter whether she wanted to go to parties with him or not. She was his and his alone. He’d make her see that now, even if it killed him.

“You’re going to come for me,” he said. “Say it.”

“Yes. I’m going to come for you.” Her dark eyes looked into his. “Only you.”

He cursed, unable to hold back any longer. He gave her what she so needed, his mouth and tongue hard on her clit. And she came completely apart.

“Ethan!”

Her body shook, the powerful wave of climax hitting her. He didn’t let her have just one. No. She deserved more for her honest response, her stark passion.

When the second orgasm crashed into her, she almost fell, going boneless. He caught her in his hands, placing her gently on the thick carpet. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, half-dazed. “Oh my god, Ethan.”

His cock ached, his balls painfully tight and full. She was nude in his arms, while he hadn’t even undressed.

But he couldn’t spare the time to get rid of his clothes.

He got rid of his pants, put a rubber on as quickly as he could and thrust into her in one smooth stroke. She was so wet; her slick flesh gripped his cock so hard he thought he would lose it then and there. He was rougher than he would’ve liked, but he couldn’t stop himself as he pounded into her. She met him thrust for thrust, her hips angled, and her legs going around his waist, like she was afraid he’d vanish.

Her breathing roughened again, her breasts bobbing with each hard stroke. He wanted to remember her like this forever, hair spread on the carpet, eyes closed and mouth open and inviting.

He buried his face in her neck and ground his hips into her as a white-hot orgasm claimed him. He felt like the top of his head would explode from the pleasure, so sharp and intense it was almost pain. She convulsed around him, his climax triggering another of hers. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed out her satisfaction.

THEY HAD A BITE to eat, then Ethan got dressed and left for the charity ball. He looked so mouth-watering in his tuxedo, Kerri almost changed her mind about not accompanying him. She considered seducing him again to keep him with her a little bit longer, but that probably wouldn’t have worked. He wasn’t the kind of man a woman could manipulate with sex.

So instead she waved goodbye, put on a robe and went to her laptop. Ethan didn’t want her to work on weekends, but it wasn’t like she had anything else to do. There was nothing interesting on TV. She could only watch so many hysterical news programs about the crappy economy, currency manipulators and potential terrorist attacks. She didn’t have her violin, not that she would’ve been able to play anyway; she’d probably forgotten almost everything. There was reading, but she didn’t read much except a couple of business magazines, the
Wall Street Journal
and a few select financial papers. And she’d already read today’s
Journal
.

Who was Ethan taking to the ball? Those types of events always required a date, and Ethan undoubtedly had a stable of stunning candidates. A blonde? Maybe a brunette? A model or singer or something.

She suddenly couldn’t concentrate. She closed the laptop and stared out the floor-to-ceiling window at the lights below. A bitter acidic feeling inside made her stomach uncomfortably tight. She wasn’t used to feeling jealous over a man, and discovered she hated it. This possessiveness had to be because their relationship was still on the new side. When more time had passed, maybe around Christmas or thereabouts, she wouldn’t care. She might even look back at this moment and laugh at how silly she’d been.

But that was the future. The present didn’t make her feel like laughing.

She wanted to be there with him, dance in his arms, greet his friends and acquaintances. But that wasn’t going to happen when she knew her grandfather would be there. Her hands tightened, and she wanted to hurl something.

Why did they want to see her? It’d been seven—or was it eight?—years. What would they have to say to each other? She knew the kind of loss and pain she’d caused and didn’t want to hurt them anymore. She didn’t want them to hurt her, either…not that it would be from any malicious intent, but uncaring words and neglect could cut just as deeply.

It shouldn’t have been so complicated just to be in Virginia—and with Ethan—for a while without having to worry about running into her family. Part of her thought she should engineer a confrontation and be done with them once and for all, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t think she could handle the pain or the guilt.

Coward
.

At least she was good at shielding herself.

*

Ethan could barely tolerate the ball, and the glitz and wealth all around him. The orchestra grated on his nerves. The marble was too hard, the chandeliers too gaudy, and the food and drink tasteless.

He usually went to such functions with good grace since they supported good causes, but he hated being here while Kerri was home alone. She’d almost looked sad when he’d left.

Well, it was her choice. He would’ve canceled if Kerri had said, “Stay with me.” But when he’d put on his tux, her face had closed off and she’d said, “Have a good time.”