Stolen Hearts (7 page)

Her entire body was tender, even a little sore from the vigorous lovemaking last night. Never had her body been so deliciously abused. Just thinking about everything that had happened between them got her juices flowing, made her nipples harder,
made
her a little wetter between the legs. And that wetness wasn’t from the shower, either.

Too bad Alex wasn’t from around here. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to get to know him better. She wondered why he wasn’t close to his father. Just thinking about it made her think of her own and how much she missed him.

She wondered what kind of life Alex had in Los Angeles. Heck, she didn’t even know what he did for a living. They’d talked for so long at the restaurant last night but when she really thought about it, she realized she’d been the one who did all the talking.

Hmmm, a man of mystery.
Was he purposely hiding information or was he one of those types who liked to focus solely on the woman to make her feel comfortable?

“Celeste?”

She squealed, nearly jumping out of her skin when she heard Alex’s deep voice call her name so close to the shower door.
“Uh, yes?”

Should she cross her arms over her breasts, cover her crotch? The man had seen everything up close and personal last night and even into the early morning. There really was no need to be modest.

“Listen, babe, I need to go but I was hoping I could stop by the store later today? I need to talk to you about something.”

Her brow crinkled as she grabbed the shampoo and squirted some in the palm of her hand. “Sure you can come by. What do you need to talk about?”

“We can discuss that later.” He opened the glass door, a smile on his handsome face. Big brown eyes widened as he drank her in, his gaze wandering over her from head to toe. He was fully clothed, making her
feel
downright vulnerable. “I’m tempted to get naked again and jump in there with you.”

Mmm
, she was tempted too but she was going to be late for work as it was. “I really should get ready. I have to be at work soon.”

Shedding his clothes, he completely ignored her protests, stepping into the shower and causing her to move backward. He yanked the door shut and turned to look at her with hungry eyes. “I can help you get ready. Wash you, wash your hair.”

Alex’s big body filled her small shower, his chest directly in her face, his erection brushing against her belly. Water cascaded over his head, beading on his wide shoulders and she licked her lips, so tempted to lick his skin, taste him.

“You’re doing it again,” he growled, arms sliding around her waist, pulling her close.

This time she knew exactly what she was doing. Pressing her hands against his chest, she leaned into him, her mouth resting against the center of his chest. His flesh was warm and wet beneath her lips and her tongue lapped at the water, tasting the salt of his skin.

His hands moved to clasp her shoulders, hauling her away from him and she gasped in protest. “What are you doing?”

“This is all about you, baby, not about me.” Alex turned her to the side, his hands grabbing hers and putting each palm flat against the wall of the shower before stepping behind her. “Let’s get you clean.”

Celeste watched over her shoulder as he poured a handful of liquid soap into his palm and then rubbed his hands together, causing the soap to froth. When he slid his hands over her shoulders then up her arms, her eyes slid closed,
a
little groan escaping her.

“Feel good?”

Nodding, she could only revel in the sensations his hands brought her. They smoothed all over her, soaping up her skin, making her tingle with awareness, with desperate need.

He got down on his knees, his lips brushing against the inside of her thigh and she jumped, startled. When she glanced back at him once again, he was watching her, a naughty grin on his gorgeous, water-covered face.

“I need to pay extra special attention to your legs.” His big hands moved up and down her legs, making them shake, and she was afraid they’d buckle. “And your pretty little ass.”

His hands now smoothed over her butt and she leaned heavily against the shower wall, barely able to support herself. A thick finger snuck between her legs, testing her throbbing core and she cried out.

“Hmm, so hot and wet.
I want a taste.” Moving closer, he blew a hot breath against her swollen lower lips and she spread her legs wider, eager for him.
More than ready for him.

Alex licked her with his wicked tongue, teasing her folds, swiping against her clit. Her head tilted back, she moaned, the warm water pounding over them, his even warmer mouth latched onto her pussy, bringing her such pleasure.

There was so much sensation to take in, she was overwhelmed. The hot spray felt good against her skin, Alex’s big hands kneading her butt made her want to melt, his tongue driving deep into her pussy in a sensual tongue fuck made her want to scream.

When a finger drew down the crack of her ass she jumped, startled.

“I want to taste you everywhere,” he breathed against her, giving her pussy another soft lick. “Will you let me, Celeste?”

Confused, she could only give a strangled moan in answer, anxious to see where he went next. His tongue moved upward, licking a path between her checks until it swirled around her puckered hole.

No one had ever dared to touch her there before. It felt amazing, deliciously forbidden.

“Hmm,” he murmured against her, licking her there again and again, two fingers sliding deep inside her pussy, pumping within her.

Feeling wanton, she thrust her ass into his face, eager for more, wanting him to go deeper. As if he could read her thoughts he pointed his tongue, driving it deeper between the puckered ridges, his fingers picking up their pace within her body. She writhed against him, her harsh pants filling the tiny shower, his slurping mouth, the sound of his fingers moving deep within her creamy pussy making her orgasm tremble right on the edge.

Alex withdrew his fingers and she cried out in protest. Then they moved up her crack, one finger teasing at her hole, his tongue still searching, licking.

“Yes, yes,” she murmured, wanting him to sink his fingers inside her there. She was shocked at herself, surprised at her words of encouragement, though she wasn’t about to take them back.

Celeste didn’t want this man to stop. She wanted him to do things to her no other man had ever done before. She wanted to give all of herself to Alex.

“
Gotta
do it slow,” he whispered, his breathing ragged. “You’re so nice and tight.”

His finger played with her anus, testing her, slicked with the cream of her pussy. He thrust slowly, working the very tip of his finger inside.

“
Oooh
!”
She bucked against him, causing his finger to slip a little farther and she cried out. It stretched and burned, felt so full and his finger was barely inside.

She wanted more.

“Spread your legs wider baby,” he encouraged gruffly, his finger turning, slipping even deeper,
pushing
against the ring of muscles.

Doing as he bade, Celeste wanted to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all. Two days ago she would’ve never dreamed of standing in her shower with a virtual stranger, his finger up her ass and her begging for more.

Now, though, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. A moment in time she would never, ever forget.

Alex licked around his finger, his other hand going to her pussy, fingers pushing roughly inside her. Her inner walls clenched around them, keeping them there, and he began to pump again slowly, his other finger working its way deeper inside her ass.

Oh God, she’d never felt so full! His mouth doing wondrous things to her ass, his finger sliding slowly in and out of her, the fingers of his other hand busy within her pussy—it all felt so unbelievably dirty.

In a fabulous, sexy way.

“Faster,” she encouraged, her body moving against his hands, wanting more, her orgasm so close. Usually she needed clitoral stimulation to come but not with Alex. His finger moving within her ass, other fingers pumping deep inside her pussy was all it took.

She shattered all over him, her hands pressing hard against the wall, her ass and pussy clenching rhythmically around his working fingers. She shouted his name, the word echoing against the confines of the shower walls and she wanted to collapse from the power of it all.

He held her though, his fingers withdrawing from her body, big hands cradling her tenderly. Pressing her forehead against the cold and wet wall, she panted from the aftermath, her body still racked with little tremors, the cooling water battering her skin.

Alex stood, moving her wet hair away from her neck to press a kiss to the back of it. She could only smile, couldn’t even find her voice to speak.

“Next time,” he murmured against her sensitive skin, his tongue swiping against her ear, “it’ll be my cock inside your ass.”

Oh God, she didn’t know what to say in response. Though she wanted to laugh at what crossed her mind.

I can’t wait.

Chapter Six

Celeste couldn’t help but look at the clock again. Approximately three minutes had passed since the last time she’d looked at it and she growled in frustration.

This was ridiculous. A man promised to stop by the store to talk to her and she was behaving like a teenage girl waiting for her crush to visit. There was always something to do in the store, but here she stood, leaning against the counter. Hoping beyond hope that Alex would walk through that door any second.

She had thought he’d show up sooner. It was already past four and she closed at six. Where could he be? And what the
hell
did he want to talk to her about? It was all so strange, so mysterious.

With a sigh, Celeste glanced down at the diamond bracelet, the stones winking up at her in the soft light. Maybe she needed to write up a special ad featuring the bracelet, along with a few other items and run it in the local paper. Yes, that was a great idea. She could eke out some extra money from the advertising budget to help sell the bracelet, she was sure.

Heading toward the back room to grab her notepad to jot down ad ideas, she stopped in her tracks when she heard the bells tinkling over the door. She whipped around to face the entry, fully expecting to find Alex standing before her with a smile on his face.

Disappointment filled her when she saw who’d entered the store instead—an older man, a little on the short side with a definite paunch, salt and pepper curling hair and a giant gold chain encircling his chubby neck. He was the perfect image of a mobster on TV.

“May I help you?” She went to stand behind the counter, resting her hands on top of the glass. The man gave her an uneasy feeling though she couldn’t decide why. She just felt it was best to put as much space as possible between them.

“How are you, little lady? I’m looking for something in a bracelet.
The more expensive the better.”
His voice was gruff, like he’d smoked a million cigarettes in his lifetime, and he came closer to her, a leer on his face.

Her heart rate increased but not from fear. Maybe this man was just the customer she was looking for. “I have a lovely diamond bracelet, thirteen carats, round cut, high-quality stones. Would you care to see it?”

“I most definitely would.” The man chortled, the sound almost a wheeze coming from his chest and she unlocked the glass case, pulling the dark blue velvet panel and the bracelet out at once. She set it on top of the counter with a tiny flourish.

“It’s vintage of course, created sometime in the 1950s for a society bride over on the East Coast.” She watched as the man’s meaty fingers grasped at the bracelet, holding it high in front of him.

He squinted, staring at the bracelet and flipping it this way and that, treating it like a thrift store trinket. Celeste frowned in distaste.
“Very nice.
It looks very expensive.”

“It’s worth every penny, trust me.” She nibbled on her lower lip, hating the way he was treating the bracelet. Why couldn’t people respect things a little more? He didn’t even own it.
Yet
.

Hopefully.
She tightly crossed her fingers beneath the counter.

“And how many pennies is this little beauty going for?”

“Sixty-seven, five.”

A low whistled emitted from his fleshy lips. “That’s quite a few pennies, if you ask me.”

“It’s made of some of the finest quality diamonds you could find, sir. An E-plus color grade, VVS2 quality grade and the stones are cut differently from what you see now, making the piece rather unique in today’s market. You’ll find nothing else like it, I assure you.”

“Oh I bet.” He dropped the bracelet onto the velvet panel. It hit the cloth with a thwack, making her wince. She didn’t like the way this man spoke to her, looked at her, handled the bracelet…everything. He made her uncomfortable.

But she’d do just about anything to sell the bracelet, including dealing with a creep.

“Are you buying this for someone in particular?
A special woman in your life?”

The man guffawed. “Yeah, she’s special all right. Just don’t tell my wife about her.”

He winked and she crinkled her nose, thoroughly disgusted. Great, not only was he a creep but he was also a cheating creep. Maybe she didn’t want to make the sale after all.

She was lying. Of course she wanted to make the sale.

“Well, I’m sure whoever you buy this for, she’ll love it. It’s such a special piece, something a woman should hold on to forever.”

“Women are greedy. The minute I piss the broad off, she’ll hock this thing and make a quick ten grand just to get back at my ass.” He shook his head, didn’t even notice her shocked expression at his use of such crude language.

The man was a complete pig.

“Um, well sir, I would love to wrap this up for you if you’re interested.”
Take it or leave it, let’s just get you out of the store.