Dazzle her: Laws of Seduction Book 3 (14 page)

“She wants you.”

James arches a brow. “That is too bad. I am already taken.” His hand brushes across my lower back and moves down lower to give my butt a light squeeze. My inner core throbs, and I clench my thighs together. “Hmm, have I ever told you what a great ass you have?” James rubs his hand up and down over the object under discussion.

Rolling over onto my back, I look up at him. His head blocks out most the sun. “You may have mentioned it.”

“Now this is a sight for sore eyes,” James continues as he thoroughly inspects my torso. I had untied my bikini top and my bare chest is fully on display. My nipples peak under James’s burning inspection. “I think you have had enough sun. Let’s get you down below.”

I sit up and eye his crotch, where a large erection is pressing against his board shorts. Schooling my expression into a look of innocence, I tease, “I don’t know. It might get a little boring down there. What will we do to pass the time.””

“Don’t worry. I am known for my creativity.”

“That is reassuring. Lead the way, then. I am anxious to see some of this famed creativity.”

James narrows his eyes at me. “Is that a challenge?”

I tap my forefinger against my lips as if giving it some thought. “I do believe it is. You’re going to have to put your money where your mouth is.”

“Oh, I can definitely think of some places to put my mouth.” James jumps down so that he is standing in front of the companionway. With a hand on each calf, he begins pulling me toward him. I gasp as he bends down to place hot kisses on my bare, inner thighs.

I sit up and wrap my arms around his bare shoulders and slide down into his arms. With an amazing display of agility, James manages to carry me down the short flight of stairs leading below without bumping either of our heads, while at the same time whispering his plans for me into my ear. By the time we are below, I am in a frenzy of desire. We don’t make it to the bed. James sets me down long enough to strip me of my bikini bottoms and loosen his board shorts. Then he pushes me up against the back of the bathroom door and holds me up with his hands on the back of my thighs. I arch up as his hard erection seeks entry into my welcoming warmth. James thrusts into me hard, and I scream at the feeling of rightness. “That’’s right baby, take all of me. I am going to fuck you so hard. Do you feel that?” James strokes in and out in a measured rhythm that drives me wild.

“Faster.” I beg him. I grip his shoulders tightly, urging him on with my cries of ecstasy. As his hips rock into me faster and harder, I become louder. I am so close I can almost feel it, and then I am spiraling out of control, sobbing and crying out my release.

James stills, and breathing hard we rest with our perspiration-slickened bodies pressed up against each other. Slowly, James eases me down so that my feet are resting on the floor. Bending down he rests his forehead against mine. “What just happened?”

“Mind-blowing sex.”

James chuckles. “You can say that again. You up for a swim?”

“Always.”

After a short dip, we dry off in the sun for a while before I suggest that we go below. “I have a surprise for you.”

James quirks his brow at me questioningly. “That sounds intriguing.”

I laugh. “Not that kind of surprise. Is that all you ever think about?”

James pauses. “Pretty much.” The seriousness with which he considered my question plus the adorable look on his face makes me laugh even harder. James looks at me expectantly. “Well, are you going to show me this mysterious surprise?”

I walk to my bag and pull out the photographs that I had wrapped in silver tissue paper. Turning back to James, I hand them over. “Happy birthday.”

His brilliant blue eyes fly up to meet mine.

“Rex told me. I know your birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but I wanted to give this to you when we were alone.

The reverent look on James’s face breaks my heart. It reminds me that although he may have been surrounded by wealth as a child, it had been a cold upbringing. Poor little rich boy. James pulls the purple ribbon holding the package together and pushes aside the silver paper. I watch as he inspects each photograph for a few seconds before moving on to the next.

Feeling him stiffen beside me, I look down to see my favorite photograph. In it I am lying on my back with my head turned to the side as if I am looking at someone lying next to me. I remember I was thinking of him. My gaze has a seductive element that gives the photograph a special quality. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

After several long seconds of silence, he responds, “Who was the photographer?”

Oh no. I should have anticipated this. “Davis. That’s where I was on Tuesday night. I couldn’t tell you or it would have ruined the surprise.””

James regards me with a cold expression that makes my stomach drop. Then I stiffen my spine. I have done nothing to deserve this reaction. “James, the pictures are all tasteful. Davis was completely professional during the whole shoot. As a matter of fact, most of the time we talked about you or his new girlfriend, Daphne.” I take the photograph from his hand before he can damage it with his clenched fingers. Holding it up, I wave it in front of his face. “This is my favorite. Do you want to know why?” Not waiting for his answer, I continue. “Because Davis had just asked me a question about you. I was thinking of you when he took this picture.”

James pulls the photograph out of my grasp and studies it again. “I don’t like it that he saw you like this. I want to be the only one who sees you like this.”

“Oh James.” I reach out and touch his cheek, rubbing my fingers up and down his rough jaw.

He looks back up into my eyes. “The photographs are beautiful, Lainey. Thank you.”

“So you forgive me for using Davis as the photographer?”

“I’ll get over it.”

I smile at him thankfully. “You have to admit Davis is exceptionally talented.”

James shrugs his shoulders as if unwilling to concede the point. I jump up and make a dive at him. He barely has time to set the photos aside before I am falling on him. As he falls back against the built-in sofa, I begin wiggling my fingers against his sides. “What are you doing, woman?”

“Tickling you, of course. Haven’t you ever been tickled before?”

“No.”

Poor little rich boy. My attempts to make him laugh don’t seem to be working. I crawl my fingers over his chest before gently tickling under his chin as you would a baby. Still no laugh, but he regards me with an amused smile.

“Tenacious, aren’t you?” Rolling me over, he hovers above me and begins his own assault. Since I am extremely ticklish, it doesn’’t take long before he has me shrieking with laughter and begging him to stop. James relents. Looking down at me, his expression turns serious. “Let’s move in together.”

I feel my eyes widening in shock. “James, what are you saying? We’ve only been together for a few weeks.”

“It’s been six weeks, and I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

I want this, I realize. It would be sad to leave my apartment with Sam, but I want a future with James. “Everyone will think we are moving too fast.”

“I don’t care about what anyone else thinks, and you shouldn’t either.”

He’s right. James and I are in this relationship. We should be able to make the decision about how fast or slow we do things. “You haven’t met my mother yet,”” I remind him.

“Are you saying that after I meet her, I might regret moving you into my apartment?”

“We would live in your apartment?”

A startled look crosses James’s face. “I thought you liked my apartment. If you don’t like it, we can look for a new place.””

I rush to assure him. “I love your apartment. Who wouldn’t? I was just trying to picture myself living there.”

“Imagine going to bed together every night and waking up together every morning.” James whispers in my ear, punctuating his words with little nibbling kisses.

“You do make it sound appealing,” I tease.

“Maybe if you are not entirely convinced, I could do something to persuade you.”

The seductive rumble of his voice sends shivers of delight racing down my spine. “I would not be averse to a little persuasion.”

“You wouldn’t?” The devilish glint in James’s brilliant blue eyes makes my pulse race with anticipation. “I think I promised you some creativity a while ago, and I have yet to deliver.” James kisses his way down my bikini clad body. When he gets to the top of my bikini bottoms, his warm tongue traces along the edge. I raise my hips in impatience. He raises his head to look up at me. “Are you going to put me out of my misery?”

“What do you mean?” I manage to gasp out.

“Will you move in with me?” He moves back down to kiss my inner thighs, making me groan with frustrated pleasure. “Lainey,”” James growls, “I need an answer.”

Reaching down, I run my fingers through his soft curls. How can I say no to someone with his powers of persuasion? I cannot hear his muffled words, but I yelp as he sucks on the sensitive skin of my inner thigh.

“Hey, no more marks. The first one was enough, thank you very much.”

James stops and looks up at me unrepentantly. “Don’t worry. You’re safe with me. I’ll call the movers and schedule them for next week.”

Did I miss something, because I don’t remember saying I’d move in? “Whoa, slow down…” My voice trails off as James pulls my bikini bottoms from my unresisting body and leisurely kisses his way back up to the apex of my thighs.

“I can do that.” His tongue finds my clit, and I cry out. James pulls back to murmur, “You taste so sweet.” His mouth tortures me, bringing me close to the brink, but always slowing down so that the state of nirvana I yearn for remains just out of reach.

With one hand he unties my bikini top, so that I am bare underneath him. He teases my nipples with both hands, all the while continuing the assault with his mouth. Trailing one of his hands down my body, he presses two fingers inside of me. I cannot hold on any longer and come apart under his mouth and hands. “That was beautiful.”” James watches me with an expression of awe.

“What about you?” I ask, letting my eyes travel to the obvious bulge in his shorts.

James gives me a wicked smile as he moves his hands down to remove his shorts. “I’m sure we can think of something.”

CHAPTER 17

Back at the house, we shower and dress. I put on my white cuffed shorts and a crepe moss-green top. The top has a low-cut sweetheart neckline held up by spaghetti straps. Not feeling the need to overdo it, I wear brown, strappy sandals and a brown belt. It is one of my favorite summer outfits. My skin glows from my earlier exposure to the sun. Even my hair, which I have left down around my shoulders, has a sun-kissed look. I spend some extra time with my make-up, putting on extra mascara and some eyeliner, which I blend in for a soft look. A touch of bronzer and some lip gloss finish, and I am ready to go.

James is already downstairs talking with Rex. They are both dressed in chinos and button-down shirts. James’s blue-striped shirt brings out the color of his eyes. When he sees me, he flashes me an endearing smile, revealing his dimple. He holds one hand out, and I walk over to them. James slides his hand up my back. When his fingers brush across the bare skin at my shoulder blades, I have to repress an obvious shiver of pleasure. His hand comes to rest at the nape of my neck. “You look beautiful.”

Blushing, I glance at Rex, who has been watching this whole interchange with ill-disguised interest. This, of course, makes me blush even harder. Rex chuckles, “I never thought I would see the day. James McAllister brought low by a woman.”

I feel the rise and fall of James’s shoulders as he shrugs in response. Glancing sideways, I catch the smile that crosses his face. “What can I say? I am a lucky man.”

“You can say that again. You don’t happen to have any sisters do you, Lainey?”

I laugh. “Only brothers.”

Rex wrinkles his brow. “I’m afraid I don’t swing that way.”

“Neither do they.”

The doorbell rings, signaling the arrival of the caterers. James and I are both starving, and James uses his considerable charm to sweet-talk them out of some of the canapés as they set them out. It isn’t long afterwards that guests start to arrive. Soon the house is teeming with people. Most people seem to migrate outside to the pool area, and a few people opt to swim. James sits down on one of the deck chairs and pulls me down to perch on his knee. Several of James’s friends come over, and once James introduces me as his girlfriend, they tease him mercilessly. In a pause in the conversation, I bend down to whisper in his ear. “I had no idea you had such a solid reputation as a confirmed bachelor.”

James lifts one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “I told you I never dated women for very long.”

The reality of this is just dawning on me. Essentially, I am James’s first long-term girlfriend. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of long dark hair that I could swear belongs to Becca. The pool area is dimly lit, and there are so many people moving about that I can’t be certain that my eyes are not playing tricks on me. I turn back to James. “Did you invite Becca?”

James gives me a look that I interpret as “Hell no.” Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. A couple of James’s buddies have engrossed him in a conversation about baseball, and I make a move to stand up. James pulls me back down. “I’m going to get us some drinks,” I explain. James gives an accepting nod and lets me go.