Taking Chloe (7 page)

He nuzzled her bosom, kissed each of her nipples before leaning back. “Yes, free will. But I happen to know a secret, baby.”

“And what’s that?”

“I know you, inside and out. If you really thought I was beyond help, you wouldn’t have hesitated to dump my workaholic ass.”

Damn. He had her there. She
had
thought he was worth the effort and she did think their marriage worth saving. Merrick hadn’t neglected her on purpose. She knew that in her heart. The question remained as to why he’d put her on the backburner.

He’d claimed to tell her everything tomorrow. They’d talk then. She’d finally get some long overdue answers.

Merrick sat at the little table on the terrace of their suite, soaking in the fresh morning breeze as he read the latest headlines. He took a sip of the fresh coffee that had arrived moments earlier.

He’d always been an early riser, but he’d actually slept until eight. He couldn’t believe the time when he’d looked at the clock. He hadn’t slept past six in the morning since his college days.

It hadn’t been easy to leave the warmth of Chloe’s naked body. She’d been draped over him like a human blanket, but he’d had a lot of thinking to do. Things to plan. Today he’d promised an explanation for his obsessively focused attitude toward work. Christ, he’d practically abandoned her. His pride stung when he thought of how he’d treated her. The most precious thing in his life, and yet his need to prove himself had overshadowed that fact. There could be no changing the past, though. All he could do now was prove he’d never neglect her again. He only hoped she gave him a second chance.

A rustle of fabric behind him caught his attention and pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned in his chair to see Chloe standing in the doorway. Her long hair lay in tangled waves over her shoulders, down past her breasts. Her cream-colored silk robe delineated her sleek lines and full, rounded hips. She could wear a burlap sack and it still wouldn’t hide curves like hers.

His mouth watered.

Merrick held out his hand and murmured, “Come here, angel.” Chloe padded barefoot across the patio, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “How come you didn’t wake me?”

He chuckled and pulled her onto his lap. “And risk a limb?” She smacked his chest. “I’m not that bad and you know it.” Chloe grumbled and groused until she had at least two cups of coffee. “You don’t do mornings well. Remember the time right after we were married? I decided to wake you and surprise you with breakfast in bed. Big mistake.”

She laughed. “I didn’t shove the tray in your face on purpose. It was an involuntary reaction.” He smoothed his palm down her back and slid his fingers over the top of her ass. “It wasn’t my face that got drenched. I ended up with scrambled eggs and grape juice all over my boxers. And that juice was cold as hell, too.”

Her eyes darkened with arousal. “But I cleaned you up afterwards.” He angled his head and kissed her lightly. “Mmm, yes you did. I enjoyed your apology very much.”

Chloe started to leave his lap, but Merrick clamped his arm around her tighter. “Going somewhere?”

“I need to shower. I feel all…sticky.”

He let his palm drift up her thigh, pushing her robe apart as he went. The instant he felt her soft curls, his semi-erect cock stood to full attention. He slid a finger between her pussy lips and encountered creamy heat. “You’re aroused.”

Chloe sighed and leaned back. “Sitting on your lap does that to me.”

“I’m very glad.”

Merrick wiggled his index finger deeper. The clutch of her inner muscles had him pushing his dick into her bottom. He needed to bury himself inside his wife’s welcoming sheath. He pulled his finger free, then grasped onto her waist, turning her around until she straddled him. They didn’t speak as he untied her robe and exposed her nude body in the soft morning light.

She made a grab for the robe. “What if someone sees us, Merrick?”

“Haven’t you ever wanted to try something just a little bit naughty, Chloe?”

“I-I suppose.”

He pushed her robe off her shoulders and watched it pool around her waist. Merrick looked over Chloe’s shoulder and realized another couple in a hotel room adjacent to them watched their every move. Merrick’s possessive instinct was to cover his wife from the other man’s view, but he stopped himself. This was a week they’d always remember. Why not go a little wild? Besides, the other couple couldn’t really see anything except Chloe’s back. What they were doing would be obvious, but it’d be their imagination that filled in the blanks.

Merrick stroked the backs of his fingers over Chloe’s left nipple and watched in fascination as it hardened before his eyes. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “We’re being watched.” Chloe jerked as if he’d dashed her in the face with a glass of ice water. When she made a grab for the robe, he placed his hands over hers and stopped her. “Shh, relax. They can’t see anything, not really. Let them watch.”

Merrick detected Chloe’s hesitant surrender in her guarded expression. “Are you sure they can’t see anything?”

He glanced over her shoulder again. “Nothing but your back. With the robe around your waist, they can’t see anything
juicy
. And because we’re sitting down, the railing provides some cover, too. They’ll have to guess at what’s going on.”

Chloe’s brow arched upward. “It won’t be too hard to guess, Merrick.” She paused and her gaze caught on something behind him. “I can see them in the glass.” He’d begun playing with a lock of her hair, enjoying the soft texture between his fingers, when her words registered. “The patio door?”

“Yes. I can just barely make out what they’re wearing, but no real details.”

“Let yourself go, baby. Trust me to take care of you.” Instead of answering, she wrapped her hands around his face and leaned forward. The barely-there caress of her lips did things to him, crazy things. That she initiated the kiss made him feel somehow triumphant. Merrick pulled her against his body, crushing his mouth to hers even as her supple breasts pressed against his chest. He slid his hands down her back and cupped her ass, fondling gently, careful not to push the robe away and risk exposing her lower half. He pushed his erection against her, but pulled back when he encountered cotton.

“Too many clothes,” he muttered as he skimmed his fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers and released his cock. Skin touched skin. His blood raced. Her small palm coasted over his torso, down his abs, and grasped his heavy length.

Chloe took her time, smoothing her thumb back and forth over his dripping tip. As she lifted and positioned him right at the entrance to paradise, Merrick’s chest tightened. She sat slowly, her body sucking him in inch by delicious inch until she’d embedded his dick deep.

“Christ, woman,” Merrick groaned.

Chloe buried her head in the crook of his neck and rode him with slow, sweet precision. Merrick glanced over to the other couple, ensuring they still had a modicum of privacy. He was shocked to the core when he saw the woman bent over the railing, her shirt gone, her lover pounding into her from behind. Her eyes were closed and her large breasts jiggled with each thrust. She said something incoherent, then her lover leaned down and kissed the side of her neck.

Merrick had a sudden need for privacy. What had seemed like a fun idea at first now felt intrusive. When Chloe squeezed her inner muscles, his worries were lost in the torrent of desire coursing through his body. His only thought was Chloe. What would his wife think of the erotic show playing out?

“Open your eyes and watch the glass,” he demanded.

Chloe’s lids shot up. He knew the instant she’d spotted the couple. Her cheeks filled with color, and she bit her lip, but she didn’t look away. Merrick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, further hiding her from curious eyes. He nibbled his way up her neck, playing with the sensitive spot behind her ear. Chloe moaned and moved faster. His gaze shot once more to the couple on the other terrace. This time the woman couldn’t be seen. Her lover stood there, out in the open, pumping his own cock as he stared at the floor. Merrick realized the woman must be on her knees. He looked at Chloe. Her lips were parted, her chest heaving with exertion as she rode him. With her dreamy eyes closed, it was clear she was lost in her own sensations.

The sexy picture of his wife slowly fucking him into oblivion took Merrick over the top. He forgot about where they were and who might see. He braced his feet on the cement patio and pushed upward several times, fucking her tight cunt with hard, forceful thrusts. Chloe moaned and gripped his shoulders.

“Come, baby,” he commanded

Chloe’s body tightened, swelled. She arched her neck, and Merrick cupped the back of her head and slanted his mouth over hers, drinking in her wild cries. She wrapped her powerful legs tightly around the chair, squeezing him, sending him over a blissful cliff and straight into a blazing inferno. He drove into her pussy hard one last time and exploded, filling her with jets of hot come. Her body pulsed all around his cock, sucking him in farther, milking him dry. Chloe slumped against him, sated and exhausted.

“Are you determined to make up for three months of abstaining in a single twenty-four hour period?” she complained, breathless and still pulsing all around his still-hard length.

Merrick laughed at her disgruntled tone and glanced over at the other terrace. The couple had disappeared. He imagined awkwardly meeting them in the lobby or riding the same elevator later and laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“That other couple.”

“Yeah?”

“It’d be downright weird riding in the elevator with them, wouldn’t it?” Chloe groaned and hid her face in his chest. “I’m taking the stairs,” she mumbled.

He pulled her back and forced her to look at him. “It’s twenty-three floors, babe.” Merrick tucked himself back into his boxers before helping her with her robe. She stood and glared down at him. “I’m in really good shape. It shouldn’t be a problem.” He grabbed her hand as she started to walk away. “It was fun in a naughty sort of way. Admit it.” The ornery grin spreading over her face was reminiscent of the old Chloe. “Yeah, it was pretty fun,” she admitted.

She walked back into the suite a little shakier than she’d walked out. His heart swelled. She’d started to relax a little. This would only be the beginning. By the end of the week, they’d be back on track. They had to be. The only other alternative scared the shit out of him.

“This is heavenly, Merrick. Thank you for taking me here.” Merrick smiled and swiped a strawberry from the bowl, then brought it to Chloe’s lips. “Open up, sweetheart.”

Chloe opened and let him slip the fresh berry into her mouth. She bit down and juice dribbled down her chin. Merrick leaned over her and licked at the sweet juice. “Delicious,” he murmured.

Chloe’s heart raced at the gruff sound of her husband’s voice. When Merrick was aroused, she was aroused. It was that simple.

She concentrated on not choking on the luscious fruit and looked out at the ocean. The Kapiolani Beach Park had everything a couple of tourists could want. Beautiful scenery, walking trails, beaches, and lots of spots to set up a picnic and bask in the sun. The weather was a perfect seventy-five degrees and sunny. Better yet, she had Merrick’s undivided attention. It was time they finally talked.

Chloe sat up and placed the bowl of berries to the side. “You said last night you’d tell me everything. I’m ready to listen.”

Merrick’s hard, powerful body was spread out like a banquet next to her. The blissful expression on his face mesmerized her. As her words sank in, his face closed down. She couldn’t tell what went through his mind.

He sat up, pulled one knee to his chest and pinned her with a hard stare. “Before I say anything, I want you to understand something. I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, Chloe. I hope someday you’ll believe that.”

Chloe couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat. She only nodded and let him continue.

“When you and I met it was like instant combustion,” he explained. “I melted anytime you came into a room. Your soft voice, your intelligent eyes. You ran the office with such confidence it was mesmerizing. I craved you from day one. It took some time, I admit, but I managed to forget about the rules I’d placed on myself about not getting involved with an employee. You were different. I knew it from the start. It was only a matter of time before we’d marry.” Chloe agreed wholeheartedly. She’d fallen in love the minute she’d met with the devastatingly handsome owner of Vaughn’s Business Solutions. It
had
been only a matter of time before they were living in marital bliss. “Some people wait a lifetime for a love like ours.”

“I know.”

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and that worried Chloe. “I’m listening,” she prodded.

“Let me tell you about my family. Maybe you’ll understand.” She frowned. “Your family? I love your family. Your mom is like a second mother to me.”

“They’re pretty great, huh?”

“Yes. I’m so thrilled that Blade and Lacey both found someone to love. Candice, Lacey and I are as close as sisters.”

“Lacey and Blade are both damn determined people. They see something they want and they go after it. Blade’s business is thriving. He hires on more employees every day. His reputation in construction is unsurpassed.”

Chloe heard the note of pride in her husband’s voice, but she was still confused. “What does any of this have to do with you and me?”

“It’ll be clear, just let me finish, okay?”

She nodded.

“Lacey’s doing pretty great herself. She has so many clients now she’ll have to open her own gym soon.”

Chloe had seen the proof first hand. Lacey’s schedule was bursting with clients. She was almost constantly at the gym. “Lacey and Blade are both very driven. It seems to be a family trait.” Merrick stared out at the ocean. His entire body seemed ready for battle. “Blade leaves big shoes to fill,” he muttered. “I love him. He’s the best brother anyone could ask for, but it’s not easy living in his shadow. Dad looks at him with pride and respect. He looks at me with…” Chloe caught the misery in his voice, and her heart hurt for him. “He respects you. I know he does.”