Captivated: Letting Go\Seize the Night (Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin) (14 page)

“I like that idea. And, you know,
carpe noctem.
”

She nodded and whispered, “Seize the night.”

Remi leaned over Julien and brought her lips to his.

Julien slid his fingers through her hair and pulled her even closer as the kiss deepened. The position was uncomfortable enough that Remi felt entirely justified in yanking her skirt to her knees and straddling Julien’s thighs. Julien inhaled sharply.

“I don’t weigh too much, do I?” Remi asked, freezing. She was no waif by any stretch of the imagination. At five-nine with muscles and curves, she might have weighed more than Julien.

“You weigh the perfect amount and the perfect amount of you came in contact with a certain part of me. Please do it again.”

Remi laughed and settled in on top of him. The kissing, at first tentative, quickly turned torrid. Julien might not have done much kissing in his life, but Remi had no complaints about his technique. She couldn’t get enough of his mouth, nor he hers. Julien rolled them onto their sides without breaking the kiss. He slipped his hand under her shirt and caressed her back. She wanted to feel his skin too, as much of it as she could. She slid her hand under his T-shirt and rubbed his side. He was so warm and young and eager. If he wanted, kissing would only be the beginning of their night together.

“You smell like roses,” Julien whispered into her neck as he nibbled under her ear.

“It’s my soap.”

“It’s not your soap, it’s your skin. It’s all of you,” he said, his hand now at the center of her back, teasing the expanse between her shoulder blades.

“If you’re trying to seduce me, it’s working.” Remi pushed her hips into his. Pressure had already started to build inside her.

“I thought you were trying to seduce me,” Julien teased.

“I can if you want me to.”

“I’d love to see what you try,” he said, a wicked grin on his face. She adored that face, adored those eyes that shone so bright with desire.

“Let’s see, when we were last alone together in a bedroom, I believe I was...”

She came up on her knees and unbuttoned her blouse. Julien reached out and helped pull her shirt down her arms. She threw it onto the floor with a flourish. Julien knelt in front of her and kissed the tops of her breasts. She forced herself to do nothing as he kissed her neck and chest. They shouldn’t rush things. This night could be Julien’s first time. He’d spent his teen years fighting for his life. Why not show him exactly how much light had been waiting for him at the end of that tunnel?

“You’re really okay, now?” Remi asked, as Julien wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her even closer. They faced each other on their knees, her breasts pressing against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding.

“I’m fine. You’re not going to hurt me, I promise.”

“Good,” she said and pushed him down onto his back. He laughed as she straddled him again. But the laughter stopped the moment she unhooked her bra and took it off. She took him by his wrists and brought his hands to her breasts.

“Oh my God,” he said, holding her breasts, squeezing and cupping them. “I’ve missed them so much.”

Remi laughed but the laugh abruptly turned to a gasp when Julien pinched her nipples. A shock of pleasure bolted through her from her breasts to her back and all the way down her spine. Her nipples hardened as Julien teased them and gently tugged them. She closed her eyes and did nothing but let Julien touch her. She felt his erection pressing against her, even through his jeans.

“Your turn,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t want to be the only shirtless person in the room.”

“Okay, but...”

She shook her head. “No butts yet. Just your shirt.”

Remi sat back so Julien could roll up. He sighed heavily before pulling his shirt off over his head.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said, lying on his back again.

Remi gazed down at his chest. He was thin, yes. Thin but muscular. He’d clearly taken getting into shape very seriously after his recovery. He had a taut stomach, sinewy biceps, a broad chest, and...

“No,” she said. “It’s not bad at all.”

She reached out and touched the raised four-inch scar on the right-hand side of his upper chest. It was smooth and bright pink, much like Julien’s face at the moment.

“They put this thing in your chest—a MediPort,” he explained. “It’s how the drugs are delivered.”

“Then I’m glad you have the scar. It saved your life.”

“The day they took it out was the best day of my life. Until today.”

Remi’s fingers fluttered. When had she ever desired someone this much?

“It’s hideous I know,” Julien said, wincing slightly.

“It’s not bad at all.”

“Good. You can keep staring at it. It’ll give me an excuse to stare at you.”

Remi put her hands on either side of his shoulders and lay on top of him. When her bare breasts touched his naked chest, he inhaled sharply.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I’m so happy I’m not dead right now, I could cry,” he said. “Am I dead? Is this heaven? Can you get erections in heaven?”

“Wouldn’t be heaven otherwise.” Remi stretched out on her back so Julien could have total access to her chest. They kissed again as he ran his hand over both her breasts, gently touching, squeezing, holding, caressing. He lightly pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. His touch gave her breathtaking amounts of pleasure. As he touched her, she slid her hand up and down his arm, relishing the ridges of muscle he’d worked so hard for after recovering.

Remi threw her leg over Julien’s hip to bring his body even closer to hers.

He closed his eyes tight as if he were in pain.

“I am seriously turned on right now,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. Do you want to stop or keep going?”

“Keep going. Definitely.”

“Are you saying that because you mean it or because you’re turned on?”

“
Both
is my answer,” he said. “If that’s the right answer.”

“There is no right or wrong answer. It’s whatever you want,” she said, running her hand through his hair again and stroking the side of his face.

“I want you.” Julien took her chin in his hand and caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. “I want you so much it hurts. But...”

“I know,” she said. “If our families find out about this, we’re dead.”

“Very dead. And me and death were on speaking terms not that long ago. I know death. They’ll kill us.”

“Whatever our parents are up to, they need the press to think both families hate each other.” Remi knew this public rivalry was making them all a fortune.

“And they do hate each other,” Julien said. “They just love money more.”

“So what do we do?” Remi asked, aching at the thought of walking away from Julien so soon after finding him. “We can’t just pretend I’m not a Montgomery and you’re not a Brite.”

“Maybe we can for one night,” he said. “You’re just Remi. I’m just Julien. No last names.”

Remi grinned at him. Not a bad idea. Whatever they did tonight was no one’s business but theirs. Why should it matter what their last names were? She had only one more question.

“Okay, Just-Julien, now what do you want to do?”

Chapter Five

Carpe Noctem

“Maybe we should follow the doctor’s orders,” Julien said with a sly smile.

“Doctor’s orders?” Remi asked.

Julien pulled the paper out of his pocket that had been taped to the door. He unfolded it and showed it to her. It was a prescription pad for Dr. Salena Kar—Oncologist. And the good Dr. Kar had prescribed a very special medicine for Julien.

“SEX,” it read in all caps. The one and only word on it.

“Well, she
is
the doctor,” Remi said.

Julien threw the note in the air and wrapped both arms around Remi. He pressed Remi onto the bed, and lightly gripped her wrists. He kissed her from her neck to her breasts and drew a nipple into his mouth and sucked it gently.

“That is such a good idea, Just-Julien,” she sighed with relief, his choice made. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Whoever you are.”

“I’m nobody,” he whispered against her skin. “I’m just a random guy you met in Paris.”

“I was here for a vacation,” she said as he kissed his way across her chest to her other nipple. “I work my ass off.”

“You needed a vacation,” Julien said. “And I need your ass.” He playfully cupped her bottom and squeezed.

“I did. And while on vacation I saw a gorgeous younger man walking down the street.”

“How gorgeous?”

“Beyond gorgeous. Striking. Not normal gorgeous. Different.”

“Different? Are you talking about me or Merrick?”

“In this fantasy I’ve never met Merrick, which is why it’s the best fantasy I’ve ever had.”

Julien laughed before taking her nipple into his mouth again. She moaned as the heat seeped into her skin and sent delicious shivers all the way to the pit of her stomach. Her clitoris was swelling. She couldn’t stop her hips from moving against Julien.

“So what else about this guy?” Julien asked as he palmed her breast.

“I’m not sure. I feel like I’ve known him all my life. Usually I don’t jump into bed this fast with a guy, but he seems special. And not just because of the aforementioned striking-ness.”

“Is that a word?”

“It is now. But I think maybe this is something...I don’t know.”

“I know,” Julien said, looking up at her. “I feel it, too. Like this was meant to happen, and we have to let it happen.”

“Do you want it to happen?” she asked.

Julien nodded.

“Then we’ll let it happen,” she said, her voice as soft and tender as the look on Julien’s face. And she knew they weren’t talking about sex anymore. Not only sex, anyway. But them. The future. Whatever it meant. They would let it happen. Their hearts left them no other choice.

No more words were exchanged. No more words were needed. Julien stood up and Remi pulled the covers back on the bed. She rested on her back, propped on her elbows, and watched Julien undress. He didn’t hesitate, not even when the moment came to take his boxer briefs off.

He had a beautiful young body and she devoured the sight of it. Once Julien was naked, she unzipped her skirt in the back. Julien pulled her skirt down her legs and tossed it to the floor. She had on nothing but her panties now. Julien crawled onto the bed and stretched out on top of her.

Remi reached between their bodies and wrapped her hand around his erection. She stroked upward as Julien closed his eyes.

“I remember that,” he said, as she ran her fingers from the wet tip to the base and back up again. She touched him lightly at first and then gripped him firmly with her entire hand.

“You remember me touching you like this?”

“It’s better than I remembered, Remi. It’s better than I dreamed. And I dreamed this moment so many times.”

His eyes were closed and soft breaths escaped his slightly parted lips. She dipped her head and took him in her mouth.

“And I remember that too,” he said, panting between breaths.

“Tell me what you dreamed,” she said before taking him in her mouth again. She was gentle, slow. She wanted to keep him hard but not make him come yet.

“What I dreamed?” He sounded dazed and breathless. Remi flicked her tongue over the tip and he flinched. One way to get his attention. She sat back up again and rubbed him with her hand.

“When I was a teenager,” she said, “I used to dream about what my first time would be like. And then it happened and it wasn’t a dream come true. Tell me what you want, and maybe we can make your dream come true.”

“Remi...”

“Tell me, please,” she said. “Let me do this for you.”

Julien exhaled and opened his eyes.

“I had a ton of fantasies. They were great distractions from real life. Real life sucked for a long time.”

“How did you want it to happen?”

“In my bed,” he said. “No fancy hotels, no castles or anything. When you’re in the hospital, your own bed becomes this symbol—home. Not just home but home free. When they let you go home for good, it’s because you’re better. So being in my own bed at home would mean I was good, out of the woods. And that was a very sexy thought.”

“Here we are, in your own bed. Anything else?” she asked as she kissed his neck.

“I liked the thought of being on my back for the first time. But when you’re seventeen all you want to do is see breasts. Everywhere. All the time.”

“That can be arranged,” she murmured against his skin. “What else?”

“I dreamed...” he said and paused. “This is stupid.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“I dreamed that my first time would be with someone who was really happy to be my first time. And second. And third.”

“It’s a good dream,” she said, running a hand down the center of his back. “I’m thrilled to be your first time and can’t wait for the second and third. So let’s make your dream come true.”

Remi held her breath as Julien eased her panties down her legs. She was nervous, which made no sense. He was the virgin, not her. But that was the reason, the one remaining rational part of her brain told her. She was nervous for Julien. She wanted him to enjoy every second of his first time. After all he’d been through, after what he’d survived, she wanted his first time to be perfect.

She kicked her underwear off her ankle and opened her legs for him. He slid his hand up her thigh as he looked at her. The only light in the room came from the bedside lamp and the streetlights streaming in through the window. But it was light enough for him to see every part of her.

“Good? Bad? Weird?” she asked, as he traced the seam of her labia with his fingertip.

“Amazing,” he breathed. Remi smiled and settled deep into his bed and let him touch her. First he caressed her outer lips with his fingertips. When she whispered a desperate “Please, Julien,” he pushed one finger inside her. He closed his eyes as if wanting to focus solely on his sense of touch. “You’re so wet inside. And warm.”

“I’m turned on. That’s what happens to women when we get turned on.”

“I know. Dr. Salena gave me the lowdown on your down-lows,” he said.

“My down-lows are grateful to the good doctor.”

“God, you feel so good. I want you turned on like this all the time forever and ever,” he said, opening his eyes again.

“Amen,” Remi said. “I don’t know if that was a prayer or not, but I’m amen-ing anyway.”

He pushed in a second finger, and she sighed with pleasure and need. He went in deep and pulled out again, in and out, as she grew even wetter and hotter on the inside.

She opened her legs even wider, and Julien pushed in a third finger. Remi gasped with pleasure, and Julien froze.

“Don’t stop,” she said. “That sound I made is the opposite of me telling you to stop. Memorize it.”

He nodded and pushed his three fingers into her again, in deep. She felt full and open, but not uncomfortably so. She wanted him to experience all of her, inside and out. He explored her with his fingertips, running them up and down the front wall. He hit a spot inside her, and Remi gasped loudly.

“Good?” he asked.

“Do it again,” she begged.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, laughing.

He massaged her G-spot, pressing into it with gentle spirals that sent Remi’s hips rising off the bed. She grabbed the brass bar of the headboard behind her. So much tension built in Remi that she had to breathe deeply and slowly to keep from coming right then and there on Julien’s hand. It felt so good, she wasn’t ready for it to end yet. She’d had good sex before. Even great sex. But she’d never felt this open before, never been this wet and this aroused, and never wanted someone inside her so much in her life.

“What do you want me to do?” Julien asked, his voice as breathless as hers. “I want you to come.”

“I’m really close,” she panted.

“Tell me what you like,” he said. He looked down at her with his dark eyes shining, his skin flushed, his lips wet and parted. She rose up and kissed him, needing to taste his mouth again.

She reached between her legs and pulled his hand out of her. With her hand over his hand she guided him to her clitoris.

“There,” she said. “Kissing here or touching here is how the magic happens.”

“I want to make the magic happen,” he said, lightly gripping her clitoris between his thumb and forefinger to knead it.

“That”—Remi collapsed onto her back again—“is magical.”

She could feel her clitoris swelling even more under his touch. Lost as she was in the ecstasy, she barely noticed him sliding down the bed until she felt his tongue on her. He pushed three fingers back into her as he sucked on the tight knot. Remi twined her fingers through his soft hair and held his neck gently as he pumped his fingers into her and licked her simultaneously. No amount of deep breathing could stop her from coming now. Her entire body went stiff and still for what felt like an eternity as Julien lapped at her with the hunger of a starving man.

With one hoarse cry, Remi came, her inner muscles fluttering hard and deep inside her, the muscles twitching around Julien’s fingers, her clitoris throbbing against his tongue.

“Stop,” she said, and Julien immediately pulled his fingers from her and sat up.

“You okay?” He sounded almost scared.

“I am not okay. I am amazing.” She slowly opened her eyes. “Except I’m sure that orgasm was loud enough Merrick heard it. Work is going to be awkward from now on.”

Julien laughed. “I think he’s distracted.” He tilted his head and Remi heard the unmistakable sound of a headboard rhythmically hitting a wall. “There is a lot of sex happening in this apartment tonight.”

“Ah, Paris,” Remi said, smiling like the world’s happiest drunk. “Either Paris makes people have better orgasms or Dr. Salena taught you well.”

“That was the sexiest thing ever,” Julien said, cupping her breast with his wet fingers. Her nipples had grown more sensitive with arousal. The heat from his hand seeped deep into her skin. She never wanted him to stop touching her.

“It’s not always easy to make a woman orgasm. You should be proud of yourself.”

“I plan on doing it again as soon as you let me.” Julien pinched her nipple and rolled it between his fingers.

“Now it’s your turn,” she said, laying a hand on the side of his face. “Ready?”

Julien heaved a breath and nodded. A slight tremor passed through his body. Her heart galloped inside her chest at the look of trust and need on his face. She pulled him close and kissed him again. She didn’t have the words to tell him how much it meant to her that he wanted her to be his first, so she tried to tell him with the kiss.

As they kissed she rolled him onto his back. She pushed her hips into his hips, sliding her wet and open body over his erection. The tip of his penis nudged the entrance of her vagina. Without breaking the kiss she pushed back. As wet as she was, the tip slid right in. Julien raised his hips and inch by inch he entered her completely.

Remi placed her hands on either side of Julien’s shoulders and pulled back from this kiss. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted. She pushed against him again and his shoulders rolled off the bed.

“Remi,” he panted. She’d never loved the sound of her name so much as when he said it.

“Hold my hips,” she whispered, not wanting to break the spell of the moment.

He took her hips in his large strong hands and held them tight as she moved on him. She kept the pace slow and easy, letting Julien get used to being inside a woman before taking things further. Looking down, she saw where their bodies united and became one. Julien was looking too.

She took a deep breath. She would start slow with him, let him feel everything as she moved on him. Remi tried not to go over the edge herself as she rode him with each sway of her hips, each undulation. His hands held her thighs, and she let him set the pace of her movements at first, the rhythm of their joining.

Joining...that was it. She couldn’t think of what they did in this bed together as fucking, although she knew that was what the world would call it. She’d fucked him with her eyes the moment she’d seen him again for the first time in four years standing in his doorway. He’d fucked her with his fingers moments ago as she’d lay splayed open for him against his pillows. He’d fucked her with his mouth, and now she fucked him for the first time in his short life, which could have been so much shorter—a thought that terrified her. But this didn’t feel like fucking to her, even as the room grew warm from their bodies and sweat trickled down her back and his fingers smelled of her arousal and his mouth tasted of her desire. She licked it off his lips.

For four years their two families had pushed apart from each other—a foolish, drunken quarrel that forced everyone to pick a side and go to war. But here on these pale gold sheets where Julien Brite’s body disappeared inside Remi Montgomery, the rift they’d accidentally caused one foolish night mended inside her.

Remi pressed her palms onto Julien’s chest and drove her pelvis into his with concentrated effort, clenching her inner muscles tightly around him. She wanted him to feel everything as she rode him. His back bowed underneath her, his length deep in her, hot and hard. She ground into him, against him, on him, with a renewed frenzy while beneath her Julien gasped and breathed and gasped again. He’d lost control of himself and nothing could stop him from lifting his hips in short, hard pulses as if seeking to tunnel as far into Remi as possible.