Fly Me Home: Home is Where the Heat Is, Book 4 (6 page)

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and nodded to Cain. Refocusing on her, he smiled. “I’m ready if you are.”

“Absolutely.” She looked back at the club. “What about your scarf?”

He laughed, guiding her out the door into the cold night air. “I have plenty.”

The limo pulled up to the curb and she climbed in. Ian followed, tucking her close. She glanced at the digital clock over the privacy window. “Is it really two in the morning?”

“We’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes.” He tipped her chin up so he could brush a kiss over her lips. It was soft and sweet, and she melded into the touch. “I’ll have you in bed in no time.”

Liz sucked in a breath. She didn’t doubt him. The fatigue she’d experienced was zapped by a naughty surge of adrenaline. Her mind decided not to play nice with his statement, and all she could do was imagine the ways he planned to have her in bed.

Chapter Seven

Ian watched as Elizabeth spoke with Arjun Narine, one of the most sought-after photographers in the fashion industry. He was a handsome man Ian had had the pleasure of taking to bed on several occasions before Jimmy. He waved to Arjun, and Elizabeth hooked her arm through the other man’s and pulled him toward where Ian stood.

Ian had enjoyed her social metamorphosis. She’d started out shy and reserved; now she was grabbing celebrities and pulling them around. She’d loved Berlin and most of the German attractions they’d been able to take in during their crazy dates, but as far as he could tell, she loved Delhi the best. She raved about the food, the culture, even the open market Cain had taken her to while Ian worked on his critiques of Milan, Tokyo and Berlin. She was a dynamo in bed, and he’d actually had to get her out of the room so he could keep his hands off her long enough to work.

Tonight she was especially excited by the designs they’d seen by Navya Parikh, India’s most promising up-and-coming designer whom Elizabeth couldn’t say enough good things about. Ian was impressed with her quick grasp on what he was looking for and her innate sense of style. But what Elizabeth didn’t see was Navya’s underdeveloped confidence. He saw the designer’s potential as well. It just wasn’t there yet. She’d be a force in the industry if she took some risks and believed in herself. For now, she’d get an honest review instead of the starred review he had a feeling he’d write in a few years.

Knowing Elizabeth would probably read his review wouldn’t stop him from being honest, but he cringed. She was all softness and kindness and he wondered how she’d take his harsh opinions.

He shouldn’t worry about it. Hell, he’d never gone soft. His honest reviews had made him who he was today. Still… Seeing her reactions… She made him see his world again as someone else would see it. Maybe as he’d first seen it. She reminded him of what he’d lost over the years. Excitement. Meaning. Pride. When had he lost them?

Ian schooled his reactions as Elizabeth and Arjun approached.

Arjun smiled and hugged him close. “It is good to see you.”

“You as well, my friend.” Ian pulled Elizabeth to his side. “I see you’ve met my travel companion?”

“A delight,” Arjun said, his eyes appreciative. “She is a beauty and her accent intoxicating. I am happy to see you spending time with someone new.”

“Thank you.” Uncomfortable with the personal topic, Ian refocused the conversation. “How is your sister? Last time we spoke she was receiving chemo treatments.”

“I thought you would hear…” Arjun’s face crumpled. “She died three months ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Ian felt his friend’s loss to his marrow. She’d been an amazing, positive woman.

“She fought to the end.” Arjun shrugged then. “It has been a hard time.”

Elizabeth touched his arm. “I’m sorry too.”

He smiled down at her. “You are very kind since you did not know her. I will see you at dinner tonight.” Shaking Ian’s hand, he seemed to regroup. “I look forward to catching up with you.”

Ian returned the clasp. “Same here.”

His fingers lingered on Ian’s long enough for Elizabeth to notice. When Arjun walked away, she looped her arm through his and followed him as he led them toward the door. “Are we leaving?” she asked.

“Yes.” Ian tried to focus, but all he could think about was the past he’d shared with Arjun, the way Elizabeth looked at the younger man and the lingering touch Arjun had given, letting him know there was an open invite for rekindling their relations. “I’ve set up a private viewing with Navya.”

“Really?” Her arm tightened on his and she squealed. “Why? We haven’t done this before.”

“I knew you liked her work, and I see a lot of potential in her.” It wasn’t the entire truth. Any other day, any other designer, he’d give his review and call it good. Knowing Elizabeth thought so highly of the woman made it hard to write what he felt he needed to write. And so he’d set up the viewing to see if more of her potential would be seen in her other designs. “But I need to see more before I can give an honest review.”

Elizabeth smiled and climbed into the limousine. When he followed, she pressed him back onto his seat and straddled his hips. She’d become much less reserved in the last two weeks, but there was something different in her touch today. Something wicked in her smile.

She started unbuttoning his shirt, and he stalled her hands. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” She leaned in and kissed him lightly. “I just want you.”

“Right now?”

She nodded.

“In the limo?”

She nodded again and pulled her hands free to finish unbuttoning his shirt. Sliding down his thighs, she popped the button on his pants free. There was no preamble, she had his cock in her hot little hands in seconds. Glancing up at him while she stroked him, she purred. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t want to?”

“Hell no,” he answered. “I’m just wondering what’s got you so wound up.”

What got her hot and ready really didn’t matter, he just wanted to hear her say it. Wanted her to scream her needs and not be afraid to ask. They’d been in his world for a while, and the last thing he wanted was to change her in any way. He’d fallen for her simple, open ways, and it was important to him to return her home with a few fun experiences but in the same mindset as he’d found her. The only thing he wanted different was to know she’d say what she wanted, when she wanted it.

He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “What caused this?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute.”

With that cryptic statement, she eased her hands away from his and surrounded him with her mouth.

Ian slammed his head back against the seat. Fuck. They’d shared plenty in the last few weeks, but every time her mouth closed over his cock, he was ready to come. “Christ, Elizabeth. You kill me.”

She purred, taking him deeper. She was good at giving head now that she’d mastered her nervousness. Really good. She had a hell of a suck, and she could take him deep. He arched his hips off the seat and pushed his pants down farther so she could touch all of him. She’d quickly learned that his balls were super sensitive, and she was always willing to give them the attention they needed.

As much as he wanted to just enjoy what she was doing, he wasn’t about to let her sidetrack him completely. Gripping his hands in her hair, he pulled her back until her lips barely brushed the tip of his cock. “I asked you a question.”

“Did you?” Her gaze screamed
make me answer
.

“Yes.”

“Hmmmm,” she teased, flicking her tongue out to lick the tip. “I think it might have been the way you and Arjun looked at each other.” Another flick of her tongue. “Were you lovers?”

He nodded, watching as her hand came up to pump his cock. “A few times.”

“That’s what I thought.” She reached up and loosened his grasp on her hair. Taking him into her mouth again until he moaned, she sucked her way back up. “And it’s all I could think about, New York.”

“What were you thinking?” His balls tightened, and he shifted, needing to get himself under control before he lost it.

She stroked him, her eyes on his cock. “I was wondering what you did to each other. What it would be like to watch, or join.”

His cock swelled in her hands and a pearl of pre-come pulsed free. “Is that what you want?”

She shrugged, rubbing the natural lube around his tip with her thumb before sliding her mouth down over him, pumping, moaning around him until he grasped the seats and dug his fingers into the soft leather. After a long, torturous moment, she popped off him like she was sucking a fucking lollipop. “Tell me what you do to each other. I need info. You know me.”

He did. She was all about details. Problem was, he didn’t know if he could give her the details she was looking for without losing it. “We do everything you and I do but with different parts.”

She smiled and licked him from balls to tip. “You talk, I suck. You stop, I stop.”

Damn, he loved this dominating side of her. “We kiss, we touch.”

She sighed and took him into her mouth again, revving her throat in an encouraging purr like a goddamn cat.

“I like the fucking more than I like to be fucked.” The little rumbly sounds in her throat vibrated on the head of his cock and he gripped her shoulder, silently begging her to stay there, taking him deep, the feel of her tongue sliding up and down the underside of his erection incredible.

Suddenly she stopped, her gaze hooded with desire. “Tell me more.”

Dropping his head back against the seat, he gave over. She was honest and simple, and sweet, but she was also stubborn. When her curiosity was piqued she was a bulldog. Good quality for a reporter. “Arjun liked getting more than doing, so it worked out well. I’d always have to lube him up, because he was so tight.”

She started sucking again, faster and with long strokes as he spoke.

“He liked it when I’d grip his throat and jerk him off while I fucked him. It was hot and I’d always blow my load in him.”

She sucked him hard but kept pumping him with her hand. Her eyebrows scrunched as she stared up at him, her mouth parted and moist. “Wait. How did you do that? From behind, or were you face to face? I can’t imagine it without the details.”

She immediately went back to sucking and he swallowed hard. He was close. “Usually, I’d hook his legs over my shoulder. He’d get off, coming all over my chest and stomach. The second his ass tightened on his orgasm, I’d lose it.”

The image in his head and the hot pumps of her mouth undid him. He grabbed her. “I’m close.”

She ignored him, pumping and sucking until the release sizzled in his balls and erupted. He cried out, “Here it comes.”

But she didn’t stop. She didn’t swallow, just caved her mouth around him, but it didn’t matter. He came in her mouth and she fucking blew his mind. Spit or swallow, she was amazing. He was lost, his cock purging so hard Ian slumped against the seat like a limp noodle.

Handing her a paper towel from the side compartment, Ian shifted and grabbed a couple for himself. He fixed his pants and pulled her back up into the seat next to him. “You’re too good to be true.”

After a long moment, she smiled. “It’s going to take some time before I can do that, well not the blow job, but the finish part…”

“Swallowing?” he filled in.

She shuddered. “Yeah, that. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. Giving you head is hot because you get all wound up. I like it when you can’t control yourself, because you’re always so self-contained. When you lose it and get off, it’s super hot. I’ve never wanted to swallow, but with you, it’s like a final measure. Still, I just can’t make myself do it.”

“Me neither,” he admitted. “It’s all salt and hot slime.”

“Ick.” She scrunched her nose. “Good to know I’m not the only one with issues.” Her eyes widened comically. “Wait. You—give your male lovers head?”

“Of course.” He could almost see her brain firing off the mental image. “You’ve come a long way in a short time, Elizabeth.”

And he realized he was stating a fact. She’d opened up, taken his crazy life by the balls, and made it a fun place for herself and a slightly altered place for him. For the first time in a long time, he was enjoying the crazy ride that was his life. The stuffy designers didn’t bother him anymore. He walked away from each new Fashion Week destination ready for the next. Seeing Elizabeth’s amazement, shock, interest in what he was all about reminded him of how he’d felt in earlier years, before nothing fazed him and the world was a bright new place to discover.

She shrugged and started searching the cabinets. “I need water.”

“Lower compartment.”

After a moment she produced a bottle and drank half before she slumped back with a sigh. “Okay, that’s better. Now, where were we?”

Ian reached for the water and when she handed it over, he took a long drink. The way she’d reacted to his interactions with Arjun, and her curiosity, made him think she had more interest in two men as lovers than he’d previously considered.

With Elizabeth, it was easy. Whatever she wanted, desired, or needed, he’d happily give if he could just keep her feel-good vibe close by. Handing the water bottle back, he watched her closely. “So I was thinking. Arjun is attractive. You were wound up to no end thinking about what we did together. You and I are lovers; Arjun and I have been lovers before. Is he a person you’d like to add to our bed?”

Chapter Eight

“Wait.” Liz gripped the bottle tight and tried to come up with a calm, reserved response that didn’t include the words “yes, pretty please”. Damn it. Why did her mama’s voice always pop up in moments when the last thing she wanted to think about was being a lady? “Answering that question would depend on exactly what you mean.”

Hell yeah she’d thought about both men. Ian was amazing in bed, out of bed, and in general. She’d seen him soften and donate to every cause pitched his way. He smiled broadly and easily and had that good-feeling effect on everyone he encountered. There was a touch of homegrown Southern boy in him somewhere, but that latent part of him was overshadowed by his alpha side. The domineering, controlling sexual dynamo she’d slept with for over two weeks now.

Adding in thoughts of elegant, exotic Arjun and imagining the naughty things the two men had done together had sent her body into overdose heaven. Yeah, she’d considered what it would be like. Two handsome men, willing to fuck her and each other…

“Arjun, you and me.” Ian’s voice broke into her thoughts. “It’s pretty simple, Elizabeth. You’re attracted to him. Hell, I’ve slept with him so I get it.”

“Yes, I admit that he’s attractive.” Liz didn’t know how to explain what she felt. It was a mash-up of attraction, wanting to experience everything and wondering if there were lines she and Ian could cross that might change the easy relationship they shared. “Thoughts of the two of you, doing things to each other while I watch, or even join in, is hot as hell. But I like what we have. I love the sex, the travel and the time we spend together. There’s no stress, no worries. I don’t want that to change. I like everything you’re helping me experience, but I’m loyal to you first, and keeping us in good territory is my biggest concern.”

By the time she finished her explanation, he was shaking his head, smiling at her in that way that always made her stomach tie itself up in knots. “What?”

“You’re overthinking it.” He took her hand, staring out the window for a long moment while her heart kinda tripped over each of her ribs. “One of the many things that I enjoy about you is your honesty. I often wonder if everything I’m exposing you to is going to change that. But you just bounce back every time and tell me in your sweet Southern drawl how you feel. Trust me when I say, no matter what we do, I’m going to bounce back too.”

He seemed so open, she actually believed him. “So if I say yes, nothing changes?”

“The only thing that changes is what you take away from our time together.” His smile was sinful and secretive at once. “We’re on a time limit. I plan to fulfill every want, desire or need you have before we part ways. All you have to do is say yes, no, less or more.”

She knew their relationship had an expiration date, but having him say it out loud, with such finality, crushed her a little. Thinking about going back to Texas, to her normal life and simple ways was easy. Some might find it boring, but she loved her life. What she had a hard time imagining, accepting, was waking up every day and not seeing Ian’s handsome face, hearing his laughter and feeling his sinful kiss.

She devoured every moment with him, savoring it and tucking it away for nights when she’d feel trapped by normalcy. She didn’t want this life forever, but she wanted to burn it into her mind so it would be easy to recall.

This was a make-it-or-break-it moment. One she couldn’t pass up. Still, she sided on caution. “I think I’d have to start by watching.”

“We can do that.” He squeezed her hand, the warmth of his palm as reassuring as the seriousness of his gaze. “As long as you promise not to hold back. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, but I need to know you’ll participate if the mood strikes. I’m very sexual. You know that from experience. So is Arjun. If this is what you’d like, I’ll see if I can set it up.”

Imagining him with another man was hot as hell. Considering jumping into the fantasy had her blood racing. The offer was there. All she had to do was take it. Back home, she would have chickened out and stuck to her roots and homegrown values. In Ian’s world, an earth’s rotation away from anything remotely home, she could be anyone and experience anything she wanted. All she had to do was say yes to the Adonis who’d taken her perfectly controlled life and flipped it over, scattering every carefully arranged puzzle piece in a million sinfully tempting directions.

“Okay. Set it up.” Taking a deep breath, she squeezed his hand. “But you might want to warn him that I’ll probably chicken out.”

Liz sat back on the faded couch in Navya Parikh’s studio, riveted by the four models appearing from behind a bamboo screen in a constant interchange. She wasn’t sure how each girl managed to get changed as quickly as she did, but every new outfit was a treat.

The private viewing with Navya was amazing, and Liz was even more blown away by her creative designs than before. She leaned in to whisper in Ian’s ear. “She should have shown half of these during the fashion show.”

“It’s her age,” he mumbled, texting while the models came out. “She’s afraid to take a chance, and that can be deadly in this industry.”

Liz shot Navya a quick glance. She was a slight young woman with coal-black hair and exotic eyes. It didn’t take much effort to notice her nervousness. Her hands shook as she clasped them together, watching for any sign that the great Ian Malcolm was interested in anything her models wore.

The fact that Ian was still texting rubbed Liz all wrong. Good manners were a way of life in her world, and even if they were in Ian’s sphere now, the least he could do was pay attention. “Do you have another set of eyes I don’t know about?”

Ian glanced up from his phone, his brows scrunched. “What?”

“You know,” she snapped. “A set to text with and a set to watch the show this young woman arranged for your godly presence.”

Ian set his phone in his lap and snuggled closer on the couch. Shooting the newest model a brief glance, he returned his attention to Liz. “Did you just spank me?”

“Maybe.” His stern glare made her squirm a little. He looked like he wanted to spank her. Shaking that thought off, she refocused. Lowering her voice, she nodded in Navya’s direction. “She set this all up for you and you’re barely participating. Would it kill you to show a little interest?”

“No.” He shook his head. “But it could kill her career.”

Liz sat back, trying to process what that meant. Before she could ask, Ian stood and waved Navya over. They spoke quietly, Navya’s eyes widened in a crazy-schoolgirl-crush-meme style. Liz couldn’t watch. She crossed the room to where Cain stood staring out the window.

She studied his profile as she approached. She couldn’t call him gorgeous, but he was handsome in a dark, brooding kind of way. He didn’t say much, but he was quick to shit on Ian for the fun of it, and he watched out for Ian like a hawk. Oh, and he was grumpy. All the time.

“What’s the matter, kitten?” Cain groused. “Bored?”

“Kitten?” Liz’s hackles rose. “I’m a bit sturdier than that.”

He scoffed. “Would leech be better?”

“Definitely.” Liz glared at his profile. “Who shit in your Cheerios?”

Something resembling a snort came from his direction. “Shit in my Cheerios? That’s a new one.”

Liz chuckled. “I know I feel out of sorts around all this girly stuff. How do you manage it? Aren’t you ex-military or something?”

“Yeah. Marines.” He shot her a roll of his eyes. “I needed something besides sitting around thinking too much after I got out. Ian offered it. I figure the fluff is part of the price for traveling the world. Keeps me on my toes.”

“No doubt.” She watched the numerous pedestrians milling around the local market below Navya’s loft. “I’ve never traveled outside Texas besides a spring break to Florida. All of this makes that trip pale in comparison. I just, well, I worry Ian is too rigid. He’s good at what he does, but he’s so…” What was the word she was looking for? “Cold.”

Cain chuckled. “Every job has its requirements. Your job is to report, mine is to keep him safe. He’s not questioning ours. Why should we question his?”

Then Ian was at her side. “Navya would like to say goodbye. Arjun will meet us at ten, and we have several more stops we have to make today before we can call it quits.”

Arjun said yes. It was all she could process, and then she was in the car. She must have said goodbye, or something resembling one, because from there it was a whirlwind of activity, people, faces, fashion and Ian pulling her in a million different directions. If she counted correctly, she’d changed three times today, but her head just wasn’t in the game. Knowing Arjun would be meeting them at the hotel later kept her from really focusing on anything. Hopefully, she hadn’t made too big an ass of herself, or insulted anyone.

When they finally climbed into the last limousine of the evening and Ian asked the driver to take them to their hotel, Liz slumped against the seat. “I’m exhausted.”

Ian smiled at her, his gaze heated and vibrant. “We had a crazy day, but our night is just beginning. Have a glass of champagne. We’re celebrating tonight.”

Watching him pour two glasses of the bubbly liquor, she tensed. This was happening. It was real and imminent. Arjun would either be waiting for them, or arrive shortly after they did. From there, it was up to her what happened.

She trusted Ian. He’d never given her any reason not to. But suddenly all the old warnings about men that were too good to be true, and how bad they could get, erupted like the bubbles in her champagne glass.

“Are we really going to do this?”

Ian settled back against his seat and watched her over his glass. He took a long swallow, his gaze assessing. “Do you want me to cancel?”

Yes. No. And everything in between. “I-I don’t know.”

He leaned forward, bracing his elbows against his knees. “Would you feel better if you had a safeword? One that meant you wanted to stop?”

She felt so out of date. Sometimes she hated never having experienced anything. “Isn’t that for control and handcuffs and domination stuff?”

“Safewords aren’t strictly for bondage or role play.” He ran a finger around the rim of his glass. “Anything new you experience could be too much, considering where you started.”

“That’s fine,” she muttered, feeling like a shy teenager instead of relieved. “What word?”

“Your choice.”

“Honeysuckle.”

He nodded. “Drink your champagne. But just the one. I’m sure we’ll have one later with Arjun, and I need to know everything that happens tonight is you, not liquid courage.”

Liquid courage sounded damn good right now.