Nailed (21 page)

She sensed that he held back. Extending this aching pleasure, wanting to push her higher.

“Oh, please, Kane. I’m so close.” She wanted to reach the summit, and ride the exhilaration down the other side, a wild and heady flight of joy.

The feel of his rumbling laughter against her flesh kicked it up a notch. He licked her clit, his tongue working magic, his fingers moving inside her. Her nerve endings prickled to attention and her heart pounded faster. Her fingers curled around his strong shoulders, tightening as the pleasure built within her.

“God! Oh, yes.”

It burst within her, like a flame igniting. Intense and overwhelming. Intimate and freeing. Her moan filled the room, growing louder as her body vibrated up the scale of bliss, then exploded into sheer ecstasy.

She collapsed back on the chair, gasping for air.

He smiled at her, then drew her into his arms and held her close. She felt so … cherished. His arms around her, so warm and protective. Loving.

“You are so special,” he murmured, his breath sending wisps of hair fluttering across her temple. He scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. He set her down on the bed and stood up.

“Now how do we get this lovely garment off you?” he asked, his gaze lingering over her exposed breasts, the lace still tucked beneath.

“Hooks. Down the back,” she said as she reached around and started to release them.

“I’ll do it.” He sat beside her and flicked open each of the many hooks much faster than she would have managed.

When he reached the bottom, he drew it from her body and tossed it aside. Now all she wore were the stockings and shoes.

He drew her to her feet and his heated gaze traveled her body, making her nearly melt into a puddle on the floor.

“I think you should meet me at the door every evening just like this.” His hand glided down her side, sending tingles flashing across her skin.

“You wouldn’t get bored?” she asked, her voice breathless.

He glanced down her body and grinned. “You can wear different color shoes and stockings. Maybe sometimes a garter belt.”

“What about something like this?” she asked as she reluctantly stepped away from him and opened the top dresser drawer.

She pulled out the long, white gloves from the wedding and pulled them on. He watched her pull the long satin column up her arm, a smile curling his lips.

When she finished pulling up the second, he took her hand and drew her into a deep kiss. Then he stepped back.

“Turn around,” he said. “Let me look at you.”

She turned in a circle, slowly, her hands on her swaying hips.

*   *   *

The sight of River, her totally naked body framed by the long white gloves and the sheer white stockings, set his heart pounding. God, she was sexy. His cock twitched at the need to be buried deep inside her.

He held out his hand and she rested her satin-clad one against his palm. He closed his fingers around it and drew her close, then pressed her hand against his aching cock. She smiled and wrapped both hands around him, then stroked. The feel of the satin was different. Sexy and new.

She squeezed and stroked faster. He covered her hands and drew them away from his too-close-to-bursting erection, then flattened them on his chest. She stroked over his flesh, the smooth fabric a delight. She glided over his nipples, teased them a little, and then slid over his shoulders. He pulled her against him, her tight, hard nipples pushing into his chest. He slid his hand over her hip and down her thigh, and then lifted her knee, opening her to him. He stroked over her soft folds, dipping into the dampness.

God, he couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He grasped his cock and stroked her moist flesh with the tip, then nudged against her opening. But she was so slick he glided in with no resistance, buried halfway inside her before he knew it. At her soft whimper, he pushed in the rest of the way.

Then he simply held her close, her gazing up at him, his cock buried deep inside her. That moment … where both of them knew deep in their souls that they each belonged to the other … completely and forever … moved him.

And in her eyes he saw it. Love. Deep and intense.

And he felt it. His heart pounding with the overwhelming joy that she truly loved him.

He drew in a deep breath, then lifted her other leg. She wrapped them around him as he carried her to the dresser and perched her on the edge.

He tipped up her head, his fingertips resting lightly on the underside of her jaw, and gazed deep into her sparkling green eyes.

He loved her, and he knew his gaze told her that, but he wouldn’t say it. He didn’t want anything to ruin this moment and saying that, if she wasn’t ready to hear it …

“I’m going to make love to you now. I’m going to make you come so hard, you won’t ever want to leave me.”

“I don’t want to leave you. Ever.”

He smiled. Their gazes remained locked as he drew back and drove forward again. Her eyes widened as he filled her completely. The feel of her all around him took his breath away. He drew back and thrust again. He could feel her quivering in his arms. He kissed her, his lips lingering as he glided in her depths. Out and in.

She clung to his shoulders, arching forward with each of his deep strokes. His cock ached with the need to release and he knew he was so close. But he wanted her right with him.

He stroked her clit and she moaned. He thrust faster, his need coiling tighter.

“Oh, Kane.” His name on her lips quivered through him, setting his blood on fire.

He nuzzled her neck. “Come for me, baby. I need you to come so bad.”

Quivers rippled through her body and she arched, sucking in air, her legs tightening around him.

“Oh, yes. I feel it.” Her words were thin and reedy.

He thrust faster. Deeper.

She cried out in ecstasy as her pussy clenched around him like a soft, tight fist, pulsing. He groaned at the exquisite sensation, his groin burning. Then it happened. A fire deep in his belly, flooding outward. A blaze of heat streaming through his cock. Erupting into her body.

He grunted as he pumped into her, feeling her orgasm humming through him, along with his own. It was magic. Pure ecstatic bliss.

Their pleasure spiraled and flared, taking his breath away, and then quivered to a soft glow.

He sucked in air, holding her tight against him.

Then she giggled. A joyous, heady sound. He gazed down at her, a smile on his face.

“We just had the most memorable sex of my life and you think it’s funny?” he teased.

She shook her head and he realized tears streamed from her eyes.

“No. I’m just…” She giggled again. “Ridiculously happy.”

*   *   *

River set the cutlery on the table. Kane would be home in a few minutes and she had dinner all ready for him. She returned to the kitchen and checked the stew in the pot, a smile crossing her face. She never thought in a million years she’d be playing the role of housewife. Especially to Kane Winters.

Her smile faded as she remembered it was just a role, but these past couple of days, ever since their weekend together, she could almost swear …

“Honey, I’m home.”

She laughed and hurried to the living room. He said that every evening now. She was surprised he didn’t suggest she meet him at the door with a martini.

His teasing suggestion that she meet him in just long gloves and stockings burned through her. Maybe on Friday she’d surprise him and do just that.

As she stepped into the living room, she saw that he’d set his briefcase in the entryway and was walking toward her. He took her in his arms and kissed her. Thoroughly and lovingly. She melted against him, breathless at being in his strong arms.

“Smells wonderful.” His smile lit up his eyes.

“I made stew.”

“I wasn’t talking about dinner,” he murmured in her ear.

She stroked his whisker-roughened cheek, longing to drag him off to bed right now. But he’d been making every effort to let her know their relationship was not just about sex and she didn’t want to do anything to throw off the fragile balance they’d found.

He followed her into the kitchen and helped her carry things to the dining room. She was still amazed that he was quite happy with the very simple meals she prepared when she knew he was used to gourmet meals. But he understood that’s all she knew how to prepare, and that she would be uncomfortable with someone coming in to cook for them. It was heartwarming that he was willing to adapt to make her feel comfortable.

“I was thinking it would be nice to have a party this weekend at the house,” he said as he scooped stew into his bowl.

“A party this weekend? But that’s not much time to prepare.”

“It’s no problem. I made all the arrangements today. It won’t be a big party. Just sixty people or so. My event planner has it all in hand.” He smiled. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to show off my new wife to my friends.”

She shivered. His friends. People she would not be comfortable around.

She speared her fork into a cube of beef. “Why this weekend? Wouldn’t it be easier to wait another week or so?”

He smiled. “I want to have it this weekend because I found out today that Francoise, the owner of Rapture, will be in town. I want you to meet her, and she’ll be happy to be part of our celebration.”

“Celebration?” She gazed at him questioningly.

He smiled and took her hand. “Well, we did just get married.”

*   *   *

River sorted through her drawers of nail polish and found the four she was looking for. She grabbed the other supplies she needed and carried them into the kitchen. She lined up the bottles of metallic shimmers on the table next to the little paper cup she’d filled with filtered water earlier and left out to come to room temperature.

She drew in a deep breath, trying to relax. Even though she didn’t have to do any of the party planning or preparation, she was still stressed out. She was going to meet Kane’s friends. Probably some of the same friends who’d known them in college. Who would remember her as the weird girl whom some of Kane’s buddies had bet him to sleep with.

She cringed. Kane had bought her an elegant black dress to wear to the party. Lovely, but much more conservative than she would ordinarily choose. Except for the plunging neckline. It was daring in that way, but she would prefer a flash of color. She would love to do a colorful manicure to grab people’s attention … but she knew Kane wouldn’t want her to do that.

But she wanted to do something special, so she’d pulled out her basic black polish along with silver, gold, and copper metallics. She placed tape around her fingernails on her left hand to protect her skin from the water marble mani she was about to do, then she unscrewed the caps and lifted the black over the water and let one drop fall onto the surface of the water. It spread out in a circle, and she placed a drop of gold in the center of the black circle and watched it spread out. She continued with all the colors, repeating until she had a series of rings in a bull’s-eye. She used a sharp toothpick to drag through the polish, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction until she’d formed rows of chevrons across the surface of the water.

Once she had the pattern just the way she wanted it, she dipped two of her nails into the water. When she pulled them out, she admired the result. Little shimmery metallic and black Vs adorned her nails. She pulled off the tape on those two fingers, and started dropping more polish on the surface of the water.

Kane walked into the kitchen and poured himself an orange juice then walked to the table and watched her form the pattern on the water’s surface with the toothpick. He didn’t say anything as she dipped her thumb into the water, and then drew it out.

“That looks like a lot of work.”

“Not really.” She gazed up at him anxiously. “Don’t you like it?”

“It’s very creative. Are you wearing that to the party?”

Her stomach clenched. “Don’t you think it’s appropriate?”

“I’m no fashion expert, but I would have thought you’d do something simple and elegant for the party. Maybe something more neutral.”

Her back stiffened. “That’s not really my style.” Feeling defiant, she added, “In fact, I was thinking of putting a purple streak in my hair. Like the kind of thing I used to do in college. Remember?”

Chapter Twenty

River didn’t know why she was goading him, but then she realized it was probably because of her nerves. She was coiled up so tight at the idea of this party and being paraded in front of all of Kane’s friends that she felt like she’d burst at any second.

“I do remember. But I don’t think it’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be better if you just try to fit in?” he asked in a persuasive tone.

Her stomach tightened and she had to focus on not clenching her jaw. She hated the fact that he didn’t just accept who she was. That he wanted to change her.

He might find her stimulating and sexy in bed, but in life he wanted her to be the model wife who dressed and acted the way he expected.

Then as quickly as her anger had flared, it dissipated.

Why was she fighting him on this? It was only one night, and it was important to him. She had gone into this arrangement of being his wife with her eyes wide open. He really didn’t ask a lot of her, so she shouldn’t begrudge him this. And being married meant compromise.

She just wished he could love her for who she was.

She nodded. “You’re right. No purple hair.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “That’s great. I know you’re going to look stunning in your dress.”

“Thank you,” she said flatly, continuing to pay attention to her mani. She’d already decided she’d change it to something more neutral, but she’d finish it now, and then strip it off tomorrow.

“Are you going to be long? I’m heading to bed.”

“I’m afraid I’ll be up for another hour or so.” She didn’t look up at him, continuing to drop polish onto the water.

“Okay. Feel free to wake me when you come to bed.”

*   *   *

“Why are you sleeping in here?”

River blinked at the soft rays of the dawn sunlight in her face and stared groggily at the door of the guest bedroom.