Tamed by You (13 page)

"
How are you fated?
"

"T
he firstborn girl in my family carries on the matchmaking business.
They say
I was born two minutes before Isabella. Except
there was a mix-up, and
Isabella has more talent matchmaking than I do.
" She listed toward him.
"
Can I make a confession? I'm awful at it.
"

"Whoa." He steadied her and took her glass away. "I think you're cut off."

"No kidding." She leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Nice."

"Valentine?"

She looked him in the eye. "I want to do this."

"This?" he asked slowly.

"This." She gestured between the two of them. "But only one time."

"Why only one time?"

She felt the rumble of his words through his chest, and it echoed pleasantly inside her. "Because I don't want to kill my mom, and if she found out I broke Grandma's rule, trust me, it'd kill her."

He lifted her chin. "I'm telling you now, I'm not dating anyone other than you."

She pouted unhappily. "You have to."

"Why?"

"Because my mom's heart will break if you don't."

Ethan gripped her firmly. "My heart will break if I do."

Her girlie parts sighed deliriously, but the underlying misery prevailed. "I told you, you don't have a choice."

"
Everyone has a choice, Valentine.
" He touched his thumb to her lips. "Don't you want
me?
"

She did—so badly. "I can't want you."

"So our kiss didn't mean anything to you?"

"
No.
Yes.
" She heaved a sigh.
"
I mean
,
it was inappropriate for me to do that. You're my client. I violated one of our rules of conduct.
"

"
You
were very
inappropriate
.
"
He walked her backward.

H
er heart began to pound a
s
she backed up. "I'm sorry," she said, hearing the insincerity in her own voice.

"
I'm not.
"

H
er back hit the wall
.
"
You aren't?
"

"
Not at all.
"
He bracketed her with his arms.
"
In fact, I'd like you to be inappropriate again.
"

"
Oh.
"
S
he inhaled, the possibilities making her breathless. She shook her head.
"
I couldn't. I'm your matchmaker.
"

"
You're fired.
"

She frowned. "
You can't fire me.
"

"
T
h
en find me what I want.
"
H
e slipped his finger inside the placket of her buttoned sweater.
"
I like sassy women with sweet mouths, who wear little sweaters with pearls. And I'm partial to red hair.
"

She
swallowed thickly
, heart pounding, torn between guilt and need. She thought about her mom, resting after her little episode, and groaned. "
This is so wrong.
"

"
And yet so right
," he said as he kissed her.

Just once, she assured herself, arching into him. Then she'd be the daughter her mother needed her to be.

But for now she wanted to revel in the
f
eel of
his mouth
on
hers and
the sensation of
his hands
stealing
inside her cloth
es
.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, gasping when he lifted her by her butt.

She disengaged her lips long enough to ask, "Where are we going?"

"My bedroom, if I can make it." He gave her a sizzling look. "We may not make it past right here on the floor."

No one had ever wanted her so badly he took her on the floor.
She looked down at the carpet.
"It looks cushy enough."

He stared at her for a moment before immediately lowering both of them to the floor and covering her with his body. Then he cursed and lifted up, straddling her hips.

Alarmed, she propped herself on her elbows. "What is it?"

"You have too many clothes." With a determined expression he began to undo her sweater. "But I'll fix that."

"Just . . ." She reached under the skirt, shimmied her underwear off, and tossed it aside impatiently. "There. Take me. Quick."

He blinked, and then he smiled full and wide. "Yes, ma'am."

She watched as he took a condom out of his pocket and unzipped his pants. "Are you always ready, or were you hopeful?"

"I've been hoping for weeks." He looked at her and, as if he heard her thoughts, said, "Hoping for you," as his hand slid up her leg.

She gasped as his fingers brushed her private hair. She cried out when they eased softly over her sensitive flesh. She lifted her hips, wanting to feel more.

"You're close, aren't you?" he whispered incredulously.

"Sorry," she said through gritted teeth, trying to hold it back.

"I'm not." He snaked his hand under her top, under her bra, his fingertips rasping her nipple.

It was so decadent, so illicit, being touched like this in the daytime, still mostly clothed. She bit her lip, glancing shyly at the one long naked part of him.

She wanted it so badly.

Swallowing, she put her hand on him and squeezed, moaning at the way his fingers played over her. "We really need to take this to the next level. Now."

"When you're ready," he promised softly, gaze intent on her.

"I'm pretty sure I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled as though that was a challenge. Then he focused his touch in just the right place.

She cried out, trying to hold back but unable to stop the waves of pleasure as her orgasm rolled through her. "Now," she said, gripping him, her eyes squeezed shut.

But he must have misunderstood her, because instead he kept touching her, a slow, steady, soft rub that built more and more until she was writhing under him, about to burst for a second time.

By her third climax, she was sobbing incoherently.

He must have taken pity on her, because he kissed her greedily as he aligned himself and slid into her.

She shook her head, the pleasure sharp and endless. "I can't again," she moaned.

"I have you, Valentine." Nipping her lower lip, he rolled his pelvis against hers, over and over, until she couldn't help but move with him, needing him more than she'd ever needed anything.

He brushed her hair away from her face and held her so she had to focus on him, as if there were anything else in the universe that could command her attention right then. "Come with me this time," he whispered.

Just one more time, she promised herself, grabbing him and going along for the ride. She called out his name, clenching his T-shirt, as he stiffened over her, groaning her name.

He eased onto her, still inside, still hard.

What had she done? She closed her eyes, trying not to imagine her mom finding out. It'd break her heart for certain.

Her mom's heart, or hers?

She swallowed. Unfortunately, there wasn't really a choice. She was screwed.

Chapter Fourteen

Ethan woke up to a muffled
Oof
in the dark. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up in bed. "Valentine?"

There was a pause of stillness and then a meek, "I was trying not to wake you up."

He turned on the bedside light, squinting until his eyes adjusted.

Valentine stood at the foot of the bed, her sweater half on, half dangling, one shoe in her hand. Her hair was gorgeously rumpled, falling loose around her shoulders, and her lips were swollen from kisses.

His
kisses. He felt a masculine rush of pride, followed immediately by the desire to drag her back into bed.

She cleared her throat nervously, as though she could read the carnal thoughts on his face. "I was leaving."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because"—she frowned, too—"it's late."

She'd rushed off that morning, saying that her mother needed her. She'd cancelled their dinner date, but she'd shown up on his doorstep later that night. He hadn't questioned it. He’d just pulled her inside and loved her.

He wanted to love her again. "Stay."

Her expression softened. "Really?"

"Yes." What the hell? Did she think he'd kick her out after loving her all night? He winced, remembering what he'd told her that time she'd interviewed him. "I didn't really mean it when I said the perfect woman would go home before morning."

"You didn't really mean it," she repeated.

"No, I meant it, but it doesn't apply to you."

She smiled in the impish way that always made him want to squeeze her in his arms. "I get special dispensation to stay over?"

"Yes." Damn it. He glared at her. "You aren't leaving."

"Yes, I am. I need to check on my mom." She bent to finish putting on her shoe. "I've already been out too late. Hopefully she won't notice since she's been so out of it. I don't want her to worry."

That put a frown on her adorable face, and he had the urge to fix it for her. But he didn't know her mom, or what was really wrong with her beyond that she had a heart issue Valentine worried about.

If it were his mom, he'd be just as concerned, so he understood her there. What he didn't understand was why Valentine just didn't tell her mother about him. "Are you ashamed of me?"

She shook her head as though she didn't comprehend his question. "Excuse me?"

"The reason you don't want to tell your mother about me. Is it because you don't think she'll approve? Because I'm a fighter?"

"No," she protested weakly.

"That wasn't convincing."

She blushed. "It's not because you're a fighter, but she won't approve. It's just easier this way."

"It's not easier for me." He wanted her there with him, damn it. He pushed the covers off him and rooted around the floor for his underwear.

"What are you doing?" she asked, holding out his boxers.

"Taking you home."

"You can't do that." She shook her head so hard her hair flung out. "I can walk home. It's so close."

He stopped and glared at her.

She shrunk a little. "Really. It's okay."

"Not it's not." In so many ways. He put on his running sweats, because there was no way in hell he was getting back to bed anytime soon. After he laced his running shoes he faced Valentine. "Ready?"

"Are you angry at me?" she asked like a lost little girl.

"Yes." He took her by the neck and kissed her, so she'd know what she was going to miss out on. "But it doesn't mean I like you any less."

Her brow furrowed. "But—"

"Valentine, just let me walk you home." He took her hand and led her out of his apartment, slowing his pace to match hers.

She didn't say anything the few blocks to her apartment, but he could feel that she was baffled. Good, because he was baffled, too. How could she not see that what they shared was something special? Yes, sex was only sex, but they had more than sex. He liked her.

He stopped abruptly. "I'm going to kiss you."

"Okay," she agreed softly, her eyes wide and startled.

He brushed her hair back. "You aren't afraid your mom will see?"

She glanced at her apartment. "We're probably safe."

He grunted, going in for one last taste. He took his time, feeling her melt against him. He knew he could convince her to go back home with him, but he also knew she'd hate herself in the morning, and he didn't want that. He also didn't want to cause extra strife between her and her mother.

So he broke the kiss. "Go in. Now."

Dazed, looking sexy and so unbelievably desirable, she nodded. Without a word, she let herself inside.

Ethan waited until he heard the lock click before he began to jog away. He shot a glare at the
Matchmaker
sign—it was turned off, but it still seemed to mock him.

And he ran. Across town, along the Embarcadero, up the Marina, and back through the Presidio.

His anger had run out by the time he returned home. All he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep the rest of the morning away.

There was a delivery truck in front of his building. He frowned at it, wondering why it was there so early.

It rolled away from the curb as he approached, and he saw a large stack of boxes piled on the street with the woman from Grounds for Thought carting one inside. Kristin—Eve's employee.

At least, Kristin was trying to cart it inside. In reality, she staggered toward the entrance under the weight of the unwieldy box.

Apparently this was the morning for senseless women. Grumbling under his breath, he hurried to intercept her. "What are you doing?"

"Geez." She jumped, fumbling the box. "What are you doing, lurking out here? You get locked out of your cave?"

He took the box from her hands. "The question is what are you doing here? It's dark out."

"We get this shipment once a week. Eve usually comes to handle it, but she has a cold so I said I'd take care of it. No biggie." Shrugging, she went back for another box. By the way she tugged at it, he could tell it was much too heavy for her.

"Stop it." He scowled. "You'll hurt yourself."

Kristin put her hands on her hips. "Well, are you going to move them all? Because I don't see many other options."

"Yes, I'll move them."

She blinked, stunned into silence. "Really?" she said finally. "You'd do that?"

He ducked his head, not sure what the big deal was. "Just show me where to put them."

She raced ahead of him, holding open the door. "You saved my life. The truck is completely full. It'd have taken me half the day to do this."

It was going to take him a little time, too, but he didn't tell her that. He quietly put the box where she told him and went to fetch the next one.

Kristin, however, had no qualms about chatting. She followed him with a constant stream of chatter. "You really are a good guy, despite all the growling you do."