The Henson Brothers: Two Complete Novels (63 page)

Eric scratched his head. "Nurse fantasies?" He glanced up at the ceiling, pensive. "I've had waitress fantasies, stewardess fantasies."

"You mean flight attendants."

"Yes, those too and teacher fantasies." He shook his head and looked at her. "Nope. No nurse fantasies."

She removed his glasses, bending over just enough so he could have a peek at her cleavage. "Then you're going to start."

Eric touched the corners of his mouth in hopes he wasn't drooling. "And I'm willing to learn." He paused and frowned. "Wait, that's my teacher fantasy."

"Shut up." She opened his legs and stood between them. "Let's start with introductions."

"Just call me a happy d—"

Adriana covered his mouth. "Behave."

"I thought we were supposed to be naughty."

She folded her arms and tapped her foot. "I'm going to leave."

He tightened his legs, trapping her. "Sorry to tell you this, but you look extra sexy when you do that. There's nothing like a woman who looks like she wants to punish you."

"Eric," she warned.

He held up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll behave. Let's start again."

"First you have to open your legs and let me go."

He grinned. "Just think of it as part of my condition."

She sighed. "Okay. Hello, my name is Nurse Travers and I'm here to take care of you."

He reached for her. "Be gentle."

She pushed his hands away and wagged her finger. "I'm afraid, Mr. Henson, that kind of behavior is not allowed." She felt his forehead. "Yes, you do have a temperature." She unbuttoned his shirt. "Let me check your lymph nodes." She pushed his shirt away, her hands roaming his chest, falling to his trousers. "Hmm, just as I suspected, you are a little swollen here. Let me ease your distress." She tugged off his trousers and pants and cupped his erection.

He jumped. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him, confused. "Giving you pleasure, of course."

His eyes widened. "You're not going to..."

She licked her lips, her finger trailing the length of him. "Do you want me to?"

He flexed his fingers, fighting for control. Her hand on him filled him with liquid fire. He wanted her to, but his mouth wouldn't form the words.

She shrugged when he didn't reply. "Maybe another time. Let me find another suitable way to relieve this condition." She lifted a suggestive brow. "I've very flexible." She winked. "You'll find out soon enough. Let me get my gloves." She grabbed a condom and rolled it on.

"Adriana—"

"Quiet. We want all our patients to be at ease. Now, Mr. Henson, are you ready for the remedy?"

He grabbed her arms and rolled on top of her.

She frowned up at him. "Eric, you're not playing by the rules. I'm the one in charge."

He kissed her neck. "Who cares about the rules?"

"I do." She tried to push him off her. "Do I have to tie your hands?"

They inched up her skirt. "No, they're busy at the moment. God, you smell good." He kissed her, then stopped when she didn't respond. "What's wrong?"

"Haven't you ever had a woman make love to you before?"

Eric sat up. "What are you talking about?"

Adriana rolled away. "Question answered."

He watched her as she smoothed out her blouse. The V neck was so low her black bra peeked through. He wanted her. Naked. Now. He waved his hands, frustrated that talk was interrupting his goal. "What's wrong?"

"I want to please you."

He smiled. "You always please me."

"But you do all the work."

He hesitated. "If you don't like what I do—"

"That's the problem. You do everything." She sighed, exasperated. "Since you don't understand, I'll show you." She pushed him onto his back and saddled him. "Don't look nervous, this will be fun. I won't embarrass you."

"Adriana—"

She covered his mouth with hers for one wild moment and then stared at him. Her voice was low. "When a woman wants to please a man she finds his erogenous zones. Like his ears." She gently kissed each one. "Or his nipples." She fingered the hard bulbs, then followed with her tongue.

He jumped to his feet. "This isn't what I want."

Adriana looked at him, startled. "Why not?"

Eric began to pace and shook his head. "I just don't want it."

"When have you had an aversion to sex?"

"This isn't sex and you know it."

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She finally said, "I don't understand."

He gestured to her costume. "You don't need to do this. All I want is sex."

She glanced down at her short skirt and tight blouse. "You're getting sex. Trust me."

He covered his eyes for a moment. "No, you're giving me something else."

His words finally became clear. "I get it," she said slowly. "I'm just supposed to lie there and offer you nothing, right? I'm not supposed to please you because that's a little too intimate." She slapped her forehead. "I'm sorry. I forgot that we're having an affair. I'm just supposed to show up."

He folded his arms and stared at her. "I thought you liked what I did."

She rested her chin in her hand. She loved what he did. Right now he looked incredibly sexy naked. He was intimidating like a menacing silhouette with the moonlight polishing his form. "I do, but a relationship is about give and take. Oops, there is that nasty word again, 'relationship.' We don't have that, do we? However, for your information, some people in affairs have fun like this. Perhaps we could consider this relationship unpaid prostitution."

"Adriana—" Her name was a low warning.

She ignored it. "I'm like one of those rides in front of department stores. Put your money in, ride for a short while, then get off. You're satisfied because you've had fun and the ride doesn't take you anywhere."

"You don't understand. I don't need anything from you."

"You need sex. That's why you're here."

"That's not why."

"Then why are you here? I must have misunderstood the basis of this affair."

"I want to be here with you," he said. "Isn't that enough?"

"No."

They stared at each other.

"What do you want?" he finally asked.

"More of you."

He turned away and said, "I don't want to be Nina's father."

Her temper ignited into rage. She grabbed her pillows and threw them at him one by one. "You bastard. How dare you! How dare you think I would try to sleep my way to getting my daughter a stepfather. What kind of woman do you think I am? Get out! Now!"

Eric dodged a pillow aimed at his head. "That came out wrong."

"Clever of you to notice. Get out."

He caught a pillow she threw at him and tossed it on the floor. He sat on the bed, his back toward her.

She pushed him, but he didn't budge. "You're a long way from the door."

He turned to her, his eyes full of regret. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

His words weren't sufficient, but his expression was. "Jerk," she said.

"I know."

Adriana looked away and tucked her feet underneath her. "I forgive you, you... slime chicken."

Eric frowned, confused. "What's a slime chicken?"

"I don't know. I couldn't think of anything else." She folded her arms. "You make me so mad sometimes."

He turned away, resting his hands on his knees. "Then why do you want to please me?"

"You know why."

He spun around. His eyes widened in shocked horror. "No."

"Yes."

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

He fell face down on the bed and swore. "How did that happen?" His voice was muffled.

"I don't know."

Eric groaned. "Are you sure?"

"No, but I'm close."

"Then let's not go further."

"Is my love that repulsive?"

He rolled on his back and stared up at her. "No. It's not that." He threw an arm over his eyes. "I'm a simple man. I'm not hard to figure out. I like women and I like sex. I've never been in love my entire life."

"You asked three women to marry you."

He let his hand fall. "You know as well as I do that people don't always marry for love."

"But you could, eventually."

He studied her. "How would you know I wasn't marrying you for what you are, instead of who you are?"

"I wouldn't care."

"How would I know that deep down you don't want a stepfather for Nina? Or someone to finance your designs?"

"Why would you care?"

He reached to adjust his glasses, then realized he wasn't wearing them. "I don't know."

Adriana searched his face, but his expression was unreadable. "Are we breaking up?"

Eric sat up and glanced out the window. He sighed wearily. "You'd be my first girlfriend."

"You've never had a girlfriend?"

"I usually called them lovers or—"

She poked him with her elbow. "I don't want to know."

A smile hovered over his lips. "I was always respectful."

"I still don't want to know."

He cupped her chin. "Do you want a boyfriend?"

She nodded.

"Okay, I'll help you find one."

She slapped his hand away. "Eric!"

He ran a tired hand down his face. "You're ruining my pattern."

"You're ruining mine."

He fell silent. So silent she began to worry he was withdrawing into himself.

"Eric?"

"I don't want you to pity me," he said in a brusque voice.

"I don't."

"You can't help it. You know that I have had two failed proposals, my last girlfriend cheated on me, my brother is considered the good-looking one, my immune system is so bad that I develop pneumonia from a seven-year-old with a cold, I'm afraid of heights, and my background is so low even dust mites snub their noses." His eyes swept her face. "You have a soft heart and that's what makes you wonderful, but I won't have a girlfriend that feels sorry for me."

"I don't feel sorry for you."

"Adriana—"

"I don't," she said firmly. She tugged on her blouse. "You don't make me feel useless."

"You aren't useless."

"I spend too much, have strange mothering habits, can't cook—"

"But you're clever, creative, and fun."

"And you're smart and solid and always there."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and began to mutter numbers.

"Are you adding something?" she asked.

"No, they're prime numbers. I mumble them when I'm going out of my mind."

"Thanks a lot."

He rubbed his forehead. "Adriana, we're crazy to think this can work as a real relationship."

She smiled sweetly. "It wouldn't be the first time you were illogical."

He sent her a hard glare.

Adriana knelt behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're thinking too much." She let her hand slide down his chest, feeling his muscles constrict under her palm. "You want me and I want you."

Eric turned to her and hooked his finger in the V of her blouse, succumbing to his desire for her. He pulled her toward him. "Okay, then do your damage, Nurse Travers."

"I get to be in charge?"

He kissed her chin. "What do you mean by 'in charge'?"

"You'll have to trust me."

His lips brushed her forehead. "I don't trust anyone."

She paused. "That's a scary way to live."

He loosened her blouse. "You get used to it. I like to be in control."

"But—"

He suddenly grinned. "Nice bra. How do you undo it?"

She grabbed his hands. "You can't always be in control."

He frowned. "You weren't this talkative before."

She lifted a brow, tightening her hold on his hands.

"I don't mind risk, but only when the odds are in my favor. Think of life as everyone standing on the precipice of the unknown. I don't like falling."

"Even when there's someone to catch you?"

"There's never someone to catch you." Eric managed to get out of her grasp and undid her bra. "That's better."

"I would catch you."

His mouth covered her breast. "You don't know me."

For a moment she lost her train of thought. She arched into him. "I want to."

He fell back on the bed and looked up at her. "I can't afford to need you."

"You won't."

"I might." He cupped her breast and let his hand graze her side in a slow sensuous gesture. "You're very tempting."

"But, Eric—"

He swore fiercely. "I hate this. You don't understand. I can't have relationships."

"Why not?"

He sat up and tapped his chest. "Because I'm not normal. I don't feel things the way you're supposed to."

"What does that mean?"

It meant he felt too much. It meant that when he looked at her right now he felt a sense of possessiveness so strong it hurt. If he were to love her it would consume every part of him, body and soul, giving her the power to destroy him. He already stood on the danger precipice. Even when he was away from her, he longed to be near. The monster in him desperate for escape. Desperate to say,
Here I am. All of me. Would you accept me as this? This ravenous creature of darkness who could devour you with his need?

She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Have you ever felt dead inside?" she asked softly.

He nodded. All his life.

"I have. When I was married to Laurence I felt as if I were in a play, given a role to act. And I acted well, feeling hollow inside, but not having the courage to break away. To stand up for myself and say: 'This isn't me. Sorry, but you have the wrong wife.' Instead I did as told. I had a baby though I didn't know what to do with one and went through the motions of domestic life, failing miserably."

"Then Laurence said he wanted a divorce." She rested her cheek against his back, his warmth giving her strength to share her painful past. "I was shattered because I didn't know what or who I was without being Mrs. Shelton. I know many women thought I was weak, I felt weak. But most people won't admit how it feels to have your identity taken from you, something you've struggled to build. I had nothing to hold me up after that.

"I managed, of course, by creating a new me. An Adriana Travers that I would have been if I hadn't met Laurence. I chose men that were his opposite—wild, rough, coarse. They filled me with emotions I had never felt before, did things to me I'd never imagined."