The Mistaken Escort's Pleasure: A Liaison Novel (21 page)

Her lips met his, and her soft, reassuring kiss went straight to his heart, and it kicked, hard, in his chest.

“I want a future with you,” he said.

“I want that, too.”

Some of the panic in his chest started to recede at her words.
 
He wanted to give her some time after the wedding to process the changes in her life, and to see whether her feelings for him might have grown stronger.
 
But he should have realized from the beginning that she hadn’t been anything but honest with him since he’d met her.
 
She told him her worries, and he should have known that it was to protect herself from the possibility of getting hurt.
 
She was essential to his life, ingrained so deep that he felt as though she was a part of him, and him a part of her.
 
He glanced down at his Ellie, and knew he was a moron for waiting even this long to tell her everything.

“Mr. Cole,” the nurse called from the reception area, “Mr. Kane has requested that you join them in their private room.
 
The birth went well, and they are all resting.”

Lucian nodded as he rose from the chair, his fingers gripping hers.
 
She gave him another reassuring squeeze and tried to disengage their hands, but he held on and strode forward.
 
The nurse didn’t question Ellie’s presence as she showed them down the long, quiet hall, until they reached the last room on the right.
 
The nurse knocked, and he heard Gabriel’s call for them to enter.
 
The nurse pushed the door open and stood aside for them, and what he noticed had him stand motionless near the door.

“Twins.”
 
Bec sighed when she glanced up at his startled face.
 
She was holding a girl, if the pink blanket was any indication, and next to the bed on the chair, Gabriel held his son, his eyes never leaving the small infant’s face.

Ellie beamed at both of them, but he stood, speechless, as he glanced at his new niece and nephew.
 
Then he remembered the complications Gabriel told him about, and that moved him forward into the room to stand next to his sister.

“How are you feeling?
 
How are the babies?
 
Are they healthy?”
 
He shot the questions in succession, without waiting for an answer.

Gabriel laughed, and he could’ve sworn that he heard the baby in his arms laugh along with his dad.

“I’m fine.
 
We had a little scare when our baby boy, Daniel Gabriel Lucian Kane, decided he wanted to come out feet first, but the doctor turned him and he slipped right out.”
 
Bec looked down at her daughter and the smile for the little girl was so tender, he felt the sting of tears in his eyes.
 
“But Grace Elizabeth was a complete surprise.
 
It turns out, her brother protected her and kept her from view.”

Bec smiled at both of them as the love for her new babies was evident in her tone and the way she looked at them.
 
He took note that his sister had used Ellie’s middle name as her daughter’s middle name.
 
He smiled down at his sister, grateful for his family.

He smiled down at his little Grace, and noticed Bec’s emerald eyes shining back at him.
 
It looked as though she smiled at him and he was unable to keep the awe from his face, if Bec’s smile was any indication.
 
He looked over at Daniel; the baby was reaching for his dad’s face.
 
In a sight that he never thought he would see, Gabriel leaned forward and made cooing sounds at his son, encouraging him to explore.

“I’m proud of you, Bec.
 
They are beautiful,” he choked out.

Ellie slid her arm around his middle and squeezed, another reassurance that everything was fine.
 
He pictured their own baby, with sky-blue eyes, dark hair, and a quick smile.
 
Their daughter or son
.

As he looked at the two new parents, exhaustion etched on their faces, he knew they needed rest.
 
He rounded the edge of the bed and kissed his sister on the forehead, before he turned his attention to the little girl.
 
She gurgled when he ran his thumb over her cheek, and he couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face.

“This little girl is going to have you and her daddy wrapped around her little finger.”
 
Bec chuckled.

He walked to Gabriel and clapped him on the shoulder, letting him know without words, that he was proud of him, too.

“We’ll see you soon.
 
Don’t hesitate to call anytime, and we’ll be here.”
 
He looked at Ellie, who nodded in agreement.

“Congratulations to you both.
 
They are precious,” Ellie whispered.

Gabriel and Bec beamed at her, and Lucian interlaced their fingers as they walked toward the door.
 
The nurse opened it before they could reach it and announced it was feeding time.

With one last look into the room, they walked toward the lobby and out of the hospital.
 
They flagged down a cab.
 
As it weaved its way through the streets, they both were quiet, lost in thought.
 
He was thinking about the future, and instead of the restlessness that had overwhelmed him before he met Ellie, he knew he was happy.
 
He loved her more than he ever thought possible, and he would find a way to propose in a romantic and memorable way.
 
He just needed a little time to plan.

She unlocked the door while he was still deep in thought.
 
When she slung her arms around his shoulders, he became aware of her mouth inches from his, and he wanted to close that distance.
 
Need flared in his body, and he tucked her closer, closing the distance between them.

“I love you.”
 
Her voice was steady and strong.

The world stopped for a split second as he gazed into her eyes.
 
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but the words were caught in his throat.
 
Right then, he wanted to show her how much he loved her, before saying the words.
 
They broke apart long enough for coats and scarves to be shed and dropped on the floor, before they came together, gripping each other close.
 
He buried his face against her neck, sending shivers down her body and into his as he brushed his lips against the sensitive part underneath her ear.
 
His hands slid underneath the hem of her blouse, and when he encountered her soft, silky skin, he wanted to brand every inch of her with his touch, his lips.
 
He made quick work of the buttons, and when he met her eyes, hooded with need for him, he was lost.

“I need you, to be as close to you as I can get.”
 
His words came out scratchy and deep.

“Please,” she begged.

Her blouse fluttered away when his hands released the thin fabric to travel up her sides and cup her full breasts.
 
His mouth caught her moan as he unclasped her bra and slid his thumbs against her swollen nipples.
 
Their tongues tangled, driven by an urgency that wouldn’t relent, and the only sound in the apartment was their heavy breathing.

A loud groan reverberated deep in his chest as she placed her hands on his naked chest.
 
He’d been so caught up in her skin under his hands that he’d missed her unbuttoning his shirt.
 
Without moving his lips from hers, he shrugged out of his shirt and clutched her, naked, against his body.
 
He lifted her into his arms and marched them toward the bedroom.
 
His mouth never left hers.
 
She caressed him as they walked, tantalizing his nerve endings until he was driven almost mad by his need to claim her as his.

“You have too many clothes on,” she teased.

A growl, long and loud, was the one response he could give at the moment.
 
He glided her down his body, driving the desperation pounding at him into overdrive.
 
He reached for her, unbuttoning her slacks before he shoved them down her legs.
 
As he knelt before her, after casting aside her pants, he groaned as he spotted the pretty white lace panties.
 
Another groan, this one louder than the first, erupted from deep in his throat, as he leaned toward her and kissed her bare stomach.
 
He inched his way down, until her breathing was perceptible, and teased her, never quite reaching where she needed his touch the most.

“Lucian,” she pleaded.

His fingers slid under the edge of the lace, and he leaned in to place his mouth just below her belly button.
 
He hooked his finger into the side of her panties and ripped them off of her body.
 
He raised his right thumb, brushing it against her clit; his need flared out of control when she called his name.
 
With several more tantalizing brushes against her, he replaced his thumb with his tongue, and caught her as her knees gave way.

He settled her on the bed.
 
He scooted down her body, brushing against her soft skin, until he settled between her thighs.
 
As he held her legs open with his wide shoulders, he leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her bundle of nerves, growing harder as her moan echoed through his body.

He whispered her name against her sex, before he suckled her clit into his mouth, instinctively knowing how she liked to be touched.

For the next several minutes, he became lost in her moans and addicted to her taste as his tongue traveled down her lips and lapped up her sweetness.
 
Her shivers intensified, and he knew that she was close.
 
He brought his mouth back up to her clit and suckled hard.
 
As he felt her body tighten and snap, he watched as her head was thrown back in a silent scream as her pleasure washed over her.
 
He savored her taste for several more minutes, but he stood and shucked his boxer briefs and pants before he settled against her, his entire body primed and ready.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him close to her, as his mouth found hers.
 
Both of them were breathless as he lowered his hips, and entered her with one swift thrust.

“Oh, you feel so good,” she gasped.

He captured her face in between his hands and as his body moved in a rhythm that built tension, his mouth devoured hers.
 
Each movement was easy and meticulous, feeling as though he hit every nerve ending to find her pleasure.
 
She urged him to go faster by tightening her legs around him, but he refused to be rushed.

“This has to be perfect for you,” he said through clenched teeth.

“I love you, Lucian.
 
Every moment with you is perfect.”

His groan broke free at her words, and he slid his hands down to cup her bottom.
 
Each time he drove down inside her, he lifted her hips up to meet his thrust.
 
Her moans grew louder as she clutched onto him.
 
Their eyes met but their bodies kept striving for a release that threatened to set them on fire.

“Harder.”

His control snapped and all thoughts of holding back flew out of his head.
 
He wrapped her in his arms, his face buried into her neck, as he plunged inside her with abandon.
 
They both breathed the other’s name, pleasure overwhelming every sense, every thought.

With one last surge, he groaned her name as her inner muscles gripped him, and felt the moment her orgasm washed over her.
 
He held himself deep inside her as he found his release, knowing that his entire world was wrapped in his arms and she had stolen his heart the moment his eyes caught hers.

As he rolled to his side, pulling her until most of her body was draped on his, he waited for their breathing to slow.
 
He rolled onto his side, draping his leg over both of hers, as he slid his fingers through her hair, catching and keeping her gaze.

“I love you, Ellie.
 
I’ve been in love with you the moment we met, and there won’t be a moment in our lives together that you won’t know that.
 
I’m sorry it took so long to tell you what I’ve known all along.”

She laughed before she threw her arms around him, pulling him tighter and burying her face in his shoulder.
 
“I’m so happy,” she whispered.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

“Whenever you want.
 
I would love to be your wife.”

“We’ll start planning tomorrow, and we’ll have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of.”

She shook her head.
 
“I’ve never thought about what kind of wedding I wanted, but as long as we’re together, I’ll agree to anything.”

He hauled her close, rubbing his hand up and down her back.
 
“I’ll love you forever,” he promised.

Chapter Twenty-Three

As Ellie stood in the master bedroom of Lucian’s lavish penthouse, nerves that had started early that morning still fluttered inside her stomach as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

She couldn’t believe that she was getting married in less than fifteen minutes.
 
A smile bloomed on her face as she glanced down.

Her eyes roamed over the wedding dress that Lucian handpicked, tracing over the delicate lilac and white flowers delicately sewn on the lace train.
 
The dress fit as though made for her, and as she straightened the tiny straps on her shoulders, her eyes glanced at the lovely fabric wrapped around her.
 
Her hands continued down to the delicate embroidered bodice, loving the feel of the dress on her body.