The Secret Heiress (17 page)

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, blowing steam off his tea.

“Oh . . . nothing really,” she said. “The tea and brandy and the fire are just making me a little dreamy, I guess.”

Matt slid next to her on the couch and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Do you mind sharing your dreams with me?”

Ariadne felt her heart leap, and a frisson of excitement ran through her body. She remembered when he had kissed her near the restaurant, the feeling of his sensuous lips on hers. She inhaled his distinctly masculine aroma, a compelling and erotic scent that was all him. “My mind was just wandering,” she replied vaguely. “I was just thinking about your house. How beautiful and comfortable it is.”

“I’m so glad you like it,” he said softly. He began stroking her back, and Ariadne could feel his breath on her neck. The urge to reach out to him was irresistible. She set her tea down on the coffee table, then relaxed on the couch, letting her head rest against the cushions.

Matt leaned over and kissed her lips gently, and Ariadne emitted a sigh of pleasure, kissing him back, her lips hungry for him. Matt parted her lips with his tongue and began exploring with more passion, then put his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. Ariadne ran her hands up and down his back, feeling its muscular strength through the flannel shirt he wore. Their breathing grew more rapid as they kissed deeper and harder, their tongues meeting and parting, again and again.

She felt his warm hand slip beneath her sweater and stroke her back, then move to her breasts, where he began gently caressing her, his fingers searching out her exposed cleavage. He found the clasp that held her bra in place, between the two cups, and undid it. “Hmmm,” he breathed as his hand swept softly over her freed breasts, tenderly touching her nipples, which were fast hardening.

Ariadne moaned with desire, anxious to feel his bare flesh against her flesh. The outside world and its concerns had seemingly vanished, leaving only the two of them and their desire for each other. She felt him draw back gradually, reluctantly removing his hand from her breasts and his mouth from hers.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said softly.

She nodded silently, and when he stood and offered her a hand, she took it. He pulled her to her feet and led her up the stairs to his bedroom. Picking up a remote, he hit a button, and the fireplace blazed, casting a lovely light into the darkened room. Turning to her, he helped her slip her sweater over her head, then removed the bra that dangled from her shoulders.

“You’re so beautiful, Ariadne,” he said. “So beautiful.” The firelight danced on her body, and he could hardly take his eyes off her as he quickly unbuttoned and removed his shirt, then slid his T-shirt over his head.

Ariadne drank in his broad muscular shoulders and robust chest, with its thatch of dark hair between his pecs. His torso tapered down to abs that, unsurprisingly, were well-defined.

He put his powerful arms around her, drawing her close, and she relished the feel of his hard masculinity against her softness. He began kissing and licking her ears, then slowly moved down to her neck, passionately kissing its length before running his tongue over it as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His hands found her breasts, and he cupped them gently before leaning down and kissing each of them. Ariadne moaned as his tongue began delicately flicking her rosy nipples, teasing her mercilessly, her passion for him mounting.

He paused and drew back again. He looked into her eyes and smiled. “Here,” he said. “Sit on the bed.” He led her there, then took off her thick socks, her jeans, and finally her panties. When she was completely naked, he drew in his breath sharply, his eyes running up and down her body. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on the blond thatch between her thighs. He stood up then, and quickly took off the rest of his clothes. When he was completely naked, he stood in front of her, his manhood fully engorged. Ariadne reached out and took it in her hand, and Matt swooned with desire, tilting his head back, letting her caress him.

Then abruptly, he took her hand in his and removed it. “You’re driving me crazy,” he said.

Ariadne smiled triumphantly, pleased to see her effect on him.

“Let’s spread out,” he said. He pulled the pillows out from the cover and piled one of top of the other. Ariadne lay on her back, her head propped up slightly on the pillows. Matt got on the bed, getting onto his knees between her legs. Gazing down at her, his eyes explored her pale flesh with relish. “You are so beautiful,” he said again, “and I want you so much.”

Leaning over, he kissed her breasts, first one, then the other, teasing her nipples with his tongue again. Ariadne felt a damp readiness between her thighs. “Matt, oh, Matt . . . ,” she whimpered. “I want you, too. Oh, yes. I want you.” His tongue trailed down to her navel, circled it, then moved on down to her golden pubis. He kissed it and licked it, then sought out her wet lips and licked them tenderly before finally entering her with his tongue.

Ariadne cried out with erotic delight and put her hands on his head, her fingers stroking his dark curly hair. Pushing herself against him, she moaned and groaned with a newfound pleasure. No one had ever given her such joy, and she had until this moment doubted that such a feeling of utter carnal bliss existed. Matt’s tongue delved and explored vigorously, as if he’d found a treasure that he could never let go of. When he gradually withdrew, Ariadne rasped, “Please, please. I want you.”

He mounted her, his mouth on hers, kissing her with wild abandon. Then he slowly entered her, and Ariadne cried out again. Her passion was such that she thought she would have an orgasm at any moment, and as he began to fill her with his manhood, she threw her arms around him tightly, holding him against her with all her might. She never wanted this to end. Never. She had never felt anything like it before, and she knew that it was because she wanted him—Matt—like she had never wanted any other man.

He began thrusting in and out, his speed increasing, and they moved in a wild erotic rhythm, giving in to their desires completely, letting go of any inhibitions that they might have had. Ariadne felt her muscles begin to contract, and she cried as she felt her body orgasm, overwhelming her with its power. Matt let out a loud bellow, and she could feel his cock spasm inside her, again and again, as he exploded, his body heaving against hers, pumping mightily as he emptied himself.

“Oh, my God,” he rasped breathlessly. “Oh, my God, Ariadne.” He wrapped her in his arms and lowered himself against her, his body, like her own, slick with a sheen of perspiration. He laughed breathily. “Thank . . .
you
. . . I have never . . . come like that. Not . . . in my life.” He kissed her, gasping for breath as she was, then squeezed her tightly and lay still atop her.

She stroked his back as she caught her breath, listening to his pants, inhaling the erotic scent of their sex, her body sated, her mind still whirling with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that she’d never experienced.
No,
she thought.
Not like this.

When at last he could speak, Matt whispered, “You . . . you are the greatest. I feel like the luckiest man alive. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you, but I never had any idea it would be like this.”

“I didn’t, either,” she said. “And I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

He kissed her tenderly. “I don’t want to move,” he said. “Ever.”

She laughed softly. “We’ll have to sometime, won’t we?”

He leaned back and looked into her eyes. “Next week maybe?”

She hugged him to her. “Too soon,” she murmured.

He was supposed to take her back to the dorm Saturday evening so she could study, but Saturday turned into Sunday. It was finally Monday morning when they got back in the Jeep and headed toward Williamstown.

T
he streets in the meatpacking district, once a no-man’s-land in downtown Manhattan, were crowded with hip trendsetters on their way to restaurants and bars in the now-fashionable part of town. When Bianca emerged from the company limo, Frans was waiting for her on the sidewalk in front of Pastis, the chic bistro where she’d asked to meet.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted her, putting his arms around her and kissing her with passion.

“Wow!” she said with a laugh. “It’s good to see you, too.”

The restaurant was crowded and noisy, but a table in a corner had been reserved for them, as Bianca had requested. They sat side by side at the small table, and he took one of her hands in his and kissed her. She wanted to give him her news in a public venue, where it was unlikely he would make a fuss.

The waiter appeared. “Anything to drink?”

Bianca ordered a glass of chardonnay.

“You, sir?”

Frans looked up at the waiter and smiled. “Water,” he said.

“Still or carbonated?”

“Tap,” Frans said.

The waiter smiled and left.

“Oh, you’re being so good,” Bianca said.

“I have to be,” Frans replied. “You know that. I don’t dare gain an ounce of weight with all these photo shoots lined up, so it’s water and tuna in water nearly all the time. Besides”—he looked at her and smiled sadly—“I want to stay as clearheaded as possible.”

Bianca stroked his cheek with a hand. “You’re always clearheaded,” she said, “if a little too trusting.”

“I know. I still can’t believe how
evil
some people are.”

He didn’t even want to say Nikoletta’s name, Bianca thought. After she had finally called him at Adrian’s urging, she’d discovered that he was truly heartbroken. Their reunion had been swift, and every day had been a joy since then, but they were keeping their relationship very quiet. When Frans moved in with her, she didn’t tell a soul, not even her father.

“How did the shoot go today?” she asked.

“It went really well,” he replied. “How was your day?”

“Okay,” Bianca said, “but I’m about to OD on new information.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been given a big new assignment,” she said. “It’s the first one with this new position.”

“What is it?” Frans asked with interest. “You look excited about it.”

“I am,” Bianca replied. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. One of those assignments that could make a lot of difference in people’s lives. At least that’s what I hope.”

“What—?”

The waiter reappeared with their drinks and placed them on the table. “Are you ready to order?” he asked.

“I’ll take the steak,” Bianca said, pointing to the one she wanted on the menu. “Rare. And the fries.”

“That’s all?” the waiter asked.

Bianca nodded.

“I’ll have the same steak, also rare,” Frans said, “and a salad with nothing but greens. Olive oil on the side.”

The waiter nodded and took their menus away.

“Now,” Frans said, putting an arm around her shoulders, “tell me about this assignment of yours.”

“Well . . . ,” Bianca said, clearing her throat, “I’m going to Ivory Coast to work with—”

Frans removed his arm from around her shoulders and sat up straight in his chair. “Ivory Coast!” he exclaimed. “Isn’t that where they’re having that civil war?”

“Wait a minute,” Bianca said defensively, clutching his hand in hers. “Don’t get too excited about it. I will have guards, Frans. Armed guards. I will be well protected. And—”

“I’m telling you, it’s very dangerous there, Bianca. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. I mean, what would you be doing there anyway?”

“Calm down,” she said. “The company produces cocoa for chocolate there, and what I would be doing is trying to convince the farmers and planters to let their children go to school rather than work.”

“What?” he said in bewilderment.

“I would be trying to stop the use of child labor. Don’t you see how this could help those children?”

Frans nodded. “I understand that,” he said, “and I know it’s a worthy cause. But, Bianca, what if something happens to you there?”

She grasped his hand again. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, darling.”

“I—I couldn’t go on living without you,” he declared miserably. “I mean it. When I thought I had lost you, I didn’t want to live anymore, Bianca. I really didn’t.”

“I know that,” she said, stroking his hand. “And I don’t know what I would do without you, either, but this is something that I feel like I have to do, Frans. Surely you can understand that.”

He nodded. “Yes, of course, but it still scares me.”

“You are so sweet,” she said. She reached down into the small shopping bag she’d brought in with her. “I brought each of us a present.”

“Oh, come on,” he protested. “You didn’t have to do that, Bianca.”

“Oh, yes, I did,” she replied. “Look, these are to help put your mind at ease.” She handed him one of the two small packages. “Go ahead and open it.”