Under His Cover-nook (13 page)

She swallowed, wondering if he was thinking about the same thing. Was he remembering the night of the wedding when he pushed in and out of her so deep it made her head spin? Or the time in the hotel lobby when he inched his finger inside of her and made her forget where she was? From the darkening of his eyes, she figured he was, and she turned away to stare out the window, wishing she had a glass of water.

“Are you still upset about coming with me?” he asked, breaking the silence, his voice deep and husky, making her nipples bead into tight buds.

Jade pulled in a deep breath and chanced a look back into his stormy gray eyes. “No. I understand why I need to go with you.”

“But you don’t want to.”

What the hell was she supposed to say?
Yes, I’d love to fly away with you and spend a glorious weekend in your arms and in your bed. But it’s a bad idea because I’ve already fallen half-way in love with you and I know that as soon as this case is over I’ll never hear from you again. I’m afraid you’re going to break my heart.
No. She couldn’t say any of that. “It’s irrelevant whether I want to go with you or not. I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it,” she said with a stubborn lift of her chin.

A day and a half later, Jade and Rhys entered the lobby of their hotel after the luncheon fundraiser he’d spoken at. His presence alone helped the Multiple Sclerosis Society raise over a hundred thousand dollars. The man had more depth than she knew what to do with. Each moment she spent with him, he seemed a little more extraordinary and she didn’t know if her senses could stand it any longer.

They moved over the beautiful Italian marble floor till they reached the elevator, Rhys’ hand at the small of her back.

“So, what would you like to do the rest of the day? Have you ever been to Chattanooga before?”

Small flutters coasted around in her stomach as his fingers made small circles down her spinal column. For some reason, he kept touching her and God help her, she liked it. “No. I’ve never been here before.”

He touched the button for the elevator and looked over his shoulder. “I saw one of those tourist brochure cabinets by the front desk. I’ll go take a look. Why don’t you go on ahead upstairs and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she said as the elevator doors glided open. She stepped inside and watched his retreating back. They had an empty day in front of them, and night.

When they’d arrived yesterday, she found out she would indeed have her own room, but it was in the same suite as Rhys’. All night he’d been just a few steps from her closed bedroom door, only a couple of couches and chairs between them.

As she slipped the key card into the slot and stepped inside, Jade stopped and smiled. Two dozen red roses, in a large crystal vase, sat on the table by the entrance to their suite. A silver embossed white card was propped against it with her name on it. She stepped toward them and as she leaned down to smell the bouquet, she picked up the card.

Thank you for coming with me. Rhys.

It seemed every day he slowly chipped away the ice around her heart. What was she supposed to do when he tied it in knots, made her body scream for seduction, and suckled at her lips as if he were a descendent of the person who invented the kiss? Rhys was a man who used his influence to make sure the boys and girls club had computers and text books and school supplies. Not to mention raising money for an organization so young people who suffered from a life altering illness had the adequate medical treatment and support they needed to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man like that?

Looking out the hotel window, Jade wondered if she’d made too big of a deal about the child he’d kept hidden from the rest of the world. Didn’t he deserve his privacy? Didn’t she deserve hers? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t taken care of her all these years. Obviously, the mother didn’t object. From their conversations about the young lady, she knew he loved her deeply and would do anything to protect her. Why should she criticize him for something that happened to him when he was still only a child himself? Hell, for all she knew, the mother wanted to keep it a secret.

She heard the soft click of the door and turned, a smile radiant on her face. He glanced at the side table and a grin spread across his too handsome cheekbones. “The flowers are beautiful, Rhys. Thank you.”

Jade didn’t stop and allow herself to think. She untied the belt of the asymmetrical dress she wore and allowed the dress to fall from her shoulders. When he reached her, she stood in front of him in a black lace bra and panties. She would have taken off the stiletto heels she wore, but she remembered that he liked seeing her in them. A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Do you mind?”

His answer was to pick her up in his arms and carry her into his bedroom. Light from the window bathed the room in gold. After he laid her down, he pulled back and unbuttoned his shirt. He threw it and his jacket toward a chair in the corner of the room. Once he was gloriously naked, he came down beside her and smoothed his hands over her feet, moving up her legs to rest between her inner thighs.

“Rhys,” she moaned. Little by little he’d worn her down. Every minute she spent with Rhys was a reminder he was what she secretly hoped for, wished she had someone all her own.

When he found the juncture between her legs, she lifted her hips, seeking his touch.

His mouth lowered to her stomach, and he kissed her lightly just to the right of her belly button. “We finally made it back to a bed,” he said as he began to slowly, seductively, remover her underwear.

After, she reached for his shoulders and drew him onto the bed until her breasts brushed the hard wall of his chest.  Each hour in his presence intensified her attraction like a link of pearls did for a simple black dress. It was difficult to resist a man when he kept up a consistent swarm of chatter, made you laugh, and was just so damn irresistible.

“You are so beautiful,” he gasped on a jagged breath before he reared up and licked the shadowed valley between her breasts. 

He found each peak and teased them with his fingertips before cupping each in his palms. Could he feel the hammering of her heartbeat against his flesh? With a delicate, deliberate touch, he brushed his lips over her nipples until she began to move frantically above him. Heat exploded deep in her belly. Her muscles clenched, ready to grip and hold and never let go. “Now,” she begged. “Rhys, please. Now.”

With some effort, he leaned back against the bed and tossed her a condom before linking his hands behind his head. “You take control.”

A grin on her face, Jade rose on her knees and took Rhys’ length in her hands and moved her fingers up and down his girth. The slickness of his pre-cum slid between her palms. Rhys gritted his teeth, and Jade reveled in the power she held over him as her fingers slid down.

Deep inside, tension mounted to an unbearable crescendo, Jade’s whole body shuddering with need. Lost to everything but want and desire, it was as if every flower in the world, in every imaginable shade of color, bloomed around her. And only Rhys was capable of bringing her to such a place. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him.

No more waiting.

After she slid the condom down his length, she lifted and on a whimper, guided him inside her. As his fullness completely filled her, an orgasm ripped through her. Jade squeezed him tight and moved up and down, up and down until the agonizing pleasure subsided.

When her gaze found his, he gripped her hips and rocked back and forth, slowly drawing himself in and out. “It’s my turn now.”

She skimmed her hand over his ribcage with tantalizing ecstasy, savoring every nuance of bone and muscle beneath her. The scent of his skin, familiar in a way that almost frightened her, zinged through her as she rose and fell, gripping him tight.

“Heaven help me, I can’t hold it back any longer,” he rasped.

He drove deep into her body as she worked her hips over him. When he growled his release, she covered his lips with hers and took his growl into her mouth.

To Rhys’ surprise, the Chattanooga air was uncharacteristically warm outside. So much so, he and Jade only needed a jacket to keep away the chill, and he enjoyed the lazy Saturday. He’d gotten used to spending his weekend afternoons alone, preferring the solitude. But not today, and the woman sitting next to him was the reason for that. Sure, he’d had to attend the afternoon luncheon, but the last few hours had made him forget all about that. Their afternoon together in the hotel room had been incredible.

He glanced over at Jade. She looked beautiful sitting next to him in the limo, the last of the days’ sunlight dancing off her features. In a pair of snug fitting jeans and a bright purple sweater, she looked relaxed and happy. Rhys wanted to kiss her so badly he glanced away in an attempt to allow the rest of the day to flow at her pace.

He’d been surprised and thrilled when she’d simply dropped her dress after he entered their suite. So he decided to allow her to make the sexual overtures the rest of the weekend. If she came to him, he wasn’t pushing her or manipulating her. It was of her own free will. Jade would be doing it because
she
wanted to, and he hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

He’d done his best to show her he respected her and valued her and that he didn’t just want her for sex. It wasn’t easy, but in the end, if it made her fall in love with him, it would be worth it. He was determined to stick with it and show her he was just a regular guy, not a playboy, and he was ready for a serious relationship. With her.

As the limo pulled up to the aquarium, the bright lights of the top of the towering glass structure lit up the sky. While he’d been down in the hotel lobby, he’d picked up a brochure and realized one of the exhibits at the aquarium would delight Jade to no end, so he’d called and requested a special showing. The director had agreed to temporarily close down the one exhibit for about thirty minutes so he and Jade could tour it alone.

When the limo stopped, she looked out the window and asked, “Where are we? I thought we were going to dinner.”

Rhys stepped out of the limo and stood back to help Jade out. “We are. But I wanted to stop here first. There’s something I want you to see.”

“These buildings are beautiful.” She pointed. “I love the odd shaped glass pyramids at the top.”

Rhys took her hand. “Come on. There’s something better you’ll like inside, I think.” 

Even though they wouldn’t stay to see the entire facility, Rhys did pay for tickets, and by also donating a large sum of money, used his influence to do something special for Jade he hoped she’d really appreciate.

He led her toward the entrance where they were ushered directly inside, and a guide led them to the exhibit he wanted her to see. Rhys held her hand because he knew the lights would be dim once they arrived as he’d requested.

“Here we are,” the young man announced. “Enjoy.”

The air was humid, so Rhys helped Jade remove her jacket.  When the lights shimmered on, Jade gasped. She let go of his hand and twirled in a slow circle. She made two more turns around him before she stopped and took one of his hands again, the other lightly touching the necklace and charm around her neck. The scent of foliage and tropical flowers filled the air. “How did you…it’s so…they’re so beautiful. There are so many of them.”

Rhys reached forward and grazed the tip of his finger over the white gold and amethyst butterfly charm lying against her chest. “You always wear one,” he said. “A butterfly charm. You wore a sterling silver one the day you came to my office to interview.” He paused as she slid forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her skin against his fingers jolted through his body like an electric current. So smooth and silky. Her scent was subtle and complex without being overpowering. “A diamond one the night of the Multiple Sclerosis dinner. But most days, you wear a simple gold one. I think this is the first time I’ve seen this one.”

“I can’t believe you noticed.” She leaned forward to kiss him.

He pulled her close, lost to everything but the softness and warmth of her lips, and deepened the kiss, allowing his passionate need for her to speak for itself.

She eased back. “Thank you.”

All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms again and kiss her until the turmoil in his chest flared into lust, but he stopped himself.

Jade spun around again, a radiant smile on her face, and began to explore the butterfly garden. He followed behind her, leisurely, as she moved from one portion of the garden to the next. From the expression of sheer delight on her face, he knew he’d found the perfect place to entertain her.

“Oh my goodness, look.” She pointed upward to a leafy green branch with yellow flowers. “It’s a glasswing. I’ve never seen one before, only pictures in books. The wings are like stained glass windows and reflect whatever they land on.” She stepped a little closer. “Oh. I wish I had a camera.” Wondering around some more, she exclaimed, “This place is like a tropical paradise.”

Rhys agreed. Everywhere they turned there was lush greenery, flowers, and overflowing waterfalls.  There was a scent of fruit because they put it out for the butterflies.

“Every butterfly I’ve ever seen in an encyclopedia, in a book, they have them here. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. Oh,” she marveled. “Look at those blue ones. Blue morpho, I think.”

Rhys watched as about twenty of them flew from one leaf to the next, back and forth, as if they were playing tag. He caught up to Jade and took her hand. “So, how did you grow this fascination you have with butterflies?”

A melancholy look shifted over her face, and she was quiet for a few seconds. “A childhood friend, Kellye.” She stopped walking, touched the necklace she wore, and looked down at her feet. “Wow. I haven’t thought of her in years.”

“You two aren’t still friends.”

Jade dropped his hand and moved forward and said quietly, “No. She died.”