An Opportunity Seized (12 page)

“Worth the wait, I hope, luv?”

Toni heard the teasing note in Jason’s question. She didn’t care that she’d had to beg him, more than once for the orgasm that had just rocked her world. It had been worth it.

“Mmmm,” she mewled. “I guess so.”

“Just admit it, honey. That’s the best orgasm you’ve ever had.”

He sounded cocky, but Toni couldn’t fault him. It was the best orgasm of her life. And considering that Jason had also delivered Toni her second, third and fourth best orgasms he did have a lot to crow about.

“I admit it… You are a sex God and I’m the luckiest woman around,” she replied, trying to keep a straight face. Toni couldn’t, however, stop the giggle that escaped her lips when Jason nodded in agreement.

“How’s that ego doing?” she finally asked when her fit of the giggles ceased.

“Ego is just fine, but my cock…now that’s another story. Up on your hands and knees, woman. This is going to be hard and fast.”

Jason lifted her into position. It was like she weighed no more than a feather the way he manhandled her and Toni loved it. The sensation as he entered her from behind, primitive, dominant—she was under his control. Jason crouched over her as he drove his cock into her. It was all she could do to keep her hips in the air. Toni dropped her head down to the bed and enjoyed the carnal ride. Jason strummed her clit with just the right amount of pressure to bring her to the edge again. “You’re coming with me, luv,” he whispered in her ear, his voice strained, breathless.

She didn’t think it was possible, not after the force and potency of her last orgasm, but before she knew it Toni’s body was soaring again.

“C’mere, luv,” Jason said, as he positioned Toni snuggly into the curve of his side, his arm around her waist and his hand splayed out over her tummy. ”We need to get some shut-eye.”

That’s how they remained until the next morning.

Chapter Thirteen

He was fucking Toni on a beach, the white sand warm against his back as he plunged his cock in and out of her pussy. Toni was sitting on top of him, her bountiful tits bobbing up and down in sync with the rhythm of their thrusts. The bleating noise in the background was annoying him, though, distracting Jason from the pleasure he was experiencing. Getting louder.

“Answer your phone, Jason,” a voice said from beside him as he felt an elbow poke his ribs.

The dream faded away, much to his disappointment, as Jason realized Toni was the owner of the voice, and she was lying beside him, her leg flung over his own. More disconcerting, though, was that Jason realized he was still in Toni’s bed.

Having found his pants and recovered his phone from the pocket, Jason answered the call. The irritating bleating noise ceased. Toni made a sighing noise and snuggled into her pillow—it was a beautiful sight and one Jason thought he could get used to seeing each morning for as long as he lived.

“Beck,” he finally managed to squawk.

“Well, hello there, sleepyhead, I hope I haven’t interrupted your beauty sleep.” The sound of Nathan Haven’s voice attracted Jason’s full attention immediately.
Shit
. He’d forgotten all about reporting in last night.
What the hell time is it now anyway?
He looked around Toni’s room for a clock or some way of determining how long he and Toni had been sleeping. Jason could see through the gap in the curtain that it was daylight outside.

“Nathan,” he replied trying to sound normal.

“I guess you’ve caught up on sleep now. Not feeling any effects of jet lag, buddy?” Nathan enquired, his voice sounding way too friendly for Jason’s liking. Nathan Haven was usually blunt and to the point when he called. Even though he and Jason had a history and were close friends, their telephone conversations were rarely chatty. Neither man worried about the usual pleasantries when dealing with the other, so Jason knew something was up.

“I got some sleep,” he replied non-committally.

“Yes, so I heard. Frank Grimaldi’s exact words were and I quote, ‘My daughter and your best man must be very worn out—neither stirred when I went to call them for dinner. In fact they seemed very comfortable in each other’s arms and I haven’t seen so much of my daughter since the day she was born.’” Nathan paused, obviously giving Jason time to absorb the full meaning of his words. “I actually wrote it down exactly as he told me, so I didn’t forget anything he said. What the fuck are you doing, Jason? Not only are you banging the man’s daughter under his own roof but it’s not like you to miss the sound of someone sneaking into a room. What if it had been the fucking un-sub?”

Nathan had been roaring so loud by the time he’d finished his rant that Jason had moved the phone away from his ear but he hadn’t missed a word.

What the hell was he going to do now? How would he face Frank Grimaldi? Jason was still old-fashioned enough in his beliefs that he understood it was disrespectful to fuck a man’s daughter under his own roof—unless you intended to put a ring on the finger of the man’s daughter.
I could offer to do that—tell Grimaldi I want to marry Toni. Yeah, he’s gonna love that option. That’s if I even get the chance before he gets me thrown off his property. Maybe if Toni and I speak to him together, explain how we feel about each other?
That line of thought was quickly quashed when Jason realized Toni had never even told him she loved him. It wasn’t like she was going to agree to marry him just so he didn’t feel guilty about her father knowing they’d slept together.

“You still there, Beck?”

Once again the sound of Nathan Haven’s voice recaptured the attention of Jason’s wandering mind.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Jason replied a little more sheepishly.

“Well, why don’t you and the little missus get your butts out of bed and join us
all
in the breakfast room. Can’t believe this place has a room set up just for breakfast. Oh and, Jason, don’t forget to put some clothes on first.”

Jason did not miss Nathan’s emphasis on the word ‘all’. It looked like he was about to face the firing squad. “Right. We’ll be down in five,” he told his boss before adding, “I’m not surprised, Nate, the house is big enough to eat a meal in a different room every day for a week, maybe more.”

After Jason had disconnected the call, he woke Toni.

“Honey, time to wake up, luv. We need to get down to the breakfast room. Everyone is waiting for us.”

Toni opened her eyes slowly. Jason could see she was digesting what he had just said and by the way she hurled herself up from the bed, he guessed that she understood.

“Who is waiting for us, Jason? And who was that on the phone?”

Jason didn’t hesitate to answer Toni’s quick-fired inquisition. Usually he bristled up when a woman got demanding or too inquisitive. Toni was different.

“Nathan called to let me know our presence was required and also to point out that I’m losing my touch. Apparently I missed your father’s visit to your room last night. Not much of a bodyguard if I don’t hear someone enter the room—or leave it again.”

It was really worrying Jason that he’d not heard Frank enter. He usually slept so lightly that the slightest noise stirred him, but last night he’d been dead to the world. Nathan was right—if it had been the maniac who’d sent Toni the explosive parcel he might have done her some real harm before Jason had had the chance to stop him. The knowledge did not sit well with him.
Maybe I need to step aside, let someone else take over. I couldn’t bear the thought of Toni getting hurt, let alone on my watch.

The sound of Toni laughing interrupted Jason’s thoughts—he hadn’t been expecting that reaction from her. Maybe she didn’t understand what he had said, that her father had caught them in bed together?

Toni could not stop laughing—the look on Jason’s face was priceless. Her big, strong protector—the man who had made love to her for hours last night, his touch inciting responses in her that no man would ever be able to reproduce—was terrified to face her dad. He really didn’t get it. She did not care what her father thought. Her parents could go jump if they had any negative opinion about her choices. This was the new and improved Toni. She wasn’t going to let her parents get in the way of what she wanted anymore. And Toni wanted Jason. Her biggest fear was not her mother or father. It was learning Jason’s true feelings for her.

“Don’t look so worried, Jason.” Toni thought it was time to put Jason out of his misery, and time to let him know how deeply she wanted them to be together. There was also the important fact that she had fallen in love with him to disclose.
Better to know now before I start a fight with my folks over him. I need to know for sure that there is something worth fighting for here.

“I don’t care what my family think about us, good or bad. I love you, Jason. Everything else is irrelevant—the money, this house, the company. I don’t need any of it to be happy. I have my job teaching and I hope I have you as well. That is all I need.” There, she’d said it. She’d stood up for what she wanted and strangely, Toni didn’t feel nervous. She felt calm and strong as she waited for Jason to reply. The fact that she’d been stark naked as she’d made her declaration had not even registered.

Jason was staring back at her. Toni could tell by the way he was fidgeting about that her words had made him uncomfortable—her Jason was not the fidgety type.

“Toni, I don’t know what to say to you… How can you love me? You hardly know me.”

That was where Jason was wrong, Toni did know enough about him, knew what kind of man he was. “I don’t know all there is to know about you, Jason, but I’m guessing it takes a lifetime together before you can say you really know someone. But I know a lot. I know you are thirty years old, you served for ten years in the Army, did three stints in Afghanistan where you saw and did things that give you nightmares. I know your usual
modus operandi
is to leave a woman’s bed after sex because you didn’t believe in love, as a result of spending your childhood listening to your parents quarrel and rip each other apart. How am I doing so far?” Toni asked before continuing, not really needing to hear Jason’s reply just yet.

“You never wanted a woman to get past the emotional wall you put up, that is, until you met me—we’ve spent the last three weeks curled up in each other’s arms and you haven’t broken a sweat about it. There’s been sweat, but for very different reasons altogether. I also know you are the type of man that could not let a woman suffer the trauma of getting shit on by a goose without coming to her rescue. You open doors for me, you talk to me, we laugh together, love exploring historic sites together and we have explosive, phenomenally satisfying sex—and you snore.” Toni paused to take a breath, gather up her resolve. She only hoped that she’d finally broken through that wall she’d just mentioned and that what she was about to say wouldn’t come back and kick her in the teeth—or heart.

“But if I’m wrong and I’ve just imagined all that about you, wrong in thinking that you do have strong feelings for me no matter how scared that makes you, then tell me now, Jason. I can take it. I sure as hell don’t want to make a fool out of myself any longer, in front of you or my parents.”

“You remembered everything I ever told you?”

Toni couldn’t help it. She rolled her eyes.
After everything I just said, that is the best he can come up with?
She nodded as indication of a yes to Jason’s question.

“I think I’m in love with you too.”

He’d said it so quietly Toni wasn’t sure she’d heard right, thinking maybe her imagination was playing games with her. She needed to know for sure. “What did you just say?”

“I said I’m in love with you too, Toni. And you’re right. I’ve never felt this way before. No woman has ever made me feel this crazy—this out of control. I hate being away from you for even a minute. Just looking at you turns me on. I’ve been walking around with a semi ever since I first laid eyes on you. More than that, I’ve never felt so comfortable talking about myself with anyone. You know more about me than Nate and I’ve known him for over ten years. I’ve fantasized about being with you when we’re both old and gray but I can’t give you any of this…” Jason lifted his arm and waved it about, obviously indicating through his action that he was talking about her room, her life.

“I hear you when you say you don’t need any of it, but what if you change your mind? What if your father disowns you? Are you really ready to live your life struggling to make ends meet on a teacher’s wage and my meager salary?” Jason added.

“You need to listen more carefully, Mr. Security Man. I’ve already told you this more than once. But I will repeat it again, this time
real
slow so you can keep up. I. Don’t. Care. About. Any of this. I. Love. You.” Toni mimicked Jason’s action by waving her arms around just as he had done. “And for the record, my teacher’s salary isn’t all that bad.”

He smiled. Toni smiled back.

“You really are hot when you get all testy, luv. Come give me a hug. I love you, baby.”

She didn’t hesitate—happily wrapping her arms around Jason’s waist, Toni buried her head into his chest. It was becoming her favorite way of standing. Her heart felt like it would burst. It was beating so hard and fast she feared her chest would rip clear open. It was better than any dream. This gorgeous, sexy hunk of a man—one she could never have imagined showing any kind of interest in her—had just declared he loved her. Nothing could spoil this moment for her.

* * * *

Hand in hand they walked into the breakfast room. Toni had laughed about the way her mother called it that, saying it was just her mother’s way of showing off in front of company and that they also ate other meals there.

Nate was the first to notice them. “Well, glad to see you finally deigned to join us, Beck. Hope we didn’t pull you away from anything important.”

Yep, Nathan was really pissed off—he always used ‘Beck’ when he had the shits with him.

Ignoring his sarcasm, Jason responded, “Sorry we took so long. Toni and I had a few things to discuss first. I think the traveling finally caught up with us last night. We crashed and burned, but we are both feeling wide awake now.”