Awakening (A Dangerous Man, #1) (3 page)

I breathe in a lungful of air. My heart is pounding, and I
can hear the blood rushing in my ears, I want him to kiss me again.

He sighs and releases me. “I’d better take you home.” He
says, his voice tinged with frustration

My body stiffens in disappointment, which, I’m sure he can see
on my face. He traces a finger over my lip, sending a thrill of pleasure down
my spine. “I want you.” He says, his eyes devouring my face.

My body contracts with a delicious sweetness. “I want you
too.”

He chuckles at my shy words. “I can’t make any promises, Sophie.”
There is a rueful smile on his face. “You don’t deserve someone who will forget
about you the moment he is out of town.”

My body is aching with longing. While I am dimly aware that
he’s trying to warn me away, I don’t really care. “Will you forget me so
quickly?” I ask.

He doesn’t look at me. “I don’t know.”

I swallow hard, confused, and eager for him to continue what
he’s started. “What if I don’t care?” I ask in a voice that does not even sound
like mine. “What if I want you anyway?”

H
is eyes bore into mine in the semi darkness of the car. I
wait for him to say something. He doesn’t, instead he turns away from me and
starts to drive.

Soon we are at my place. I don’t know what he is going to
do, and I am reluctant to leave the car. I look up at him, unsure and hopeful.
He ignores me and steps out of the car, the next moment he is opening the door
at my side and helping me out.

He follows me upstairs, and as I climb the stairs, I keep
stealing glances at him. My heart is in my mouth, but I know what I want. I want
him.

Soon we are in my apartment, which is thankfully clean. I
feel a wave of gratitude towards Aunt Josephine for teaching me to clean up
after myself. In the living room, I am suddenly seized with panic and self-doubt,
what if my inexperience is too glaring, what if I disappoint him.

As soon as the door closes behind us, he pulls me towards
him. He pushes my hair away from my face and starts to kiss me all over my
face. He drops light feathery kisses on my eyes, my nose, my chin, his lips
move to my ear, and he sucks on my earlobe. I moan helplessly. It feels so
good.

He licks under my ear, making me shudder, then he lifts his
head and kisses me on the lips, thrusting his tongue into my mouth.

This kiss is sensual. His tongue explores my mouth, stroking
and tasting me, building heat in the deepest recesses of my body.

He pulls down the zipper of my dress, then his hands are
underneath it, skimming over my thighs, and moving upwards. He pulls the dress
over my head and tosses it on the floor. Grabbing hold of my thighs, he lifts
me, wrapping my legs around his waist. His erection presses against me through
my wet panties, and I press closer, wanting more.

He cups both my breasts in his hands, squeezing gently through
my bra, then rubbing my nipples between his thumb and forefinger, I sigh.

“Do you like that?” His voice is low.

I nod.

His hands move, and with one deft movement he unhooks my bra
and pulls it off my shoulders. Under his gaze, my aching nipples pucker up immediately,
extending towards his mouth. I tremble with pleasure at the look of frank
admiration in his eyes.

He bends forward and takes a nipple in his mouth, sucking on
it and licking it at the same time. I whimper and strain against the wall,
pressing my body harder against his bulging erection. He grips me, holding me
still with his hands on both sides of my ribs, and then continues to treat my
nipple. His tongue swirls around it, then he bites it gently, and then sucks
it. When I’m about to go mad, he moves to the other breast. I lose all my
senses to the sweet, sweet fire building between my legs. I rub frantically
against him. I need him to touch me there.

He stops suddenly, and with a finger under my chin, he lifts
my face until I am looking up at him. His voice is hoarse. “I am going to make
love to you now.” He says, “So if you want me to stop, tell me.”

I shake my head frantically, if he stops at this point, I’ll
probably die.

He smiles and covers my lips with his again. I barely notice
that he is unbuttoning his shirt. He sets me down and pulls off his trousers. I
lean on the wall, watching him. I can’t believe what a beautiful body he has,
the muscles of his chest are well defined, and his stomach is flat and firmly
muscled, my eyes skip to his erection, poking through his boxer briefs, I feel
a mixture of longing and dread.

“Your room?” He asks

I point in the direction of the door, and he picks me up, which
is good because I’m not sure I can walk on my rubbery legs. In my room, he sets
me on the bed, and presses a hand against the wetness in my panties, I moan and
my hips rotate all on their own, rubbing against his hand until he moves it away
and then slowly starts to pull down my panties.

I lift my hips to help him. As the panties go down, they
leave a wet trail on my legs. I look up at him, I don’t know where I find the courage,
but I reach towards him and pull at his briefs until his erection
springs free. I swallow. He is frankly the most beautiful thing I have ever
seen.

He pushes me down on the bed and straddles me. I can feel
his erection on my thighs. I want to spread my legs wider so that he can touch
me. Tentatively, I touch his chest, letting my fingers play with a nipple. I stop
in surprise as he closes his eyes and moans my name. Encouraged, I let my fingers
move over his chest to the other nipple.

He bends over me and kisses me again. His lips make a trail
down to my breasts. He presses my breasts together and sucks on both nipples at
once.

He moves lower, spreading my legs as his lips move over my
belly, I know what he is going to do, but nothing prepares me for it.

At the first touch of his tongue, my body almost vaults off
the bed.

“Stay still.” The words are a raspy command. He grips my
thighs and holds me firmly, then he licks me again. My body is squirming
against his tongue, I can’t stop moaning, or shaking. I lift my hips to his
mouth. I feel like I am going to explode any moment. “Please,” I hear myself
moan, “Please,” I hope he knows what I want, because I don’t.

His tongue moves in circles, slow then fast, licking, then
sucking. I dig my fingers into his hair. I am so hot, I can’t think anymore. “Please,”
I cry out. He ignores me. His thumb joins his tongue, and he is licking and
rubbing me at the same time. I lose control almost immediately. I groan, and my
body starts to move on its own, bucking and jerking against his lips as waves
and waves of pleasure sweep over me. I fall back on the bed, panting, my eyes
wide.

His tongue touches me again, and I can’t take it, I’m too
sensitive. My body jerks away, and I watch him through glazed eyes as he rises
up from between my legs.

I have gone to heaven, I think. My heart is pounding so loudly,
I’m sure he can hear it. My body feels unbearably sweet. I reach for him, and my
fingers move shyly over his length, there is some moisture at the tip. I rub it
and he groans loudly, stiffening. He pulls my hand away and spreads my legs
wider, sliding a finger into me, then two. The feeling is strange, but I like
it. I can feel my body begin to throb around his fingers. He pulls them out, and
I moan in disappointment, which disappears when he presses his tip into me.  

“Are you ready?” His voice is rough.

In reply, I press against him hungrily, letting him feel my eagerness
for him to fill my throbbing need. He positions himself on his knees between my
legs and grabs hold of my thighs. The tip of his erection digs deeper into me.
I rotate my hips, and he groans and drives in, filling me completely. I moan in
pain, clutching his arms as the burning sensation tears through me.

He freezes, but the pain is already fading, I can feel a slow
pleasure building at the strange sensation of him inside me, it is a different
kind of pleasure. I move a little, and he groans.

“Are you okay?” His voice is strange, harsh. I nod, “Please
don’t stop.” I whisper.

My words seem to do something to him. He leans forward on
his elbow and starts to move, sliding in and out, slowly at first, and then as
I start to moan, faster. I can feel a sweet sensation building up inside me
again, growing with each stroke. I run my hands down his back, and over his hard
buttocks, his body is slick with sweat, and so is mine. He picks up speed, lifting
my leg and rotating his hips as he thrusts into me again and again. I match his
movements, and hot pleasure floods my body spreading from between my legs, to
my back, my thighs and my belly.

I scream his name as my body explodes, he thrusts into me
one more time, driving in deep as he groans his release. Then he sighs deeply
and collapses on top of me, burying his face in my neck.

“You’re beautiful,” He says, before pulling me closer as he
turns to his side. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

T
he next morning I wake up with a start, certain that I have
had an erotic dream, but the warmth from the perfect masculine body wrapped
around me on the bed tells me that I haven’t.

He is lying behind me, his arm over my waist, my back perfectly
curved into his body.

We are spooning, I realize in wonder, and I revel in how delightful
it feels.

I move, turning around until I am facing him. His eyes open
slowly, his hair is tousled, and his eyes are groggy, but he is still so hot I
want to kiss him again. I stifle a giggle as I wonder what Aunt Josephine would
say if she could see me now.

“Good morning,” I say shyly. I can’t believe all the things
I did with him last night. I stretch, reveling in the delicious soreness of my
body.

“Good morning,” He looks at me for a moment, “How are you
feeling?”

“Great.” I smile, suppressing the desire to break into song,
or something equally ridiculous. “A little sore.”

He nods. I reach out and touch his hair, letting my fingers
play with the thick black silkiness. His lips curve a little.

“When do you have to leave for work?”

I frown, I have completely forgotten about work. “The shop
opens at eleven,” I tell him, “I usually leave about twenty minutes before
then.”

He turns to look at the alarm by my bed, it’s only eight am.

“When are you leaving?” I’m suddenly filled with dread.
Yesterday, I thought I would be satisfied with one night, a first time I would
not easily forget, but now, after last night, I know I am not.

“At noon.” He shrugs and gets up.

I want to beg him to take me with him, but I keep silent, I
don’t want to sound like a child. I watch admiringly as he walks towards the
bathroom. He has a beautiful body, tight, and firm in all the right places. I
wonder if he works out.

I stay in bed for a while, wondering if I have disappointed
him in some way. I remember what he said last night, ‘You’re so damn beautiful.’
The words probably meant nothing.

I get up, put on a robe, and go into the living room, our
clothes are lying around on the floor in a mess. I blush when I see my blue
dress crumpled near the door. I pick up all the clothes and place them on the
couch.

A weight of deep sadness descends on me. I try to imagine
the next chapter of my life in Bellevue, and I keep seeing his face. I wonder
if he cares what happens to me. Maybe he doesn’t, maybe he is eager to leave
and forget the eighteen-year-old worst sex he’s ever had.

Well I won’t forget, and I won’t regret anything either. It
was the best night of my life, and whether he leaves or stays will not change
that.

I am still deep in thought when the doorbell rings, startling
me. I wonder who it is. Nobody ever comes to my apartment. Aside from Stacey Carver,
I may well be an island. It’s a good thing, I decide, there will be fewer
people to miss when I’m gone.

I walk to the door and peer through the peephole. Eddie Newton
is standing there looking impatient. As I watch, he presses the bell again.
What does he want?

“Are you going to get that?” I turn around startled, and find
that David has joined me in the living room. He is pulling on his clothes, in a
few moments he is dressed.

I realize that he’s not going to go back to my room, so I
sigh in resignation and open the door just a crack.

“Hey Sophie.” Eddie looks relieved to see me. His face
relaxes from the frown it was wearing.

“Hey Eddie.” I am frowning. I have no idea why he is here.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” His words come out in a rush. “It’s
just, with everything that’s happened, I’ve been a little worried about you,
and my mom told me where live now. I just came by because I wanted to be sure
you are all right.

“I’m fine.” I tell him, certain that he is taking this worrying
about me thing a little too far.

He shifts from one foot to another, and I think for a moment
that he still looks like a child, which is ridiculous, as he is older than I
am. I wonder what he is waiting for, I start to say thank you and goodbye, but
his eyes skip over my head to something behind me in the living room.

His face hardens, “I see you have a guest.” His voice is suddenly
bitter, making it sound like an accusation.

I turn around, but I already know that David is behind me. His
eyes are locked with Eddie’s over my head, and as I turn back towards Eddie, he
looks away from David, his eyes skipping to mine, and then to the floor.

“I’m all right, Eddie,” I say to him, pitying him, “You have
no reason to be worried.”

“Are you sure?” His jaw is working, and he keeps his eyes on
my face, totally ignoring David’s presence. “Because if there’s anything you need
you should know that I would help.”

I frown, I’m not a charity case, but before I reply, David
cuts in.

“She says she’s fine,” His voice is clipped, and there’s a
note of annoyance underneath. “She doesn’t need you to take care of her.”

“And she needs you?” Eddie’s words come out in a sneer, and
my face goes red with embarrassment. I want to tell them both to stop talking
about me as if I’m not there. I don’t know what’s happening, but I want it to
stop.

“Eddie...” I start, but he doesn’t even seem to hear me.

“Don’t pretend that you give a damn about her.” He
challenges David. “We all know what happens now that you’ve had your fun, don’t
we?” He gives a small laugh. “The rich playboy strikes again, too bad you
couldn’t find someone your own age.”

David smiles tightly. He is not looking at me, but his smile
scares me. The smile freezes Eddie too, whose accusing words have now ceased.
“You should go now,” David tells him. “And try to remember that from now on
nothing about Sophie is any of your concern or your responsibility.”

For a moment, I’m sure Eddie is going to cry. He gives me
one last look, and then he turns and leaves. I shut the door quickly. As if by
doing so, I can make it as if the last few minutes didn’t happen.

I’m still trying to understand what has just happened. “I’ve
never seen him like that before.”

David’s eyes are on my face. “Really?”

I stare at him, feeling uncertain, there is an edge to his
voice that I don’t understand. “Really.” I reply.

“Really?” He’s moving towards me, I move back, but with just
one step I’m already backed up against the wall. He tips my chin up
until I’m looking up into his eyes, “because anybody can see that he’s in love
with you.”

“Why would he be in love with me?”

“You really have no idea, do you?” He sighs. “Somebody
should have told you how beautiful you are.” He says. “I promise you that as
soon as I’m gone he’ll be back to offer you his ‘help’ again.”

“I don’t want his help.” I whisper.

His eyes hold mine, and I can’t look away. As I watch him,
his hand moves into my robe, parting the thick material. His fingers stroke my
thighs, moving up between my legs, he massages me softly, and I part my legs,
letting him touch me.

I am so wet, his fingers stroke me easily, I moan softly,
moving my hips to meet them. I grab hold of his shoulders, breathless. He
doesn’t stop, a finger slides into me, slowly massaging me inside. He finds a
spot and applies more pressure. I groan, and he puts another finger in my mouth.
I start to suck on it, spreading my legs wider, opening myself to him. As he
drives me crazy inside, his thumb plays with me outside. Finally, I can’t take
it anymore. My body stiffens, and then I let out a thin scream as it shatters in
different directions.

His lips descend on mine, swallowing my scream. I gasp,
because the kiss is almost painful. It’s possessive, as if he is
stamping me with his ownership, but I don’t care, I want to be owned.

He presses me against the wall, and I can feel the firm push
of his arousal. I moan softly. His voice is harsh against my ear. “Don’t forget
who made you feel like this.”

I’ll never forget. “Take me with you.” I don’t consciously form
the words, they just come out from somewhere deep within me. Somewhere where
there is no shame, only desperation.

He doesn’t reply. I wonder what he’s thinking. I feel a
sense of shame at the thought of his rejection. His hands tighten around my waist,
and he pulls me close. I relax against him as he kisses my hair. He is so tender,
I brace myself for his refusal.

He chuckles suddenly. I wonder why, but I don’t want to
leave his embrace. “There’s one way you can come with me to Seattle.” He sounds
amused.

“How?” I’m ready to explore any options.

He considers for a moment. “How long does it take to get a
marriage license in the town of Ashford?”