Deeper (The Real Fling) (9 page)

“There.” He flipped a switch in her that no one ever had. She couldn’t passively wait for him. Adriana rode him to a hard gallop. “More.” Faster and higher her fervor grew, until it erupted, spilling in torrents, flooding her and him. The pleasure so intense it caught her breath.

Val pumped more. “You’re so tight.”

Arching her back, she howled, “Come with me. Come now.” She wanted to feel him let go inside of her.

“So wet. Christ.” His body stiffened for a second, then began shuddering rhythmically. His hips slapped against her butt as he rammed faster until he let out a strangled sigh.

When their orgasms ebbed, Adriana collapsed on his chest. His heart drummed erratically, or was that hers? He pressed his lips on her forehead and peace blanketed their entwined bodies.
Holy hell that was awesome.
She’d never been this bold. What was it about Val that brought out the wild side in her?

*     *     *

Adriana awoke with a start.
Where was she? Light from a fireplace flickered in the unfamiliar bedroom.
Val.
They’d fallen asleep. He was still under her. A blanket was thrown across her, but it wasn’t necessary. Heat rose from him, warming her.

Crap
. Had she drooled on him? She tried to wipe her face but her shoulder had stiffened and any movement of her free arm caused pain.

“You okay?” Val kissed her cheek.

“I can’t…can’t move. And I think I drooled all over you.”

“Is that what feels so good?” Gently, he lifted her and laid her down.

He got a button-down shirt from his closet and sat in front of her naked. Every inch of him was gorgeous. When had she ever been this aroused by the sight of a man? She tried not to look at him while he looped her arms carefully in the shirt and buttoned it up, but it was impossible. Her willpower was nonexistent when it came to Val. Logic ceased to exist, and all that was vital was being with him, bathing in his scent, listening to him speak and submerging in everything that was him.

He searched her face. “What’s wrong?” His eyes seared into her soul.

I’m going under.
“Nothing.”

Leaning down, he kissed her, tracing her lower lip with his thumb. “Going to get you ice and some medicine. I should have given you a pill before. And we need water. Always water out here.” He kissed her nose and between her brows. “Do you want anything else?”

“What pill?”

“Prescription ibuprofen. You hungry? You must eat with it.”

“Not really.” She got out of bed. “Aren’t you going to put a shirt on?”

“Why?” he teased. “I think you’ve seen everything already, a few times. Is my naked body embarrassing you?”

“Hardly. It’s just distracting me into wanting to go another round.”

“Not yet, but if you keep talking to him I am sure he will be ready in an instant.” His dick swelled before their eyes. “Yup, there he goes. Good boy.” Val took his dick in his hand.

Adriana covered her eyes. “You’re talking to
him
?”

“You provoked him.” Val embraced her. “Besides he does not really require encouragement with you in the room.” His voice was raw and husky.

The crown of his shaft was poking her lower abdomen. “Hey.” She angled her hips back from him. “Get that thingy away from me.”

He laughed and gripped her ass, drawing her closer. “Not what you said a little while ago.” Val kissed her, their tongues melding together. He squeezed her bare bottom and she writhed against him.

Val backed up, lust glazing his eyes. “Maybe I should put a shirt on. Otherwise we will never stop.”

She scrunched her nose. “I’ll behave if you do.”

“What fun would that be,
printsessa
?” The haunted look in his eyes, so acute when she’d seen him at lunch, was fading. He was lighter, almost ebullient.

“True.” She winked and went into the bathroom.

He called out, “There are new tooth brushes in the drawer to the right. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Laughing at her reflection, she surveyed her red, chafed face, swollen lips and the love bites on her neck. What a mess. But she’d never seen herself look so satisfied, complete, and glowing. How did she get here? She’d always been so guarded and logical, but vanquishing caution was thrilling. She felt alive and awake for the first time.
Incredible.

But at what cost? What was going to happen when she got back to New York alone?
Stop, don’t ruin it.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and scrounged around for some moisturizer to soothe her skin. Her swollen shoulder was already turning a dark purple. She had to keep icing it or it would take forever to heal. Her long hair was curling up. Thank goodness there was relatively no humidity in Colorado, snow or not, or she would’ve ended up a frizzy-haired mess. She found a small jar of Vaseline and put it on her lips and her brows, taming them into submission.

Adriana went into the bedroom just as Val came up the stairs, tray in hand. He set it on the bed and poured them each glasses of water. “I brought up the laptop.”

“Oh no, I forgot.” She rushed toward it. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Val propped the pillows up against the headboard, and Adriana climbed into the bed. He wrapped an ice pack around her shoulder and pushed pillows around her to keep it in place. Shivering, she took her pill.

“Hold on.” He added another few logs to the fire and stoked it until it was roaring.

“I didn’t think this through.” Smiling sheepishly, he held out a bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. “You are freezing and I brought ice cream.”

“Sit next to me and I’ll warm up. Your body’s freaking hotter than any fire.”

“Hot as in sexy?” He got rid of the tray and slipped under the covers next to her.

“Oh brother.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I think there’s a picture of you in your naked glory with that sexy smirk you like to sport next to the word ‘cocksure’ in the dictionary.”

He laughed with abandon and it was stunning. “I have a sexy smirk?” He snuggled closer to her.

“That’s all you heard?” She turned on the computer.

Val spoon-fed her.

“Yum.”

“Glad you approve.” He took a big bite. “I do ice cream well. Or is that too cocky for you?”

Resting her head on his shoulder, she inched closer to him. “So how many sisters do you have?”

“Three. I am the oldest. Did that tell you something?” He fed her more ice cream.

“Yup. Explains a lot.”

“Oh, like what?” His voice was thick with pleasure.

“Like why you’re so bossy.” She giggled.

“I’m not bossy.”

“Yeah…right.” The ice cream was good. “Why’d you guys move to the States?”

“My father wanted the best.”

“Why Colorado?”

“The slopes.” He shifted in bed. “My parents bought a small hotel near Copper Mountain.”

“Nearby.” She locked eyes with him.

“Yeah, I had my own place on their property. When my father…” He gulped. “Well, my mom wanted to be near my sisters and their families, so we sold everything and she moved to New York.” He put the empty bowl and her ice pack on the night table and scooched down to lay his head on her arm.

She slid one hand on the side of his face and cradled his cheek. “What about you? Where’d you settle after?”

“Nowhere.” Yawning, he closed his eyes and his breathing steadied almost immediately.

What did that mean?

*     *     *

It was well past three
a.m. when Adriana was ready to hit send. Her fingers shook as she hesitated over the enter key. This was an all or nothing proposition. Either they were going to applaud her ingenuity and drive, or they were going to be furious that she knew about the reorg prematurely. So what if they were livid, she’d be gone.

Val opened his eyes and yawned. “You done?”

“Yeah.”

He sat up. “Did you send it?”

“Not yet.” She had to take a chance. She’d jumped in with Val, and no matter how it ended, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
No regrets
.

“Do you want a second set of eyes?”

“Okay.” Inhaling, she turned the computer toward him.

He read her proposal slowly as if he was soaking it all in. A few times he nodded. A moment later his lips curled as if he was amused. Finally, he turned toward her, his eyes were glistening. He nodded. “It’s good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, babe, send it.”

Adriana clicked send, put the computer away, and slipped in next to Val. He hugged her to his chest and they fell fast asleep.

An hour later, she woke with a start. The fireplace was still crackling but the light was dim. Val was next to her shaking. Tremors rocked him, as sweat trickled down his face. His head whipped left and right.

“No,” he cried out. “
Nyet
.” His face was stricken; his hands were balled in fists. “Papa.”

Val punched the bed. “Help,” he sobbed. “Help.
Nyet
. Papa.” Howling in agony, he rocked back and forth. “No,” he wailed again.

She kissed his chest. “Wake up, Val.” She patted his arm. “Val.”

He went rigid and his eyes flew open. He was looking at her, but she wasn’t sure he saw her.

“Val?” She clamped on his wrist. “Wake up. It’s me, Adriana. You were having a nightmare.” In the firelight, his streaming tears glittered like diamonds on his cheeks.

Blinking a few times, he wiped his face and turned away from her.

It crushed her to see his misery. “You all right?”

He nodded curtly and gulped a full glass of water down.

She sat up. “Wanna talk?”

Folding his knees up, he rested his head in hands and rocked.

She rubbed his back. He bristled at first but with each circle, his tension dissolved a tiny bit. She kissed his arm.

“Thank you,” he whispered roughly.

Tucking under the covers, she opened her arm for him to join her. He put his head on her chest, and Adriana brushed his wet face until he fell asleep. “Shh, I’ve got you. Sleep.”

‡

Early the next morning, Val,
dressed in jeans and a sweater, massaged his special balm into Adriana’s shoulder once more and helped her dress. He moved with a peaceful, easy calm, bearing no trace of the nightmare that had terrorized him a few hours earlier. “How does it feel?”

“Much better.” Adriana put on a pair of leggings and a sweater that she’d had in her backpack. “How come you’re not dressed for skiing? You promised to teach me how to ski in this crap.”

“You should probably give that shoulder a rest.”

Adriana jutted her chin out. “How much more snow fell last night?”

He shrugged.

“You’ve gotta be the only skier on this mountain who isn’t hanging on the last inch.” She laughed.

“Size is not everything.”

“Ha.” Adriana giggled. “For you maybe.”

His lips twitched like he was trying to suppress a smile. Val curled a lock of Adriana’s hair around her ear. “I thought we would get your things and bring them back here. Stay with me.” His voice was so raw and soft she barely heard him.

Being with him was like falling into quicksand. Each minute in was rooting her further into emotional danger, making it near impossible to save herself. “Do you think the pass is open?”

“No. Not yet.” Val leaned down and kissed her, a slow-sensual burning caress. “Please stay.”

Logically she knew she should at least go back to the condo, but she couldn’t leave this kind, considerate, wounded man. Not yet. She vowed to soak up every last moment with him until fate ripped them apart. “Kay.”

Tension rushed out of him. “Let’s get your things. I have a truck. Should we stop at the medical center and double-check your shoulder?” His brow furrowed.

“No, I’m good. I can lift my arm more than I could yesterday. Your special balm is working.”

Interlacing his fingers with hers, they left the chalet and entered the vehicle. Her condo was a few miles past Vail Village. The roads were snow-covered but sanded, and the snow was falling lazily. “You emailed them your proposal?”

Adriana’s stomach rolled. “Yes, I even hedged my bets and contacted the VP and directors in marketing services and sports marketing.”

“Sports marketing?” He turned to look at her.

“Yeah, our company sponsors all sorts of athletes. I figured I’d give it a try.”

“And if they don’t give you another shot? Would it be awful?”

She’d been so busy trying to keep her job that she’d never considered it.

“Do you love working there that much?”

“I don’t know.”

Val parked in front of the condo. They went in and found it empty. It didn’t look like Jackie had slept there last night, but some of her clothing was rearranged. Maybe she’d come back for a change of clothes? Most of Adriana’s stuff was still in her duffle. She packed up her toiletries and makeup and zipped up her bag, and Val put it in the truck.

“What do you want to do today?” His voice was low and husky. “Want to go snowmobiling? I could take you up to the Continental Divide?”

“Okay, but I don’t want to drive the snowmobile. My dad took me for a ride once and the thing skidded all over. I didn’t like that. Plus, I’m not sure I should push things with my shoulder.”