Do Not Disturb (21 page)

“Jesus, do that again and I’ll give you anything you want.”

The strain in his expression fed her own desire, her pussy tightening around him and making his eyes close for several seconds. Then she repeated the motion, her fingernails digging into the skin at his wrists, not enough to break the skin but enough to mark him. She wanted to mark him, make him hers, even if it was only for this short window of time.

“Now give me what I want.”

His head dropped to cover her moan as he pounded into her.

Hard, fast, almost painful. Not hard enough.

Her back arched but his hands pinned her shoulders to the cushion, his hips keeping hers pinned to the chaise.

The wild desire that spread through her body nearly made her incoherent. It short-circuited every functioning brain cell and reduced her to a creature of pure sensation.

Every thrust made her cry out into his mouth, every retreat felt like a devastating loss. So much need inside her, it was almost frightening.

But she couldn’t shove it back in that black hole she normally kept it in. Her hunger was well and truly off the leash.

As was Dane’s.

She loved the sense that he couldn’t quite control himself. That his desire for her was too strong, too unruly. She loved the sound he made every time he pumped back inside, as if he was in pain and couldn’t get enough of it.

“
Fuck.
Tally, baby. Move with me.”

She obeyed without thought, lifting into his thrusts, making the base of his cock hit her clit at a different angle, one that made her body tighten with pure pleasure.

She struggled against his hands but didn’t want him to release her. She liked the struggle. And it seemed to turn him on. Though he didn’t hold her any tighter, his hips moved even faster.

Her clit felt like it might burst, so overstimulated from her first orgasm and from the one she was building toward now.

Still kissing him, she bit at his tongue, just a quick nip, and heard him groan. Ripping his mouth away from hers, he shoved his face into her neck and bit her at the soft curve into her shoulder.

Electricity zinged, pinging pleasure points through her body. She wanted his mouth on her breast, on her stomach, between her legs. Wanted him to shove his cock in her mouth and her pussy and her ass. To give her so much pleasure, she couldn’t stand it.

She already couldn’t.

After his last, huge thrust, he hit her clit at the exact right spot and she broke.

Oh, god, it felt like her entire body got zapped by an electric jolt, flowing through her until she couldn’t take it any longer.

Her body went boneless, even as he continued to pump into her. Even though she was spent, she still felt her body respond until finally, he stiffened, holding himself deep inside as he came.

Long seconds later, he lowered himself to stretch out on top of her.

Still trying to catch her breath, she wrapped her arms around his waist and let herself cling.

An unfamiliar droning sound woke Talia from a deep sleep.

She wanted to ignore it, but her subconscious wouldn’t let her. It kept prodding her.

Can’t be late. Get up, get up, get up.

She didn’t want to get up. She was warm and comfortable and wrapped in Dane’s arms—

A more familiar alarm began to sound. The bleat of her cell phone.

And her eyes flew open as she gasped and sat straight up in her bed at Haven.

“Oh, thank god.”

The words were out of her mouth before she realized she’d said them, but they were totally heartfelt.

She had a pathological fear that she’d sleep through her alarm one day and miss someone’s wedding.

And after last night . . . well, she’d set the bedside clock alarm right before she’d left for the Salon last night. She’d also set the small travel alarm and her phone.

Turning her head, she looked for the travel alarm, grimacing as she realized it was on the bedside table next to Dane, still sleeping like the dead.

Which he wouldn’t be when the alarm—

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Scrambling out of bed, she made a beeline for the alarm but wasn’t fast enough.

Dane’s hand emerged from under the covers to swat at the little plastic clock. Which flew across the table and off the other end.

“Shit.”

She froze at the end of the bed, biting her lip as Dane flopped onto his back and sighed.

With his eyes still closed, he looked adorably rumpled. His dark hair messy and covering his eyes. She knew he was naked under those covers and wanted nothing more than to crawl back beneath the sheets with him even though she knew she couldn’t.

No, she had the most important wedding of her life today. And that had nothing to do with the fact that it was for the heir of the Golden fortune and so much more to do with the fact that one of her best friends was getting married and had trusted Talia to handle the details.

“I’m really sorry I woke you,” she said to the unmoving lump of Dane beneath the covers. “I’m going to jump in the shower and get downstairs.”

After a huge yawn, which simply made him that much cuter, Dane ran a hand through his hair, settling it back into place in one swipe. Amazing.

Then he opened his eyes as he pushed himself up onto his elbows so he could smile at her.

Damn, she really didn’t have time to take care of the constant ache between her legs whenever he was around. Was there anything about the man that didn’t make her want to crawl all over him?

“Big day. You want some coffee?”

And he offered her coffee, too?

Be still my heart.

“I would love some coffee. Thank you. You don’t mind if I get in now, do you?”

“Not at all.” He flopped back onto the pillow. “What time is it anyway?”

“Seven,” she said as she continued for the bathroom. Naked and getting a little chilled, she started the shower and turned, intending to go back out and tell him to go back to sleep.

Instead, she gasped a little as she realized he’d come up right behind her. The next thing she knew he was kissing the last of the sleep away and making her body tingly and horny.

His hands spread across her back held her tight against him, his erection stiff and heated against her belly.

Moaning, she opened to him, not wanting to turn him down but knowing she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted this morning.

And still she wanted more, because he ended the kiss way too early.

“I know you’ve got a full plate today and I don’t plan to get in your way. I just wanted to give you something to remember me by. And to ask you to save a dance for me tonight.”

Aww, her insides got all gooey and her heart fluttered so much she thought it might be growing wings.

Damn the man, there had to be something wrong with him.

Then he smacked her ass, just hard enough to sting, widening her eyes as she stared into his. “I’ll order coffee but then I’m catching a few more hours of sleep, if you don’t mind. Brunch isn’t until eleven and if I get up now, I’ll just be in your way.”

“No problem.”

His smile took her breath away just before he leaned down for another kiss that took what breath she had left.

“Last night was amazing, Tally.” He ran a finger along her jaw, making her nipples pucker. “I sincerely hope we get a chance to play again tonight.”

He left without waiting for an answer, and she watched his naked, perfect ass until he closed the door behind him.

Holy shit.

Seriously. Holy shit. The guy was way too perfect. Too good to be true.

Shaking herself out of the fairy tale starting to unroll in her head, she jumped into the spacious marble shower stall, separate from the garden tub where she would love to spend hours lounging in hot, bubbly water.

Just not today.

Today, she had a wedding to run. And a routine to stick to.

After her shower, she rubbed herself with scented lotion, dried and styled her hair up and out of her face, and applied her makeup.

When she was happy with the finished product, she slipped on the underclothes she’d laid out last night then retrieved the dress she’d hung in the small wardrobe.

She usually wore a suit for her events, or if it was going to be warm and outdoors, a blouse and skirt.

Today, yes, she was working, but it wasn’t all about work.

Today was about celebrating her friends’ marriage. So she was breaking tradition and wearing a beautiful dress Kate had made for her last year for her grandmother’s eighty-fifth birthday party.

Sky-blue silk that perfectly matched her eyes in a retro fifties style that made the most of her slim frame and average cup size. She loved it and had had absolutely no chance to wear it since that party.

Open-toed silver pumps, diamond studs in her ears, and a two-carat diamond solitaire necklace her grandmother had given her for her twenty-first birthday completed her outfit. No perfume. Too many people had a sensitivity to fragrance these days.

Stepping back to look in the full-length mirror, she inspected herself with a critical eye. She looked good. Even better, she looked confident. Sometimes, that was half the battle. At least her dad had taught her one good thing.

A familiar guilt cropped up, one she’d learned to deal with simply by ignoring it.

Now, she pushed it out of her brain with practiced ease. She needed all her faculties firing in perfect order.

Deeming herself prepared, she took a couple of deep breaths, not because she was nervous but because this was part of her routine and, for days like today, sticking to the routine made sure she didn’t forget anything.

All she needed was her tablet, and that was in the other room.

Opening the door silently, she moved through the dark bedroom, resisting the urge to peek at the bed because if she did, she was afraid she’d get off track if she saw Dane.

The thought rankled, drawing a frown. That wasn’t her. She wasn’t like that, the kind to get bogged down with a man. She was smarter than that—

The lights flicked on and she turned to see Dane sitting up in bed, staring at her intently. “You look gorgeous. Damn, I didn’t think you could look any better than you did last night, naked and screaming my name. I gotta say, this is a damn close second.”

She couldn’t help that flutter again. Damn him. “Thank you. I think.”

“Oh, no. Thank
you
. Seriously.”

When he smiled like that, she wanted to shake her head at him and throw up her hands in defeat. And crawl back into bed with him.

“I really need to go.”

He grinned, lacing his hands behind his back so his naked chest flexed. “Don’t let me stop you. I actually enjoy watching you leave, as long as I know I’ll see you again later.”

Dangerous. So dangerous.
“And you know you will in about four hours.”

As if he sensed her impatience—with herself, not him—his eyes narrowed but he didn’t say anything more.

But he did smile. “I’ll see you at brunch. Sit with me.”

It wasn’t a request but it wasn’t quite a demand either. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

After a quick smile and a nod, she headed for the front room and her tablet, which she’d made sure had been charging all night.

Just before she left the room, she closed her eyes, took another deep breath, then opened her eyes and the door, ready to wrestle any problem to the ground.

***

Dane watched Talia stride through the private dining room where the bridal couple was holding the rehearsal brunch.

There’d been no rehearsal dinner because there’d been no rehearsal. Belle and Jed had spoken with the judge who was going to marry them a few days ago in the atrium, where the wedding would be held.

Annabelle had insisted on keeping the wedding small and, even though the Goldens occupied a spot on the list of the top 500 wealthiest American families according to
Forbes
, Jed’s parents had immediately agreed.

There’d be no press and only close family and friends, including Dane’s parents. The guest list topped out at a hundred and twenty.

No circus.

“You have the ring?”

Letting his gaze slide away from Talia, Dane turned to look across the table at Tyler and Jed, just in time to catch Ty’s rolled eyes.

“Yes, for the fourth time.” Ty patted his suit pocket. “I have the ring.”

Jed nodded, shaking slightly, which Dane knew was caused by his foot tapping under the table.

Dane couldn’t help smiling. He’d never seen his friend this rattled. Not even when they’d been called in front of their college’s morals committee. Dane had been sure they were going to be kicked out. Jed had smiled through the entire hearing.

“Jesus, are we going to need to medicate you?” Dane asked. “What’s got you so rattled?”

It was close to one p.m. and they’d already eaten. Belle, Kate, Sabrina, and Talia were talking in a circle with Jed’s parents and grandmother and Annabelle’s grandmother, Aurelia.

Belle was smiling, which was all that mattered, so Dane shifted his focus to Talia.

Who looked completely in charge.

Total turn-on.

Jesus, he hoped he didn’t get a hard-on now. Totally inappropriate. But damn . . .

“I’m not rattled,” Jed shook his head. “There are just too many moving parts to this damn thing and I don’t want anything to go wrong for her.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Dane nodded toward the group. “Talia has everything in hand.”

Ty and Jed turned to look at him and so did Greg, sitting to Dane’s left.

Damn, he’d walked right into that one.

Jed began to smile and even Ty cracked a grin. Greg just laughed. Which made Jed start to laugh.

“Dude.” Jed shook his head. “Thanks. I needed the laugh.”

Dane sighed and nodded. “Glad to be of service.”

“So things are going well with you and Talia?” Jed’s gaze now focused intently on Dane, who had the distinct impression he’d just thrown his friend a lifeline by diverting his attention onto a different topic.

“I don’t know what you mean by well. We’re dating.”

“Is that what they call it these days?”

Ty’s dry question made him laugh again. Dane didn’t think Ty was expecting an answer so he didn’t offer one.

But Jed seemed to be fixated now. “But you like her?”

“Of course I like her. What’s not to like?”

“Not a damn thing from where I’m sitting,” Greg said. “She beautiful, successful, and she looks like she’s got it all under control, even though you know an event like this has got to have more screw-ups behind the scenes than you will ever know about. But that’s what makes a great producer. And her events are most certainly productions.”

Dane agreed wholeheartedly. The brunch had gone off without a hitch, not a glass or a fork out of place. Each course served at exactly the right moment, and the room looked amazing. Hell, he’d even noticed the beautiful flowers on the table.

“I have no doubt she can handle anything you throw at her.” Jed smirked at him. “Including you.”

Dane just smiled back, letting Jed take his nerves out on him. Dane didn’t think Jed was nervous about marrying Belle, but there was definitely something else going on. Or maybe it was just the fact that it was finally happening that had him slightly freaked.

Didn’t matter. He’d get through it. Dane would be there to make sure he didn’t bolt before the ceremony.

Of course, when Jed looked at Belle the way he was now, having transferred his attention back to her, Dane had no doubt they’d be fine.

He and Talia, however . . .

Watching Talia work, whether it was dealing with the waitstaff or talking to the catering manager and the florist at the same time, made him realize just how in control she was most of the time.

And how she lost that control with him.

He liked that. A hell of a lot, actually.

As if she’d felt his gaze on her, her head popped up and she looked straight into his eyes. At the moment, they were the calm blue of the Mediterranean. Last night they’d been closer to stormy gray with passion.

He couldn’t wait to make them that color again tonight.

***

Focus, focus, focus.

Talia knew she shouldn’t be thinking of Dane today, but her subconscious had different ideas.

All through brunch, which she’d forced herself to sit through when all she wanted to do was double-check the decorations and the seating in the atrium, make sure the sound system worked for the third time, and that the specially made drapes covering the atrium windows had no gaps, giving the wedding party complete privacy.

Yes, the hotel staff was amazing and she was sure they’d done their absolute best, but Talia was still going to check every last thing.

She had a list, after all. And that list was king today.

Brunch had been the only item on her list that required her to sit down for more than a few minutes at a time.

And even though it’d been difficult to switch hats midstream, she’d managed. For Annabelle.

She might be biased, but Annabelle was the most radiant bride-to-be she’d ever seen. And she’d seen her fair share.