First Taste of Darkness (3 page)

Swallowing, eyes heavy with desire, she did. 

He spread her legs wide and put his mouth on her.

“Blake!” Her hips arched up against him. Hell, yes, but he loved the way she responded to him. There was no holding back. Fast and wild and—

Her body bucked. He knew her orgasm was close. Already. Damn. Blake eased away from her. He licked his lips again—and tasted her once more.

His cock was so full he ached.  “This time, I’ll feel it when you come.” 

Her eyes met his.  The gold was almost gone, swallowed totally by the darkness of her pupils.

He grabbed for his wallet—and the protection he kept there. Her breath came in fast, hard pants.

He took care of the protection, then he pulled her against the edge of the pool table.  He drove into her, as deep as he could go.   

She moaned and her body tensed.

He hesitated, afraid that he’d hurt her.

He
never
hurt a lover. He held back his strength, locked tight to his control…

Blake withdrew.

But I have no control with her.

“I’ve never wanted anyone this way,” her voice was husky and low. “This isn’t me. Why do I feel this way?”  And her sex tightened around him.

Fucking paradise.

Her body felt like hot silk closing over him.

“Jess?” Blake gritted her name. Sweat covered his brow. He needed to drive back into her, to plunge again and again and again.

Her legs rose. Curled around his hips, urging him closer.

Hell, yes. Blake stopped holding back. He let go. He thrust into her, driving as deep as he could go.  Her sex was slick and tight and perfect—so perfect.  Her gasps and moans filled his ears.

Then her climax hit. He felt her delicate, inner muscles squeeze tightly around his cock.

Yes, that’s what I wanted.

He erupted within her. 

The pleasure swept through him, hitting like a tidal wave, consuming and sweeping him the fuck away.

His body shuddered as he pumped into her. Blake was used to pleasure. Pleasure was a way of life for him. But this…

He thrust again. Again.

Too good.

He kissed her and he swore he could taste her pleasure.

His heart thundered, pounding fast and hard, and he kept his cock buried deep inside of her.

The pleasure slowly ebbed.  Her legs slid down his hips. 

“I…um…thank you,” she whispered.

Blake’s head lifted as he frowned down at her. “Why are you thanking me?” Blake asked. He still didn’t leave her body. He didn’t want to.

Her eyelashes flickered. “Because you’re the best lover I’ve ever had.”

He searched her gaze. No subterfuge. No secrets. When he looked into Jess’s eyes, he just saw…her. “Baby, my goal is to fucking ruin you for any other man.”  And he was surprised by the truth that had just slipped from him.   

“Is that always your goal?”

Blake eased from her body.  “No, but you’re different.”  Again, a truth.

She slid from the pool table. Her body trembled.

He scooped her up. Held her easily.  His gaze rose, following the spiral staircase that led up to his room.

His bed.

He headed for those stairs and his hold tightened on her.

“Blake?” Jess whispered as her fingers curled around his neck. 

He glanced back at her. Got lost in the gold of her eyes.  “We’re not close to being done.”

Like he’d told her before, they were just beginning. 

***

Carson Anderson stared at the drops of blood on the floor. He wasn’t surprised that Blake had injured his attacker.  Blake Landon wasn’t the suave businessman that he presented to the world.

That image was a cover.
A lie.
Blake Landon was very, very good at lies.

The man’s life was more about danger and secrets than most people realized.

And it’s my job to make sure those secrets don’t come back to bite him in the ass.

His job was to cover for Blake. To protect him.

No matter what the consequences were.

Blake Landon wasn’t a man who ever cared much for consequences.

Blake had his empire, and nothing else—
no one else—
mattered.

That was why Blake’s enemies had an unfortunate habit of winding up dead.   

***

Jess tip-toed down the spiral staircase—
a spiral freaking staircase
—and headed back down to the den. The suite was insane, and so totally beyond her.

When she’d first walked in the place, she’d been too distracted by Blake to really take things in.

But now, for just a moment, Jess paused and let her gaze sweep around the lavish suite. 

A grand piano was to the left, waiting at the edge of the den. Leather couches were positioned perfectly near a massive TV. A juke box sat near the pool table.

The pool table.
Jess felt  heat burn her cheeks.

Her gaze jerked from that pool table and she focused on the dining room that connected to the den. That marble dining table had to seat at least a dozen people.

The suite was easily three times as big as her home.

Three times.

She didn’t belong there.

She didn’t belong with Blake.

But she’d sure as heck been enjoying herself.

Jess continued padding softly down the stairs.  Blake was in the upstairs bathroom, and even though he’d told her not to move, she’d slipped away.

The sheet was wrapped around her body, and her knees wouldn’t stop trembling as she eased away from the stairs. 

What am I doing?

Escaping to Vegas had seemed like such a great idea.  A way to get free from all those prying, pitying eyes back home in Seaport.

And spending the night with Blake? 
Another escape.

Only now everything seemed…different.  She could still feel him inside of her. On her.  As if the man had somehow marked her—

“You know we aren’t done.”

His voice, so low and deep and dark, came from above her.  She glanced back and saw him at the top of the stairs. Watching her.  His eyes glittered. 

Her lips curved as she stared up at him. No, they weren’t done yet. Darkness still reigned, and Jess was discovering that she enjoyed the darkness. 

With his gaze never leaving her, Blake stalked down the stairs. She backed up a bit, getting close to that giant, floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the city.

Desire burned in Blake’s eyes. 

Then he was right before her. His hands closed over her shoulders. Warm, strong hands, slightly callused at the fingertips. The man might be rich as sin, but he didn’t spend all his time working behind a desk.

His fingers slid down her body, pulling the sheet away from her. It hit the floor with a soft flutter of sound. 

She started to turn toward him.

“No.” His growl stopped her. “Put your hands on the glass.”

But, as much as she liked the view, part of her was a little scared of it, too. They were up so high. “Blake, I just don’t—”

“Tonight, I want you to trust me.”

He didn’t realize just how hard it was for her to trust anyone.

“I’ll keep you safe, Jess, I swear it. I’ll only give you pleasure.”

A man had never sounded so tempting.

And her hands lifted. She put them against the glass. The pane was colder than she expected. Cold and smooth, and his warm hands were on her hips. 

“I’m going to lift you up,” he said, still in the voice that seemed to reach deep inside of her. “I want you to keep your hands on the glass. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got you.”

I’ve got you.

He lifted her up. Positioned her. 

Drove deep into her.

She was still wet from her climax. Her flesh still so sensitive from the release she’d had.
Releases.

He slid in deep, filling her completely.  The feel of his thick length inside of her was so good. So amazingly, perfectly good.

Her toes skimmed the lush carpet.  Her palms pressed harder against the glass. She stared out at the city, at all of those glittering lights.

The room behind her was dark. But… “Can anyone see me?”

He hadn’t moved inside of her.  No, actually, he had—he’d gotten even bigger.

Her inner muscles clamped down on him, squeezing eagerly.

His fingers tightened around her hips. “Does it fucking matter?”

“Y-yes…”  Because she’d never done any kind of exhibitionism in her life. She was the shy girl. The quiet one in the corner.

The girl who was—
oh, wow, he’d just slid back and thrust even deeper—

Her eyes squeezed shut.  His right hand came around the front of her body, and while he thrust, while he drove her absolutely insane with his cock, his fingers slid over her sex. Found her clit.

“No one can see you. Just me.  I’m not the type to share.”  His mouth was on her neck. Licking. Kissing. Biting?

Yes, she felt the sting of his teeth, and that bite turned her on even more. 

“Remember that,” he ordered.

Uh, she wasn’t going to remember
anything
the guy was saying.  Every muscle in her body had tensed, and if he’d just move his fingers—

He did.

Blake
knew
exactly how to use his hand. Oh, sweet sunshine, he
did.

“Open your eyes,” he told her.

How had he known that she closed them?

But when her eyes flew open, she saw their reflection in that glass.  His face was hard and tense, his body curving around hers. 

He drove his cock into her again.

She came, shuddering, exploding, riding a wave of pleasure more intense than anything she’d ever felt before.

“You feel incredible.”  He pressed a kiss to her neck.  “I love it when you come around me.” 

She couldn’t breathe.  Or, she could, but her breath came in wild, panting heaves. Because he wasn’t done. He was still thrusting. Even harder than before.

But his hand lifted once more. Curled around her hips. He lifted her even higher.

Her hands slid across the pane of glass.

“Not done,” he growled.  Then he was thrusting. Hard and frantically, driving deep into her core, and Jess loved it.

She came again, crying out his name just as he erupted within her.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.  His arms closed around her and he pulled her back against his chest.

And she was pretty sure, that, yes, he’d
definitely
ruined her for other guys. Especially the only-do-it-missionary types back home. 

Blake held her in his arms. Jess knew she was living a fantasy. That time on this dream was running out as the night ebbed.

But right then, she didn’t care.  She’d take the dream, and she’d hold tight to it. 

***

Dawn.  The faint light spilled onto the bed, waking Jess from sleep. Her body ached, and as she cracked open her eyes, she saw that she was alone in the big bed.  The sheets were rumpled, the pillow still bore the impression of Blake’s head, but he was gone.

Just for the night.

His words whispered through her mind as she sat up, pulling the sheet to her chest. 

She’d never had a morning-after like this. Mostly because she didn’t
have
mornings-after.  Jess swallowed as her gaze darted around the room.

Then she heard the rush of water, coming from the shower.

He hadn’t left. He was just showering.

Well, of course, the man hadn’t left.  It was his suite. She was the one who was supposed to slip out. That was the way situations like this worked. Or at least, she thought they worked this way.

Still keeping the sheet around her, Jess slipped from the bed.  Cautiously, she made her way to the den. Yep, there was her dress. In a puddle right near the window where they’d—

I will never forget last night.

She had a feeling that, for the rest of her life, she’d be comparing every lover that she had to Blake Landon. Sadly, she was afraid those lovers were going to come up short.

The guy had definitely succeeded in his mission. 

Jess hurriedly pulled on the dress.  Her panties—crap, where were they?  Blake had taken those in the car. She glanced back toward the bedroom.  Had the shower shut off? 

Did she want to face Blake right then?

She wasn’t suave enough to handle this scene. Was she just supposed to shake his hand, maybe give him a hug, and tell him thanks for a good time?

An unbelievable good time.

No way. Jess scooped up her shoes and raced for the door.  Their night was over, and it was time for her exit. The suite’s door shut behind her with a soft click.

So what if she was more fleeing than exiting? It wasn’t as if she and Blake were ever going to see each other again. 

Her hand pounded onto the elevator’s button. “Come on, come on…”

Ding.

She couldn’t help it, when the elevator doors opened, she tensed. Thanks to last night’s encounter with the gunman, Jess didn’t think she’d ever view an elevator the same way.

But the elevator was empty. She jumped inside, pressed the button for her floor, and, when the doors closed, Jess let a relieved breath escape her lungs.

Blake Landon was an unforgettable man, and he’d just given her the best night of her life.

And to think…if her fiancé hadn’t dumped her three days ago, last night would have actually been her wedding night. 

Instead, it had been something wicked, something wild…something perfect. 

Something dangerous.

***

The bed was empty.  Blake stood in the bathroom doorway, a towel wrapped around his hips and steam rising in the air around him. “Jess?”  He raised his voice as he said her name.

There was no answer.

Eyes narrowing, he stalked forward.  The bed was wrecked. He’d been insatiable for her last night.  Once hadn’t been enough. Not for him.

Quickly, he searched the suite. The golden dress was gone.
She’s gone.

The woman wasn’t supposed to try and run away from him.

You aren’t getting away, Jess.

He reached for the phone.  Had the hotel manager on the line in an instant. “Jess Delaney,” he bit out her name. “I want to know her room number, and I want it
now.
” Because she’d slipped up the night before when she said this place was
her
hotel.