Hold Me Close (18 page)

“I’m afraid to ask what that might be. I don’t have much experience in normal.”
 

“I don’t either, but I know this. I've lived with a lot of fear and anger for a long time. I don't want to do that anymore. I need you and I need you now.”

Chapter Fifteen

Bonnie snuggled under the comforter and stared at the ceiling. Dex had been true to his word and whisked her out of Purgatory the moment they exited the employee lounge. Gabe hadn’t uttered a word in protest. Instead he crossed his arms and smiled. She could only imagine the gossip after they left.

Now she was in Dex’s bed, in his posh apartment above his tattoo shop, still in shock over the events of the night before. The sex had been explosive, but the time they spent talking, about his life after the violence and her dreams about school and a future career, had been the best part. He pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair while she talked. And when he was busy telling her his stories, she traced all of his tattoos with her finger. They fascinated her.

Despite their decided lack of sleep, she was too restless to lie there and do nothing. She wanted to explore. There was so much about Dex’s life she couldn’t wait to see. The rest of his apartment, his tattoo shop.
 

She slid from the bed without waking him and padded across the room. She’d go to the bathroom and then check out his kitchen. Coffee first and then she’d see if she could scrounge up some breakfast. In the living room, she bent down and scooped up their clothes as she went and draped them across a dining room chair. The table was covered by dozens of amazing hand-drawn sketches that drew her inexplicably. She especially loved the tiger in mid-leap with his teeth bared. The detail was breathtaking.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a piece of another one that looked like an ocean. She pulled it free and came to an abrupt seat in the closest chair. She vaguely remembered seeing this drawing while on Eden. It had been on the table he bent her over.
 

Except at some point he’d added it to it. There was now a woman off to the side on the beach. A naked woman.
 

Her.
 

“Beautiful, isn’t she.” She hadn’t heard Dex approach until he whispered into her ear.
 

“It’s me. Outside your window.” She still couldn’t get over the way he’d drawn her. It was adventurous and erotic and he'd made her beautiful.

“I told you I couldn’t get you off my mind. I meant it.” He nuzzled her neck. “Good morning by the way.”

She smiled, not tearing her gaze from the art. “Morning. I was just about to see about coffee and breakfast.”

“Coffee yes, but I had something else in mind for breakfast.” He shoved the papers aside and lifted her onto the table, pressing her onto her back. The cool wood startled her.
 

“Dex.”

“Yes, just like that. You keep saying my name while I snack.” He crushed his lips to hers in a hard kiss filled with intensity that overtook her senses. His tongue slipped between her lips and she melted under him. If this is how he wanted to wake up every morning who was she to say no?

He pulled away from the kiss. “I still love you, Bonnie.”

Oh hell, one little sentence and her body came to full on blazing life as if the last eight or so hours hadn’t even happened. “I love you too, Dex. I mean, Sir.”

“Glad to see you still have manners in the morning, my pretty girl. Now lie back and spread those gorgeous legs for me.”

She did as she was told, completely exposing her pussy to him. The way he looked at her caused a shiver of desire to shoot up her spine. His hands went everywhere, stroking and caressing her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach and only stopping just short of the apex of her thighs. His hands grabbed each one in a tight grip before he blew on her sex. She writhed from the onslaught of pleasure his warm breath created across her center. Would she ever get used to how he affected her? He was turning her into an insatiable monster just like him.
 

His fingers spread the lips of her sex and he kissed her there with a feather light touch. She grabbed his hair. “Dex. Dex. Dex…”

He kissed her again, this time lingering a moment longer on her clit. His tongue touched the engorged bundle of nerves.

“
Dex.
” Already the tightening of her core began to build. The man knew his way around her body and it didn’t take long for her to want much more.

The light touches ended and he licked at her in earnest. Every stroke went far beyond her sex. She felt it everywhere. Her thighs, her stomach and her breasts. He’d lit the fuse and it couldn’t be stopped now. Pleasure poured through her.

“Dex,” she cried one final time before she lost all control. Her legs shook, her inner muscles clenched and she clawed at his back all while he incessantly worked her over.
 

He stood and lifted her legs over his shoulders. She still couldn’t speak but she didn’t need words to see what he felt. The look on his face said it all. Love, lust and awe. What a difference twenty-four hours made.
 

He leaned over her and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth, leaving a light taste of herself on her lips. She didn’t understand why he didn’t see how gentle of a lover he truly was. Whether they were in a scene, or simply making love like now, he always took care of her.
 

Her hands roamed over his shoulders and upper back. The flexing movement of his muscles excited her. She reveled in his strength. Riding high and feeling a little needy for more, she slid her arm between their bodies and grasped his erection.

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Dammit, Bonnie. I need to be inside you now.”

“Please,” she said, whimpering.

His hands were everywhere again. He dipped his head and grasped a nipple between his teeth and bit down. Bonnie arched against him as the contrast of pain and pleasure worked over her. She couldn’t breathe again.

With his mouth holding her captive, he pushed inside her in one achingly slow stroke that forced her muscles to give way. Every step of the way, he watched her, never taking his gaze from her face. Would she ever get used to the intensity of this man?

They’d both made mistakes in life, but each and every misstep is what brought them closer to this moment. What they were today was created by how they handled their pasts. And not for a minute did she believe he’d become something he wasn’t.
 

He thrust deeper and pulled her from her thoughts. “Stay with me, Bonnie. In my apartment. I think you’ll like it here.” He withdrew to the tip and stroked in again, making her moan as he caressed her nerve endings in ways a toy never had.

“The building is close to the college so it will make your life easier.”
 

“Yes,” she said through heavy breaths. “Whatever you want. Just don’t stop.”

He smiled down at her and she decided then and there she had to make him do that more often. “Never going to stop fucking you my, Bonnie sub. Not today, definitely not tomorrow. Or ever.”
 

His hips picked up their pace and Bonnie gave up on trying to talk. It was overrated anyway. Especially when Dex made her feel this good. Pleasure coiled through her as they raced together to the edge of bliss.
 

“Come for me, Bonnie.” His softly spoken command was like a flip of her switch. Her body tensed as the shimmering wave of a beautiful orgasm washed over her.
 

“Feels so good.” He fell right behind her, pumping in rapid, unrelenting strokes. It was a beautiful sight to behold and one she planned to watch every chance she got.

Neither of them could move for a long while. Their breathing slowed and their skin cooled. She loved the sensation of his weight pressing down on her after they were done. That flesh-to-flesh heavy connection always gave her comfort.
 

Eventually he withdrew and disappeared into the bathroom, returning minutes later with a warm cloth to clean her. Someday soon, she would find a way to make him acknowledge he truly did take care of her. He was the perfect gentle, bad-ass Dom.

He lifted her from the table and carried her back to the bedroom. “Just a little more rest and then we’ll face the reality of the day.”

“And maybe a real breakfast?” she asked.

“Are you kidding? That was the best breakfast ever.”

Bonnie laughed and snuggled under the covers. He had a point about the rest. She was worn out.

“Dex?”

“Mmmhmm.” His voice was fading as sleep once again started to take him under.

“Will you hold me close?”

His eyes didn’t open but a wide grin crossed his face. “With pleasure.” He tucked her in his arms and wrapped his body around her just the way she liked.

As it turned out, Dex had been the Dom of her dreams after all.

*****

Thank you so much for reading!
 I hope you enjoyed reading HOLD ME CLOSE as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I'm hard at work writing my next romance, but while you are waiting I invite you to check out all the books I have available to read in the meantime.

If you haven't read all of the books in my Purgatory Club series, may I suggest you start there? Here they are listed in published order, however, they do stand alone:

ROPED 
(Leo, Quinn & Katie)

WATCH ME 
(Rio & Emerson)

TEASED 
(Walker & Cass)

BURN 
(Zane & Ruby)

BOTTOMS UP 
(Riley & Jenn)

HOLD ME CLOSE 
(Dex & Bonnie)

You can see the full list with links on the 
books
 page of my 
website
.

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*****

Invitation To Eden

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March

Master of the Island by Lauren Hawkeye

April

Random Acts of Fantasy by Julia Kent

Yours Truly, Taddy by Avery Aster

Escape From Reality by Adriana Hunter

May

Hydrotherapy by Suzanne Rock

Fight For Me by Sharon Page

His Fair Lady by Marian Tee

June

Breaking Free by Cathryn Fox

Hold Me Close by Eliza Gayle

Queen’s Knight by Sara Fawkes

July

How To Tempt A Tycoon by Daire St. Denis

Dare to Surrender by Carly Phillips

The Capture by Erika Wilde

August

Rough Draft by Mari Carr

Blurring The Lines by Roni Loren

Return to Sender by Steena Holmes

September

Pleasure Point by Eden Bradley

Wild Ride by Opal Carew

Master of Pleasure by Lauren Hawkeye

October

Her Desert Heart by Delilah Devlin

Ivy in Bloom by Vivi Anna writing as Tawny Stokes

Thorne of a Rose by Kimberly Kaye Terry

November

Falling or Flying by R.G. Alexander

Elusive Hero by Joey W. Hill

Captive of Desire by Sarah Castille

December

Delicious and Deadly by C.C. MacKenzie

Pleasure Games by Jessica Clare

The Last Seduction by Jennifer Probst

Have you read Invitation to Eden's other June releases?

BREAKING FREE by Cathryn Fox

Spring Break at college is  supposed to be a time of fun and parties, but Alaska Rossi, AKA Jane Smith, is on lockdown thanks to her father’s mafia dealings. She wants only to  party down with the  rest of her classmates. At least her hot, darkly mysterious bodyguard— deep undercover as her dorm’s resident  assistant—gives her something to fantasize about during her boring nights in  confinement. When she wins a campus radio contest, and is gifted with  a special invitation to an exclusive island, she knows it’s her  chance to break free. After all, it’s a place where no one knows her name, so  what danger could  possible come to her? But when danger appears in the form of a masked man who takes control  of all her pleasures, tapping into her darkest fantasies, she begins to wonder  if her undercover lover, and the mysterious bodyguard who’s deep undercover, are one in the  same…