Kelly's Quest (NYC LOVE Book 2) (27 page)

My cheeks nearly split with a smile. I set my mittened hand over his and close my eyes, forcing more half-frozen tears to spill. A million different emotions swirl through my gut, each one louder than the last. Not knowing what to say, I remain quiet.

Theo’s thumb brushes my tears away. “Lately when I think about my future, I’ve started to picture you in it, at my side. And that means I have to accept your past, just as you’ll have to accept mine. You once told me people don’t always know how to forget, but if they have any kind of a heart at all, they can at least try their damnedest to forgive. I know you have a big heart, and I’m asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you to move on from our pasts together, as my girlfriend, and hopefully one day as something more. I’m asking if you could try to love me back, despite everything we’ve been through.”

I touch his jaw, smiling. “Are you crazy? I
already
love you back. More than you could ever comprehend. And I’m ready to be with you in every way possible.”

His eyes close, and he presses his forehead to mine. Unable to resist him any longer, I wrap my arms around his neck and bring him close, kissing him with tears still rolling down my cheeks. He hoists me into the air by my waist, knocking the wind out of me. Fueled with raging passion, he eagerly kisses me again as I slip down against him.

My heart skips merrily. There’s a good chance we’ll be okay after all.

Theo breaks the kiss before I’m ready, setting me back on the ground. “Your face is freezing.”

“Not when you’re kissing me.” I dust my lips over his, teasing them with my tongue.

“This isn’t the only surprise I have for tonight.” He slips his glove back on before taking my hand. “The next place is
much
warmer, I promise.”

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I snap a few pictures of the light display before pulling Theo in for a few of us together. I kiss his cheek in the last one.

“Thank you,” I whisper, kissing him one more time. “This was all incredibly sweet.”

“Cavenaugh, you haven’t seen
sweet
yet.” Chuckling, he wraps his arm around my waist. “Just you wait.”

I walk in step with him, resting my head against his chest. “You know you don’t have to keep trying to outdo yourself. You already won me over with the trip to the zoo. As your girlfriend, it’s okay if we simply
hang out
instead of you trying to impress me all the time.”

“Trust me. You’re going to enjoy this surprise.” He kisses the side of my head before we slide into a town car waiting in the road and weave our way out of the park.

I sit as close to Theo as the backseat will allow, running my bare hand underneath his layers, across his hard chest. “You know, since I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m head over heels in love with you, I think I’m emotionally ready to allow myself the pleasure of sex again.”

A low grunt rumbles through his throat. “And here I thought I was going to have to wait a while.” He stops my wandering hand, looking down on me with a smoldering gaze that makes my insides quiver. “You really love me, or was that just something you felt you had to say, given the situation?”

I move across his lap, straddling him, and taking his face in the palms of my hands. “I love that you’re close with your family, and raised your sister when no one else could. I love that you were so incredibly sweet to Jewels when she was alone in the city, and I couldn’t be there for her. I love that you’re confident, and sexy as hell when you call me by my last name. I love that you go out of your way to make me happy, even though I don’t deserve it. I love that you served your country and branded your body with the Marine symbol. I love that you’re always trying to make me laugh or smile. I love everything about the man that you are when we’re together. It’s safe to say I’m a hundred percent sure that I am, in fact, crazy ass,
in fucking love
with you, Theo Roberts.” I kiss him gently then pull back, smiling wickedly. “And I can’t wait to hear you scream my name when I finally break your sexual dry spell.”

The car slows to a stop.

Theo runs his hands up and down my thighs. “Cavenaugh, you’re killing me. How do you expect me to make it upstairs with a hard-on the size of Texas?”

“Like the saying goes, God bless Texas.” I kiss him on the nose before sliding off his lap.

Theo joins me on the sidewalk, turning to take an armful of bags from the driver. We stand outside a tall glass skyscraper across the street from the park, lights filling less than half of the rooms. There’s a large, steel globe nearby that looks familiar, but I can’t quite place. I eye the building with curiosity as Theo takes my hand, seeing “Trump International Hotel and Tower” written above the entrance.

The lobby is a blend of gold and black marble, chandeliers and glowing lights classing it up even further. I sigh happily, not only from the warmth of the hotel, but the knowledge that Theo wants to be with me in every way possible. He turns, kissing my cheek. “Wait here.”

I watch as he speaks with the graying man behind the counter. A bellhop appears at Theo’s side to take his bags before he returns to me. “All set.”

I raise my eyebrows. “So you assumed I was going to agree to have sex with you tonight?”

“If you hadn’t said those things to me in the car, I would’ve taken you somewhere more public.” With a huge grin, he kisses me.

“You could’ve given me a heads up this time, at least that we were spending the night. I’m afraid you’ll run when you see me without the essentials.”

“When are you going to get it through that beautiful head of yours that you don’t need any of that crap? You weren’t wearing makeup the day we moved Adam and Jewels into their place, and it didn’t change how badly I wanted you.” He looks down at me, beaming. “Besides, Jewels and Chloe packed your things while you were getting ready earlier tonight.”

“Those
traitors
,” I tease. “I should’ve known they were up to something the minute they breezed into Flanagan’s.”

We follow the bellhop up the elevator and into our spacious room where we’re greeted with a panoramic view of the city lit below. The room itself is extremely upscale and beautiful—everything top of the line from the cream colored bedding and headboard to the winged armchairs surrounding the modern fireplace—but I’m more focused on Theo as he pays the bellhop, closing the door behind him. So many out-of-control sensations rage through me that I feel ready to explode into a million tiny pieces.

He spins around, flashing an enticing grin. “We can start a fire, or—”

I run at him and claim his mouth, digging my nails into his scalp with a primal urge so raw it’s as if I’ll rip in half. He pulls away, chuckling in a coarse voice, though his eyes are full of the same kind of sexual energy raging through my veins. “Are you sure you don’t want to take it slow? We’ve both waited a long time for this.”

I unzip his coat slowly, my eyes locked on his. “I’ll go at any pace you choose, baby. This night is all about
you
. I want you to
feel
just how much I love you.”

He tosses his coat to the floor and helps me shimmy out of mine. I reach for his sweater, yanking it over his head. We both laugh when it temporarily sticks to his arms. The sudden humor almost comes as a relief, considering there’s an electric vibe in the air that feels as if we’re both about to combust with pent-up anticipation.

Bare-chested, Theo pulls me back for another slow, blazing-hot kiss. I take a minute to run my fingers over the ridges of his chest and stomach before pulling my sweater over my head. He removes my boots and jeans with the same kind of slow precision he did the first night we messed around in the town car. Although downright torturous, it’s sexy as hell the way he stops to appreciate each part of me once I’m standing in nothing other than my lace underwear and bra. His eyes fall to my breasts spilling out.

“God you’re so sexy. I can’t wait to have all of you, Cavenaugh.”

Love and desire swell up inside of me with the force of a rocket as I unzip his jeans, brushing my fingers across the swelling hard-on straining against his black boxer briefs. His breath stutters. He kicks his boots to the side and strips down to his underwear. My breathing hitches at the sight of him nearly naked.

“Go wait for me on the bed,” he says, his eyes overflowing with yearning.

As I move toward the king bed, Theo flicks the light switch. The room falls dark except for the exciting glow from the city lights below. I stop to gaze out the windows, feeling a rush knowing how exposed we’ll be once completely naked. It’s almost as breathtaking as the sight of Theo stripped down.

He sneaks up behind me, wrapping me in his arms. “I wanted to make love to you somewhere as amazing as you are. This was the best I could come up with.”

Spinning around, I kiss him deeply, sighing as his warm hands trail all over my body. At first he responds with light, playful kisses, and I’m sure he’s decided to take this slow, but then he unhooks my bra and pins me up against the window with light, yet demanding force. I gasp with the sudden chill to my bare skin from the glass. He bends down to slowly remove my underwear, waiting patiently for me to step out from each side. I’m left to stand completely naked against the cold window, shivering from both the temperature and the lustful way he takes in every inch of my body.

I reach for his boxer briefs, pulling them down with the same delayed speed as he did mine. My hands trail up the sides of his body until I reach the top of the complex tattoo stretching from between his hips up to his shoulder. I run my tongue over the design, pleasure spiking through me when he grips my hair in his fists, quivering. He moans when I get to the bottom of the tattoo.

With heavy breaths, I stretch back up to hover my lips beside his. “You have no idea what you do to me. I love you so much it almost hurts.”

“I don’t want you to hurt. I don’t want to ever hurt you again,” he whispers in a choked voice, setting his hands on either side of my face. “I promise to love you with everything I’ve got. No more pushing you away. No more bullshit.”

Spellbound with desire, I run my fingers across his warm back. “Make love to me, Theo,” I whisper, each word a breathy effort. “I feel like we’ve waited a lifetime already.”

He swallows and nods once, dropping his hands from my face and leaning down to his discarded jeans.

I pull on his arm, stopping him. “Wait. I’ve never been with a guy who wasn’t wearing a condom. I’m on the pill. I want to really
feel
you.”

Although he looks stunned, he rises back to his feet, claiming my mouth. He lifts me to balance against his hips and spins around to give me a full view of the brilliant light display. With his hips flexed to keep me upright, he spreads my thighs wide and cups my ass. We moan in unison when he enters me inch after delightful inch. An explosion of sensations fills me to the brim of pleasure with his warm, large girth.

It seems Theo is using an incredible amount of strength to make upright sex happen. The way his square jaw sets in concentration makes him so incredibly hot I can hardly contain myself. As he guides me back and forth, he bends down to flick my pierced nipples with his tongue.

Gratification of new levels rips through me and I set the palm of my hand on the glass, fixing my eyes on the lights as I feel the blissful build of my very first orgasm during traditional sex. The sublime intensity builds like a fire deep down, building its way up through every nerve ending. Clawing at Theo’s back, I gasp inside his mouth.

As if sensing the way I clutch around him, Theo brings his eyes up to meet mine. “Cavenaugh, you’re so fucking beautiful. Come for me, baby.”

I shake my head and pull on his neck, bringing his face up against mine to bite his bottom lip. “You first.”

His grip on me tightens and he moves over to the bed, gracefully setting me on my back as if I’m made of glass. He crawls over me slowly, tugging on each of my nipples, biting the skin on my neck. Our eyes lock with an intensity that makes it difficult to hold myself off until he’s satisfied. I can literally feel how much he loves me as he moves with strong, precise thrusts, never breaking eye contact.

With just a few thrusts he’s done for, yelling with a great, fantastic roar. He collapses next to me, breathing heavily as he brings me into his arms, kissing me with another lazy, meaningful kiss. “That was fan-fucking-tastic. It was
so
worth waiting for you, Cavenaugh.”

We burn the midnight hours making love two more times, finally creating a chance for me to reach that place of pure bliss. We eventually pass out in each other’s arms on the hotel floor.

The next day we both
call in sick to work and hide away in Theo’s little corner of Murray Hill. From the minute I walk into the swanky bachelor pad, I feel right at home. It’s not modern like Erik’s apartment, and it doesn’t have an impressive view. Instead it’s incredibly classy and warm with dark floors, beautiful paintings, a granite fireplace, cream-colored couches, and a gorgeous kitchen with upscale appliances. Theo proudly explains how he recently renovated the place, taking his time to show me every detail before taking me into the master bedroom where we christen his new, luxurious bedding.

The weeks to follow, I’m so consumed by Theo that I keep forgetting it’s Christmastime unless I see the accumulating snowfall or festive decorations outside. The rare instances we both have time off from work, we lock ourselves away from the world in his brownstone. Aside from picking out a live tree and decorating it together, our activities are restricted to his bedroom, kitchen, and living room—one time even the stairway. Our lovemaking only seems to improve with each experience. Theo’s the best lover I’ve ever had, and before long I find myself hoping he’ll be the last.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Chloe and Jewels join me to battle the crazy crowds on the streets of the city. Though Theo insisted that I don’t spend any money on him for a present, I want to buy him a little
something
, and there’s no way I’ll show up at his aunt’s on Christmas Eve empty handed. My friends harass me endlessly about never having time for them anymore, but I can tell they’re ecstatic that Theo and I are officially together, and in the kind of over-the-top love that leaves me to feel like I’m walking on clouds.