Mistaken Identities (28 page)

Twenty minutes later he watched eagerly as she came out of the bathroom and he swore his heart stopped for a minute. Stasia was dressed in a purple nightie that stood out exotically against her dark skin. She wore a garter belt, which held up matching stockings and royal purple stiletto velvet heels on her feet. Her hair was down, flowing in thick, dark tresses over her shoulders. She did a slow seductive turn for him to see clearly there were no panties anywhere. His cock was rigid with arousal as he hungrily watched her.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked.

“That tomorrow I’m buying shares from whatever store you got the outfit from,” he said. “Can I touch?”

“If you didn’t I’d be sorely disappointed,” she answered moving toward the bed. “Stilettos on or off?”

“Keep them on,” he growled. He sat on the side of the bed and she stood between his legs. Bryce pressed a kiss between her breasts before saying, “This is going to be the roller coaster ride of our lives.”

“You know me. I like a good screaming ride.” Stasia tunneled her fingers through his hair and leaned down to kiss him deeply.

Their eyes met and Bryce again lost himself in her gaze. It was like being pulled by a magnetic force and he couldn’t stop himself if he tried. He watched her as their lips met, her eyes closed and Stasia made a soft sound of pleasure that made his cock throb. He wrapped her in his arms and he deepened the kiss until every nerve ending in his body screamed her name and begged to be closer to her. They broke the kiss and with lips just a breath away from each other, Bryce buried his hands in her hair. She purred and arched against him while he massaged her scalp.

“I want you every night for the rest of our lives,” Bryce said huskily. “You feel so perfect in my arms.”

His mouth rained kisses down her neck before he sucked the soft skin at the base of her neck.

“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” she whispered. “Make love to me!”

A growl escaped his throat in surrender and submission to the desire that raged through him. He was hers twelve years ago and no matter where his life took him, Stasia was his reason for being. Their lips met again with such heat it could melt sand to glass. The soft lights of the room cast a glow across her skin and she looked like liquid moonlight. With the amazing evening they had and, now, tonight, Bryce felt like his life had come full circle. She still had the taste of Moscato wine on her when her tongue slipped inside his mouth to dance and twine with his. She was lying on top of him and his hands moved in lazy circles at the dip in her back before cupping her ass.

She spread her legs and rubbed against him intimately until she gasped and the friction made his cock so hard he ached. He rolled and she wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself against his hardness. Bryce groaned and took control of the kiss, devouring her lips.

He tore his mouth away from her. “I’ve never wanted a woman like I want you.”

She looked into his eyes. “Take me then. Make me come for you.”

Her hands roamed over the strong contours of his shoulders. Her touch enflamed him as each caress was like fire against his skin. He filled his hands with the smooth globes of her breasts and she pushed herself into his touch.

“I love how you touch me,” she whispered.

“I feel the same way,” he replied.

“Then I get to explore,” she said and with a deft move he was on his back and she was on top.

His cock was rigid when she settled herself on her knees between his legs. Bryce watched her movements while she ran her hands down his body and caressed his chest and then flicked her fingernail over his nipple. He gasped and she moved slowly to the part of his body that ached to be inside her. When she took his cock in her grasp and stroked, his breath hissed and his hips lifted to her touch each time she stroked his hard length. Her lips descended and wrapped around the head of his shaft and a low moan left his lips. Stasia took him deeper into her mouth and Bryce thought he could die from the bliss her lips and hands were creating.

When he could no longer stand it, Bryce pulled her roughly against his chest and claimed her lips in a hunger-filled kiss. His hand slipped between their bodies to her pussy. There he found her slick and moist and slid two fingers deep inside her. Her body bucked above him and she cried out in pleasure.

Stasia undulated and took his fingers deeper. He spread his own legs so that her thighs were wider around his and he could watch his fingers move in and out of her. She was lithe and beautiful to watch as she took his ministrations. Her back was arched in enjoyment and she cupped her own breasts and played with her nipples.

“Ride my fingers, darling,” he coaxed her softly. “Take them deep like you fuck my cock.”

His thumb circled the sensitive nub of flesh between the pink folds of her pussy and she bit her lip and closed her eyes as she moved. A sexy little moan escaped her lips and he continued to watch her body rise and fall, the way her thighs clenched each time her body took his digits inside her. Her wetness glistened against his fingers and her pace increased.

“I’m going to come, Bryce.”

Hearing her say his name in the throes of passion drove him wild. She said it in a breathless kind of sultry way that made him want to throw her down and fuck her like there was no tomorrow. He pressed his fingers deeper inside her and used his other hand to play with her upturned nipples, sending her spiraling into an orgasm. He did not wait for her to catch her breath. Watching her come drove his need higher. He loved her, God, how he loved her beyond reason and he hoped she loved him too because no matter how close they seemed to have become she hadn’t said the words yet.

Bryce pulled her down on his waiting shaft and the feeling of her hot, slick pussy enclosing his engorged cock wrung a harsh cry from his lips. The sheer pleasure of it almost sent him into his own orgasm. He gritted his teeth as Stasia began to move frantically, not a slow build up but a pulse pounding ride that was meant to shatter them in a matter of minutes. Her body writhed and she took his cock over and over again in a feverish thrust of her hips. Bryce cupped the cheeks of her ass while she moved and looked at him with her lips parted and her lids heavy with passion. She was in the throes of her own fervor and he could feel his own release rising. He grabbed her hips to still her movements but she would not be denied.

“God, Stasia, you’re pushing me to come if you don’t stop,” he groaned, his breathing harsh.

Stasia didn’t stop. Instead, she braced her hands in the pillow next to his head, clenching them into the softness. “You are so thick and hard. I want more, it drives me crazy. Just let go.”

“I want to make it last—” Bryce began to say.

She leaned over and kissed him fiercely, never stopping her rhythm. “We don’t only have this one time. We have forever.”

Bryce let go and thrust upwards to meet her body every time she moved. Their breathing echoed harshly in the room while his fingers bit into the smooth skin of her chocolate thighs while he pounded inside her and she rode him hard.

“Now, please, now!” she cried out.

Her pussy clenched around him like a velvet glove as her orgasm took hold and Bryce felt his own release begin. His harsh groan mixed with her cries of bliss as they went over into the abyss of ecstasy that they found with each other. She fell against his chest and he automatically wrapped his arms around her, cocooning her in his embrace.

He had stopped believing in soul mates and relationships and, even worse, family life left him embittered to the fact that there was some one for every one but him. But he figured out that he was meant for one certain person and that was Stasia. With the wind blowing a gentle cool breeze through the sliding doors of their seventh floor hotel room, Stasia snuggled close to him and he pressed soft kisses against her neck, inhaling her scent. He’d do this for the rest of his life, even when he was old because she was the other half that made him whole.

Chapter Seven

“We need to talk.” Bryce came in the room and stood by the doorway.

“Sounds ominous.” Stasia tried to keep her voice even and her walls down. Words like that made her instantly defensive.

The five days that they’d spent with Kim went by quickly and that was almost three weeks ago. They all went to sessions with her, even Stasia because she was one of the first who knew about the abuse. She didn’t know how much it affected her until she began to talk about it. Her defenselessness at not being able to help Kim was one of the contributing factors in her life. In the end, they all had burdens that meshed with Kim’s and they were all connected. So, in that respect, it was good for them to all talk and share sessions with Bryce’s sister. She called them every few days to check in and Stasia ended up talking to her for over a half an hour each time. Now that things seemed to be going well, here was Bryce using the dreaded ‘we need to talk’ sentence.

“So what are we talking about?” she prodded.

“Don’t act like I can’t hear the tightness in your voice.” Bryce sat down next to her on the couch and dropped a map between them. “We need to pick a place to live. I have to put in for a job with whichever police force is there.”

She laughed as her mood instantly lightened. “I thought we were kidding about that?”

“You said you weren’t going to stay in Caldwell and I refuse to live without you so we need to find a middle ground,” Bryce explained. “So, come on, let’s roll this out and pick a place.”

She sat on the carpet and patted the place in front of her. “Okay, let’s do this. Eyes closed and we go on three.”

Bryce nodded and spread out the map before sitting across from her. “Ready? Eyes closed.”

“You too and no peeking.” Stasia closed her eyes. “One, two, three.”

She put her finger on the map and felt his arm very close to hers. “Did you look?”

He shook his head. “No, did you?”

“Nope,” she answered and looked down. “We both picked Hatteras Island.”

“Should we pick again?” he asked.

“No, I like the beach and it’s warm,” Stasia said and added hesitantly, “If you join the sheriff department there, it will be a small community. Do you want a big city cop job?”

“No, I like being a small town sheriff. I just don’t want it to be here anymore,” Bryce replied. “Too many ghosts. Hatteras is far enough away that I feel like it’s a fresh start and close enough so we can visit Kim when she comes home.”

“So Hatteras Island it is,” Stasia said.

He nodded and pulled her into his arms as he lay back on the floor. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll file for a job there tomorrow. There is one more thing that we need to discuss.”

“And that is?” Stasia said as she lay against his chest. She looked down into his blue eyes and the small flecks of gold in his irises.

“Do you love me?” Bryce asked.

Her heart rate increased. Was she ready for that kind of commitment? If he knew she loved him, would he use that as a weapon and play her emotions against her? Being with him and being in a relationship was one thing, telling him that she loved him was a whole other level.

“You’ve been quiet way too long. Are you contemplating running away?” Bryce nibbled her neck. “Because I don’t plan on giving you up without a fight.”

“What if I said I didn’t love you?” she asked quietly.

“Then I’d have to change your mind,” Bryce answered.

“And if I do love you, what happens next?”

“Then the usual progression, love equals marriage and then hopefully kids,” Bryce replied.

“What if I’m not ready for that?” Stasia detangled herself from his arms and sat up holding on to her knees. “Bryce, I didn’t get to go to college or work at a decent job. I barely got my bartending license because all you needed was three hundred dollars in cash and in two weeks you know how to mix some drinks. Where I worked no one wanted mixed fruity drinks. They wanted beer, whiskey or Red Bull and vodka.” She implored him with her eyes. “I want to go back to school. I want to get my business degree. Maybe I’m not ready for babies and being a housewife.”

“Whoa, who said you needed to be a housewife?” Bryce rolled over onto his side and propped up on his arm to look at her. “Stasia, I don’t want to marry my mother and have a woman who keeps house and makes pies. I want you to be independent and live your life to the fullest. I only ask to be allowed to share that with you. I want to be there in your triumphs and be proud of you when you succeed. Children will be a choice for when we’re ready. I’m not saying let’s go make them now, even though the practice is fun.”

Stasia laughed and snapped her fingers. “You deviated from the conversation. Focus, please.”

“I’m focused.” He winked at her and then added seriously. “Marry me.”

“When?”

“Now.”

“That may be impossible to plan,” Stasia pointed out.

“Kimberly will be home in eight weeks. That should be enough time to plan,” Bryce said.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

“Yes, so say you’ll marry me,” Bryce prodded. “I know you want to.”

She pointed at him. “You have an ego, mister.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. “Say you love me and that you’ll marry me and then we can get on with wedding plans before we move to our new locale.”

“Yes, Bryce, I will marry you.”

“And?”

“I love you, you big oaf of a man,” Stasia answered. “Can’t you tell every time I touch you or how I hold you at night? I love you.”

“It’s always good to hear it.” He kissed her gently. “Promise you’ll say it every once in a while to make me happy.”

She kissed him back. “If it makes you happy I’ll say it every day.”

“See, we’ve already learned how to compromise and we’re not even married yet.” He grinned.

“Goofball,” she teased.

He got up and held out his hand to her. “Come on.”

“Come on. Sit down. Tell me you love me. You’ve become very bossy in a short amount of time,” she grumbled good-naturedly and held out her hand for him to help her up. “Where are we going?”

“First to tell your mother our news and then to tell my mother,” Bryce said.