One Night Forever (4 page)

open. Before they were even inside, Damien captured

her lips with his in a hard, possessive kiss. As he

pulled her inside, she noticed him looking over her

head to give Tom one hard, feral look before closing

the door and locking the other man out.

Damien pinned her between his body and the

door, kissing her roughly. Ariel gripped his shoulders.

She clung to him for dear life as her head spun and her

body went up in flames. Her stomach fluttered with

the sheer hunger he seemed to have for her. It was like

nothing she was prepared for or had ever encountered.

Electricity seemed to whip across her skin where he

touched her, where she touched him. Her whole body

tingled with a need she had no hope of containing or

understanding. All she knew was she had to have him.

Now. Right this instant.

Gradually, she became aware of his gentling

touch. Instead of the fierce handling of her, he

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One Night Forever

softened his kisses and eased his grip on her body. He

was no less intense; he just seemed to be acutely aware

of his strength. As if he realized he might be hurting

her and was trying to get himself back under control.

Indeed, a fine tremor shook his big body, a light film

of sweat slickened his skin.

Never in her life had Ariel needed sex with a

man more. It wasn’t just the sex—she needed
him
.

Damien. It was enough to give her another pause. She

had the feeling it didn’t really matter, that there was

definitely no turning back. She wasn’t entirely sure she

wanted to turn back. This was so not like her.

“Oh, God,” she gasped. Her stomach was tied in

knots, though not all of them bad. She was confused

and needed him so much it terrified her. “What are

you doing to me?”

“Kissing you. Touching you. Do you want me to

stop?”

God, how could she want him to stop? He was

more than she could’ve ever hoped he would be. He

was so strong and devilishly handsome she couldn’t

think around him. It had been hell seeing him around

the clinic and avoiding him. All she had ever wanted

was to have him hold her just like this. Kiss her. Just

like this.

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Marteeka Karland

“It feels too good to stop. I want more,” was her

needy reply. She couldn’t find it in her to care, her

desire was so clear for him. She knew he wanted her

just as much as she wanted him.

Damien carried her to his bed, following her

down to rest his body between her slim thighs. Ariel

loved the feel of his masculine heat against her. His

whole body bathed her in warmth. His hands explored

her body as he lifted his lips to hers once more and

kissed her. God! She could kiss him all day! Ariel loved

the softness of his moist lips as they played across

hers. He was gentle, but all male. Ariel reveled in it.

She wanted this desperately, wanted Damien.

Ariel couldn’t get enough of him. He kissed like

every woman’s dream; his tongue plunged in and

dueled with hers, only to retreat leaving his lips and

teeth to fulfill her aching need. His kiss left her

wanting more, made her long for pleasures that had

been denied her for months. When his thick erection

made contact with the juncture of her thighs, she

almost screamed. Her hips rose to meet his. Their kiss

broke as she arched her back and cried out in shear

ecstasy. Damien’s kisses didn’t stop, however. They

simply shifted focus as he took her offering and slid

his lips and tongue down the slim column of her neck

while his hands roamed the ripeness of her breast.

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One Night Forever

“You are so beautiful, Ariel. All of you. I’ve

wanted to make you mine from the first moment I saw

you.”

“Oh, God. Yes. Yes!”

He stopped his exploration of her jaw and neck

just long enough to remove her scrub top and bra.

When he resumed, his mouth slid lower. He lifted one

plump breast to his lips and kissed the ripe peak. Her

nipple responded by pebbling and she moaned softly.

“Do you like that, my beauty?”

“Mmmm,” she purred.

Damien chuckled just before he took her breast

in his mouth and sucked gently at first, then with a bit

more passion as she responded to his touch. He

alternated to the other breast, lavishing it with the

same attention as he ground his pelvis against hers.

Her fingers found his hair again, and she cradled him

to her chest, wrapping her legs around his waist. She

pulled him close, loving the way his hair-roughened

body felt against hers.

Ariel needed all of this extraordinary man.

Consequences be damned. She tugged at his shirt,

trying to pull it off. At her soft cry of frustration,

Damien broke contact with her chest and, grinning,

yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

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Marteeka Karland

“I want you, Ariel. Take off the rest of your

clothes.”

She sat up with his assistance and cast off the

rest of her clothing. Damien did the same with swift,

sure movements. Towering over her, he ran his hands

up and down her sides. When they stopped at her

expanding waistline, she turned her head trying to

escape his grasp.

“No, Ariel. Look at me.”

“Please don’t. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.

I wasn’t thinking.”

“About what—that I’d see you naked? The

evidence of your child growing inside you? Ariel,

you’re beautiful. You’re body is perfect for growing a

new life, a little part of you. Don’t try to hide it. Be

proud of what’s happening to you.”

He knelt before her, and looking up, he kissed

her belly just below her navel and Ariel shivered. How

could this man disarm her with so little effort? With

one look, one touch, he sent her up in flames. God

help her, she loved it.

“I love how you look. Let me show you.” With

that, his head dropped lower, never breaking eye

contact. His tongue snaked out to lick her moist folds.

Ariel’s breath caught and she closed her eyes, relaxing

a bit as she lay back on the bed.

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One Night Forever

“That’s it. Let me love you.” His whisper sent

shivers down her body, her nipples hardening into

almost painful peaks. Vaguely, Ariel was aware of her

little moan but couldn't find it in her to care. If he

thought her desperate, maybe she was. It wasn't a

crime. All she knew was this felt right. Everything

about this—about what he was doing to her—felt right.

Good.

Damien licked at her until her body responded

with a gush of moisture, then he looped his arms

around her legs and prompted her to slide further

back on the bed. With her legs over his shoulders, he

sucked her clit and licked her inviting channel with

ever increasing hunger. He buried his tongue inside

her and wrung gasps of pleasure out of her. She

tangled her fingers in his long, silky hair, urging him

harder against her. Had anything ever felt so good?

Lifting her bottom slightly, he dragged his

tongue from her slick opening back to her clit, pausing

to suck and nibble each crevice. Ariel gasped out her

surprise and tightened her hold on him.

***

pushed her hips at him.

Damien had had just about all he could stand.

He needed inside her. Badly. Pulling himself up along

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Marteeka Karland

her upper body, he kissed her belly once again, her

breast, and finally her lips, where he lingered.

Covering her with his much bigger body, careful to

keep his weight off her, he rubbed his pulsing cock

against her wet entrance, silently asking permission to

proceed.

Ariel put her hand between their sweating

bodies and guided him inside her. As the swollen head

of him entered her, she screamed, a look of utter bliss

on her face. Wrapping her legs around him, she

impaled herself on his thick length and arched her

back.

Damien groaned and moved slowly at first, then

plunged into her with more force. He gave her what

she needed, took what he needed. He whispered soft

words as he rode her body in sweet abandon. Nothing

in his life could have prepared him for this moment.

Ariel was his world. He'd known from the moment he

first saw her she was meant for him. The pleasure he

took in her body was only the tip of the iceberg. He

wanted all of her. Heart and soul.

Ariel dug her fingers into his shoulders. Damien

knew she hadn’t given herself to anyone since the

awful betrayal and he wanted to be her hero, to help

her heart heal. This wasn’t about a sexual encounter—

he wanted to give her all he was, to pledge his entire

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One Night Forever

being to her. Even if this was all they ever had, if she

left him after this one afternoon of sweet bliss, he

hoped he had given her confidence in herself and the

courage to go on. God help him if she decided to leave

him. He would do everything in his power to make her

happy, to fulfill every need.

Tossing her head back and throwing her hips at

him, she came with a soft whimper, her strong inner

muscles grasping him, threatening the tenuous control

he had on his wayward body. She just felt so damned

good! No other woman had wrapped herself around

his heart so completely.

She clutched his shoulders as her body

contracted around his. When her spasms lessened,

Damien gave in and let her bring him with her into

bliss. He wanted this, wanted to be a part of her

permanently. Allowing his mind, body and soul to

merge with her completely, he prayed there would

many, many more nights like this one.

Pleasure surrounded him, pulsing through his

aching shaft to the base of his spine. He stifled his

groan against her neck as he thrust once more and

emptied himself into her. He kissed her neck and

breasts. Her mouth. Wanting to worship her with his

mouth he tasted with reverence everywhere, offering

unspoken praise.

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Marteeka Karland

When he finally pulled himself away from the

temptation that was Ariel, he said, “You have to know

that I have no intention of letting you out of my life. I

want you with me.”

“B-but, what about the baby? She’s not yours,”

Ariel stuttered.

“I want you both, Ariel. I’ll play whatever role

you want me to in her life as long as you let me stay in

yours. I’ll treat her as if she were my own if you’ll let

me. Please, sweet. Don’t make me beg.” He smiled at

her. “At least give me a chance to prove how much I

care about you. Given time, I’m sure we’ll grow to love

each other very much. I think I’m already at least half

in love with you. What do you say?”

Her smile grew slowly, but eventually lit up her

face. “I think I’d like that very much.”

Damien gave her a quick, hard kiss before

moving off her. Making a quick pass through the

bathroom, he cleaned himself before joining her again

and cleansing her with a damp cloth. Then, he climbed

into bed beside her, pulling firmly against him, his

arms wrapped around her.
This
was how it was

supposed to be.
This
was what he wanted every night

for the rest of their lives. Not long after that, he felt her

breathing level out and she relaxed against him

completely, asleep. He smiled and kissed her neck

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One Night Forever

before nuzzling his face against her hair. Dragging her

scent into his lungs, he closed his eyes and slept.

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Chapter Four

Damien woke to a horrible racket outside his

house. That goddamned GTO had to go. Glancing at

Ariel made him hate the bastard all the more. She

looked vulnerable, unsure of herself. With a growl,

Damien pulled her to him, kissing her hard. When he

backed away to look into her eyes, they had a haunted

look, but her gaze never wavered from his.

“He’s jealous,” Damien stated. “Ultimately, it’s

up to you. I won’t tell you I’ll step aside if you want to