Wicked Knight (17 page)

“The way you made love with me. Did you make love with me to show me how to live?”

“No. I made love with you because I wanted to. Why did you give yourself to me?”
Please don't say it was a mistake.
He stared down at Julie as he waited for her to say something. To hear her say what any man would want to hear from the woman he loved, to...

He loved her.
Good God, I love her
. So this was why he immediately agreed to Kirsten's idea of marrying Julie to help her end the will's stipulation without question, without thinking, without second thought. Julie's soft hand cupped his cheek. He closed his eyes and turned his mouth to kiss her palm.

“It's what I wanted, Tristan. I wanted you to be my first.”

Tristan opened his eyes and grinned at Julie. “Welcome to the real world.”

“I like your real world.” Julie waggled her brows, grinning like a cat that had a big bowl of milk.

“Keep smiling like that and we won't be able to leave this room for a week.”

“Promise?”

“You are a naughty girl.”

“Growing up, I began to believe
naughty
was my middle name.”

“There are times when naughtiness is good, especially when applied at the right time and the right place.”

“Such as in this bedroom, you mean.”

“And the rest of the house.”

“Hmm...can we start now?”

“Careful, love. You might get what you wish for.” He nuzzled her neck and moved to suckle her collarbone.

“I'm tired of being careful. I'll do whatever I want and get whatever I want, including the stars and the moon. From now on, I'll live my life.” Julie ran her hands on his shoulders, down his back, then smacked his butt. “But right now, I want more of what you showed me.”

“And you'll get it, babe. First, let me get up.”

“Why?” Julie yawned.

Tristan stared at Julie. She woke up early this morning, and most likely stayed up thinking about what to do with Marla. Seeing the dark shadows beneath her eyes, she could use a little bit of a nap. “Be right back.”

Julie was half-asleep when he went back to bed. Her eyes opened wide when he touched her thigh with the warm, wet, face towel. “I didn't know washing away traces of sex was the man's job. What I heard was, after sex, a man would either leave the bed or turn his back to go to sleep.”

“You heard wrong.”

“Thanks for coming here to save me from Marla.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Moments later, Julie was asleep.

Tristan watched her sleep. She had smooth skin dusted with freckles, bright red hair, full soft lips and long lashes that tickled his cheeks when she kissed him. She looked so vulnerable and beautiful. Poor thing, he thought.
Poor, beautiful, wild thing
. Tristan smiled, thinking how she scratched his back, wild with passion.

Tristan's chest tightened. Julie made it clear she would marry for love. She'd build a life of her own with the man she'd love forever. If Kirsten hadn't come to his room, Julie might have been engaged to Armand now, not to him. Didn't she say she liked him? Was
like
only one step away from
love
? Julie liked him, and was physically attracted to him, but he saw wariness in her eyes when he first mentioned his intention. She didn't want to marry him. The only reason the signed marriage permit was in his pants pocket was Marla, and because he insisted. Julie would be his wife, but only on paper. And it would be over in a month—whether he liked it or not— because she wanted it to end in thirty days.

He'd been on a married path and didn't want to go back there again. After Carly, he wouldn't dream of getting into that one hell of a mess called marriage. He loved Julie, that he knew now, but he and Carly loved each other, too, and it didn't salvage the marriage. Julie would want a family, a kitchen busy with kids wanting chocolate chip or Oreo cookies, a man she loved. He shouldn't have made love with her.
But he did
. And there was no turning back. Only to move forward.

Julie sighed and scooted closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She fit so perfectly inside his embrace. For some odd reason, he didn't want the moment to end. A soft sigh escaped Julie's lips. She looked content, no worries.

He knew as soon as she woke, though, troubles about Marla would put a crease on her brow again. He'd put an end to Marla's viciousness against Julie. He'd make sure of it.

Julie moved. Her butt pressed against his half-aroused cock. He wanted her again. With her leg wrapped around his thigh, he could make love with her again, but he wouldn't violate her like that. Adjusting the covers against them, he kissed her neck and the back of her head one more time and then he went to sleep—at least he tried. Julie's soft bottom tormented him. If he didn't do something, he'd make love with her again while she slept.

He got up and adjusted the sheet around Julie. Earlier, he spotted a laptop. Julie wouldn't mind if he used it to check his email.

Sitting on the chair facing the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, he admired the view of the Puget Sound. The moon was already high in the midnight sky, providing subdued light on the private sailboats dotting the water. Outlines of the majestic Olympic Mountains added to the spectacular view. The Kingston Ferryboat tooted its horn, bringing his mind back to why he was standing there.

The latest model of Mac laptop with its blue screen welcomed Julie as Tristan pressed the return button. He had never used a Mac before. Surely, he could find out how to check his emails from work using this one. He read the shiny little sticker on the left side of the keyboard.
13.3-inch glossy display, 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 200GB hard drive, Apple Remote with Front Row Built-in iSight camera.
Whatever those things were, they surely sounded good and expensive. Tristan whistled low on purpose, making sure not to disturb Julie. He looked at the bed where she still lay sleeping and his blood started pumping in his head— both heads.

“Down, boy, wait ‘til she wakes up,” he mumbled. His body refused to listen. Focusing on the screen, he willed himself not to think about the woman sleeping six feet away from him.

After a minute of navigating, he found his work site and read his emails. A short letter from his partner, Edmund, appeared on the screen, telling that he found someone to help in the clinic.

Julie stirred in bed, her hand sweeping the side of the bed where he laid. He stood up and walked back toward bed.

“I thought you left me,” Julie mumbled in her sleepy voice, her arm reaching for him.

“No, love. I'm still here. Go back to sleep.” He kissed her hand and leaned to do the same with her upturned face. She kissed him back. And that was all it took for Tristan to lose his control.

This time though, he made love with Julie slowly, and again, without protection.

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Chapter Eleven

* * * *

The kitchen was messy and in the midst of it all was Tristan—cooking. Julie liked seeing him in her kitchen, in his butt-hugging jeans. Damn, he looked so yummy. That same butt brought her to an apex last night and early this morning. Never in her life did she ever imagine how magnificent it would be to wake up in the middle of having an orgasm, with a lover's hand on her skin, lips, and on every part of her body that screamed to be touched. Tristan made her feel special, wanted. At one point during their intimacy in bed, she felt
loved
. Then again, it could be her mind playing tricks on her. Tristan was in the process of pouring eggs in the pan when he noticed her. The look he gave her brought warmth all over her. Giddiness rippled throughout her body. In two days, they'd be wed. Who would have thought she'd snag a doctor? Yeah, their marriage would not last. Only a bit longer than Britney Spears’ first marriage. Not a very long time, but she'd make the best of it. She would deal with the consequences later—the emotional part—when she grieved for their short-lived marriage.

“Breakfast is almost ready. Have a seat.”

“Where did you get all this? I don't remember having pancake batter in the house or hash browns.”

“I went to QFC while you were sleeping.” He dumped the stainless bowl in the sink then walked toward her. “Good morning.” He gave her a kiss. It was a long, wet, erotic, toe-curling kind. Tristan wrapped his arm around her waist when her knees suddenly lost their strength to support her weight.

Julie clung to him. She had to. It was all she could do to keep upright. Good heavens, just a kiss and she felt hot all over, wet in between, and throbbing inside. Just like last night, she returned his kisses with ardor, like a woman trapped on an island who was now only getting a taste of bottled water. She sampled and curled her tongue around Tristan's.

Tristan cupped her ass and lifted her. She could feel him thrusting his hips, rubbing his cock against her pubic bone.

“Tristan,” she whispered in his mouth.

“Julie, tell me to stop or breakfast will go to waste.”

“I don't want you to stop. Love me again like last night.”

“Baby, I want nothing else. The whole time I've been down here thinking of nothing else but making love with you again.”

“I'm here now. Do it. I want you deep inside me.”

“I'll show you ways to please yourself, love.”

“Stop talking. Just show me.”

Tristan lifted her silk pink tank top, and suckled her including the built-in bra. While his mouth loved her aching breasts, his hands pushed her sweatpants down. His mouth left her breast to pepper her stomach with kisses as he lowered her pants until they pooled around her ankles. Julie kicked her sweats away.

“Spread your legs, Julie.”

“Tristan...” she whispered and spread her legs.

Tristan ran his fingers along her folds then dipped his thumb inside her hot pussy. Even before she could blink, Tristan's mouth covered her pussy.

He sucked and laved until Julie felt the beginning of her orgasm. Looking down at Tristan's head moving while he pleasured her quickened her pulse. She wanted to come, to feel heaven again between her legs. But Tristan stopped and lay down on the marbled floor.

“Come, love, and sit.”

“Sit?”

“Yes. Come here.” Tristan patted his chest.

Julie straddled him and lowered herself.

“Higher,” Tristan said, in a tone that told her he was on the verge of losing his control.

Julie moved higher, but Tristan kept telling her to move up until her pussy was directly above his mouth.

“Better,” Tristan murmured, and then he held Julie's ass where it met her thighs. With his thumb spreading her pussy wide, he lowered her to his mouth.

Julie moaned from the intensity of the pleasure his wicked tongue and mouth were doing to her. She moved her hips to center his tongue right where she wanted it most. In her position, she took control. She rocked her hips, taking turns aiming his mouth on her opening and her throbbing clit. Until she couldn't take it anymore.

“Suck my clit, Tristan. Don't stop. Ohh...ohhh...yes, harder.”

Tristan moved his hands away from her ass. Using her knees, she kept her balance. Even with her load moaning, she could hear Tristan's zipper. The thought of him inside her again...

She rocked her hips.

“Hmm...so fucking good. You taste so good.”

“I'm coming, Tristan, I'm—ahhh...” Her body convulsed. Tristan gripped her ass again, preventing her from moving away. He sucked her pussy until she felt boneless.

“Don't fall asleep on me, baby. Now you'll sit lower. Ride me.”

Yes
. She would love that.

She scooted down until Tristan's rigid cock bumped her ass. Reaching down, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft then guided him to her entry. With Tristan's hooded blue eyes piercing hers, she impaled herself in one swift move.

“Fuck!” Tristan's eyes closed. His hips thrust up, meeting her.

“Oh God...”

Closing her eyes, she lifted her ass then slowly went down again, repeating the action repeatedly until Tristan gripped her round butt and took control. He held her in place as he pumped his hips upward hard and fast. Finally, he groaned and his body turned rigid beneath her.

Tristan pulled her on top of him and hugged her tight.

They were in that position when she smelled something burning—the same time the smoke alarm went off. Julie sat up. Still straddling Tristan, she looked at the stove in horror. Smoke billowed, quickly covering the entire ceiling.

“Your eggs!”

It happened so fast. One minute she was being lifted, then she found herself standing naked in the kitchen watching Tristan threw the—most likely unusable—pan in the sink. He turned the kitchen faucet on the scalding hot pan that hissed and produced more smoke when the water hit it.

Julie stepped back. The smell of burnt eggs was horrible. She stepped back away from the smoke. Quickly, she picked up her clothes and put them back on. She was just pulling her shirt down when the doorbell rang.
Once
. Seconds later, she heard the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by the familiar sound of nails clicking on the floor.

Cinnamon, her three-year-old Golden Retriever, skidded on the marble floor as she tried to make a turn. She slipped and landed on her nose one time before she made it to Julie.

“Hey there, baby. I missed you.” With her arms wide open, Julie immediately went down on her knees and hugged her overly excited dog. “Did you enjoy your stay with Teta?”

“Who's the puppy?” Tristan asked from behind her.

“Cinnamon, meet Tristan. He's a friend of mine and he's here to help me get rid of Marla. Right now, he's my fiance.” Julie hugged Cinnamon, laughing, trying to avoid the dog's tongue.

“What in God's name is that smell and who is this fiance you're talking—oh, it must be you?” Teta walked in, her clogs clunking on the floor. Like always, she carried her knitted purse with her. Teta wore bright red lipstick and her fake lashes looked longer than the ones she wore last time. Teta had been her friend, cook, and a housekeeper for four years. Now it looked like she's added mother hen to her role.