Wild Irish (Book 1 of the Weldon Series) (32 page)

Jesse pulled Alexi’s hips onto his thighs and slid his hot erection into her wet heat, bucking her bottom higher off the cushions until she rested on her upper back. He lifted her legs to rest on his shoulders and pressed deeper inside of her, deeper than he’d ever remembered feeling. Then anchoring his hands on her hips, he hammered into her, determined to exorcise this consuming need he had for her. He wanted her naked, hot, and coming; and he planned to keep her that way all day. He moved one hand to press down on the rounded curve of her sex and slid his thumb over her clitoris, stroking her with his every thrust. She writhed against him; her hips bucking frantically as her breaths turned to rapid gasps so harsh her hard-nippled breasts quivered. She gazed at him, her sinner’s mouth open. Her eyes were a green well of desire and need and something deeper, something more than he ever wanted to see in a woman’s eyes. He wanted to shut his eyes, but couldn’t. Ever since she said she loved him, he’d felt as if she was crowding him, but he couldn’t seem to do anything but get deeper inside of her. This left him feeling dangerous and raw. He’d awakened this morning driven to push sex between them right up to the edge of madness as if he’d get her out of his system if he overdosed on her now.

Yet the emotional connection between them only flared hotter. He couldn’t shut his eyes, couldn’t focus on anything but her until he saw pleasure flush her face and her green gaze lose focus as she came. Only then could he shut his eyes and pretend he wasn’t as deep into Alexi as he was.

* * *

“
Now comes the fun part,” Jesse said, holding up a bottle of tanning oil in one hand and champagne and a basket in the other.

Alexi, still luxuriating on the cushions in the sun, barely pried an eye open. “Didn’t we just have fun?”

“
That was the appetizer.” He set his booty down and joined her on the cushion. Popping open the champagne, he fished a glass from the basket. “Sit up and drink up, Sunshine. You’re going to need some sustenance. We play today and dance tonight.” He handed her the champagne as she sat and then took the oil and began rubbing it on her back.

“
What do you mean?” she asked, studying the gleam in his eyes.

“
A date. You and me, tonight. I’ve booked us on a private dinner cruise with a band. I get my kisses today and you get your romance and dances tonight. As many as you want as long as you want. I’ll be all yours. It will be all about you.”

Alexi, leaned back and sipped the champagne, thinking that she really liked the idea of a date with Jesse. “We have a big problem. All I brought to wear was fishing gear.”

He grinned. “You’ll be receiving some gifts later today and I’m sure you’ll be able to make good use of them tonight. Right now I’m going to make use of this.” He held up a bottle of coconut oil and spread it across her shoulders.

Alexi didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak and her heart was very much touched by the lengths Jesse was going to express his care for her, yet the feeling that he was forcing himself to make everything perfect simmered beneath the surface. And maybe she was thinking too much, examining too deeply. Maybe she just needed to ease up and enjoy the ride for a while. Relaxing into him, she let her mind wander as the warmth of the sun and the magic of his hands transported her to heaven. It was amazing how comfortable she’d become in being naked. The villa’s walls enclosed them in their own Eden. White walls, potted trees and palms, a rock waterfall fed water into a blue tiled pool. Jesse slid his oiled hands all over her body and took the realm of touching and kneading to a whole new universe. By the time he’d finished, she’d had three full glasses of champagne and felt like she’d been delivered to heaven.

“
Lex,” Jesse said, covering her breasts with his hands.

“
Umm,” she murmured, not even bothering to open her eyes.

“
Let me take your picture. Right now. Let me capture you bathed in sunlight like a goddess.”

She laughed. “Goddess of what?”

“
Venus, Aphrodite, it doesn’t matter Alexandria, you’re all of them rolled into one. You don’t know how beautiful you are. Let me take your picture and show you how I see you.”

She smiled, enjoying her champagne buzz. “You’re serious.”

“
Yes. Remember posing for me before, Sunshine? Let’s make that fantasy a reality just between you and me.”

She licked her lips and her heart sped. The word “no” sat on the tip of her tongue, but something inside kept her from uttering it just yet as she entertained the idea, the naughty feel of it. Jesse cupped her breasts, sliding his hands over her slick skin. “Just one, Lex,” he whispered in her ear.

“
I don’t think--” he kissed her silent and slid his hand down and cupped her sex, making her tingle.

“
Just one. Let me capture you as I see you.”

“
Yes,” she breathed before she could change her mind.

“
I’ll be right back.”

Alexi closed her eyes and waited, feeling a tiny decadent thrill edge to life inside of her. That Jesse thought her body inspiring enough to capture in a picture stroked something deep inside of her; made her feel just that little bit of naughty that turned her on.

She felt the coolness of Jesse’s shadow before she heard or saw him. The man had the ability to move as quietly as a cat. He took her hand. “I want you to stand over here so the waterfall is behind you.”

He led her to the edge of the pool. “Now turn your face up to the sun. Take your hands, thread them through your hair and lift it from the back of your neck. Arch your breasts so they’re begging Zeus to come down from Olympus and devour you.”

She laughed. “You’ve been in the sun too long.” Shaking her head and smiling, she did as he asked.

“
Okay, that’s perfect, sunshine. Can I take your picture just like that?”

“
Yes.” She felt decadent. She felt glorious. “But only if you’re going to leap in and save me before Zeus attacks.” She heard the camera click.

“
I have a better idea. I’ll be Zeus.” Jesse came up and grabbed her and carted her away. Zeus wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to what happened next.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, Alexi awoke from a restless sleep with more than her body aching from the day’s indulgence as watched Jesse sleeping. Her heart ached, not because things were terrible, or that they’d had a lousy date. No. It was just the opposite. Everything had been so good, so wonderful that it hurt to consider that any part of their relationship was temporary.

Before their date, she’d received the delivery of the sexiest, most elegant black dress she’d ever seen. Gold Weitzman shoes. Emerald earrings. Roses and Godiva chocolates, which Jesse threatened to leave out in the sun. The cruise had been a romantic dream come true as they’d dined and danced most of the night. She’d felt like Cinderella with Prince Charming until they’d taken a stroll in the moonlight on the upper deck of the ship and Jesse discovered that she hadn’t worn underwear. Then all bets of being a gentleman were off. His fantasy of making love to her at a party with others not far away had become a reality and Alexi had to admit that she’d flown so high it would be years before she’d forget the experience.

But even though Jesse had been wonderful, there was still a change in him, a tense edge that seemed to be growing. She couldn’t decide if he was trying to prove to her how much he wanted her or if he was trying to prove it to himself. Either way, the obsessive pace of their lovemaking drove home that his following her here to France and her confession of love had only made things harder. It would be so much more painful to say goodbye when the time came. She almost wished that he hadn’t taken her on the cruise and was thankful that today she had to return to Savannah. Once home, there wouldn’t be any more time for dancing and romance because she had too many details to see about. The art auction was only two days away.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Champagne flowed and people, dressed in their finest tuxedos and sequins, satins and silks, all mingled throughout the art auction’s display area. Alexi slid into a shadowed corner to hide for a minute or two. She’d barely had time to talk to Jesse since they’d returned from France. A whirlwind of activity had consumed her time and energy. Jesse had stayed in the background, his blue eyes as brooding and unreadable as a storm at sea. No other sinister incidents occurred, and if it wasn’t for the police pictures of the destruction at Nan’s, she could almost believe it had never happened. Jesse pulled her close every night, making her feel safe, but the supple warmth of his vibrant body also made the cold reality of their situation harder to face. After returning home, the tension she sensed in him had only worsened.

“
I haven’t really noticed all the charity work you do.”

Alexi blinked away her thoughts to find that her father had joined her in the corner. Then she blinked again as his words registered. Her mouth went dry at the unexpected confession and her heartbeat slowed, almost painfully. “I, uh, haven’t done that much.”

“
Not true. Unlike me, you’ve lived a life of awareness and generosity to the needs of others. I went to the children’s ward at hospital before coming here to see what this is all about. There’s a wall dedicated to the people who’ve made donations of time and money. Your name is there, multiple times. Your mother, if she were here, would be very proud of you.” Her father sighed and Alexi heard the weight of the world in the sound, and she saw again the sadness in his eyes that had always distanced him from her.

“
You have it all wrong, you know. How I feel about you. You see, it was my love that killed your mother. I blame myself for her death and I suppose I never really felt deserving of your affection,” he said.

Alexi shook her head, shocked. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Why do you blame yourself? You weren’t even in the car with her when she died.”

“
No. But maybe she wouldn’t have been on that dark country road if I hadn’t made her choose between me and a music career.” A deep far away look clouded her father’s eyes. “Your mother had the voice of an angel, but flavored with just enough sultriness to mesmerize anyone who heard her. A few months after you were born, a big music producer discovered her singing in a local church and offered her the moon. He’d found his female Elvis and wanted to make her a star. I was too jealous of what a career like that would do to our marriage and family and I made her choose. Me or the music. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t ask myself, what if I had let her go after her dreams instead of forcing her to stay here and sing at local churches? Would she be alive today? Most days I answer that with a big YES.”

“
Don’t.” Alexi took her father’s hand. “Don’t blame yourself. If she had gone after a singing career, would she have quit singing in churches?”

He father blinked. “Lord, no. She loved singing in churches, said it was her way of thanking God for the beautiful gift of song he’d given her.”

“
Then don’t keep punishing yourself. You can’t know that she wouldn’t have been on that road no matter what. And she’s singing with angels now. She used to tell me that the stars were angels and every night they twinkled because that’s what happened when they blew kisses your way to say goodnight. I think we’ve wasted too many of her kisses over the years. I always thought that you blamed me for her death or hated me because I reminded you of her.”

“
Good Lord. If anything it’s the opposite, Alexi.”

Heart squeezing with tenderness, she leaned over and gave her father a quick hug. “I’ll be sure to remember that from now on.”

He patted her on the back, cleared his throat and said, “This is an impressive showing tonight.”

“
Thank you. I hope the bidding for the art is as impressive.”

“
That looks like a given to me. I’d better go see what your grandmother is up to. She mentioned something about wanting to see a collection of photographs her bridge club was raving about.”

Alexi squeezed her eyes shut and bit her tongue to keep from saying anything, but the idea of her father and grandmother and “The Sum of All Things,” nude photo collection didn’t mesh at all. “I’ll see you after the auction,” were they only words she managed to say.

“
Good.” Her father turned to leave but didn’t. He looked back. “I know your grandmother is rigid and manipulative. But you have to realize that she’s never known love like we have, and her iron will is all she has holding her up. She’ll eventually adjust to you and Jesse being together. Just give her time.”