I pulled myself up to sitting as well. “That last night, the night you came down to my cabin.” She nodded. “Your father knew. He was watching and saw you leave my place.”
Her eyes grew round and she brought her hand up to her mouth.
“He was waiting for me when I came out of the shower,” I continued. “He fired me. Kicked me out and told me never to set foot there again.”
“He did?” Kara asked, shocked.
“So he never told you? I figured he might do that.” That was cruel of him, but smart. It really sealed the deal, made sure Kara thought I was the trash he knew me to be. As if I’d up and leave her after those nights together with no note, no explanation, like it all meant nothing.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you ever…” She held up her hand, her palm upturned as if holding all of the phone calls and text messages and love letters and visits I’d never made.
“Because Harlan was right. I wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Bullshit.” This time she sounded angrier, more defiant.
“He never said anything to you about why I left?”
“Never.” She shook her head.
I swore. “He sure as shit said something to me. He told me I wasn’t good enough for you. I wasn’t going to treat you right, give you the future you deserved.”
“No.” She shook her head, refusing this version of the story, tears stinging her eyes.
“Yes,” I insisted, and she knew I was telling the truth. “Thing was, he knew what he was talking about. What did I have, back then? I had nothing.”
“It didn’t matter!” Kara insisted, leaning toward me.
“It did matter.”
“Not to me.”
“You have to remember how it was for me back then. I had nothing. He pissed me off when he pointed it out, but I knew he was right. I had no business pulling you down into the gutter with me.”
“Declan, you’re all I’ve ever wanted.” Her eyes, wide and luminous, her lips pink and parted, I didn’t know how I’d ever lucked into her falling back into my life. After all the crap I’d been through, all the many years alone and fighting my way through day-to-day, maybe it was time? Maybe it was time to finally have what I’d always really wanted?
I wrapped her in my arms and crushed her to me, kissing her breathless, worshipping her.
Room service. Damn it. I heard it again, a knock at the door. Reluctantly, I stood and pulled on a robe. My woman needed to eat. Shutting the bedroom door, I let them into the suite to set the trays down. After giving them a good tip, I sent them out and locked the door. No more intrusions.
She enjoyed her breakfast. I just wanted to feast on her. Once she was done, I did just that, licking and tasting every inch of her body and bringing her yet another orgasm. A man could get addicted to it, the feel of her shivers and shudders, her needy pants and groans.
After a while we drifted off again, relaxed and sated and happy. That’s how we passed the rest of the day, in bed, naked, chatting, stroking, coming, snoozing, eating from time to time. It might have been the best day of my life.
Late afternoon, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the shower. She needed some hot steam, warm water pounding on her sore muscles. I was working her hard, I knew that. My lust for her knew no bounds. I wanted her again, all the time. I had to pace myself so she could keep up.
But once we were in the shower, I couldn’t help myself. Naked, in the heat, I cupped my hands underneath her ass cheeks and pushed her up against the wall.
“I need to taste you,” I breathed into her, then knelt down to bring my face to her pussy.
“Ahh! Declan!” She cried out as I brought my tongue down between her folds, slick and hot, licking her most intimate, private places. I loved how she tasted, her sweet juices. I could feast on her every day. The sounds she made, the desperate moans and gasps, the sighs of pleasure, the jagged feel of her breathing as she started to pant. The twist of her fingers in my hair, agitated, needy, pulling at me, pushing me into her slit. I loved driving her wild.
“I’m going to—” At the sound of her words, I thrust my tongue hard up into her, using my hands to spread her wide apart, giving me all the access I required. She shuddered and came on my tongue, screaming and clawing at me with raw animal pleasure.
Before she even finished coming, I stood up and positioned her right where I wanted her up against the wall, my hands still firmly under her ass. I plunged my raging hard cock directly into her wet, quivering pussy. She screamed and exploded all over again, another orgasm wracking her as I filled her completely, spearing her without warning.
“Yes!” she cried out. “Oh, yes!”
Her hands up at my shoulders, I pressed her against the wall and began to fuck her deliberate and slow, burying my cock into her deep again and again up to the hilt. Moaning, her eyes closed, she melted into me, groaning with the leisurely feel of it. I wanted it slow, wanted it to build, never wanted it to end.
“Kara,” I whispered in her ear. She leaned toward me, her eyes still closed in pleasure. I remembered her question from earlier. I knew how to answer it now. “You asked me what feels like home to me.” I drove into her, full and hard and she took me in, every inch, warm and slick and groaning with delight. “You feel like home.”
“Declan!” she called out, overcome. “I love you.”
Senseless, I drove into her, wanting nothing more than this, nothing more than her. She felt so tight and hot and wet.
“Kara!” I called out as I built up, my balls tightening, filling with my come.
“Come in me, Declan!” she screamed. I drove into her, hard and deep and filled her with my come, thrusting and spurting all of it into her. She shuddered around me, her screams melting into sighs, her arms resting now around my neck, our heads touching as we panted together in the heated steam of the shower.
She was why I’d done all of this, I realized. All of the money, wealth, power. Every property I acquired, every investor I secured, every new success—it was all for Kara, to prove I could be the right one for her. And now I finally had her. She was mine.
I wanted to give her the necklace I’d bought for her. Once I’d seen the dress she’d wear to the party tonight, I knew I had to get it for her. She’d look radiant in nothing at all, but I wanted to drape her in jewels, make her shine and shimmer like the goddess she was.
Dreamily, she wrapped her arms around my neck as I picked her up, turned off the water and carried her out of the shower. I put her down gingerly, tenderly. I knew her legs might not be feeling so strong. I wanted to make this woman weak with orgasms, leave her powerless in my bed for weeks. But that would all have to start tomorrow. Tonight we had a gala at the Met. Technically, I had to be there in 30 minutes. I could pull that off, all I had to do was put on my tux, but a woman would want more time to get ready for a black tie affair. Especially after what I’d done to her all day long.
“Why don’t you take your time getting ready?” I smiled at her and took a towel down from the rack to dry her soft, creamy skin. She was going to look amazing in the strapless dress tonight, the one that made her
look like Venus rising from the half-shell. Of course Venus wore nothing but her long hair in that famous painting. I’d like Kara in that look.
“I have to get there early and take care of some business,” I explained reluctantly. “But you can take your time and have Vladimir drive you over when you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.” She looked up at me, smiling the slightly dazed, blissed-out smile of a woman who’d just experienced several intense orgasms.
“I have something for you to wear tonight. With your dress.”
“What a dress that is.” She shook her head in amazement. Earlier that day the dressmaker had had it delivered to the hotel wrapped in tissue paper and plastic, two people carrying it into the room.
I ducked into the bedroom and pulled out a large, black velvet case. Offering it to her, I stepped back. I wanted to see her face.
Smiling shyly at me, she lifted up the top. Her jaw dropped open. “Declan, I can’t!”
“Oh, yes, you can.” I stepped toward her. I couldn’t help it, I needed to touch her again, feel her, clasp the necklace on her myself.
“It’s so beautiful!”
I picked it up and placed it along her skin, the rubies and diamonds sparkling against her strawberries and cream complexion. She lifted her hair and I clasped it in back.
“Let me see.” I took a step away again so I could take all of her in.
She looked at me, her eyes dreamy and filled with love, the jewels glittering at her throat, her naked, pink body exposed and perfect for me to ravish.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” I asked, husky.
She smiled, looking down, shy again. “You make me feel beautiful.”
“You’re so much more beautiful than any piece of jewelry. You make the diamonds look dull.” Wrapping a hand around her low back, I leaned down for a kiss. I couldn’t resist one hand up to the soft mound of her breast, my fingers finding the sensitive bud at the tip. At the low sound in her throat, I closed my eyes and rested my forehead to hers. I had to stop myself. I had to head to the party.
But I wouldn’t fight this any longer. I’d surrender to the madness. If insanity felt this amazing, I was all for it.