Chapter 13

“Is this the plan? Keep me naked for the entire day?”

Leaning against the wall, he plucked a fat green grape off the bunch and fed her with it. They had migrated from the bedroom to the living room where she made them breakfast wearing only one of his extremely expensive and very soft cashmere sweaters and nothing else.

Instead of eating in the kitchen or the formal dining room, he insisted they ate on a blanket in front of the fire in the living room. He had dragged on a pair of sweatpants, leaving his upper body bare. She could not stop staring at the impressive chest with its dusting of dense dark hairs.

“I suggested we go out, but you refused.”

She watched as he bit into an apple, his strong white teeth crunching on the fruit.

“That’s because I did not bring any extra clothing.”

His thick brows elevated. “Oh, was that the reason?”

“I am sticking to it.” He had made love to her until she was pleasantly satiated and drowsy from his ardent and sometimes hungry lovemaking. Her hair was in a tangled mess, but she was confident enough in his attention that she did not even care.

“Did you buy her a ring?” She studiously studied her fingernails to avoid looking at him.

“No. I was about to.”

She looked at him then. “You were in love with her.”

“I thought I was. What is it, Cathy?”

She shrugged. “You might wake up one morning to discover that this is not really love.”

His face hardened. “You think I am a moron.”

“No. That’s not…”

“You are thinking that I have been so starved for real affection that I have a problem deciding what’s real and what’s just superficial.”

“Earl…”

“I assure you, I am quite capable of telling the difference.” His voice had become icy.

“Are you done?”

“Far from it.”

“Look, I know you are pissed…”

“What gave it away?”

“Will you stop!” Sitting up, she dragged impatient fingers through her hair, wincing when it dragged against her scalp. Pulling the blankets up, she covered her breasts. “I have a right to be afraid. I already told you what I went through with guys, and you are Earl Drummond, gorgeous and God!” She closed her eyes briefly.

“What you did to me in bed and here…” She swept a hand to encompass the vicinity. “There is no way on earth a woman in her right mind would ever want to give you up.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “And if I get in too deep and find out you are doing that with someone else, I am going to die, but first, I am going to hack off your very impressive dick and then murder the woman you are doing it with. Do you understand what I am trying to say?”

Earl stared at her in mute admiration and wonder. She was unique of course, it was safe to say that he had never met anyone like her, and he wanted her so much, he was on edge.

“Perfectly.” The anger had dissolved, and his lips were quirking. “Shall I share something with you?”

“Of course.”

“It has never been that way with anyone else.”

“I don’t believe you.”

His breath escaped in a longsuffering sigh. “Are you going to be constantly doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Doubting everything I say?”

“Possibly.” She grinned, her eyes twinkling.

“As I was saying, I have been having sex since I was thirteen- “Her gasp made him pause.

“You have been having sex since you were thirteen?”

“Did I not mention that?”

“No,” she sat up, unconsciously letting go of the blankets. “You were a baby.”

“I was fully developed when I was twelve.” His amusement deepened as he stared at her. “And I had a very sexy and willing French tutor who was nineteen. She taught me… a lot.”

“She was a pedophile.”

He laughed huskily. “I suppose she was.”

“Were you in love with her?” Cathy could not believe she was jealous, but there was one word for the heat coursing through her body.

“I thought I was.”

“How long did it last, this nastiness?”

He bit back a laugh at her outraged expression.

“A year.”

“One year! What about your parents? They didn’t know?”

He shrugged. “I suspect my dad did. He was also screwing her.”

“Oh.”

He nodded and reached for his glass of OJ. “I discovered them one night in his study. She was naked and, on all fours, with him behind her. He saw me standing just inside the doorway and just kept on going.”

“That’s…, that’s…”

“Sick?” He supplied. “I thought so too. My fourteen-year-old heart was crushed. I got my revenge by screwing one of his mistresses. But I doubt he would have cared.” His eyes met hers bleakly. “Are you shocked and disgusted with me?”

She shook her head.

Picking up the blankets, she covered herself again and looked over into the fire. What he told her had indeed shocked her. But she also felt sorry for the boy who had had to endure all of it.

“Do you want to leave?” His harsh tone had her whipping her head around to discover that his face was tight, his lips thin. He expected her to leave and suddenly she realized that she loved him.

She had known it before, but this time, she knew for a fact that she wanted this man, that with all his faults and flaws, he desperately needed some normalcy in his life.

He needed someone who was going to love him for himself. That beneath all his sophistication, the business acumen, and the social standing, he was lonely and insecure.

“Well?” He demanded.

“Do you want me to leave?” She asked softly.

Turning away, he shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

“Is it?”

His head swung around to stare at her. “Yes.” He bit out.

Removing the blankets, she scooted until her hip was pressing against his. “Take off your sweats.”

“What?”

“Take it off.”

“Why?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Why do you think?”

He swallowed the lump in his throat and felt the awful tension easing from around his heart. With his eyes trained on hers, he did as she asked. “What now?”

She closed her fingers around him, causing him to harden.

“I want to make love to my man.”

“Your…,”he could not continue; his throat was not cooperating.

“I love you.”

“Oh God! Baby, what are you…” he groaned long and low, his body going rigid, but it could not in any way compared to how stiff his sex was. She was rolling the tip of her finger over the glans where moisture was already collecting. His body was flushed with heat, his heart pounding so hard he could barely breathe.

“I never had anyone go down on me and thought it was nasty. But it’s not.”

“It isn’t?” He rasped, not even realizing what he was saying.

“No. You make me feel wonderful. It was amazing and the way you rolled your tongue inside me made me want to die. I thought I was going to. I want to do the same for you.”

“Cathy. Cathy.” That was all he could say. Her name rolled off his tongue like a prayer.

“Would you mind?”

“Pardon?” He could not even recall his name or what day it was. She was slowly torturing him and was just using her fingers to accomplish that.

“I want to use my tongue on you.” Her sultry voice saying those evocative words zephyred through his body like a sharp sword, slicing all the way through his bones. He felt liquid, weightless as if he was floating.

“You don’t have to…”

“I want to.”

His hands clenched into tight fists as he braced for the onslaught. When her tongue was forced into the slit, he felt as if the top of his head was being blown off. A string of curses rolled off his lips as his body surged towards her mouth.

For a novice, she sure as hell knew how to pile on the torment. When she took him into her mouth, he knew he couldn’t last.

Every drop of blood was gathered in one place, and he felt as if he was straining. His cock was iron hard and pulsing inside her mouth. Her saliva, her warm breath were combinations designed to drive him clear out of his mind.

He tried hard to hold back what was coming, because he did not want to choke her, but he was not proof against such exquisite sybaritic pleasure. It flowed over him, through him until he felt his entire body participating. He jerked upwards, one hand burying itself in her thick strands and he came inside her mouth.

When he was done, he slid sideways and managed to drag her up next to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face into her cushiony bosom, breathing in her scent, his body still shuddering from the most intensely powerful climax he had ever experienced in his life.

Cathy held his lean muscular frame to her, a dazed expression on her face. It was not altogether unpleasant, just short of musky and it had been worth it to see the look on his face. And to witness his reaction.

Shifting slightly, he stared at her, eyes still swirling with passion, face defined by it. He examined each feature as if he wanted to memorize it for future reference.

“Your first time?”

“I thought that was obvious.”

“You killed it.”

She bit back a smile and then burst out laughing. “Am I supposed to say thank you?”

“And you almost damn near killed me.” Her hair was hopelessly tangled, thanks to him.

“Sorry?”

“My ass.” He growled. His expression was tender, glowing with love for this woman who had in a few short weeks shown him what it was to really be in love. He would give her anything, lay down his life for her and he did not want to spend another minute without her in his life. “This weekend.”

“What about this weekend?”

“We get married.”

“Very funny.” Her eyes widened when she realized he wasn’t joking. “We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We just cannot. You said we should get to know each other. Go out on dates…”

“We can do all of that after. I need you.” He told her gruffly. “I cannot bear to spend another day without you.”

“Earl, be reasonable. You are not thinking. I am here and I already told you I am in love with you. I am no longer afraid to go out with you in public. We could go to the museum – the art gallery…”

“As husband and wife.” He clamped his hand at the back of her neck and hauled her in for a kiss that had her nipples pebbling.

“Oh God.” She leaned onto him and took several breaths. “We cannot get married so quickly.”

Inserting two fingers beneath her chin, he lifted her face to his. “Do you love me?”

“You know I do.”

“Then marry me. Saturday is six days away. I want you to meet the only family I have, my sister and her husband. I have already met your - your friend.” He stared at her intently. “Is he more than a friend?”

Her eyes glittered. “Much more. He is family and he is gay.”

“Then we are going to get along well with each other. Unless you want the glittering society wedding…?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

He grinned at her fierce response. “Then it’s settled. There is just one thing.”

“You want us to have children in the next two weeks.”

He laughed, absolutely loving her. “You are going to have to sign a prenup. I hate like hell that this is going to be a thing, but I am responsible to a board and a bunch of hard ass lawyers will insist…”

“Shh. I do not want your money, and a legal document is not such a bad idea.”

“Divorce is not an option,” he told her fiercely. “Whatever you do, I am willing to forgive, except infidelity. I am pledging my life to yours completely, irrevocably and I expect the same courtesy. I love you. I never thought it existed when I was growing up.

I saw it with several of the members of my club and I envied them. I never dreamed it would ever happen to me. Now that it has, I am willing to move hell and earth to keep it. Am I clear?”

A smile wreathed her lips as she stared at him. She had despaired of ever finding anyone and had given up hope of finding love, until now.

“I might just have to have sex with Justin.”

His expression turned ominous. “The only person you will be having sex with from here on, will be me, until we are both dead.”

“What if you die first?” She asked innocently as she snuggled against him.

“Then you will remain chaste and sex free until we both meet up again in the afterlife.” His hands framed her face. “Believe me, we will be terribly busy until then. I intend to be using this lush body of yours every night and every morning. In case it has escaped your notice, I am insatiable when it comes to you.”

“Or you are insatiable – period.”

“No,” he shook his head. “Just with you.” Taking her hand, he linked their fingers. “What do you say darling? Are you willing to make an honest man out of me?”

“As long as I don’t have to cook and pick up after you.”

“I thought you love to cook.”

“On occasion.”

“Then no. You can be as lazy as you want.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “My work often consumes me.”

“Is that a warning?”

She nodded.

“What do I do in that case?”

“You drag me away and demand your husbandly duties.”

He grinned at her answer.

“Can I get that in writing?”

“Absolutely. We will have your team of money-hungry lawyers draw something up. Will your sister approve?”

“She was the one who insisted on me joining the online dating app. She will love you.” His fingers trailed a path from her cheek to the seams of her lips. “I adore you; do you believe me?”

Her heart skittered before righting itself and she nodded. “When I was growing up in that awful place, I knew it would get better. I convinced myself that my life was going to take a turn, and I was determined to make that happen.”

Her hand captured his and she pressed a kiss into the palm. I spent years going through a few failed relationships and I lost hope.” Her eyes glittered with tears.

“I lost hope and now you- “He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face against his chest. He felt her tears warming his skin and felt his emotions taking over. “I am here baby.” He whispered. “I will always be.”

*****

They took a bath together and when he suggested a shower in his huge install, she insisted on trying out the claw footed bath in the center of the room. He watched her fascination as she stared around the room and fiddled with several gold knobs she had never seen before.

“It’s like a showroom. Who was the designer?”

He cleared his throat as he sat on the lip of the tub and started to fill it up.

“Er- someone I know. Jessica Landry.”

“I have heard of her- “She plopped her hands on her hips. “And I also know that you slept with her. Did she try out the tub?”

“No. Of course not. But does it matter?”

“Okay mister, why don’t you ask me that question when I invite you home and have you in the bed where I had sex with Marcus.”

His expression changed. “Who the hell is Marcus?”

‘See.” She pointed an accusing finger at his bare chest. “That is exactly what I am talking about. And before you continue filling that tub, answer my question.”

“It was just a one-time thing and we both regretted it after and no, we did not do it in the tub.”

“Where then?”

“Cathy…”

“Where?”

“In one of the guest rooms. The place was being refurbished and this was not yet habitable. Satisfied?”

“I will let you know.”

“You are so adorable when you are jealous.” He grinned as she glared at him.

Stretching out a hand, he pulled her towards him and removed the blanket from around her breasts. Getting rid of his pants, he stepped into the frothy water and guided her down in front of him. When she leaned against him, he felt as if he was at home. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful.

“I never saw them hold hands or touch.” He murmured after a few minutes of contented silence.

“That is understandable. It sounds like they could not stand each other.” She did not have to ask what he was talking about and was happy that he could share it with her.

“They never touched us.” Moving tendrils of her hair, he passed the sponge over her neck. “I told myself that I had toughened up and did not need them to hold me.”

“But you did!” She turned to look at him, her eyes blazing with love. “It is natural for a child to want to feel that tangibility. I told myself that I did not care about mine. That they didn’t want me, so I didn’t want them back. But I was lying.

Even when I found the woman who gave birth to me, I wanted her to tell me that because of circumstances beyond her control, she had to give me up. When she told me she never wanted a kid, I wanted to die.”

Dropping the sponge, he cupped her face gently.

“That’s something neither of us ever have to face again.” He promised. “You will always know that I love and need you and I do Cathy. Darling, I need you so much that it scares me. I am tempted to lock you inside my bedroom and never let you out.”

“Earl.” She whispered achingly.

“When you look at me like that, say my name in that sultry and sexy voice of yours, it does something funny to my insides.” He stroked her cheek. “The first time I heard your voice, I got hard. It was damn embarrassing.” He gave her a pained look when she started laughing.

“It is not funny. I went through periods of constant pain and unable to go to sleep.”

“You mean like now?” She had turned sideways, the water sloshing over the lip of the tub and was cupping his sex.

“Oh Christ.” He whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Exercising my power.” She stroked him until he was standing at full attention.

Wrapping his fingers around the single braid she had put her hair in, he hauled her face up to his. The kiss was hot and sizzling. Everything fell away at once, nothing else mattered except the feelings tumbling around inside their bodies.

Their lips fused together, tongues tangling. Her nipples rubbed against his chest, causing incredible friction. Her arms came around his neck as she sank against his chest.

Dragging his lips from hers, he captured the suds on her cheek, before sucking on the skin of her neck. A sigh escaped her as her head drifted back, giving him full access to her skin. Removing the suds that had formed on her large nipples, he raised her up so that he could lavish them with his mouth.

Heat shimmered inside her and settled into her core until she was aching, her sensitive flesh swollen with need. As if she had transmitted it to him, he reached into the water and rubbed a slippery hand over the nubbin.

“Earl.” She whispered, her body moving restlessly.

His mouth was avidly suckling at her nipple and when his fingers slipped inside her, she came, her body vibrating and sloshing water from the tub to the floor. But they did not notice that. Sliding his fingers into her, slowly, he continued to love her even when she had finally settled back to earth.

Lifting his head, he stared at her, the look on his face making words unnecessary.

Turning her to face him, he lifted his hips until she impaled him. Making room for her legs to wrap around his waist, he clasped her hips as he slowly drove into her.

They did not say anything, their eyes were making contact and communicating non-verbally. Tears glittered in her eyes as she told him silently how much she loved him. When she came again, he seized her lips and followed right behind her, his heart bursting with love.