Chapter 34

ChapterThirty-Four

Nick

I hear Sadie pull the plug in the bath and pour another glass of wine. Claus purrs beside me on the coach, and I rub his fur absently. He’s a good cat. And he fits in here. So far, he hasn’t scratched a couch, a chair, or torn into a carpet. He trims his nails on his cat tree and that’s it. So, for the most part, I don’t mind him being here. I think I even like him.

I wonder who dumped him and why? Because, as far as I can see, he’s a damn good cat. He hasn’t once tried to climb the Christmas tree, as I’d expected. I wonder if he’s lonely here. If maybe he’d like a kitten, and I frown at the unexpected thought. I hadn’t wanted one cat, and now I’m thinking of getting a kitten. Fuck.

Claus rolls onto his side, giving me his belly for another firm rub. He’s a sucker for a good belly rub, I think, figuring Sadie will be down soon. So I wait, listening for movement. When I hear none, I start to wonder. When ten minutes has passed, I get up from the coach and head for the stairs.

She yawned a few times during dinner, so maybe she’s tired. Maybe she laid down on the bed and fell asleep. I climb the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake her if she has fallen asleep. Tomorrow is Christmas, and even though it’ll just be the two of us—exactly as I want it even though Mom called to invite us over for dinner—I’d declined. Sadie informed me she has big plans for tomorrow, and that she will be making her parent’s famous citrus turkey. I wouldn’t blame her if she’s too tired to watch a Christmas movie with me, even though that hadn’t been my plan, but hers.

At the top of the stairs, I pause as my gaze catches on the flicker of fire light. Candles, I think, wondering what it is about women bathing in a room lit with candles. I hope she hasn’t fallen asleep with a lit candle. The idea has unease spreading in my chest and my pace quickening to close the distance between the stairs and my bedroom.

In the door of my bedroom, I freeze as my eyes land on Sadie—because holy fuck. She’s beautiful.

My gaze rakes over her in a way that I know spells hunger. Air catches in my lungs, getting stuck in my throat. Under my skin, my blood simmers. My aching dick grows heavy in my jeans with need for the woman standing before me in—what the fuck is she wearing and where did she get it?

“Merry Christmas,” she purrs seductively. When her tongue pokes out to wet her lips, I nearly groan.

“What is this?” My own voice sounds husky and thick. I can’t take my eyes off her.

“Your gift.” She gives me a little twirl, and this time I do groan. When she spins back around to face me she taunts, “Are you going to come over here and unwrap me?”

Holy shit.I very nearly come in my pants from her words alone.

She doesn’t know how she affects me. She can’t know. “My gift?” The question sounds hoarse, but I’m already moving forward. She lifts her chin as though daring me. “What is my gift, Sadie?”

I need to know that I’m on the same track as her. I need to know that I’m not going to fuck this up.

She blinks, her eyes wide and innocent and hopeful. Softly, with a vulnerability that makes her incredibly sweet, she answers, “Me.”

Christ, but this is the best gift I’ve ever been given.

My hand moves around the back of her neck under her hair, and I pull her to me, dropping my mouth to hers. Her head tilts back, her lips parting, and I invade.

She tastes like red wine and smells of vanilla and lavender. Her skin under my touch is warm, and when I pull her body against mine, her heat invades me as I kiss her hard. When I pull back, her lips are red and bruised. Her cheeks are flushed, and her breaths fall in uneven bursts between us. It’s like music to my ears. I want to make her cry for me. Moan for me. Beg for me.

I want to possess every inch of her body.

I want to own every moment of her pleasure.

I want to capture her soul and mold it to mine.

“You’re beautiful.”

“I’m yours,” she offers, blushing. “If you want me?”

“Oh, baby, I want.” I laugh darkly. “And you’re mine.” I kiss her again, harder this time and she lets out a small gasp into my mouth. “You’ve been mine, and now I’m going to show you what being mine means.”

She drags her teeth over her bruised lip. “Please.”

Her plea nearly sends me to my knees. My hands drop to the black ribbon around her waist, and I tug the bow as her breath hitches and the red silk robe parts to offer me a view that knocks the breath from my chest.

Red lace. Nothing but sheer red lace and smooth, creamy soft skin. Sheer red lace cups her full breasts, hiding nothing from me as her pink nipples tighten into small, delectable buds. Fuck me, but I want to taste her. I want touch her and consume her.

My eyes drop lower to the slit of material that begins under her breasts and goes on to the end of the night dress where sheer red lace panties play peek-a-boo with me. She’s exquisite and I want to taint her, to mark her for myself. I see nothing but her. She is my only focus in this moment, and the material clinging to her body conceals nothing from me as her belly quivers, her breath hitching under the intensity of my gaze.

I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and let it roll on release. I want to throw her to the bed and have my way with her, to sink deep and lose myself. I have to take my time, I remind myself. This is her first time and I have to be gentle.

My hands push the silk robe from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. I lean forward, my lips dragging against the smooth skin of her throat as she tips her head to the side.

“This is the best gift I’ve ever been given.” Her body shivers under my words, and I feel pride swell in my chest. This woman—this beautiful creature is affected by me.

Every part of her is perfection. And even though we don’t match, her soft to my rough—her beauty to my beastly—in this moment I am certain that she was made for me.

I kiss my way down her throat as she trembles in front of me. My mouth is hot on her shoulder, my teeth dragging gently against her skin before I lower to my knees. My hands roam over the lace that covers her body, clinging to her flesh. She’s so hot, the material feels warm under my touch.

Her breaths are coming in fast and hard. Her body is shaking. She squeezes her thighs together as I look up at her, and I feel my own breath snag.

I want to feel her desire for me. I want to reach into her panties and feel the physical effect of this moment.

Instead, I circle her waist. Leaning forward, I take one perky lace covered nipple between my teeth and bite down, not hard, but enough to make her gasp a small cry. Releasing her, I smooth my tongue over her nipple, soothing the sting and her fingers curl into my hair as I move to her other breast and do the same.

This time I bite her a little harder and her knees give out. I catch her around the waist, holding her up.

“Hands on my shoulders,” I command, and she obeys. Her unsteady breathing is music to my ears as I release her waist to move my hands between the parting of her night dress, kissing her navel. The sweet scent of her invades my senses, overwhelming me. I could smell nothing but her for the rest of my life and die a happy man.

“Nick,” she breathes my name. Or maybe it’s a protest—or a plea. All I know is that my name on her lips sounding like that nearly breaks my control.

I growl under my breath and land a hot, open-mouthed kiss on the V between her legs. She cries out as I skim my teeth over the lace of her panties, her legs parting for me on instinct, her movements driven purely by need. Her hands grip my shoulders, her fingers digging in.

Her body is weak where she stands, but I’m only going to make her weaker. My fingers hook into the lace band of her panties, and I drag them down the length of her trembling legs, baring her to me.

Looking up into her face, I think I would do anything for her. Anything at all.

I lean forward again, my mouth on her hot sex. Sliding my tongue between her lips, I find her clit and suck hard. Her body jolts against me, but I hold her in place. When I think she’s going to fall, I lift one leg over my shoulder and hold her waist with the other as I use my tongue to fuck her where she stands, quivering, panting, moaning, begging, pleading.

Her hands are in my hair now, and she’s riding my face.

I fucking love this woman, I think as I pull my tongue out of her pussy, sliding it to her clit again. Again, I suck hard, scraping her with my teeth and feeling the pressure inside her build and finally erupt.

I catch her in my arms as she shatters, carrying her to my bed.

She’s beautiful and sated, her skin flushed with pleasure as she stares up at me. Her eyes are wide and innocent, a contradiction to the temptress I found waiting for me not long ago.

My voice sounds deep and rough between us. “As much as I love my gift, baby, the wraps gotta go.”

I give her no warning as I tear the lacy material from her body, tossing it to the floor. She cries out in shock, now entirely bare for me. And my eyes feast on her, committing every inch of her lovely skin to memory.

Her eyes are on fire she sits up in the bed, her hands going for my shirt.

I pull her wrists away, shaking my head. “No.”

“Nick,” she protests. “I want to see you.”

“No, Sadie, you don’t.” I deny sharply.

“Yes, I do,” she argues, and I grit my teeth.

I don’t want to deny her anything. I want to be the man that gives this woman the world—whatever she asks for. But I don’t want her to see me. To be disgusted by me.

“It’s not pretty. You don’t want to see this.”

She sets her gaze on me, and I know I’m not going to change her mind. “I want you all of you tonight. I’m giving you all of me tonight, Nick. Please don’t hold back.”

This woman is going to break me. Holding her eyes, my heart slamming in my chest, I pull my shirt over my head and expose myself to her.

Her eyes take in my ruined flesh inch by marred inch in the dim glow of the candlelight, and I watch, searching her face for the signs of disgust I’ve come to know. My heart nearly stops beating altogether when I don’t see it. Instead, she licks her lips and reaches for my jeans. Behind the zipper, my cock jumps eagerly, not feeling the same worry in my brain.

I don’t stop her as she frees the button before tugging down the zipper. When her hand dips into the band of my briefs, I suck in a sharp breath and curse aloud when her fist closes around my length. Her touch feels so fucking good, my eyes nearly roll back. It’s been so long, and I’ve wanted her so fiercely, I’ve been beating my dick in the shower twice a day. And still, one touch and I’m oozing for her. Aching for her.

In agony for her.

She pulls my length free and her eyes widen, her lips parting. “Oh my.” I grin because I know I’ve got a great dick. At least I’ve got that going for me, because I’m not pretty otherwise.

“Wow.” She swallows hard. “This is gonna hurt, isn’t it?”

I see where her mind is going. I give her honesty. “Probably a little.” When her eyes come to mine, I hate the words even though I mean them with everything in me. “We can stop.”

She shakes her head. “No.”

Thank fuck.

The thought barely has time to settle before she catches me off guard as she leans forward, her hot tongue gliding over my tip. My body jolts, my dick jumping, balls tightening, a curse on the tip of my tongue as I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her away.

Shocked eyes snap to mine, and I let out a rough growl that vibrates in my chest.

“Baby,” I shake my head. “Don’t do that.”

Worry clouds her whiskey eyes. “You don’t like it?”

“Fucking love it.”

“Then—why?” She’s confused and uncertain. And damn it, she’s killing me.

“Because it’s been a long time, and I’ve wanted you for a fucking long time. This already isn’t going to last long.” Her lips shape into an O of understanding, and she laughs.

“Take off your jeans.”

I shoot her a grin, teasing, “So bossy.” But I’m already kicking off my jeans, studying her for the disgust I hope I don’t see.

My breath is lodged in my chest, and I’m paralyzed by hope as she takes me in—all of me. Her eyes roam over my scars and up over my face before landing again on my dick. Through it all, I see no disgust. A little fear, a lot of excitement, but never disgust.

I love this woman.

I’m in love with this woman.

Still, I don’t move until she lays back on the bed, parting her legs and inviting me to come close. I don’t make her wait. Settling my body over hers, she kisses me, and I kiss her back, claiming the control over this moment as I hook an arm around her waist and grind her into me.

She gasps as my length slides against her hot heat, my cock pulsing with a vicious need to be buried deep inside her. This woman has invaded every corner of my mind, every vein in my body—and the heart inside my chest.

Now, I’m going to invade her.