Chapter 9

“Stop.”

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“You can tell that I do. Richard…” her voice petered off as a moan escaped her. “It’s– Oh God!” Her fingers dug into his hair as his mouth feathered over her hair, covering her sex. He had made love to her twice already, and she should be exhausted and wrung out.

His mouth descended to the sensitive mound that was already swollen from his fingers. “Please.” Her body arched, her head thrashing against the pillows.

When his tongue drove into her, she erupted, her cries echoing around the room. Her body was coated with a fine sheen of sweat, her eyes glazed with passion.

When he came up alongside her, she could not look at him.

“It’s late,” she whispered.

“Is it?” Tucking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face up so that he could look at her. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head.

“Tell me.”

“I– it’s too much.” Her bottom lip was trembling, and her body was still heaving.

Electrical jolts were still shaking her to the core.

“I have never felt this way before. It’s not just you.”

His thumb caressed her trembling lip. “It’s new for me too.”

She gave him a look of disbelief that had him smiling wryly.

“You don’t believe me.”

She shook her head.

“It’s true. I never dreamed I would ever feel this way. I convinced myself that I was a confirmed bachelor. I have seen so many marriages fail, and I told myself that it was too much work to even try, and frankly, I was not interested enough.”

He gazed into her eyes. “This passion between us is not going away, in fact it’s getting even more intense.”

“It’s not going to last.”

“You don’t believe that, and I am not going to stand by and allow you to run away from this. I refuse to.”

One powerful leg covered with dark brown hair was trapping both of hers as if making sure she would not leave. Her head was nestled on his chest, his body heat merging with hers. For the first time in a very long time, she felt alive. But she did not believe in happy endings. She had been through too much to ever let her guard down again.

“You can have anyone.”

“I want you.”

“Why?”

He wanted to tell her he was in love for the first time in his life but was wondering if it was too soon. She was fragile and skittish, and he could not blame her.

“I already told you why.” He bent his head and kissed her—his lips moving over hers and igniting the lambent flames. Her fingers curled into his chest as her body unconsciously moved closer to his.

Ending the kiss, he pressed his forehead on hers and took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Christ!” he whispered, his breath fanning her skin. “Do you need any other explanation?”

She was still shaken, her body trembling with need. Dropping her head against his chest, she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.

“I don’t know what to do.”

He cradled her face between his hands and felt the wry amusement taking over. He wanted to propose to her. Good God! He had made love to her several times without using anything, and he doubted that she was in any form of protection.

She could be carrying his seed inside her, and the thought of that, the very idea of seeing her big with his baby, was doing some really funny things to his insides.

“Let me love you," he said gruffly. “Let me show you how it’s supposed to be.” Her fingers were digging into his chest.

“Is it just an affair?”

His thumbs stroked her cheeks slowly. “You are a smart woman; what do you think?

After what we have shared that night in my office and now, do you honestly don’t know what’s happening between us?”

She started to shake her head, but his hands cupping her face restricted her movements. “It cannot be anything else.”

“Because of what you went through.”

“And also because of who you are.”

“It’s too late," he told her gently. “In case you have not been paying attention, we are in a relationship.” He kissed her lightly, rubbing her lips open.

“Accept it, darling.” Before she could protest, he plunged his tongue into her mouth and very soon was ravishing her lips, making her body melt against his.

Richard was accustomed to existing on four hours—maybe five hours of sleep. So, he was wide awake while she was curled against him, fast asleep. They had fought about her spending the night.

“I have to go home.”

“Give me one good reason why.” He had held her close to him, easily resisting her effort to get off the bed.

“I cannot be seen coming out of your place the next morning.”

“We are fairly private here, and it does not matter to me who sees you.”

“It matters to me. I cannot afford people gossiping about us.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” he pointed out reasonably.

“And I had planned to go in and catch up on some work.”

“I plan on keeping you in bed for the better part of the day.”

“Doing what?”

His thick brows had lifted at that silly question.

“I have to go home.”

He had ended the argument by covering her body with his.

Afterward, he retrieved the rest of their meal, and they ate it in bed. Now, she was curled up against him, her head on his chest.

Shifting his head, he stared down at her, moving several tangled strands of hairs from her forehead so that he could gaze at her face. She had long lashes, he realized with a start. He already knew the texture of her skin, that it was soft and felt like satin. Her lips were slightly parted, and she was snoring.

A smile touched his lips as his eyes roved over her features. Who would have ever dreamed that, at his age, he would fall in love? From the first time he saw her in that restaurant—he was going to have to ask if she had been there before.

And if so, why on earth hadn’t he noticed her? He had been annoyed that his mother was running late as usual, but during that time, he had noticed her.

What was it about her that had caught his attention? Was it her complexion? Her agitation? Or her shape? Shaking his head, he combed his fingers through her hair gently so as not to wake her.

He had planned on going to his club in the morning, but that was going to have to wait. He was going to be spending every single hour with her and try to convince her that this was a relationship.

*****

It was the scent of coffee that did it. Or perhaps it was the soreness between her thighs and the tingling feeling of her nipples that did it. It could also be the strange bed and the quality sheets. Or the sun streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It could be any of those things.

Her eyes flickered open to see him sitting on the edge of the bed with a tray in his hand and a smile on his lips. Those lips that had wreaked so much havoc on her entire body. He was wearing a robe, and she was dragging the sheets over her, she wrapped it around her naked form and scooted upward on the pillows.

There was an amused look on his face at her show of modesty, but he did not comment on it. “You slept the entire morning away. I think I wore you out last night and this morning.” His green eyes were laughing at her. “I don’t know how you take your coffee.” “With a spoonful of cream.”

He handed her the cup, and a bottle of creamer, and a spoon.

“I have sent out for breakfast. My housekeeper has the weekend off; she usually does because I am rarely at home.” He took the spoon and bottle of creamer and put it away. “Richard–”

“You look well loved.” His voice was husky with emotions, one hand lifting to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“I have to go.”

“Where?”

“Home.”

“To change?”

“To stay. I have things to do.”

“If you leave, I will follow you," he warned. “I would like us to spend the day together. If you are worried about clothing, I can call someone up and have them bring something for you to wear. In fact, why don’t I do that now.”

Before she could respond, he was on his phone calling Romano’s.

“Richard–”

She stopped when he held up a hand and started speaking. “Helen, hi. I need a favor.” He listened for a moment and then laughed. “I will keep that in mind.” His eyes wandered over Collette’s body as he tried to guess her size.

“A two?” he quirked a brow at her and she nodded numbly. “Jeans and tops. She has this beautiful caramel complexion and dark brown hair, and she is petite, I would say around 5’1”.” He listened again and then chuckled. “Shoes.”

He leaned down and picked up one of her boots. “Size six. Throw in some lingerie and accessories, as well as perfume. Something light and sexy. How long? Half an hour sounds wonderful. Thanks.”

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you have something to wear. I would have preferred to keep you naked and in bed, but I would like to take you somewhere.”

“I don’t think–”

“That’s our breakfast.” He touched the face of his watch and brought up the image. “I’ll be right back.”

Collette watched him leave and felt as if she had been on a roller coaster ride. Richard McBride was so accustomed to getting his own way that he had not listened to a word she said.

But to her surprise, she realized that she wanted to stay; the idea of leaving did not appeal to her. So, what if she gives into her needs? What if it didn’t last? At least for the first time, she was doing what she wanted.

She was spending a glorious night and day with an amazing man. It did not matter if she had just met him, and technically, he was her employer. It also did not matter that he was ridiculously rich and very famous. She deserved this after the hell she had gone through.

And she was going to enjoy every moment of it while it lasted.

*****

“We are in Vermont.” She had been literally swept off her feet. After a delicious breakfast of the most delicious scones, eggs, crispy bacon, and light toast with strawberry jam, he had rushed her into the bathroom where she had been dazzled by the huge shower install and the bath that could comfortably hold six people easily.

By the time they had finished bathing, it had taken almost half an hour because he insisted on using the sponge on every inch of her skin and then making love to her with her body pressed against the tiles.

By that time, her clothes had arrived, an entire suitcase filled with every necessity. She had chosen a pair of faded designer jeans, a red and gold sweater and a pair of brown ankle boots that were as soft as butter.

A stunning cashmere jacket had been included in the package, as well as a matching scarf. He had hustled her out of the loft and into his sports car, where they had arrived at a private airfield with his pilot waiting for them.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“There is no place like Vermont in the fall.” Taking her hand, he led the way toward a barn-like structure situated between towering trees of the most stunning array of fall colors. It was breathtaking and wrapped up as she was in her brand-new jacket, she did not feel the cold and was able to enjoy the incredible setting.

“Who owns this place?”

“A friend of mine.” He led the way toward the building and opened the door to a cozy interior that smelled of pinewood and fire blazing in the hearth.

“I wanted to be alone with you.” Turning her to face him, he unwound the scarf from around her neck and took off her jacket. “You were concerned about being seen with me, and I want to spend the entire day—just us.”

He drew her into the cozy living area and sat on the old leather sofa, pulling her down on his lap. Collette settled back against him, mesmerized by the flames and the surroundings.

“You had someone come by to do all this?”

“Yes. The place is always readied in case someone wants to use it. There is a caretaker who sees to the maintenance. With just one phone call, this was done. His wife brought over a meal for us, and it's warmer.”

She turned her head to look at him. “We are spending the night?”

He nodded. “I want to make love to you by the fire.” He trailed a finger over her cheek. “I want to see the glow of the flames on your beautiful skin. Can you ride?”

“What?” She blinked at the sudden change of subject.

“There is a barn filled with horses and I thought if you were up to the challenge, we could go for a ride.”

“I am not an excellent horsewoman, but I can manage.”

“I’ll find a docile enough one to suit you.” He grinned at her, the smile fading as he stared at her lips. “I want you.”

Her breath was caught inside her throat at the naked yearning on his face.

“Richard–”

“Hmm?” He was busy tugging her sweater over her head and dropping it on the sofa. “I– Oh.” Her body arched when he circled her already rigid nipple with his finger. “I love the fact that you are always ready for me. As I am for you.” He eased his hips upward so that she could feel his arousal.

“Richard, Oh God! It’s too much.”

“Never too much, baby.” He sucked her nipple through the thin lace of her bra.

“I was planning on giving you the tour or even going for a walk, but that will have to wait.” Dragging the blankets from off the top of the sofa, he put her aside long enough to spread them in front of the blazing fire. Stacking cushions on the blankets, he came toward her and drew her to her feet.

“I have been anticipating this since we left the loft," he told her hoarsely. Getting rid of the rest of her clothes, he drew her down and set about taking off his clothes before lying next to her. His eyes wandered over her naked body, and he smiled in satisfaction. “It’s even better than I imagined.”

She became fascinated with the wide expanse of his chest, with the dusting of dark brown hair. He held his breath when she splayed her fingers beneath his nipple. As if sensing his discomfort, she hesitated and stared at him, her eyes wide and questioning.

“Go ahead,” he rasped. “Touch me.”

When he discovered her wonder as she explored his flesh, he turned his body into a map for her to discover. The look on her beautiful face filled him with so much tenderness that he felt his body shaking. This lovely child woman had an innocence about her that made him want to wrap her into his arms and never let her go.

He sucked in a breath when she passed her fingers over his nipple. Grabbing hold of the blankets, he closed his eyes and felt the blood gathering in his lower body as she continued her innocent exploration.

“Do you want me to stop?” Her soft voice had him opening his eyes.

“No, baby.”

That was all she needed. Her hand drifted to his flat stomach, fingers trailing along his skin. She hesitated when she reached the dense hairs covering his sex. Taking the decision from her, he took her hand and wrapped it around his throbbing heat. Her eyes flew to his face, and he almost laughed at her expression.

“It’s okay, baby," he told her thickly. Navigating her hand, he used it to pull back his foreskin to reveal the reddened tip that was already pooling with liquid. “That’s because I am hungry for you," he told her. Taking her finger, he moved it over his glans.

It was becoming unbearable. A groan was torn from his chest, and he knew it was time. Removing her hand, he picked her up and settled her over his throbbing cock. When she sank down, he felt as if he was going to explode.

“Oh baby.” He saw her grimacing and was immediately concerned. “Am I hurting you? Is it too much?”

“No.” She bit her lip and rotated her hips, sending spasms of incredible delight shimmering through his body. “I have never–”

“Oh sweetheart.” Lifting his body, he cupped her face. Expression tender. “Darling.” Bending her slightly, he took her nipple inside his mouth and had her grabbing his hair.

As soon as he moved, it was all over, but still he continued to ravish her nipple. He emptied himself at the mouth of her womb and held her tight as the climax took over and had her trembling against him.

Dropping back against the cushions, he held her against him, his hands wrapped around her waist.

Waiting a few minutes until his world was right side up again, he tilted his chin down to look at her. “Hungry?”

She nodded, her face buried in his chest.

“As soon as I get my strength back, I will go get us some food. In the meantime, I want to hold you just like this.”

*****

He fed her from the plate and refused to have her put clothes on. Deciding against going for a ride or exploring as the weather had taken a turn, he was content to just lay with her by the fire and enjoy her body sprawled half on top of his. And he got her to open up to him—about her past.

She told him of her childhood and how her sister had always been their parents’ favorite.

“I suppose it’s natural because she was so beautiful.” Her tone held no judgment, but he heard the hurt and pain in her voice. Anger at what she had gone through seized him, and he wanted to go back and right every wrong that had been done to her.

The need to protect her from everything frightened him, but he never wanted to see her hurt again.

“That’s no excuse," he said quietly. His head was propped upon one hand, the other curving at her waist. “They shouldn’t have put you through that. And your sister sounds like a real piece of work.”

She shrugged, still not comfortable talking about the subject. “She is trying to make amends.”

He tilted her chin up and stared at her searchingly. “And?”

She held his gaze and what she saw there made her heart quickened. “I don’t know. I told her I would think about it.”

“And him?” His fingers were tensed against her skin. “Are you still in love with him?” Something told her that her answer was very important to him.

“I stopped loving him a long time ago.”

He held her gaze for a few ticking seconds before a smile touched his lips. “I would hate to have him come between us.”

“I feel as if I am in a dream world. This is–”

“Magical?” he asked her teasingly.

She nodded. “And if I blink, it will go away.”

His smile faded. “I have weighed my mind since that night in my office when you ran out on me.” Letting go of her chin, he eased her off him and rose. “Let me get rid of these things.” He nodded toward their leftovers, littering the space next to them.

Collette's eyes were drawn to his lithe frame, the muscles in his chest rippling as he rose gracefully.

He did not seem the least bit self-conscious about his nudity, but then why should he be? She wondered as she watched him leave the room. He had a strong athletic frame, and his sex—she shied away from thinking about his appendage that she could still feel inside her.

Coming back inside the room, he pulled her up against him. “I have been telling myself not to rush things, to give you time to get used to me, to us.” His eyes smoldered. “But I don’t care. Darling, I have fallen in love with you.”