Authors: Cheryl Douglas
Cassidy had been questioning her decision all the way back to Drake’s house. Was she making a mistake, giving in to her hunger for this man? He was too much like the lethal substance she’d been addicted to for so many years. Luring her in with the promise of how good it would feel in the moment even though she knew the fall-out of surrendering could be catastrophic.
He hadn’t told her he still loved her or that he wanted a future with her. He’d only admitted he wanted her body. She swore she’d never give her love or her body to a man who couldn’t give her everything she needed in return. But this was Drake, and in the harsh light of honesty, she had to admit that she’d never stopped loving him.
Could she give him what they both wanted while protecting her heart, or was that too much to hope for?
He held his hand out to help her out of the limousine.
Caleb was already rounding the rear of the car when Drake pulled Cassidy in to his arms. “I really should fire your ass for not taking better care of my woman while I was away.”
Looking uncomfortable, Caleb shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry, I—”
Drake held his hand up to silence his employee. “No need to apologize. Just don’t let it happen again.”
Feeling guilty for getting Caleb in to trouble with his employer, Cassidy spoke up. “It was my fault, not his, Drake. If you want to blame someone for what happened tonight, blame me.”
“It’s okay, Cassidy,” Caleb said, smiling down at her. “You don’t have to defend me. I made the call, even though I knew Mr. Elliott wouldn’t be happy about it.”
“Just so we’re clear,” Drake said to Caleb as he drew Cassidy closer. “This little lady is real important to me. If anything happens to her while she’s on your watch, you will have to answer to me. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, tipping his hat. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
“One more thing,” Drake said. “You need to respect the professional boundaries from now on.”
“Drake,” Cassidy said, flattening her palm against his stomach. “Please, Caleb was just trying to be a friend when I needed one. You can’t fault him for that.”
Drake looked at his driver a long time before he raised an eyebrow and asked, “I don’t need to spell it out for you, do I?”
He looked from Cassidy to Drake before he said, “No, sir.”
“Good.” He took Cassidy’s hand in his. “We’re gonna turn in now, Caleb. You’re free to go.”
“Have a good night,” Caleb said, his voice sounding strained.
“We intend to,” Drake shot over his shoulder as he led Cassidy up the stairs.
Cassidy squeezed his hand. “What was that all about?”
“Just marking my territory,” he muttered under his breath.
She pulled back on his hand, refusing to take another step. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Fine, I’m sorry, okay?”
He didn’t look sorry, but Cassidy decided to let it go. She didn’t want to argue with him tonight.
The house was still and quiet. Cassidy knew Dora’s routine by now; she had probably retired to her quarters with a good book hours ago.
Drake turned Cassidy into his arms. “I should’ve thought to ask this before. Are you okay to…? I mean, would the doctor object to us…?”
Her lips twitched as she watched Drake stammer. It wasn’t like him to pull punches. When he had a question or concern, he was always direct about it.
“The doctor said I could engage in light physical activity… swimming, treadmill…” She batted her eyelashes as she smiled up at him. “Sex.”
“Thank God,” he breathed, tipping his head back. Gripping her shoulders, he said, “I mean, if you’d told me there was any risk we obviously wouldn’t have…”
His uncharacteristic discomfort made her feel better. He was obviously taking this seriously. It wasn’t just about satisfying an urge, it was about filling a void. “I want you,” she said, finding the courage to be bold. “If you feel the same way…”
“I do,” he said quickly. Dipping his head, he brought her in closer, overwhelming her with an intense kiss that laid her fears to rest. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked her in the eye as he brushed her hair off her face. The way he was looking at her, as though he could scarcely believe this was happening. “I’ve spent so many hours thinking about you this past year.”
“I can imagine,” she said, casting her eyes lower. “You must have hated me.”
“I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I thought getting revenge would give me some kind of perverse pleasure, but in the end, I was disgusted with myself. If I’d just been able to let you go and get on with your life, you never would have been living at that damn place.”
It still pained her to know he blamed himself for her attack. “Phil and Susan gave me a home when I needed one, and that center gave me a purpose. In spite of what happened, I wouldn’t have traded my time there for anything. Living there allowed me to grow and heal. It showed me that I could help people who were going through what I’d been through and that gave me the courage to keep fighting my addiction.”
“You blow me away,” he whispered, leaning in to skim his lips across her cheek. “You’ve been through so much, but you haven’t let it destroy you. I can’t tell you how much I respect and admire you, Cassidy.”
“Thank you.”
Hearing those words from him again meant so much. After the depth of disappointment she knew he must have felt finding her with Lee, it meant everything to her to earn his trust again. She wanted to tell him she loved him, that she’d never stopped, but she couldn’t find the courage to voice the truth. She didn’t want his pity if he couldn’t return the sentiment. If one more night in his arms was all she was entitled to, she would gladly take it.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he said, taking her hand. He brushed his lips across her knuckles as he walked her up the stairs.
Pausing at the entrance to the master suite, she admired the space. She’d poked her head in a time or two when Drake had been out of the house, but she never expected him to invite her inside his private retreat to share his bed again.
He flicked the switch and dimmed the lights, casting a warm glow over the room before doing the same to the gas fireplace tucked into a built in wall nook facing the bed.
“It’s perfect,” she said. It felt like they were in a luxury hideaway, safe from prying eyes. Here they could explore their relationship at their leisure before having to explain it to the outside world.
“You’re perfect,” he said, setting her in front of him as he brushed her hair aside to kiss her neck. His fingers flew over the buttons lining the front of her shirt before he slipped it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
She rolled her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. Nothing had ever felt more heavenly than the gentle scrape of his whiskers abrading her sensitive skin. Moaning, she leaned in to him, revelling in the hard evidence of his arousal prodding her back. There was no doubt about it. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
He flicked his thumb and forefinger over the closure at the front of her bra and her breasts fell free of the lacy garment. Filling his hands, he began to roll and tweak her nipples as he continued to lick and kiss her neck, focusing his attention on the areas he knew she was most sensitive.
Her breathing was raspy as she struggled to maintain some semblance of control over her body. Her skin was on fire, her tense muscles finally relaxing as she gave herself over to his expert touch.
“That’s it,” he whispered in her ear. “Just relax. We’ve got all night.”
She wasn’t sure she could survive this exquisite torture for another minute, much less the rest of the night. Steeling her resolve, she decided to abandon her concerns and let herself fully experience every caress in case this night would be their last.
She could feel him undoing the buttons of his shirt and casting it aside before he turned his attention to her jeans. Helping her ease them down, she toed her high boots off and turned to face him wearing only a pair of black lace panties.
“You are so beautiful,” he breathed.
He glided his hands over her body and she tried not to dwell on the imperfections that remained. Raised scars from surgery would fade with time, but never completely heal. They would serve as a reminder that life was precious and she should learn to appreciate every day as the gift it was. According to doctors, she should’ve died that night. When she learned she was living on borrowed time, she vowed to seize every opportunity and live every day like it was her last.
“Even more stunning than I remember.”
His hushed words were like a balm to her wounded self-image. It was difficult for her to feel beautiful when she looked in the mirror and saw only swelling, bruises and scars she feared would never fade. Knowing he still found her attractive bolstered her self-confidence and she knew that no matter what happened tomorrow, tonight would help her to heal.
He reached for his belt buckle, but she pushed his hands aside, taking over the task.
He grinned as he watched her slowly undressing him until she dropped to the floor at his feet. He sucked in a sharp breath, reaching for her arms to help her up, but she was exactly where she wanted to be. In the perfect position to remind her man what he had been missing all those months without her.
She set about loving him in a way she’d never indulged another man. Worshipping him with her mouth, moaning her pleasure as she took him deeper, she could feel the tension in the solid muscles of his legs as he fought for control.
“Oh Jesus, Cass, I…” He groaned through clenched teeth as he threaded his hands through her hair. “Baby, we gotta stop. I can’t…” He tugged her head back gently, tipping her face back until she was looking him in the eye. “I need to make love to you… now.”
She let him escort her to the king-sized bed and ease her back gently against the pillows before reaching in to the nightstand for protection. Watching him sheath himself, she opened for him, desperate to feel a pleasure beyond anything she’d ever expected to experience again.
Her teen years had been punctuated with wild parties and meaningless sex, but it wasn’t until she met Drake that she realized what it meant to
make love.
He was the only man who’d ever touched her soul while claiming her body, and she prayed it would be everything she remembered.
He straddled her, staring down in to her eyes as he braced his hands on either side of her head. Lowering himself to his elbows, he kissed her slowly and sweetly as though he was as intent as she to savor every moment of their time together. “Are you sure about this, baby? If you’re having any doubts, I understand.”
She loved that he was putting her needs above his own, proving to her yet again that the man she’d fallen in love with had been hiding behind that brusque exterior all along. “I’m positive.”
Drake slid into her slowly, allowing her time to adjust to his invasion as he continued to kiss her thoroughly. Groaning, he deepened the kiss and held himself in check as she clenched him mercilessly.
Her favorite part of making love to Drake had always been watching him lose control. Knowing that the world saw him as this ultra-powerful music mogul, but in her arms he was a prisoner to his body.
“Are you okay?” he asked in her ear. His breathing was labored, as though the painstaking task of controlling his body’s urges was already taking its toll. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, praying she could prevent the tears from falling. She was so in love with this man, trying to hide that from him was harder than she ever expected it to be.
“Hey,” he said, pulling back to look her in the eye. “You need me to stop, baby?”
“No,” she said, wrapping her arms around his back to draw him closer. “Please, don’t. I need you.”
Satisfied with her response, he began to pick up the tempo. “Jesus…” he whispered. “I love the way you feel.”
She didn’t trust herself to speak so she just held him tighter, burying her face in his neck. Her body was imploring her to release the moan building in her throat, but she was aware of the fact they weren’t alone in the house. Thousands of square feet may separate them from Drake’s staff, but she knew if she voiced her pleasure, it would reverberate through the house.
“Don’t do that,” he whispered, digging his hands in to his hips as he plunged in and out, harder, faster, deeper with every stroke. “Don’t ever hold back with me.”