Devious (18 page)

When
I finally pulled back, we were both gasping for air.  I removed my jacket and
flung it in a nearby chair.  Unbuttoning my sleeves, I rolled them up until
they fell midway on my forearm.  The sun had vacated the sky, replaced by the
silvery glow of the moon and a million, twinkling stars.

The
moonlight glinted off the silver embellishments on her gown, and I felt the
overwhelming need to have her in my arms again.  I motioned for her to come to
me, and she stepped into my embrace.  Her tiny hands clung to me, pulling me
toward her.  Cradling her in my arms, I held her close while we danced across
the strewn rose petals in the enchanting glow of the moon.

When
the song ended, I led her to the small table.

“Are
you thirsty?”

“A
little bit,” she whispered, and I detected a hint of nervousness in her voice.

I
opened the bottle of sparkling grape juice and filled the champagne flutes.  We
chatted as we sipped, and when both of our glasses were empty, I placed them
back on the table. 

Sitting
on a chaise lounge, I motioned for her to join me as I leaned against the back,
my legs straddling the lounger.  Dara slipped off her shoes and slid back
against my chest, her legs stretched out in front of her amid the flowing
skirts of her gown.

She
was nestled in my arms, my fingers interlocked as my palms rested against her
lower abdomen.

“So
how’s it going with your mom?” I asked.

“It’s
going great.  She’s excited about starting at the bookstore on Monday.”  She rested
her hands on top of mine.

“Are
you going to keep Emma?”

“Yeah. 
I’m excited, too!  It’s so hard to believe.  After all these years, my mom’s
back
and
I have a sister.  I’m still pinching myself.”

I
gave her a little squeeze.  “I’m glad that things are going well for you.  You
deserve it.”

She
leaned her head back against my chest.  “And I’ve got you to thank for it.”

“I’m
sure she would’ve called when she got the chance.”

“Maybe. 
But you still found her and helped her when she had no one else, and I
appreciate that.”

“I
did it for you.”  I kissed her on the temple and was rewarded with a sigh of pleasure.

“I
read the book review,” she said softly.  “You don’t feel lonely anymore?”

I
tightened my hold on her.  “Not as long as I have you.”

“You’re
the one that’s saving me from loneliness, Stone, especially now that Granny’s
gone.”

I
closed my eyes, savoring her words.  I wanted to be everything to her.  I
relished the feeling of her in my arms, wanting to capture this euphoric moment
and remember it forever.

She
squirmed in her chair until her side was against my torso, her knees pulled up
near my thigh.  She tilted her head upward and kissed me along my jawline as
her hand reached up and cupped the opposite cheek.  Soft music flowed to the
outdoor patio, seeping into the gentle night.

She
cuddled against my chest, her palm sliding downward until she rested it over my
heart.

“I
wish Granny could’ve seen me graduate,” she whispered.

“I
know.”

“There’re
so many things she won’t be able to see now.”

“I
like to think that she and Luke aren’t missing anything.  They just have a
little different view now.”  I reached up and took her hand in mine, lowering
them to her lap. 

“That’s
a good way of looking at it,” she said quietly.

We
sat in silence for a while, aglow in the moonlight, the soft music being the
only sound.  I marveled at the contentment I felt with Dara in my arms, and I
knew that in the year that I had known her, she’d changed me.

I
leaned down and kissed her, and she sat up on her knees, pulling her skirt up
around her, so that she could sit facing me, straddling my body.

Her
hands roamed over my face and my chest, and damn, if I didn’t want her right
now.  I kissed her more forcefully.  Sliding my hands beneath her dress, I slid
my palms up the smooth skin of her legs, kneading the flesh of her inner thigh
with my thumbs.

She
scrambled out of my lap and stood up, her chest heaving in the glow of the
moon.  I smiled, knowing that she was affected by my touch. 

“Where’re
you going, babe?”

She
curved her palm around the nape of her neck.  “I just needed…a break.”

I
swung my leg over the lounger and pushed myself into a standing position. 
Placing my palm over her heart, I whispered, “That’s my little hummingbird.”  I
gently kissed her lips.

Then,
I grabbed her hand and tugged it, indicating for her to follow me in the house.

I
flipped on the light switch and crossed the living room with Dara in tow.

“I’m
not going to your bedroom,” she murmured.

I
laughed.  “It’s a good thing because I’m not taking you to my bedroom.  Of
course, I could probably be persuaded to change my mind.”  I winked at her.

“Then
where are we going?”

“You
said you wanted to take a break.  I thought you might be hungry for something
besides me.”

“I
am not hungry for you.”

“Yeah. 
Okay.”  Despite her words, I knew that I scared her.  Her body told me that she
wanted me in ways that her mouth never would.  Not yet, anyway.  But where Dara
was concerned, I was a patient man.  I’d wait for her no matter how long it
took.

I
pulled her into the kitchen and watched as her eyes grew wide with surprise.

“Oh,
my gosh, Stone!  That’s a lot of food!”

In
my efforts to make this a memorable night for Dara, I’d catered a wide variety
of food:  mini club sandwiches, quiche, an assortment of pinwheels, a fresh
fruit and vegetable tray, doughnuts, crème horns, thumbprint cookies, cinnamon
rolls, key lime pie, lemon-strawberry punch, and miscellaneous other items.  A
centerpiece of pink roses adorned the table, along with two place settings of
my mother’s fine china.

“I
didn’t want you to go hungry.”

“You
could feed the entire senior class with this spread,” she said, exaggerating.

“You
can take some back home to your mom, and we could take some to Mr. Milton
tomorrow.  And of course, Dylan will be home later to suck some down.  But
right now, it’s all about you.”  I winked at her, and she offered me a shy
smile in return.

I
added a sampling of everything on my plate, filling it until it was piled
high.  With all the running around that I’d done today, I hadn’t eaten as much
as normal, and I was famished.  I set my plate down at the table, lit a couple
of rose-colored candles, and dimmed the lights.  Dara set her sparsely-filled
plate down next to mine.  I pulled her chair out, assisting her as she sat down,
and I took the seat next to her.

“So
how do you think Dylan and Scarlet’s date is going?” she asked.  She took a
bite of a crème horn while she waited for me to answer.

“Well,
he hasn’t come busting back through the door yet, so hopefully, it’s going
better than we expected.”

“You
do know that she likes brains over brawn, don’t you?”

“Much
like me, Dylan’s the total package.”  I grinned as I took a bite of ham and
cheese on wheat.

“So
two total asshats under one roof?  Your poor mother.”

I
laughed.  “Lucky for her, we’re not home much.”

We
bantered our way through the meal, and it felt good to laugh with her.  As much
as I enjoyed her company, I found myself wanting to touch her skin, to hold her
in my arms.  I needed to be close to her.

I
stood and cleared our dishes.  Offering her my hand, I asked, “May I have this
dance?”

She
placed her small hand in mine, and her fingers were cool to the touch.  “Yes,
you may.”  She shot me a dazzling smile, and I knew that once I had her in my
arms, I wouldn’t want to let go. 

I
led her back to the stone patio, her bare feet pattering across the hardwood
floor in the living room.  Once we stepped outside, the gentle fragrance of roses
hung in the air.  Pulling her against my chest, I locked my fingers at the
small of her back.  Her silky hair glinted silver in the moonlight, and I
couldn’t resist skimming my fingers across her soft curls.  When she glanced up
at me, I jumped on the opportunity to press my lips to hers.  Responding to my
desire, I deepened the kiss, my fingers sliding over her back to the gentle
curve of her ass.  As I kneaded her flesh, the soft fabric of her gown gathered
in my hands.   

She
wove her arms around my neck, brushing my hair with her fingertips.  As my
tongue explored the sweetness of her mouth, she released a tiny gasp of
pleasure, sending me into a near frenzy.

I
broke away from the kiss, my lips following the curve of her neck to her bare
shoulder.  Trying to control my urges, I pulled away and studied her face in
the moonlight.  Her eyes were hooded, and I knew that she wanted me, just as
much as I wanted her.

Candlelight
shimmered off her dangling, crystal earrings, and I had difficulty taking my
eyes off her astounding beauty.  Not only was she sexy, but she was sensitive
and caring.  I drank in her appearance as if I wanted to memorize every detail
of her face as she gazed at me.

“What
are you thinking about, Stone?” she asked, her voice as soft as the moonlight.

“I’m
thinking that I love to hear you say my name, to feel you touch me.”  I reached
out and placed my palm over her heart.  “To know how your body responds to
me.”  I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs skimming her cheekbones.  “I
love you, Dara.”

 “I
love you, too.”  She placed a gentle kiss on my lips, and whispered, “I’ve been
Stoned.  I’m not talking about getting high or being pelted with large rocks. 
I’m talking about you, Stone Hamilton.  You’ve infused yourself in every part
of my being.  You’re the breath in my lungs, the blood in my veins, and I don’t
want to live without you.”

“You
don’t have to,” I whispered, reaching for the ring in my pocket.

“Let
me finish,” she said.  “I don’t want to live without you…and it scares me to
death because I don’t know if I should give you that much power over me.  With
one touch, one word, you can give me the greatest feeling of euphoria or the
worst kind of devastation.”

“Dara,
you mean everything to me, and I want to prove it to you.”

My
fingers closed around the ring.  I’d thought long and hard, and I knew some
people would think me teetering on the brink of insanity.  But the truth was, I
didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought.  Nearly losing her made me realize
that I wanted to be with her forever.

Clasping
her left hand, I pulled the ring from my pocket and bent down on one knee.

I
could tell the moment that she realized my intention, the twinkling lights
providing enough illumination for me to read her expression as she inhaled
sharply in surprise.

“In
the past year, you’ve given me more than I deserve.  Not only have you given me
your love, but you’ve brought me happiness at a time in my life when I would’ve
thought it was impossible.  I don’t want to live another day without knowing
that you’ll be by my side.  I know we’re young, and if you want a long
engagement, then that’s fine with me, as long as I can know that one day you’ll
be my wife.  Dara Golding, will you marry me?”

“Yes,”
she whispered without hesitation, her voice as soft as the flutter of butterfly
wings.  Her tears glistened in the moonlight.  “Finally, one of my birthday
wishes is going to come true.”

“You’re
going to be a princess?”

She
laughed and squeezed my hand.  “No.”

“Well,
your mother did come back for you.”

She
scoffed.  “Yeah, but I was hoping that wish would come true before my seventh
birthday, so that one doesn’t count.”  Her voice softened.  “The wish I made on
my eighteenth birthday was that one day, we would get married.”

I
bent low over her hand, brushing a kiss across her knuckles.  Gently, I placed
the princess cut diamond ring on her finger, and she flung her arms around my
neck, nearly knocking me off-balance. “That’s what I do,” I said while
struggling to keep us upright, “make your wishes come true.”

Standing,
I wrapped my arms around her, crushing her against my body, and clung to her. 
“You’ve just made me a very happy man.  I love you, Dara,” I said softly. 
Pulling back to gaze upon her face, my fingertips tilted her chin upward and I
kissed her slowly, sensually.

She
trembled beneath my touch.  “You really do love me, don’t you?” she whispered.

“More
than motorcycles and mud pies.”

Other
Books

by

Suzannah Daniels

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Encounter (Ghostly Series-Book One)

Dangerous
(Dangerous #1)

Adult

Viking’s
Embrace

Excerpt
from Ghostly Encounter

Seventeen-year-old
Mia Randall longed for someone to take her mind off her heartrending breakup
with her first real boyfriend.

Benjamin
Alexander Richards did exactly that.

There
was only one problem.

He
was a ghost.

__________________________

He
continued to walk along the path. She noticed that his Rebel uniform seemed
much more tattered than Josh’s. “Have you been reenacting for a long time?”

He
stopped then and turned to look at her. A slow, sad smile spread across his
handsome face. He studied her with those beautiful eyes. “Far too long.”

She
watched as he pursed his lips, and she wondered what it would be like to be
kissed by him. “You sound as if you don’t enjoy it. Why do you do it?”

He
clenched his jaw and looked away.

“I’m
sorry if I said something to upset you.” She went to touch his arm reassuringly
and then she stared in frozen horror, her body locked in position as she gaped
at him. Her hand had gone right through him as if there was nothing before her but
the very air she breathed.

“Don’t
be frightened,” he whispered.

She
backed away.

“Please
don’t go,” he pleaded, begging her with those brilliant, azure eyes. “I beseech
you to stay with me, if only for a while.”