She left Ethan standing there with his mouth hanging open and his face red with indignation, and hurried to grab Clive’s arm. She was halfway to him when he pushed the damned button again. She could barely breathe by the time she had his attention.
“Outside, now.”
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He only smiled as she dragged him out of the store, not caring if everyone stopped to stare. She pushed him toward the driver side of the rental car. He reached into his pocket, switched off the panties, and pulled out his keys.
“Drive. Somewhere private,” she added in a hot voice.
He didn’t question, only unlocked the doors and started the car. She waited until they’d passed out of town to move her hand to his crotch. He jumped at the contact, and she laughed.
“You’re so hard. Could it be that your little game backfired?”
He shook his head as she unzipped his pants. “It’s working exactly as I’d thought. We’ll be back at the inn --”
She silenced him by lowering her mouth to his cock. She sank onto the long shaft, absorbing the sudden twitch the tight muscle gave. Above her, she heard him gasp, and felt a jolt of pure feminine power. He was quick to pull over, she didn’t know where, and turn the car off.
She continued to suck him, enjoying the feel of his cock along her tongue. Longing spiraled along her bones, settling in to her core. Her taut nipples grazed against his thigh and she moaned. Then the vibrating against her clit began again, and she screamed in delight.
“So good.” She groaned and wriggled her bottom.
“I’ll make it better,” he promised through gritted teeth.
The speed of the vibrator increased, surprising her. She’d assumed it only had one setting, but this…this was incredible. Her body throbbed in one hard, continuous cadence, the aching of her breasts and labia spreading out to join the beat. The faster he turned the vibrator, the faster she sucked him. Moving almost mindlessly, she took pleasure from both parts of her body.
Her orgasm twisted in her, and she writhed in abandon until finally, with a final twist of the knob, the heavy vibrations were too much and she was flung into release. She cried Tinsel Town
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out, her mouth still around him, pounding his shaft as she rode out the waves. She held on to him as he screamed; a feral sound that brought a spurt of satisfaction to her ego.
When the shakes in his body finally subsided, she sat up and laid her head on his shoulder. She could feel the sweat on his neck and could hear his jagged breathing. It was amazing to her that she could make a man like him lose so much control.
“I won’t ask if that was good for you,” she said, teasing him.
He gave her an incredulous look before his head fell back on the seat. “We almost hit the ditch.”
She chuckled and finally looked outside. “Looks like you managed to get us to the park.”
“Thank God it’s winter and seems to be deserted.” He cradled her cheek in his hand and gave her a soft kiss. “You, Kathleen Frazier, are one damn good pupil.”
“Well, I have an excellent teacher.”
The sound of her cell phone interrupted their conversation. She sighed, pulled it from her pocket, and made a face when she saw the number. “It’s my sister. She’s probably wondering why we abandoned her.”
“Um, tell her you had a craving for something and you just had to have it.”
She laughed, feeling free and incredibly happy. “Do you think I’ll have another craving before the day’s over?”
In reply, he casually twisted the control of her panties and had them vibrating again.
“It’s a distinct possibility.”
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Clive was honest enough to admit that he liked weddings. He enjoyed the symbolism of a new beginning, liked the arching meanings behind the rituals, and knew that some of the most fascinating interactions happened at events like these. When he’d left with Kate this afternoon, he’d been overcome with a wild desire to make her promise that she’d think of him when she played. He hadn’t, but the desire had been there.
Now, as he watched her draw the bow over the strings of her instrument, he saw that her face was a study of sweet rapture. He knew she was playing for him, whether she realized it or not. He knew because he’d seen that expression before. She could never hide her passion when he was enjoying her body. When he was playing her as if she were a violin, he thought with a smile.
The satin of her soft green dress clung to her curves as she gently swayed, enraptured by the music she heard in her head. The emerald drops in her ears reminded him of the feel of the soft lobes. The swell of her delicate breasts was accentuated by the high waist, and he found himself remembering the taste of them. The fragile white lace that trimmed the hem of her dress danced around her calves, and he couldn’t help but think how her legs felt wrapped around him.
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But it was her expression that spoke to him. The music she created drew him in and refused to let his attention stray.
The notes she played were clear and rich, filling the church with such dulcet tones that no one dared to breathe. A web of music was spun from her fingertips, capturing attention in a way that was mesmerizing. He’d never known a single instrument could beguile so easily.
Like its owner. He thought of the way she’d pulled him in, of the way she’d cupped her hands and, quite gently, extracted his heart. And he’d let her do it without a sound of protest. How could he protest when he was trying to do the same to her?
He wanted her, and as the melody rose and fell in fever pitch, he realized it wasn’t just for sex. It wasn’t just to date. It was for all time. This was what his parents had. This was what her parents had. It was what he wanted to create and nurture…but only with his Kate.
He stared at her porcelain skin, her closed eyes, her swaying body, and had to check the desire to leap up on the small rise and drag her out the door and back into bed. God knew he’d claimed her enough times, branded her flesh with his hands and his mouth. Still, it wasn’t enough. He needed to link her to him forever. He needed to demand her loyalty and her love until the day he died.
His hands began to itch with the desire to touch. Tonight, he would make love to her until she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t think. And then, he would confess everything to her. It had been hell keeping the truth from her, especially when she looked up at him with sad eyes that said she knew she couldn’t keep him. That said she couldn’t be with a man with his supposed occupation. He should have told her before now. But the pathetic reality was he had been afraid. Afraid she would pull away, afraid she would hate him, afraid he’d lose his chance to be with her.
But he couldn’t keep up the pretense anymore. It was unfair to her, to him, to her family. It was unfair to his heart…and to hers. He would exhaust her in bed, leave her body completely satisfied and limp, then cradle her against him while he eased into the topic and 76 Flesa Black
explained the situation. She would yell, she would fight, but without her clothes and with the memory of their lovemaking, she wouldn’t leave. If she tried, he would bar the door. No, they wouldn’t be leaving the hotel room tonight, not until they had everything straightened out. Not until she agreed to walk down this same damn aisle with him as soon as humanly possible.
The last melodic note flew from her violin, echoing in the still sanctuary. There was silence for several heartbeats as Kate lowered her instrument and began to quietly slip away.
Then, from the back row, applause began. It wasn’t a roar; the ceremony and the sanctuary were too sacred for such things. But it was enthusiastic, and it rolled over the gathering like a tumbling wave. Pride swept over him, filling his chest to near bursting. He smiled as she blushed, looking bewildered but satisfied. Dana stepped across the rise to give her sister a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before hurrying back to her place as matron of honor.
Kate gently nodded to the crowd before stepping down the three steps, standing to the side while the applause died away and the organ and piano began to play Handel’s “Water Music.” As one, the congregation stood and turned as the double doors in the back swung open. Clive knew the moment Kate slipped into the pew beside him. He reached down his hand for hers, and she immediately meshed her fingers with his. Contentment washed over him, the rightness of it all lifting burdens he hadn’t even known he’d been carrying.
He glanced down at the woman he loved and saw the sparkle in her eyes as she watched her little sister glide past. Soon, he thought. Soon that would be her coming to him.
Happiness glowed inside so hot and clear that he nearly laughed with it. Kate gave him an answering smile and he squeezed her hand. Tonight, she’d know his thoughts. Tonight would be their new beginning.
* * * * * *
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Two weeks ago, if someone had told her that she would be spending the holidays with a male escort, she would have laughed until she passed out. If someone had added that she would fall in love with him… Well, she would have had the person promptly tucked into a psychiatric facility. But that was exactly what had happened.
She loved Clive. Loved him with a fierceness she hadn’t known existed. It was crazy to feel this way for a man she barely knew. No, that wasn’t true. She did know him. He’d made sure of that. For whatever reason, he had shared every part of himself. It seemed as if every corner of his life was open for discussion. Not that she’d ever approached the subject of his chosen career. She just wasn’t comfortable enough for that.
If only he weren’t an escort. If he were a mechanic, or a businessman, or an adventure guide, or even a pilot, she wouldn’t feel so torn. It was obvious he enjoyed what he did. And from her experience, he was damn good at his job. She couldn’t imagine Clive giving up the life he liked to settle down with one woman. She couldn’t imagine asking him to.
Sadness rolled in to fill the cracks reality had created and swamped her with bittersweet melancholy. She would go on after the holidays, when he went back to his own life. She might even find the gumption to smile and make small talk with him when they ran into each other. Though, if she were honest, she knew she wasn’t sure she could live in the same building as he did; she might have to consider moving. Yes, she’d make it. But her heart would never, ever be the same. There would never be another man like Clive. No one else could possibly live up to the memories he’d given her. She would greedily wrap herself in thoughts of the days and nights with him, and she wouldn’t regret them. Instead, she’d pull the memories out on cold nights and remember that once she’d loved an incredible man.
That would be enough. It had to be.
The music ended and she plastered a determined smile on her face. She watched as Clive took her mother back to her table and paused to give her a kiss on the cheek. Prince Charming, she thought, then wanted to weep. She checked the impulse, biting her lip as he made his way to her.
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“Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?”
She cocked her head and tried for a carefree attitude. “Not in the past half hour. A woman could wilt waiting for your attention.”
He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we? You are the most gorgeous, intelligent, bewitching woman I’ve ever met. Just looking at you makes my teeth ache. And in that dress, with your breasts right there…the thoughts I have…the things my mind starts planning…I’d be arrested.”
She snuggled closer and breathed in his warm scent. “I wouldn’t arrest you. In fact, I just might encourage you.”
She felt his arousal and pressed her hips into him. He let out a low, deep groan that only she could hear. Bolts of desire speared through her nipples and straight down to her core. In just a few days, he’d easily taught her body how to respond to him. Denial wasn’t possible, even if she wanted to give it.
“I’m, uh, I’m sorry to interrupt.”
The sound of Ethan’s voice made her wince. Her need went from a hard boil down to a simmer in an instant. She heard Clive sigh as he reluctantly pulled away.
“What is it, Ethan?” she asked, her voice filled with annoyance.
His handsome face was slightly flushed, his features set in what looked like shame. “I wanted to apologize.”
Clive lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. “Apologize?”
“The other day I was…rude. I didn’t believe you when you said you were a professor, much less that you had a doctorate.”
She felt Clive’s body go completely still, his breathing nearly stopping. Worried, she looked up to find his olive complexion going alarmingly pale. He held her closer, the hand still around her waist tightening almost painfully.
Ethan shifted his weight and lifted the book he held in his hand. “I investigated you.”
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Kate gasped in dismay. “You what?”
“I was just trying to look out for you, Kate. When I called the university, they knew who Dr. Thibodaux is. In fact, they were even nice enough to give me the title of the book he had published a couple of years ago.” Ethan held the hardback tome up, a wan smile touching his lips. “I’m sorry. I…” He shrugged, placed the book in Clive’s hand, gave them one last look, and turned away.
The ground underneath her feet turned to sand. Noise rushed through her ears, deafening her while the world slowed to a crawl. Her body warred between hot and cold.
Her stomach knotted and twisted as nausea rose in her throat. Terrible, desperate fear clawed along her spine to rip at her nerves. She turned slowly and stared in disbelief at the man beside her. The man she loved.
She saw his lips form her name but couldn’t hear a thing. She didn’t respond, only took the book from Clive, and stared at the back jacket cover. There, in full living color, was the man she thought she’d known. Underneath his picture was his name: Dr. Clive Thibodaux.