Underneath It All Page 17

  And five p.m. couldn’t come soon enough.

  He had no idea where she was going with this; whether she was only looking for a weekend fling or something more, he hadn’t a clue and didn’t care. Given everything she was going through, he’d resolved not to push, so at least until her life calmed down, he’d be satisfied with however casually she wanted to play this.

  Coming to the end of the corridor, room 182 was the final doorway on his right, and with much anticipation, he held up a fist and gently knocked. It took a few seconds before he heard the footsteps and the click of the door, and then he was greeted with the brightest, most beautiful smile he’d seen in weeks.

  “You came,” she said, pulling back the door and making room for him to pass.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  Closing the door behind them, she admitted, “After the way we left things, I feared you might not.”

  Apparently, she wasn’t quite clear just how hard he’d fallen for her, so he decided to show her. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he backed her against the door and pressed his lips to hers, his excitement welling when she all but melted in his arms. She tasted of dry wine and smelled like sunshine, and when she moaned invitingly and pulled him closer, his body yearned for its mate.

  Her snug, silky dress felt good in his hands, like satin sheets against bare skin, and when he migrated his lips down the nape of her neck, her chuckle tickled his ear.

  “You’re insufferable,” she said.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “You don’t even know why you’re here yet.”

  “It’s not for this?”

  Wiggling away from him, she took his hand and led him into the room. “There are things I have to tell you first.”

  The large suite had been lit with dozens of candles casting a yellow glow over the dark green and burgundy room. Out on the private balcony, an oversized spa bubbled and hissed. Next to it stood a tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries and other fruits and pastries. The king size bed had been turned down and he smiled when he noticed all three parts of The Godfather sitting near the television.

  She’d obviously planned a night of sex and romance, and when she poured them both a glass of champagne and took a seat on the couch, he didn’t hesitate to join her.

  Handing him his glass, she tipped it to hers and toasted, “To new beginnings.”

  “New beginnings,” he said, not quite sure what exactly was beginning.

  Scooting closer, she explained, “Today, I’m starting my life over again.”

  “Today,” he said.

  “Yep. I’m reclaiming the person I was. Before this adoption turned me on my head.”

  Though her face displayed pure delight, he had to wonder where this was heading.

  “That’s a good thing, right?” he asked, meaning was it good for them?

  She winked. “I don’t know. The old Nicole was a little bossy and pretty opinionated. And when she wanted something, she took it, be damned with the consequences. That and she could be impulsive, especially when it came to shoes.”

  He wanted to say he could live with that, but wasn’t certain she was asking.

  Setting her champagne on the side table, she moved in closer and placed a slim hand on his chest. “I’ve decided not to seek out my birth parents. I realized there was a lot of truth in what you said. Before I found out about this adoption, I’d been happy. I’d had just about everything I’d wanted in life, including a family that loved me.” Shaking her head, she admitted, “That’s what I need. That’s all I need. Oh, that and one other thing.” Taking the champagne from his hand, she set it on the table and moved into his arms. “You see, before I can move forward with my life, I need to go back and fix some things I screwed up.”

  He raised a brow. “Such as?”

  “Such as that bachelor auction and that romantic date I let slip away.”

  He brushed a hand down her hair, caressing the golden strands between his fingers. “That explains the invitation.”

  “You said something about dinner, a spa, maybe some golf, and with the right woman, who knows what else.”

  “I’d call you the right woman.”

  Her smile warmed him, and thoughts of the next several hours left him anxious and excited.

  Moving up on her knees, she leaned over and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a light kiss to his lips. His hands found their way to her breasts, and his cock hardened when he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  “Then there’s all those things we’d wanted to get to when you took me up to The Point in Gabe,” she whispered. “I have every intention of finishing what we started that night.”

  He tasted her lips. “I’ve got the get-out-of-jail-free card.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t need it.”

  He palmed her breasts through the silky fabric of her dress, clutching the mounds in his hands and moving his lips down her chin toward the tender flesh below. Though a side of him begged to know where this was leading up to, her gifted fingers kept him locked in the moment. One by one, she popped open each shirt button until his chest was fully exposed. Then she went to work circling his nipples with her thumbs, caressing his pecs and raising the temperature in his veins a few thousand degrees. God, the woman could turn him on, and as she rocked over him, slowly grinding her hips against his jeans, his cock began to strain. He wondered how many times they’d have to make love before he could take her slow and easy. He’d thought they’d be here by now, but his every moment with her left him thirsting for release, starved and anxious as if he’d never been with a woman before.

  With her breasts in his hands, her fingers gently stroked his hair, his shoulders, his back and that sweet ass humped pressure where it shouldn’t. He needed to make a move before he climaxed right there on the couch.

  “Hold on,” he said, grabbing her waist and lifting from the couch. She wrapped her legs around him while he maneuvered over to the bed and tossed her down, a quick exhale rushing from her lungs. He pulled a condom from his pocket then yanked off his pants and pushed them aside.

  “Much better.” Lowering down, he brought her into his arms. Her silky dress cascaded over his thighs and he slid his hands up under the hem, groaning with pleasure when he discovered she wasn’t wearing any underwear either. It was just her luscious body, draped in silken pleasure, and when he cupped a hand between her legs and felt the slick heat of desire, he groaned, “Much better.”

  He tugged one sleeve off her shoulder and began feasting on her breast, needing to find some semblance of control but coming up short every time. From the first moment they met, she’d reduced him to his most primal state, and though they’d made love countless times since then, she always managed to unravel him.

  “Better,” she said, “but not good enough.” She wrapped a leg around his thigh and arched in closer, taking the condom from his hand and ripping open the package. “I’ve got more to tell you.”

  “I’m all ears,” he said to her breast, tugging off the other sleeve and exposing both of the tender mounds. He placed his face between them and sucked in a breath, wanting to absorb her deepest essence. The woman was beauty from head to toe, her body picking up where her spirit left off, the two compounding into a package that drove him to the edge every time.

  And tonight wouldn’t be any different. Thirty seconds with her in his arms and his body ached for more, and he knew no matter what she had planned for this weekend, all the sex in the world wouldn’t be enough.

  Tucking the condom in his palm, she said, “I need you in me,” and he wasn’t going to argue. If there was anything he’d learned during the last month, his golden lover shared his thirst. It was just one of the many reasons he loved her.

  Backing off the bed, he took her hand and pulled her into his arms then unzipped her dress, letting the fabric fall to the ground. For a moment, he stood and stared. Her cheeks had a rosy hue and her eyes displayed a depth he’d never s
een before. Maybe it was the candlelight, maybe it was her decision to move on with her life releasing the hurt she’d been carrying around.

  Right now, he wanted to show her how he felt, and after rolling on the condom, they kissed their way back to the bed and under the covers.

  She moved under him and held his cock in her hands, hardening every muscle in his body and rushing more blood to his loins.

  “Get inside,” she urged, and he obeyed, lifting his hips and driving deep between her legs.

  The air rushed from her lungs and she clasped a hand to the back of his neck and brought his mouth to hers, circling her tongue inside and sucking it in as if she were feeding on his very soul. He liked this greedy side of her, this demanding side that he’d come to love, and as he settled into the kiss, he began pumping them toward release.

  “There’s one more thing to tell you,” she whispered to his mouth.

  “Tell me,” he urged.

  Her breath drew short and she whispered, “That time you told me you loved me, I blew it.”

  “You didn’t blow anything,” he said, and it was true. He’d come on too strong too fast, and now that he had her back, he intended to take things as easy as she needed.

  “Yes, I did.” And as the sensation began to build, she added, “I should have told you I love you, too.”

  He stopped and looked carefully into her eyes.

  “You what?”

  The smile on her face said his ears hadn’t betrayed him.

  “I love you,” she said. “And I’d like to start my new life with you in it.”

  He lifted up to his hands and hovered over her, wondering if this moment could be any sweeter.

  “You love me.”

  “With everything I have.”

  Emotion welled in his chest and he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, wanting every inch of his body next to hers. “Oh, Nicole,” he murmured, “I do love you.”

  “Now take me like it should be,” she said, curving her back and spreading wider. “Make love to me. Real love.”

  He moved inside, bringing his lips to hers and drinking in the very essence of what she’d offered. Love. Real love. The kind that would bring them together and allow them to tackle the world. And between his family and hers, there would be a lot of tackling to do.

  But something told him that together, they’d found the kind of bond that could make the little problems disappear and the big ones bearable. And in this world that’s exactly what they needed.

  Someone to count on.

  Someone to believe in.

  And bringing their bodies and souls to the edge and over, he knew that’s exactly what they would be together.

  “HOW DID YOU MANAGE access to this private road?” Devon asked from the backseat of Gabe. She passed him a sandwich and a bag of chips while he uncorked the wine and filled two plastic glasses.

  “I found a romantic security guard with keys to the gate. But if we aren’t back down the hill by nine o’clock, they’re locking us up here.”

  He checked his watch. “That’s plenty of time for everything I’d like to do.”

  She cast a curious look. “I thought we already did it.”

  “There’s at least a half-dozen lovemaking positions to be explored in the back of this Caddy, and that’s without even taking the top down.”

  She eyed their surroundings. “Hmm, I’m envisioning three interesting ones right now.”

  Devon grinned and unwrapped a sandwich from the goodies they’d picked up from room service before leaving the resort and heading for the foothills.

  “And then we should take a moment or two to enjoy the view. I owe the guard a case of beer for this.”

  “I thought you said he was a romantic.”

  “He is. The beer’s a cover so his coworkers won’t ride him over it.”

  Devon laughed, and for the first time since they’d met, Nicole truly laughed with him.

  Once Nicole had made the right decision, everything fell into place. The moment she’d told Jenna her search was over, she went home and called her parents, fleshing out once and for all her feelings of anger over why they did what they did, yet ultimately finding the forgiveness and understanding she’d sought. And when she’d finally been truthful about her feelings—hard as they were to express—it was as if her life clicked into place. She’d come to Atlanta to get answers, to resolve her issues, and that’s exactly what she’d done.

  Just not in the way she’d expected.

  “I wanted to ask you,” she said. “My father’s birthday is coming up. I’m planning to go home for a long weekend and was hoping you’d come with me.”

  He smiled. “Meet the parents? This sounds serious.”

  “It is serious. And you need to impress them or my father won’t give you permission to marry me.”

  Devon choked on his wine. “Marry you?”

  She burst with laughter. “I’m kidding! Man, you should see the look on your face.”

  After clearing his throat, he shook his head and said, “Actually, I kind of like the sound of it.”

  “Meet my family first. They might pounce on you so fiercely you’ll be hopping the next plane back to Georgia. I am their baby girl, you know.”

  “You survived my family. I think I can survive yours.”

  “Good point,” she said, then set her sandwich aside, curled into his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  He looked at her inquisitively. “What was that for?”

  “For loving me when I was at my worst.”

  He kissed her back. “If that was your worst, our lives are going to be a piece of cake.”

  And with the sun setting behind the hills casting a pink haze over the evening sky, Nicole had to agree. She’d faced the most difficult time in her life and came out the other end stronger and more secure than she’d imagined. It had been true. She had needed to get away from California to see life more clearly, but what she’d also needed was the help of someone who saw her more clearly than she saw herself.

  What once seemed like a life impossibly tattered now felt more whole and complete than it ever had before, and she knew with Devon on her side, they’d be able to face whatever the future had in store for them.

  “I can’t say I’m completely over this, but I’ve stopped doubting myself, and I’ve stopped doubting us,” she said. “And since you’ve stuck with me this far, I’m confident we’ll figure the rest out.”

  “Hmm, sounds like what I’ve been trying to tell you all along.”

  She smiled and kissed him again. “Are you expecting me to admit you told me so?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Neither would this,” she said, moving the sandwich from his lap and unzipping his jeans.

  “Are you trying to use sex to avoid admitting I was right?” he asked.

  “Are you complaining?”

  He began to protest, but when she grasped his cock in her hand and bent down for a taste, his only response was, “Not at all, babe. Not at all.”

  LIZA SKINNER picked up her latte and stepped toward the doors of the coffee shop when her cell phone rang. Setting the paper cup on a nearby table, she checked the number, her heart skipping a beat when she saw it was her lawyer, Kevin. She’d called him several times over the past two days, growing more and more concerned as time went without a call back.

  She slipped into a chair and flipped open the phone.

  “Tell me you’ve got good news,” she said.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have any news.” He sounded tired and a bit exasperated, but that was too bad. Yes, she’d been hounding him for updates, and yes, he’d said he’d call when he had something to tell her. But this lawsuit was a big deal to her and it had been over a week since he’d had anything concrete to tell her. Surely, in a week’s time he’d have accomplished something.

  “Have you done anything with this suit at all lately?”

  “I’ve been worki
ng on nothing but,” he defended. “But this isn’t open and shut.” Sighing, he added, “You need to brace yourself for the reality that this might not work out in your favor. If this suit goes to court, I don’t know that you have a leg to stand on.”

  She balled her hand into a fist. “I don’t need to brace myself for failure. What I need is a lawyer who won’t let that happen. I’ve got to win this thing, and if you can’t do that for me, tell me now so I can find someone who can.”

  “I haven’t said you’ll lose. I only said this isn’t a sure thing.”

  “Well, find a way to make it one.”

  Slamming the phone shut, she eyed her coffee, realizing it was the last thing she needed right now. Her nerves were already wired and the call from Kevin hadn’t helped. She knew she should have taken more time in selecting a lawyer. Unfortunately, time was at a premium these days. She needed her money and she needed it now.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-0402-1

  UNDERNEATH IT ALL

  Copyright © 2007 by Lori Borrill.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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