Gazing at her in obvious male appreciation, he said, “No damn wonder I had to have you.” He shrugged out of his shirt, his hands going to his pants, pushing them down.
“Wait.” His gaze flew to hers, hands stilling. She flushed. “You kept those on and I should have on my dress, too.”
“Don’t care. It stays on the floor.” Moving closer, he caught her face between his hands and kissed her. “I assume we didn’t have a bed.”
“We had a wall.” Nipping at his lip, she smoothed her hands up his chest. “And you said f**k, not make love.”
Groaning, he dusted his thumb over her mouth. “I’m ashamed and turned on at the same time.” She trailed her hands down his chest, smiling as he gasped and sucked in his stomach at her touch. “Don’t be in such a hurry, love.”
“Want to know what we did first?” She licked his collarbone, then bit him there. He grunted. She’d take that as a yes. “You put your mouth on me.”
He moved to kiss her. “Lower.” Grinning, he headed for her br**sts. “Lower.”
With that same grin on his face, he fell to his knees and parted her. “This low enough?” Without waiting for an answer, he began to lick and kiss her there, savoring her like he had the chocolate covered fruits. So choreographed in his movements that she didn’t know whether to be insanely jealous or ecstatic.
The ache between her thighs intensified with each pass of his tongue, her hips moving with him. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pressing him deeper. “Oh God,” she moaned. Her legs trembled, knees threatening to disappear even as her body tightened in on itself, until every nerve seemed to be concentrated in one place.
A finger eased inside of her, then two as he began to pump in and out. Suddenly, he stood and grabbed her waist with his free hand, pulling her to him. Her br**sts rubbed against his chest.
“Taste how sweet you are.”
The moment his lips touched hers, she lost control. She went wild, biting and sucking his tongue deep inside her mouth while his fingers continued their tender assault. So close…so close. Her heart pounded, blood rushing and breaths coming so quick and fast that she became dizzy.
“Christian,” she breathed, wanting more. Needing more. She needed him inside of her.
His hand slid down her waist, under her thigh and wrapped her stocking-clad leg around his hip. He leaned her against the nearest wall. “Can’t wait.” His fingers left her, foil ripped and then he pushed himself inside her, stretching her to the point of pain and she loved it.
His arm shot out, banging against the wall. “So tight…so wet.”
“Give me more.” She tilted her hips, grabbing the material of his pants. “Deeper.”
“I can’t, not like this.” He hooked her other leg over his arm and thrust hard. She gasped, closing her eyes. “Look at me.” Her eyes flew open at his command. “I won’t forget this.”
Muscles bunched and flexed beneath her hands as he moved within her, as he rocked inside of her and touched a place so sensitive that she cried out.
He did it again. This time she screamed his name, her orgasm so long and hard that she saw supernovas. His head fell to her neck, his hips pumping relentlessly against her until he thrust deeper than ever and held himself there.
They stayed joined like that for what seemed like hours, when in reality it wasn’t long at all. She flinched as he pulled out of her.
“Zoe,” he whispered against her skin, letting her legs slowly down. “Forgive me.”
Unable to hold back the tears, she could only nod.
“Thank you.” He scooped her up in his arm and carried her to the shower.
***
Christian looked around the room, searching for something that could delay his trip. But all he found was his wife, wrapped in an oversized robe and watching him with her pretty eyes.
The things he had done to her last night…Hell, the things she’d allowed him to do. He couldn’t get the image of his head of her wearing nothing but a skirt with bells on the hem as she danced for him. Or her bare br**sts bouncing as he thrust inside of her, teasing her with shallow movements, until she hooked her legs over his arms and tilted her hips.
He’d never forget lying in bed with her afterwards, stroking her back as she snuggled against him. Peace. He was finally at peace.
He smiled, taking in her long dark hair and full lips. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked well-loved. By him. He held his hand out, leading her to the balcony when she took it. “My plane is ready whenever you are. Harlan, the pilot, is excellent.”
A smile wobbled on her lips. “Can he fly me to you?”
He captured her in a hug, bending his head and rubbing the top of hers with his chin. The honeysuckle scent of her silky hair teased him, threatening to bring back the memories of another woman and another goodbye. But it hadn’t been the morning after and it hadn’t been nearly as painful, even when she hadn’t shown up the next day. Hell, it didn’t touch this.
Taking a deep breath, he confessed his soul to her. “I promise to be the man I should be, the man I’m meant to be and the man you deserve.”
“I don’t know that one.”
“No movie line. It’s me; it’s you. You are my muse, my inspiration, my reason for everything,” Christian revealed between kisses. “And I’m completely in love with you.”
Her mouth had fallen open slightly when he leaned back to gage her response. He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled down at her. “Well, say something. I know this seems rather sudden, but it feels right.”
And as if coming from a great distance he heard her say, “After we had a one night stand and you broke your promise to me, I put you in my book—as the villain, Dimitri.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You must be joking.” Christian hadn’t expected her to say words back, but this was the last thing he’d ever expected to come out of her mouth.
“No,” she whispered, anguish in her eyes. “I’m serious.”
The deep seated insecurity he’d always been able to keep buried clawed to the surface like a vampire escaping its human grave. “I see.” But he didn’t. He couldn’t comprehend what she’d said, much less what she had done. He had to get out of here, away from her.
Pushing away from her, he strode to the door. Every step serving to remind him of what he was to her. The bloody villain of her novels. No wonder she wanted him to play Dimitri in the movie. Martha said Zoe had requested him. How ironic to play a character reviled by many and created by the woman he’d fallen deeply in love with.