Beneath These Lies (28 page)

Fuck
. I wasn’t going to last nearly long enough to do this justice. She’d already had my dick in her mouth, and when she’d done that, I’d been almost unable to hold myself back. A lifetime of fucking her wouldn’t be enough, especially one predicted to be as short as mine.

That thought pushed from my head, I kept my grip on her hips, helping her move against me, angling my hips so her clit dragged along the head of my cock. She was already flushed, her pupils dilated, and her breathing heavy. My woman was close to the edge too, which meant this might not be the longest ride ever, but it would be fucking explosive all the same.

“I want you,” she whispered, releasing my shoulder to wrap her hand around my cock and angle it toward her entrance.

The perfect searing heat stole my senses, and it took everything in me to let her keep control when all I wanted to do was lift up and plunge deep inside her. But Valentina didn’t make me wait long. She slid down my cock, inch by fucking inch, moaning and squeezing with every move.

The moment took on a sheen of perfection I’d never before experienced. Valentina’s beautiful face, flush with passion, her need for me and my cock written on every feature. Everything about her tied together to make the sexiest package I’d ever encountered.

My thoughts scattered when she froze, my cock buried in her tight little pussy, and she began to rock forward and back, working her clit.

Oh, we can do better than that
.

I reached out a hand to wrap around her hip, my thumb centered on her clit and pressing down. It was like hitting a detonator.

“Oh my God.” She moaned, hips bucking into my hand as her muscles clamped down around me. “I can’t stop it.”

“Don’t stop, baby. Come for me.”

With her head dropping back and muscles shaking, I tightened my grip on her hips with both hands, keeping the pressure on her clit as I lifted her and lowered her on my cock, my hips pumping up with each movement.

“Can’t stop,” she whispered, her nipples tightening just before she tensed again. I wanted to make her come over and over again, just so I could see her face like that.

My own climax slammed into me without warning, and I couldn’t hold it back.

“Fuck,” I roared into the room, pulling her down hard on my cock as I came.

I loved her.

And that changed everything.

R
IX HAD UNLEASHED SOME KIND
of wildness inside me, and I didn’t want to rein it in. I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, but didn’t stay asleep for long because it seemed I’d unleashed something in him as well. He woke me twice in the night, the first time with his mouth on my breasts, and the second time as he slid inside me. I loved it. Loved him. And I didn’t want to spend another night without him in my bed.

The third time, it was the sun streaming through my window that woke me. Flicking my eyes open, I noticed the lack of heat at my back immediately. All night, I’d been held inside the safety of Rix’s arms, and I missed it.

Has he left
?

Still half-asleep, I rolled out of bed, my muscles languid. I found my robe on the back of my bathroom door and slipped it on. My house was quiet. Making my way down the stairs to the kitchen in search of coffee and the man who should have still been in my bed, I stopped short when I saw a note on the counter.

Had to go take care of something. I’ll be back when I can. Didn’t want to leave you this morning.

It was unsigned, but Rix didn’t need to sign a note for me to know it was from him. The timer on my coffeemaker tripped and the delicious scent filled the kitchen.

While I sipped, my brain sped from one possibility to the next. The daring woman who’d made an appearance last night wanted to come out to play again, and I was embracing her. I’d finally shed the remaining threads of victimhood and I was whole. Rix hadn’t healed me, but he’d given me the motivation to heal myself.

For that I would always be grateful, but it wasn’t why I loved him.

Eight hours packed with customers and sales later, there was still no word from Rix, and I was frustrated by the silence. I wanted to celebrate this amazing day, and I wanted him to celebrate with me. I understood that much of his world would never exist for me, but at times like this, I felt completely in the dark.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t tempt him to finish whatever he was doing by sending a helpful text. I flipped the O
PEN
sign to C
LOSED
and considered my alternatives.

According to Rix, I had an unseen man watching over me, so I fearlessly walked the streets toward a club on Bourbon Street that I knew would be packed with tourists even at this hour. The chances of me seeing a single familiar face were slim to none. I sent the text as I settled onto one of the few free bar stools.

The text included three pieces of information. Where I was, the fact that I wasn’t wearing panties, and how badly I wanted him inside me right now.

If that couldn’t shake the man loose, I didn’t know what could.

Several tough-looking guys filled the bar, and I surreptitiously glanced over them, wondering which one was my babysitter for the evening.

What if I didn’t have any? What if I was riding on a false sense of security and completely vulnerable to Rix’s enemies?

No, this was where trust came in. He could assess whatever threats were out there better than I ever could, and I absolutely trusted he wouldn’t leave me unprotected against something he could prevent.

Still, I kept my guard up.

I was nearing the end of my first margarita when a prickle of awareness skittered over my skin. Tossing my heavy hair over my shoulder, I looked to my right. Dark, tattooed arms leaned against the bar.

“Can I buy you another drink?”

Rix’s deep voice wrapped around me like rough silk.

“I don’t usually let strangers buy me drinks.”

One dark eyebrow went up at the word
strangers
. Yep, I wanted to play, and he got the message loud and clear.

“Then I guess that makes you a pretty smart lady, because most strangers are just trying to get you liquored up so they can cop a feel in an alley and take you back to their hotel.”

Pushing my empty glass forward, I met his gaze. “But not you?”

Rix signaled to the bartender, and he appeared within seconds. Nothing like the five minutes it had taken me to get service when I’d first sat down. “Another margarita for the lady, and I’ll take a double shot of Patrón.”

He didn’t respond until the drinks were in front of us and he’d slid a large bill to the bartender.

“I already know what’s gonna happen, so there’s no trying involved,” he said.

“Is that right?” My tone was flirty and full of challenge as I accepted the margarita on the rocks he offered up. The sweet liquid hit my tongue. “Do I look like a sure thing to you?”

Rix knocked back his shot and set the glass on the table behind him. Turning my bar stool to face him, he slid between my legs. My skirt inched up my thighs. The movement had me hyperaware of my lack-of-panties situation. The hand that landed on my knee and slid up under my skirt kicked my awareness into extreme need. I drank deeply, draining half my glass.

The beat of club music thumped around us while tourists partied and laughed, paying no mind to what we were doing. It made me bold, made me want him to touch me in ways I shouldn’t want to be touched in public. I thought of the enclosed booth last night, and how if I’d been bolder, I would have grabbed his hand and pushed it under my skirt and let him touch me while we watched the erotic scene onstage instead of luring him into a storeroom.

Heat slicked my center, and I wanted him to feel how wet I was for him even now. One more gulp and I finished my drink. Liquid courage coursing through my veins with the need, I scooted forward on my bar stool, my legs spreading further around his knees, and Rix’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he slid his hand higher.

“You tempt a man, duchess.”

“Good thing he’s the man I want to tempt.”

His fingers were within an inch of where I wanted them, but still he didn’t touch me. The bartender’s voice interrupted, but I didn’t move.

“Another round?”

“Yes.” Rix reached his free hand into his pocket and tossed a bill on the bar top. He used the movement to get closer, and I bit my lip as one finger slid across my slit and stroked.

Silver fire flashed in Rix’s eyes, and I wondered if mine sparked darkly. I wanted him. Needed to feel him.

When the bartender returned with our drinks, Rix nodded to the money. “We’re all set.”

He ignored his shot as he handed me my drink.

“You’re never gonna think of margaritas again and not remember how I finger fucked your tight little cunt until you came against my hand,” he whispered in my ear.

I took a sip, willing my hand not to shake as he slid a finger inside me.

Oh God
. I tightened my grip on the glass as he teased me, thrusting his finger in and pulling it out.

“Is that right?” I murmured, trying to sound saucy, when what I was truly doing was fighting to keep my hips from grinding into his touch.

“That’s right. I’m gonna have you biting that lip as you come, trying to keep from crying out, before you finish that drink.”

That’s when Rix’s thumb joined the action, finding my clit.

All the noise in the bar was drowned out by the blood pulsing in my ears. My field of vision shrank to only Rix, and every sensation swirling through my body centered on his touch. My orgasm was quick, intense, and blinding.

I squeezed my eyes shut, slammed my glass to the bar, and gripped his arm. My nails dug in, but I couldn’t loosen my hold. My lip stung as my teeth pressed down. I willed myself not to cry out, and almost lost the battle when he thrust again and pressed.

Pleasure licking at every inch of my insides, I tugged at his arm, a silent plea that I’d had enough and any more would make me a public spectacle. Rix mercifully pulled his hand free from between my legs. In the shafts of neon coming from the club lights in the ceiling, the skin of his fingertips glistened. From me.

Instead of wiping it away, Rix sucked his finger and thumb clean.

“You ready?” he asked, as if I hadn’t just watched one of the most erotic acts of my life.

All I could do was nod. I’d come in ready to play, and the game had been turned on me in the best way possible.

Rix led me out of the bar, his hand on my lower back. Johnny was parked on a side street two blocks away in the Escalade. When Rix opened the door and then followed me inside, the SUV rolled forward. Around and around we drove until apparently Johnny was sure there was no one following us. This time, he pulled alongside the curb in front of my house.

I looked to Rix, and the expression on his face told me he wasn’t coming inside.

“I got some work to finish up and I’ll be back.”

“What kind of work?” The question was out before I could stop it. I knew I wasn’t getting an answer. Heck, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted an answer.

Rix’s expression was guarded. “Just work. I’ll be back when I can.”

“I interrupted you.” Guilt lanced through me, but I wouldn’t give back this last hour for anything.

“You’re never an interruption.” His words were clearly a lie.

“Why did you come if you were busy? You didn’t need to.”

Rix lifted a hand to my face. “If my woman says she’s drinking alone, I’m not the kind of man to leave her to it.”

“Still—”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back soon.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips before reaching past me and opening the door. “Don’t wait up.”

“Be safe,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his cheek. I had no idea what he was going out to do, but I was sure of one thing. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.”

I could only hope he was right.