Burned Deep (23 page)

“So tight,” he said in a strained voice that was sexy as hell. He worked in a second finger and pumped quickly, deeply.

My heavy lids fluttered closed once more. The heel of his hand massaged my clit as his fingers stroked almost forcefully. As though he
needed
to get me off. I felt his gaze on me as ecstasy crept around the periphery, enveloping me in its sultry embrace. I knew he watched me as my throaty moans turned erratic while he increased the sensual rhythm, pushing me right to the edge.

“Come for me,” he said, his tone low and husky.

“Yes. Oh, God, yes.” The tension mounted. A vibrant, blazing sensation swelled to a boiling point. Then erupted. “Dane!” I cried out as the orgasm flashed through me, powerful and pulsating. “Oh, Christ!” Everything ignited within me. He kept stroking as my inner walls contracted around his fingers, clenching and releasing while I rode out the climax.

“Oh, shit. Dane.” I really didn't have a clever thought in my brain—it was filled with him. “Fuck me.
Please
. Now.” I couldn't stand another second of not having him inside me. I had to feel him filling and stretching me. Needed him to pump into me and make me come again.

He slipped away and knelt on the floor. His fingers hooked in the thin strands of my thong and he tugged. I lifted my hips so he could drag the material down to my ankles. He freed me of the panties and they went the way of the rest of my outfit.

A flicker of wicked intent in his emerald eyes made my clit tingle. His head lowered and he nipped at my inner thigh. The tingle deepened, becoming a dark, greedy sensation.

Anticipation built as Dane's mouth moved closer to the apex of my legs. He was about to do to me something no other man had ever done—and I wanted it. Badly.

Yet apprehension slid through my veins. “Dane—”

He cut me off with a look full of sexual promise.

But I managed to tell him, “Another something I've never done before.”

His gaze narrowed. “Too personal? Too intimate?”

I nodded. Okay, so maybe I didn't really need to explain anything to him. Maybe he just knew.

He went back to his expert seduction, his tongue swirling over my flesh, inching closer to the spot that ached for him. It was perverse of him to toy with me like this … but I loved every tortuous second of it.

He glanced up, spearing me with a heated expression as he issued a reminder. “
Nothing
off-limits
,
Ari.”

I was naked on the sofa in my office, my legs spread wide. One foot was on the floor, the other on the cushion, my fingers wrapped around the heel so that I didn't poke or rip the seat.

As I internally searched for acceptance of this risky endeavor, this personal compromise, his cell buzzed. I started. Yet again, the outside world had ceased to exist.

Dane glanced over his shoulder at his jacket, strewn across the coffee table. Listened a moment. Then returned his attention to me.

“Don't you need to get that?”

“Not when I'm between your legs,” he said.

I sighed. The man was all kinds of sexy.

The phone quieted.

“Now,” he said, “do you want me to make you come several more times, or not?”

I sucked in a breath. He was so demanding. And so impossible to deny.

I opened my mouth to speak. His cell started up again. Only this time, it was an actual ring. A frantic tempo that practically screamed,
Don't ignore me!

“Fuck,” Dane hissed. “This one I have to take.”

He didn't move away, though. Instead, he took my hand not holding onto the shoe and kissed the inside of my wrist. My pulse soared.

Against the sensitive flesh, he whispered, “I want you to touch yourself. I want to watch.”

“What?” I choked out.

“You heard me.” He placed my hand on my glistening mound and added, “Do it.” His eyes lifted to my face. “But don't come. I'll get you off when I'm ready.”

“Dane—” Christ, I could barely breathe.

“Do it. Keep me hard.”

 

chapter 12

He stood in a fluid motion and snatched his jacket from the table, extracting the iPhone.

I wasn't sure what to do. Here was my chance for a neat, clean escape. I could make one of my hasty retreats, gain a little space to process this latest request. Both of them, actually, because I still reeled when it came to the
nothing off-limits
demand.

I could collect my panties and slip out. Except that he snatched those, too, and rubbed the damp crotch between his finger and thumb, giving me a devilish look.

With his other thumb, he connected the angry-ring call.

I couldn't quite get my body moving—to leave even without my thong. I was so tightly wound with anticipation over what he intended to do. And the fact that I wanted him, despite the intensity factor that alarmed me.

In an abrupt tone, he said into the phone, “What is it?” He listened. While his gaze was riveted on me. A dark brow jerked upward in silent challenge.

I had no idea what possessed me—perhaps the fact that he was so magnificently gorgeous, his shirt hanging open to reveal all those sculpted muscles, and the fact that I wanted him.

I started to rub my clit with the pads of two fingers. A slow, circular motion.

His eyes blazed as he stared. And continued listening to his caller. Even when he spoke again, his attention remained focused on what I was doing.

“No, that's not what I think. This is a problem. No, I don't want you to do anything just yet. I need to assess it further.”

He was quiet a few moments. Still watching. I dipped a finger into my pussy and stroked slowly. The fact that I was doing something like this, which went against convictions I'd clung to for so long and threatened every wall I'd built, was a bit terrifying. But I didn't want to stop. Couldn't stop. Because he was enthralled by it—by
me
—and was so hard his cock strained against the fly of his dress pants, spiking my arousal and my boldness.

He held my panties to his nose and inhaled deeply. Liquid fire roared through my veins.

I released the heel of my shoe and cupped my breast, squeezing as roughly as he had. Dane let out a low, sexy grunt. I rolled my nipple between my finger and thumb as I worked a second finger into my pussy and pumped a bit faster. Throaty pants escaped my lips. I swear I could come just from him staring, his jaw working rigorously, his eyes deepening in color.

To his caller, he said in a curt voice, “Don't do anything right now. Wait for me to contact you.” He hit the disconnect button and dropped the iPhone and my thong onto the mound his jacket created. Then he knelt between my parted thighs, his gaze on my hand as I pleasured myself. He eased in two fingers, along with mine, filling the tight canal.

“Dane.” My hips bucked as I accepted the added pressure, the additional width that felt so amazing.

I continued tugging on my nipple, the prickly sensation mingling with the sizzle between my legs and deep in my core.

Dane's free hand slid behind mine as I kept time with his quick stroking. His thumb rubbed my clit with lightning speed. He leaned forward and his mouth captured my other nipple. He suckled hard, then flicked his tongue over the aching tip. I couldn't quite keep up with all the high-voltage zings that pushed me so, so close to another powerful orgasm.

“Dane,” I repeated. My hips gyrated; my head fell back on the pillows. “Christ. That is unbelievably good. I'm—oh, God—I'm—”

Cogent thought fled. Heat and vibrancy collided and exploded. I screamed his name as I reached a phenomenal peak.

“Holy shit!” I cried out. It was so good.
Too
good. The pulsing reverberated deep, prolonging the release.

“Oh, fuck,” he groaned. “You're driving me crazy.” He withdrew his fingers and brushed away my hand. While I still reeled from the scorching climax, his mouth covered me. His lips swept along my pussy lips, and then his tongue fluttered over that highly sensitive knot of nerves.

I let out a breathy moan. I'd never felt anything so exquisite. He went at it with gusto, teasing my clit with the tip of his tongue before tugging gently on my slick folds with his mouth, then returning to the flicking and suckling that made me want to cry from the pleasure he evoked. I was still in the throes of one orgasm and felt another one coming on.

My body trembled and my sharp whimpers filled the cavernous room.

“That's it,” he whispered against my clit. “You're dripping wet. And you taste so damn good.”

I flushed.

His tongue swirled around my opening, pressing in.

“Oh, God, Dane.” My hands fisted around the satin material of the quilt. “Christ. I'm going to come again.”

“Yes,” he all but growled. “Come for me, baby.”

He slid two fingers in and pumped vigorously. His tongue worked skillfully, fluttering over my clit. He added a third finger and thrust deep.

I lost it completely, calling out as I shattered once more. Every fiber of my being, every nerve ending, igniting.

“Dane!” It was all so overwhelming. All-consuming. So incredibly delicious, I was obsessed by how intensely he made me come, how wildly passionate he made me when I'd never once considered myself the type.

He let me ride this release out, but his labored breath on my pussy kept my insides blazing.

I had no idea how much time passed before I felt his gaze on my face. My heavy lids reluctantly opened. He wore a serious expression, though it held desire and white-hot need.

In his seductive voice, he asked, “Are you ready to give me everything I want from you?”

I stared at him for endless seconds, my breathing coming in sharp pulls.

I had not expected the gauntlet he'd thrown down.

“Ari.”

He clearly was not a man to let any opportunity slip through his fingers.

Though I was still breathy and lost in a lust-induced haze, I said, “We're even with Kyle.” Since I'd let Dane go down on me—something that was hugely personal in my book. And I'd followed his
other
request, so we were more than even. “Yes, I am ready. I refuse to be circumvented, though. You have to give in return. I want to know what's going on at the Lux. With you.”

I didn't let him off the hook, somehow feeling I had enough power at the moment. He was still hard, still had lust and need raging in his eyes.

“I'm not accustomed to bargaining,” he said, not at all pleased.

“I can believe that. But there's too much at stake for me to be lax about this. The things you've already done to me … the way you make me feel … this is all too much to not ask for something in exchange. To not know
exactly
who I'm involved with—what I'm involved in.”

He glared unyieldingly. “You might not like all the answers.”

“Maybe not. But I still need them.”

“There's something I have to deal with right now. It's urgent.”

“I gathered that.”

Neither of us moved, just stared at each other. Deeply disturbed by the torment suddenly eating at him, I reached out a hand and smoothed the crinkle between his brows. Didn't seem to help much. I could see his mind churned with what appeared to be ominous thoughts, if the hooded look in his eyes was any indication.

It was a bit insane how easily he shifted gears. But when you had so much riding on a multibillion-dollar venture and whatever the hell was transpiring between us, I supposed that was natural.

Finally, he stood and handed over my clothing. I dressed quickly, which was no easy feat because I felt liquefied from the explosive climaxes.

“So, what's happened?” I asked, thinking of the call he'd taken.

“Beavers chewed through the security wire on the north end, by the streams.”

My brow crooked. “Beavers?”

“We've lost camera monitoring capability throughout the property. We have to rewire.”

“That sounds painful. At least it's not an infestation of rattlesnakes and scorpions.” I shuddered.

“Not a fan, I see.”

“I'm terrified of both. Like, nightmare terrified.”

“We don't really have that problem this far north.”

“I know. That's one of the reasons I like it here.”

“Anyway, this will be an extensive undertaking. But a necessary one.” He shook his head and looked a little lost in thought … that dark place in his mind where he sometimes went.

“Dane?” I had no idea what else to say, but—

A quick rap on the door startled me. I jumped.

Dane broke free of his trance. He put the phone in his pocket and buttoned his shirt. Then he stuffed the hem into the waist of his pants and held out his hand. “Come on.”

I gazed at the hand that had brought me so much pleasure just minutes before. At this point, it made no sense to deliberate over the intimate gesture. But I did. Because there was something ominous in his eyes, similar to when we'd been in the bar and I'd turned to find him staring at me after Kyle had flirted.

I couldn't decipher the look. Obviously, I had no idea what sparked it. But I felt a peculiar warning that caused my hesitation.

Dane said, “I'll have Amano escort you to your car.”

The corners of my mouth dipped. “I can find my way out of the hotel. I've been doing it for a week now.”

“Please cooperate.” He kissed me again, the taste of my arousal on his lips and tongue.

When he pulled away, I let him guide me to the door with a hand on the small of my back. As with every other touch from him, I found I perilously liked how it felt. Protective and possessive, coming from a man such as Dane Bax.

We stepped into the hallway and I was surprised to discover the mammoth dark-haired, stoic Chief of Security standing outside my door.

“Take Miss DeMille downstairs.”