09
smell of your skin. The way your hair tickles my lips when I kiss
10
your face or neck. The way your nipples feel against my palm.”
11
He tugged and pinched and she squeaked.
12
She felt the curve of his lips against her neck as he smiled at
13
her reaction. “The way you give over to me, demanding your
14
due. You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
15
She swallowed back the emotion, throwing herself into the
16
sensation instead. The ground was more solid there.
17
The hand in her panties moved, his fi ngers spreading her
18
open to pet her clit.
19
“So hot and wet. Always.”
20
“You could put something far better than your hand in there.
21
Just sayin’.”
22
He laughed. “Oh, darlin’, I will. But I like to make you come.
23
It makes me happy. After. Then I’m going to fuck you so hard
24
you stutter. Ah, your cunt just got even hotter.”
25
She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the wall, her
26
fi ngers curled into the wallpaper.
27
That hand slid a little further down, enough that he circled
28S
her gate, entering her ever so slightly before moving back to her
29N
• 230 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 230
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 230
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
clit. He knew her so well. Knew just how to touch her. Just how
01
much pressure to use, how fast, how slow to draw it out.
02
Pleasure rose, slow and steady. Building. Filling her from her
03
pussy outward. Outward until it scorched through her system and
04
there was only the need to climax. It overfl owed, sucking her under 05
so hard she barely registered the way he shoved her pants down.
06
They kept her in place, hemmed her in, much like his body
07
at her back did. A wild thrill spiraled through her as he bent her
08
to angle her body better. His cock brushed against her and then
09
he pushed inside in one hard stroke.
10
“Goddamn.”
11
He thrust and thrust, wanting more. Wanting everything.
12
And she gave it to him. She always did. Despite her protesta-
13
tions, she was his.
14
The need to fuck her, to be in her, to possess her, drove him.
15
Need nearly made him blind. Consumed him. He touched every
16
part of her that he could. Slid his palms over the curve of her
17
hips, the weight of her breasts, the strength of her thighs as she
18
got to her tiptoes to meet his strokes better.
19
Sweat broke over his skin, his muscles burned and when he
20
came it seemed to last forever, echoing through him, making
21
his fucking teeth tingle with it.
22
He gasped for air, kissing the back of her neck as he pulled
23
out carefully.
24
“Wow.” She turned, her eyes glossy, her lips wet.
25
He grinned, but his legs were shaky as he got himself back
26
to rights. He was head over heels in love with Mary Whaley. In
27
so deep that if he had any sense at all he’d be scared.
S28
N29
• 231 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 231
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 231
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
• • •
03
The following morning at Tart he watched her while she worked.
04
Careful of course to keep out of the way. She could be a bear if
05
people got into her fl ow when she cooked. It made her ferocious
06
and bitchy. Which only rendered her hotter to him.
07
He played on his tablet, answering e-mail, sending instruc-
08
tions to his manager, declining to participate in a label event in
09
New York the following week. Paddy loved that stuff so he could
10
go instead.
11
Jules wandered in and gave him a raised brow. “Well, hello
12
there.”
13
“He surprised me last night. Nearly scared the life out of me.
14
I thought he was a prowler.” Mary continued to seed cucumbers
15
as she spoke, a smile on her lips.
16
“I’m glad you didn’t shoot him.” Jules winked at him. He
17
knew Cal and Jules were protective of her. Knew too that they
18
didn’t trust him at fi rst. But over the last weeks, each time he’d 19
seen them and interacted with them, things had gotten a little
20
less tense. “You want a coffee? Something to eat?”
21
“I’d love you forever if you made me a latte.” Mary fl uttered
22
her lashes and went back to her work.
23
“You already do love me forever on account of me being so
24
pretty and charming.”
25
Mary barked a laugh. “I’m sorry for your deep self- esteem
26
issues, Juliet.”
27
Damien liked their interplay. Liked knowing she was sur-
28S
rounded by people who cared about her. It made it easier to be
29N
away from her, though on some levels it also made it harder. He
• 232 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 232
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 232
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
wanted her to come to him for emotional support, but she didn’t
01
need to.
02
“I’d love an Americano if it’s not too much trouble.
03
Thank you.”
04
Jules nodded. “No trouble. Be back in a sec.”
05
She moved to the large espresso machine and began to work.
06
Mary spoke over the swish and swirl of the espresso machine.
07
“Oh, I have something for your mom if you’d take it back when
08
you go home again.”
09
“Really? Of course I will. What is it?”
10
“I took a lot of really great pictures when I was down at the
11
ranch. There are a few I thought were pretty spectacular. One
12
of her and your dad. I had an extra frame so I put it in. Noth-
13
ing big.”
14
He warmed. His mother would dig that. A lot.
15
“Thank you. Can I see them? The pictures, I mean.”
16
“Yeah.” She rattled off a URL and then a password. “They’re
17
all there.”
18
He looked, pretty amazed at her eye. “Wow. These are really
19
good.”
20
“I’m no Daisy. She’s got so much talent it’s not funny. But I
21
like taking pictures and I think there are several in there with
22
some nice composition.”
23
He grinned. “The demon pig even looks sort of sweet in
24
these.”
25
Mary laughed. “She’s a sweet animal. Just sort of lost.”
26
“You’re pretty special, you know that?”
27
She looked up from her work, her hands glistening from the
S28
vegetables and, God help him, it shot straight to his cock.
N29
• 233 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 233
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 233
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
“Thank you. They’re just pictures.”
02
“Mary has a diffi cult time taking a compliment.” Jules placed
03
a cup at Mary’s right hand. “Latte here. Honey and a little choc-
04
olate.” She handed another cup to Damien. “Americano. Milk,
05
cream, soy, sugar and all that is right over there. I don’t know
06
how you take it.”
07
“Hush, both of you.” Mary blushed, sipping her latte. “Per-
08
fect. Thanks.”
09
Jules kissed Mary’s cheek. “Anytime.”
10
“Pictures of food. I should have known.”
11
She looked up again. “Oh, I’d forgotten about those. They’re
12
for a cookbook proposal.”
13
“Really? Tell me about it?”
14
She blushed. “A while ago an agent contacted me. She was
15
at a dinner I catered. Anyway, she suggested I write a cookbook.
16
I put together a proposal. Those are just some shots I took
17
for it.”
18
“Wow.”
19
“I don’t know if it’s wow- worthy, but it’s pretty cool. Any-
20
way, I just sent it to her a week ago. I’ve been so busy.”
21
“What did she say?”
22
“She did some sort of whiz- bang formatting for it to make
23
it look better. She said she had a few sources she was going to
24
pitch it to. I haven’t heard. I put it out of my mind. Easy enough
25
when I’m busy.”
26
“I think it totally merits a wow. I hope you hear good news
27
soon.”
28S
Mary’s assistant came in a short time afterward and they
29N
• 234 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 234
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 234
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
began to put together the luncheon she’d been preparing, pack-
01
ing it up.
02
“I’ll be back in a few hours.”
03
He stopped her, pulling her close for a kiss and not caring
04
who saw it.
05
And was relieved she accepted it without hassle, even reward-
06
ing him with a smile. “Thank you.”
07
“Believe me when I assure you my kisses are available at any
08
time. I’m heading over to Adrian’s. Text me when you’re done?”
09
She nodded. “All right. Tell Gillian I said hello.”
10
And she was gone.
11
Jules cruised back in. “So, I’m going to try to ask you this in
12
a way nicer fashion than I did the fi rst time. Which was totally
13
rude and unfair, I admit.”
14
“I’m in love with her. I want to make something real with
15
Mary. But she’s skittish.” He knew Jules was going to ask what
16
his intentions were so better to just answer honestly.
17
“Love?”
18
“I’m over thirty. I know the difference between infatuation
19
and love. I’ve known her since June. She’s dominated my
20
thoughts every single day since then.”
21
“You have a reputation.”
22
“I do. But that’s manufactured by the media.”
23
“Not all of it.”
24
“No. Not all. Look, I don’t regret anything I’ve done. I was
25
a young man with lots of success, lots of money and lots of
26
women. But I never hurt anyone. I never misused anyone. Every-
27
thing I’ve done has been with consent. And none of them has
S28
N29
• 235 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 235
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 235
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
been Mary. That’s how I know the difference. I’m not going to
02
apologize for what I’ve done in the past with people before I
03
even met her. But I can tell you that since the moment she came
04
into my life, that Damien has been retired.”
05
“She’s special. She works harder than anyone I’ve ever met.
06
She takes care of the people she loves. She needs a man who is
07
worthy of her.” Jules looked him up and down. “You that guy?”
08
“I sure hope so. I’m trying my best.”
09
“If you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down. She’s my family.”
10
He nodded. “I’d expect nothing less. But I don’t plan to
11
hurt her.”
12
“Which is why I made you an Americano and didn’t throw
13
it in your face.” She smiled and he laughed. “She has always been
14
there for me. For all the people she loves. I don’t blame you for
15
loving her. I don’t know how anyone could resist loving her. If
16
you’re who she’s chosen, you’re part of us too. You make her
17
happy. I like that. Keep it up.”
18
She turned and went out to deal with customers.
19
20
21
Mary went home, showered and then headed over to Gillian’s
22
place. Miles had just gotten home from school and he chattered
23
nonstop about this or that class, music composition, the song
24
he’d been working on for a project.
25
When they were alone, Miles told her about something he’d
26
seen on the Internet. She didn’t know how to process it, so she’d