Perfectly Broken (11 page)

Instead, he relished every moment, and the
interlude seemed timeless. Suspended with this amazing woman, who
offered her sensual pleasures only for him, Tomas craved more. When
Susanna relaxed under him, Tomas slid out and stretched out beside
her.

He pulled her to his chest and held her. Even
that was insanely sexy. Her full breasts pressed against him and he
put a hand on her ass, holding her tight. Susanna sighed and he
touched her shoulders with his fingertips.

Lifting her chin with a finger, Tomas kissed
her, raking his tongue next to hers. She kissed back, her body warm
against his. The kiss made his cock lurch, and heavy need flooded
his core. Going crazy, he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her
jaw.

Then, still side by side, Tomas put his leg
between hers, lifting. Susanna bent one knee up, giving him access.
He slid his cock inside her and she gasped with pleasure. Still on
his side, he stroked slowly. She ran a thumb over the stubble of
his goatee then across his lower lip, and he grabbed it in his
teeth.

He fucked harder, loving the sound of her
panting. The noise she made in the back of her throat when he
plunged deep propelled him to a new level of excitement. Animal
passion boiled inside, and Tomas rolled her on her back.

Still inside her, he stroked deep. Susanna
wrapped her legs around him and pressed her feet on his ass to hold
him tight to her. “Jesus, baby,” he gasped, and started stroking
again, faster this time. The heady feel of pounding into her
spiraled the intensity of the lovemaking to greater heights.

Tomas had no thought of holding back. Only
Susanna, that’s all there was. The feel of her under him, her
submission to him, and her heat wrapped around him. Then she
stiffened and cried out. Her pussy pulsed over his rock-hard
erection, massaging it as she was gripped by orgasm.

That sent Tomas out of control. His breathing
was fast, his heart racing. And as she released around him, Tomas
yelled out. His entire body clenched, his balls pressed up tight.
And he let go. The power of the climax ripped through him with
unrelenting force, and he gave all he had. The crescendo of his
pleasure was delayed, extending his orgasm.

When at last his body relaxed, Tomas fell to the
bed beside Susanna, unable to move. Every ounce of strength had
been sapped from his body. He was exhausted. She kissed his chest
and fingered the smattering of hair there, which he found
exciting.

When he could catch his breath, Tomas removed
the condom and put it in a receptacle by the bed. He had softened
only slightly. And when he returned to Susanna’s side, she gently
put her mouth over the tip of his cock. It was a loving
gesture.

The knob was sensitive, and when she dabbed the
tip of her tongue under the rim in the tender spot, Tomas hardened.
He needed her again. Wanted her again. And so it went. Again and
again, Tomas made love to her, his endurance not waning.

And Susanna took him, craved him, and was with
him. His need for her only increased, and he was grateful that his
ability to take her equaled the desire. It was a heavenly night, an
impossible dream, and so goddamn sexy that Tomas would not be able
to forget it. Nor did he want to.

*****

Eventually, he did sleep. With Susanna naked in
his arms, he dozed off. Hours later when he woke with the moonlight
streaming through the window, he was no longer high from the
tincture but high on Susanna.

The woman was amazing. Thoughts of what they had
shared made him smile. He hugged her a little tighter and she
stirred in his arms. Then she opened her eyes and looked up at him.
“Hey,” she said.

Susanna nuzzled against him, gradually waking
up.

He looked at her, mussed from sleep. “I hardly
know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“You are a princess, you know.”

She smiled and yawned. “Mmm.” She stretched and
sat up, now alert. She appeared to think about something. “You
never finished that story. How come only Connla could see the fairy
maiden and the king couldn’t?”

Tomas grinned. “Ah, well, the story continues.”
He was glad to entertain her, pleased to see her lighthearted.
“When Connla saw her up on that hilltop, he had never seen such a
lovely vision.”

Susanna smiled and sat up. She leaned on a
pillow against the headboard and pulled the sheet over her. “Didn’t
the king know what was going on?”

Tomas lay on his side, propped up on one elbow.
“Well, Connla was puzzled. and he asked the fairy maiden who she
was and where she was from. Hearing his son talking into thin air,
the king asked, ‘To whom do you speak?’”

Her eyes widened. “What did Connla say?”

Running a finger over the soft skin of Susanna’s
leg that was outside the sheet, he answered. “He didn’t have to.
The maiden replied.”

Susanna raised her eyebrows.

“The fairy maiden said: ‘I come from the Plains
of Pleasure, where no one grows old. In my world, there is no
strife.’” Tomas ran a finger down the bridge of Susanna’s nose, and
she giggled.

He continued. “‘In my world,’ the maiden said,
‘everyone lives forever in joy. There is no sadness.’” Tomas paused
for effect and watched Susanna’s expression. No sadness is what he
wanted for her. She didn’t deserve to be sad, and he hoped she
wouldn’t be anymore.

She frowned. “Life is not a fairy tale.”

Tomas pulled her down into a warm embrace. “It
is, baby. Maybe a dark one sometimes, I admit.”

She snuggled next to him. “I should sleep. I
have to work tomorrow.”

He realized how little he really knew about her.
“Where do you work?”

“At the Guinness Storehouse.”

“Oh, beer making.”

“Nothing quite so exciting. I just work in the
gift shop.”

Tomas pulled the sheet over them and turned on
his side. Susanna pressed her back to his chest and he kissed the
top of her head. “Sleep, baby.” He held her closer. “Tomorrow the
fairy tale continues.”

*****

Before dawn, Susanna woke again. She felt his
arm around her, and it felt good. For just a second, she put her
hand over his. Tomas was breathing heavily, and she knew he slept
well. Without jostling him, she eased out from under his arm and
off the bed. Looking back, she admired him in his restful
repose.

He looked innocent in sleep, yet virile and
strong. Tomas was someone she could get attached to. He did things
that no other man had. It was time to go. It was late as it was.
Quietly, Susanna dressed and tiptoed to the door with her shoes in
her hand.

She looked back, one last time. It would have
been so easy to go back to him. Just slip off her clothes and slide
in next to Tomas. He would never know she had left his bed. But she
couldn’t. If she stayed, he would begin to expect things. Things
she wasn’t prepared for.

Silently, she unlocked the door and stepped into
the hall. Tomas never woke up. It wasn’t the first time she had
spent the night in a man’s bed and left before morning. And it
wouldn’t be the last. The door closed with a barely perceptible
click.

Susanna put on her shoes and walked to the
elevator bay. Her heart was heavy. That was something new. Maybe an
aftereffect from getting high. Though she normally reacted well to
the drug. It scared her to think it might be something more. That
she might really care about Tomas.

It had been unwise to accept his dinner
invitation. But then she couldn’t resist him. The only solution was
to make sure she didn’t see him again. If that was possible.
Susanna would have to tap into whatever strength she had and do the
right thing. Leave Tomas to live his life. To go to the Plains of
Pleasure where there was no sadness. It certainly wouldn’t be with
her. He needed to find the real fairy maiden. And he would if left
him alone. She prayed she could.

* * * * *

Coming back to life, Tomas stretched and felt
the sheets next to him. The bed was empty. Maybe she was in the
bathroom. He yawned and sat up. Another gloomy day. Out the window
he could see clouds hovering in the gray sky.

He smiled thinking of Susanna. That was good
shit that had been in those drops last night. It was fast acting
and strong, but wore off quicker than smoking a joint did. He liked
the effect it had on him, and had enjoyed his staying power. And
she had too. His cock hardened at the thought.

Getting out of bed, he went to the window to
look out. The street below was busy; morning in the city was in
full swing. In the distance, he spotted the enormous Guinness
building, where Susanna had told him she worked. Tomas felt like he
had been away and had just returned. Everything looked different.
He felt different.

After gulping some water, he went to the
bathroom door to check on things, but didn’t hear any sound. The
door was shut, so he knocked. No answer.

“Susanna?”

All was quiet. Something wasn’t right. He
glanced around but her clothes were gone. She must be dressed.

“Susanna?”

Panic gripped him. What if something was wrong
with her? He grabbed the door handle and turned. Tomas slowly
pushed open the door, unsure what he would find inside. Not what he
expected. The bathroom was empty. He couldn’t believe it.

Tomas knew she had a habit of running. But after
the night they had together, he was stunned that she would leave
without even writing a note. She must have woken up early and
slipped out. The gaping void in his chest ached.

It hadn’t been just any night in bed with a
woman. It had been an unforgettable night with Susanna. There was
no way she didn’t feel it too. Tomas was at a loss. What was it
going to take to keep her around? Or could he even do that?

He had to, because the prospect of facing the
day, or the next day, without her in his life was abysmal. He had
to think. Had to figure it out. Susanna was difficult to
understand. He knew she hadn’t had it easy. But that should mean
that she’d
want
a relationship.

Wouldn’t she? Why be alone when they could be
together? It was simple. Yet when it came to Susanna, it was
complicated. He could understand being with more than one guy. Or
not committing to one, anyway. If you hadn’t found anyone you
really cared about.

But how did she make love like she had if she
didn’t care? It was beyond comprehension. Tomas knew one thing for
sure. He had to get to the bottom of it. If she thought he was just
going to let her return to her sad life, Susanna couldn’t be more
wrong.

He couldn’t force her to stay with him. But he
could damn sure find out what her problem was. Tomas intended to
fight for her. Giving up wasn’t in his blood. It wasn’t his makeup.
The challenge she posed had him on the offensive. It got him
riled.

But he would have to be smart about it. The
scenario of finding her and ordering her back to him failed before
it started. Sure, that’s what he would like to do. Women didn’t
respond to that, though. He was no expert, but he did know they
liked romance. They liked to be asked, and not ordered.

Except that Susanna had responded to him when he
had taken charge. He much preferred it that way. At least in the
bedroom, he liked to take the reins. It had been hot when she had
seduced him. He had let her have her way. But if she thought she
had him by the balls, Susanna better think again.

He would get her back. And he would charm her.
Susanna would be begging him for it. Not that it wouldn’t be a
pleasure giving her what she wanted. But he would do so when he
decided, not at her whim. The feeling that she was his wouldn’t go
away. Instinct told him that she wanted to submit to him. Her
behavior the night before had confirmed it.

Okay, then. That was how it was going to be.
Tomas showered and dressed, ready for what was ahead. Apartment
hunting could wait until another day, though he did need to find
something soon. Hotels were expensive to stay in for very long.

Ravenous hunger hit, and his stomach rumbled.
Knowing he would need his strength, Tomas went to a café in town
for some strong coffee and breakfast. It was a place he had been to
before, and was nothing outstanding. But it was close by. And they
served good food.

While he ate, Tomas pondered. He didn’t know
what he was up against. Not really. He didn’t know that much about
Susanna, and that was part of the dilemma. At least he knew where
she worked, which was helpful, since he still didn’t have a number
for her.

Fed and fortified with coffee, Tomas walked
downtown for a bit. He didn’t want to forge ahead until he had his
emotions in check. That was the only way to gain the upper hand. He
had to be intelligent about things. Susanna was unlike any woman he
had known.

She was gorgeous and sexy, yet dark and
brooding. The combination was both irresistible and worrisome. It
was the dark side that was going to be difficult. Tomas had
experienced ups and downs first hand. However, nothing he was
familiar with compared to what had happened to Susanna.

And he only knew a tiny bit of what must be a
horrendous story when told in detail. His heart went out to her.
Yet he couldn’t be dissuaded by sympathy. He didn’t think she would
want that. Susanna was tough, and she was trying to survive what
life threw at her without help from anyone.

That was over. Things were going to change. The
place to start was at her place of work. She said she had to be
there, so he would go see what he could. If it looked right, he
would approach her. He just wasn’t sure. Tomas paid his tab and
headed for where he knew he would find Susanna.

*****

It was no secret that Guinness Storehouse was
Dublin’s number one attraction. It was in a historical building
that represented the country’s heritage. The establishment had been
updated and now had a modern edge to it.