Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) (27 page)

“You’re incorrigible!” He pulled me closer, his voice low and sexy. “Hopelessly.”

He kissed me one more time. If two weeks of affection could have been poured into a kiss, it was that long and deep. I bit the inside of my cheek to ward off getting teary-eyed. There was no point in postponing the inevitable. He closed the door and took my hand through the window. I leaned in.

“Be a good girl while I’m gone.”

“Please be careful,” I said seriously. “And please call me when you get to the hotel.”

“I will,” he promised.

I waved until he was out of sight then went back into the house. I wore the dull ache in my chest like a heavy overcoat. The further away he drove, the more weighty it became. Loving him was so much easier than I had expected and watching him leave was so much harder. He proved to me every day that one moment of real love erased a lifetime of hurts, and for someone who valued her privacy, I couldn’t wait for him to come home.

A
year ago Falcon would never have predicted that he’d be holding his wife’s hand. It had been a long two weeks. Paige was a confident woman in almost every area of her life, but where she
was
weak, he wanted to be strong for her. Her fingers curled around his hand as he ran his thumb over the top. She alternated between looking at him and looking out the window. There was a contentedness about her today. A simple relaxed happiness.

It was a good flight. Aria had driven Paige to BWI airport and Falcon had driven down from Deep Creek to meet them. He went there the day before when he flew home from Vegas. It seemed empty without her even though she’d never been there. The moment he saw her he felt the same longing for her that occurred every time he laid eyes on her. After kissing her to the point of gaining an audience at the airport entrance, they boarded their flight. Every day he learned something new about her. Today’s lesson was learned the hard way. A fear of flying showed itself when she gripped his hand to the point of pain. It was a good thing that they’d had little turbulence or she might have cut off his circulation.

Now they were on their way to the first of a few surprises he’d planned for her. Their wedding left little to be desired but he hoped to make up for it. Jorge had been waiting for them outside of the Las Vegas airport.

“Mr. Grey. Mrs. Grey. It’s good to see you both.” Jorge put their bags in the trunk, then opened the car door. He was glad to see them and smiled as they entered the car.

Once Paige got in, Falcon joined her and now they were on their way to the hotel. She had adopted a sweet smile the minute she saw Jorge and he wanted in on the secret.

“You’re awfully happy. What’s that about?” He stretched out after the long flight and placed his hand on her knee.

“Did you ask him to call me that?”

“Call you what?” He was puzzled by the question.

“Mrs. Grey?” Her eyes crinkled in the corners. It pleased him that she liked her new title. He played with her hair, his voice sensually deep.

“No, but if it makes you happy I’ll make sure he addresses you like that more often.”

The rest of the drive was a study of control. He was happy he’d paid attention to what she liked when they were in Vegas the last time.

He loved watching how her eyes widened when they pulled up in front of the Bellagio. She was thrilled they were staying there. The suite he had selected was the kind of beautiful she deserved, and it was more than he’d imagined. It overlooked the Strip with an unobstructed view of the fountains. Everything about it defined luxury. She was speechless—and that made him very happy.

“Do you like it?” His voice was gentle. He closed his arms around her waist, and pulled her to him. Her expression was one of wonder.

“It’s so beautiful.” He placed a kiss against her temple and she leaned into the sensation of his lips against her skin.

“I thought you might like it. It looked like your style.”

She looked around as she breathed in the décor. She was overcome with a well-controlled display of emotion, but seeing her struggle with her composure pleased him more than if she had burst into tears.

A bottle of champagne was on the table and sat chilling beside the flowers. Their private butler had introduced himself and, with Falcon’s permission, was opening the bottle. The man handed both glasses to him, and he in turn gave one to Paige. He looked deep into her eyes, feeling the affection reflected there.

“To us, and the best life we can live.” He tipped his glass to hers as he wrapped his arm around her. Her eyes were moist with tears.

“To us,” she answered softly.

Another of the surprises was room service. That was another of the things she said she loved about getting away, so he arranged it. They had dinner in the suite, the dining room table set intimately for two. Candlelight flickered in multicolored shadows as it reflected off the smooth Italian marble. Her bare feet padded softly on the cool stone, and they moved over to the sofa to relax. Their view was perfect as the sky darkened in hues of cobalt, navy, and indigo. He’d chosen this room for the view of the fountains. It was another of her favorite things, although she had only seen them from the street. Tonight she would have her own personal viewing.

The butler brought Falcon a scotch and sat a glass of wine on the tray in front of Paige. He relaxed against the plush cushioning and put his feet up on the ottoman. She snuggled against his side and they shared the peaceful aura that had surrounded them since they arrived.

“Will there be anything else, sir?” The butler patiently waited while Falcon gave Paige a questioning glance. She shook her head ‘no’.

“No, thank you,” he answered. “We’ll be fine for the rest of the night.”

“Very well, sir. I will see you both in the morning. Don’t hesitate to call should you need anything.” He nodded to them both, and then exited the room via private elevator. Once he was gone, Falcon turned to Paige.

“The fountains will be starting soon.”

“Mmhmm.” She drew lazy patterns on his thigh with her fingers. He put his arm around her and stroked her neck and throat with his knuckles.

“You’ve been very quiet today.”

“I’m enjoying myself.” She tilted her head to give him better access. “I feel like I’m in sensory overload. The suite is a dream, the food was delicious, and I’m about to watch one of my favorite things: the fountains of the Bellagio against the black sky. I’m not sure I could find the right words to explain to you how I feel, but I know I love it.” She gazed up at him. “Thank you…for all of this.”

He rested his chin against her hair. It was so silky and the sweet fragrance filled him as it assaulted his senses and his fingers played with the buttons of her blouse. It had been two weeks and he craved the feel of her skin. One by one he unfastened them, taking plenty of time to savor the touch. His fingers drifted across her midsection and she leaned back, allowing him better access. He toyed with the lacy edge of her bra, dipping his thumb underneath to tease her. She was as eager as he was and she fed his sensual appetite. As her desire mounted, he enjoyed the sweet sound of her breath quickening. A dewy flush spread across her pale skin, coloring it a pleasing pink. He took his time seducing her, playing under her clothes. He pushed the cup of her bra down, releasing a breast, and strummed his fingers on the globe. The sensitive tip hardened under his touch. He played there for a while, enjoying her reaction to the brush of his hand. He had purposely left the lights low instead of turning them off. He wanted her to get used to him seeing her body in the light. It was his intent that eventually she would see herself the way he did—beautiful, sensual, and feminine.

Paige turned her body into his. Her lips begged to be taken and he stole them like a carnal bandit. She so willingly gave herself and his hands became more insistent. Physically and emotionally, she surrendered herself. The kiss grew more demanding and she completely melted. He so enjoyed the flavor of her. She whimpered and he lingered, enjoying the sweetness of her surrender and the taste of her submission.

She pulled away and seductively locked his gaze. With her fingertips she pushed her blouse off her shoulders and it floated to the floor. Pulling her bra off of her shoulders, her hands disappeared behind her back. She unhooked her bra, now releasing both her breasts. The full mounds bounced lightly on her chest. As she teased him, her eyes never broke their connection. He enjoyed her striptease as she held her bra with one finger, and then dropped it at her feet. She bit her bottom lip and gave him a heated gaze as she ran her hands from her breasts to her stomach. She removed the rest of her clothes by wiggling out of them until she was completely bare.

His gaze commanded her and his body responded to the effect she had on him. His erection was evident, the bulge restraining painfully against his zipper. Whether wantonly or unconsciously, she licked her lips as she savored the anticipation of their lovemaking. Continuing on her erotic quest her hands roamed over her hips and the lush curves behind her. He took a long sip of scotch, the burn equaling his heat, as Paige stepped out of the soft material beneath her toes. She straddled him placing one knee on each side of his hips. Her pupils dilated as she rocked against the cool metal of his zipper. She was sweet nectar to his thirsty libido and he loved that her former timidity was giving way to a new, sensual boldness.

He lifted her as his fingers dug into her luscious backside, then dropped her on the hardness hidden inside his slacks. She gasped in surprise but he kept her there. Every little move she made pressed against her most sensitive spot. Her soft mews were returned by a groan. He sucked her bottom lip against his teeth with just enough pressure that she couldn’t pull away. She was a siren who’d awakened the beast within, and he planned to use her until he was satisfied. In one quick move he wrapped her legs so tightly around him that her cheeks were spread to their limit. Her hair tickled his arms as her head fell back, and he buried his face in her neck. He alternated nips and kisses as he carried her into the bedroom. Laying her down he enjoyed her breast, the tip held prisoner between his lips, and the moment he released her he unbuckled, unzipped, and removed his clothing in rapid succession. He sank between her thighs as he positioned himself at her entrance. Her welcoming heat was almost too much to bear and he sheathed himself in one powerful thrust. She cried out. He stilled and enjoyed the carnal view as he allowed her a moment to adjust to his size. Her body was a beautiful sacrifice to his lust and he loved how perfectly created she was.

Moving slowly, tortuously and with long, feverish strokes, he rubbed and pressed against every nerve to assure the uppermost height of her pleasure. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the sensations but he wanted her to watch their bodies together.

“Eyes on me, baby.” His voice was rough and the moment he spoke he felt her clench around him.

She did as he asked, looking deep into his eyes as he drove their synchronized rhythm. Her skin heated and the impact of cool air against hot flesh caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. He drove himself into her sweetness and took away what was left of her control. She gasped with the mounting sensations and her mouth fell open as she moaned. Her legs tightened around him, equaling his lust, and she dug her delicate heels into his skin. Her willing immodesty was an addictive drug and the more he pumped the more he craved. His thrusts grew faster, harder, and deeper. The combination of her eyes on him, and her milking him from within, were almost too much to bear. He became primitive and plunged into her with a driving madness. She screamed out his name until he drove her over the edge of their maddening bliss. He rode the crest with her, thundering out his release.

W
arm eyes, the color of a rich wood, were gazing into his as he woke up. One arm was under her pillow, the other lay casually on his waist. He brushed the hair away from her eyes. Neither of them said a word. The moment was consumed by touch as they simply enjoyed the intimacy of stroking and holding each other.