Siren Song (33 page)

Smiling, she took a strawberry and dragged it through the cream before feeding it to Duncan. His lips wrapped around her fingers as he ate the fruit and she had to remind herself that it was Monday morning and they didn’t have all day to spend in bed. “And this? Is it good?”

“
It could be better,” he murmured huskily, betraying nothing regarding their midnight rendezvous in the woods. Maybe he was embarrassed by how primitive he behaved; she wouldn’t push it until he was ready to talk about what had happened.

“
More sugar?” Lexi frowned, trying to concentrate on the conversation instead of imagining him throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her back to bed where he would do even more wicked things to her all-too-willing body. She was pretty sure she added the right amount; maybe he had a sweet tooth for his whipped cream, not just desserts, though one would never know by looking at him, all sinew and hardness.

His lips curled up into a wicked grin, “Something like that.”

Without another word, he loosened her lash, opening the lapels of the robe and letting it fall to the floor. Sucking in his breath, his eyes darkened at the sight of her body. Grabbing her around the waist, he hoisted her up onto the counter and stepped between the spread legs. Using his fingers, he scooped up some of the cream and painted her breasts, her nipples.

The cool cream felt even colder on her overheated body, but it felt so good. Her pulse raced as she watched the intensity in Duncan’s face as he concentrated on painting her skin. And then his hot mouth closed around her nipple and the contrast of hot skin, cold cream, and even hotter mouth almost made Lexi come right then and there. Her eyes rolled back and she moaned.

“
Much better,” he rasped, flicking his tongue over her pebbled flesh, over her soft breasts. While suckling her other nipple, he scooped some more cream out, spreading it lower, across her abdomen, over her most intimate flesh. She sucked in a breath as his fingers pushed cold cream into her sex and she felt him smile against her breast.

“
Don’t eat it all,” she breathed as his mouth moved lower. “I want to return the… oh, God, Duncan!”

His tongue swirled through the cream and into her body. Unable to control her response, her body arched off the table, pressing her clit harder against his mouth. His tongue probed her, licking the cream up until she was a quivering mess. Her orgasm was swift and powerful. It took her a moment to catch her breath and when she did, she looked at him with a sinful smile, “My turn.”

Sliding off the counter, Lexi pushed Duncan’s pants down his long legs. Grabbing the bowl of cream and the strawberries, she went to her knees so her face was right next to his thick erection and she blushed, remembering how he had taken her the night before. His clean, musky smell filled her senses as she looked up at him with smile, “You’re so beautiful.”

Watching her hand as she smeared cream over his erection, Lexi memorized the feel of the hard length; the heat, the strength. She wanted to remember every moment she had with him so she would be able to savor them at some point in the future. It would take a few weeks – months – to be able to look back on this time with him without hurting but it was worth it; he was worth it. He flung his head back as she took the hot, hard length of him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the velvet head.

His hips jerked and he twined his fingers in her hair, holding her in place as she took him deeper, savoring the musky, woodsy taste of him. She wrapped her hand around the base of his penis as she concentrated on the head. His fingers convulsed, the movement inadvertently pulling her hair, and her body responded, her breasts swelling, her belly tightening. His involuntary groans were music to her ears as his cock nudged the back of her mouth. The movement made her moan, opening her throat to his full possession of her mouth. She concentrated on breathing through her nostrils, breathing in the scent of Duncan, as he fucked her throat.

“
Lexi, I’m going to come,” he warned, and she curled a hand around his testicles, gently rolling them as his fingers twisted into fists, jerking handfuls of her hair. Too soon, or not soon enough, he exploded into her mouth, and she felt every pulse of his release as it went on forever.

Lexi reveled in the power to make him lose control, in the feel of his orgasm in her mouth. Lapping up every drop of semen, she licked her lips and looked up at him, a satisfied smile on her lips, “Hmmm.”

He opened his eyes and when their eyes connected she felt herself drowning. Tenderly, he brushed his thumb along her lower lip, still glistening with his release. And as he smiled down at her, passion and sadness in his eyes, her heart trembled and she couldn’t quite catch her breath. She knew before he even said the words that he was letting her go. “Duncan.”

He groaned, grabbing her arms and dragging her to her feet. His arms were around her and he was holding onto her as if he never meant to let her go. But she knew that was what he was going to do. “Before I say anything I want you to know that I love your writing, Lexi;
lavish
is better for having you on the staff but I can’t… I can’t do this any longer.”

“
Are you firing me?” she asked lightly, her heart pulsing madly in her throat, choking her.

He shook his head, “No; I want you to stay at
lavish
but I have to work at the offices for the next two weeks so I can wrap up everything I have been working on to pass off to the manager I hired. I am begging you to take a two week vacation at my expense.”

“
That’s all right,” she managed, forcing her lips into a smile when her face felt like cracking. “You don’t have to pay for anything; I’ll take care of it.”

“
God, I don’t want to let you go.”

“
Then why….”

“
I can’t change who or what I am, Lexi,” he rasped, his voice rough with emotion. “If I hold onto you any longer I will destroy you and I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you.”

“
You don’t know,” she protested, thoughts racing a million miles an hour in her head. She would risk it, if it meant being with him and depending on his answer..... Slowly, she met his eyes, “Do you love me?”

His silver eyes burned with torment and his jaw tightened but he didn’t answer and she knew that he didn’t love her. She couldn’t hold onto him; she had to let him go. Cupping his chin in her hand, she whispered, “It’s okay; I never expected you to.”

“
I could love you, Lexi; so easily,” he ground out, his eyes burning brighter. “And if I hold you in my arms for five more minutes I won’t be able to let you go.”

“
Then hold me in your arms, Duncan, and never let me go.” She laughed sadly when he looked at her with stoic resolution. Cupping his beloved cheek in her hand, she whispered, “Otherwise we need to go our separate ways before we reach the point where we can’t.”

His hand covered hers and he turned his head, pressing a desperate kiss to her palm, “I wish things were different; I wish I was a different man.”

“
What did I tell you about being a different man, Duncan?” she asked lightly, her heart breaking as she realized that she would never see affection for her burning from his eyes after she said goodbye. Her breath caught in her chest but she ruthlessly pushed it down. “I wouldn’t want you if you were anyone else.”

His lips curved upwards in some semblance of a smile but his eyes were still bleak. “So this is it.”

“
This is it,” she nodded and took a deep breath as she let the memories of their too brief of time together fill her thoughts. Licking her lips, she was going to confess all of her secrets, since he wasn’t going to remember her anyway. “One last secret, Duncan; I’m a Rudnar.”

As his eyes widened in surprise and shock, she smiled wryly, “Alexandra Rudnar, the youngest daughter you wanted me to interview.” She laughed but it was a pathetic and hollow sound. Taking an even deeper breath, she held his eyes, “I’m also a Siren and I am so, so sorry.”

Standing up on her toes, she pressed her lips against his and squeezed her eyes shut as she let her love and memories return to him. His hard chest pressed against her breasts and she wanted to take it back but she didn’t, kissing him until there was nothing left. With a cry, she wrenched herself away from him and looked up into his stunned face. Gently laying her fingers over his lips, she whispered, “I love you.”

With one last look, she gather up the robe and slipped it onto her body. She would call Cole and have him take her to the offices so she could pack up her stuff; it would simply be too difficult to continue working at
lavish
and seeing nothing behind his eyes when he looked at her. As she headed towards the front door, she found her dress and her purse along the way and laughed sadly.

Every moment with him had been worth it.

When she got into the car nearly an hour later and two miles from Duncan’s house, Cole took one look at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her like that as they drove home. He didn’t ask why she was wearing the dress she had worn on Friday morning, nor did he ask what had happened to the wig, he simply held her as he drove. When they got home, she offered a few words to let him know that she was quitting and today was her last day. And while she showered he typed up her resignation and found some boxes.

With Cole by her side, Lexi entered the
lavish
offices for the last time. It was hell trying to stay awake because she was just plain exhausted, physically, emotionally, and mentally. She would have blamed it on having a sex-filled weekend but she knew that it was her aching heart that was draining her. Or possibly the flu, since her forehead was burning up. Getting sick on top of getting dumped was just great. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about calling in sick in the morning.

Wearing a silky shirt that had a front but really no back, being as it was held together by a few ties, Lexi maneuvered her way through the cubicles to her office. Instructing her best friend on what to pack, she took her final article and her letter of resignation up to Duncan’s office, signing her name as 'The Writer of The Scene.' She smiled at his assistant, ignoring the way the room wobbled. “Hi, Miss Reynolds; can I leave these here with you? They're for Duncan... Mr. Tremain."

“
Certainly, Miss Darling,” the older lady said with a soft smile. When she looked up and saw Lexi, she gasped, coming to her feet and pressing her cool palm against Lexi’s blazing forehead, “My goodness, child, you’re burning up! Why aren’t you at home getting some rest?”

Lexi’s smile felt force and she was a little short of breath, “I will be going home as soon as I’ve packed up my things.”

“
You’re quitting?” Ms. Reynolds looked even more horrified by that announcement than by Lexi’s flushed cheeks. “But… why?”

“
It’s time to move on,” she said easily, lifting her shoulders in a casual shrug that she didn’t mean. “I’ve decided to try my hand at cliff diving. That or macramé, I’m not sure.”

Miss Reynolds chuckled as Lexi knew she would. The older woman pulled Lexi into a soft, motherly hug, smelling of peppermint and office paper. “Take care of yourself, Lexi, and don’t be a stranger.”

“
Okay,” Lexi murmured, returning the hug with affection. Setting the folder down on the desk, she rested her hand there a moment longer to steady the world that was suddenly spinning too fast. When she was stable, she straightened and forced a smile to her bloodless lips. “Make sure Mr. Tremain gets this.”

With that, Lexi made her way back to her office, hoping to get the hell out of there before she passed out; she really was feeling ill. Pressing her hand against her forehead, she was shocked at how hot her skin was. She wanted to put off the inevitable as long as possible, severing her last tie to Duncan, but she also wanted to get home and crash.

Not paying attention, she almost ran into Mason Jones, one of the last people she ever wanted to run into, especially in a completely deserted hallway. She stumbled back a step as he smiled cruelly down at her, “Hey, Lexi.”

“
Hi, Mason,” she returned with a grimace, not in the mood to deal with him. She took a step to go around him, but he didn’t move. In fact, he seemed to take a step closer to her, making her apprehension sky rocket. “Excuse me, please.”

“
I don’t think so,” he murmured, grabbing her hips and grinding his pelvis against her. “I think that I will keep you.”