Where the Streets have no Name (13 page)

For a long moment, Daniel remained where he was, buried deep inside Amelia, surrounded by her. He feared if he moved this scene would vanish and he’d wake up to find it had all been a dream. But if he stayed here he might fall asleep and accidentally roll over, crushing her. Grudgingly, he rolled to his side, taking her with him. Amelia sighed at his throat. Her breathing came deep and even. Her body relaxed. Fingers slackened over the taut muscles in his back.

She’
d fallen asleep in his arms. Trusted him enough to give him this gift. Trusted him with her heart and her body. Daniel pulled her closer, wrapping her in his embrace. Amelia stirred a torrent of emotions in his chest, the kind of feelings he didn’t deserve but wanted nonetheless.

And damn it if, even fast asleep and fully sated, she aroused him
to the point of agony. He hardened inside her and she gripped him like a tight fist. Rather than trying to fight the rocking of his hips to reach completion while she slept – he wasn’t a total bastard – Daniel pulled his aching cock from inside her heat. It rested thick and hard against her belly.

Daniel breathed. Focusing his mind and body, but he failed. All thoughts returned to Amelia; how she felt under him, above him, wrapped around him; rocking her hips, taking what she needed…and her hands, roaming up her breasts to her jaw. The way she shuddered his name when she found release.

Not the best way to get rid of a hard on
, Daniel thought with a sigh.

Whimpering at his chest, Amelia shivered, curling her body closer. He reached for the duvet and covered them both
, tucking her as close to his body as possible. And Daniel learned just how much he cared for the lass. More than cared…he’d fallen in love with Amelia.

Okay,
so they shared a moment unlike any he’d ever known, but he wasn't sure what it meant. He felt raw. Too physically drained to consider it. But now, in the afterglow of their lovemaking…

Daniel slammed his eyes shut. He didn’t know how she felt. She’d said she didn’t know if she could let anyone in. When she eventually did open her heart fully, Amelia deserved much more than a pathetic ex-con, a man labelled as a murderer. Someone who could never give her the things in life she was worthy of.

A house. A family. Vacations. He could never give her any of those. The only thing Daniel had to give was his heart and the world proved more often than not that love was never enough.

Amelia woke from a delicious dream
surrounded by warmth and a rich male scent that tingled her toes. Memories flashed back like film reels. Daniel. Riding him in unrestrained abandon. Exploding together, riding the waves of release until…

Damn, had she passed out? She couldn’t remember
anything after she found release. On top.

Embarrassment flooded her cheeks.
She turned, searching for him. But the bed was empty. The sheets felt cold to the touch. Amelia sat up and looked around, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

She spotted him at the window.
Daniel’s shoulders blocked out the sunlight. So wide. So strong. She bit her lip, recalling how hard and hot his skin felt beneath her hands when he plunged inside her. He made her feel wicked and sexy and wonderful. Most of all, he made her feel loved.

Daniel must have felt her eyes on him. Slowly he turned to face her. His arms were folded over his chest. His expression neutral. Guarded. Maybe he’d lied to her and it wasn’t good for him. Maybe she’d done something wrong. She wasn’t even sure if he…finished.

Dread slithered over her flesh, icy and slick. Her heart fell into her stomach, heavy like lead. He looked dispassionate, removed. He looked at her like she didn’t matter. He’d closed himself off from her.

The heavy feeling weighed her down but his eyes didn’t leave her face. He didn’t want her, didn’t feel the same, and she had nowhere to hide from him.

Amelia bit the inside of her lip so hard she tasted blood. Her neck was so stiff it ached. Tears pricked at her eyes. How could she have made such a monumental mistake?

“Love? What’s wrong?” Daniel sat on the bed. He reached for her.

Scooting to the other end of the bed, Amelia put distance between them. She didn’t need his pity. Didn’t want his pity.

Quick as she could, Amelia made a beeline for the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She looked to the shower. Yes, a shower might help. A little.
Not really. She could pretend though; Amelia had gotten quite good at pretending.

Turning the taps on, she waited until the temperature was perfect, then turned it warmer and stepped into the tub.
Hot water streamed from above, soaking her hair, but even water couldn’t wash away the burning shame clutching at her heart.

She brought a soap-covered hand to her chest and held it there just as she heard the door click open. Had she forgotten to lock it?

“Amelia, did I do something wrong?”

She stood stock-still, water pouring down on her, holding her breath.
The swish of the shower curtain alerted her to his presence but she didn’t dare turn around and face him. She wasn’t sure she could handle the look in his eyes again.

Daniel stepped into the shower and took her in his arms, crushing her back to his chest. “I have,” he whispered, kissing her neck. “I’ve done something wrong. Tell me what it is so I can fix it.”

When she didn’t immediately respond, he said, “I don’t regret what happened, if that’s what you’re thinking. Not even a little. I might not deserve you, love, and I won’t pretend you’re not so far out of my galaxy we’re not even in the same universe, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you. Caring for you.”

His words were the opposite of those she’d expect if he pitied her. She turned her head and met his gaze – this time
a storm of uncertainty. He searched her eyes, then her face, until he landed at her lips.

The press of his erection against her backside warned her of his intentions. “If you don’t want me, Amelia, you’d best tell me now, because in no less than five seconds you’re going to be against those tiles and I
’ll be buried deep inside you.”

The words shocked her system and forced her into a state of need she didn’t think possible.

“Five…”

He was giving her a chance to back out.

“Four…”

His hand slid down the slippery slopes of her body until he reached her folds.

“Th-three…”

He didn’t pity her!

“Two…”

His fingers swirled around her clit and one slipped inside her. Daniel’s breath was hot on the back of her neck. His teeth scraped over her shoulder where it met her neck.

“One…”

Daniel spun her in his strong arms, wedged a knee between her thighs, and plundered her mouth with his tongue. Possessive swipes
mimicked the rocking of his thigh between her legs. The roughness coupled with his thumb swirling over her clit sent her over the edge. Shamelessly she bucked and writhed, doused in the flames of an orgasm unlike the others. This one came on and crashed into her like a freight train. Primal.

His leg vanished but Daniel curled her legs around his waist, the head of his cock prodding at her entrance. His eyes sought hers.
“You want this, Amelia, right? Tell me you want this.”

“I want you,
Daniel,” she cried, arching into him.

Amelia’s blunt honesty shredded the last of his control.
With her thighs around his hips, he guided his erection to the entrance to her folds and drove inside. Right here, right now, she was everything he needed. Everything he never knew he wanted. Hell, she was everything he didn’t deserve. But he had her in his arms and he was damned well going to live for this moment.

Desire blinded him, gave him tunnel vision. He saw and felt and heard only Amelia. The wide blue-black of her eyes staring
up at him. Her snug channel milking him with the tremors of her impending orgasm. Keening cries and panted breaths. And her hands clutched his shoulders, nails marring his skin.

Daniel steeled himself and thrust into her.
 The hold around his hips tightened. Her breath stuttered. Damn he needed to hold on a little longer. His release threatened to unravel. Daniel slid a hand between their bodies to play in her curls, searching for…ah, there it was. He pushed and swirled and pinched, driving into her harder and faster. She gasped, rocking her hips, taking what she needed from him.

He couldn’
t hold back much longer. Couldn’t keep from speeding toward the light at the end of this intense tunnel of desire. Amelia shouted his name, her body trembling on his arms. Seconds later, he called hers, drowning out their cries with a kiss meant to worship those soft, plump lips and hopefully steal her heart.

Was it possible to love someone after only a few days? Did it make sense that he wanted to spend every day with her and only her for as long as she’d have him, and afterwards, he’d be nothing more than a husk of the man she made him become?

Daniel didn’t have any answers to his questions. Asking her wouldn’t help either. He’d have to take what little Amelia gave him and treasure these moments when she eventually left the country to go back home to her own life. Without him.

God the thought was like a knife through his chest. Though his lust was sated, his heart burned; wanting and needing things it wasn’t worthy of receiving. Especially not form a woman like Amelia. She had better things to do than keep him.

“Daniel?” She kissed a path from his chest to his throat. “Why do you keep pulling away from me?”

“
Well I–”

“That’s what you did earlier, isn’t it?” The grip her legs had around his hips tightened. “When I woke up and
you were standing by the window. I thought…” Her breath stuttered “…I thought maybe you regretted being with me.”

“No,” he said, raining a thousand kisses from her hairline to her throat
. He kissed the furrowed knot between her brows until she relaxed; kissed away the worry from her eyes; smoothed his lips over the smooth expanse of her cheekbones. Daniel kissed her and each time his lips touched her face he soothed away the doubt.

“No, lass. No. Never.” He sighed, resting h
is chin on the top of her head.

It was a lie though. He had regrets, just not about being with her.