All Lit Up (6 page)

She whacked him playfully. “You really have changed, haven’t you?”

Feeling much more at ease, he grabbed her hand and anchored it to her side. “Hey, what did I tell you about whacking me?”

“I…I don’t remember.” She nibbled her bottom lip in a good show of innocence.

Well, I’ll be damned.

“So it seems you’ve changed too,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

What he meant was that his sweet, romantic Anna wanted to be spanked. He let loose a laugh. There was more to this woman than he knew, and he was definitely going to enjoy every minute of getting to know her all over again.

He slid his hand down her back and gave her ass a good whack. Her lids flew open and her lips parted. As her eyes flared hot, her chest rose and fell rapidly, alerting him to her pleasure. “Oh my God!”

“You were warned.” He drew his hand back for another whack. Jesus just the sight of her standing there, looking so aroused as he discovered her budding fantasies took his breath away. Desperately needing to see her naked, he grabbed the hem of her sweater and peeled it over her head, then made quick work of her pretty lace bra.

Shaky hands cupped her bare breasts and gave a light squeeze. When her beautiful rosy nipples poked out at him, he bent down and drew one into his mouth. Anna threw her head back and moaned. Christ, those sexy bedroom noises nearly pushed him over the edge.

Daniel slipped a hand between their bodies and worked the button on her jeans. The hiss of her zipper cut through the silence. She moved her hips restlessly as he peeled her pants off.

Then he stood back to look at her standing before the warm fire, desire—for him—written all over her face. In a sexy move, she hooked her thumb around the thin elastic on her panties and gave a little tug, offering him a glimpse of her smooth pubis.

As her gaze moved over his face, his lust mounted. “You forgot something,” she said.

“No I didn’t.”

She arched a brow. “No.”

“No, I left them for you to remove.”

“Such a naughty boy. Maybe you’re the one who needs to be spanked.”

He grinned, loving this playful side of her. “Take your panties off, Anna.”

With slow movements intended to entice, she inched her panties down, shimmying them ever so slowly. A smile lingered on her plump lips as her scent reached his nostrils. When she peeled away the scrap of material and tossed it on the rest of the pile, his breathing grew shallow.

Perspiration beaded on his forehead, his body aching to join with hers. “Now lie down on that rug and show me your pussy.”

Anna sprawled on the fur mat before the fireplace, the moisture on her pussy glistening in the flames. She tilted her head and sexual energy leapt between them. Daniel swallowed and licked his lips.

When she reached for him, he quickly removed his clothes and climbed over her. She widened her legs to accommodate him and tangled her hands around his neck to draw him closer. Her body felt warm and silky beneath his, and all he could think about was burying himself in her and staying there for the rest of the night. Everything with her felt so intimate, so right.

His mouth found hers and he kissed her deeply, reveling in the things she made him feel. She moved her hips, brushing up against his shaft with her body, and he hardened to the point of pain. Fuck, he ached to be inside her but first he wanted to taste every inch of her skin. Beginning a downward path, he licked and tasted her sweet flesh. Nostrils flaring, he breathed in her scent then stopped to pull one of her nipples into his mouth. He sucked long and hard until her cries of pleasure filled the air.

His head came up with a start as a loud noise sounded from the room next door. Daniel smiled. “I guess these rooms aren’t quite soundproof.”

He flicked his tongue over her bellybutton, and she bit down on her bottom lip to suppress a cry. She spoke softly. “I guess we’d better keep it down before someone comes rushing in here to check on us.”

Daniel shimmied lower and using his fingers, he parted her plump twin lips, then drew her feminine aroma deep into his lungs. He groaned low and deep. “I don’t want you to keep it down, Anna. I love the sexy noises you make. Besides I think your friends are a little too busy to be concerned with what’s going on in here.” With that he brushed his thumb over her engorged clit and watched her hips come off the floor.

“Dear God!” she cried out, obviously no longer caring if anyone overheard her moans of pleasure.

“That’s my girl,” Daniel encouraged as he pushed a finger inside her tight opening. When he met with warm slick heat, he damned near lost his mind. “Baby, you’re so wet.”

“That’s because I’ve been waiting for this for over a decade,” she murmured.

With single-minded determination, she moved against his finger, her liquid silk burning his flesh and spurring him on. He dipped his head and made a slow pass with his tongue in an effort to draw out her pleasure. But he couldn’t believe she was already there, hovering on the edge of release. Her cunt was pulsing and clenching around his probing index finger. He gave a slight wiggle of his finger, lightly brushing it over her G-spot. Moaning loudly, she went wild beneath him, her opening soaked his hand and instantly made him delirious with need.

“Jesus,” he murmured as he lapped at her sweet cream, hardly able to believe how fast she’d orgasmed.

“It’s been awhile,” she confessed.

As he drank in her liquid silk, his cock ached and he pressed against her leg in desperate need of release. She gripped his shoulders and pulled him to her. Daniel climbed up her body and found her mouth. When she tasted her own sweetness on his lips, she moaned and he loved the sexy noises she made. In fact, he loved everything about her. Always had, and always will.

“I need you inside me,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He groped for his pants, but when his search came up empty he asked, “Condom?”

Need crept into her voice when she rushed out, “I’m clean and I’m on the pill.”

When she arched a questioning brow he assured her, “I am too.”

Her eyes were bright with laugher, and her knowing grin, so slow and sweet, turned him inside out. “You’re on the pill?” she teased.

Flustered and in dire need, he shook his head and forced a quick laugh. “No. I. Well. It’s been awhile,” he admitted. “What I mean…”

“I know what you mean.” Her humor fell away when she added, “And I know what I want.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart?”

“I’ve waited so long for this, Daniel, and I don’t want to feel anything but you inside me.”

His heart swelled, and he understood exactly what they were doing. Making love. Sure he’d had sex before, numerous times, but this was the first time he’d ever made love with anyone. “I’ve spent the last decade wanting this too,” he whispered with effort.

She widened her legs and slid her hands around him. Her fingers trailed down his back, grabbed a fistful of his ass, and squeezed. Hard. A low sexy moan sounded in her throat.

“Please…” she begged.

As sexual energy whipped through his veins, he positioned his cock at her entrance and eased into her, wanting to feel, savor and enjoy every inch as he filled her.

“So good,” she whispered and bit down on his shoulder. She bucked forward, forcing him inside. As her cunt swallowed his cock, her scalding heat engulfed him and his throat practically closed over.

Using long sensuous strokes, he began moving, pumping into her, seeking more than just the physical connection. His breathing grew heavy and his balls constricted. As her feminine heat scorched him, tension built inside him, and he knew release was only a push away. Jesus, he needed to slow down, to make this good for her.

“Harder,” she cried out, her voice full of want.

“Sweetheart, like I said, it’s been a long time for me,” he choked out. “If I go harder I just might lose it.” Damn he wanted to make her come again before he found release.

“Let’s lose it together.”

As her intoxicating aroma filled the air, it pushed him over the precipice. Oh what the hell. They could take it slow next time. He pumped harder and rode her furiously, giving her what she wanted. What he needed.

“Yes…” she cried out and squeezed his ass.

Daniel inched back, slipped a hand between their bodies and brushed his thumb over her clit. As soon as his finger connected with her plump nub, she gave a broken gasp and a violent shudder overtook her. As her liquid heat scorched him, her body vibrated and fragmented his last vestige of control. His heart contracted as he gave a moan of surrender.

He drew a shaky breath, gripped her shoulders and stilled, concentrating on the points of pleasure as he filled her with his seed. While he depleted himself, he buried his face in her neck and she held him tight as he rode out the final tremors.

After a long moment, he eased back to see her. She nestled against him and offered him a smile that warmed his heart. Then she gave a contented sigh, stretched and in a teasing voice said, “I believe that just might have been worth the wait.”

Daniel laughed out loud. He’d never experienced such emotions with a woman. “Yeah, but let’s not wait so long next time.”

She arched a brow and ran her fingers over his face, her touch more emotional than physical. “Next time?”

“We’ve only just begun to test the room, Anna. There’s still the bed, the sofa, the tub…”

Anna whacked his ass and his voice broke off. He gripped her hands and braced them over her head. “And of course we need to address this issue of you whacking me all the time.”

“What were the consequences again?” she asked, the sexy lilt in her voice hardening his cock again in record time.

Daniel grinned, flipped her over onto her stomach, ran his palm over her lush ass and murmured, “Let me remind you.”

Anna awoke to the sun streaming in through her bedroom window. She stretched and grinned as memories of the previous night came rushing back. Sliding her hand across the bed, she connected with the man who filled her body and heart with warmth.

After their second round of lovemaking, Anna had darted next door to let Candace know she’d be staying the night. When she came back to the room, Daniel had filled the tub with soapy water and the two sipped wine as they indulged in a luxurious soak. Once cleansed and relaxed, Daniel carried her to the bed, where he’d spent the remainder of the night paying homage to every inch of her body. His kisses were so full of emotion and tenderness, there was nothing she could do to shield her heart. Surely to God such affection, compassion and loving concern couldn’t be faked, and Daniel wasn’t merely trying to finish what he’d been unable to accomplish over a decade ago. Deep in her gut, Anna believed no man would go to such efforts: reading romance novels, spending hours to create a romantic atmosphere, fitting the bed with silk sheets, and even going so far as to fill the tub with scented oils.

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t realized he’d awoken. “Good morning, Sunshine,” he murmured and drew her in for a slow wake-up kiss.

Just hearing his voice had her body stirring to life. “Good morning to you too.” As she melted against him, she felt his early-morning arousal. She shimmied and smiled when he gave a tortured moan.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

She was grinning like a fool, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “I’m just happy.”

“Me too.” He had that strange look on his face again.

“And why are you so happy?” she asked. “Is it because the room worked?”

“Among other things.” The grin slowly fell from his face.

She touched his cheeks. “What is it?”

“There is something I’ve been wanting to ask you for years.”

Anna felt her insides tighten. “What?” she asked, rather reluctantly, wanting to put the past behind her and revel in the present for a little while longer.

Without preamble, he got right to the point. “Why did you suddenly stop talking to me?”

Her early-morning bliss began to fade. Now why would he go and dredge up old painful memories and ruin a perfectly good morning? “Daniel—” She made a move to go.

He cupped her elbow and stopped her. “Anna, I really want to know. I also want to know why you didn’t invite me to your sweet-sixteen party.”

“Because you hurt me,” she blurted out, no longer able to hold it in.

The vulnerable look that came over him tightened her heart. “How? How did I hurt you, Anna?”

“I heard you, Daniel.”

“Heard me?”

“Yeah, I heard you, Justin Hollis, and the rest of your football buddies talking.”

Understanding dawned on his face.

“That’s right,” she said. “I came over to invite you to my party, but I heard them teasing you about all the girls you’d slept with and asking when you were finally going to nail me, the last on your list.” She lowered her head. “Everyone was laughing.”

“Christ, Anna.” He cupped her head and pulled her to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I had no idea you heard that. I’m so sorry.”

Was he sorry that she’d overheard it, or was he sorry that they’d been discussing her so callously in the first place? She pulled back, but he simply moved with her. “Well I did hear it and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Look, I’m not going to deny that I slept with girls in high school.”

“From what I understand you reached out and touched more women than Hallmark.”

“No, you’re wrong. There haven’t been nearly as many as you’d think. Most of my reputation was rumor, because there was only one girl I wanted, and she was the one girl I couldn’t seem to have.”

She gulped, really wanting to believe that. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he whispered against her cheek. “I never understood what happened between us or why you never invited me to your party. It killed me to watch you dance under the stars with all those other guys.”

She dipped her head. “It wasn’t the same without you there,” she admitted.

Daniel pounded the mattress. “For years I used to lie in bed and dream it was me out there with you.”

When his honest eyes met hers and she released those pent-up feelings, old hurts began to fade. “And I used to lie in bed and dream that it was me you were sneaking into your room.”

“Really?” he grinned.

“Yeah. It was my secret fantasy.”

He gave a rough laugh and cupped her bare sex. “Well, there was a time or two—or a million—that I used to fantasize about you climbing that tree and slipping into bed with me too.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Dammit, girl, we’ve lost so much time.”

“What should we do about that?”

“We should try to make up for it.” With that his lips crashed over hers. Daniel pulled her beneath him, holding her captive with his body, as if fearing she’d disappear from his grasp. But she had no intention of leaving. She kissed him back with all the love inside her and then spent the rest of the day between the silk sheets with him while he made sweet passionate love to her.

Hours later, Anna made her way downstairs to grab a bite to eat. Daniel had to make a run back to the shop, then to his parents’ house. They agreed to meet up later that night at the inn. But Anna had other plans. Feeling naughty and adventurous, she wanted to go back in time, relive their old teenage fantasy, and finish what they’d started in Daniel’s room.

Night had fallen as Anna pulled her car into her parents’ driveway. Knowing they were down at the Andersons for card night, along with Daniel’s parents, she used her key to enter. She quietly made her way through the house and slipped out into the backyard.

That tall tree didn’t look quite so challenging tonight, especially since she’d come equipped with loose pants and running shoes. Her heart fluttered as the light in Daniel’s room flicked on. Wanting to surprise him, she grabbed a branch and pulled herself up.

As she neared his window, the voices in the room stilled her forward momentum. Damn, he had company. She was about to climb back down, when snippets of the conversation stopped her cold and brought her head around. She glanced into the window to see Daniel with his long-time buddy Justin Hollis—the same guy who’d been harassing Daniel about nailing Anna over a decade ago.

“So that’s what the romance novels are all about then,” Justin said. “Learning what she likes so you can finally get into her pants.” She watched him flip through the dog-eared pages then slap the paperback against his palm. “I got to hand it to you, pal. It was a damn smart move.”

When Daniel didn’t respond or defend his actions, her heart lodged somewhere in her throat.

“Come on, Daniel, tell me. Did you finally get her to beg for it?” She heard a noise, what sounded like a deep-throated chuckle coming from Daniel. Then he walked across the room to Justin, took the book his hands and tossed it to the floor, discarded, just like she felt. Used and discarded.

“So did she beg for it?” Justin probed again.

Anna turned her back on the conversation unraveling in front of her as she recalled every moment in Daniel’s arms. Oh, Jesus, she had begged for it! Repeatedly. With that sobering reality, her vision went a little fuzzy, and she nearly lost her footing, Anna didn’t wait around to hear anymore. She practically slid down the tree, anger rising in her. Angry that she’d thought he’d changed, and angry that she was a fool to think he had.

As tears threatened she bolted through her parents’ house, locked up behind herself and spent the next hour driving aimlessly around the town, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that Daniel had used her. That he hadn’t changed. That he was that same bad apple from high school.

Even though she’d heard snippets of that awful conversation with her own ears, and her brain warned her to steer clear of him, something in her heart told her no man could fake such emotions. But it was time to stop thinking with her heart, because letting her emotions rule was how she’d found herself in this predicament in the first place.

Deciding to head back to the inn to put the final touches on the room so she’d never have to step foot in the place again, she turned her car around. When she reached the inn, she bolted to the bedroom, determined to get in and out before Daniel arrived.

As she perused the room, her heart pounded against her rib cage. Daniel was right. No woman stood a chance in such a romantic room. She was a prime example. With a lump lodged in her throat, she began to hastily put the pieces together, and that was when Pamina entered, an apple in her hand.

“Anna, what’s the rush?”

When she turned to see compassionate green eyes looking at her, something inside Anna gave. Feeling emotionally battered, she dropped to the bed and blurted out the whole damn story. Everything from how she’d loved Daniel in high school to the conversation she’d just overheard.

Pamina brushed Anna’s hair behind her ear, then polished her apple on her pretty floral dress. Anna spotted the bruise on the outside skin and was about to stop Pamina from eating it, but it was too late. Pamina bit off a huge chunk.

As Anna looked at the crisp white meat, Pamina tapped Anna’s leg. “Just because the skin has an imperfection, a bruise on the outside, doesn’t mean that I should just toss it away.” Pamina held the apple out for Anna to take a bite, but she declined, having long ago lost her appetite. “You see, Anna. Your Daniel is no different from this apple.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes things aren’t always as they appear. You thought this apple was bad because it had a mark on its flesh. But after a sampling, it’s clear that it’s perfectly delicious.”

Anna shook her head, unable to think straight. “Pamina—”

“Daniel might not appear so perfect on the outside, but maybe there is more on the inside than you realize.” As she sorted through matters, Pamina added, “He’s here you know.”

Anna sat up straighter and glanced at the door. “I didn’t see his van.”

“That’s because it’s parked out back.”

“Why?”

“So the supplies were close at hand.”

“Supplies? What supplies?” Why would Daniel have supplies? He’d finished the room already.

“He asked me to send you outside.” A sparkle lit in Pamina’s eye. “Why don’t you go see what he’s up to?”

With curiosity getting the better of her, she walked to the window to peer out. What she saw nearly stopped her heart.

At least now Daniel finally understood why Anna had cooled on him back in high school. She’d overheard his friends rousing him, but if she’d stuck around longer, she would have heard Daniel shutting them all down. No one talked about Anna like that and got away with it.

Honestly, he had no idea it was
he
who’d hurt her all those years ago, the one who’d shattered her belief in Prince Charming and happily-ever-after. Hadn’t he sworn that he’d kick the ass of the guy who’d hurt her? So apparently it was his ass that needed a good swift kick. Not to mention Justin’s. Daniel clenched and unclenched his fist, thankful that he’d taken care of that matter earlier.

Her comment about him faking nervousness finally made sense as well. She thought he was putting on a show to get in her pants. Dammit, he hated how that one incident had scarred her so deeply.

Daniel glanced heavenward and took in the black sky and the mosaic of stars glistening overhead. Perfect for what he had planned. He finished fitting the apple tree with lights as he worked to recreate the ambiance from years ago, ever determined to make things right for Anna.

“Daniel—”

He spun around and his heart missed a beat when he saw Anna standing there. God, he’d never met anyone who exuded sweet and sexy at the same time the way she did. A surprised look came over her flushed face as expressive eyes perused the surroundings. She completely took his breath away. Even dressed in loose-fitting pants and running shoes, she had such an innocent sensuality about her. It got to him in ways he couldn’t even imagine.

He reached inside his van and flicked on the music from their teenage years. As he held his hand out to her, he felt a rush of love. “Can I have this dance?” he asked, as overwhelming emotions made him shaky. His entire body trembled.

Silence stretched for a long time, then she murmured absently, “My sweet-sixteen party.”

He stepped closer, craving the feel of her next to him. “The way it was meant to be.”

She gave a rough laugh and he felt a shift in her, a change. “What’s the point of this, Daniel?” she asked soberly. “You’ve already gotten into my pants.” There was a hardness in her tone he’d never heard her use before.

He stepped back. Stunned by her words. “I thought you understood—”

She tilted her head and her voice sounded tight. “What I understand is that I’m nothing but a conquest to you. I heard you and Justin earlier.”

His stomach knotted. “I’m so sorry. What did you hear?”

“I heard him asking you if you nailed me. Well you did, so congratulations.”

He let loose a frustrated growl. “That’s it. That’s all you heard?”

“That was enough.”

“If you’d have stuck around you’d have heard me defend you, and nail him.” He rubbed his sore knuckles. “Just like I did over a decade ago. But you didn’t stick around long enough to hear it then either.”

Anna’s eyes widened in utter surprise, and her lashes fluttered. “You punched Justin?”

He rocked awkwardly. “Juvenile, I know, but no one talks about you like that and gets away with it, Anna.”

She gave a confused shake of her head. “But I heard you laugh.”

He frowned. “Laugh? I hardly think I was laughing.”

“Well I heard you make some strange sound. It came from deep in your throat.”

“That wasn’t a laugh, Anna. That was me trying to keep my temper in check. Either that or I was going to toss Justin out the window.” As a soft tune crooned in the background, he stepped into her and brushed his fingers over her cheek. He stood over her for a long time, just holding her and letting her sort through the turn of events, and praying she believed him. Believed
in
him. As he watched her, he felt something inside her give, and when she softened in his arms, he let out a relieved breath.