Consume Me (A Burning Desire Novel) (23 page)

Landon Davis was a prodigy; he’d graduated
Yale and Cambridge in a record time. The hotel business came to him from Alec.
They invested their money and their knowledge.

According to Landon, Alec was a financial
genius; they’d started with the Victoria, and expanded from there. He said that
it was much smaller five years ago, they focused on the best services and made
a name for themselves, then bought the land behind it and offered the owners to
replace their shops inside the hotel and in other places.

He said that money wasn't going to replace
their love for their work and he knew it, but since some of the businesses
would fit into a hotel shop, it was a win-win for everyone. They acquired old
hotels, or bankrupted ones and rebuilt them with their staffs.

When the hotel businesses started
expanding and bringing big revenues; Alec focused on the international
acquisitions and Landon started the firm with Evelyn.

His last venture was in France, which was
the reason he was there when we’d met. I asked him about the political stuff,
he said that it started out of nowhere.

One time, his dad's friend came and asked
him for legal advice about his client. It was a scandal; about some cook county
prosecutor. He advised him, it worked, and he became some kind of a fixer. He
preferred democrats, since he was one, but he helped other parties from time to
time.

I was hanging on every word he said, his
life was so impressive, he was full of life and had acquired so much notability
and success.

He didn't want his father's business; he
wanted to leave it to Simon, who was actually aiming at it since he was a kid.
But his brother wasn't ready, and the pressure was too much for him, he started
dating lots of girls to get over Evelyn, then started drugs so he had to step
up until his brother could get back on his feet.

Simon was one year sober, and recognized
as one of the best CFOs in the country, and once he’ll feel his brother was
ready, he will give him his rightful title as the head of the company. I was
marveling at his devotion to his family.

I told him a bit about my family, which
was totally different from his of course.

I hadn't seen my brother Brandon for a
long time, I went to visit him in Michigan before my sabbatical.

He was a financial advisor at a bank,
happily married to the love of his life that he’d met in boarding school. I
told him about my nieces. I talked to them once a week on the phone or Skype.

It wasn’t easy, but we managed.

My mom favored the south of France to the
south beach for her retirement, so she visited for a month every two or so.

My real family was my friends. I told him
a bit about them and their career. Ryan's success as a fashion designer, and
how Jude became a money making model for some of the best fashion and fragrance
brands, and his new career as a pilot. A little about our history

"How did you keep your relationship
intact with Jenna after all those years?"

He’d asked me at one point.

I smiled tenderly. It was a recurring
question for both Jenna and me; people never understood how we kept such a
strong bond.

"I can understand how you would ask
that. Well, Jenna refused to come to New York, she was always sure that if she
did, she wouldn’t be able to leave, so she never did. We always met halfway
twice a year, we either spend springs and summers, or winters and summers
together. For four years we altered, sometimes we visit her family in San
Diego, or my mom in France, and we travel during summer. The rest of the year
includes unlimited international calling plans, endless Skype hours, and
texts."

"That's impressive; you must really
care for each other."

He sounded genuinely sincere; whereas most
people mocked our romanticism.

"She was the one friend I had in my
childhood, when my dad became an Ambassador in Lebanon, one day he was
surprised that one of his army brothers was assigned as the chef, and they
never parted ways again. They moved with us to several countries, as my dad
spent no more than two years in the same region. Her father stopped working for
embassies after my father's death and opened his own restaurant in San Diego.”

I’d explained.

“As for Jenna, she couldn't refuse the chance
of going to Sciences Po Paris, being the seventh top ranked school in the
world. She was approached by them, and then scored a freelance journalist gig,
before she was hired by a very successful newspaper. So we made it work,
knowing she'll attend Columbia for grad school. It’s always been her dream
school."

“What about you? Was Cornell your dream
school?”

He asked; genuinely curious.

“Actually, I wanted Brown. But New York
had my heart, and it still is one of the best schools in the world.”

I acknowledged.

“I wanted Brown for their sense of
engagement with the environment and other causes. I was approached by several
organisms with scholarships; when I’d spent a development internship in India
after high school.”

“India?”

He interrupted.

“Yes. I went with a student platform to
help with seropositive mothers and children.”

“That must’ve been an intense experience.”

He said his voice soft.

I nodded and smiled.

“This is coming from a guy who’s been
building schools in Haiti?”

“Anyway, I got into several schools, even
Brown. In the end, I chose New York for my life, my education, and Jude.”

We
hadn't felt the time passing, my fingers, and toes were wrinkled. We got out of
the bath and he carried me back to the bedroom. I flushed crimson gazing at the
proof of my lost virginity. He took off the sheets and replaced them while I
changed into one of his T-shirts. It smelled heavenly. He took the sheets and
put them in one of the drawers in his walk-in closet.

I turned and crawled into the bed, the clock
was closing on three. I wasn't that tired really, I was euphoric. It had been
the best night of my life, unforgettable.

If someone had ever told me that a man
would make me feel like Landon did, I would’ve laughed at him.

He made me happy, and safe.

He came behind me and pulled me against
his chest. He covered us with the softest material, and entwined our fingers
together. He placed his leg over mine and held it in place. It was another
claim.

We were spooning and I was marveling at
the feeling, soon I drifted off to sleep holding the events of that night
forever engraved in my memory.

*****

I woke up to the best sensation in the
world; it was still dark outside the window.  I squinted in a dazed state,
a velvety feeling stroking me between my thighs, going in slow circles. It felt
like a dream.

My eyes fell onto hooded ones fixated on
me.

I clasped the sheets, holding my breath at
the delectable feeling of his hot breath and slow motions. I arched my back
relishing the moment. I just died and woke up in heaven.

"Come for me Miss Dane.”

His whispered raspy voice was all I needed
to be tipped over the precipice.

My eyes
flickered open; sunlight coaxed me to full wakefulness. I stretched out and
looked around me. Beside me, a grinning sight of the most beautiful man propped
on his elbow.

He was a heart-stopping sight; his hair in
a devious mess, his cheeks a warm red under the light stubble. He looked so
young and playful; he beamed at me.

Oh I could definitely get used to such a
morning routine.

"Good morning Miss Dane."

Landon’s voice was intoxicating, his eyes
so intense. His sheepish grin lit up the darkest part inside me. I couldn't
fathom his mood.

He had just waked me up in the most
astounding way, yet his eyes were full of hunger and lust.

"Good morning to you too Mr.
Davis."

I stretched out again. I was loose limbed;
my bones felt like jelly, like I haven't worked out one day in my life; which
was ironic since I did so pretty much every day since I was sixteen.

"Did you sleep well?"

I asked.

"I most definitely did. Unfortunately
not as well as you did."

His eyes sparkled sinfully and I feigned
ignorance.

"Are you sore baby?"

I was sore all right; and it felt as
uncomfortable as it was amazing.

I nodded embarrassed.

"Good! That way, every time you move,
you'll be reminded of me; and who you belong to."

I blinked at his comment.

I didn't need a reminder of what we did,
and whom I belonged to.

“Too bad you can’t be sore, to remind who
you belong to, too.”

I said tartly.

“Trust me; I don’t need a reminder.”

“Oh really? Who do you belong to Mr.
Davis?”

I prompted sardonically.

He feigned searching for an answer and I
nudged him.

“Oh yes; per relationship agreement, rule number
one, I believe I belong to you Miss Dane.”

He announced smugly.

“Damn right.”

Landon grabbed me from my waistline, and
drew me to him.

“You’re very possessive Miss Dane.”

His sensual lips twitched.

“No, I’m only asserting the rules.”

I stated coolly.

“Is that so?”

I acquiesced.

“So without the rules, you won’t feel any
sense of propriety over me.”

I immediately shook my head no.

“We were born free Mr. Davis.”

His mouth set in a hard line.

“Why? Would you claim your ownership
without the rules?”

Landon abruptly pushed me to the bed and
straddled me, holding me under his weight.

“Oh Clea.”

He whispered pushing his erection against
me.

“But I’ve only established the rules in
order to claim you freely.”

I tentatively pushed against him; full of
wanton.

“So if we abolished the rules; would you
mind me dating other women?”

His gray gaze was scorching and demanding.

The question was a stab to my heart.

He rocked against me. We were both naked;
he could’ve taken me right then.

“Is that what you want?”

He insisted.

“Do you want me to take down the rules?”

I stopped breathing. I stared at him,
dumbfounded.

“Do you?”

My voice betrayed my annoyance, and the
thrust of jealousy.

“I’m asking the questions here Clea.”

His voice sounded angry and defying.

“Do you want me to fuck other women? Do
you want me to do to them what I did to you, what I’m about to do to you?”

Landon spoke slowly, his voice betrayed
something I couldn’t decipher; it felt like a silent beg.

“Answer me Clea.”

“Or do you want another man’s cock inside
you, another mouth pleasuring you. Is that what you want Miss Dane?”

His tone was insulting.

“Fuck you!”

I yelled at him, trying desperately to
shuffle out of his grip.

“Watch your mouth baby.”

He said with a smug grin.

“Answer me Miss Dane.”

“No.” I yelled again.

“I don’t want another man, or another cock
or anything.”

His lips hid his smile.

“What do you want then?”

You.

Landon urged me with a nudge to my waist
and I jumped up. He did it again, and again, trying to torture the answer out
of me. I was laughing loudly, shuffling endlessly.

“Answer me Clea.”

He spoke slowly, his tone amused.

“You, I want you.” I admitted, breathless.

“And why do you want me?”

He added.

“Because you’re mine.”

I answered promptly.

“Good answer.”

He stopped torturing me with tickles and
pushed his cock against me.

It was a whole other level of torment.

I shuffled, trying to meet him at my
entrance.

“Hungry little thing.”

He watched me, eyes probing, and intense.

I didn't worry about the soreness. I was
so ready for him. After all, I had to take my fill of him for the remainder of
the week.