Eternally Yours (9 page)

“I’m here, baby. The only place I’m going is inside of you.”

His words made her sizzle. She reached up and pulled his head down to her, capturing his mouth with hers. She conveyed to him in her kiss just how much she wanted him.

Clayton’s breath grew ragged. He felt possessive, protective and vulnerable. Those feelings were strange to him, but for some reason, quickly acceptable. With their mouths still joined, he somehow managed to unbutton his shirt. However, he had to break their kiss to completely remove it.

“Clayton, please,” Syneda pleaded. She wanted him. She wanted his hands on her, she wanted his kisses.

“Just a second, sweetheart,” he breathed against her neck as he tugged on the belt to his pants with shaking hands. He removed the foil packet from his pocket. He intended to take every precaution to keep her safe.

Moments later Syneda gazed at the magnificent nude male body before her. “You’re beautiful, Clayton.”

He grinned broadly, rejoining her in bed. “Thank you. You’re beautiful, too.”

Syneda smiled. She felt neither shy nor ashamed with Clayton, just a sense of wanting and readiness. What she was about to share with him somehow felt right. It felt like this was how it was supposed to be.

She caught her breath when she felt his lips open against her skin as he placed kisses over her body.

“Sweet. You taste very sweet,” he whispered. His hand began moving slowly up her hips, tenderly stroking her bare skin. She thought she would go up in flames when his hands moved upward, his touch lingering just below her breasts.

Syneda arched her back, welcoming the feel of his hands on her, feeling her body’s response to him. She searched for words to describe how she felt but couldn’t come up with any. Nothing had ever felt like this before. When he began stroking her breasts, a moan of pleasure escaped her followed by the words, “I want you, Clayton.”

Her words inflamed him. Instinctively he ground his hips against her, feeling himself grow harder, heavier, less in control. He willed himself to hang on. He wanted their first time together to be special.

Desire, deeper than he’d ever known before tore through him. He couldn’t last much longer. He lowered his head and let his lips take hers with an all-consuming hunger. Her taste filled him completely. He wanted this woman and it wasn’t just due to a physical need. He felt an even stronger need, one he had never felt before in his life. It was the need a man had to bind a woman to him forever.

He raised his head slightly and looked deeply into her eyes, wondering why he felt this way, and why with this woman. Some emotion he had never felt before coursed through his entire body. Shivers passed through him when he leaned down and kissed her again. It was a surprisingly gentle kiss as his lips brushed lightly over hers. Then he lifted his head and their eyes met once more.

“Syneda, are you sure?”

Syneda looked up at him in a passion-filled state. She heard his words. His voice was a mere whisper but his features were as serious as the question he was asking her again.

“Are you sure about this, Syneda?”

She met his gaze, fully understanding what he was asking her. If she had any apprehensions about what they were about to do, he was giving her the opportunity to stop things from going any further. For them to go beyond the bounds of friends to become lovers would be a mutual decision.

She had no apprehensions. Maybe it was because of the tenderness she saw in the dark brown eyes looking down at her, or the feel of the light strokes his fingers were tracing from her throat to her breast, and the feel of the heat of him pressed against her. And when she felt his hand dip low to touch her stomach, she thought her breathing had stopped.

She was lost.

A part of her, a part she had never shared with any man was taking over. It was that part she seldom allowed to surface. It was a part of her that up until now, had kept her from losing all concept of reason and logic. But now she felt vulnerable to the man who held her in his arms. She was steadily losing control of her senses and was rapidly spiraling beyond what she had the ability to contain.

She couldn’t stop herself from cupping his face in her hands and saying. “I’m sure, Clayton. Very sure.”

As if he’d been waiting to hear her say those words, Clayton crushed her to him in a torrid kiss at the same time he joined their bodies as one, making Syneda totally aware of the heat of him deep within her. He stopped moving, giving her body time to adjust to his.

Moments later, Clayton moved again and Syneda gave a sharp intake of breath. She reveled in the fullness of him inside her, filling an emptiness she’d just discovered existed. She couldn’t help giving herself up to the enthralling sensuality flowing between them.

The ultimate pleasure of their lovemaking exploded, wrapping them in a delicious convulsion of ecstasy. The long, shattering release carried them to the heights of sensual splendor where they were somehow united in body, soul and spirit.

It was a long time before either of them could move. They lay together completely depleted of strength.

“Clayton,” Syneda whispered drowsily. Her body was totally satiated. She wanted to do nothing but sleep. However, it appeared Clayton had other ideas. She felt his strong hands pull her closer to him. She felt his fingers as they began to trace lightly over her body. She felt the hardness of him pressing against her.

He was ready again.

She wondered how on earth such a degree of sensuality and passion could exist between two people. He had already taken her to the peak of sexual pleasure. Surely, something that strong, potent and powerful could not be repeated. At least not this soon.

Syneda tuned out her thoughts when she felt his hand touch her intimately. She automatically began responding, giving herself up to the luscious waves of pleasure rippling through her all over again.

Clayton only paused briefly in his ministrations to protect her again before sheathing himself deep inside her.

Syneda sighed heavily as her body matched the primitive sensual rhythm of his. Soon after, once again, they flowed together in a sensual haze of passioned fulfillment.

Hours later Syneda’s last thought before sleep overtook her was that it could be repeated. Several times.

Clayton’s chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. Never before had he experienced anything liked he’d done tonight with Syneda. He tilted his head back to watch her sleep. Her hair fell like a silky curtain on either side of her face, and she wore such a peaceful and serene look.

He gathered her closer to him. From the time he had begun high school, women had always been readily available to him. And like most men, he appreciated them, desired them and enjoyed them. But never until tonight had he actually loved one.

Oh, God, he loved her!

That sudden realization settled on him with the weight of a ton of bricks, and it scared the hell out of him. He probably would have bolted out of bed right then and there if Syneda had not been sound asleep in his arms. Instead he looked down at Syneda, really looked at her before pressing his head back against the pillow and closing his eyes.
What in the world had he gotten himself into?

Clayton released a deep sigh as he held Syneda even closer, lightly caressing her back and shoulders. He suddenly understood as he had never understood before. There could be no other explanation for what he had been feeling since he had seen her that morning walking on the beach, and the jealousy, possessiveness, wanting and need he’d been experiencing ever since. And it had nothing to do with lust. He’d been there, he’d done that. What he was feeling now was totally different. What he felt for Syneda went a lot deeper than just the physical relationship they had just shared. He loved her. There could be no other explanation for what he was feeling at this very minute. He slowly opened his eyes.

A part of him still wanted to run for cover and deny the strong emotions he felt. That was the part of him that had been a bachelor all of his life and had been quite proud of that status. But another part of him, the part that had recently had him subconsciously longing for something more, acknowledged the fact that for the first time in his life he had actually made love with a woman. There was an astounding difference in having sex with a woman and making love to one.

Tonight he had made love to Syneda. Every movement of his body, every touch he had bestowed upon her, and every kiss he had given her had conveyed the words his lips had not spoken. There was no way he could deny that he loved her.

He didn’t fully understand how it had happened and why it had happened. All he knew was that it had happened. Somehow, once they had gotten to Florida, he had begun to stop thinking of her as just a good friend and an antagonist. He’d begun regarding her as a very desirable woman. He had appreciated her fun-loving nature, her intelligence and sensitivity.

He shook his head and grinned ruefully, wondering how on earth he would survive a relationship with Syneda. She was definitely a handful. She could be outright stubborn at times, temperamental and too outspoken. He would even conclude that she was somewhat of a female chauvinist. But one thing was for certain, a life with her would never, ever be boring.

A smile touched Clayton’s lips at the thought that Syneda was now his. He knew he would have to give her plenty of time to adjust to the notion that she belonged to anyone but herself. But he was willing to give her all the time she needed, because he had no intention of ever letting her go.

A
slow, lazy smile spread across Syneda’s face when she felt the warmth of Clayton’s lips near her ear. “It’s morning,” he whispered.

She opened one eye and peered up at him. He was standing next to the bed leaning over her. And from the casual way he was dressed, she could only assume he’d been up for some time. “I hate morning people, Clayton. Don’t you believe in sleeping late?”

“I’m usually up before the crack of dawn every day, including Saturdays,” he said, sitting on the bed beside her. “But I would not have had any problem staying in bed late this morning,” he added, his meaning clear. “None whatsoever.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Are you ready to get up now?”

Syneda closed her eyes and snuggled deeper under the covers. “No! And I forgot to mention rule number three.”

“Which is?”

“Don’t ever wake me up on Saturdays before nine o’clock.”

“It’s nine-fifteen.”

“Then don’t ever wake me on Saturdays before ten.”

Clayton laughed. “I admire a woman who’s flexible only when it suits her.”

Syneda began to turn away from him but Clayton touched his lips to her shoulder. “I’m serving breakfast at ten.”

She opened her eyes. A frown lowered her dark eyebrows. “Breakfast? There’s nothing here to eat for breakfast.”

Clayton stood. “So I noticed. I walked down to that deli on the corner and grabbed us something. See you at ten.” He turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Clayton had no trouble finding his way around Syneda’s kitchen. There wasn’t much to it; at least in the way of supplies. It was one his father would refer to as an unstocked kitchen. During his search, he’d been unable to find any dishes, glasses or silverware. He wondered if that meant she dined out every day.

“What are you looking for?”

Clayton looked up. Syneda was leaning against the door frame wearing nothing but his dress shirt. The shirt hit her midthigh and she looked very sexy in it.

They stared at each other for a long, silent moment, and he knew her thoughts were probably similar to his. He couldn’t help but remember them together, wrapped in each other’s arms last night.

“You’re late. It’s almost ten-thirty,” Clayton finally said, breaking the silence. Didn’t she know what seeing her dressed in his shirt was doing to him? The only reason he had gotten up and left her alone in bed was to give her and her body a break. They had made love through most of the night. The more he was around her, the more he wanted her. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her.

Syneda laughed softly. “Better late than never. Now what were you looking for?”

“Place settings.”

“Oh. Everything’s in the dishwasher.”

Clayton moved to the dishwasher and opened it. He then turned and raised a brow at her. “Saving space?”

“What do you mean?” Syneda came into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Clayton couldn’t help noticing how the shirt had ridden higher when she’d sat down, exposing one luscious-looking bare thigh. He tore his gaze away from her thigh and back up to her face. “A month’s supply of place settings are in your dishwasher.”

Syneda shrugged. “They’re clean, aren’t they?”

Clayton nodded. “Yes, they’re clean. But don’t you put your dishes away in the cabinets after they’re washed?”

“No. But I suppose you do.”

“Yes.”

Syneda’s lips tightened and she glared at him. “Well, I don’t. I see no sense in going to all that trouble when I’ll be using them again. So don’t start in on me, Madaris.”

Clayton grinned. “Are we about to get into an argument?”

“If you start it, I’ll sure enough finish it for you,” she said, giving him a look that said she meant business.

“Does that go for anything else I start?” he asked in a challenging voice, walking toward her.

Syneda stood and met his gaze. “Just try me.”

Clayton looked at her, his dark eyes thoughtful. He had one hell of a woman on his hands. She was full of fire, and he was determined to make sure her fire burned just for him. He swept her into his arms. “You’re on.”

She glowered up at him. “You have a one-track mind, Madaris. I wasn’t talking about this and you know it. And what about breakfast?”

He smiled down at her. “We’ll have it in bed.”

So much for wanting to do the right thing and leave her alone for a while, Clayton thought, snuggling closer to the woman in his arms. He and Syneda were two strong, stubborn, argumentative people who were accustomed to having their own way. It seemed it was only while in the throes of heated passion they were totally and completely of one accord.

He gathered her closer to him. Even while she slept, his hands continued to caress her. He would never get tired of touching her.

He glanced at the clock. It was past noon. They hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, but during the past couple of hours neither of them had cared. They’d been too busy satisfying another type of hunger.

He frowned. Syneda was turning into a sort of a mystery. She was definitely full of surprises. There were some things about her that he didn’t understand; things that didn’t make sense. Like the spiel she’d given him about why she’d remained a virgin. Had she been talking for Syneda or was she the spokesperson for someone else? Had some man once fed her or someone she’d cared for a line they had believed? And then there was the question that he had pondered since their trip to Florida. Who was the man responsible for her never wanting to love again?

He wrapped his arms around Syneda. She belonged to him now. She was his. And he would always see to her happiness.

His thoughts quieted and, like the woman he held in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.

Syneda’s eyes slowly opened and they flickered over the sleeping man holding her in his arms. He was as solid as a rock. His muscular thighs were entwined with hers in an unnervingly sexual way, almost holding her to him in bondage. If she’d wanted to get out of bed, she’d have to wake him to do so.

She snuggled closer to him, satisfied for the moment to remain just where she was as memories washed over her. Last night when he had stood before her completely undressed, she couldn’t help appreciating his powerful masculine frame. No wonder women were drawn to him. His physique absolutely radiated virility. She shivered when she remembered the sheer male size of him and the arousing effect seeing him had had on her. At first she had felt wary wondering how on earth she would handle it all.

A satisfying smile touched her lips. Somehow she
had
handled all of him, and had enjoyed every tantalizing moment doing so. He had entered her easily, filling her with all his masculine power and strength. She had felt very little pain.

“I hope that smile is for me.”

Clayton’s words startled her. She thought he was still asleep.

“No, sorry. It’s for someone else.” She could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he didn’t believe her.

“Then maybe I better try this all over again,” he said, leaning over her on one elbow.

“If we try this anymore today, I won’t be able to walk for a week.”

“Did the bath help any?”

Syneda noticed the concern in his voice. Last night after they’d made love a number of times, he had gotten up and gone into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she had heard the sound of running water. He’d come back and gathered her up in his arms. Carrying her into the bathroom, he had eased her body into the warm sudsy water. Dropping to his knees beside the tub, he had taken her bath sponge and gently lathered the soreness from her aching muscles. It had felt heavenly.

She gazed up into his eyes. “Yes, the bath last night helped tremendously. Thanks for taking such good care of me. But then, somehow I knew that you would. Under that rough and tough exterior is a very caring man. You’re a gentleman in every sense of the word.”

“A gentleman?” At her nod, he shrugged. “I don’t know about that. A part of me feels a real gentleman would have walked out the door last night and left you alone after discovering you were a virgin.”

“But I wanted you as much as you wanted me. It was just that simple.”

“There’s nothing simple about being the first with a woman, Syneda. Some men may take it lightly. I don’t.”

Their gazes held and Syneda felt the seriousness in his words.

“No, you wouldn’t. Even with your womanizing ways, I knew deep down that you wouldn’t. And that was one of the reasons for my decision to let it be you, Clayton.”

“And the other reason?”

When moments passed and she said nothing, Clayton reached out and caressed her cheek with his finger. “Talk to me, Syneda. We’re friends, remember. And after last night, I’d say we’re very close friends.” A smile touched his lips. “As close as any two friends could possibly be.”

Syneda nodded. “The other reason is because you play by the rules.”

“A man playing by the rules is very important to you, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why are you so against falling in love?”

She frowned. “I’ve told you all this before, when we were in Florida. You and I are a lot alike. Love isn’t for everybody. Take you for instance—”

“We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you. You never told me what happened to make you so against falling in love.”

Syneda quickly turned away from him. “I’m hungry. I think I’ll go find something to eat,” she said, attempting to get up from the bed and clearly sidestepping his question. But Clayton’s huge muscular thigh across hers wouldn’t budge.

She turned back to him. “Clayton,” she said warningly. “Kindly move your leg off me.”

“Not until you answer my question. Who was he, Syneda? Who was the man that hurt you so?”

She held her head down for a moment and when she lifted it again, Clayton couldn’t help noticing the tears misting her eyes. “Please don’t ask me about him, Clayton,” she said softly.

“Syneda.” He gathered her close in his arms. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her cry. In the two and a half years that he had known her, he had never seen her cry, except for the tears she’d shed at Justin and Lorren’s rushed wedding. But those had been tears of joy. What he saw in her eyes now were clearly tears of pain. His entire body shook. He was used to seeing fire and anger in her eyes, not hurt and pain.

“Talk to me baby. Please talk to me. Who was he?”

Twisting agony in her midsection made Syneda not want to talk about it. But another part of her, the part Clayton could so effortlessly bring out, wanted to share that period of her life with him.

“My father.”

“Your father?” He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Syneda drew a shuddering breath. The subject of the man who had fathered her was one she didn’t like to discuss with anyone. But for some reason, she wanted to talk about it with Clayton.

“I never knew my father. From the information I was able to gather while growing up, my mother got pregnant while attending college. It must have been in her senior year because she did manage to graduate with a degree in nursing. She was an only child, and she, too, had been born out of wedlock.”

Syneda’s expression saddened. “There were two generations of Walters women who allowed men to feed them lines. I was determined not to follow in their footsteps and become a third.”

She took a deep breath before continuing. “When I was ten, my mother caught a rare form of pneumonia and had to be hospitalized.”

“Did you stay with your grandmother while your mother was in the hospital?” Clayton asked, pulling her closer into his arms.

“No, by that time, my grandmother had died. There was a lady my mother knew, another nurse name Clara Boyd who kept me. They weren’t exactly close friends but she was a coworker who agreed to take me in while my mom got better. The only thing was my mom never got better. She died in the hospital.”

A tender, pained smile came into Syneda’s features. “The really sad thing is that she died still very much in love with my father. And for some reason, she died believing that he still loved her, too, and that he was deserving of both her love and trust. I don’t understand how and why she could believe such a thing because he never came to see us.”

Syneda quivered slightly. “For as long as I live, I’ll never forget the day Clara took me to see Mom in the hospital. She had lost a lot of weight and I kept thinking how different she looked. She could barely talk but I remember her telling me that my father would be coming for me. She said Clara had already called him and he had agreed to come for me. She said he would love me and take good care of me.”

Clayton stroked her shoulder gently. “What happened?”

Syneda lifted her head slightly to look at Clayton. The hurt, pain and tears in her eyes made his insides ache. “He never came. After my mom’s funeral, I waited and waited but he never came. Even after the authorities turned me over to Mama Nora because I didn’t have any other family, and Clara didn’t want the responsibility of taking care of me, I still believed he would come. I believed it because my mom believed. She died believing it, so I figured she couldn’t be wrong. I remember waking up each day at Mama Nora’s thinking that this would be the day. Sometimes for hours, I would stand by my bedroom window watching and waiting. But he never came.”