Fire & Desire (Hero Series) (12 page)

Trevor took his time looking around the room. He had been there
many times since college, and it was still the same. Oriental décor, which
suited his aunt perfectly. Everything in it was compliments of an Air Force
colonel who used to be stationed at the Pentagon. His aunt’s one and only love.
When the military relocated the colonel to Japan, he had proposed to his aunt, but
she’d said no, not wanting her life and chosen career to affect his advancement
in the military. Six months after he had left, the furniture had arrived with a
letter from his lawyer.

Enclosed with it an obituary notice, a letter from the colonel and
a ring—which his aunt had always worn since then.

At the moment, Trevor could see the emotional parallel between
Tiffany and his aunt.

Tiffany loved her father and was willing to sacrifice her own
career and dreams to protect him.

Trevor couldn’t let that happen. He loved her and part of that
love was seeing her happy.

Watching her at the Breast Cancer banquet managing and controlling
her environment, he knew that put the sparkle of life in her eyes—not standing
proud and silent by her father before a camera.

“Whatever is going on with you must be really big…” Leslie
commented, watching him as he gazed around the room.

Trevor looked at his aunt. “Do you have any regrets?”

She didn’t bat an eyelash, nor did she question what he was
talking about before she began, “Yes. However, it doesn’t do me any good to
dwell on what might’ve been. None of us are born with the power to change the
past.”

Trevor pondered what his aunt had said. She didn’t know how close
her comments were to the emotions moving through him.

“So who is she?” his aunt asked.

He gave her a half smile. “I can’t tell you that because I’m not
in a position right now to say.”

“Hmm, a little intrigue.” Leslie smiled, wiggling her eyebrows at
him.

He laughed. His aunt could always find a way to lighten his mood.

After his laughter subsided, he said, “I’ll tell you, I never
anticipated my feelings becoming engaged the way they have.”

“Which I can assume is causing you some problems.”

“In a big way.” He lifted his head and stared blankly at the
ceiling.

“What are you afraid of?”

He refocused on his aunt. “Losing her in the end.”

“Well, they say that it is better to have loved and lost, than not
to have loved at all.”

Trevor made a grumbling sound in his throat.

The same pain he had seen back when she told of her lost love
returned to his aunt’s eyes and weighted down her voice. “But having been in
that position before, I would say…do whatever you can
not
to lose
it
at
all.”

“What makes you think I’m in love with her?” Trevor questioned.

His aunt’s soft laughter fluttered through the air, easing the
heavy atmosphere. “
Pahleeese
, sweetie…only a smitten man sits with his
youthful
aunt and contemplates life decisions.”

“Maybe,” Trevor smiled and rose to his feet. “Well,
Leslie
,
I need to get going.”

His aunt got to her feet, linked her arm through his and escorted
him back toward the front of her condo.

Once at the door, Trevor turned to his aunt. “Thanks for
listening.” Leaning in, he kissed her cheek.

“You’re welcome, even though you didn’t say much.” Leslie reached
up and touched the side of his face, her gaze full of compassion and
understanding.

“I will in due time.” Trevor opened the door.

“Trevor, you have to be the gentlest man I know,” she said,
stopping him, “with the softest heart you attempt to hide from the world. Watch
out you don’t get hurt in the end.”

Trevor looked back at her, paused and left without commenting.

~ML~

Tiffany stood next to the table in the conference room with the
Children’s Christmas Gala project spread over the top. A large diagram of the
Four Seasons’ Garden Terrace Lounge covered almost half the table. The paper
replica was speckled with mini tables, chairs and trees with little color
squares underneath. It always helped Tiffany to set up the event, so she could visualize
how she wanted things situated. She leaned over the table, her hand busy
arranging the pieces, organizing the room in correspondence to her notes.

“Now, that’s a position every man wants to see his wife in. Spine
dipped low, hips arched high and thighs parted.”

The tingling sensation sliding up her spine was the telltale sign
of who it was that spoke behind her. It reminded her of how she felt listening
to her favorite jazz artist. Her eyes slid shut and all of her senses became
focused on Trevor.

“I’m surprised my secretary didn’t notify me I had a visitor.”
Tiffany didn’t turn or rectify her position, even though she’d ceased what she
was doing.

Heat caressed her back as his masculine presence moved up behind
her, but not touching.

“If she’s a college age platinum blond with a small natural, I
caught a glimpse of her before she exited through the fire escape.”

She inhaled the rich smell that was only Trevor. No cologne, he
always held a clean, robust male scent. “Jaunice likes to take the stairs. It’s
all about fitness she says.”

“Where’s your partner?” he asked huskily.

Tiffany could almost hear the room crackle with sexual tension.
“She took a contract over to a client, which just leaves the two of us.” Body
straightened, she attempted to turn around and face him.

Firm hands touched her waist, halting her movement. Intense
seduction pulsed throughout the room as he said, “Don’t move.”

“What are you up to?” She couldn’t stop the butterflies of
excitement from moving with zeal in the lower part of her stomach.

“Lasciviousness,” he rumbled deep, as his hands made their way
around the front of her shirt and began unfastening her buttons.

Tiffany’s breasts felt full and heavy, and her nipples tightened
in expectation of his touch.

She couldn’t stop the giggle of anticipation. “Oh really, I do
believe I was taught against such acts in my Sunday school class.”

“Well, in mine, I was told the marriage bed is undefiled.”

One hand slid inside her open blouse. Her skin tingled from the
warm contact as her heart picked up its tempo and her breathing became
strenuous. “Trevor, my darling, if you will notice there isn’t a bed around.”

“We’re married, honey, which means wherever we lay, or stand, is
our bed.”

Tiffany glanced over her shoulder. “Glad to know I won’t need to
repent tomorrow.”

He leaned forward and kissed her soundly on the mouth. “If you
knew what I had in mind, you wouldn’t be so quick to say that.”

All thoughts of conversation left her mind. Trevor began to run
his hands up her torso, under her bra and cupped her breasts. “It never ceases
to amaze me when I feel your heartbeat against my fingertips…” Emotions
hindered his speech. One hand began to massage her breasts, as the other moved
away to unbind her hair from its clip. “I feel like an addict when I’m away from
you. I can’t get you out of my system, and I can’t stay away.” He kissed her on
the back of her neck.

Oh, my. He’s as entangled in this as I am.
Her pulse quickened from
his words and the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp and her breasts.
Flustered, Tiffany didn’t know whether she wanted to lean back into one hand or
forward to the other. She solved her internal struggle by arching her back,
allowing her to meet both needs and more. Her hips brushed his groin, making the
level of his desire very evident.

Trevor squeezed and lightly tugged on her protruding nipples
through their thin covering.

“Ohh, Trevor. I know. I feel like I’m turning inside out.”
Tiffany’s hips began to undulate against his groin, attempting to prolong and
enhance every sensation.
I’m definitely an addict.

The intimate masseuse technique halted and Trevor groaned. “Baby,
are you trying to drive me mad?” He gripped her hips and fused them against
his.

Tiffany’s senses were alive. She trembled inside. She could feel
the forceful breath he exhaled across the side of her neck, the occasional
flexing of his fingers on her hips and the distinct imprint of his groin against
her buttocks. The desire to have him buried deep overwhelmed her.

Memories of their previous night were vivid in her mind, and she
knew she played with fire as she boldly asked, “If I’m trying to drive you mad,
what do I get as my reward?”

As if all the restraints he held on himself snapped, Trevor became
the audacious lover in response. He reached up without instructions or pausing
to release the front clasp of her bra, baring her breasts to his seeking hand.
Simultaneously, he hauled her skirt up around her waist.

A month ago, Tiffany would have been shocked with the thought of a
man displaying such sexual aggression. For her first time, she was glad he had
been sensitive, gentle, tender and caring, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted
him to lose control. She wanted him to desire her beyond thought or reason…she
wanted to feel his unbridled passion.

~ML~

Trevor had no problem fulfilling her verbal taunts and unspoken
requests. The desire to be inside of her was so strong, he felt
animalistic—like a beast whose mate was in heat.

He smelled her arousal. Her scent was thick and heady, sweet and
musky at the same time. The aroma of her essence enveloped him while beckoning
him closer. He answered the call, sliding his hand inside her underwear to
discover the lips of her sex swollen, in full bloom and saturated with her
wetness. His questing hand met with the same fate. She was more than ready. She
was his for the taking.

Trevor wasted no time shoving her underwear down so she could step
out of them, and then leaned her forward. “Brace yourself.” He masterfully
clutched her hips and thrust home.

He heard her gasp a quick breath, felt the tightness of her core
adjust to his quick invasion and sheath him in wet acceptance. It was pure
heaven in its most erotic form.
The connection between a husband and his
wife
, the thought raced through his mind.

She was his, his alone, his woman, and he wanted to brand her so
there would be no doubt in the coming weeks
.

Pumping into her, his thrusts were deep and sure. He ran one hand
up her back and around her side until he reached her full, silky smooth breast.
He smiled at the feel of her erect nipples.

He rotated his hips and moved his other hand to the seat of her
desire. As he began to play her body in the sensuous dance, she trembled, and
he knew she was close to the edge.

“Please, Trevor…” Tiffany moaned as she tilted her head back,
allowing breathy sounds of rapture past her lips.

Trevor, on the edge himself, knew what Tiffany was asking for.
“Your wish is my command, honey.”

He relinquished the hold he had on his passion and drove into her
until she shattered with a scream. The walls of her center clenched him
repeatedly as he buried himself to the hilt against her womb. His own release
came out as a growl between his clenched teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and
threw his head back.

~ML~

The afterglow of their passion permeated the atmosphere in the
room.

Long moments passed before either spoke.

Respecting the silence in the room, Tiffany began softly by
saying, “We need to talk, Trevor.”

“I know. There are a lot of things that I wish to say to you, but
I can’t right now, Tiffany.” Trevor responded in the same tone as he ran his
hands gingerly along her spine.

Tiffany’s curiosity was piqued as she turned her head to look at
him. “Things like what?”

Trevor withdrew from her and cool air greeted her in his place.
The sounds of him fastening his clothes echoed in the room. Seconds went by,
before she felt his hands readjusting her skirt. Then she turned her body into
the envelope of his arms.

She wasn’t sure if he was going to answer her as his eyes ran
slowly over her face.

He reached up and smoothed the wrinkle in her brow with his thumb.
“Just trust me.”

“My heart really wants to trust you, Trevor, but my mind is
screaming out that I don’t know you.”

“You know me, Tiffany. Trust in what your heart is saying.” He ran
his finger down the cooling flesh of her arm.

His eyes held an intense look in them she could not grasp, as if
he were trying to
lure
her to trust him.

“Is there something I should know?”

“Of course there is, but my darling, now is not the time.” He
kissed her softly on the lips, ending the conversation, and then disentangled
himself from her.

“When will that be?” She closed the front of her blouse over her
bare chest as she watched him walk backward toward the door.