Pleasure Bay (35 page)

“Silly sub, don’t you know how special this is?”

Entwining his fingers in the hair his eager fingers had loosened, he tugged gently, tilting her face up to his. As he brushed the tousled hair back from her face, he ordered softly, “Look at me.”

Her eyes opened and met his intense gaze.

Inhaling deeply, he murmured, “I have to say this before I lose all control and fuck you through this door. I know it was quick, but never have I experienced such a connection with a woman before. I want you, Sydney, as my woman, my lover, and my submissive. Please, say you want that too.”

“I want that too, sir, more than anything.”

“Then you’re mine, baby.”

She smiled beatifically as she nodded, her roiling emotions robbing her of speech.

“I love that smile, Sydney, but I need to hear the words.”

“I’m yours, Jaxon, willing and oh so eager.”

With a grunt of acknowledgement, he took her hard and fast as he had predicted. Sydney was more than ready and came after only a few thrusts, moaning as she flew apart.

Carrying her to the couch against the wall, he sat, embedded deep inside her. “Ride me, baby.”

She moved against him as he thrust up inside. Finding the tie to her wrap dress, he pulled it apart, baring her pretty, blue lace bra. He pulled down the cups until both breasts spilled over the lace and his mouth claimed a hard nipple.

Digging her hands into his hair, she writhed against him, rising and falling atop him, his hands on her ass helping her move faster. She felt another climax building.

“Jax, I’m going to come again.”

“I’m right with you, baby. Come with me now.”

She shuddered and bucked atop him as he thrust into her hard. Through sex-drugged eyes, she watched as he came, his head thrown back, his masculine beauty a sight to behold.

After a few minutes of recovery, his hand cupped her face as he looked into her eyes and grinned. “Dinner tonight at my apartment?”

Sydney blinked. “You cook?”

“Certainly. You don’t live to be thirty-four and single without learning a few survival skills in the kitchen. I’ll make my signature chicken parmesan.”

She sighed. “My fantasy man can cook.”

He laughed; the deep rolling sound so infectious that she grinned in return.

“I can’t believe I traveled 1500 miles to find you and you were right in the city all along.”

“And closer than you’d think. My apartment is two blocks up on 30
^th
.”

“No way… I’m in Queens. I couldn’t afford Manhattan.”

“You’re in luck then, baby, ‘cause not only can your fantasy man cook, but he’s also loaded.”

“Satisfaction guaranteed.”

“Uh, yeah,” he chuckled. “No pressure there, but I’ll man-up and do my damnedest to meet your expectations.”

She giggled. “I didn’t mean you, but Pleasure Bay.”

“Ah, ‘where all your fantasies come true’. Wait. Earlier you said that I made everything ‘near perfect’. What did I leave out?”

“A happily ever after, but you’ve taken care of that now, Jax. I didn’t believe it was possible.”

Cuddling her close, he kissed her lips, then buried his face in her hair and inhaled. “Baby, with Mariah Charmant sanctioning our match, was there ever any doubt?”

Chapter Twenty

As the lights of the island became visible in her window, Mariah’s anxiety increased. “How angry was he, Vance—really?”

“You have nothing to be afraid of with Dimitri, Riah. You know that.”

“I do know that, you’re right.” She looked at her friend, Dimitri’s best friend for over fifteen years. Vance had adopted Mariah long ago as a little sister, and although he often teased her mercilessly, he was always looking out for her. “I know it in my heart, it’s my head that I’m having trouble with.”

“D really loves you, honey.” He looked at her reflectively for a moment. “He’d kill me for saying this, but for once, I’m going to butt in. You know that Dimitri is experienced in the lifestyle.”

“Of course; that’s no secret.”

“Then you know he’s had many women and with his good looks—or so I’m told by the ladies—and with his wealth, he could have any one of them.”

“I know that too, Vance.” Even if it was in the past, the thought of Dimitri with other women made her heart hurt. She couldn’t help it. “What are you trying to tell me?”

“All that ended with you, Riah. The minute you set foot on his island, no other woman existed for him.”

Her brow creased as she pondered that. “You mean he hasn’t—”

“Nope.”

“But it’s been
two
years.”

“What does that tell you, honey?”

The pilot’s voice on the intercom alerting them of their imminent landing ended their conversation. The plane set down smoothly in the water and the next moment the attendant was opening the door. Vance stood, offering his hand in assistance.

She exited the plane and the warm tropical breeze that wrapped around her was a balm to her soul. She was home. Her hair blew across her face, and while she struggled to brush the flyaway strands aside, her eyes searched the dock. Fisting the mass in a ponytail behind her head, she looked up toward the mansion and saw him.

Dimitri, as always, made an imposing figure. Dressed in black, he stood motionless except for the wind that fluttered the dark waves of his hair. Her heart filled near to bursting as a cry of relief and happiness escaped. She took a few steps in his direction, stumbling in her haste.

Vance caught her at the same time Dimitri moved, descending the steps at a rapid clip. Once righted, she stood on one foot and pulled off her shoe. She tossed it aside, vaguely registering a splash as it landed in the water. She didn’t care. Hopping on her bare foot, she pulled off her other shoe. The hem of her gauzy sundress bunched in her hands, she broke into a run meeting him as he cleared the last step. Sobbing, Mariah launched herself into his arms, burying her face in his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist.

Without a word, he turned and climbed the steps, one arm at her waist the other securely supporting her backside. At the top, he paused and lowered her to her feet. His fingers speared into the hair at her nape and he pulled her face up to his. The kiss that followed was mind-blowing and left her breathless. When he finally pulled his mouth away, her heart overflowed with love for him as she stared up into his gorgeous face.

“Dimitri, I’m—”

“Save it.”

“But I was a fool for thinking I could live my life without you. I want to try—”

“Sweet, sweet words, baby. But right now, I don’t want to talk. Instead, I’m taking you to my bed where I am going to hold you tight. I’ll be able to see you, hear you breathe, and feel your body warm and soft against me. I’ll be able to touch you when I want and convince myself that you are home.” Bending, he pressed his face into her hair as he inhaled. “And, I’ll be able to bask in the aroma of cookies.”

“Shalimar… and I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”

He kissed her hard and then with an arm around her waist, guided her toward the main house.

Her foot meeting the concrete walkway had her turning back to the plane. She saw Vance staring up at her with a broad grin. He held something in his raised hand. Recognizing it, she groaned aloud.

“What is it?” Dimitri also turned to look. “Did you forget something?”

“No, but I think I made a big mistake.”

“In coming back?” he growled. “Fuck that!”

Surprised by his language, she couldn’t help stare, but only briefly as she saw his angry face. Her hand on his cheek, she reassured, “No, Dimitri, never that, but those were five hundred dollar Manolo Blahniks.”

Apparently having heard every word as it carried down to him in the night air, Vance dangled the one remaining pink stiletto from his fingertip, laughing loudly the whole while.

“Like I said baby, fuck that. I’ll buy you a boatload of diamond studded shoes, just as long as I have you to go in them.”

How had she ever thought she could leave this man? Standing on tiptoe, she burrowed her face beneath his chin. Dimitri bent and caught her behind her knees as he lifted her in his strong arms. Sighing, she clung to him, her arms twined around his neck.

“I love you, Dimitri.”

“I love you too,
piccola mia
.”

* * *

Mariah’s soft curves molded against him and her warm breath brushing his neck filled him with a sense of ease, the first in days, as he carried her up the walkway toward the mansion. Taking the stairs effortlessly, her body weight negligible, they arrived at the second floor in moments and entered the east wing, which housed his private suite. Lengthening his stride, he quickly arrived at the door and swept inside. Kicking the door shut with his heel, he traversed the large living room and passed through the short hall before arriving at his master suite. Setting her down beside the bed, he stepped to the French doors and threw them open, allowing the warm salt-air and moonlight to fill the room.

Taking a deep breath to calm his raging libido, he urged himself to calm
. Go slowly,
he warned. This first night with her was too important to them both to rush. Counting to ten, he inhaled deeply one last time, then turned and froze. There before him stood Mariah, her pale hair and fair skin glowing luminous in a beam of shimmering moonlight. “
Belissima
,” he whispered as he approached.

His hands rose to cup her beautiful face as he angled it up for his kiss. Striving for patience, his good intentions and self-control went out the window as soon as their lips met. One hand tested the silken texture of her hair as his fingers laced into the soft waves at her nape. The other swept down her back, his arm coiling around her waist, drawing her against him. His tongue plunged deep, tasting her sweetness, and he reveled in her sexy, soft whimpers as she responded eagerly, matching his passion.

He savored the feel of her body against him, the press of her full breasts against his chest, her soft belly cradling the ache of his erection.
Damn. What happened to going slow?
Lifting his head, he looked down into her gorgeous face, the becoming flush across her cheeks and the plump pinkness of her lips, swollen from his kisses. He dropped his forehead to hers and groaned in frustration.

“We need to talk first,
piccola
, and tonight I want to hold you.”

“No talking, more kisses,” she urged, searching and finding his lips.

“Mariah,” he groaned, his lips brushing hers as he spoke, “we don’t need to rush.”

Her hands slid from his shoulders to his collar and began pulling open his shirt, a button pinged across the floor in her haste. “It’s been two years, Dimitri. We passed rushing twenty-three months ago.”

Gripping her searching hands, he stilled them against his chest. “
Cara
, you restrained me to a bed and ran from me not even a week ago. I think slow and deliberate is the way to go here.”

“You’re still angry,” she uttered quietly, her lips turned down in a pretty pout, the trembling of the bottom curve telling him her disappointment was all too real. With another woman he would have suspected dissembling, but not with Mariah.

“I’m not angry. That ended the minute Vance uncuffed me and told me you were gone. What followed was fear that you were alone and unprotected, dread that we wouldn’t find you, and five interminable days and sleepless nights.”

The glimmering blue of her eyes turned to liquid pools of sadness as a tear escaped, tracking down her cheek, followed by another, and another. “I’m so sorry, Dimitri. I never meant to worry you or cause such a fuss.”

“What did you expect, Mariah? Everyone here cares for you deeply, particularly me. Why did you run?”

“I was afraid.”

“Afraid of me?”

“No… I mean, yes.” She looked away, shaking her head as if confused. After a moment she met his eyes again. “I was afraid of how you made me feel. I thought I had that all bottled up until Friday when you kissed me, and then at the cabana.”

“I scared you.”

“No, you spanked me and… I liked it. You kissed and touched me, and I loved it. You made me feel again, D, after being numb for so long.” Her hand rose to his face, and she stroked her fingers along his jaw. “I had five sleepless nights, too. That was plenty of time to think about what you said on the stairs that night, and what you have been telling me for the past two years. You were right. I haven’t been living my life; I’ve been stuck, watching from the sidelines. I don’t want that anymore. I want to live and love again… with you, Dimitri.”

“And?”

“What?”

“There’s something else,
cara
. Something crucial that was missing and brought you here specifically.”

She dropped her eyes. He didn’t let up, however, as he guided her in the right direction; it was up to her to follow his lead, which was something they both wanted, and needed.

“Trust me, Mariah. Coming back to me was a start. Take the next step.”

Nodding, she licked her dry lips, her pink tongue slipping out to wet the full bottom curve before capturing it nervously between her teeth. Mesmerized, he watched, waiting with the utmost patience.

“At first, I was hiding… from my past, and myself. I found a home here, with you. I also missed… I knew I shouldn’t… not after… what he did. But here in this fantasy world you created, I felt safe. I could watch and be a small part of it—living vicariously through others—as you said. But that’s not enough anymore, not since you breathed life into me again.”

She paused, her eyes lifting and blazing into his with determination and raw emotion. “I don’t want that bastard to win anymore, D. Even though he’s dead, he’s still controlling me with fear. It’s enough. More than anything I want to move forward and have a future, and I want that future to be with you. You are such a wonderful man, full of love and laughter, so giving of yourself, of your strength and protection. You make me feel safe and cherished. I trust you, so much that I’m willing to give of myself again, freely.”