The Things I Do for You (The Alexanders) (10 page)

Then she reached behind her and unhooked her bra.
Mercy.
Looking at her would never get old. She was beautifully built with small, perky breasts and dark, tight little nipples. With her long hair wild around her shoulders, she was a wet dream come to life.
 

“You are so beautiful. You stagger me.” He took one of her hands and pressed it between his legs. Even through the denim there was no doubt she could feel his arousal. She massaged him through the fabric and then helped him push his jeans and boxers down. Once he was naked, Raina took him between her hands, lust in her eyes as she caressed him. The tip of her tongue came out to wet her lips a second before she dipped her head.

“Oh my God,” he breathed. Her warm, wet mouth danced over his flesh, teasing him with quick little laps of her tongue. She giggled and moved away so she could pull her tiny panties off.

He tried to use the time to get his sanity back, but before he could even breathe, she straddled him again.
 

“You feel so good.” She skimmed her palms over the tips of her nipples. It excited Nick just to watch.
 

There was nothing in the world so arousing as a confident, sexually aggressive woman. Raina never played coy or pretended to be bashful. Their one night together was seared in Nick’s brain not just because of how electric their connection was, but because he couldn’t forget how erotic it was just to
watch
her. She was a living siren, an entrancing creature that was completely aware of her own sensual power.
 

Her hands stroked lower until she gripped him firmly, stood him straight up, and then sank down until he slid deep.
 

“Oh shit.” Nick couldn’t hold back as she rocked against him, taking him deeper and deeper each time. “Give me your hands,” he ordered. She grabbed his hands and used him as leverage to hold herself steady as she worked him.
 

He squeezed her hands, rewarded when she met his gaze. Her mouth fell open and she moaned as he rocked up under her, meeting her motions until they moved together in perfect rhythm. As overwhelming as the physical sensations were, he didn’t want to close his eyes. He didn’t want to miss the moment when she let go.
 

He wanted more than just to have her for a tumble. He wanted to possess her. He wanted everything she had to give.

It was a heady thing to realize that he already possessed her in the legal and moral sense.
 

She was his
wife
.

“Please, please…” Her soft chant faded into incoherent mumbling as he reached between their bodies and stroked her in time with his thrusts. She shuddered over him, her body clamping down on him like a tight wet fist.
 

“
Jesus
.
” He slowed down, determined to draw out her orgasm, but the tight contractions of her body were impossible to ignore. He felt the familiar burn of his own release. He didn’t want to go without her.
 

Nick realized she was trying to avoid looking him directly in the eye. He growled. His lovely wife was in for a wakeup call if she thought she could keep their lovemaking impersonal. She didn’t love him yet, but Nick refused to accept anything less than everything she had to give.
 

She didn’t have to love him, but she wouldn’t hide from him.

He let go of her hands and pulled her down so he could look in her eyes. She looked alarmed and tried to sit back up. “Nick. Wait—”

He held tight and anchored a hand in her hair. “I love you, Raina.”

Her eyes softened at his words and he could see the answering response in her eyes.
 

That broke him. His orgasm shattered him into a thousand pieces as he came harder than ever before, like he was filling her with the feelings he could no longer deny.
 

The knowledge that she could soon be pregnant with his child made his orgasm even stronger. He was giving her an essential piece of himself, and he realized he wanted a child just as much as she did. He was going to be there for her and show her day after day that she could trust him to keep his promises. Starting with the most important one he’d ever made.

To love her until the day he died.

THE SEXY SMILE on her husband’s face was Raina’s first clue that she’d grossly miscalculated.

His enormous erection was the second.

“You’re ready again? So soon?” Raina couldn’t keep the astonishment from her voice. She’d taken control before, determined to keep their lovemaking as sexual as possible. It was enjoyable for her to be on top and seemed less intimate somehow. Like she was just having a good time.

Especially since she’d immediately rolled off him and elevated her hips.
 

Nick stalked toward her, a confident smile on his face as he knelt next to her. “You didn’t honestly think that was it, did you?”
 

Raina just stared at him as he took the glass of water she held and placed it on the nightstand. Dating an older man had definitely lowered her expectations when it came to recovery time. Her eyes dipped lower and a deep throb of arousal gripped her core. Nick looked painfully erect, almost as if he hadn’t come just five minutes ago.
 

Clearly she was going to have to adjust her thinking about how to manage her new husband.

“See something you like, my love?”
 

She looked up to find Nick watching her from beneath lowered lashes, his eyes lingering on her mouth. How many nights had she dreamed a scenario just like this one? Nick, on his knees before her, kissing her, caressing her.
 

Telling her he loved her.
 

She flushed, the heat spreading from her cheeks down to her toes. It was bad enough to have these fantasies about him. It was unbearable for him to know about it. A man like Nick could have any woman he wanted and no doubt had plenty, probably more than one at a time.
 

But he didn’t marry any of them, did he?

“I probably shouldn’t move yet. I’m supposed to…” She motioned toward where her hips were elevated by a pillow. Nick’s eyes followed her hand. He looked back at her and winked.

“I like to be thorough in everything I do. So I’m not convinced once is enough.”

His lips rubbed hers once, then again, before she opened for him. His taste flooded her senses. He took her mouth slowly, savoring, drawing out the anticipation.

He moved the pillow gently until she was flat on her back. When she started to protest, he said, “Trust me, okay?”
 

She nodded, shakily. He got on the bed and turned her until she fit in the curve of his body, her back to his chest, her bottom snug against his hips. His hand trailed over her rib cage and came to stop over her heart. Her breasts tightened in anticipation.
 

He squeezed the stiff tip of one of her nipples between his fingers and the sensation shot straight to her core. It had been so long since she’d been touched. Her skin was aching for it, practically crying out for more. She turned her head slowly and their eyes met. He looked golden in the fading sunlight coming in through the window.

Part of her wanted to turn away. Being with him like this in the soft light of early evening seemed too intimate. They were here for one purpose and one purpose only. To make a baby.

Him touching her like this, gently worshipping her with his hands, was more than she could handle.
 

“Nick, make love to me,” she cried. Anything to stop the torturously slow motion of his hands over her skin.
 

“I am making love to you.” He lifted her leg and hooked her ankle gently over his calf. In this position she was completely still but her body was open to anything Nick wanted to do.

He held her anchored to his chest with his right arm, his fingers playing gently with the tips of her nipples. He thrust into her from behind, going all the way deep on the first stroke. The sudden shocking invasion sent her headfirst into another orgasm.
 

“Sweet,” he breathed in her ear. “Just the feel of you around me is so sweet.”
 

Raina shuddered in his arms as he held her closer, not allowing her to retreat at all from the shocking intimacy of being bared to him so openly.
 

She’d thought she knew what to expect. After all, she was hardly a virgin and it wasn’t like she hadn’t had sex with Nick before. But she hadn’t expected him to want to hold her. To caress her.
 

She hadn’t expected him to love her like this.
 

“I love the idea that I’m filling you up when I come. Just the thought that I’m coming inside you, giving you my child, makes me crazy.” Nick growled and held her tighter, pulling her leg up slightly so he could get in deeper.
 

“I love it, too.” She reached back and grabbed his ass, tugging him up higher, encouraging him to thrust deeper. “Give me everything, Nick.”

Her hands on him seemed to drive him wild because he took the lobe of her ear between his teeth and tugged.
 

“You already have it. You already have me.”

When he came he clutched her tighter to his chest. She could feel him swell inside her.
 

It was carnal; it was dirty and wet and messy. But it was also real. Raw and beautiful. Something that she’d never shared with anyone else and never would.
 

It was undeniably Nick.

*
 
*
 
*
 
*
 
*

RAINA WOKE IN a haze of confusion. She sat up and pushed her long hair out of her face. The bed she was in was covered in soft, white sheets and a downy comforter. The rest of the room was still swathed in darkness but she could see the glow of daylight around the edges of the curtains.

Then she remembered. Nick. Vegas.
Wedding.

“Nick,” she called out. There was no answer. She held still and listened. Maybe he’d left to get them something to eat. If so, he’d probably left her a note.

She pushed back the comforter and climbed out of the bed, taking a moment to run her fingers through her hair. Even though she straightened it regularly, its natural inclination was so wild that she usually woke up looking like she’d been attacked. After she was fairly certain she wouldn’t scare him with her appearance in case he was still there, she walked to the door of the hotel room and pulled it open.
 

The rest of the suite was bright. She walked out into the open living room. There was nothing next to the phone or on the minibar counter. Maybe he hadn’t left after all. He might have just left her alone in the bedroom so as not to disturb her sleep.

“Nick, are you here?”
 

She listened but it was completely quiet. The curtains had been opened, revealing a stunning view of the Strip. She walked over and looked out onto the jumble of people, buildings, and neon lights. It looked like how she felt.
 

Out of control.

“I can’t believe I got married.”

Her handbag sat next to the couch. She remembered dropping it near the door when they’d gotten in yesterday. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I was so busy ripping my husband’s clothes off that I forgot all about it.” Nick must have picked up her things and put them back inside.
 

The door slammed behind her and she turned to see Nick at the door.
 

“Good morning, my beautiful wife.”

Raina couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “Oh my God. You’re a morning person, aren’t you?”

He crossed the room to her and kissed her on the forehead. “This surprises you more than anything else I’ve done?”

Raina smirked. “Well, I already knew you were a freak in bed.”

“This is true.” He set his keycard, a tray of coffee, and several brochures on the coffee table.

“I picked up a few pamphlets about things to do while we’re in town. I figured we could check out a few clubs or maybe see a show.” He gestured to the brochures. “There’s some famous magician who does a show here, an erotic ballet that looks interesting and—”

“
The Phantom of the Opera
!” Raina exclaimed and snatched up one of the fliers.

“Yeah. That one’s at The Venetian hotel. It’s supposed to be pretty good but we don’t have to see any of these shows. I just picked up a stack of pamphlets downstairs from the concierge.”

Raina waved it back and forth. “I want to see this one!”

He laughed at her obvious delight. “Then I’ll set it up. We can have dinner there, too.”

Raina clapped, already imagining what the show would be like. She’d read Gaston Leroux’s novel many times and seen several film adaptations over the years, but never seen it performed live. “I can’t wait! It’s one of the most romantic stories ever.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “A creepy guy stalking you and then kidnapping you and holding you underground is romantic?”

She stuck out her tongue. “Didn’t you kidnap me? Besides, he’s not stalking her. He’s just consumed by his love for her. It’s very complex. And
very
erotic.”

“Oh, well. Maybe I need to give this show a chance after all.” Nick leered and made a grab for her. She shrieked and fell back on the couch, giggling.
 

“How do you feel?” Nick sat next to her and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Nick shrugged. He didn’t meet her eyes when he said, “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t hurt you. I thought you might be sore.”

Raina sat up straighter on the couch, suddenly aware that she’d instinctively leaned into him. God, this keeping her distance thing was no easy feat. Just that quickly, she’d forgotten their purpose. She wasn’t here to go to shows and gallivant around the Strip. They were supposed to be making a baby.