Unconditional Love (13 page)

I closed my eyes and tried like hell to keep the tears back, but I couldn’t believe how emotional that was for me and I wasn’t sure if Lark felt the same way. His admission that he would forever be mine was unexpected and caused me to fall in love with him even more.

In this moment I knew I had given my heart and soul to Lark Williams and that I would love him forever unconditionally.

I tried to calm down my breathing as I kept most of my body weight off of Azurdee. I was so caught up in the moment of us making love I said something I wasn’t sure I should have admitted and it was driving me insane wondering what was running through her head. Azurdee lay under me and moved her fingertips lightly up and down my back. She had started to say something and stopped, and I knew what it was going to be.

She was going to tell me she loved me.
Could I say it back to her? Did I love her?
I knew I cared about her so much that if I ever lost her I would be forever ruined. But did I love her? I’ve only ever loved one person and it brought nothing but heartache.

No. I needed to protect myself from that. Guarda mi corazón siempre.

I pulled away from her some and smiled. “I didn’t think anything could top our first time,
mi amor
, but I was wrong.”

She nodded her head and said, “It was beautiful.”

I pulled out of her and she jutted her lower lip out and pouted. I let out a chuckle and said, “Believe me, I’d love to be buried inside you all the time, but I’m starving. Let’s get dinner and then go out dancing.”

She looked like she was thinking about something and then she said, “Okay. But I need to shower and get ready.”

I winked at her and said, “I’ll shower with you and wait for you. Then we’ll head to my place and I’ll change.”

The blush that covered her cheeks caused my dick to jump. “Okay,” she whispered as I moved off her. She quickly got up and made her way through another door. I heard the shower turn on and I got up and walked into her master bathroom. It was a hell of a lot smaller than mine, but she had a huge jet tub. Her shower wasn’t small, but it wasn’t exactly big either. I pictured Azurdee in my shower and imagined how good it would be to fuck her in it.

I turned around and thought long and hard about what I was about to do. I walked up to the sink and splashed my face with cold water and ran my hands down my face.

I wanted this, so why was it such a fucking internal battle? I heard the shower door open and I quickly reached out for her and pulled her to me. She laughed and looked at me with that beautiful smile.

“Do you have to work at the coffee shop tomorrow?” I asked.

She began chewing on her lower lip and said, “No, I don’t have to be there.”

I leaned down and gently kissed her lips as I mustered up the courage and just went for it. “Pack a bag and stay with me tonight. We can spend the whole day together tomorrow.”

I searched her face to see her reaction. When I saw the corners of her mouth move up in a smile, I smiled back. “You want me to stay with you at your place?”

“Yes. Please.”

She nodded her head and said, “I’d love to do that.”

I pushed her back into the shower and picked her up and made love to her again with the hot water running down our bodies.

Those same feelings of love began bubbling back up, but I pushed them down as I whispered her name as I came. I needed to get a grip on these feelings and the sooner the better.

I reached across and grabbed Azurdee’s hand as we drove down Congress Avenue. It wasn’t lost on me how my stomach did a little stupid flip every time I touched her. I hadn’t done this, held a girl’s hand, since…Nikki.

I glanced over at her and she had a silly grin on her face.

“So which condos do you live in?” she asked as we crossed over the river. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I’d never brought a girl back to my place. Ever. One reason was I didn’t want them to see that I had money, and the other was I never had the desire to share my life with anyone.

“I live at the Austonian,” I said, waiting for her to make some sort of comment. Her head snapped around and she looked at me.

“Really? My parents almost bought a condo there, but ended up deciding not to when I bought my house in Wimberley.”

I pulled into the parking garage and put my truck in park. I glanced at Azurdee, who just seemed to be going with the flow. I closed my eyes and got out of the truck. As Azurdee came around the back of the truck, she let out a whistle.

“Oh wow. Whose pretty yellow Suzuki bike?” she said as she fanned herself like she was hot. I turned and looked down at my bike. I slowly looked back at her and watched her as she eyed the bike.

“You like motorcycles?” I asked.

She looked up at me and her face flushed. “Well, I’ve actually never ridden on one before, but they are sexier than hell.” She giggled and shrugged her shoulders. “At least I think they are.”

My dick jumped in my pants as I had an image of Azurdee on my bike. I glanced back at the bike and then laughed as I put my arm around her and pulled her closer to me.

She turned back and looked at the bike and then looked forward. “Do you know who owns it?”

I kept walking to the elevator as I asked, “Why? Do you want to go for a ride?”

“I don’t know. It seems like it would be fun.”

We walked up to the elevator and Janice was standing there.
Oh great.
I’d fucked her one time against her car in the garage and ever since then she had been looking for a repeat.

She looked Azurdee up and down and then looked at me and smiled. “Your sister, Lark?”

I laughed as the elevator doors opened. I held up my card and hit the button for the fifty-second floor. Janice hit her floor, twenty-four.

“Wow. You live on one of the top floors?” Azurdee asked, and then Janice made a funny sound. I looked at her and she bolted off the elevator at her floor.

“Jesus, this elevator moves so fast,” Azurdee said.

I let out a laugh and said, “Fastest ones in Texas.” I took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. The elevator opened and we stepped out into the small lobby area. I turned to the right and walked into the hallway and then made another right and walked us into the open kitchen and living room area. Azurdee let out a gasp and whispered, “Oh. My. God.”

She dropped my hand and walked right to the door that led to the balcony. I smiled as she said, “You can see the capitol.” That would be the one thing she would notice. “Oh my gosh, and the stadium.” She spun around and asked, “Can we go out there?”

“Sure we can.” I walked up and unlocked the door and stepped out onto the balcony. I had two chairs and a small café table out here where I would normally drink my morning coffee.

“Lark, the view is amazing.” I let out a chuckle and said, “Wait until you see the other views. My bedroom has the best view of all. It faces the south side.”

She smiled and there went that beautiful red moving across her face. “Want a tour?” I asked.

She nodded her head and I held out my hand. We walked back into the condo and I stopped and said, “I wanted an open floor plan for the kitchen, dining and living room so I dedicated the north end of the unit to that. Each side has a hallway running down it and you can cross over in two different locations. One is the elevator lobby and then another cross-through further down.”

She smiled and said, “Who decorated? It’s breathtaking.”

I smiled and said, “Me and my mother.”

She dropped my hand and walked up to my leather sofa. She ran her hand along the back of it as she looked out the windows. “It’s nothing but windows. The light in here is amazing.”

I walked up and took her hand and led her down the hallway. “Here is a bathroom.” I turned on the light and she let out a small sigh. “Lark, it’s breathtaking.”

I laughed and said, “It’s a bathroom.”

She shrugged and said, “It’s a beautiful bathroom.” We made our way to the next enclosed room. “The formal living room. I don’t think I’ve ever sat in here. My mother and father like this room and my dad spends a lot of his time in here.”

I watched her face as she looked around at everything. My whole condo was done in a mix of ranch style and contemporary.

“Let’s keep going,” I said as she followed me out of the formal living room and into a guest bedroom. “This is one of the two guest bedrooms. Each one has an en suite.” She nodded her head and took a look around the room.

“This room is very contemporary in style,” she said as she ran her hand along the silk bedcover. “It’s beautiful. Your mother has amazing taste.”

“Yeah, she does. This condo was like a blank canvas for her to try out different things.”

I started to make my way out as we moved onto the next room. “Here is the game room.” I let out a chuckle. “Where I spend a lot of my time when I have friends over.”

I watched as Azurdee first walked up to the window and whispered something again about the view. She turned and looked at the pool table and I couldn’t help but notice her glance back at me and then look away with a flushed look.
What was my girl thinking?
I wanted to know what dirty thoughts were running through her mind.

She walked up to the door that led to the guest room. “Does this go to the room next door?”

I nodded my head. “My father’s idea.”

She smiled and ran her fingers along the edge of the pool table. I knew exactly what I would be doing later on tonight with her when we got home.

As we walked out, I pointed across the corridor. “That is the other cut across that takes you to the west side of the condo. There is another guest room, and to the right a library and to the left my office.”

She nodded her head and looked to her left. I smiled and took her hand in mine. I opened the door to my bedroom and she sucked in a breath of air.

“Oh. My. God.” She walked in and spun around as she took everything in. She immediately walked up to the windows and looked out. “It’s breathtaking. The view is just amazing. Look at the river. You can see it for miles.” She spun around and her eyes landed on my king-size bed. When she put her finger in her mouth and gently bit down on it my pants grew a few sizes too small.

She slowly looked away and walked up to the door that led to the master bath. When she pushed the door open, she whispered something else I couldn’t hear. “The shower. Oh my gosh—the shower is in the middle of the room!”

I laughed and said, “Yes, it is. I had the shower put in the middle of the room with three glass walls. The floor and the back wall are all Italian marble.”

“Aren’t you afraid of people seeing you in here…naked?”

I turned around and hit a button and the shades slowly began to make their descent. “Each room has shades on all the windows, but I pretty much keep them open all the time. I like the light.”

She walked over to the sinks and turned around and smiled. “Your mother has beautiful taste. I think I love your bedroom and bathroom the best so far.”

I smiled and felt my heart drop slightly and I had to lean against the wall since my knees felt weak. “I designed my bedroom and bathroom myself.”

She snapped her head back and smiled slightly. “Oh,” was all she said as she made her way over to the bathtub. “I’ve never seen such a deep tub before. I bet it’s amazing to soak in.”

I walked up behind her and placed my hands on her hips as I brushed my lips against her neck. “I bet it would be even more amazing to fuck you in it.”

She quickly turned around as I pulled her body closer to mine. “Yes, please,” she whispered.

I leaned down and kissed her as she laced her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. I knew what she was wanting and I wanted it too.

I pulled away and said, “Azurdee, if I take you now, I’m going to want to take you in every single one of these rooms and we won’t ever be able to go out tonight.”

“I’m okay with that,” she said with a crooked smile that spread across her face. I laughed as I pulled her arms from around my neck and led her back to the master bedroom. I walked up to a door and led her into my office.

She walked in and looked around. She made her way over to the bookcase and began looking at all my pictures. Most were of my family and Marine Corps buddies. She picked up the one of Skip and me when we were in Hawaii.