Entangled Pt. 03

"They're just for me." The phone clicked again.

"You promise no one will ever see them?"

"I do, with all my heart."

She blinked hard as that soft declaration drifted to her in the dim light. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.

What would it be like to be somewhere else, somewhere public, in front of all their friends holding his hands, looking up into those fantastic gray eyes, and hear those words?

She looked down and bit her lip.

Do I want that? How can I want that? She peeked at his outline through lowered lashes. It's too soon to even think of that. He won't want that with you.

"Jess?" The phone stopped clicking. "Are you okay?"

She looked up with a little smile. "Of course." Her hands reached back to pop her bra open. She shimmied the straps down her arms, caught it, tossed it in his direction, then turned her back to him. The diamonds around her neck sparkled as she looked over her shoulder at him.

The phone clicked after a second. She arched her back in invitation. The phone continued to click as he moved closer. When he got within a few feet of her he turned and tossed it on the bed.

"Don't move." His voice caressed her ear. "I've pictured you like this since our first night together."

"Like one of your women in too much makeup and dripping in diamonds?" Her tone turned mocking as she leaned back into his chest.

His hands slid around her waist then higher to brush his thumbs along the tender undersides of her breasts. "As the sexy little nymph you are, outlined by the city lights." His lips brushed her neck. "You really have no idea how I see you."

"I'm not conceited enough to believe you," she whispered.

"Then I'll keep showing you until you do." His hand glided lower, slipped into the waistband of her panties, then eased them lower. Her hands pressed against the glass as the wall of his chest lifted from her back. His breath teased the lines of her back as he lowered himself to his knees behind her. His hands dragged her panties down then lifted one foot then the other to free her of the fabric prison. After he set her foot down and tossed the scrap of fabric behind him he remained kneeling. "Wider," he cajoled softly. She stepped her feet farther apart, expecting him to stand and shove himself into her awaiting heat. He didn't. Instead his hands cupped the globes of her ass, his lips brushed those curves gently, then he pulled her open. She moaned in anticipation. "All I could think of when I saw you come down the stairs was doing this." He licked the length of her slit gently. Her knees wobbled as his tongue slid between her delicate folds, seeking her little pearl, finding it quickly, and circling slowly.

"Oh god," she said with a husky moan.

He did it again and again, taking his time to tease her cream from her, then lapping at it while her legs shook from the overwhelming pleasure, and her breath was coming in little pants that couldn't provide enough oxygen for her to think straight.

A rough moan rattled her throat as his lips lifted away and slid up her back as he stood. She tilted her head back to offer her lips to him. He accepted her offer quickly, wrapping his arms around her, cupping her breasts with a tiny squeeze, as their tongues tangled together. His shaft found it's way between her legs to rub her sensitive slit. She pushed her hips back, seeking a deeper touch. He laughed low in his throat. "Do you know what it felt like to see all those men looking at you and know that you were coming home with me?" he asked softly as he lifted his head.

"The same way it felt knowing every woman in that ballroom wanted to be in my place." She pressed her ass against him. He growled as she reached behind him and squeezed his butt cheek. "No more teasing McAllister."

"I'm not teasing Schaffer." His hand slid down to her center and caught his shaft to press it between her lower lips. "I've been thinking about being inside you for hours." His hips shifted slightly, his length dragged across her slit, teasing her slowly.

She let him continue for a minute then eased herself forward then, when his shaft was out of the way, she turned to face him and grabbed his hips. He grinned as he stumbled backwards. She kept her eyes on his as she pushed him toward the bed. The back of his knees hit the mattress and he sat down with a chuckle. She swung a leg onto the bed to straddle his lap. Her hands found their way to his shoulders and pressed until his back was flat. She leaned over him kissing her way from his chest to his lips. "You can't do things like that to us mere mortals," she murmured. "And not expect to drive us mad." The quip forming in his mind dissipated as she reached between them and lined up his shaft. Instead of some clever rejoinder about being a god leaving his lips the only sound he could make was a deep groan as she worked him inside with little bounces that stopped when she had taken all of him. "You drive me crazy," she whispered in his ear then pressed her lips to his jaw.

His hands gripped her hips and he thrust upwards. "Good," he said with his movement. She laughed softly then moaned deeply as a slow rhythm began to overtake them. She pushed herself onto her hands to watch his face as their bodies rocked together. His eyes closed briefly as she bucked against his lap, pushing him deep. Her hands gripped the comforter for a second, then when his hands shifted their grip she lifted herself higher. He lifted his head to watch his shaft disappear into her silken depths. After a few minutes he looked up at her and almost lost control of himself. Her head had fallen back as her thighs moved her up and down on his length. Her little hands cupped her breasts, squeezing in time with his upward thrusts. He shifted his feet on the floor and drove his hips higher.

"Don't stop!" It came out as a sob. "Eric! Yes!" She arched into her peak as it swept over her with a leg shaking intensity. Her hips slowed to a stop as she pulsed around him. "Come with me," she said softly when she could catch her breath. She squeezed his shaft, mimicking the contractions she knew drove him crazy. He answered with a harder thrust, then another before stopping with a rough moan. She ground herself against him as he emptied himself into her.

They stayed that way for several minutes, both of them floating down from their pleasure. Jess slid her hands down to his and pressed them against her skin. Her gaze swept over him, drinking in the sexy sight before her. By the time her eyes reached his face all she could think was what it might be like to have that man love her. How amazing would it be to be the person he gave himself to. Her heart thumped hard. Unexpected tears clouded her eyes.

"Jess?" His hands pulled her forward against his chest. "Did I hurt you?" He smoothed her back with his palms. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

She lifted herself from his chest. "You didn't."

"Then why do you look like you're going to cry?"

"I was just overwhelmed—" She slammed her lips shut.

"By what?" She shook her head. "Come on, don't shut me out. If I did something wrong I want to know."

"You didn't do anything wrong," she whispered as she sat up and tried to slid off of him.

His hands on her hips held her in place. "Wait a second."

"Please." She tried again. "My shoes have been killing me for hours. I really want to take them off."

He let go and sat up as she rolled onto her butt and kicked her shoes off. "Why didn't you say something?"

She ducked her head. "You wanted me to keep them on."

"I wouldn't have asked if I'd known you were hurting." He stood and grabbed one of her feet. His fingers rolled the thigh high down and tossed it aside. He motioned for the other one, she lifted it for him, and he gave it the same treatment. "Please don't keep things from me."

"It was just a little pain to make you happy."

His hands were massaging her feet as she spoke. "What have I done to deserve you." His voice was barely audible.

"I've asked myself that same question everyday for the last seven weeks," she said with a smile.

She stayed there for a few minutes watching him work the aches out of her feet. She was fascinated by that big powerful man tenderly rubbing her sore feet. Completely naked and unashamed. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of. Her gaze ran over his body, admiring the strong lines of his legs, the ripples of his abs where her feet were resting as his hands moved up to her ankles. She sighed softly. The feeling she'd had earlier had vanished. Her heart had settled back into a steady calm beat and the tears had dried up.

"Better?"

She nodded. "Thank you." She tried to pull her feet down but he caught them and pressed a quick kiss to the inside of each ankle before releasing them. "I should go clean up."

He held out his hand to help her stand then pulled her into his arms. "Thank you for tonight."

"Those pictures better stay private," she said as she gave his butt a light swat.

He chuckled and gave her a squeeze. "They will." She eased herself from his arms to go to the en suite. He walked around the bed to retrieve his phone and set it on the night stand.

When Jess came out of the washroom she was holding the earrings and necklace. "Thank you for lending these to me," she said with a smile. "I left the box at Row and Ryan's."

Eric walked around the bed to take them from her and set them on the dresser. "I'm not taking them back."

"Why not?"

"I don't wear diamond necklaces," he said with a grin.

"I can't keep them." She shook her head slightly.

"They were a gift." He smiled as he turned to her. "And you can wear them again next year if you like."

Her mouth went dry. "Next year?" she croaked.

"It's a yearly thing but—" He took a step closer to her. "You could wear them to one of the other events in the mean time. There's always a couple of others I can't seem to get out of." She was backing away from him as he spoke. "Are you freaking out?" She shook her head again. "Yes you are." He moved to her as she reached the bed and sat down slowly.

"Do you think about these things?"

"The events? Not really. My assistant knows which invites to accept."

"I meant the other part." She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You mean a year from now." She nodded. "I'm not answering that until you calm down." She frowned. "I don't feel like running after you while I'm naked."

"That's not funny."

"Sorry." He squatted down and took her hands. "Yes, I think about things like that." Her breath caught. "If I swear I'm not picking out rings yet will you calm down?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Fine," she whispered the word.

He smiled. "You're making it really hard to believe you." His hands squeezed slightly. "Does it bother you that I think about being with you in a year?"

"It's only been a couple months."

He looked down at her hands, they were gripping his tightly. "Do you remember when I asked you to be a little crazy with me?" He smiled and looked into her eyes. "Can you keep being crazy? Just for a little while longer?"

"What happens then?"

"I'm hoping that you'll stop being afraid of me."

"It's not you that I'm afraid of." She sighed softly. "I keep telling myself that it's real but it just feels like I'm waiting to wake up from some dream."

"Because things like this don't happen to women like you?" He asked softly.

Her eyes closed. "They don't."

"Really? A beautiful woman never meets a man who wants to have her in his life?"

It was easy for her to feel ridiculous when he put it that way. "That happens every day. But this sure as hell doesn't."

"You're right." She looked down at his hands. "Men like me don't find women like you every day. You can't blame me for wanting to hold onto you." He stood and pulled her to her feet. "I can buy you pretty much anything you want, take you almost anywhere you want to go. But you can give me something worth more than all that." Her heart thumped against her ribs as she held her breath. "Honesty." Her breath escaped in a rush.

For a second she'd been sure he was about to say love. "You're being silly. There are other people in your life like that."

"None that I sleep with," he said with a chuckle. "You're different, you might as well accept that."

She smiled against his chest. "I always knew I was odd but it's not nice to point it out."

"Now who's being silly." He drew back to look at her smiling face. "Come to bed with me." He dropped a kiss on her forehead then let her go. She crawled under the covers while he turned back to the dresser, opened the top drawer, dumped the jewelry inside, and closed it firmly. He slid under the covers and smiled as Jess cuddled into his side with her head on his shoulder. "Will you still be here in the morning?" he asked softly as he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear.

She looked up at him. "Are you going to make french toast?"

"Yes, I will make you french toast." His shoulders shook slightly as he swallowed a laugh.

"Okay then, I'll stay." She wiggled herself up a little higher to kiss him softly then settled back into her spot and closed her eyes.

He watched her for a moment, one hand curled around her back, the other trailing down her arm where it rested on his chest.

Row was wrong. He wasn't falling. He had fallen.