"Okay," I murmured softly, cupping his cheeks.
That one word had his lips sealing over mine again.
Damien hoisted me up into his arms. I locked my ankles around his waist as he began to move toward the house. All the while, he continued to devour me. His tongue pushed past the barrier of my lips and into my mouth, claiming me for his taking. I raked my hands through his hair where I pulled his mouth harder to mine, as if he weren"t close enough. I was a riot of red-hot flaming need.
We barely made it through the front door before Damien had me braced against the nearest wall. His kisses were becoming more urgent. He used his thighs to balance me as his hands yanked at my tank top and black bikini top. He tossed them aside before cupping my b.r.e.a.s.t.s with his large hands. I arched into him, desperate for his touch.
"I was gentle with you last time, Raelyn." His palms firmly squeezed and kneaded my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "I don"t think I have it in me to restrain myself this time," he confessed on a growl. Dragging his lips down my neck, he lavished me with his tongue, licking and nipping at my flesh. "I want you here, against the wall, hard and fast, and I can"t guarantee that I"ll be a gentleman about it. I want you too badly."
I was instantly filled with a desperate ache of antic.i.p.ation. I didn"t need a proper gentleman, so I deliberately rocked my hips into his groin, finding him rock solid. "I like it rough," I told him.
A deep rumble tore from the back of his throat, and he sealed his lips over mine, feverishly kissing me.
When we finally broke apart, gasping for air, he lowered me to my feet to remove my shorts and bikini bottom. He produced a condom from his shorts before dropping them and his boxers to the floor.
Damien came forward and possessively gripped my hips to push me against the wall, crowding me. He tugged at his shirt to move it away, revealing his rock-hard erection, while using his spare hand to pa.s.s me the condom. His eyes darkened, looking ravenous with heat, as he ordered, "Open it."
I s.n.a.t.c.hed it from his hand to remove the wrapper. I reached forward with both of my hands to sheathe him, but I was promptly distracted by the way the firmness of his c.o.c.k contrasted with his velvety smooth skin. It jutted forward at me, and I itched to take him in my hand, so I did. Tentatively, I gripped him at the base and gently squeezed before stroking him from root to tip.
"f.u.c.k." Damien"s upper body swayed forward on a satisfied groan.
He pressed his nose into my neck, and I felt his labored breaths against my skin.
I gently pumped him in my hand a few more times before I used the pad of my thumb to swirl around and around on the tip of his head, spreading the bead of c.u.m. My actions sent my own body wanton with need as heat pooled at the center of my thighs.
He maneuvered one hand between us and slid it down my abdomen to cup my s.e.x. When he began to tease my c.l.i.t, I bit back a whimper and responded by gently compressing my grip on him and pumping him with firmer strokes.
Damien rotated his face to mine until we were intimately cheek-to-cheek. The only noise in the room was both of us breathing deeply. He pushed his finger into me and applied pressure on my front wall. My body sagged against him as my insides ignited, forcing Damien to steady me.
"Raelyn," he rasped, "hurry up."
I didn"t have a voice to respond because my body was set to detonate at any moment, so I pinched the tip of the condom and rolled it down his length.
He withdrew his finger from my pa.s.sage, leaving me an empty pile of pent-up need, as his broad hands spanned either side of my a.s.s to lift me once again. Before I could protest at the loss, the broad head of his arousal met my entrance, and he wasted no time in filling me with one deliriously slow thrust as my torso was reacquainted with the wall behind me. My arms banded around his shoulders to hang on as every single cell in my body electrified, sparking to life. It was rejuvenating.
"Oh G.o.d," I moaned, throwing my head back at the fullness.
His mouth absorbed my cries, and then he broke our kiss. "Again?" he asked. His strangled tone was low and husky.
It sent a shiver racing down my spine before ricocheting back up to settle low in my belly.
"Yes."
The friction of his retreat made me inhale a sharp breath. When he slammed back in, the air left my lungs on a rush. He repeated his movements, each one getting harder and deeper, yet I knew he was holding back.
I wanted more. I wanted all of him.
I fisted my hands in his hair and pulled his mouth to mine, breathing along his lips. "More," I rasped. "I want more."
Pulling out nearly all the way, he impaled me more forcefully and then angled his hips to drive himself deeper. It sent an intense tingling sensation to ripple through my muscles, and my walls constricted around him.
He briefly tugged my lower lip into his mouth. "More?"
"G.o.d, yes." I rapidly nodded my head up and down, noting we were both breaking out into a light sweat.
"I want something, too."
He delivered another firm thrust, and I felt my impending o.r.g.a.s.m looming in the background.
"And you"ll give it to me."
I didn"t like the sound of his overbearing tone, not one bit. But I was too overpowered by the way his body made mine feel, so I gave him an inquisitive glare. "What?"
"Tomorrow morning"-he gave me another grind of his hips, slower this time-"you"ll stay with me"-he hit me with another delicate thrust, and I gasped as I squeezed around him-"so I can wake up with you in my arms."
That was never going to happen. Waking up in someone"s arms was intimate. I"d already made the mistake once. I didn"t want to do it again.
"No," I stated resolutely.
Those powerful gray eyes narrowed with unmistakable determination. He drove forward and thrust into me impossibly deep. "Yes," he demanded.
I whimpered with pleasure, but my answer remained the same. "No."
He ceased all movements, causing me to shoot daggers at him.
"I need you to move," I said.
"Say you"ll stay." He ground his hips and swiveled deep, trying to f.u.c.k me into submission. "And I"ll give you what you want." He withdrew to the crown of his head, leaving a trail of scorching heat.
I cried out as my inner muscles went taut around him, attempting to pull him back in for my impending release. "Fine," I hissed. "I"ll stay."
"Thank you, gorgeous girl." He kissed the tip of my nose and plunged deep.
And so, he set a pace, pounding in and out of me, f.u.c.king me, marking me, and I couldn"t help but feel like he was making me his as our sweaty bodies collided with one another.
Pure desire hummed from all directions inside me, sending waves of pleasure to my center. The wild thump of my heart sounded in my ears.
I"d never felt this way before-except with him. It was as though he"d been given the power to make me feel, to awaken my empty soul and bring light to it.
Before I knew it, my s.e.x bore down on him, causing him to groan.
"Christ, Raelyn." He increased his thrusts as my body climbed its peak. "You"re gripping me so tight. I can feel you"re about to come."
"Yes." I held my breath as stars danced in my line of vision. I couldn"t hold on much longer.
Damien pumped himself in and out of me twice more, and I felt him thickening within me.
"Now, Raelyn." His voice was edged with that domineering s.e.xy tone as his eyes landed on me. "Come with me."
And I did. A flood of bright light exploded behind my eyes when my body shuddered and convulsed with ecstasy, milking him with my release. Damien sealed his lips over mine as he let go.
It wasn"t until later that night when I was in his bed tucked into his arms with our hearts beating against one another, almost as one, that I began to worry.
Somehow, I was starting to feel like Damien Heathman was piercing my shield. It was as though he was slowly hacking away at the steel I"d so carefully built around my heart.
I needed to be careful. Otherwise, I"d give another man the chance to hurt me. And no matter my feelings for Damien thus far, I couldn"t allow that to happen.
Deep down, I knew that Damien didn"t just have the power to hurt me. He could destroy me, and my fragile heart wouldn"t survive him.
An antagonizing sharp pain shooting through my stomach woke me in the middle of the night. I sat up in bed and swayed to the right as my vision blurred. I stifled a sob as another powerful pain stabbed at either side of my temples, making me instantly break out in a cold sweat. My eyes watered, and I blinked the moisture away.
I forced myself to take deep breaths, and then I whipped the covers off my body, feeling as though I were boiling to the brim. Recalling I was in Damien"s bed, I quietly rose from the mattress. There was a full moon tonight, so it gave me just enough light to make my way to the bathroom.
Once inside, I shut and locked the door behind me before turning on the light. A second cruel ache sliced through my skull. It was so powerful that I wasn"t able to support myself. My knees crumbled, and I fell to the ground. I grabbed either side of my temples as my stomach churned from the intense throbbing. I was going to be sick.
"Ah," I whispered in complete agony, buckling over at the waist.
Tears poured down my cheeks and fell to the tiled floor in front of my face. I bit back more sobs, trying to keep my voice but a whisper.
My stomach clenched tightly and then flipped over again. I threw my hand over my mouth, gagging uncontrollably, as I scrambled to the toilet. I lifted the lid as my internal reflex kicked into gear, and I vomited into the white porcelain. Violent tremors racked through me, and the toilet seat clattered in my death grip.
A knock sounded at the door, followed by Damien"s voice. "Raelyn, are you okay?"
"K-kay," was all I could murmur before my stomach continued to empty itself. It just kept coming and coming. My naked body was drenched with sweat.
I just wanted to go home, but I wasn"t fit to drive. I couldn"t even muster up enough strength to jump when the sound of the door snapping from its hinges reverberated throughout the room.
"Jesus." Damien"s footsteps sounded like he was running. "Raelyn, what"s wrong?" He sat directly behind me and pulled my hair out of the way. "Are you okay?" His voice was panicky.
The muscles in my neck gave out. My head fell to my forearms that were crisscrossed over the toilet as another wave of nausea ripped through me. Normally, I would have wanted to die of embarra.s.sment at someone walking in on me puking, but I didn"t have the strength to feel any emotions at the present moment. I was in my own private h.e.l.l, wishing it would swallow me whole and take the pain away.
Once nothing else came up, I began to dry-heave and gasp for air. I shut my eyes and pursed my lips to draw air in and out of my lungs, hoping to calm myself.
"f.u.c.k, Raelyn. Your whole body is shaking." He scooted closer and tightened his hold on me. "Please, please tell me what I can do to help."
"J-just hold me," I cried softly.
Keeping my world black with closed eyelids, I tuned out my aching body and focused on the feel of Damien surrounding me, hoping to find my piece of serenity. His chest rose and fell beneath his shirt, perceivably more rapidly than mine. With his arms twined around me, his callous hands stroked either side of my thighs.
I hadn"t the slightest clue of how long we sat together on the tiled floor, and I didn"t care. The coldness of it felt heavenly against my bare flesh.
Damien leaned his face toward me while shifting one hand to softly caress the length of my spine. "Are you ready for me to carry you back to bed?"
Now that my stomach was settled, I could smell the awful scent of my own vomit. "No, I need a shower," I said weakly, attempting to pull out of his hold. My body was drained.
"Raelyn, you need your rest. You can shower in the morning," he said with finality. Standing up behind me, he crouched down on his haunches where he snuck his arms beneath me to lift me and cradle me toward his chest.
"No," I stated through my exhaustion. "I need a shower." I would not budge on this. I smelled horrendous to my own nose, and I wouldn"t get an ounce of sleep with vomit in my hair.
"All right," he sighed. "A shower, it is."
Damien carried me toward the large gla.s.s shower stall. He slightly maneuvered me to open the door, and then he stepped into the large s.p.a.ce. Angling me out of the way, he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature.
I gently pressed at his sternum as a signal to put me down while trying to wiggle my legs free. He rotated his head to peer down at me. Hesitation was clear in his features before he finally gave in and loosened his hold.
When my feet pressed against the tiles, my strength failed to support my weight, and I placed my hand on his chest to grasp his shirt for stability.
Within a nanosecond, I was back in his arms. This time, we were face-to-face with my legs wrapped feebly around his waist and my arms draped lifelessly around his shoulders.
I felt angry, but at whom or what, I was unsure.
"I got it," I protested, choking back a sob. "I just needed a second to get my balance." I wanted to take care of myself, not feel as though I were an invalid...again. I was supposed to be stronger now.
He narrowed his eyes at me, a clear sign not to argue with him. "You"ll let me hold you and wash you without complaint, Raelyn." He stepped into the water with me, still wearing his shirt. The water cascaded from the back of his head and over his exposed neck before soaking the front of him.
"Are you ready?" he asked, tilting his head at the showerhead.
"Yes." I nodded.
He slightly spun me and slowly let the water trickle down my side before rotating me in a full circle where I finished with my back. It took all my strength to tip my head back in an effort to saturate my hair. The water temperature was perfect-not too hot, not too cold.
Damien retrieved a bottle of shampoo and guided us over to the opposite end of the stall where he sat down. He opened the bottle to pour some in his hand.
"I can do it," I said, feeling awkward by this small intimacy.
My statement earned me a glare. "You"ll let me take care of you."
His relentless stubbornness was a force of nature that needed to be reckoned with.
"Fine, you can wash the puke out of my hair." I sighed and pressed my forehead against his shoulder in defeat.
"Why, thank you." Damien chuckled quietly as he began to lather me down with shampoo.
Even through my dire fatigue, his laughter made me smile against his skin. It was so rare to hear-with the exception of yesterday when I"d heard it so much while out on the ocean.
He effortlessly rose to his feet with me still wrapped around him and guided me back under the showerhead to rinse out the shampoo.
"Tip your head back," he ordered lightly.
I closed my eyes and did as he"d said. I let out a long sigh at the feel of his hands running through the strands of my hair.
"Do you know what made you so ill?"
Since I didn"t eat Mexican food often, I was going to hold it fully responsible for my stomach attack. "I"m guessing it was from dinner."
He extended his arm, s.n.a.t.c.hed a bar of soap from the metal shower rack to my right, and began to rub me down with it while appearing thoughtful. "You think it was food poisoning?"
"Yes, I believe so." It made sense. I had all the symptoms-well, minus the diarrhea part, but I was going to consider myself lucky that I"d missed out on that one.