Chapter 10
The elevator doors thumped closed, removing Dina from sight.
Cole rested against the wall and crossed his ankles. Emotions from the past and present wrapped around him and, like a vise grip, squeezed, leaving behind an unbelievable heaviness in his chest.
He dug into his pocket for the small bag of peanuts Teile bought as a thank you gift after he paid for breakfast, an outing she insisted upon. He popped a few into his mouth and hoped the monotonous sound and act of crunching the hard food would deter the turmoil in his overloaded brain.
Not everyone was as underhanded as his deceased wife. Dina, a woman with honest eyes and a compassionate smile, showed him more gratitude and kindness in a short period of time than Shelly ever had.
She never possessed a genuine heart, not like Dina. His downfall was to think Shelly’s insensitive ways stemmed from her childhood and not the fact she hadn’t loved him.
Truth be told, he wasn’t much in love with Shelly, either. He thought a lot of her, but he hadn’t fallen head first for her in the way the sensation slams against your ribcage and steals your heart. The way he felt for Dina.
Too young, too zealous to pay attention to what his and Shelly’s hearts really wanted, they made a mess of their lives. He scoffed. Not her heart. She knew what she was doing. It was his heart that had settled for someone it didn’t want.
“Ah, Dina,” he sighed, the weariness in it didn’t escape his notice. When he came to her he was a goner. He wanted to curl up with her and lose himself today and every day in her arms.
The elevator dinged and the doors parted.
Champagne hair filled his vision. A sultry smile stretched across Dina’s face.
She came back. The implications of what her actions meant expanded his heart and had him wanting to dance a jig. He lifted off the wall. “Di…” Unexpectedly, his throat clogged with emotion. He cleared it and tried again. “Dina.”
Smoldering violet eyes seized his gaze while her tongue moistened her lips, the act drawing him, torturing him. “Follow me.” Her sultry voice ran over him like a warm tropical night as she headed toward her apartment at the end of the hall.
Heat coiled in his abdomen. “You can lead me into the darkest of alleys, and I’d follow.”
“Good to know,” she said, glancing over her shoulder as she removed her jacket.
He shoved the peanuts in his pocket and followed the goddess of his dreams into her sanctuary, closed and locked the door, and turned toward her ready to show her with his mouth what he wanted to do with his body.
A bare back flashed in front of him a second before he glimpsed the side of her naked breast as she disappeared into another room. His shaft went from hardening to rock solid.
He walked past her discarded rain boots and worked on unfastening his shirt while willing the passion thundering through his veins not to take control and end their first experience together too fast. His fingers behaved like thumbs and his impatience got the best of him. He yanked the fabric apart. Buttons pinged against the wall and furniture.
The cool air hitting his naked torso did nothing to squelch the heat roiling through his body. He tossed his shirt next to her bra and eagerly turned the corner to the bedroom, unbuttoning his pants.
A vision of beauty, sporting a thong and nothing else, stood beside the bed, leaving him in a state of awe and stilling his fingers on the zipper of his pants.
She held his gaze and slid the thin strap over her hips. The material dropped around her feet and she stepped out of them, kicking them aside and inviting him to explore her most precious gift.
Rosy nipples, creamy skin, and a small patch of curlies…his mouth went acid dry. “Next time, I want to do the unveiling,” he said, his breathing heavy, his erection even heavier than moments before. He pulled down the zipper and shoved his pants and briefs to the floor.
“Deal.” Her eyes locked onto his erection and he thought he’d release from her perusal. He hadn’t been with a woman for some time, but this incredible hold she had over him was nothing like he’d ever experienced.
In two long strides, he hauled her into his arms and reveled in her soft skin caressing his, his nerve endings screaming with pleasure.
Gulping in a breath, he sucked and nipped his way down the curve of her neck to her breasts, tantalizing and tormenting her nipples to the point he felt a glorious pain low in his belly.
Dina squirmed under his ministrations, her hands plowed through his hair and slid over his skin, frantically touching every inch of him.
She wrapped her fingers around his throbbing erection, and the room blurred in a white haze of ecstasy. He pressed his forehead against hers, sucked in a lungful of air, digging deep not to explode. “You’re making my legs weak,” he said on a long, drawn out breath.
“In that case…” A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes, and she gripped his waist, rotating and guiding their bodies until the back of his calves hit the mattress. She gave his chest a gentle shove.
He flopped backwards onto the bed, his knees bent over the edge of the mattress and his erection at her full disposal.
Standing, she leaned over him, covering his hardened erection with her stomach, her core. He sucked in another fortified breath and swallowed the temptation to throw her onto the bed and thrust into her.
She lowered, braced her hands on either side of his body, her breasts brushing his chest, and pressed a seductive kiss to his jaw.
Geez, she felt good. She stirred up a desperation he’d never experienced. The taste of her, the feel of her, was beyond words.
His goddess slid down his body, her breasts and the soft tendrils of her hair tormented and teased each and every nerve ending he possessed. He was on fire.
Her breasts slid over his hardened erection.
Afraid if he touched her, his excitement would guide the next move, he fisted the sheet.
Her hair teased his inner thighs, and she fisted him a moment before she took him into her sweet mouth.
White-hot heat reached down his throat and settled in his balls. “Aw, babe,” he whispered on a groan. She needed to stop before it was too late. For their first time, he wanted inside her delicious body.
Dina had other ideas. She swirled and flicked her tongue until his breaths came out in heavy pants. Then she drew more of him into her mouth.
The force of his orgasm slammed through his body. “Dina,” he gritted out as his eyes rolled back in his head. She stayed with him, riding out the pleasure she so willingly gave him before stretching out and curling her body against his.
“Wow,” was all he could say and he tucked her closer. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t—”
“I don’t believe I gave you a choice.” She rested her chin atop of her hand and captured his gaze.
He waggled his eyebrows, enjoying the effects of what they experienced reflected on her face and body in patches of pink. “No, you didn’t.” Never had he had such a strong mind-blowing release. Inside her…he let out a long breath…the image and anticipation of an even more powerful release left him dizzy and breathless. The thought lengthened his soft erection. First, she was due her own private treat. “My turn.”
A purr vibrated against his chest.
The urgency for a connection with her remained, but the desperation had subsided. He could take his time spoiling her. He chuckled and rolled her over onto her back, his shaft hitting her core and begged for entry. The laughing disappeared as he realized his yearning for her had not subsided, but intensified. Resting his head on her forehead, he let out a breath and reeled at the fact Dina had such an incredible power over him.
She lifted her hips, the tip of him brushing where it craved.
If she kept this up, he wouldn’t have a chance to lick her into orgasmic blitz. “You’re making this hard.”
“That’s the point.” She giggled.
“Yeah, but…not just yet.” He edged downward, and crawled between her open legs. Holding her hips with his hands, he slid his tongue along her seam.
Dina squeaked, her hands darting into his hair, holding tight.
He stroked, licked, and penetrated her with his tongue until she lifted her hips and a moan vibrated through her, growing louder, and louder until her mouth stretched open, and she yelled, “Cole!” He stayed relentless in his actions until the last wave crashed through her, kissed her nub, and shifted to snatch one of the condoms he put in his pocket this morning.
Dina’s hand rubbed the area back and forth he’d just left. “Are you okay?”
“I itch.”
He dropped his pants, straightened, and gazed at her face twisting in anguish. He perused the rest of her body. The areas he thought pink from their sexual encounter flamed an angry red.
“I’m burning!” Dina bolted off the bed, raced into the bathroom, and sat on the toilet.
Wanting to help, but not having a clue of what to do or why she was burning, he blocked the entrance to the bathroom and asked a stupid question. “Where?”
Bless her heart, she didn’t give him you’re-an-idiot look.
“Down there.” She pointed to the area he just enjoyed so much and snatched a washcloth from the shelf behind her.
Welts covered her face and body. He cringed and wondered if he should tell her to look in the mirror.
She drenched the cloth in cold water and placed it over her curlies. “It hurts. What did you eat?” Her voice grew tight and urgent. She rubbed her lips together and gently touched her mouth as if it was a Venus fly trap, ready to snap shut on its prey. “Oh, no!”
Yep. That had been his reaction.
“Grab the Benadryl. It’s in the kitchen, in the cabinet to the right of the sink.”
Finally, something to do but stare, he raced into the other room, found the bottle, and rushed back. “I don’t understand. What happened?”
“It’s an allergic reaction,” she said around another washcloth she held against her lips.
“To what? How do you know?” How does pleasuring someone injure them?
“I just know,” she said, her face flushing red, and tossed the washcloth she held against her mouth to the sink. “I could ignore the irritation on my skin, but down there, I went as long as I could. I didn’t want you to stop.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling like shit. “Do you want me to blow on it?”
“No!” She grabbed the bottle from the counter where he sat it…and dropped it. “That’ll make it worse.”
Time to plunge out of idiotic mode and help. He snatched the bottle from behind the commode, unscrewed the cap, and dumped a pink pill into her palm. A stack of disposable cups sat off to the right of the spigot. He grabbed one and filled it with tap water from the sink faucet.
She swallowed and glanced at the swollen tissue.
He’d never known of anyone having an allergic reaction in their genital areas. “Do you have any idea what you might have come in contact with that could have done this to you?”
“Yeah, you.” The lilt in her voice gave him the impression she was joking, yet the seriousness in her eyes told him differently.
“Me?” He’d heard of people having adverse reactions to perfumes and hairspray. Since he didn’t wear either, what happened? His stomach knotted and he slid his gaze over her skin. “I did that to you?” Dread formed a knot in his throat. “You’re allergic to me?”
Dina stopped rinsing the cloth under the water and looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion. “No, silly. Not you. Whatever you ate is on your tongue and now inside me.”
“I ate a few peanuts in the hall after you left.” He felt like he was telling the principal why he skipped class. “When I’m nervous, figuring out stuff—” To drown out my thoughts. “I munch.”
She replaced the cloth. The tension, marring her face with lines, subsided. “The cool water is working and so is the medicine. Since when are you nervous?”
“The first time I laid eyes on you.”
She batted her eyes up at him and laughed. “Really?”
He smiled, her laughter easing the tightness in his shoulders, and nodded. “Yes, really, and every time since. After I left you on the sidewalk, I ate a bagful.”
She banded an arm around her stomach as her laughter turned into a full, deep belly cackle.
Warm satisfaction flowed over him that she enjoyed how she got to him. “Laughing at my expense,” he teased.
She stood. The patches of angry skin had faded to light pink blotches. Something he wouldn’t have even noticed if he hadn’t known. He was too busy wanting to lose himself in her scrumptious body. “I would jump your bones right now.”
His shaft heard her loud and clear.
She giggled and darting her gaze to the floor. “Um, but I can’t. You need to wash your hands and gargle. And I should go see my dad.”
He moved to the sink and did what she asked, and faced her.
Her puffy lips were almost back to normal. “The medicine worked fast. Still, should I take you to the clinic?”
“No. The allergy medicine has always done the trick.”
“Okay, no more peanuts for me.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You’d give them up for me?”
“I’d give up anything for you.” He reached around her and pressed his erection against her stomach.
Doubt clouded her eyes. She shifted her gaze to her hand, playing with the hair on his chest.
From the cruel comments she told Sir Palladium online that her ex-husband said he knew what troubled her. “Welts or not, you’re stunning.” He didn’t just say it, he meant it. He lifted her chin with a finger and made her meet his gaze. “I’m not pulling your chain.”
For a long moment, she closed her eyes. When they opened, moisture filled them. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t go to the clinic?”
“I’m not putting my feet in the air for anyone to examine me.”
“You did so well for me.”
The muscles in her face relaxed, and the spark returned to her violet eyes. “And I loved it.” She ran a finger down the side of his face. “The medicine will take care of me.”
He tugged on her hand. “Let’s have a look at the artwork you finished yesterday.”
She moved into the bedroom, and snatched her underwear off the floor.
“No, you don’t. No clothes. It’ll be more fun this way.”
A sexual glint sparked in her eye followed by concern.
No doubt she ached. He wouldn’t dream of doing anything that would cause her discomfort. He draped an arm around her shoulder, his hand brushing the swell of her breasts. “I know you’re sore. I promise to behave.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her forehead and they walked out of her bedroom and into the office.
Three different types of pictures rested on easels. “You pick,” she said, easing out of his embrace and moving toward them.
The light in the room dimmed, drawing his gaze to the window. Clouds darkened the already dark skies, promising a long dreary day. Yet the world as he saw it couldn’t have been any brighter, not when his gaze was filled with his goddess.
He thickened and his thoughts drifted to wanting her. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Too late. Pay attention.” Standing between two poster boards, she placed a hand on each of them. “Which one do you like best?”
“No pitch?”
“I doubt you’ll hear a word I say.”
“You’re right.” Laughing, he studied the campaigns and did his best to keep his eyes diverted from her luscious gems he itched to touch. “You have an enormous amount of talent.” He walked to the drawing in the shape of a miniature briefcase, resting in the palm of someone’s hand, a hologram of a document on the wall in front of them. “This one. The Fold’s efficiency and what sets it apart from other tablets is captured.”
“My favorite.”
“The board still has to approve it.”
“Did you figure out why the email had the wrong name?”
He shook his head. He hadn’t. “The manager said the mistake was an oversight.”
Her arms slid around his waist, and she rested her head against his shoulder. “Tell me the truth. Why did you listen to my pitch?”
“Your resume earned you the interview. Remember, I didn’t put two and two together until you stepped into my office.”
“Good answer.” She stepped away, a puzzled expression crossing her face, and picked up a blank board leaning against the wall. “Odd, I put my mishaps here. The drawings I did for Big John are missing.”
“You didn’t ditch them?”
“I didn’t.” She shook her head. “I hate to leave, but I do need to see my dad and straighten out a misunderstanding.”
“Okay.” He hoped to have her alone tonight.
They walked back into the bedroom, a floral scent drifted over them, something their earlier activity kept him from noticing.
“Stay. I won’t be long.”
On his nod, she kissed his cheek and disappeared into the bathroom.
He slid on his briefs, pants, and dropped on the mattress. An uncertain feeling rattled through him, as if he was just about to crest the hill of a roller-coaster, yet he didn’t know what to expect on the other side.
He didn’t know how much time had passed with him lost in thought, trying to identify the odd sensation that left him feeling raw, when she emerged, refreshed. A towel covered her body and another wrapped around her hair.
She kissed him right below the nipple, and slid her tongue across it.
He quickly relinquished the troubled feeling, thought about them together earlier, and resurrected the feel of her delicious body under his, her soft breaths drifting across his skin. He cupped her butt through the towel and nibbled on her covered nipple.
She moaned and eased away. “By the time I get back, hopefully the swelling will have gone away.”
“Do you want me to come?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “But not till I return and we have the apartment to ourselves.”
Her infectious smirk stirred a deep rumble from the pit of his stomach and clenched his heart.
She dropped her towel, tugged on purple panties, and covered her breasts with a matching bra. “For later when you do the unveiling.”
“I can’t wait.” He snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her to him, and kissed her belly. She tasted clean and sweet.
“Stop that or I’ll never see my dad.” She ducked out of his embrace, her voice laced with laughter.
“All right. I’ll courier the artwork to my office.”
“Thank you.”
He slid on his shirt. “When you return, I’ll have a peanut and suffocating sister-in-law free apartment.”
“Good to know.” With the clothes she wore earlier back on, she reached into a jewelry box on her dresser, and pulled out a key. “When you’re done, come back over.”
The sentiment of her gesture gripped him at the core, his throat suddenly growing tight. He closed his fingers around the shiny metal and nodded.
“See you, shortly.” She kissed the tip of his nose and disappeared out of the bedroom.
He stood there frozen, staring in the direction she left, not knowing what just happened, but he knew there was no greater feeling than being in her presence.
The soft click of the door closing, followed by a clap of thunder brought him back to the realization he stood in Dina’s bedroom and no one was home. He gazed out the window at the brewing storm.
Dread and apprehension crawled up his neck that something was about to go down.