Hide and Seek (26 page)

“What a sweet line.” Refusing to look at him, she arched and groaned. “You're full of them—of it—aren't you?”

He suckled her clit, pulling it between his teeth then releasing; pulling, then releasing. “Why do you think I went into town?” he asked, blowing his words into the depths of her slit. “Without telling you?”

She groaned again, jerking as if she could escape the bonds tying her to the bed. “To get laid?” Her words, though ripe with sarcasm, wavered.

Ah. He was getting to her.

He just needed to press more. To make her see. To make her admit what she wanted to refuse.

“No, Elisa.” He drove three fingers into her tight sheath, forcing her to welcome him. Rotating the digits deep inside her, he returned his mouth to her clit. “I wanted to make this night special—flowers, wine, the whole bit—because I was going to ask you to take our relationship to the next level.” As he spoke, he took tiny nibbles and licks of her. She bucked against him, futilely trying to resist. “But now that I think on it, that's not enough. I demand to have you as my wife.”

She whimpered as he sat up, abandoning her hungry pussy. “Maxim, we'd never be compatible.”

He pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it, showing her the simple ring he'd chosen. “We are perfectly compatible. A glove cannot fit a glove, it must fit a hand. Sure, we're different, because you are my hand.”

She eyed the box, and him, curiously, but said nothing.

Taking the ring, he swept the cold metal and jewels gently long her wet folds, making her moan for mercy. “Maxim. I can't…you can't…stop this…”

“You see this ring?” He lifted it into her sight. “I was going to buy something bigger. But that isn't you, Elisa. I know that now. So instead…” He trailed the ring over the curls covering her mons and up her belly, leaving a path of her silky desire wherever the diamond touched. “I purchased a smaller ring and donated what I would have spent to the Peace Corps. In your name.”

She trembled in response.

“No…” She gulped as he brought the ring to her mouth, allowing it to gently brush against her lips.

Lowering the ring, he laid it on her chest.

“Taste how you feel for me,” he told her, his lips hovering over hers. “Taste it.” When she didn't obey, he seized her in a tongue-swiping kiss, forcing her to taste the desire on her lips and his tongue.

By the time they broke apart, she was panting. And crying. “Damn…” She swallowed again, clearly struggling with her resistance. “That was so sweet.”

He kissed the salty droplets running down her cheeks. “You are sweet.”

“No, I mean that you donated money. But Maxim, I don't want to be like my mother, plenty of money to throw around, but no time.
I
want to save the rainforests. To make the world a better place.”

He smiled. He was finally winning! “Maybe you can't save the rainforests in Egypt, but you can do plenty of good.” He kissed her forehead gently. “Think about the children whose lives you could make better. What you could teach them. About life, about the environment, the forests…”

“I don't know…”

“If my donation doesn't prove to you that I'd be right by your side, what would?”

“Actions speak louder than words. Money too.”

“Without money, there would be no Peace Corps. Your mother did more for the rainforests than ten people working hands-on ever could.”

“Maybe that's true…” For the first time during their conversation, she looked directly in his eyes. “I never thought of it that way. She changed Lizzy's life too.”

“Your sister?”

“She's adopted. She was living on the streets…” Elisa bit her lower lip. “I could teach children about saving the rainforests…and so much else. I thought about doing that in the Peace Corps.”

“See? So many children in Cairo are in desperate situations. They need you. I need you.” He drank up her deep blues, staring straight into her soul, and knowing he'd be lost without her. “Please, Elisa. Please. Just say yes.”

“I…can't.”

“If you can't say yes, at least say you love me,” he asked, never more desperate.

The tensest second of his life slid slowly past.

Finally, she nodded. “I do. I love you.”

He unfastened the belt restraining her arms and enveloped her hands in his. “Then we'll make it work, don't you see, Elisa? With love comes respect. Appreciation. I would never take you away from what means the most to you.” He slipped the ring on her finger and tenderly kissed her hand. “I would only ask the same from you.”

She looked at the ring, then him. “I'll marry you, Maxim.” A smile broadened on her face. “I will.”

Never more elated, he drove into her with one full thrust, sealing the deal.

Elisa clenched his shoulders, feeling more complete than ever. Their bodies rocked in steady rhythm, united as their souls. The smile on her face spread and happiness bloomed from deep within her. If there was one thing in life she'd learned, it was that life throws you curves. The unexpected becomes the expected. And when it came to matters of the heart…only the heart can truly decide what's right.

Maybe Maxim wasn't her dream man—once upon a time he was her worst nightmare—but after all was said and done, he was a dream come true. She was ready. She loved him with all of her being.

No dildo could replace that.

I
can't believe how spoiled I'm getting.” Stretching on Maxim's plush bed of silk and pillows, Elisa opened her mouth to accept the grapes he fed her. She chewed the fruit slowly, enjoying every succulent bite. “I'm turning into you.”

The funny thing was, she'd grown up rich, but until Maxim, she'd never enjoyed having money. While she'd taught him that life was more than parties and girls, he'd helped her to see that sometimes it was necessary to be…unnecessary.

“Mmmm…” Maxim kissed along the rim of her lips, licking miniscule little splatters of grape juice. “It's your honeymoon. You deserve to be spoiled.”

He fed her another grape and she drew the juice from it, though she wished it was something else she was sucking on. They'd made love too many times to count, but soon, they'd have to join the real world and she wanted to enjoy him while she could.

“The work will start soon enough,” she moaned in fake despair, thinking of all she had to do to get their life organized and their charity up and running. “Spoil away.”

He chuckled and trailed a finger along her jaw. “Tomorrow, actually. Mother is quite excited about beginning work for Helen's Haven. She was so flattered that you named our youth shelter after her.”

It was her turn to laugh. Since they'd arrived in Egypt, Helen had been one step away from driving her over the brink. Her new mother-in-law was a constant flurry of demands and excitement. “So much for disinheriting you. I think she's even more enthused about using me as a birthing cow.”

“The promise of grandchildren can smooth over the worst of disagreements.” Maxim kissed along her jawbone, planting fluttery love bites all over her face. “Don't you want babies?”

Curling her toes, Elisa closed her eyes and savored the attention. A smile spread across her face as she fantasized about her future with Maxim, filled with midnight feedings and diaper changes. At least he was used to being up late and getting little sleep.

“Six, at the minimum,” she dared him, knowing having so many kids with a man like him was a long shot. “But I want a few of our children to be adopted, like Lizzy.”

“Ah…” He pulled back and stared deep into her eyes. “Angel, believe it or not, I love kids. So you can adopt as many children as you want, as long as I can make as many as I want…”

“Hey! I don't think so!” She smacked his upper arm then snuggled against him. “We complement each other very well, you know that? I never would have figured, given we're such total opposites, but—”

“We finish each other. You, Elisa—” He cupped her bottom and squeezed her ass firmly, drawing her against his hard cock. “You fill the empty spot in my soul. You make me who I should be, who I want to be.”

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but you do the same for me.”

“How?”

“You make me less serious. More fun. Bad.”

“Oh, so now I have a bad girl?” His hand patted her ass in sensuous threat.

“Who just might need a spanking…”

He swept her lips into an embrace, kissing her deeply, passionately. His tongue danced with hers, tangling and tangoing, withdrawing and plunging.

Relaxing, she welcomed more of him, loving the way their mouths united.

Maxim broke away, resting his nose against hers. “I love you, Elisa Cox.”

“I love you too, Maxim.”

He kissed along her shoulder to her collarbone, his hands roaming over her bottom. In automatic reflex, her lower half thrust toward his hand, loving the intimate feeling of him touching her.

“Ah, Elisa,” he murmured, answering her movement by gripping the fleshy cheeks. “You are the most delicious creature and—”

The ringing of the telephone blasted through the room.

“Damn it! I thought I took the phone off the hook!” Maxim's hands fell away. “Pleeeasse, don't answer it.”

She chuckled and climbed over Maxim's inert body. Hopefully this was a call worth abandoning him.

“I have to answer.” She sighed. Elisa hopped to her feet and crossed the room. “It might be my dad. Since he didn't make it to our quickie wedding, he said he'd call yesterday or today, but he hasn't yet. Now that I'm on his good side again, I'd like to stay that way. Anyway, he said he would make a large donation to Helen's Haven.”

“Fine,” Maxim groaned in exaggerated manner. “Ditch me for another man.”

Rolling her eyes, Elisa picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“You're contagious,” Lizzy blurted, her loud statement blasting across the line.

Her eardrum ringing, Elisa held the receiver away from her face. “What?”

“You gave me the love bug,” Lizzy wailed. “Or, just the craving for fun sex. But either way…”

Elisa's jaw dropped to the floor. “Uh, double what?”

Lizzy in love? She'd hadn't heard anything this good since Maxim had told her that her ex had been finally arrested—for selling porn to minors. She hoped the slimeball rotted in jail.

“I'm sleeping with someone,” Lizzy blurted. “A lot.”

“That's fantastic!”

“Uh, not really, but do me a fave?”

“Anything!”

“Kick Maxim.” Lizzy's voice hardened into steel. “If that bastard can turn good, it's got me thinking even the worst of the worst can. I'm terrified.”

Elisa eyed her lover, who waited impatiently on the bed. “I don't know about kicking him. We were right in the middle of—”

“Okay. Ew.”

“Call back later, and we'll chat.”

“Can't.” Lizzy sighed, acting as if the world were about to end. “I'll be on a date, but I'll call and let you know all the awful details. Bye!”

“Bye, sweetie, and have fun!”

Elisa hung up, unable to stop her laughter. Good thing it wasn't a blind date! Whoever Lizzy was seeing, he had to be tough. And weird.

“Lizzy?” Maxim raised a brow, hungry for details.

Elisa dropped back into bed, snuggling against him. “You know, I'm not the only one you're good for. Can you believe she's dating?”

“I've always had a way with women.” He enveloped her in his arms, his hands sliding directly to her ass. “Wouldn't you say?”

“Just this woman, now.”

“Just this woman,
forever
.”