Layers Peeled (14 page)

OK, now it was
my turn for a little bit of truth-telling. “I saw her.”

“What?”

“I saw Marissa
tonight. She was outside of Cross Enterprises, and for a moment I
thought she was waiting for me.”

“Allie, now
you’re freaking me out. Please promise me you won’t go out on your
own. Or at least not anywhere I’m unaware of.”

“I
promise.”

“Good, now
let’s get back to the food. I don’t want dessert to get cold.”

“What’s for
dessert?”

“You.” He
kissed my cheek but the tension in his voice was clear.

“I can
guarantee I’m quite hot,” I winked, then added to reassure him,
“Seriously, Tristan. You have nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t
let anyone hurt our baby.” I touched my stomach.

“Good. You two
are the most important people in my life.” He kissed my head. “Now
finish up. I’m getting impatient.”

Tristan dipped
a chicken ball into the sweet and sour sauce and fed me another
portion. I’d never tasted a batter like the one Olivier had
prepared. Crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside; and when
I bit into the tender chicken in the center I thought I’d orgasm
right there.

“Allie, the
sounds you’re making are way inappropriate for dinner,” Tristan
growled. An alarm sounded in my head, but I was still too
preoccupied with the sweet taste of chicken.

“I don’t
care,” I said with my mouth full.

“You should
care if you want to finish the food. Otherwise I’ll need to have
you right here, on this couch.” He patted the cushion.

Oh, that’s
what he meant. I licked my lips clean, trying to be more discreet,
but that only sparked a new flame of desire in his eyes. His
scarred lip lifted and that lopsided grin began looking more
luscious every second: like it wanted to be the dish I would devour
next. Somehow the promise of Tristan for dessert suddenly sounded
more scrumptious than the fortune cookies.

“A few more
bites, Mr. Cross, and you can have whatever you want.” I
winked.

Tristan
finished before me and sat in a chair by the fireplace, watching me
with intent. I washed the food down with an iced tea, deciding I
couldn’t fit anymore. Well, I probably I could, but Tristan in that
chair, sitting all smug with a scotch in his hand, was too
distracting. The warmth of the flames and the flickers that danced
on every piece of furniture made me feel at home, more so than
anything else. And finally, with my stomach filled, I was ready for
what he offered in front of me.

I crouched on
my knees and circled the table toward him like a predatory cat
hunting its meal. From the look of Tristan’s lifting scar, he
seemed to be enjoying the show. The closer I got, the more the
strength of his excitement grew underneath his pants. I knelt in
front of him, resting my hands on his knees before drawing them
higher. That beautiful flex under his sweats sent the euphoria
building inside me on a stampede. I squeezed his muscled thighs on
the way up, softly brushing against his erection, but kept going
until my fingers reached the drawstring of his pants. I twirled it
around my finger before releasing it and closed in with my mouth,
again caressing his firm curve under the fabric with my chin.
Taking the string between my teeth, I looked up to see his pleased
expression and pulled it with the slowest motion I could.

Hooking my
fingers behind the elastic, I removed the pants off his waist. He
lifted off the chair to help me release him. The pants rested on
his thighs, exposing Tristan for me. As predicted, Tristan wore
nothing underneath, and his striking muscle stood tall and proud. A
drop glistened on his tip and I licked him with my full tongue from
the bottom of his shaft upward and took him into my mouth. I closed
my lips around his crown, feeling his hot rim against my gums.

“Oh, God.” His
ragged voice was barely a whisper.

I looked up to
see Tristan close his eyes and lean his head back against the
chair. The first hint of pleasure on his cheeks rose my excitement
to satisfy him thoroughly. His joy buzzed through me, centering
deep in my core, drowning my folds in delightful dampness. And this
was only the beginning.

My persuasive
hand stroked him as I lowered my mouth to his base and then slid
back up. The ripple of his veins under my lips thickened as I
gradually increased the momentum, controlling the rhythm of my
intake. His taste intensified in my mouth and I began to suck him
more aggressively, sinking deeper onto his shaft. God, he tasted
better than... I couldn’t even think of anything that tasted nearly
as good. Having Tristan in my mouth, succumbing to my skills
without restraint, was yet another sexy vulnerability of his. I
listened to the increased rhythm of his moans and felt the pulse of
his vein inside my mouth, and sped my strokes. He couldn’t get any
thicker in my hand.

His hands
lowered onto my shoulders, fingers digging deep into my skin,
sending a plea for a quicker release through my own body. And with
a scream of pure pleasure, my mouth was filled with his warmth. At
that moment I felt my pussy swell with the excitement of what I’d
done to him. I milked every last drop from his tip, enjoying his
rapture, taste, and delight, finally releasing him with a quiet
pop.

Tristan
slumped in the chair, his breathing still heavy. Still on my knees,
I wiped my mouth with a napkin, patiently waiting for him to open
his eyes. And when he did, the contentment in them was beyond
spectacular. In fact, his entire face beamed with
gratification.

“Allie, it
wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

My brows
furrowed for a moment. “It wasn’t good?”

“Oh, it was a
first-class blow job, all right. No, that’s wrong. No one in first
class will ever experience anything as divine. But I was supposed
to be the one surprising you.”

Thank
God!
I thought I’d done something wrong.

Tristan
released my shoulders. I was absolutely ecstatic I could take care
of my man for a change. It felt good to be in the controlling
position once in a while, even on my knees. As a cop it always made
me happier when I could please someone or help them out (not in the
same way, of course). And tonight, I’d definitely pleased Tristan
Cross.

“Well, take a
breather. Come.” I patted the blanket by the fireplace. “You can
regain your energy for the cookies.”

“Baby, there’s
only one cookie I want to have.” He removed his pants completely
and sat on the blanket at the foot of the fireplace. Only Tristan
could make food sound like an oral feast.

His erection
finally settled to the side of his thigh. In its more sleepy form,
his cock was still a sight I could indulge in every day.

Tristan pulled
me down to sit in front of him. He wrapped himself around me from
behind letting his naked legs rest at the side of my thighs. In an
instant we changed from me taking care of him to him soothing me
with little kisses on the back of my neck and shoulders. My skin
began to itch for a fiercer touch. Tristan drew his hands to my
front and slid them over my tummy.

“You’re
beginning to show,” he smiled against the side of my face.

The corset
Laura gave me was tight, but that little bump which I’d noticed in
the bathroom earlier in the week was definitely there. The thought
of a baby growing inside me, a new life we had both created, made
my throat thicken with happiness.

“Will you
still love me when I’m big and fat?”

“I will love
you when you’re old and gray. And I will take your hand and walk
with you to the beach where our children and grandchildren will be
fishing. We’ll sit on a swing and watch the beautiful family we
created eat, laugh, and joke. I’ll get up to chase our
grandchildren, and you will play peek-a-boo with the youngest one
in a stroller.”

Now my throat
definitely thickened. Tristan’s words took me somewhere to the
distant future.

Family.
I could really picture the image he’d painted in my mind. My heart
pounded with everything it had. How wonderful would it be to make
it all come true? And then it hit me. Tristan’s words made promises
of forever, with me. He’d said them without fear or hesitation.
Other than the little jealous streak when I thought about Kendra,
I’d never doubted his devotion. But the thought of being together
until we died stirred something deep inside: a thought of a promise
I wanted to make to Tristan in front of God and our family. But
aside from his parents, the subject hadn’t been broached by either
of us just yet. I pushed it away, relishing his body as he breathed
in tandem with me. What Tristan had just confirmed was all I’d ever
wanted: a happy and healthy growing family. I closed my eyes to see
that moment once again.

“By the way,
I’m installing security gates at the house next week. Like the ones
my parents have.”

“I’m surprised
you didn’t have them done before we moved in,” I teased.

“With the
Washington business, I’ve been a bit pre-occupied.”

“Tristan, I
was kidding. This home is the safest I’d ever felt at.”

“The cameras
will go up at the front and along the driveway, so there will be
some people moving around for a few days.”

“Sounds fine,”
I said in a dreamy tone, my thoughts still outside by the shore
with my future family.

“Now, how
about that dessert?” He lifted his hands to my shoulders and began
massaging. I felt my head fall to the side.

“I thought I
just had mine.” I grinned with pride. “Or did you mean the
cookies?”

He turned me
around to kneel between his legs. His softened flesh rested at the
side of his thigh. Tristan encased my head in his hands and my
mouth found his scrumptious lips in seconds. Finally I was able to
lose myself in my Tristan. The first connection we’d made charged
through me in waves. His hands flew to my back and he began the
intricate work of unclipping my corset top hooks. Thank God there
were no strings! It would have taken too long. And within seconds I
felt the fire’s warmth touch my naked back as Tristan’s eager hands
peeled the top off my body and threw it somewhere further away. My
hands roamed his pecs and abs until I found the hem of his shirt
and lifted it over his head. Breaking our kiss for a few seconds
felt like he’d deprived me of the most important need in the
world.

But I took
that moment to study his body. The way he knelt in front of me and
I in front of him, both of us heaving in the blazing glow, a
glisten of a promise sparked in his eyes and I knew I wouldn’t last
long. His abs formed a perfect pattern. My gaze drifted to his
heart and I leaned forward, kissing that scar from the past – the
one where Kendra had stabbed him. I wanted to heal him with my
lips, my body, and my soul. That wound finally had to be peeled off
his chest, at least a little.

“I will never
hurt you, Tristan,” I said, in between the kisses.

“I know,
Allie.” He took my hand and placed it over the scar. “This is in
the past. You are my future.”

My fingers
drew along the light ripple. Tonight it stood out more than any
other night: a white slash against his bronzed complexion. I would
make him forget. I would work hard every day to take away the pain
permanently.

He lifted my
chin with his fingers and his hungry tongue slid into me again. The
ache intensified in my belly and I responded with a quiet moan into
his mouth. Seconds later I was down on the blanket, my arms wrapped
around Tristan’s head, whimpering into him, grinding my body
against his, wanting to connect to his every inch, wishing he’d
already pulled the leather pants attached to my skin off my ass. He
braced his weight on his elbows and leaned over me. My breasts
hardened and my nipples became almost sore, aching to be
touched.

Tristan pulled
away and admired me from the top. “You’re so fucking
beautiful.”

I shut my eyes
closed for a moment, trying to control my breathing. When I caught
enough air to reply, I said, “You know you’re going to have to
watch your mouth when the little one is born.”

“No fucking
problem,” he grinned. “Like you, I reserve my language for special
occasions. Lie down on your front,” he instructed.

“No, you need
to take my pants off, and make love to me.” My gaze lowered to his
hardening cock. Thank God he was ready to do it all over again!

“I love it
when you tell me what you want, but you’ve had a long day. And you
just worked an extra shift by that chair. Trust me. It will be
worth it.”

“Fine.” I
swear I almost growled in frustration. I needed Tristan inside me,
and I needed him now. But I could tell from the look on his face
that his mind was made up. And I did trust him; so whatever he had
planned, it was going to be close to seventh heaven.

I turned
around, propping a pillow under my head. Tristan fumbled with
something while the fire pit flames mesmerized me for a moment. He
then reached down and yanked my pants off my hips, leaving me in my
boy-short black-laced panties.
Finally!
Mr. Smooth had
swifter hands than a professional robber.

“This was the
surprise I was talking about earlier, but once again you distracted
me.” Tristan straddled my ass. The feel of his muscled legs against
my flesh and on the back of my thighs electrified my skin.

Now get those
panties off, mister!

“Just how did
I distract you?” I wiggled my ass.

But his
silence only added to my excitement of the unknown.

Without a
warning, warm fluid dripped between my shoulder blades and then
oozed down my spine. The smell of vanilla and a hint of jasmine,
perhaps coconut, teased me.

“Don’t move or
it will spill.” Tristan leaned to the side and reached further
over. I peaked at the silver platter with brown bottles labeled as
massage oils.