Merry Christmas, Paige (4 page)

Blonde hair haloed her head as she rested on a pillow. Through lowered lashes she gave him a come-hither look that made his pulse jump. Damn if she wasn’t the sexiest woman he had ever laid eyes on. Then a moment of uncertainty peeked through her lust. He didn’t give her the opportunity to refuse him, covering her with his body, her mouth with his.

Her lips were tentative against his. His tongue ached for the taste of her as he slipped inside. When she began to suck, pulling hard on his tongue, heat exploded between his thighs. Adrenaline rushed his brain as his hunger swelled to every part of his body.

God, he loved her.

He smoothed his palm along her inner thigh. Velvet soft. His heart beat wildly the closer he got to the moisture he knew existed there. With his fingertips he stroked her moist slit. She was so wet. Her body quivered beneath his touch.

Was he dreaming? If so, he didn’t want to ever wake up.

Nathan had waited so long to hold her again. He gritted his teeth to resist the orgasm that shot shards of sensation down his cock. On an exhale, he moved off her long enough to unbutton his jeans. In seconds he was naked and lying beside the woman he loved. She threw a leg over his thigh, and he rolled to his back as she straddled him. His throbbing erection lay nestled in the warmth of her sex.

“Is this really happening?” She pressed her palms against his chest. “Are you mine?” Once again uncertainty rose. “You won’t leave me again?”

Dammit. The sorrow in her voice was enough to turn him inside out. Would he ever be able to make it up to her?

“Baby.” He pulled her down so that their chests met. “I didn’t want to let you go. I felt as if I didn’t have a choice. I had to do the right thing.”

She bit her bottom lip. Tears welled in her eyes. “I know, but—”

He hushed her with a tender kiss. “Please, can’t we let this go?” he whispered against her mouth. “Nothing can keep us apart.”

Chapter Four

Naked and straddling Nathan’s hips, Paige knew it was too late to turn back now. If he left her after they made love tonight, she would drown in a pool of grief. No doubt in her mind existed that losing him again would kill her, but she was too weak to resist him. She wanted to feel him deep inside her body, wanted to believe he was truly hers.

When he rubbed against her wet folds, her mind spun. Fear and excitement collided to make every nerve in her body come alive. Her hold on his shoulders tightened.

With a tilt of her hips, the head of his cock breached her pussy. “Oh,” she hummed. “Yes.” She eased down, savoring every thick inch of him as he buried himself inside her. The emptiness she had carried with her the past five years was gone. The pressure against the very back of her sex sent a shiver of delight up her spine.

For several seconds, she didn’t move. This was what she remembered. They fit perfectly together.

“S-so good,” he muttered between clenched teeth. “Fist-tight.” His eyes closed, as if savoring the warmth of her body surrounding him.

She smoothed her hand over his clean-shaven cheek. The love she felt for him surfaced so fast her heart fluttered.

Her hips slid forward and he grasped her waist. “E-easy, baby.” The tension on his face made her pause. Heavy-lidded, his eyes partially opened. “You have to remember, I’ve dreamt of this moment for five years. Let me enjoy the feel of you wrapped around me.”

A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed against it. Could it be true that he had suffered as much as she had?

Her tattered memories disappeared when his palms caressed a path to her breasts. He held them in his hands like they were fragile, something to cherish. His thumbs skimmed across the tips of her breasts, once, twice, and then he squeezed.

Electricity streaked through her chest straight to her womb, tightening her sex. The need to rock against him was overpowering. She didn’t know how much longer she could remain still. It became even more difficult when he leaned forward and wrapped his velvet mouth around one of her nipples.

He worked the sensitive peak with his teeth and tongue until she couldn’t think of anything but the throb beating at her sex. Moisture released as tingles shot upward. Her hips moved of their own accord, back and forth, and then again.

“God you taste good,” he muttered a second before he ensnared her other nipple, drawing it deep into his mouth. The suction made her mind go blank. Heat sizzled between her thighs.

“Nathan.” She licked her parched lips and arched into his touch. All she could think of was him sucking harder. His teeth scraped across her tender skin, and a mixture of pleasure and pain shot to the depths of her pussy. Her clit began to throb, begging for the same attention.

As if he’d read her mind, he flipped her upon the bed and hovered over her. She reached for his arms and felt strength beneath her hold.

A sexy growl surfaced from deep in his chest. With a knee he wedged her legs farther apart. A single thrust parted her folds and his cock buried deep inside her again. Slow, sensual caresses teased her. She twisted her hips, raising them to meet each advance. Pressure built behind her clit, making her body ache for fulfillment. When her inner muscles squeezed, she bore down to increase the incredible sensation. Liquid fire bathed the walls of her pussy with each stroke.

Sexual hunger rose from someplace deep in her soul. It gnawed at every part of her being. A raspy moan pushed between her lips. This was what she’d missed in her life, the connection between two people so raw and passionate for each other that it crossed all barriers, transcended time and space.

“Nathan.” His name was a desperate cry. Her head pressed back into the pillow. Every muscle in her body tensed as mindless pleasure built with alarming speed.

“Hold on, baby.” He pulled her hands above her head, pinning her so she couldn’t touch him.

Unable to feel his body drove her wild. “I need to touch you.”

“So tight. Wet.” His pace quickened and so did the desire to feel him beneath her palms.

The sound of flesh slapping flesh sent her senses careening with rapture. She arched into him, closing her eyes. Fire and ice exploded across her skin as stars burst behind her eyelids. “Nathan!” Red hot, her climax ignited, singeing every inch of her body. She bucked, convulsed and then she shivered. She couldn’t hold still as one after another, spasms released. Nathan’s cock swelled and jerked to send another stream of electricity throughout her body. When she looked at him, he stared at her with dark, penetrating eyes full of lust and, yes, love.

His arms trembled. Strong hands grasped her knees, parting her wider as he knelt between her legs and raised her hips. “Paige.” His expression revealed he wanted to say more, but didn’t. Instead he thrust, driving so deep inside her she gasped. Grinding his hips against her center, he rubbed her clit over and over again. “God,” he groaned.

When the throb between her thighs started anew, she curled her fingers into the comforter. Her inner muscles clamped down on his erection and sucked eagerly to take him deeper and hold him there forever.

His nostrils flared. “Fuck.” A rumble vibrated in his chest. There was something almost animalistic about the growl, making heat rise across her skin. She licked her lips slowly and his pupils darkened even more.

“Mine,” he said so adamantly that she could almost believe it. The possessiveness in his voice thrilled her, stoked the fire inside her higher and hotter. Her stomach clenched. The pulse between her legs strengthened. She slid her fingertips through his dark chest hair and over his taut nipples.

“Come for me, baby.” He spread her wider until it was almost painful. His thrusts became violent, hard and deep lunges, as he rammed into her again and again. “Let me hear you scream.”

Paige whimpered. She didn’t know how much more she could take perched on the edge of another climax. A conflagration in the center of her sex tightened, threatening to erupt.

His hands firmed. The muscles in his thighs grew taut. “That’s it, baby.” His voice was coarse. Then he threw back his head and roared. Hot spurts of come bathed her walls to trigger her orgasm.

A cry clawed up her throat and released. She arched her back and jerked with each spasm that rippled through her, thrashing uncontrollably beneath him. Soaring high, she fought to hold onto the moment, relishing the way her body spun out of control. All too soon it was over and she felt herself drifting off the cloud of ecstasy.

The grip on her legs loosened as he guided them down on the bed, before he collapsed atop her. His breaths were short airy pants, matching hers.

Desperately, she wrapped her arms around him as if her hold would stop him from leaving her. She almost blurted,
I love you
, but she didn’t speak the words. Instead, she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck and shoulder and inhaled the scent of his masculine heat. Prayed that he meant what he said earlier.

His fingers slid between the bed and the nape of her neck. He raised her head to meet him halfway and kissed her. It was a soft, gentle caress that touched her heart. “Thank you.” She was about to ask for what when he added, “For believing in me. Letting me back into your life.”

But that was the problem. Although she had given him her body, her heart, he didn’t have her trust. She didn’t know if there would be a day that she could forget about the past and give herself fully to him, but she knew she had to try.

“I have a surprise for you.”

Oh no. She didn’t know if she could take any more surprises.

He scooted off the bed and extended his hand to her. She took it willingly, and he helped her off the bed. The sweet aroma of their loving filled the room. On quiet footsteps, he slid open the large glass doors that led to the veranda. It had stopped raining, but the gray clouds remained, making the day gloomy. She inhaled the clean scent and the smell of the wet wood that was cool beneath her feet. He led her to the Jacuzzi. Water churned and beautiful orchids adorned the surface.

“When did you do this?” she asked.

He crossed the balcony to the bar. “Last night.” From the small refrigerator he extracted a bottle of champagne and two flutes. He retrieved a corkscrew and inserted it into the bottle. Each twist resulted in a sharp grinding sound, and then a delightful pop ensued. The wine bubbled up, spilling over the rim. He shook his hand off, before pouring the effervescent wine into the glasses. The bottle clinked against the bar counter as he set it down and picked up the glasses.

“Isn’t it a little too early for alcohol?” she asked.

He handed her a drink. “It’s almost noon and we deserve it.” He raised his glass. “To us and a long life together.”

She tipped the rim of her glass to his and prayed that she had heard him correctly. Bubbles tickled her nose as she took a drink. She coughed and he smiled. It had been a long time since she had sipped champagne. Five years.

Together they walked toward the Jacuzzi. She climbed the steps and placed a foot into the warm water. The minute she eased down into its depth she released a sigh. After one more sip, she set the glass on the side. Nathan followed to take a seat beside her. Not even a heartbeat passed before he gathered her into his arms. She rested her head against his chest. He kissed her softly on the forehead.

The moment of silence lingering between them wasn’t awkward. They had always had the uncanny ability to bask in each other’s company without a word. She stared out into the gray and gloomy sky, listening to the ocean lick the shore. In the distance, a bird screeched. She snuggled closer and he held her tighter.

The moment was serene, peaceful, and she began to relax.

Nathan looked down at Paige and couldn’t help smiling. She had fallen asleep. “Poor baby.”

Easing her from his lap, he stood and carefully raised her into his arms. Water beaded and rolled off her silky skin. A gust of wind swept across the balcony. He held her closer, attempting to block the chill in the late-morning air. As he carried her into the cottage, Paige whimpered, but didn’t wake. Quietly, he moved across the living room to the bedroom and then the bathroom. It was difficult, but he managed to jerk a towel off the rack and toss it over her, before he made his way back into the bedroom. She didn’t stir as he laid her upon the bed. With a dab here, one there, he attempted to dry her off without disturbing her. When he was satisfied, he rolled her to her right side and eased the comforter and sheet from beneath her. Quickly, he dried himself and then crawled in to spoon her back and pull a sheet over them. For a moment he was overwhelmed, choked up with emotion. He had missed this. He fought to push the regret away. Those lonely days were gone.

Up to now Cami had been the only bright thing in his life. He gazed out the window. The rain had started again, but it was a light drizzle in comparison to the torrent that had hit earlier. Paige and he had made it over this first hurdle in their lives, but he wasn’t a fool.

The fact was Paige and he lived two different lives. His was an easy living that his family’s money allowed, something he and Paige had refused to consider five years ago. While she had continued on the path they had agreed upon by establishing a life and a medical practice, he had done a one-eighty, tossing his architectural dream to the wind.

Would Paige be willing to give up her practice? Move to Kauai? By purchasing the resort, the cottage where he and Paige’s love had grown that summer, he had promised his parents to join the family business. It had been a small price to pay to hold onto something he and Paige had shared together. He just hoped she understood why he couldn’t let his mom and dad down now.

Paige moaned and he drew her closer.

While he held her, little details kept popping into his mind. Cami and Paige had already met. It wouldn’t take them long to establish a relationship, one he was sure his ex would do her best to destroy. The damn woman hadn’t let a day go by without throwing his feelings for Paige into his face. Marrying Sylvia had been wrong from the beginning.

He wedged a leg between Paige’s, before kissing her shoulder.

Guilt invaded his thoughts. He had asked Janis to take Cami to visit his parents if there was a break in the weather. It would give him and Paige time to get reacquainted and discuss the particulars of their lives together. Cami and Janis enjoyed Lotus Point. His family had every conceivable amenity two girls could ask for. Yet his decision had been selfish. He couldn’t stand the thought of being away from Paige for even a moment. He moved his hand to cup a breast and she didn’t stir.

Would she like Janis? The young girl was more than a nanny—she was part of their family. She had been with them since Cami was born. He could still remember the argument he and Sylvia had when he hired Janis. She had no home, had been left here by a boyfriend who followed the waves, and the most important aspect was that she was good with children, like Paige.

He inhaled the scent of her skin and released a sigh. This was where he belonged, wrapped in her arms forever.

Paige woke to an empty bed in a dimly lit room. Had it been a dream? A silent cry rose in her throat, dying when the bedroom door opened. Light silhouetted Nathan’s frame. She sucked in the breath she’d held at bay.

He carried a tray in his hands. “Evening, sleepyhead.” He set the tray down on the small table in the room.

She rubbed her eyes. “How long was I asleep?” As if she sported a hangover, her head began to pound. He slid the glass doors of the bedroom open and a gush of salty air swept through the room.

“About eight hours.” He walked back to the table and began to uncover the plates. The juicy scent of roasted meat met her nose. Her stomach growled. It seemed like forever since she had eaten.

She pushed into a sitting position and stretched. “I can’t believe that.” Her body felt deliciously sore. “I don’t remember when I’ve ever slept that long. Have you been here all this time?”

“Yes.” He poured wine into two glasses.

“Doing what?” she asked.