Secret Pleasure (8 page)

“No.” She realized he would have defended her and felt bad for joking with him. “She just told me to stay clear from you. Dante, I don’t want you to think that… Well, it’s just that I’ve just come out of a bad relationship. I’m not looking…”

He laughed. “Neither am I, believe me. I think you realize I have too many issues right now to step into something serious.”

She smiled at him, “Good, now that we have that all settled. I think it’s almost time for dinner.”

That little witch just couldn’t keep her hands off him. She’d given her plenty of warning. Dante was destined for greater things than a mousy nurse who didn’t know how to do anything. Maybe it was time to step up her game.

Her plan hadn’t worked out so well with Katie and looking back at it, she’d been a fool to hire the two dumb thugs. It was a good thing they hadn’t known who she was or they might have exposed her. Even if they had, she would have handled it. After all, what was the point in having the family position and prestige if you couldn’t exploit it?

Yes, her plans with Katie Derby were over. The girl hadn’t made a play for the family’s wealth and her brother’s will hadn’t changed. She’d overheard Damiano saying to Kathleen that he had no intention of changing it.

Dante’s position was secure. Her mind flashed to an image of him as a young boy as she held him in her arms. Her precious boy. Her mind cleared. No, not in the flesh, but in so many more ways.

She’d been there from the first days of his life, when his mother had disappeared to the States and abandoned him. She’d been the one to feed him, change him, and keep him safe all these years.

Her years of planning would not be destroyed. She just had a few more plans to make and maybe this time she’d have to do some of the work herself to make sure everything was done perfectly.

Dante watched as Airlea closed and locked his french doors for the night. Her simple dark slacks, silver shirt, and the gold chain around her neck could have easily been a long, flowing dress made of silk and diamonds draped around her. He couldn’t stop staring at her.

Now and then she would look over at him and smile. Did she know how she affected him? He hadn’t lied to her earlier. He wasn’t looking for a relationship. Hell, his longest relationship in the past had lasted only three months. He wasn’t a ‘in it for the long haul’ kind of guy. Especially now when his body was broken and his mind was not always sharp. He couldn’t imagine trying to maintain a relationship with a woman while his own life was up in the air.

Looking at her though, he didn’t have any problem thinking about enjoying a few pleasures with her. After all, she was there, good looking, and she’d pretty much told him that she didn’t want a relationship. Physical pleasures could be just what they both needed. A release.

He watched her walk over to him and take the tray from his lap. He’d eaten everything on it quickly. His body was recovering from the two days of not eating anything.

“Do you think you could go without a pain pill tonight? I’m a little leery of giving you anything right now.”

He assessed the pain in his body. Starting at his left foot, he moved up his leg, up his hip, then to his arm and shoulder. He knew he wasn’t in any shape to have a physical relationship with anyone at the moment, but that didn’t stop him from wanting it or from trying. After all, he was a man, and a horny one at that, and there were other things they could do to relieve their tension, at least for the moment.

“The only pain I’m in right now, you can help me relieve.” He smiled at her and watched as she licked her lips and looked at him. He was wearing his basketball shorts and nothing else. His shoulder still hurt too much to try to get a shirt on, plus it was still warm enough he didn’t mind being bare chested.

He’d caught her looking at him several times and had silently made a note to ask her to bring up some of his weights from the garage. He may not be able to lift with his left arm yet, but he could at least work out his other side. He didn’t want to let himself go while he was recuperating.

“Dante, I don’t normally just jump into bed with someone—”

“I never thought you would,” he interrupted. “I hope you don’t think that about me, either.”

She smiled and moved to set the tray down on the desk next to the door. Then she turned and started walking around the room. “So, I was thinking about this. I know that you are in a great deal of pain, and I don’t think that too much physical strain would be good right now.”

“
Airlea?”

She stopped her pacing and looked at him.

“Lock that door and come over here.” He patted the bed next to him and smiled.

He watched her eyes roam over him and felt himself getting harder. She turned and flipped the lock on the door, then walked over, removed her shoes, and slid next to him on the bed.

“Let’s try and see how far we get before the pain is too much, shall we?” He pulled her closer and kissed her. He could lose himself in her lips. They were plump and soft. He ran his hand down her braid and fumbled with the small tie that held it at the end. He wanted her hair in his hands and as he untwisted it, he couldn’t help but marvel at its silky, softness.

Her hands were exploring his chest and he moaned when she started pinching his nipples lightly.

“You have such a nice chest.” She moaned into his lips as she moved into a better position, so that now she was leaning over him. One of her hands rested on the headboard and the other roamed his chest and neck freely.

He still had his good hand fisted in her hair as his bad arm lay by his side. He wished he had full motion in his shoulder so he could pull her down to him. He moved his hand down her shoulder as he took the kiss deeper. She smelled like heaven. Now that her hair was freed, he could smell the zesty shampoo and wished he could bury his face in the soft curls.

“Airlea, you smell so good. I want to lick you all over.” He watched as her eyes darkened and felt her soften over him. Running his hand down her side, he smoothly dipped his hand under her shirt and started to pull it up and off, which he discovered was very hard to do with just one arm.

She sat up and straddled him, making sure to sit higher on his lap, above the metal brace near his knee. Then she removed her shirt quickly, revealing herself to him. His mind fogged. He’d never seen more perfect breasts than the pair that were a few inches from his face. Leaning up, he started running his mouth over the soft skin and realized she tasted even better than she smelled. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him, so that he was sitting up a little more. Their cores were pressed together and her hips started to move slowly against his.

“Dante,” she moaned and threw her head back as he took her nipple into his mouth. He sucked and then licked his way across to the other side. All the while her hips kept moving slowly over him, and he could feel that he was on the verge of coming. His hand reached around and grabbed her hip, to hold her still. How could she have him there so fast?

“Airlea, let’s just…”

He moaned as he felt her slide her hands down his stomach, past the waist of his shorts to grip him. He swore his heart rate tripled as she started to move her hand over him.

Closing his eyes, he laid his head back on a moan and tried not to come too quickly. It had been over six months since he’d had any pleasure with anyone. He supposed it was the long hiatus that had him moving much quicker than he’d like.

“God, you feel so good.” She ran kisses down his exposed neck, down his chest as she continued to torture him.

He moved and took her wrist in his and pulled it up and off him. Then he smiled at her and unbuttoned her pants, slipping them down off her hips. He watched as she took over and slid them the rest of the way down and off her long legs. Her skin glowed in the soft light of the room. He pushed her down until she lay beside him, then he rolled onto his bad side, only flinching a little.