Taking Passion by Storm (14 page)

“
You’re right. I did. But that wasn’t what I meant.
Nadine, I do love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ve known you my entire life. Do
you remember when I asked you out?”

“
Yes. I had graduated from high school not two weeks
earlier. I thought my dad was going to kill you.”

“
And he had every right to be pissed off. You were
eighteen and I was thirty-two. But what neither of you ever knew was something
I already did. I just couldn’t admit it to myself. Not until yesterday. Not
until I finally held you in my arms, and kissed you, and made love to you. Even
back then I knew you were the woman I wanted to spend my life with. I’ve been
an ass, Nadine. For years I’ve been careless and stupid. But I’m not that man
anymore. I’ve always wanted you. I do love you. I love you even more now that
I’ve had you. Do you really think I will forget this, or that it will fade
away? Not a chance, sweetheart. You’re mine. I will do anything to have you in
my life forever.”

Nadine
didn’t bother wiping the tears off her face. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t
even think. Everything he’d just said reverberated in her brain, but she
couldn’t make sense of it. Did she love him, too? In one way she always had,
but was it the same love she needed to feel in order to spend her life with
him? How on earth would she know? And what if she was wrong? What if she fucked
up his life?

“
What’s your answer?”

“
I don’t know, Addison. I don’t even understand how I
feel about yesterday, let alone whether I love you in that way. I mean, I do
love you, but I don’t know what it means. I don’t know how to feel normal. I
don’t want to ruin your life.”

He
stood and pulled her into his arms. “You can’t ruin my life. It’s not possible.
And you’re more normal than you understand, love. You just don’t know it yet.”

“
I’m sorry.”

He
pulled away and cupped her face. “Don’t be. You’re honest, and I’d have
expected nothing less.”

Nadine
realized they were both still naked, and he was still hard. And to her
astonishment, she was still quite aroused. He had an effect on her that no one
else did. No one else ever would. She knew that without any doubt.

She
opened his right hand. The twig was still there. Her heart raced. If she said
“yes” there was no going back. It would be utterly unfair to do that to him.
Was she ready for something so monumental? Then again, they could simply have
unprotected sex, but did throwing caution to the wind and doing something
irresponsible, all for the sake of passion, make it right?

“
What are you thinking, sweetheart?”

“
I’m trying to make a decision.”

“
About marriage, or about sex?”

She
shook her head. “You are a mind reader, you know. I don’t care how much you
deny it. About both.”

“
Don’t make any decisions about either. Not right now.
Just crawl into my sleeping bag with me and lie down for a while.”

“
For real?”

“
For real. I shocked you. I know I did. I’m like that.”

She
chuckled. “Yeah. I’m beginning to see that.”

“
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t sincere about wanting to
marry you.” He pulled his sleeping bag out of the backpack, unzipped it all the
way, and spread it out on the dirt floor. She saw him slip the ring into his
backpack, and that simple gesture touched her heart more than anything he’d
just said.

He
meant this. He really loved her enough to spend his life with her. This was
real. She had no reason to fear it. Her feelings for him were just as strong.
If they hadn’t been, she wouldn’t have been able to give her body to him
yesterday. She wouldn’t have been able to trust him that way.

She’d
spent so much time trying to understand what a normal relationship was that she
had ignored the one staring her in the face all her adult life. He was here.
This man was the normal relationship she’d been craving. And he had just asked
her to marry him. She didn’t need another sign, or anymore time, or an analysis
of her feelings. They were already there. They always had been.

“
Yes.”

He
glanced up, then held her gaze while she knelt next to him

“
I’ve spent all this time not realizing I had the
object of my fantasies right in front of me. I don’t want to keep doing this to
you. Vacillating like this.”

He
opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

“
I know you understand it, but it’s not right. I don’t
want any doubt in your mind, because there is no longer any in mine.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
I mean my answer is ‘yes.’ I will marry you, Addison.”

Chapter
Fifteen

Addison’s
pulse raced. He was afraid to believe what he’d just heard. “Are you sure?”

She
nodded, her beautiful blue eyes alive with excitement and understanding. He had
no idea what else had gone through her head before she’d spoken, but he knew
whatever it was, it had been enough for her to realize this was right. This was
where they belonged.

“
I do love you,” she said. “I always have.”

He
froze for a few seconds, unable to respond. As many times as he’d fantasized
about this, hearing Nadine tell him she loved him, or asking her to marry him,
this particular setting had never figured into it. That didn’t matter now. Not
even close. He saw the truth in her eyes and heard it in her voice. She
did
love him. The rest, they’d figure
out. They had their entire lives to do that.

Addison
pulled her into his arms, moaning against her hair. He would do anything to
have her. He only hoped she’d feel the same way once they found her father and
were back underground. He moved his hands over her body without restraint this
time. He wanted to claim her, possess her,
render
her
unable to want another man for the rest of her life.

She
belonged to him. She always had. He would do anything to erase the past for her
and help her live from this moment on in whatever way she wanted to, as long as
he was in the mix somewhere. All these years, it had only been Nadine in his
dreams. She was the one he had always wanted and never believed he could have.
She was here now, in his arms, and she loved him. She had agreed to marry him.
Addison could barely think he was so damn happy.
This
was what he’d fantasized about.

****

Nadine
had never been this aroused in her life, even before she’d shut all that down
four years ago. She felt so free, as if everything holding her back was
suddenly gone, and she could finally be the person she’d always wanted to be.

If
she were being honest, she would have gone out with Addison when she was
eighteen despite the age difference, because she’d always been that attracted
to him. But this was different. It was the result of having bared her soul to
him, and of having him respond in such a tender, caring way that she’d been
able to push away those memories for a few precious hours. If she could do it,
she’d banish them for the rest of her life, just to feel this way in his arms
each and every time. Maybe that would be possible one day?

He
kissed her neck, then trailed his tongue over her breasts. Nadine couldn’t even
process all the emotions coursing through her, so she stopped trying and simply
gave over to them. Her touches grew bolder as he licked her nipples,
alternating that with tiny bites, until she was sure she’d go out of her mind
with need.

She
rubbed his cock, so ready now it twitched in her hand. When he moved to part
her legs, she sat up. “You did that yesterday and I loved it, but I want to do
the same thing to you.”

“
Oh … oh that would be wonderful.” His voice was full
of delight, but his face looked like he was in pain.

“
Unless you don’t want me to. I never have before.
Given a man a
blowjob, that
is.”

He
cupped her face. “Sweetheart, I would love to show you how to give a blowjob,
but I’m not sure I can keep myself from coming if you do.”

“
That’s all right. I want to try at least.”

He
looked like a kid on Christmas morning, and she had to bite back a laugh. “Only
if you’re sure.”

“
I’m sure. Where do you want me? On my knees?”

“
No. I mean under other circumstances yes, but the
floor of this cave isn’t exactly comfortable. I’ll lie down.” He lay on his
back, and she crawled between his legs, no clue what to do. She’d never watched
much porn, unlike most people she knew, but she didn’t want to tell him that
now. She was an adult. She could figure this out.

She
brushed her hands over his inner thighs, then his balls and finally his cock.
He writhed under her touch, moaning softly and grasping her hands to pull them
back to his body when she moved them away. “Please, Nadine … I’m only a man.”

“
A sexy man.”

He
gave her such a gentle look that her heart fluttered. “Do you have any idea how
seductive you are?”

“
You make me feel that way.” Before she lost her nerve,
Nadine bent her head and licked his balls. He groaned loudly as she explored
the texture of them, and when she finally moved to his dick, his breathing
turned quick and raspy. Nadine took a few inches into her mouth and sucked,
hoping that was right.

“
Wrap your lips around your teeth, love, and move your
head up and down over it.”

“
Sorry.”

“
No. No apologies. Merely telling you what feels good
for me.”

She
did what he asked her to do, and then slid more of his cock into her mouth. She
loved the contrast between the veins on it and the velvety surface. The way his
body reacted, and the noises coming from him gave her a feeling of control over
the situation, which in turn helped her enjoy this. It was so normal, so
mutual. This was how sex was supposed to be, and Addison had done this for her.
He’d helped her find this. He had been the one to finally show her that
long-buried fantasies could come true.

“
Nadine, I can’t hold back any longer.”

She
barely had time to process what he’d said before he grasped her head, one hand
on each side, and her mouth was filled with hot cum. She tried to swallow all
of it, not even sure if that’s what she was supposed to do, but some dribbled
out onto her chin. He groaned loudly and then released her head to hold out his
arms.

Nadine
crawled next to him on his sleeping bag, still aroused, but happy beyond all
reason that she’d been able to do that for him. Her pulse raced as she realized
all the barriers he’d helped her break in such a short time. And he loved her.
He loved her! She could barely wrap her head around it. She’d never felt this
content or hopeful for the future.

She
wasn’t sure he’d been serious about marrying her, but that part didn’t matter.
They’d said the words. They’d told each other “I love you,” and they’d
expressed their desire to have a life together. It was more than she’d ever
believed possible for her, and certainly with Addison.

He
stirred next to her, and then rolled her onto her side and kissed her. She
moaned deeply and wrapped her arms and legs around him, pushing her body
against his. He reached between them and teased her nipples, forcing yet more
moans from her. When he slid his hand between her legs, Nadine placed her hand
over his and closed her eyes, lost in the heady sensation as he rubbed her clit
with expert fingers.

Addison
moved her onto her back, and Nadine spread her legs, all her earlier
inhibitions gone. She’d never felt so wanton, and it was liberating to be able
to let go like this with a man. Especially with Addison. Did he really want to
marry her? She couldn’t imagine it right now. All she could do was lie there as
the climax that had been building for the past half hour reached a fevered
pitch.

Nadine
cried out as Addison slid two fingers into her soaking wet pussy, and teased
her clit with his thumb. The man knew exactly what he was doing. Within
minutes, a powerful orgasm crashed through her, and she lost all sense of time
and space. He was on her then, slipping his dick inside her pussy before she
had time to realize he’d grown hard again.

She
clung to him as he fucked her mercilessly, and even the unforgiving cave floor
underneath the sleeping bag couldn’t ruin this for her. When he came again,
they were both covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He held her close, whispering
her name over and over, and kissing her hair, her face, and her neck.

He
rolled onto his back, and she snuggled against him, her head on his chest, and
drifted off to sleep, happier than she’d ever believed she could be.

****

Addison
woke with a start, convinced he’d heard shouting. Where was he? The cave.
They’d come in here last night to escape the storm. So who was shouting? Nadine
was still asleep, curled up next to him, as naked as he was.

When
he rose, she woke up, too, and then sat straight up as they both heard George
call their names. “He’s in the cave,” she whispered, covering her breasts with
her hands.

Addison
grinned. “He’s seen naked women before, I’m quite sure.”

She
gave him an exasperated look and glanced around, snatching her clothes from
where they’d left them earlier. Addison pulled on his jeans but nothing else
and went in search of George, using the spare lantern, so Nadine could get
dressed without feeling embarrassed.

How
long had they slept? Had the storm flooded any of the other caves? Guilt washed
over him as he realized their teammates had been hiding all this time, while he
and Nadine had been going at it like horny teens.

There
was no water in the cave, and he hoped it hadn’t seeped into the others either.
As he neared the entrance, he realized the sun had not yet risen. Why was
George outside in the dark?

George
stood near the opening with the others, except for Merrill, all talking
excitedly. As soon as Gina spotted Addison, she sprinted toward him. Her gaze
swept over his naked chest, but only briefly. Whatever had them all so animated
was more important than seeing her boss emerge from inside a cave half naked.

“
We found him.”

“
What?”
What the
hell is she talking about?
Addison’s brain was still a bit foggy. Not only
had he and Nadine said “I love you” to each other, but she’d agreed to marry
him. At least, Addison thought she had. Maybe he’d dreamed that? He hoped not.

“
Dixon. We found him.”

That
snapped him back to the present.
“How? Where?” How the fuck long had he and Nadine been sleeping?

Gina
laughed, but the undertone was more nervousness than humorous. “In the cave
that Alesia, Suzanne, and I were searching. We went back into it deeper when we
realized how many hidden tunnels there were, and he’s in there. Dixon is in a
cave not more than a few hundred yards from here!”

Addison
ran a hand through his hair. The same thing could have happened inside this
one, except that he and Nadine hadn’t bothered to explore it. He was about to
speak when he heard noise behind him. Nadine was there, fully dressed, but her
hair was a hot mess and it was obvious she’d been on the floor of a cave. Dirt
was smeared all over her arms and legs.

“
Did I hear you correctly?” she asked, her voice small
and her beautiful eyes full of hope. “You’ve found my father?”

“
Yes.” Gina held out her hand. “Come on. He’s furious
that you’re up here with us, but anxious to see you.”

Nadine
merely stared at Gina, her eyes even wider now.

“
He’s okay. Well, I mean he’s not okay, but he’s
alive.”

Nadine
put a hand to her mouth, and Addison was at her side as soon as he realized she
was crying. He pulled her into his arms, not giving a shit what conclusions the
rest of them jumped to. It no longer mattered. Dixon had been found, and he was
alive
.