Toxic (39 page)

I tenderly brushed some hair from his eyes. “But Jeremy, even with the stock price so low, that had to cost you a fortune.”

He shrugged. “It did drain me. But so what? It just means expansion of Jet Set will take longer than I anticipated.”

My heart took a dive so far, I wondered if it had fallen out of my chest. I’d pay him back. I had to. Somehow, I’d find a way to do it.

“Even I have to admit, I looked guilty. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have believed what was right before my eyes either. The evidence was pretty convincing, as was my behavior. Between my omissions about who my father was and then the car, even I would have had doubts. But in here”—he pointed to his chest—“I wanted to believe you’d see past that.”

My eyes stung with unshed tears. “If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would. I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I am.”

He shook his head. “That’s just it, I can’t blame you. I could have found a way to get in touch with you. Even Kat told me to.”

“Kat?”

He cleared his throat, knowing he was tiptoeing on a sore subject. “Yeah, she told me about your calls.”

I shrugged. “I had nothing to lose and I was worried about you.”

Smugness lurked in his eyes. “She told me.”

I gave him a little shove. “You’re never doing that again.”

His smile was warm.

“Can I ask why you didn’t get in touch with me?”

His face fell. We were each on an elbow and face-to-face with our hands resting on my hip. “I can admit I have a bit of a dark side. And that asshole lurking inside of me was still pissed at you for the accusations you made about the car.”

I extended my elbow and rose farther up. “But I apologized for my poor reaction.”

He nodded and let go of my fingers. “I know and I’m sorry I didn’t accept your apology when you came to me. But I do now.”

Feeling brave, I asked the question I needed to know the answer to. “Would you have come after me if I hadn’t shown up at your door that night?”

Jeremy’s face grew grim. “I want to tell you yes. I really do, but in truth, I don’t know.”

I tensed, worried what our future held. “Jeremy, the night of the video launch, you said you were going to call me later. Was that true?”

He took our hands and brought them to his heart. “Yes, it was. And I can promise you, from this day forward I will never let you walk away from me and I will never walk away from you. I don’t care what it takes, we will stay together and work things out. I want you. I need you. You mean everything to me.”

I saw everything I needed to see in his eyes but it was his forgiveness I wanted the most. And it was there, along with so many other emotions. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for not believing in you. I shouldn’t have doubted you. And I promise it will never happen again. Never.”

He pulled back. “I didn’t make any of it easy. I should have been up front and honest with you from the start. From now on, no more mistrusting, no more hiding things we think will hurt, nothing but honesty.”

I nodded in agreement. “Nothing but honesty—forever.”

He stared down at me. “I don’t want to be without you again.”

“You won’t be. I won’t let you be, even if you try.”

His smirk was wicked. “I love it when you try to sound forceful.”

I bit my lip. “And I love it when you let me.”

Jeremy smoothed the hair from my face and whispered, “I love you.”

I leaned into his touch and whispered back, “And I love you.”

With those words, I knew all the hurt, the betrayal, the lies, and the mistrust—they were behind us.

They had to be.

Seriousness loomed over us as we stared at one other, forgiving each other’s sins in silence and expressing our love at the same time. Jeremy’s elbows were beside my head and when his breath stirred, mine caught, and then we were breathing in tandem.

Somehow, the still moment led to a tangle of arms and legs and lips and hands.

Jeremy’s fingers were working their way to the back of my bra and as soon as he unhooked it, he moved his hands down to slide my panties off.

I tingled from head to toe as my body melded into the mattress. “Are we done talking?” I panted.

He kissed me, soft, tender, long, and slow.

And I had my answer.

Jeremy was a complex guy. He was sometimes brooding, always charming, and at times he could be suave and debonair. But after today, I saw more. I saw a man raw and naked. I saw a man who didn’t understand himself and struggled at times in his efforts. I saw a man so much like me that I finally understood what it was that each of us was attracted to in the other.

As cliché as it sounds—we completed each other.

We had been bare to each other many times, but today we were completely naked in a way we’d never been.

With what felt like drugged euphoria, I looked at him and had an uncontrollable urge to feel him everywhere—his chest, his abs, and down farther. I wanted to touch every square inch of him.

I couldn’t get enough.

He, like me, seemed to want to feel all of me.

We touched and kissed until we were breathless, and when his lips slipped down my neck and he sucked my skin between his teeth, I threw my head back.

And when he repeated the action over my nipple, down my navel, and then on my clit, I lost my mind. The moan that escaped my lips was one I couldn’t contain. I arched beneath him as he repeated the sensuous assault over and over. My hands went to his mussed head of hair and I wove my fingers through it. Pressing him to me, keeping his mouth just where I needed it, I finally let myself go.

Sensations ripped through my body and I cried out, “Oh God, Jeremy. I love you.”

He reached up and put his fingers in my mouth to quiet me. I sucked on them as I came over and over. He didn’t stop until he’d drained every ounce of pleasure from me. Even still, I pulled him toward me with the hair I had gripped on to.

“Did you like that?” he asked, and I heard the smile in his voice.

He knew I did.

And then he covered me with his body. All of him blanketed all of me.

It was perfect.

My hands pushed down to his cock. There was no room between us for me to stroke him, so I gripped him.

He made a small, helpless noise.

I wanted to hear it again so I slid my grip up and down as far as I could.

He made the same noise, this time louder.

My stomach flip-flopped and my excitement spun all around me.

He buried his face in my neck as he eased inside me.

We looked into each other’s eyes as he slowly moved above me.

It felt so good.

Suddenly, he flipped us over so I was on top of him. “I have to be able to touch you.”

“Oh God,” I called out as he fondled my breasts.

His hands drifted to my hips, and then around to that spot he liked to caress.

I leaned down to give him better access and gripped his shoulders. I moved up and down slowly.

“Fuck, that feels so good,” he groaned.

I kept it up.

Slow and steady.

His other hand found my clit and he caressed it along with that sensitive spot. Done together, the individual feelings sent chills down my spine.

The pressure behind me was tantalizing and I wanted more.

“Take me there,” I whispered.

His face contorted as pleasure overtook him. “Not today. But someday.”

He thrust upward and put both his hands on my clit. As he worked circles with his fingers, I began to lose my mind and forget about any other kind of penetration except what I was experiencing. A moan involuntarily escaped my lips. I tried not to be loud, but I lost all control.

He started moving, and then I took over.

I rose on my knees and gently slid down. I was in no hurry.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned.

I did it again and his groans grew even louder. He was making noises I’d never heard and the whole thing was mind-blowing.

What we had together was mind-blowing.

I had been lost.

I had been found.

I had been lost again.

And now I had him—forever.

I knew that.

My toes curled as the pleasure wove its way between us. As I started to orgasm, waves of bliss riveted through me, and I could tell they were ripping through him at the same time.

I covered his mouth.

He covered mine.

And we both came violently as our connection grew ever stronger.

It was pleasure.

It was lust.

It was passion and desire.

But most of all, it was love.

I collapsed on top of him and he held me for the longest time. I knew there were people out there waiting for us, I knew there was no mistaking what we’d done in here, and I knew I was going to walk out there with the biggest grin on my face.

I didn’t care. They would forgive us for it.

I wanted to be with this man forever. I smiled at him through lowered lids as my body attempted to recover.

Warmth spread through me like a wildfire when he brushed his lips to mine and said those three little words I thought I’d never hear from him again. “I love you.”

Giddy, my reply was easy. “I love you, too.”

With his fingers, he brushed my lips. “I don’t ever want these lips to touch anyone’s but mine ever again.”

I kissed him and answered with absolute certainty, “They won’t. They belong to you.”

He made a noise that caused my heart to flutter.

As I lifted up with my elbows on his chest, I couldn’t restrain my flood of emotions. “Promise me we’ll never be apart again,” I said.

He rolled us over. “We won’t be, I promise.”

I looked up at him and knew then exactly what I wanted. “Do you still want to marry me?”

He stared down for the longest while and a pang of anxiety pinged through me. “Yeah, of course I do,” he finally answered.

I bit down nervously on my lip.

“What?”

I took a deep breath and went for it. “I know it’s a week late, but can we get married tomorrow?” I asked. The words came out of my mouth so fast, I’m not sure he could understand them.

He blinked.

Was he confused?

Did he really not understand me?

My pulse raced. “Jeremy?”

His eyes flared in surprise. “Do you still want to?”

Relieved, I answered honestly. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, I want to marry you as soon as possible.”

Jeremy jumped up and looked around the room in a panic.

I sat up, worried. “What are you doing?”

He shoved his legs into his jeans and tossed me my clothes. “Get dressed. We have to get out there and see if Jamie can extend the permits.”

Needing something fresh to wear, I got out of bed and opened one of my drawers.

Jeremy hopped on one foot as he tried to put his socks on while standing up. “What time is it?”

I turned to glance at him as he fumbled with his phone in his pocket. “I’m not sure.”

His nervousness surprised me. “We have to get to Tiffany’s before it closes.”

Pretending not to notice his flustered state, I stood there quietly watching him. His long, lean body moved about with nervous energy I’d never seen before. He was always so calm, cool, and collected. I found his behavior utterly charming.

“It’s seven thirty. Do you think it’s already closed?”

I turned around, trying to tame my grin.

His lips tickled the skin behind my ear. “What do you think?”

“I think they close at seven,” I said with a slight laugh I was trying desperately to conceal.

“Why is that funny?”

I kept giggling.

Jeremy gripped my hips. “What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed.” I had to bite my lip to stop the laughter from bubbling out.

He slapped my bare behind. “No you’re not. Could you hurry up?” he said and then turned me around.

While selecting some skimpy undergarments, I couldn’t contain my glee and some small giggles escaped my throat.

I heard him clear his throat and slowly turned around.

Our eyes met and then his narrowed ever so slightly. “Why are you laughing?”

I bit my lip. “Because you’re utterly adorable when you’re nervous.”

“Pffft . . . I’m not nervous.” He waved a hand.

I stepped into the pair of clean panties I was holding and pulled the matching bra over my head. “If it’s about Tiffany’s, I bet Jamie can make one magic call and get us in just—”

Jeremy pounced so quickly and buried his face in my neck before I could finish. “Okay, so maybe I’m just a little nervous but you’re brilliant.”

I stopped laughing and my heart began to pound.

His mouth was on me.

Tongue.

Teeth.

Lips.

I wanted even more.

When he lifted his head to look at me, his lips glistened. My gaze fell to his smooth, bare chest. It was muscled and he had a hint of a six-pack, but he wasn’t overly defined. I found him to be hotter than hell.

But then, I always had.

His mouth found mine and he backed me up against the dresser. He pressed against me and fit his leg between mine. Our breathing intensified until suddenly he hissed in my mouth, “We can’t. We have to get out there.”

Breathless and a bit dazed, I didn’t really want to take the time to figure out what to put on so I quickly looked in my closet and found a jersey dress that I hadn’t worn in a long time.

It was old but comfortable and presentable.

It would do.

I hoped not to have to stay in it long.

“Do you think they’ll know?” I asked.

He threw me a wicked grin. “You were a little loud.”

I slapped my hand to my mouth. “Oh God, my mother and Mrs. Bardot are out there.”

Jeremy’s hand slipped into mine. “At least they’ll sleep soundly knowing you’re satisfied.”

I tugged at him and eyed his bare chest. “Are you going out there like that?”

The boyish grin that presented on his face melted me. “So okay, I’m more than a little nervous,” he said as he slipped his T-shirt on.

Hungrily, I watched him. When he finished I purred, “And by the way, you more than satisfy me.”

“Good,” he said smugly, his nervousness seemingly gone as he eased down to kiss me—again.