Until Twilight (12 page)

of her calves. He had such a soothing touch, his fingers knowing just where and how to

press and rub. A sigh of pleasure drifted from her lips like a soft breeze.

“Let me take care of you,
bellissima
,” he murmured. “Let down your guard for just this little while and give yourself over to me.”

“Oh, Lane.” She moaned softly, her body melting into his. “You have no idea how

much I want that.”

“Then let me,” he insisted. “Don’t fight me.” He moved up onto the bed next to her,

pulled her into his arms and brushed the silken strands of hair from her face. “We’ve

had a hellacious couple of days, every minute of them stressful and tense. You’ve been

going ninety miles an hour and shouldering an incredible amount of pressure. You

don’t always have to be the strong one, you know.”

She studied his face, trying to read the emotion she saw there. “Sometimes being

strong sucks. You know?”

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Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand

“I do. And letting yourself go with me doesn’t make you weak, just human.” He

kissed her cheek, her nose, her chin and her eyelids. “If the situation was reversed I’d give every bit of control to you and enjoy every minute of it.”

She laughed softly. “I’m just so used to seeing that as a sign of weakness.”

“The last thing anyone would call you is weak, Bella. Maddie is tracking down sales

of the purse and Nicki is making arrangements for us to get into the hall where the G8

meeting is being held.”

“We have to do it tonight. And it’s already almost twilight.”

“Trust me. She’s on it. But she has to coordinate with the government, because the

meeting is taking place in a government building. Then she has to contact the heads of

all G8 security teams and set it up for me to meet with them. And
then
we’ll all go to the hall and you can do your thing. But no one else is going into that place until you clear it.”

“Okay. You’re right.”

“You said you want a shower. Let me give you one. I promise you’ll love it.”

She smiled at him, her body melting at his touch. “I put myself in your hands,
mi

amore
.”

Phht! Did I just call him my heart? He hasn’t promised me anything except team

partnership and great sex. And I do not want to scare this man off.

But he brushed his lips over hers. “I’m definitely the man for the task.”

He increased the pressure of the kiss, rubbing his lips over hers and tracing the

seam with the tip of his tongue before urging her to open to him. His tongue invaded

hungrily and she met it with her own, enjoying the sensual dance as he unbuttoned her

blouse and parted the fabric then flicked open the front clasp of her bra. One warm

hand covered a breast and immediately heat streaked through her. He caught her

nipple between two fingers, squeezing it gently even as he pushed the blouse and bra

straps over her shoulders.

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Until Twilight

His tongue still dueling with hers, he slid down the zipper of her skirt and thrust

the material over her hips, sliding his hand beneath the flimsy silk of her panties to

brush her trimmed pubic curls. One lean finger slid between her slick labia, over her

now-throbbing clit and into the wet heat of her pussy.

“You’re ready for me,” he whispered against her mouth. “I think you’re always

ready for me, aren’t you, Bella?”

She tried to rub herself against his touch. “I think,
sì
, you are right. One touch and I go up in flames.”

She tried to open her legs more for him but the skirt still restricted it.

“Uh-uh,” he murmured into her mouth. “I’m in charge here, remember?”

“I’ll try,
mi amore
.” There. She’d said it again and he didn’t flinch.

If anyone could be in charge of her it would be Lane Hallowell. They had only

known each other for a very few days but already she felt more for him, trusted him

more, than any other man she’d ever met. They worked well together as a team but it

was more than that. He was concerned for her welfare without getting in the way of her

job, showing respect for her particular area of expertise. He seemed to sense what she

needed even before she did. And she’d felt an instant and powerful emotional

connection to him. Did he feel the same?

He slid off the bed and pulled her to her feet. He finished undressing her with great

care, folding her clothing precisely and placing it on one of the armchairs. Then, in a very masculine but very graceful movement he lifted her in his arms and carried her

into the huge bathroom. Propping her against him with one hand, he reached into the

shower with the other and turned on the spray. When he was satisfied with the

temperature he lowered Isabella to the commode seat and she watched him strip his

own clothes off with a maximum of efficiency.

God, she loved looking at his body, so sleek and powerful, so toned, muscles as

defined as those of a statue. The soft mat of hair on his chest, and the magnificent cock 85

Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand

jutting proudly from his groin. The pulsebeat in her womb ratcheted up at the sight of

him.

“Okay.” His smile was easy but his eyes burned with hungry passion. “Time to

shower off the filth of society.”

He lifted her to her feet, took her hand and led her into the shower with him. The

spray was so fine it was almost a mist as it cascaded down on her, the pattering of the drops so gentle on her skin. Lane propped her against the wall, grabbed the bottle of

scented gel the hotel provided and worked some into a lather in his hands. Then he

began to gently rub it into her skin, beginning at her shoulders, kneading the muscles as he worked his way down her arms, paying individual attention to each finger and the

palm of each hand. Her wrists, her knuckles, the insides of her elbow. Strong yet gentle strokes that eased away the tension gripping her muscles.

Next he worked his way across her collarbone and down to the slope of her breasts,

stopping to pay careful attention to each nipple, pulling them until they were stiff,

pebbled peaks. Her breath caught in her throat as he directed the spray to rinse them

then put his mouth to each of them, sucking and nipping in turn. She felt every pull

clear through her body to her cunt as if shards of electricity sizzled through her.

Isabella simply leaned against the wall, eyes closed, and gave herself over to the

pleasure of it.

More shower gel, more lather, Lane’s strong hands sliding down her tummy,

pausing to trace the furled flesh of her navel, down, down, through the neat curls of her cunt lips until a fingertip glided over her already sensitive clit. A gentle stroking, a touch barely there but more arousing than if he’d actually pressed hard on it. His finger brushed back and forth, slowly and softly, and with each movement her pussy clenched

and hungered for him to fill it. She heard a low moan drifting in the steam-filled air and realized it was coming from her.

“Feel good,
bellissima
?” Lane’s mouth was close to her ear, his breath fanning her skin.

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Until Twilight

“Mmmm,” was all she could manage in response.

His chuckle was low and sensual. “Good. Very good.”

His finger dipped lower, rubbing the length of her slit before slipping easily into

her pussy. More stroking. More rubbing. A second finger joined the first, then a third

and she moved her hips, riding his hand.

But then they were gone and she was empty again, groaning a protest.

“Shh, shh,” he murmured. “It’s all good.”

One of his feet nudged the insides of her ankles, urging her to spread her legs and

she willingly obliged. Anything if he’d just put his hands back on her body.

And then he did, beginning with her ankles, kneading gently again as he’d done

earlier. Sliding his hands up her calves, massaging the muscles, up, up her thighs until again he reached—

But his hands were gone again and she moaned her displeasure.

Lane just gave that sexy chuckle again and turned her to face the wall of the

shower, placing her hands flat against the wet tiles. Now he worked her shoulders and

her back, fingers pressing against each bump of her spine and teasing the indentation

just at the top of her buttocks. Then his soapy fingers were sliding into the crevice and teasing that tight ring of muscles that guarded her ass, the pucker of her anus. Rub, rub, rub and then one finger pushed its way in, probing gently, rubbing the sensitive

internal tissues.

“Breathe, Bella,” he urged in a low voice. “Slow, deep breaths.”

She did and a second finger insinuated itself in next to the first. Lane worked them

slowly in and out, scissoring them to stretch and ease the tissues. More of the slick gel, more penetration by his fingers. When he added a third one, slowly, slowly, heat

surged through her and her pussy clenched in earnest.

In, out, in, out, setting up a rhythm that her body caught and rode.

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Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand

By the time he eased those fingers from her she was filled with a riot of sensation,

an urgent need to be pushed the last little bit to the orgasm that was rapidly uncoiling inside her. She heard the shower door sliding open, the familiar crinkle of the foil

wrapper of a condom—had he brought it into the bathroom with him?—and then he

was back.

Firm fingers opened the cheeks of her ass and thumbs pressed against that

puckered ring again. Then pressure as the head of his cock nudged the opening and

began the steady, slow thrust inside.

“Breathe,” he said again. “Just like before.”

In, out, in, out. Timing her breathing to the movement of his shaft.

When he filled her completely he held very still for a long moment.

“Okay?” he asked.

“Mmm.
Sì.
Very okay.”

One hand slid past the curve of her hipbone to the slight curve of her tummy and

down to capture her clit again.

“Let go, Bella,” he urged. “Give yourself to me completely.”

He drove into her ass with powerful, steady strokes, his fingers rubbing her clit

with the same even rhythm. She felt the orgasm reaching through her, pushing her,

expanding until she was teetering on the edge of an abyss deeper than she’d ever seen

before.

“Now,” Lane growled, pushing his fingers deep inside her. “Go ahead. I’ll catch

you.” He nipped her shoulder. “I’ll always catch you.”

At the moment his body stiffened she gave herself over to him completely, letting

the climax take her. With the water sluicing down on them she thrust back against him,

feeling his release pump into her through the thin latex, one of his fingers sliding into her pussy where her walls clamped down on it.

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Until Twilight

She shook and shuddered, tumbling into the abyss but secure in the knowledge that

Lane was with her, his strong hands grounding her. Her body clenched over and over

until finally she stopped spinning in space, the fireworks behind her eyelids eased and there was just the seesawing of her breath and the thundering of her heart.

As she struggled to catch her breath, Lane pressed a kiss to the tender spot behind

her ear. And she could have sworn she heard him whisper,
Mine.

But then he was easing himself from her body, holding her with one hand while he

soaped himself with the other, pulling her against him as he let the shower spray rinse them off. He turned off the water, opened the shower door and wrapped her in a big,

fluffy heated towel. He sat her again on the lid of the commode while he dried himself

then lifted her and carried her into the bedroom.

“I have to get dressed,” she murmured. “I have things to do.”

“And you’ll do them. But first, close your eyes for fifteen minutes. I promise I’ll

wake you. Do it for me, Bella. You need to recharge. Trust me.”

She curled against him, closing her eyes. Trust him. Yes, she did.

* * * * *

Although they would have a very late dinner with Adam and Nicki, Lane had

ordered something light from room service. He’d insisted that Isabella eat, knowing

that the tension of the situation was draining her strength. Now they were dressed and

preparing to head downstairs and get a report from Raul on activity in the lobby.

Isabella was just pulling her hair back into a thick gold clip and Lane was fastening his watch on his wrist when his cell phone rang. He looked at the readout before

answering.

“Hey, Maddie. Got something for us? I hope?”

“Maybe more than you want. I played every card I had to get an immediate answer

from L.L. Bean and get past their customer confidentiality roadblock.”

Lane tensed. “So you found the buyer?”

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Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand

“Oh, yeah. You ready for this one?”

“Spit it out.”

“The buyer is a woman named Rachel Krone.” Pause. “She happens to be Henri

Liebermann’s niece.”

“Holy shit.” A zap of electricity skated over his spine, the kind of feeling he got

when he was close to solving something.

“What is it?” Bella asked. “What has she got?”

He looked over at her. “I’ll tell you in a minute. Maddie, do you have an address for

her?”

“Does Sunday follow Saturday? I’m texting it to you as soon as I hang up, along

with her phone number. And get this, Lane. She lives in Paris.”

At that revelation every muscle in his body tightened. All the players were