Open Your Eyes, page 6
Large floor to ceiling windows overlooked Central Park, a view very much coveted in the otherwise grey city of skyscrapers. I stared through the window at the lights twinkling in the distance.
“Not nearly as lovely as you,” he said, an appreciative glow in his eyes. Yes! The red dress paid off.
Nick’s arms came around me again as he buried his face in my neck and inhaled deeply. “You smell so good.”
He spun me around in his arms, dipped his head and found my lips. He brushed softly over them with his warm lips; then ran his tongue sensuously along the seam before pushing his tongue into my mouth and caressed mine with long silky strokes – slowly, sensuously, a promise of what was to come. I felt warm and safe in his embrace, his strong arms locked around me, pushing my breasts against his hard torso.
“Hmm, like nectar.” He pulled away. “Come sit while I get us a drink.” He led me toward the oversized couch, directly facing the fireplace. I sank into the luscious cushions and sighed. This was bliss. I felt so at home here with Nick.
From the bar tucked into the corner, Nick extracted a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, my favorite red wine. I watched lazily from under my lashes as he poured the rich burgundy liquid through an aerator into two glasses with expert economical movements.
Nick must have sensed that I was watching him, because he looked up and gave me a dazzling smile that nearly arrested my heart. God, I still couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be here alone with him.
My mouth went dry, and I licked my lips. Is this really happening to me? It felt like a dream – a really good dream. A slow throb settled at my apex, and I squeezed my legs together as I smiled back at him. He glided smoothly across the room with a glass in each hand, his eyes trained on my face. This was a slow dance of seduction, and I was so ready to sign up for it.
Handing me a glass, he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand as he looked down at me, devouring me with his intense gaze. I loved the way Nick touched me with such passion, yet at the same time reverently. He reached for a remote control and pressed it. Norah Jones’ sultry voice sprang to life. Another of my favorites. It was amazing that we liked so many of the same things. Nick settled onto the couch beside me, stroking my arm lazily with his fingertips.
“Tell me why – even though your gorgeous smile melts my heart – there is always a deep sadness in your eyes. Did he do that to you?” Talk about shooting straight. “I want to really know you, Natalie. What makes you happy and what makes you sad.”
His fingertips were on my lips before I could say anything. “And don’t apologize or say you’re sorry. He is the one who should be sorry for putting it there.” His eyes flared and a small vein ticked in his neck.
I didn’t really want to talk about my nearly ex-husband or my wounds and demons. I wanted Nick to take me in his arms and kiss me till I was breathless. But he genuinely wanted to know me better, to see the real me behind the mask.
Averting my gaze, I sat silently for a few moments, struggling to find the right words. How does one articulate years of pain without sounding bitter?
He took my hands in his and gently caressed over my knuckles, waiting patiently for my answer. His eyes, framed by long thick lashes, searched mine.
Finally I found the words, my voice barely above a whisper. “Our marriage ended a long time before we separated. At first we just fell into a comfortable silence, not talking to one another much. We each started doing our own thing, pursuing different hobbies and spending more time with friends than with one another.” My breath hitched, and I let out a deep sigh.
“Eventually even the sex stopped. Gabriel said I wasn’t… attractive to him anymore… that he had no desire… to make love to me.” I closed my eyes, feeling the hurt squeeze my heart.
“We slept at opposite ends of a huge king-size bed, our backs to one another. Me – mostly because he reeked of alcohol and my stomach lurched when he breathed on me. Him – because he lost all interest in me, even holding me or kissing me. We were two strangers trapped in the same house.” My voice choked at the memory. I fell quiet again, rubbing at the pain in my chest.
Nick stroked up and down my arms, not saying a word, encouraging me to continue with his silence.
Now that I had started talking, it was cleansing – cathartic even – to share the feelings I had buried so deeply with someone who really seemed to care. “Sometimes, not often though, we would go out to dinner on a birthday or anniversary. I would try desperately to make conversation – talking about anything just to get him to converse with me – to see me. He would answer in monosyllables, his gaze darting around the room, looking anywhere but at me. He was clearly bored and always in a hurry to leave, relieved when it was over.”
I shook my head, trying to shake the desolation buried in the far corner of my soul. “He never held my hand as we walked, or kissed me goodbye. It felt as if I was invisible.” I suppressed a sob and continued purging, “Gabe made me feel unworthy. Unworthy of his time, his companionship – his love.”
My gut wrenched. “It was the hardest thing I ever did, walking away from my marriage. But I couldn’t settle for that life any longer.”
Chapter Thirteen
Nick
“Dear God,” I breathed, unable to keep my silence any longer. The fool! I could strangle him with my bare hands! How could he inflict this much pain on the woman he was married to and supposedly loved?
But I needed to know this about Natalie if I was going to make her mine. I needed to know what I had to do to take the sadness from her eyes, so that when I looked deep into her soul it was gone – banished forever. I wanted to replace the sadness with joy, with lightness, with passion. I wanted to light the fire in her soul. I wanted to see her passion and fire blazing for me.
Above all, I wanted to wipe her memory of everyone who had come before me. I wanted the chance to make her forget everything that made her sad.
The beast in me wanted to take her in the most primal ways, but I had to bide my time, take it slow.
For now all I could do was to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks, her beautiful face contorted in pain, her eyes still squeezed shut tightly.
“Look at me, Natalie,” I commanded softly.
She did, slowly, as if her lids were too heavy. Tears trembled on her thick lashes.
“Listen to me. Gabriel is a fool. He must have his own demons that have nothing to do with you, yet he projected them on to you because he didn’t know how to deal with them.”
She looked at me, confusion in her face. I had to get through to her. “You are so very beautiful, so worthy of loving,” I breathed, tracing my fingers over her jaw line, her soft wet cheeks, the shell of her ear. Tenderness welled up inside me, filling my heart. I had to let her understand how utterly desirable she was.
“Every time I see you, my heart melts. Just being near you makes my insides go crazy – my heart wants to jump out of my chest…and, my dick, well…” I licked over my parched lips. Best not talk about the raging hard-ons I had just looking at her, imagining being buried deep inside her. I didn’t want to scare her with the intensity of my desire.
“Tonight when I saw you standing there in front of the fireplace, your beauty and grace dazzled me. I had to fight my instincts to not tear this sultry red dress off you with my teeth and ravish your delectable body on the spot.”
My hand caressed the skin on her neck, skimming along the edges of the fabric of her dress, down the delicious V where her breasts dipped. I was burning from the inside, my fingers trembling slightly as they brushed over the peaks of her breasts.
I groaned. “The gentleman in me is having a really hard time controlling the beast within me. I want you so much it hurts.”
Her eyes widened.
She has no fucking idea what she does to me.
Her full lips opened slightly as she gasped, glistening in the glow of the fire. I had to taste them – now. I leaned in and sucked those luscious lips into my mouth, sipping at them. The fire roared from my gut to my chest, igniting every nerve ending along the way.
As luxurious as the fabric of her dress felt, I wanted to feel her bare flesh. I pulled at the tie. Her dress fell open, and it was my turn to gasp as I drank in everything about her. Her full breasts spilled over the sides of a sexy black satin and lace bra, which barely contained her sweet flesh, her nipples straining against the fabric. I sucked in a breath at the sheer beauty of her smooth lily-white skin, begging for my lips and hands to worship her.
“So fucking beautiful,” I growled, my heart hammering in my chest as I undid the clasp behind her back and slid the bra off her arms. Her berry pink nipples puckered as the cold air hit them, causing my cock to jerk in my pants.
My hands reverently floated over her creamy soft skin, sending tingles of pleasure up my spine. An overwhelming urge to feel the weight of those sumptuous breasts filled me, so I gently cupped them, stroking over her pebbled nipples with my thumbs. She trembled. I knew it wasn’t because she was cold. Her eyes were the deepest inky blue I had ever seen, intense longing radiated from them as we gazed at one another.
I liked what I saw.
She wants me as much as I want her.
My head dipped to her breasts. Desperate to taste her, I sucked a nipple into my eager mouth and felt it harden under the onslaught of my tongue, I rolled her free nipple between my fingers, plying it like putty. God, that soft moan...
Covering her other breast, I kissed and sucked at her skin as I went between them. I lightly nipped the tight bud and felt her stiffen for a second before a moan escaped her lips. I lavished my tongue on her nipple, easing the sting I knew she felt.
Natalie’s fingers twisted and pulled the strands of my hair as she tried to contain her pleasure. She arched her back, allowing me to take as much of her breast into my mouth as was possible. She wanted more.
Hastily I pushed the dress down her hips and legs till it pooled at her ankles. She lifted her legs and kicked the dress to the side. My breath hitched. I wanted to devoured her. She was even more beautiful wearing only a scrap of black satin and lace to cover her feminine mound. The contrast between the black fabric and her soft white skin sent my blood rushing, whooshing in my ears. I simply have to taste her.
Kissing my way down her belly, my tongue dipped into her belly button, circling slowly as I worked to rid her of her panties. She lifted her bottom to help me, and I groaned loudly as her mound rose up toward me. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I knelt down in front of her as she pressed back into the cushions. She closed her eyes, licking her lips – still swollen from when I had sucked at them, glistening in the light. But I wanted her feminine lips now – to taste her essence.
Her legs parted, exposing her core to my hungry eyes. All the air squeezed from my lungs as I shoved my hands under her ass, gripping the soft flesh, digging my fingers in hard. A gravelly moan escaped my lips as she opened her legs and I saw how wet and swollen she was, ready for me. I slipped my tongue between her wet folds, delighted by her unique taste.
“Ahh, you taste so sweet!” I mumbled as I sipped at her sweet nectar. Her clit was hard as stone; I circled it langorously with my tongue, enjoying her moans – louder now – edging me on to pleasure her. She arched her back, pushing her mound up for me to take her fully. I greedily obliged.
Taking the lashings from my tongue, she slid down the cushions and placed her legs over my shoulders so I could have even better access to her. Her breath hitched as I plunged my tongue into her soft core, fucking her with it. She writhed, tilting her mound higher, moving her hips in unison to the rhythm of my tongue.
“Nick,” she groaned.
“Come for me, baby,” I croaked, hardly coherent, as I felt her core tighten.
She let out a cry, then my name as she shuddered under my mouth. I went back to her clit, licking with long strokes, encouraging every last spasm from her body.
“So good,” she moaned, her voice husky and sexy as hell. I chuckled – that was exactly what I wanted to hear.
I lifted from my knees and bent over to kiss her.
Natalie smiled seductively at me, and my heart did a summersault. “Thank you for making me feel beautiful,” she whispered.
My gaze slid over her body; a fine mist covered her skin, making it glow in the soft light of the fire. She triggered something primal in me that I couldn’t resist.
“That’s because to me you are the most beautiful woman in the world.” I grinned sheepishly. I wasn’t done with her yet; my cock strained against my zipper in agony, aching to get inside her. She must have seen the depth of my desire for her in my eyes, for she drew in a sharp breath.
Her fingers were at the buttons of my shirt, trembling slightly as she undid them. I was desperate to get out of my clothes, to sink myself into her slick hotness, so I helped her by unbuckling my trousers and slipping them off quickly. She gasped as she looked down at my arousal tenting my boxer shorts. I imagined her mouth around my cock, and it twitched in anticipation. I was so hot for her I would probably start coming as soon as I slid into her wetness.
My mouth went dry as she reached down and slid her hand under the waistband of the boxers, the back of her hand brushing over my skin. Fuck, it felt so good.
Ding Dong. The doorbell. Our heads jerked toward the sound in unison. Who the hell…? Raucous giggling followed.
No! Not now!
Natalie’s eyes widened, but she gained her composure first. She scrambled to her feet, grabbed her clothing off the floor and rushed down the passageway, looking for the bathroom.
“Just a minute!” I growled as I looked down at my erection, still half-mast and definitely not ready to settle down. What the fuck was I going to do about that?
I pulled my shirt back on as well as my pants, rearranging my dick so it lay flat against my pelvis. It throbbed painfully, screaming for release. I grabbed a thick sweater hanging on the hook in the entrance hall and pulled it over my head to hide the lump in my pants. The lump in my throat was going to be harder to disguise.
Frustration seething, I combed my hands through my hair and padded my way to the door. The two young ladies burst in giggling. What the fuck? My driver, Hank, stood behind them. I shot him a look to kill. Why had he brought them back this soon? I had given clear instructions to not be disturbed. I needed time, alone, with Natalie. Now they were standing here on my doorstep. Damn.
Hank sensed my anger and quickly explained, “They were having too much to drink, sir. And then two gentlemen approached and invited them to go home with them. I thought it safer to deposit them back here, even if it was a bit early, to be on the safe side.”
“Thank you, Hank. It was the right decision given the circumstances,” I acknowledged with a nod. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief and tipped his cap as he retreated.
“You, young ladies, come inside,” I ordered.
Olivia stumbled inside, nearly tripping over her own feet. Sarah thought it was hilarious and laughed out loud, snorting. I could see why Hank was concerned. They were plastered.
“My mother…where is she? I don’t want her to see me like this…” Olivia slurred.
“Take Olivia to the guest room,” I instructed Sarah as I put an arm around Olivia to steady her. She squeezed my bicep with both of her tiny hands.
“Oh, what strong arms you have, Nick. No wonder my mother likes you.” She started another bout of uncontrollable giggling.
“Sick. I'm going to be sick,” Sarah wailed, her complexion a shade of green. I grabbed her around the waist and dragged them both to the guest bathroom.
Natalie came down the passageway. “What’s going on here?” Her gaze shot to the girls, and she instantly knew the answer. She jumped forward, caught and lifted her daughter’s hair just as Olivia lurched forward and hurled into the basin. Sarah wriggled free from my grip and sank down to the floor, hugging the toilet as she vomited into it.
I watched, stupefied. I’d never seen Sarah drunk. She went out and partied, but I had never seen her slaughtered like this. Usually she had a few drinks, but she was always a perfectly behaved young lady. I shook my head in disbelief.
“A wet cloth please, Nick?” Natalie's soft words floated through the fog in my brain. I jumped into action and found the basket with facecloths, running two of them under cold water. I followed her lead and wiped Sarah’s face with the wet cloth as she wiped Olivia’s.
After a while, the girls settled down and we virtually dragged them to the spare bedroom, depositing each of them into a double bed. The girls were out cold.
Pulling her into my embrace, I wrapped my arms around Natalie. She rested her head on my shoulder, fisting my sweater as she trembled. “I've never seen Olivia like this. I'm afraid, Nick. This isn’t just getting drunk. The way they are passed out cold suggests something else happened.”
“What do you mean?” I was a street wise guy, but never having had kids of my own, I wasn’t used to handling situations like these.
“Drugs. I mean drugs,” she whispered, dread in her voice.
My stomach lurched. “You don’t think they took drugs, do you? I don’t think Sarah does drugs – at least I didn’t think she did. This is serious.”
“Their drinks could have been spiked,” Natalie choked out. “Just think what could have happened to them if Hank hadn’t brought them home…”
“Hush, little one. They are safe here with us now. We will take care of them together. And I promise you I will get to the bottom of this. I’ll find out what happened to them. And if somebody deliberately tried to hurt them, so help me, he will be one sorry son of a bitch.” I hugged her tighter, determined to protect them all. These three women meant the world to me, I wasn’t going to stand by and watch some assholes hurt them. The fuckers would all pay if they hurt my girls.
“Thank you,” Natalie breathed in my neck. “I really appreciate it. Gabe would kill me if something happened to Olivia.”
