Page 11

CHAPTER 11

K nock , knock , knock

Sephie tensed and shot her gaze toward the door.

Taschen’s smirk eased the tension in her shoulders. “That’s your chocolate cake.” Mischief danced across his face, softening the jagged scar on his cheekbone. He went to the door, greeted the server, then returned a minute later with a silver platter covered in a domed lid. Fancy, rolled-up napkins encompassed what appeared to be forks.

“I forgot,” she confessed, reaching for the dessert.

He steered the platter out of her reach. “In that case, I’ll eat it.”

“Don’t you dare.” She lunged forward, yanking the platter from his greedy hands. “Just for that, you don’t get a bite.”

He belted out a laugh as she flopped on the bed and peeled off the lid. Five layers of decadent chocolate cake sandwiched between chocolate ganache and some kind of caramel made her drool.

“Oh my lord. You picked the daddy cake.” She grabbed a fork and sunk the prongs through all the delicious layers. The lightheartedness of the moment was like soothing lavender cream on hives. She couldn’t joke away what had happened to Clay. Couldn’t forget that he’d suffered. But dammit, she needed a little peace, too.

Even if that peace came in the form of sharing cake and jokes with her tempting bodyguard who had no business occupying so much of her mind’s real estate.

He snorted and stretched out on the bed, lying on his side with his head propped on his fist. “The daddy cake, huh? You’re going to have to explain that one.”

She held up a bite with her fork. “Look at that. What’s there to explain? It’s freaking art—”

He snagged her hand and chomped on the piece of cake. She gasped as he slid his lips leisurely to the tips of the fork and rolled back his eyes. “Sweet Jesus. You’re right. That’s the daddy cake.”

She gaped. “I can’t believe you did that.” She cut off a bigger piece and popped it into her mouth. The fact that they’d shared a fork should have struck her as weird, but it didn’t. Things with Taschen were just... easy. “Oh yeah. That’s amazing.”

He chuckled, his eyes shining .

“Thanks,” she said softly, as she sliced off another chunk of the dessert. “I really needed to laugh.”

His smile fell, and some of the light left his eyes. God, he was handsome. The scars should have intimidated her. Maybe they would have in any other situation. But every serious line of his face, every healed battle wound, and every tattoo peeking out from beneath his sleeves taught her something new about him and also left her yearning for more.

The somber look in his eyes grew heavier. “Are you really going to eat another bite without sharing?” Disdain and contempt flattened his question.

Sephie chuckled. “Yes, it’s all mine!” She brought the fork to her lips, but he was on her.

Now on his knees in front of her, he caught her wrist in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist as he fought to bring the piece of cake, shaking on the end of the fork, to his lips.

“Don’t you dare,” she bellowed, but she was laughing as crumbs fell on the pristine bedding.

He slurped the chocolate into his mouth and grinned. Cake smattered his even, white teeth.

“Bastard,” she hissed without venom.

His smile, so bright and genuine, crinkled the skin around his eyes. But something else burned there, too. Desire. Her nerve endings sang and her belly tightened as the gleam in his hazel irises branded her soul.

His hand left her wrist, and he set the fork down on the plate. Without missing a beat, he curled his fingers into the top layer and held the mouthwatering piece up to her.

Hunger churned inside her. Caution roared in the back of her mind, but she kicked the trapdoor shut and closed her lips around his fingers to suck off the sweet, dark treat.

He groaned as she swirled her tongue around his knuckles before removing her mouth. The saltiness of his skin mixed with the sugary confection was explosive and seductive on her tastebuds.

She lifted her eyes to his face and his stare slammed through her. Crimson tinted his cheeks and his mouth was slack. “Sephie, you’re more fucking dangerous than that cake.”

Heat climbed up her neck and sparks shot through her nerves. She wanted him. It wasn’t just the blinding lust pulsing in her loins. It was more than that. With Taschen, she could be playful, effortlessly. But if she’d ever needed to use sex as a distraction from real-life problems, it was now.

His body tensed and his hands flexed at his sides as if holding back. If he let go, just touched her without hesitation, she’d be all in.

She swallowed as she remembered carelessly leaving her heart on the floor earlier. “You said we couldn’t do this.”

Still on his knees, he slid closer to her. The mattress dipped under his weight, and she had to balance to avoid falling into him.

“I said we shouldn’t .”

He grasped her hip. With his palm on her hip bone, the fingertips of his large hand brushed the waistband at the small of her back. His other hand lifted to brush her hair away from her face. His eyes bore into hers, blazing intensity. “But I was wrong.” The words came out gravelly.

A shiver raced down her spine. “You don’t have to do this just because I kissed you.”

His lips slid into a one-sided smirk. “Honey, I don’t do anything I don’t want. And I don’t want you to either.” The last part came out serious. Strained.

She dragged her hand up his forearm all the way to the bulging muscles in his shoulder. She leaned closer and brought her mouth an inch from his. “I want you, Taschen.” Her words shook even though she’d never been surer of anything in her life.

He closed the distance between them. He pulled her against him and captured her mouth with his. The warm, hard muscles of his abdomen teased her fingers. The hand on her hip held her in place as his tongue swept between her teeth. The taste of chocolate and caramel was erotic as hell.

She tipped back her head, allowing him entry. His warm, slick heat and the gentle abrasion of his five-o’clock shadow sent tingles over her flesh .

His lips moved expertly over hers. Her toes curled. God, she could kiss him for days. His hand moved to grip her ass. His fingers roamed over her leggings and between her cheeks.

A moan rolled off the back of her tongue.

“Mmm.” He moved his head back and stared down at her. His hand rested on the side of her neck, his thumb beneath her jaw. “You’re so beautiful, Sephie.”

Emotion clashed inside her like two rams fighting. One animal wanted her to go all in, to ride out the desires that’d been festering since she laid eyes on him. The other coiled with hesitation, wary of what regrets tomorrow could bring. She scanned his face.

There was compassion in his eyes, and his brow was furrowed. His thumb smoothed her cheek. “We can stop.”

This time the ball was in her court. And dammit, she wanted him there. She shook her head. “I don’t want to stop. I want you.”

“You’re sure?”

Her cheeks tingled. “I feel like you’re trying to back out.”

His gaze darkened. “Never.” He brought his lips back to hers, and she sucked in a breath as his hand moved from her ass to her waist, slipping beneath her shirt. Her nipples tightened. Since she hadn’t put on a bra after her shower, her nerves were on edge, waiting for his touch .

His large rough palm slid up her ribcage. He cupped her breast and groaned. “You are so perfect.” He kissed her deeply as his thumb drew lazy circles around her hard nub.

Every cell in her body sang with yearning. Anticipation hissed low in her ears as she focused on the slick flesh of his tongue against hers and the pad of his thumb drawing her tighter into a knot.

She needed more. Her blood raced in her veins as she broke away from his mouth.

His hand stilled on her breast. “What’s wrong?” Concern darkened his expression.

Leaning out of his reach, she lay down on the bed. For a heartbeat, he remained on his knees, his chest rising and falling with every rapid breath. She reached for his hand and tugged. He lowered himself on top of her, his hands framing her face.

Heat blazed from his gaze. But something else hovered there. Patience. He didn’t dive in to devour her mouth. He didn’t start peeling off her pants. He just studied her face as though committing her features to memory. His weight pressed her into the comforter and his warmth coated her from head to toe. She should have been intimidated by his strength, but it only made her eager.

If his physical size was any indication of what lay beneath his pants... she’d need to buckle up for the ride.

His lips brushed her forehead then landed on her cheek. Then her lips. This time, his tongue didn’t plunge inside. He kissed her slowly despite the minuscule jumps of his muscles against her palms telling her his need was barely reined in.

With his groin nestled against hers, the thin leggings she wore felt more like snowpants. She brought her hands to his sides and inched up his shirt, reveling in every ripped contour.

He grinned. “Can’t keep your hands off me, huh?”

She shook her head. “You’re taking too much time,” she said mockingly.

He pushed off her, placed a hand behind his neck, and pulled his shirt over his head. Each highly defined muscle under his tanned skin flexed.

Her mouth watered. She dragged her fingertips from his flat nipples down to the waistband of his sweats. “How do you maintain all this?” She didn’t hide the wonder in her voice. Such dedication couldn’t be easy.

“A lot of protein and weights. That’s about it.” He lowered her fingers from his skin and brought his hands to her shirt. “Your turn.”

She rolled to a sitting position while he pulled her sweatshirt over her head. She shook her hair free and the cool air touched her bare skin.

“Goddamn,” he growled. His hands moved up her belly and cupped both breasts as he nudged her back down to the mattress. He brought his mouth to her clavicle, nipping and kissing down to her puckered flesh .

He took the tip of her breast into his mouth, and the texture of his tongue called a moan from deep inside her belly. His bare chest touched her flesh, and the skin-to-skin contact sent a charge through her. One of his thick thighs rested between her legs. It took all she had not to grind her throbbing apex against his jogging pants.

Girl, have some class .

But she couldn’t stifle the growing tsunami inside her. She withered against his painstakingly slow ministrations.

His gruff chuckle brought forth a frustrated smile.

“You’re doing this on purpose,” she scolded.

His tongue moved from her breast down to her belly button. The air chilled the wet trail, drawing her nipples even tighter. “Damn right I am.”

“You’re cruel.”

“I can change that.” He curled his fingers into the waistband of her pants and yanked them down her thighs.

She gasped at the quick shift in energy.

“Is this what you want? Fast?” He tossed her leggings over the side of the bed and stared down at her. She pressed her heels into the fluffy duvet as his intent, scrutinizing gaze panned from her face all the way down to her white lace panties.

As if they had a mind of their own, his palms landed on her legs and spread her thighs. Her pulse beat against her temples as she let her legs fall open for him to view. His fingers traced the inner lining of her panties and she rolled her hips on a gasp.

A storm brewed in his eyes. He lifted the edge of the material and glided his knuckle over her folds.

A cry fell from her lips. She gripped the comforter to anchor herself back to the bed.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured.

She closed her eyes as his knuckle hit her clit then nudged apart her opening.

“Taschen,” she cried with a gasp, grabbing his wrist before she came.

“Not yet you don’t.” He removed his hand from her underwear, caught the band at her hips, and pulled the lace off her legs in one swoop.

He slid down so his face was right between her legs.

“Ohmigod.” She pressed her thighs against his shoulders as he kissed her scant millimeters above her center.

She squirmed and grasped his wrists. His hands remained on her hips. “Taschen, please.”

He grinned. “Please what?” He kissed her hood and she dug her nails into his skin. “You want it like that? My tongue on you?”

She gripped his shoulders as he stroked her folds, and her eyes rolled back behind her lids. A moan rumbled from the back of her throat. Pressure spiraled against her pubic bone, the sensation climbing up her body .

He grasped her hips, tilting them back so more of her was revealed, her legs even wider. The erotic image of being spread out like a feast for him to devour sent delicious tremors over her. The gentle sensation of his five-o’clock shadow against her most-sensitive area sent a shockwave of both pain and pleasure over her senses, and her brain didn’t know what it wanted more of.

He flattened his tongue wide over her folds and she cried out. The hot slickness of his flesh on hers was like a balm after his beard. “Oh, don’t stop!” she hissed.

His chuckle only excited her more. He didn’t stop, but he didn’t speed up either. Instead, he worked steadily, licking in between occasional sucks on her clit. The pressure built. Warmth enveloped her core. She bucked and squirmed as new heights of ecstasy almost blinded her. He anchored her to the bed, and as he slid two thick fingers inside her, she detonated.

Sephie arched her back as a rush of energy surged from her center. Her body vibrated in Taschen’s hold. Her eyelids flickered as she rode the rising and falling tide of her orgasm until every last drop was pulled from her. As she returned to earth, Taschen’s gentle touch made her wriggle. He placed a kiss on her stomach then lay on top of her.

His warm breath near her ear and the nuzzling of his mouth against her neck wrapped her in a warm, fuzzy feeling. She bundled her arms around him and reached for the waistband of his pants. Lord help her, she wasn’t done. Taschen had just made her come with the force of a hurricane, but she needed to have him—all of him—inside her.

He pressed his lips to her mouth, and her own musky scent filled her nostrils. Then he pulled away, climbed off the bed, and shoved down his pants and boxer briefs. He grabbed his wallet from a pocket in his pants, and a second later, he produced a condom.

She raked her gaze over the gloriously tanned and toned muscles on display. The lines above his hips tapered down to his jutting appendage. His thick, swollen cock was hard and ready. He tore the foil with his teeth and approached the bed as he rolled the rubber over his length.

Opening her arms, Sephie pulled him on top of her. His chest connected with hers, and the collision of their bodies crackled the air. Desire fissured through her as every strong, firm muscle blocked in around her. His mouth met her lips again, and this time she swiped her tongue between his teeth.

He groaned. She shimmied beneath him, wanting to come again—but this time while he filled her. She reached between them and guided his head to her opening. He pressed against her flesh, her already wet folds begging for another release.

She gasped as he sank deep. His mouth swallowed her moan, and his fingers stroked the side of her face. Her body stretched to fit him, but once he was all the way there, the tantalizing pressure built once again.

He moved gently inside her. “You okay?”

“Yes,” she said. It took all of her effort to meet his eyes and not let her eyelids close on a burst of pleasure.

“Sure?”

“Yes, keep going,” she rasped, her voice distant and desperate. She closed her eyes and locked her arms around his shoulders. He kissed her cheek then her temple before settling his face next to her neck.

He moved in and out in a steady rhythm. With every retreat, part of her clamored to draw him back. Each time he filled her, she cried out. Emotion churned deep inside her as he gave more than he took.

Pleasure swarmed in her abdomen, but it wasn’t enough. Growing impatient, she rocked her hips, matching his thrusts. His warm, damp breath against her ear coupled with his scent heightened her arousal. She stroked his head, savoring every rough edge that carved him. When her touch brushed against the bullet injury, tears rushed to her eyes.

She hadn’t known Taschen then, but the fact that she’d come so close to losing him before she’d even met him made her heart palpitate. She burrowed her face into his shoulder, praying she’d never have to let go of him.

He shifted his angle, adding pressure to her clit, and she gasped. Clinging to his shoulders, she hung on while he rode her. Another deep, full pump brought her over the edge. A long, rough cry tore from her lips as pleasure erupted inside her. The second orgasm made her legs fall open wider, her nails dig into his skin, and tiny lights blip behind her closed lids.

“Sephie, you feel so damn good,” he murmured.

Her heart rate started to slow, but Taschen’s pace increased. He rocked and drove into her until he shuddered in her arms, her name on his lips over and over again.

Sweat collected between them, and his weight became heavier. She nudged him gently, and he lifted his head to meet her stare.

A smile exposed his teeth, and delight flickered in his eyes. He slid his arms beneath her shoulders and rolled onto his back, bringing her right on top of him.

“Ah, hell. I think I like this position better.”

She snorted and swatted his chest. “Not yet, soldier. I need to clean up.”

He grumbled playfully as she slid off the bed. Minutes later, they’d both washed up. Sephie pulled on panties and a T-shirt and Taschen stepped into his briefs .

He picked up the discarded forks and the plate, which had a hunk of cake left. He waved it in front of her. “I’d offer you the daddy cake, but I think you already got it.”

Sephie’s laughter bubbled out. “That might be true, but that cake’s still mine.” She swooped the plate from his hand and curled against the headboard.

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction and... mischief? No, something else. An emotion she couldn’t place but that awakened something buried inside her regardless.

Taschen might be the daddy cake after all.