Текст книги "Stripped"
Автор книги: Lauren Dane
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
CHAPTER NINE
Dahlia got up and out of Roseanne’s first thing the next morning. She moved through her day in a daze, not really hearing anything anyone said. Finally, at four, she drove home on autopilot, relieved and saddened that Nash’s GTO wasn’t in her lot anymore.
Slumping up the stairs, she let herself into her apartment and tossed her bag to the side only to jump three feet in the air when Nash spoke from where he was sitting on her couch.
“Are you all right?”
He looked tired. Sad. A tiny bit lost. And, damn the man, he still looked handsome and sexy.
“Your car is gone! What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded, arms crossed over her chest.
“Dahlia, please listen to me. I’m sorry you heard William say that. I know you must feel hurt being spoken of like you were just a cheap lay but…”
“I was so stupid. I should have known better. I knew what you were and I fell for it, anyway. It’s my fault, really, for thinking that a playboy who fucked everything willing would have real feelings for me other than wanting to bang me.”
He stopped like he’d been slapped. Storming over to her, he grabbed her up and tossed her gently on the couch. “You’re going to sit there and listen to me. Yes, you are stupid, Dahlia. You’re so fond of talking about how everyone judges you and how you’re so hurt by stereotypes, but you continue to hold on to this stereotype about me that isn’t true anymore. I have never, ever, given you any reason to doubt my feelings and commitment to you.” He began to pace and she watched him warily.
“I want you to name one instance, other than the first time I hit on you, that I’ve treated you badly. Made you feel anything less than like the woman I love. Yes, that’s right, Dahlia Baker, I love you. Even though you’re difficult and prickly and you have a major stick up your ass about my money. So go on. Tell me and if you can come up with one time I’ve acted like a playboy out to fuck anything willing—other than you—I’ll walk out that door and never bother you again.”
He sat on the chair across the room, staring at her with his arms crossed.
Standing up, she went to the kitchen and got herself a bottled water and went back to sit down, tossing him one as well.
He was right. Aside from that crap in William’s office and the first time he hit on her, he’d been genuine and caring with her. Made her feel beautiful and respected and, yes, loved. He’d cheered her on with her new job and had appreciated how much she loved the creative outlet of dancing at The Dollhouse. As it turned out, not very playboy-on-the-make at all.
Putting her head in her hands, she leaned forward. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I judged you the same way people have judged me all my life.”
She looked up at him and saw the unshed tears in his eyes.
“But it still doesn’t excuse you talking about me like I was a whore.”
Staying in the chair, he stared at her. “Even after all of the stuff you said, you still don’t trust me. William was the one who said all that shit. Who did you hear talking, Dahlia?”
“Both of you! William said most of it, but I heard you say Lara had a point!”
“She did! About me having a responsibility, about us being from different backgrounds. My responsibility was to make sure everyone knew what you mean to me. But you didn’t even let me explain. You just jumped to some kind of conclusion that I was an asshole just using you. I haven’t done anything to make you feel that way, and I’m sick and goddamned tired of you being so defensive and distrusting when I’ve gone out of my way to show you how much I treasure you!”
She blinked in the face of his anger. He’d never been that way with her before. He’d always just accepted her defensiveness and her moodiness with his laid-back calm.
“What have I done to deserve to be treated like shit, Dahlia? Haven’t I shown you how much I love you?”
“Why haven’t I met your mother, then? Every time you bring her up, you avoid the subject of us meeting. You talk about your responsibility but doesn’t that prove my point about you hiding me?”
“Damn you, Dahlia!” He stood up and began to pace.
“Why are you trying to push me away? I’m not going to let you do it, but I’m not going to let you continue to punish me for the sins of other men in your past, either. It’s insulting and I deserve more. I’ve given you time. I’ve given you space. I’ve done everything I could to show you how much I care for you. I tell you I want to be sure everyone knows what you mean to me and you turn it around and make it a negative. It’s time for you to give something, too.”
Shaking, she watched him as he moved. Terror gripped her. The idea of losing him made her sick to her stomach. He was right; he had been good to her. She hadn’t given as much as he had and, yes, she’d held on to her fears that he was nothing but a playboy. She supposed it was a way to protect herself if he did turn out to be an ass. It just made her one. But that didn’t explain the mother thing.
“Is this an ultimatum?”
“So she speaks.” One of his eyebrows rose. “Yes, I suppose it is. I won’t let you chase me away totally, but if you can’t trust me, I have to back off. It hurts too much to be with you like this. It’s not right for you to expect me to stay if things are one-sided. But I love you. And, damn it, I am pretty much begging you to be with me.”
She took a deep breath and thought hard.
He sighed. “I’m going to run home and clean up. I need to make some calls. Why don’t you think about it and if you can be with me and give me your trust, come to me. You know the code to my penthouse. I love you, Dahlia. With everything I am. I want us to be together. I want you to want that, too.”
He looked at her one last time and left.
She sat, staring at the door for what seemed like an hour as she replayed their entire relationship from his first insulting pickup line to that moment where he walked out her door.
The laughter, the fear and the pain all flowed over her. She’d been in love with him for months. Her anger at him dissolved because he was right. She was the one who was wrong.
Her lack of trust in him crashed through her. Her doubts, her stupid fucking past, had hobbled her and she’d allowed it. Thought she was so damned strong, but she’d held on to stereotypes to keep herself from truly being happy with this man.
She’d been so wrong. He’d given her his heart, saw her stripped of everything and loved her, flaws and all. And she’d thrown it in his face. She’d run out on him, not even letting him explain, and when he’d tried, she’d yelled at him. She’d been a total coward.
She would not lose him. Nash Emery was hers. Her arrogant, very hot, very sweet man and she meant to make things right. Even if she had to deal with his idiot of a brother and get to the bottom of this crap about his mother.
Standing up, she went into her bathroom and showered, changing into the dress he’d given her for Christmas. Pulling a coat on over it, she headed to him.
Still shaking, she took a deep breath, pressed the entry code into the elevator and rode it to his penthouse.
* * *
It had been the hardest thing Nash had ever done, walking out on Dahlia. He’d watched her shake and tremble. Had known how upset and shaken she was, but his outrage and hurt had trumped his concern for her. He deserved respect and trust and he had to demand it. They had a future together, he knew she knew that. But they wouldn’t last if she didn’t let go of the last bit of her fear and trust him to love her.
An hour passed with no word from her, and he began to worry. What if he’d pushed her away completely? He did need to explain about his mother—he should have done so at her place. What if she used that to hold him back?
Well, fuck that! He’d go back over there and make her listen. Damned stubborn female!
His heart skipped a beat when the concierge called him to let him know Dahlia had arrived and was on her way up. Taking a deep breath, he went to the doors to let her inside.
When the elevator opened, she stepped out and he saw she was wearing the red stilettos he’d given her for Christmas. That was promising, wasn’t it?
Her smile was hesitant and he saw the emotion on her face. He held out his hand and she reached out, taking it, and he knew they had a fighting chance. But also knew he’d have to hold strong.
“Hi.”
She smiled and he led her into his place. When she took off the coat, he saw she was wearing the Chanel dress.
“I know, I’m overdressed. But I thought—” She shook her head and exhaled sharply. “I don’t know what I thought. It seems stupid now.”
“Tell me. You’re not stupid. I’m glad you’re here.”
She reached out, touching his face gently and he leaned into her hand.
“I thought that if I wore this, you’d see that I accepted it. Accepted the part of you, one of the parts, that scared me before.”
“And it doesn’t scare you now?”
“I’m going to try very hard not to let it. I’m sorry, Nash. You were right. I blamed you for what William said. I let my fears grab any little straw to push you away, and that was stupid and wrong. You’ve been so good to me. I do trust you, Nash. I know I haven’t acted like it. But I do, and I’m sorry.”
Letting out the breath he’d been holding, he pulled her into an embrace for long moments, letting the feel of her against him calm him.
He moved to look into her face. “I’m sorry, too. Sorry you had to hear that and sorry that you had enough history to make you wonder about me. I’m not ashamed of you. But I won’t lie. It’ll be difficult when you meet my mother. I didn’t want you to meet her because she’s a hard woman. But that’s about her, not you. I’ve called her and told her about you and how serious things were. I’m giving her time to digest it but made it clear there’s no other option but to accept it.
“You haven’t commented on my telling you I loved you. How…do…aw, hell, do you love me, too, or am I just an idiot?”
Reaching out to touch his cheek, she nodded. “You’re totally an idiot but I do love you. And since I’m an idiot, too, I suppose we’ll be okay. Although the mother thing makes me nervous. I want her to like me.”
Nodding, he kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. “Thank you for loving me. And let’s just take it one day at a time with my mother, okay? Now, before I ravish you, I need to get a few things settled.”
She pouted. “Oh, all right. Speed it up, then. I want to get to the ravishing.”
He sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap, facing him, pushing up her skirt. “This dress is pretty figure-hugging. Not a lot of room to ravish in this thing.”
“This is what you wanted to get straight?” Standing up, she pulled it off and laid it on the chair behind her.
“Holy crap. How am I supposed to concentrate with those tits staring me in the face?”
“Get to it already!”
“I think you should move in with me. We can get a place together. The penthouse isn’t a home and your apartment is too small for me to have an office.”
Dahlia’s heart pounded erratically. “I don’t know what to say!”
“Yes, you do. You want to say yes, but you’re afraid.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, so I want to say yes but I’m afraid.”
“See? How hard was that? I’m afraid, too. So there. I made an appointment with a Realtor for Sunday afternoon. Don’t argue, we’ve already agreed you want to say yes and we’ll get through the fear stuff together. My plan is lots and lots of sex.”
“You’re really pushy. But since I quit my job at the Dollhouse, I’ll have Sundays free. Of course I won’t have a lot of money. Certainly not enough to buy a house in your price range.”
“The second thing is that you’ll stop freaking about my money. I have it and you don’t. Yet. But you will when you start working full-time at Tate. Not as much as me because, well, I have a shitload of cash, but stop being so damned sensitive about it. Anyway, the house can be your wedding present.”
She gaped and he laughed. “Still scarring my ego, Dahlia. Give a guy a break. I love you and you love me. We’re moving in together. We’ve been together for six months. Let’s just say we’re getting married New Year’s. If you find out something terrible about me that’s a deal breaker like you hate my laundry soap or something, you can back out. If not, marry me on New Year’s.”
“You know, Nash, subtlety is utterly lost on you. Yesterday I was just your girlfriend, but now you want to set up house and marry me?”
“We’ve already established my greed. But I’m charming, good in bed, a good provider. And I love you. I want you to be happy and I want to be the one who makes that happen.”
“I hate when you’re charming and I’m utterly helpless against it.”
“You’re so romantic, Dahlia. Is that a yes?”
Sighing dramatically, she nodded. “If I say yes, will the ravishment take place sooner?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Dahlia, this is serious. I love you. I want to be with you. I want to plan this wedding and have our house and build a life together. I want you to agree because you want it, too.”
Her heart softened. “I love you so much it scares me. There’s nothing to hide behind with you. I feel naked. Vulnerable. This is all so wonderful, I’m afraid it’ll go away tomorrow.”
“I’m not going anywhere. We’ll work out the rough spots. There will be rough spots, I know that. I choose you. I told William that yesterday and I told my mother that this morning. I want you to always know you’re first with me. We’re first. Make a pledge to stand with me and do the same and we will make this work.”
“Oh, God, I’m causing trouble with your family already!”
“If there’s trouble, it’s not your choice or your problem. But I have faith because you’re impossible not to like. If she doesn’t, you’ll hold your own because I’ll be there right beside you. Where a husband should be. Come on, Dahlia. I’m calling, let’s see those cards.”
She threw her arms around him. “You’re stuck with me. I’ll sign a prenup but I’m keeping my last name.”
“Hyphenate and no prenup.”
“Okay, let’s not negotiate this right now. I’ve been promised ravishment and you’ve provided exactly none. We can’t seal the deal without a meeting of the pink parts so let’s get ravishing.”
“You’re a very bossy woman.”
“Yeah? But you can put a stripper pole in our bedroom and you’ll get a great show. I’m totally worth it.”
Leaning forward, he pressed his face into the softness of her breasts briefly before laying his head on the back of the couch.
“Take the rest of your clothes off, Dahlia.”
“At last. I was beginning to think you were all hat and no cattle if you know what I mean.” She stood, taking her panties off, shimmying out of her bra. Reaching up, she pulled the clip from her hair and it fell around her shoulders.
Looking up at her, he took it all in. The long lines of her body, the lush thighs and breasts, the curves, the inky blue-black curls that tumbled around her face—she was the total package. But more than that, her brains, her sense of humor and her strength of character along with her love of cars made her perfect for him. He didn’t lie to himself; her looks and innate sensuality had drawn his attention from day one, but it was the inside of Dahlia Baker that kept it and made him yearn to know more.
One-handed, he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pulling his already-hard cock out and lazily stroking it.
“That’s nice. There’s something really hot about watching the way you hold your cock.” Her eyes greedily watched his every move.
He grinned. “Something else we have in common. I like watching the way you hold my cock, too. See, it’s meant to be. Go into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. I’ll be right behind you.”
With an extra sway to her hips, she sashayed past him and into the bedroom. He heard her settle onto the bed and when he walked into the room he was naked, too. And ready for some serious ravishment.
Pulling up a chair, he spun it and sat on it backwards, arms draped over the back, watching her avidly.
“All that talk of watching made me hungry for it. You’ve made yourself come when I’ve been inside you but I haven’t watched you do it. And I think that’s what I’d like to do now. Show me, Dahlia. Show me what you do when I’m away.”
She blushed, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment. “All right.” Reaching out, she slid open the drawer to his bedside table and rustled through it until she pulled out a vibrator. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mumbled, rolling a condom over it.
“I’m so glad you are. Even more glad I had that genius idea to keep a vibrator here to use on you. You have no idea how sexy you are, do you? You wreck me, Dahlia. I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wanting to touch you. Each time I find out something new about you it just adds to your allure. You like to be watched, we both know it. Give me a show, baby.”
She shivered at being known so well and settled onto her back, her head on the pillows so she could look at him.
Slowly, her fingertips played over her nipples. Just a feather-light touch at first before beginning to roll and tug them. Her eyelids slid shut as bursts of heat began to spark and spread through her body.
Reaching out, she grabbed the vibe and turned it on, the low hum filling the room. Dahlia heard Nash moan softly when she lubed the tip of it and drew it over her nipples.
“Warming lube,” she gasped and he swore under his breath. Her body smoldered and her limbs grew heavy as her pussy bloomed and slicked with desire. Knowing he watched her added to the excitement.
She drew two fingers around her nipple and put them into her mouth, smiling when she saw his reaction, his knuckles white as he gripped the chair back. “Tastes like cinnamon.”
“I remember.”
She got to her knees and then on all fours, drawing the vibrator slowly toward her pussy.
“Wait, I can’t see it all.” Standing, he moved to her, sitting on the bed behind her so he had an unobstructed view of her pussy and of her face in the mirror over the dresser across from the bed. “Much better.” Her eyes met his and watched his face change as she slid the vibrator into herself.
Her nipples brushed the blankets as she moved, ass up, head down to angle the vibrator better and to reach her clit. She wouldn’t last long; his eyes on her and this position would bring her off quickly.
The lube warmed her pussy, made her clit slick and tingly as she flicked it with the tip of her middle finger. Her breath came quick and short.
She caught the blanket between her teeth as she cried out when climax slammed into her body. She rode it, vibe still deep inside her until she felt Nash behind her, slowly pulling it out and replacing it with his cock.
“That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Holy shit, Dahlia. Do you really masturbate that way?” His voice was strained as he settled himself behind her and began to thrust in short, hard digs.
“Yes. Oh, God, yes. It’s almost like getting fucked. I love coming with a cock buried inside my pussy.”
He swore again. “Do you fantasize about me when you do it?”
“Yes. Even before we went out I had to come home and masturbate every damned time I saw you at the club. But fantasy has nothing on the real thing.”
Hands gripping her hips tightly, he began to fuck into her body with a rhythm that told her he’d be there a while. She closed her eyes and fell into herself, letting it just be about that moment. She’d deal with the enormity of what had happened over the past twenty-four hours afterward. But for then, it was about Nash and Dahlia.
Her body parted around his, making room for the inexorable invasion of his cock. She was made for him, for this. And the admission of that point didn’t scare her as much as it had before. With his hands holding her, anchoring her, she felt safe. Safe to feel everything he made her feel. Without guilt and without shame.
Nash looked down at each bump in the curve of her spine, at the creamy curves of her waist and hips. He couldn’t see her face but he suspected she was as near overwhelmed as him by what had passed between them. In a way he was glad to be able to close his eyes and remember how she’d looked as she’d brought herself off just for him. What a turn-on and what a gift she’d given him of such intimacy!
Her pussy clutched at him, hugging his cock in a heated embrace. The cool, soft skin of the back of her thighs brushed against the hair on his thighs as she squirmed back against him, meeting his thrusts.
If he hadn’t been gripping her hips so tightly, he was sure his hands would be trembling. This was his woman. No longer just the woman he was with, he was hers and she was his and that made it different somehow.
A long, low groan came from her and he leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. “You okay, baby?”
“The heat,” she gasped. “The lube has warmed me up. Each time you push into me it feels amazing.”
“I want to fuck you without a condom. Very soon.” He yearned to feel her pussy, naked against his cock.
“Soon. Oh, God, please come. Please,” she cried out.
Reaching around her body, he found her clit slippery and begging to be touched and he obliged. Within moments he felt the change in her pussy as her inner muscles clenched and fluttered with climax. He continued to stroke into her deep and hard as he tried to resist the siren call of those damned inner muscles, but it was a losing battle. The memories of how she’d looked and sounded as she’d fingered herself and the way she felt then rushed through him.
Pushing one last time as deeply into her as he could, pleasure exploded around him as he came.
After long moments, they fell to the mattress and he moved away for a few seconds, coming right back to pull her body against his.
“I love you, Dahlia.”
She moved to face him. “I love you, too, Nash.”
* * * * *
