Have Me (Stark Trilogy, #3.6)(20)

“Do you understand?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Does that bother you?”

I think about it, then shake my head. “No,” I say truthfully. “It makes me feel safe. I have no more secrets from you.” I’m not entirely sure that Damien can say the same thing. And, yes, there was a time when that would have bothered me, but no more. I will happily spend the rest of my life peeling back the layers of this man.

He watches my face for a moment, as if trying to convince himself that I am being forthright. Then he nods. “I’m going to have my attorneys deal with this bullshit.”

“Damien—”

“No. It’s your lawsuit, and I get that. But you don’t have a litigator on retainer, and I have an entire team. I am not coddling you, but I am helping you.” He cups my chin. “Okay?”

I glance down to where our bodies intersect, then look up at him with a cocked eyebrow. “You pick the strangest times to have these conversations.”

“It’s the mark of a good businessman.” The corner of his mouth curves up. “Find your opponent’s weakness and exploit it.”

I roll my eyes.

“Okay?” he asks. And because I am not a fool, I nod.

The truth is, before, I simply wanted to hide. To make it all go away. But Damien has reminded me that I am not alone. More than that, he’s reminded me that I’m stronger than I think.

Even better, I am stronger with him.

I want to say all that to him, but instead I simply say, “I love you.”

He pulls me forward to catch me in a kiss, and I take the opportunity to shimmy a bit on his lap. “What was it you said about how we were going to be landing soon? Maybe I should stay like this for touchdown. Might be interesting.”

“Maybe you should,” he says, and for a moment, I think he means it.

Then he pinches my ass. “Then again, that probably violates some FAA regulation. Best not to tempt fate. Besides, I believe Katie’s been keeping dinner warm for us.”

Again, I’m reminded that she is just past that little door and could come in at any time.

Once again reading my mind, Damien glances up, silently reminding me of the privacy button. It has ensured that she didn’t come in. But at the same time, my cheeks heat with the certainty that she knows exactly what is going on in here.

“We are newlyweds, after all,” Damien says. “And to be honest, I don’t think I’m quite finished working up an appetite.”

“Oh, really?” I say, lifting myself a bit and then lowering, slowly at first and then gradually increasing speed. “And what is it you’re hungry for, Mr. Stark?”

“Funny you should ask.” He takes my hips and guides me, increasing the tempo and impaling himself deeper and harder inside me. “Right now, the only thing I’m interested in is you.”

“Good.” I put my hands on his shoulders, letting our rhythm build and our passion grow. Our eyes are locked, and neither of us looks away, both too entranced by the storm that we are building in each other.

“There,” he says, as if he feels what I feel. As if he saw within me that electrical sensation spreading down my inner thighs, a precursor to the explosion.

But I see it inside him, too. More, I feel it in the way his cock hardens, in the quickened rhythms of his thrusts. My body responds in kind, tightening around him. Giving as much as I am taking and moving faster and faster in a sensual dance that breaks us both into a frenzied explosion of light and passion.

“Damien.” His name is a cry, a prayer, and as I cling to him, my body shaking as the storm rips through me, I hear my name, too, as Damien’s release fills me, and then there is silence as his mouth closes over mine and he kisses me feverishly until we both pull away, spent and gasping for air.

“Well,” I say, after my body stops quivering. “I think I’ve got one hell of an appetite now.”

“Funny,” he says. “I’m still only hungry for you. But I suppose nutrition counts for something.” He gently lifts me off him, then reaches for my robe to clean us both off. I raise my eyebrows and he chuckles. “You don’t need to put it back on. I’ll toss it in the laundry bin later. And I rather like the idea of watching you walk naked to the stateroom.”

I release what I hope sounds like a snort of disapproval, but is really laughter. And just to show him up, I make my way to the back, adding a little more swish to my hips as I go.

I pause outside the stateroom and look back. He is watching me, his expression full of love and longing, passion and heat.

I breathe deeply, feeling calm and centered. Yes, there’s a lawsuit, and yes, that sucks. But that’s just a blip. A chapter in the book of my life. Hell, a footnote.

Damien is the whole story. And our life together is epic.





[page]Chapter 9


As it turns out, we don’t just take a limo to the hotel. We first take a helicopter from the airport to a helipad in the city center. I’ve done many things with Damien, but so far we’ve not commuted by helicopter. And, yeah, I’m a little giddy.

I lean toward the window, one hand on the glass, the other tight in Damien’s hand, and watch as the pilot brings the bird down gently. After just a few more moments, the staff has unloaded our bags and is escorting us to a waiting limo. It’s smooth and seamless and definitely one of the perks of traveling with Damien.