He shifted position slightly, leaning forward with her legs over his shoulders. “Show me what I do to you, baby.”
She felt more than her body shattering. This time, it felt like her heart wanted to explode, to latch onto him and never let go.
Landry kissed her, tenderly, slowly. “I’ll never betray your trust, love. I swear it. Let me in.”
She felt her release, stealthy and soft, like a too-large soap bubble giving way to a sudden breeze. And all the sweeter for the simple beauty in that connection with Landry. Tilly gasped as she felt it and in two hard thrusts, he joined her.
The tears caught her by surprise. Without withdrawing, he immediately rolled them over, him on his back with her tightly encased by his arms. “That’s it, sweetheart,” he whispered, kissing her forehead as his fingers stroked her spine. “That was so very, very beautiful.”
For a moment she worried she’d hyperventilate as she tried to catch her breath. Never before had that happened like that. Ever.
Not even with Cris.
No triggers, no commands to come, no assistance from a hand, a tongue, or a vibrator. Just his body and those damn fine eyes.
“Please tell me,” he whispered.
She shook her head and buried her face against his chest, not able to talk yet.
He didn’t ask again. He waited her out until she felt reasonably rational. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He sounded amused.
She lifted her head and kissed him. “For marrying me.”
“I think you have that backwards, but as you wish, love. You’re absolutely welcome.”
She stroked his jaw with her fingers, feeling the shadow of stubble already there. What did this mean? That she trusted him more in a few days than she had trusted Cris in years? That she’d been able to let loose with him in a way she never could with Cris?
Why did she feel guilty that in all the years she’d spent with Cris, she’d never been able to achieve that one simple release despite their countless hours of trying.
“It feels like I belong here, with you,” she quietly admitted.
His gaze traveled her face for many long moments before he spoke. “Maybe that’s because you do.”
Chapter Fourteen
Tuesday morning, Tilly finished her work-out to find Cris in the office. He stood at the windows, looking out over the backyard while he engaged in a pretty serious-sounding conversation.
Jeans, barefoot, no shirt, his formal collar, and wrist cuffs. The muscles in his back rippled as he shifted position, still not turning, and lashing out at whoever he spoke to on the phone.
Unbidden, a memory flashed through her mind, of giving him seductive backrubs that always turned into even more seductive lovemaking sessions. His angry voice snapped her out of her reverie.
“That’s not acceptable! We need those numbers finalized by Friday night. That’s been the planned deadline for three months, and no one mentioned we weren’t on target to make it. What’s the problem?”
She leaned in the doorway and listened. He sounded pissed. Obviously, the person on the other end of the cell pressed to Cris’ ear had no idea of how he was dressed or what he’d been subjected to over the past several days.
“No. Get me those numbers, have them by tomorrow night. I’m flying out there Thursday morning. If those numbers aren’t ready for me, we won’t consider renewing your contract.” He hung up and swore, then turned and started when he saw her standing there. “Hey.” His voice softened, gentled.
Slave in the house. Bye-bye Cristo the executive. “You do still own a set of balls. Nice to see.”
She couldn’t help the snark and didn’t want to.
He tossed his cell onto the desk. “They’re going to cost us a very valuable contract if they don’t get me those quarterly stats like they promised.” He scrubbed his face with his hands, then seemed to remember his status as his posture stiffened. His voice changed, deferential. “I’m sorry, Mrs. LaCroux.
Did you need the office? I’ll move my laptop if you want to work in here.”
She shook her head, still not used to hearing that name come from his mouth. “No.”
“What is it?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.” She wasn’t up to having a “conversation” with him yet, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave, either. His brown hair hung to his shoulders, but he kept it neatly trimmed. He brushed his fingers through it, pulling it away from his face.
A thought hit her and she winced. “Goddammit.”
“Ma’am?”
“I need to call Bob and break the news to him.”
He didn’t ask. She looked at him. “You know, you met him. I-don’t-need-you-to-hold-him-for-
me Bob.”
“Ah. Him.”
“Yeah, him. I told Landry he had the world’s suckiest timing. I mean, seriously. I finally met a guy I might…” She remembered who she was talking to. “Never mind. I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”
That gave her a perfect excuse to leave.
She made the call she didn’t want to make and asked Bob to meet her for dinner at a different restaurant than they’d eaten at the week before. Part of her wanted to do nothing more than stay curled up beside Landry in their bed and enjoy their time together before his new round of hell started in the morning.
The fact that Landry understood why she needed to get this done sooner rather than later eased some of her guilt in that regard. At least Cris was home with Landry and helping him with the preparations for tomorrow’s procedure.
It didn’t make her feel any less guilty over what she was about to say to Bob. She nervously waited for him and felt badly that he offered her a hesitant smile when he walked in a few minutes after her arrival.
He knew. She felt it in her gut.
She stood as he approached the table and stepped into his hug as she wistfully wondered how he would have been in bed.
They sat. After the waiter took their drink order, Bob leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “Go ahead and start from the beginning, but I have a feeling I know how this tale will end.”
He nodded toward her left hand.
She looked at the rings there. Still not used to wearing them, she’d forgotten about them. “Shit.
Bob, I’m sorry. It’s a weird story.”
“I’m sure.”
She left out the sex and revenge aspects, and her suspicion that in a few months she would be more than on her way to totally in love with Landry. When she finished, she reached out to touch his hand and he didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry. I know it sounds crazy, but I miss being a nurse. And I can take some time off from the rest of my clients. If you want, I’ll meet you at the club to play when I can.
Just as friends. You know, Bob and Tilly.” She took a deep breath, hoping he’d understand. “It’s not that I don’t want to see you. And I’d totally understand if you’re pissed off or upset. I never wanted to hurt you. I’m so sorry.”
He squeezed her hand and smiled, but he didn’t let go of her. “You’re an incredible woman. Just my dumb luck. What time is the biopsy tomorrow?”
“We have to have him there by eight. Hopefully, he can come home tomorrow afternoon.”
He looked thoughtful. “Lucky man.” His thumb stroked her hand. “A nurse, huh? Promise to torture your ex for me.”
She nodded. “Oooh, yeah. There will be a lot of torture of the not-fun kind coming his way.”