He knew his end game.
She would be moving with him to Penmort. He would take care of her, giving her the life he felt she should have. And he’d be certain to maintain that life for her even after it was time for him move on.
He would, when the time was right, explain all this to her.
But not before she let him in.
Completely.
Or, of course, if he lost patience.
His hand smoothed over her, sliding up her nightgown then running down her naked hip. She hadn’t replaced her underwear after he’d taken her last night, demanding first that she stand beside the bed as he sat on its edge, his hands moving over the silk of her gown, pulling it up and then tugging down her panties until she stepped out of them. He hadn’t removed her nightgown when he’d fucked her last night and he wouldn’t do it now. He liked the sleek feel of the expensive silk. It further aroused him that he’d given it to her.
His hand moved over her belly, then down to the juncture between her legs and he found her.
She woke instantly, her soft, morning voice breathing his name.
At the sound and its effect on his body, Cash curled his other arm around her chest, holding her captive.
Then he listened, his body slowly, exquisitely tightening in response as he brought her to climax with his hand, all the while controlling her as she alternately pressed into his hand and struggled against his arm, trying to turn to him.
When he took her to the edge, her head twisted and only then did he lift his own to press his mouth against hers and absorb her moans.
But he wasn’t finished.
While she still trembled through her climax, he turned her to her back and kept at her with his hands, mouth and tongue until he could take no more and knew, from the urgency she was using her own hands, mouth and tongue, that she couldn’t either.
Only then did he enter her, his strokes fierce and uncontrolled, their mouths attached, tongues duelling alternating with teeth biting at each other’s lips. He knew he was close and it would be, as it always was with Abby, magnificent.
He listened to her sharp intake of breath. Her calf, with her thigh pressed into his side, curled around his back, her other leg wrapped around his thigh. He felt her convulse around him at the same instant his mind erased and his world centred on nothing but their sweet, tight, wet connection.
Then he came.
It was moments after, when Cash’s face was buried in her neck, his tongue tasting her that his world opened but only to allow all of Abby back in, her legs and arms tight around him, the feel of her breath against his neck, the scent of her sex in his nostrils.
It was then his life as he knew it shattered.
Because, softly, huskily, honestly, she whispered, “It’s never been this good.”
His body froze even as he felt triumphant adrenalin shoot through him, electrifying his whole system.
And under him, he felt her body freeze too.
But it was for an entirely different reason.
With body frozen solid, Cash’s all-of-a-sudden still form wrapped tight in her limbs, Abby listened to the stark silence in the dark room and wondered if she’d just done what she thought she’d just done.
That was, utter her true, supposed-to-be-buried-deep feelings out loud.
Cash’s head came up and Abby’s tense body grew even tenser, so tense it felt like it would splinter into a million pieces.
“What did you say?” Cash asked, his burr rougher than normal and not, Abby reckoned, because he’d just had an orgasm.
Yes, she had indeed uttered her true, supposed-to-be-buried-deep feelings out loud.
Her emotional warrior threw up her hands in disgust.
Jumping straight to damage control, Abby decided to play stupid, hoping it would fool him since she was stupid. Beyond stupid. Phenomenally stupid.
“What?” she asked.
Cash didn’t hesitate before repeating, “What did you say?”
Abby stayed with her stupid tactic. “Did I say something?”
There was silence a moment then Cash’s hand came to the side of her face, his thumb sliding along her bottom lip. When he spoke, his voice was even rougher, so much rougher it was harsh, yet sweet and warm, just like when he asked her forgiveness.
“Darling,” he started slowly, “repeat what you just said.”
Abby decided playing stupid wasn’t getting her anywhere so her next tactic would be escape.
She tried to move away but this didn’t work either because, firstly, Cash was strong, secondly, he was heavy and thirdly, he was still inside her.
So when his whole body tensed around her, his hips bucked and she had to bite her lip to hold back a whimper of pleasure.
When she stilled, Cash spoke, “You’re not going anywhere, love, until you talk to me.”
Fear started seeping into her pores and Abby decided to try a different tactic. “Don’t you need to get to work?”
There was another moment of silence before he demanded again, “Talk to me.”
Abby felt desperation creeping in along with the fear and therefore lied, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Anything that’s the truth,” he replied immediately. “For instance, what you just said.”
“Cash, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Abby lied again and struggled underneath him but he contained her struggles with minimal effort.
When she stopped struggling, he spoke. “You know what I’m talking about.”
Her voice was higher, but cooler, denoting her fear and burgeoning anger (directed at her own stupid self) when she replied, “I don’t.”
“You do,” he insisted.
“I don’t!” she snapped and shoved at his shoulders but he only moved back an inch and then pressed in again.
With what he said next, Cash, Abby noted, also switched tactics.
“What do you fear?” he asked, making it clear he knew exactly what Abby wasn’t even allowing herself to understand.
Angry and now panicked, Abby ordered, “Get off.”
“Tell me what scares you,” Cash demanded.
“Get off!” she shouted and struggled anew.
This time he controlled her struggles not physically, but verbally.
“You said it’s never been this good.”
At the reminder of her words, Abby went still.
Deciding to run the full gamut of personalities in the hopes of making him think she was insane which, she told herself at that moment, would be a good thing, she feigned confused innocence. “I did?”
“You did,” he returned firmly and she knew he saw through her completely.
“Well, I’d just –” she started to explain or, more honestly, lie but he cut her off.
“No, don’t,” he said and she felt his eyes remain on her briefly in the shadows before his face went into her neck and he repeated on a whisper, “Don’t.”
She closed her eyes tight but he continued speaking and what he said next did what she thought would happen earlier.
It splintered her soul into a million pieces, in one fell swoop, taking all her puny defences with it.
“I’ll wait, darling. We have all the time in the world.”
At these words, Abby’s mind erased.
As if someone else was experiencing it, she felt his lips touch the hinge of her jaw then his head came up. The heat of his eyes was on her and his thumb stroked her cheekbone before his mouth touched hers softly then he gently pulled out of her and exited the bed. He tugged the covers over her and walked across the room.
She saw a sliver of light come from the bathroom before the door shut.
Mind perfectly blank, she took hold of his pillow, curled around it, pressing her face to it and closing her eyes, willing herself into denial, telling herself she’d forget, he’d forget, what just happened didn’t happen, they’d move on from here.