"We havent made love in here yet," she said, smiling at me as she unsnapped her bra and let it drop carelessly to the floor.
"No we havent," I managed to say. When she hooked her fingers in the sides of her panties and started pulling them down, I reached my breaking point. The moment she stepped out of the pink lace I took the two steps separating us and picked her up, and her legs wrapped firmly around me. You couldnt call what our mouths were doing kissing. It was too raw for that. We were taking each other. It was the best description I could think of.
I wanted to take her on my desk but we werent going to make it that far. Not after that striptease. I wasnt even going to be able to enjoy tasting her and touching her. I needed inside her now before I exploded.
I set her down and flipped her around until she was facing the wall. "Brace yourself," I whispered into her ear.
Della leaned forward and placed both her hands against the wall. I took in the sight of her body arched out and my heart slammed against my chest. She was beautiful. Perfect. Grabbing her by the hips, I sank inside of her. The cry of pleasure was so loud I was pretty damn sure Vince had heard it outside at his desk, but I didnt care.
"So good, it always feels so good," I whispered in her ear. The shiver that went over her body made me smile.
"Harder," Della panted, pressing her sweet round ass back against me.
I slammed inside of her and stopped. Buried deep, I leaned forward and caressed her breasts. "You make me crazy, baby. "
Della only moaned and wiggled her bottom. She wanted me to move.
"Its so tight. You feel like heaven. I want to stay right here for fucking ever," I swore, and I meant it. Dellas pussy sucked me like the sweetest mouth Id ever known.
The tight hole I worshipped squeezed me and I froze. Then she did it again. What the fuck? It was like she was pumping my dick. "Holy shit," I growled. She was gonna make me come way before I wanted to. I slid out of her and back in and the squeezing started again. "Baby, youre gonna make me come," I said in a strangled voice. I was fighting back the heat tightening in my cock. I was so close. "Della, baby, stop doing that. Im gonna fucking explode. I cant hold back. "
She stuck her bottom out farther and the walls of her silky heat squeezed me tighter. It was as if she had just taken the control of my body away from me. I felt myself erupt as I called out her name and my body jerked helplessly against her.
"Yes! Oh God, yes!" Della cried out, and her body went rigid in my arms before it began to shake underneath me. I wrapped both my arms around her and held her as we both came back down from the climax shed sent us spiraling off into.
"What the hell did you do to me?" I asked, holding her close.
She leaned back against my chest and a smile tugged at her lips. "I fucked you and I did a real good job," she replied.
I hadnt expected that response. Laughing, I picked her up, carried her over to the nearest chair, and sank down into it with her in my arms.
"That was incredible," I told her before pressing a kiss to her neck.
"Do you feel better now?" she asked, arching her neck so I could access it better.
"That depends," I replied.
"On what?"
"If I can convince you to stay in here with me all day. "
"You have to work," she said, turning her head to look up at me.
"Mmm, but if youre here with me I can concentrate. And then you can get naked for me again and be a naughty girl when I need you. "
Della threw her head back and laughed. The sound of it made everything in my world right.
Page 4
Della
The phone on Woodss desk beeped twice. "Mr. Kerrington, Miss Greystone is here to see you," the secretarys voice announced through the speaker.
Woods closed his eyes and laid his head back on the chair we were sitting in. "Damn. What the hell does she need now?"
Did she come here often? I fought back the jealousy that wanted to eat its way inside me. Of course she came by to see him. She was staying with his mother and helping her deal with things, which in turn was helping Woods. Unlike me. I wasnt doing anything to help him. I didnt know what to do.
I started to get out of his lap but his hands tightened on me.
"We need to get dressed. "
"Dont leave me here with her. "
I leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose. "I wont go anywhere. But I prefer to be wearing clothes when she walks in. "
Woods let out a sigh and let go of me so I could get up and get dressed.
"You get dressed, too. I dont care what shes seen before me, I dont want her seeing it now. "
Woods laughed out loud and stood up. "Im going to put my clothes on, sexy. Calm down. "
We both grinned at each other as we dressed. I liked the idea of her coming in here and seeing us together and knowing what we had been doing. It was silly for me to feel that way, but I did.
"You can send her in," Woods replied, standing at his desk while he watched me fix my hair, which our wild sex had messed up. My ponytail was barely hanging on.
The door swung open and I spun around to see Angelina strutting inside like she belonged here. "I dont know why you . . . " Her voice trailed off as her gaze landed on me. I finished adjusting my ponytail and let my hands fall back down to my sides.
"Did you really just---"
"Why are you back?" Woods cut off her question.
Angelina jerked her gaze to him as if hed slapped her. I watched as she fought to compose herself. Woods hadnt bothered to run his fingers through his hair and it was messed up from my hands being in it. I bit back a smile as I looked at his properly rumpled appearance.
"I came back to tell you your mother wants to have you over for dinner," Angelina said tightly.
"Unless Della is invited, Im afraid I wont be able to make it. "
Angelina let out a frustrated sigh and shot me an annoyed glance before looking back at Woods. "Shes your mother, Woods. She just lost her husband and shes hurting. Youre all she has left. Dont you get that? Do you not care?"
She was right. Woodss mother might never like me. But she was his mother, and right now she needed him. "I want you to go, Woods," I said before he could say anything.
He looked over at me and frowned.
"Please," I said, hoping he wouldnt argue with me in front of her.
Woods ran a hand through his hair and I smiled at the way it was still messed up. He was adorable like that. "Fine. But only for an hour. This will also be a one-time thing. Next time I have dinner with her, Della will be with me. "
Angelinas annoyed grimace turned into a pleased smile. She would get him tonight, too, without me around. I hated that but I couldnt let it keep Woods from his mother.
"Im glad youre thinking with something other than your dick," Angelina replied before spinning around and heading out the door.
"Shes a bitch. Ignore her," Woods said, shoving off from the desk hed been leaning on and walking over to me.
"I know," I assured him, but deep down I worried that she was right.
"Theyre at the door, Della. Dont let them in here. Theyll hurt us. All they want to do is hurt us. We have to keep your brother safe. They tried to kill him before. Theyll kill us this time. Dont let them in. Shhhh. Stop that crying, you little brat! You have to be quiet. So very quiet, then theyll go away. "
I covered my mouth with both my hands to keep in the terrified cries I couldnt control. I hated when this happened. Mom would get mean afterward. She didnt like it when people knocked on our door. It upset her. And she would talk to him. He wasnt there, but she saw him. That scared me, too.
"Get up! Theyre gone. Go to the door and get the package they left and be careful that they dont see you. "
I didnt want to open the door. I wasnt sure what was out there that wanted to get me, but I didnt want to open the door. Momma had been making me do that more and more lately. Since my sixth bi
rthday.
Pain seared my head as she wrapped her hand around my ponytail and jerked me to my feet. I couldnt let her hear me cry or this would get worse.
"Go!" she screamed in that voice that sent chills down my body. The hard shove from her hands sent me stumbling out of the closet and into the hallway. She would stay in the closet until I came back with the package.
I glanced back at her but instead of seeing her wild, distant eyes there was blood. It was pouring out of the room and into the hallway. No . . . no, there wasnt supposed to be blood.
Then a shrill scream of terror ripped from the small room.
I jolted straight up and the scream was still echoing around me as it tore from my chest. It was my own scream. It was always my scream. Not my mothers.
I was still alone. Looking around the living room, I took slow, deep breaths while my heart kept hammering against my chest. I pulled my legs up and tucked my knees under my chest. Falling asleep without Woods here wasnt something I did often. Having him near me while I slept kept me from having night terrors for the most part.
The clock on the fridge said it was after nine. He should have been home over an hour ago. Had he stayed later with his mother? I reached for my phone on the coffee table and saw that I had two missed calls and one text message. All from Woods.
I clicked the text message.
{tm}Please answer. Im worried about you and Mom passed out during dinner. I think she hasnt been eating properly. Call me!{tx}
That had been ten minutes ago. I jumped up from the couch and started to dial his number when the front door swung open and Woods came running inside. His eyes locked on mine and he stopped and let out a deep breath. "Thank God. Shit, baby, you scared me. "
I dropped my phone and walked over to him. "Im so sorry. I just woke up. I fell asleep on the couch. Hows your mother?"
Woods pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around me. "She was too weak to stand up so I called an ambulance. Angelina kept saying it could be a stroke. She rode in the ambulance with Mom so I could come back here and check on you. "
I pushed at his chest. "Go! Go to the hospital. No, wait, let me get my shoes, Im going too. "
"Are you sure? If youre tired I dont want to drag you to the hospital. We could be there all night. "
I slipped my feet into a pair of tennis shoes and ran my hands through my hair. "I want to be with you. "
Woods smiled and held out his hand for me. "Good. I wont be able to focus if Im worried about you here alone. If you need to sleep, I can always hold you. "
I tried not to think about the fact that Angelina was helping him take care of his mother. He had been able to leave her knowing she would be there beside his mother. What was I good for? He had to worry about me. I was weak and needy. I was one more thing for him to stress over. I wasnt any help at all.
"Stop frowning. Shes gonna be okay. The paramedics said theres a good chance her potassium is low. They dont think its a stroke but they said due to her heart rate we needed to admit her and let doctors check her out. "
I nodded as he laced his fingers through mine. "Lets go," I told him.
I was going to find a way to be helpful. He needed someone to lean on right now and I was going to be that someone.
"Did you sleep okay without me here?" he asked as we stepped outside.
"Yes. I slept great," I lied, because telling him the truth would only have upset him.
Page 5
Woods
Della had finally given in and curled up against me. Shed been asleep within minutes. It was after three in the morning and they had Mom in a room under observation. Angelina was in the room with her. It was better that way.
I wasnt stupid. I knew Angelina wasnt helping my mother out of the goodness of her heart. She had no goodness in her heart. She was doing it to get to me. It wasnt like my mother needed a live-in nurse. Just a friend, and Angelina was being her friend.
Della didnt seem to mind. I had been watching to make sure it didnt get to her. The moment it seemed like Della was upset about Angelinas still being in our lives in this capacity, I would end all connection with my mom until Angelina left. She would eventually leave anyway when she realized I didnt want her and nothing she did was going to change that. Della owned me. She always would.
Della started to whimper in her sleep. I pulled her into my lap, brushed her hair back off her face, and whispered in her ear. That always calmed her. She rarely had bad dreams anymore. I normally saw them coming on and stopped them before they could take over.
"I have you, Im right here. Youre in my arms and nothing can touch you, Della. Nothing, baby. I wont let it," I assured her as her breathing returned to normal and her body eased back into a peaceful sleep. Smiling, I pressed a kiss to the side of her hair. I liked knowing I could fight off her fear. It was a powerful drug to know all she needed was me.
"Doesnt that get exhausting? Shes like a helpless, needy child. " Angelinas icy voice annoyed me. I didnt look up at her. Id rather have kept my focus on the woman in my arms.
"Hows Mom?" I asked her.
"Shes sleeping. She hasnt been eating well. I knew that but I cant force her to eat. Im not a damn nurse. If you came to visit her more often shed eat more. She misses you. "
My mother had never missed me. She was my fathers puppet. She wanted me around if he did. When she thought I was going to marry Angelina she wanted me around.
"Youre choosing her over your mother and its disappointing, Woods. "
I lifted my eyes from Dellas peaceful face. "No. My mother is choosing her wants over mine. I will not live my life the way she wants me to. I will love who the fuck I wanna love. She doesnt control that," I replied in a cold voice.
"You have the Kerrington Club to run, Woods. You need someone who can stand by you and help you. You have to take care of not only the club but her. Shes a weight on you, not a help. You cant be a successful businessman with a burden like her," she said, pointing at Della.
I held her closer to my chest. I could do anything if I had Della. Anything.
"What youre not understanding---what my mother is not understanding---is I cant live without Della. I cant breathe. I cant fucking concentrate. I need her. Just her. I can do anything if I have her with me. So take your snide comments and beliefs and leave me the hell alone. I know what I need and it will never be you. Did you hear that? Is it sinking in this time? It. Will. Never. Be. You. "
Angelina opened her mouth and snapped it closed again. The bright red color on her face said Id gotten through. She was furious. Good. About damn time. I didnt watch her leave. I dropped my gaze back down to Della. Just looking at her calmed me.
When the doctor came out four hours later to tell me that Mom was fine and wanted to see me, Della woke up and rubbed her eyes. I watched as the doctor looked her over appreciatively. I didnt like it when men looked at her like that but it was pointless to get mad. She was beautiful and sexy as hell. I just had to remind myself she was mine.
"Go on in and see her. Im going to find some coffee," she said in a sleepy voice. "Ill get you some too. "
I pressed a kiss to her lips because I needed to taste her and I wanted the doctor to see exactly who she belonged to. She immediately responded by wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me back.
"I love you," I said against her lips as I ended the kiss.
"I love you," she replied, then stood up.
She walked off in the short cut-off sweatpants she was wearing and one of my hoodies. Shed come with me in a tank top last night and gotten cold in the waiting room. I had gotten her a hoodie out of my truck.
"Is the woman in the room with your mom your sister?" the doctor asked. I glanced over at him. He was too young to be a doctor, wasnt he?
"No," I replied, and walked past him toward my mothers room.
Angelina was sitting in the chair beside her bed looking at a magazine. She had stayed all night. Ev
en after Id said what I had. Either she was crazy or she really did like my mom.
"Hey, Mom," I said as I closed the door behind me.
"Hello," she replied. "Angelina said you stayed all night. You didnt have to do that. "
I walked over and bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah I did," I replied.
"Did you send the girl home?" The distaste in her voice wasnt missed.
"She went to get coffee," I replied. I wasnt going to fight with her over Della. "You need to eat more, Mom. "
She sighed. "I know, but I just dont have an appetite anymore. I miss him. "
He was an ass. He tried to control me and he lied to me. He also hurt Della and she knew about it. Forgiving those things was hard. The fact hed hurt Della made it almost impossible. I couldnt say anything. I had nothing to say.
"I need to get to work. When they discharge you, call me and Ill come get you. " Getting out of there was best. She was my mother and I loved her, but there was so much between us that needed to be forgiven. I couldnt stay there.
"Ill take her home. You go work. Youre going to be exhausted since you didnt sleep all night. " Angelina sounded so sincere. I didnt trust that.
"Okay, well, call if you need me," I said to my mother, and then turned and left the room.
Della stood outside the door holding two coffees. The concern in her eyes was the most sincere thing Id seen that morning.
"Is she okay?" Della asked as she handed me a cup of bad hospital coffee.
"Yeah. Shes fine. Lets go," I replied.
"Why dont I leave and you stay here? Shes your mom. " Della started to say more but I shook my head and stopped her.
"Shes fine. She needs to eat more. I want to leave with you. "
Della let out a weary sigh, then nodded her head. "Okay. If thats what you want. "
Page 6
Della
The bonfire lit up the dark beach. I stood watching everyone drink, dance, and laugh. Woods had left to deal with an issue with the staff. He was looking for someone to take over his old job but he hadnt found anyone yet. Right now he was doing everything himself and I could see he was growing weary.
I glanced over at the group of Woodss friends and I knew I was welcome. Bethy was laughing loudly and I was pretty sure she was drunk. But I needed time to think. I wasnt in the mood to pretend like my heart wasnt heavy. Woods had been on the phone with Angelina today when Id walked into his office. Theyd been talking about his mom and it had been friendly. She was taking a lot off him and I wanted to like her. To be thankful to her. I just couldnt.