Rule's Obsession(27)

He nudged her hands and pushed his hips, bringing him further inside by another degree. "Open your eyes."

Her lids flew open and she panted, waiting, breathless.

"Why do you drive me so fucking crazy, Angie?"

She shook her head against the pillow. "I don't know."

He growled and pushed inside another inch, bringing him to the point in her channel where he stretched her the most. "Yes, you do," he asserted.

His voice lowered and his expression almost gentled. "You know why I'm insane around you." His eyes dropped but they didn't close all the way as he pulled his hips back and with one long, steady stroke, he impaled her. The depth of his pleasure was there for her to see as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His reaction was involuntary and it sent a reflexive answer through her.

A hot fierce ache blossomed inside, easing his way.

He shuddered and then seemed to find his control as he began moving his hips back and forth, plunging inside and out again in a rhythm that was utterly intoxicating to her already sensitized nerve endings.

His eyes stayed hot on hers as her orgasm began to build. He was absolutely beautiful as primitive hunger filled his expression. It was for her. She knew it was. She could feel it.

As sexual and emotional pleasure invaded her senses, she couldn't stand it anymore. She began going over the edge as passion built and she began to see an explosion of colors. She let out a soft wail, and as she began climaxing within his embrace, he stiffened against her and began pumping with stronger, more heated strokes.

He released her hands and lifted her chin as he thrust in and out. He gripped her chin and bared his teeth as he hissed out in a tone of reverence, "It's because I love you."

Her world exploded and his did the same as his seed shot out and erupted within her. Waves of pleasure rushed over her as his words penetrated her brain. They rode out the rest of their orgasm, and then he fell on top of her, just barely holding himself up enough so that she could breathe.

She concentrated on inhaling and exhaling, while stars danced in her head and a thrilling rush of delight pounded through her veins.

After a minute or so, he raised himself back up and over her. His eyes clashed with hers and he studied her intently. He examined her thoroughly, and at her silence, any residual pleasure in his expression began to dissolve. Before that could happen, Angie locked her hands around his neck and held him in place.

Holding his eyes with hers, she took a leap of faith and said, "I love you, too."

A shudder racked his frame as he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and muttered, "Thank God."

He opened his eyes again and began nodding his head with a look of satisfaction. "Okay. That's good."

An arrow of delight pierced her heart. "Yeah, it is."

He reached down and kissed her, long and leisurely, and then he raised his head and looked at her with a new gleam in his eye. "Time for round two, baby."

Her eyes flared and she smiled spontaneously, giving him all the permission he needed.



When Angie woke up, she anticipated a lazy Sunday morning. But when she reached her hand out, Damian wasn't there. He'd kept her awake until almost dawn punishing her in the most pleasurable way possible, just as he'd threatened, and now, she almost freaked when she saw the time.

It was noon already.

Pushing the covers aside to get out of bed, she saw his note. Went to grab us something to eat. She had no idea what time he'd left, but she hurried through her shower. She was just finishing putting on her clothes when she heard him walk back in. Wishing she'd had time for at least a touch of make-up, she walked out to the living room.

She stood in the doorway as he dropped his keys and the take-out containers on the kitchen counter. Glancing up, he studied her in silence for a moment. "Hey."

"Hey," she said softly. The words they'd spoken last night hadn't been repeated, but she didn't think that meant the feelings had disappeared.

"I brought food," he said with a hesitant tone in his voice that she couldn't ever remember hearing from him before.

She nodded her head and then cleared her throat. "I read your note."

His eyes never left hers as he came around the counter and leaned against it. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied her.

As she stood across the space that divided them, the look on his face make the blood rush to her head, making her dizzy. She swallowed and locked her knees. Something was about to happen. Was he about to lay down an ultimatum about her moving in with him?

He ran his fingers through his hair and she saw his hand shake. Her stomach knotted up with a mirroring sensation. His eyes dropped to her bare legs and then lifted again. Tension filled his muscles and his voice when it came out didn't hold its usual commanding strength. "I can't keep on like this, Angie. It's driving me insane. I know you think it's probably too soon, but I seriously cannot live without you."

A sharp, fierce hit of joy held her in its grip as she waited.

He pushed off the counter and tracked toward her. Reaching down, he lifted her chin. "I'm about to do something that's scaring me shitless." He clenched his jaw. "If you blow me off, if you say 'no', I'm going to die. I just want you to know that." His thumb slid across her bottom lip and his voice gentled a bit as a half-smile crossed his features. "But no pressure, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered and tried to breathe so she wouldn't pass out. Holy. Shit. Holy shit . . . Holy shit.

He slid his thumb back and forth over her bottom lip and abruptly, a kind of peace settled over his features. "I love you."

She bit her lip and sudden tears washed her eyes. "I love you, too."

"So much, baby," he whispered, his thumbs reaching out to brush her tears away.

They continued to stare at each other, the emotional connection strong between them, and then he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small, square box. Angie looked down and gasped and the tears started flowing more freely.

He dropped to one knee and took her left hand in his. She stared down in shaken joy as he opened the box and showed her the ring inside. A large, brilliant, square-cut diamond sat in a blaze of glory on a bed of dark blue velvet. Her heart stalled before beginning a cadence in triple time. He picked the ring out of the box and held it poised over her left ring finger.

He looked back up and his eyes blazed into hers. "Angie. I love you," he repeated.

She was beyond speech and she nodded her head.

Studying her intently, he asked, "Will you be my wife?"

Joy rushed over her as she began nodding her head frantically. Relief, sharp and forceful, took over his features as he pushed the ring onto her finger. He held her hand tightly in his and then leaned down and sealed a kiss over the finger that held his ring.

As she tried to get her tears under control, he stood back up to his full height and enclosed her within a strong embrace. He rocked her gently, to and fro and then stopped and tipped her face to his. "Is it what you want?" he asked with just a trace of a worried frown.

"Oh, God, yes," she said.

He smiled and kissed her forehead and told her the same thing he'd been telling her all along, "It's going to be good, baby."





Epilogue




The intercom on Damian's desk buzzed and he felt mildly irritated at the interruption, which was immediately mitigated with subtle anticipation when his imagination supplied him with a picture of Angie. Would his little witch come today?

The coolly enunciated voice of his secretary filled the room. "Mr. Rule, your wife is here to see you."

The words sent a direct hit to Damian's groin. "Send her in."

He set his pen down and stood to his feet in a fluid motion. Striding around his desk, he leaned against it and waited. His pulse hammered loudly in his ears as the promise of what awaited him filled his blood with heat.

The door clicked open and Angie peeked into the room before walking just inside and shutting the door behind her. Turning to face him, she leaned back against the solid wood panel and waited, a placid, neutral expression on her face that Damian knew was costing her to maintain.

As he ran his eyes down the beige, nondescript trench coat she wore, which landed a few inches above stiletto heels, Damian experienced a sharp, piercing arrow of arousal that mixed with appalled consternation. She remained silent and he narrowed his eyes as he tried not to let the censure or the lust bleed into his voice. "Lock the door."

With hands that shook, she fumbled behind her and slid the bolt into place.

A savage hit of primitive hunger clawed in his gut and blended with the maddening displeasure gripping him by the throat. "We've got a problem, baby."

She took a deep breath and blew it out as she held his eyes. Lifting her chin in challenge, she ran her eyes down to the bulge in his pants before locking onto his gaze once again. "Do we?"

He continued to stare her down as he nodded his head. "The trench coat leads me to believe that you're naked underneath, and while I have to admit it's a highly intoxicating thought, I'm reminding myself that you know better." He raised a single eyebrow as his muscles clenched. "You best not have driven across the city, walked across the parking lot and ridden up in the elevator butt-assed naked."

Color highlighted her cheekbones with a hint of sexual arousal that she couldn't hide from him. "I'm not butt-assed naked," she denied softly.