Full Disclosure (No Secrets Book 1) Page 6

  James swigged from his bottle of Heineken. “I’ll send you my bill. Better yet, stick around and you can buy me a beer.”

  “I’ll take a rain check. But come over on Easter Sunday and I’ll cook you dinner.”

  “Since you’ve twisted my arm, how can I refuse?” he said. His accompanying wink made me grin at him as I unwrapped my arm from around his shoulders. Looking past him, through the large window and out on the street, I noticed a black SUV double-parked. My skin prickled, and I turned my focus toward the entrance of the bar.

  And locked eyes with the tall, dark and delicious Damien Stone.

  CHAPTER 4

  The blood drained from my face. He stood in the doorway, his face inexpressive as his eyes devoured me. My heart wanted to jump from my chest. What was he doing here?

  Never taking his eyes off me, he casually strolled toward my table, his gait commanding and supremely sexy. He threaded his way through the standing crowd with ease and athletic grace. What’s he think he’s doing? I had no intention of talking to this man. Couldn’t he take a hint? With effort I dragged my eyes away from his and toward Lucy, Justine and James.

  “Sis, you okay? You’ve turned white as a ghost.” Lucy frowned, setting down her appletini and raising concerned eyes.

  My mouth was as dry as the desert. “I…‌um…”

  “Holy shit. Who is that?” Justine murmured emphatically over the rim of her drink.

  I couldn’t leave now since he stood between me and the exit. I didn’t dare look his way again but I knew he must be dangerously close. And I was not about to let him get any closer. “Uh. Bathroom,” I blurted, turning to make my getaway, stumbling slightly…‌and feeling warm, strong arms encircle me once more.

  “We meet again.” His lips were near my ear and the deep timbre of his voice nearly knocked me the rest of the way off my feet. He held me tightly, steadying me as my heels found purchase on the floor. Could I possibly be any clumsier around this man? My skin tingled where he touched me. Distantly, I was aware that this floor show was in full view of all of the nearby tables, and one in particular.

  Mortified, I flinched away and stood stiffly, trying to put as much distance between us as possible without appearing overly bothered. His scent, all fresh, clean musk, made me want to take great gasping breaths to take more of him in.

  I fixed a smile and turned toward the table. James has twisted around in his seat, and all three gaped alternately at first me and then Damien until a collective light bulb went on and their gapes became sly smiles and arched brows.

  I should have said something, but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. I could feel Damien’s hot gaze on me. It sizzled like his touch.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Justine extend her hand. “Hi, I’m Justine Young, Olivia’s best friend,” she said. You must be Mr. Stone. We’ve heard so much about you.”

  Oh Justine, you are going to pay for that.

  My eyes shot daggers while hers danced mischievously. Lucy leaned back in her seat to get a better view of the awkward comedy that was my life and studied the scene, eyes narrowed and gauging.

  “Is that right?” Damien’s deep voice lilted knowingly. “All good things, I hope. And please, call me Damien.”

  “Oh yes, Damien,” Justine said in a sultry tone. “Only good.”

  I watched from somewhere outside my body as Damien was introduced to Lucy and James, who greeted him with friendly smiles and warm handshakes and then glanced deliberately at me.

  Could they be any more obvious?

  “Damien, I understand we owe you our thanks for kindly helping Liv after her accident,” Lucy said.

  “It was my pleasure.” He paused and cast a somber gaze on me. “I’m the thankful one, for being in the right place at the right time.”

  We gazed at each other, and I wanted to melt into my stilettos. Finding my voice, I softly croaked out a reply. “I‌—‌I hate to think what would have happened to me…‌if you hadn’t come along.”

  “It’s very good that we will never find that out, Olivia.” His green eyes sparkled. “And you’re very welcome.”

  His eyes bored into mine, mesmerizing me. With effort I dragged my gaze away, trying my best to conceal my shaky breathing and hoping he didn’t notice the flush creeping across my skin. He’s intense, is what I had told Lucy. I snorted inwardly. Intense didn’t even begin to describe him.

  “Olivia was just leaving, Damien. Maybe if you join us we can convince her to stay,” Justine said. She and I were going to have an understanding later.

  He looked at me intently. “You must be exhausted, Olivia,” he said softly, an anxious expression creeping across his gorgeous features.

  And now that he had said it, I felt as if I would collapse soon if I didn’t get off my feet. I nodded, saying nothing, and gripped the back of a chair to steady myself.

  “Allow me to take you home.” He stepped close and gently wrapped his arm around my waist. His hand rested on my hip possessively, and the heat of his hand licked my skin like a flame. I was so tired I didn’t even struggle. All of the fight had gone out of me. If only I could slip on ruby slippers and click them together.

  “Justine, Lucy, James,” he gave each a nod. “It’s been very nice to meet you. Please excuse me as I see Olivia home.”

  Justine pursed her lips, clearly disappointed. “You’ll have to join us another time then, Damien. Bye, Liv.” She smirked and when Damien wasn’t looking, she mouthed Call me tomorrow and winked.

  “You okay, Liv?” Lucy asked.

  I caught her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod. She nodded back, her face breaking into a huge grin. “Night, Liv. Damien, it’s wonderful to meet you.”

  It wasn’t just lip service. I might have been exhausted, but I was okay. With his arm still firmly wrapped around my waist, I let him lead me toward the exit. I glanced up at the tall, gorgeous man guiding me away from my friends and family, and he smiled down at me. For the second time in less than a week, I was going to let this man take me home. And I was okay.

  Outside, away from the crush of people, I drank in the cool night air. The SUV, no longer double-parked, sat in a space just a few steps from where we stood. Damien nudged me gently, but this time 911 did not get out and greet us. He was nowhere to be seen. Damien opened the passenger door and held it wide, taking my hand to help me as I slid onto the soft leather. He closed the door softly then rounded the car to get in behind the wheel.

  “Buckle up,” he said with a half-smile, and I automatically reached to snap the seat belt into place.

  “Where is 911?” I asked.

  “Who?” Damien raised his brows.

  I blushed. “I mean, your chauffeur.”

  He smiled and pushed the button and the engine roared to life. “His name is Paul. He has the night off.”

  “But I saw your car double-parked before you came in, and now it’s here, in its own parking space.”

  “Yes, you’re right. Paul parked it for me, and now he has the night off.” He gave me a Mona Lisa smile, and my lips mimicked his. Oh, whatever he had, it was catching.

  Deftly, he backed up and swung into traffic. The light of the dash illuminated his hands as they gripped the wheel, wisps of dark hair curling along his lean forearms from the pushed-up sleeves to his wrists. He was dressed in jeans and a black V-neck sweater, and the blondish brown scruff on his jaw was still there if just a bit darker. His hair appeared windblown and fell haphazardly to the side. I had seen this look before, in fashion magazines.

  He turned down my street and then glanced toward me. “You look lovely tonight.”

  My face flushed, and a flicker of heat rose in the pit of my belly. “As opposed to the last time you saw me.”

  “Ah.” He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “A night I won’t soon forget. The night Providence literally threw an angel onto my lap.”

  I swallowed and looked away. Why did his words affec
t me so?

  “And for the record, Olivia. When I looked at you then, I saw the very same woman I see right now sitting next to me. And she took my breath away.”

  Goose bumps rose in waves across my skin and my breathing quickened.

  “You shouldn’t say such things. You don’t even know me,” I said quietly, training my gaze at the houses passing by the window and trying to control my accelerating heart rate. My feet tapped a gentle rhythm against the floorboards.

  “I’d like to get to know you.”

  “There’s not much to know.” Tap tap tap.

  “Come now, Olivia. I am certain that’s not true.”

  “You know me well enough.” Tap tap tap.

  “I want to know you better.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Tap tap tap.

  “Why do you think that?”

  I looked at him and sighed, stilling my tapping feet by crossing them at the ankles.

  “How did you find me tonight?”

  He paused. “A man has his ways.”

  I said nothing, staring at his profile. Unassuming and bearing a slight bump, his nose was an otherwise perfect accompaniment to his strong jawline and jutting, slightly-dimpled, scruff-covered chin. His forehead was partly concealed by a messy shock of dark brown hair hanging carelessly across it. Angular cheekbones stretched his skin, producing hollows in each cheek. Lips, chiseled and full, called to me on some forgotten level and unconsciously my own lips parted, my breath uneven and halting.

  He studied me and I jerked my gaze away. We rolled up to my house and he turned into the driveway, parking behind my Jeep in the porte-cochere. He pushed the button and the SUV shut off. Needing to look at anything except him, I focused on the license plate of my Jeep.

  “So, how did you do it?” I asked, breaking the deafening silence.

  He had undone his seatbelt and turned toward me, but I didn’t dare look at him, staring straight ahead. I heard him sigh.

  “Olivia, you told me not to call you again. I wanted to respect your wishes, so instead of calling you back, I drove to your house, only to see you and your sister getting into the back of a cab.” His voice had a slight edge. Surely he couldn’t be angry?

  “You didn’t notice me,” he continued quietly.

  I exhaled in a gush, only now aware that I had been holding my breath. “You followed me?”

  “Yes.”

  I let the full weight of his admission sink through me. Another stalker. Just perfect.

  “I don’t like that.”

  He nodded slightly. “I know. You’ve mentioned that.” He ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Olivia, you hung up on me, after ordering me not to call you again. What choice did I have?”

  He followed me. He fucking followed me. Not again. My anger was palpable.

  “What choice?” My voice was loud in the enclosed space of the car. “Oh, I don’t know. I can think of several choices. How about not stalking me? That’s a good one. And here’s another one: Leave me the hell alone.”

  I grabbed the door handle, but before I could use it he swiftly pushed the universal locking device, trapping me in the car.

  With no way out except through him, I leveled a caustic gaze on him, preparing myself for whatever may come. I was seething. He met my eyes and winced slightly, which surprisingly gave me no satisfaction at all.

  “Let me out,” I hissed.

  “I just want to know one thing, Olivia. Answer me truthfully, and I’ll open the door and you’ll never see me again.” He spoke quietly, calmly, belying the tension that radiated off his beautiful countenance.

  My heart skipped a beat. This was what I wanted, to be out of the close confines of this car and away from him. Right? My mouth was dry and I licked my lips, and a charge filled the air between us, that delicious current that was like a physical entity, making my skin tingle and my breath quicken.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  “Just this.” And before I could react he leaned across the seat and his mouth was on mine, crushing, forceful in its pursuit of my lips. His hands firmly held my shoulders as I gasped into his open mouth, the sound swallowed by his possession. His lips were firm and soft all at once, and he slanted his head to invade me with his tongue. The heady scent and erotic taste of him swept me up as he probed deeper, his tongue seeking mine. The sensation was exquisite. Warning bells went off in my head, and I knew I should withhold what he sought, but I couldn’t help it. Of its own volition, my treacherous tongue met his, swirling and dancing in a luscious, sensuous rhythm.

  Unable to control my hands, they moved to his chest and I spread my fingers wide, feeling firm muscles under the softness of his sweater before my fists bunched in the fabric, holding him to me. He groaned into my mouth.

  “Jesus, Olivia. Please let me in.”

  My heart pounded, my breathing shallow as I titled my head to get more air, allowing him full access and reveling in his domination. Panting, I pulled him closer, wanting to feel his body against mine, needing his hard length straining against me. Oh God. What am I doing?

  In a last-ditch effort, my spinning mind tried to grasp at the fleeing wisps of my forgotten intentions, but they drifted away under the onslaught of his skilled mouth. Sensing my surrender, he released my shoulders and his hands moved to cup my face as he continued to ravage my mouth. I moaned against his lips as he once again absorbed the sound. God, this man knew how to kiss.

  Cupping my head with one hand, he slowly moved the fingers of the other hand delicately down my cheek to my neck, halting at my collarbone to trace a path across to the hollow at my throat, skimming slowly and so softly it was almost a tickle. And still his lips moved against mine, sucking greedily, possessing me.

  His hand abandoned its soft, slow trail across my neck and moved lower, cupping my breast through my shirt. I moaned loudly, having no shame, as again my body betrayed me, my back arching, pushing my breast into his kneading hand. His thumb traced my puckering nipple through the fabric of my shirt, making it elongate further. A pulsing rhythm began in my clit, needy and insistent, and I twisted against the seat seeking a little friction.

  He kissed his way down my throat, to the hollow beneath it recently vacated by his stroking fingers. I bent my neck and he didn’t hesitate, gently running his tongue across my collarbone, back and forth, pausing to dip into the hollow of my throat, all the while working his thumb across my nipple, over and over, teasing it unmercifully but leaving my other nipple untouched and desperately wanting.

  Remotely, I comprehended the sound of doors slamming and realize a car had pulled up and parked in the neighbor’s driveway immediately to our left. The porch light came on, casting its harsh glow across us, and the spell was broken.

  He released my lips, dragging my bottom lip between his teeth for good measure. His eyes were dilated, a slow grin creeping across his flushed face. His hand still rested on my breast, and we both glanced down, provoking him to give my nipple one last deliberate pinch before leisurely freeing me. I slowly relaxed my grip on his sweater, my senses overloaded, my thoughts scattered. Our ragged breathing was the only sound, and I struggled vainly to get mine under control as he settled back into his seat.

  “Just as I thought,” he said huskily.

  “What?” My voice was too breathy and high-pitched. A solitary one-syllable word was all I could manage. I knew I should be outraged, but I also knew what I really wanted was for him to do it again. Already my body missed his touch, his kiss. Silently I cursed the neighbors and their porch light. Oh Liv, you are in trouble deep.

  “You are not immune to me.”

  I swallowed and looked away. There was no denying now. I had shown my cards and lost the hand. The air in the SUV was humid and thick, and I wavered between wanting to escape the close confines and my body’s need for more of him.

  My labored breathing was loud as I struggled to get enough air and a layer of cold
sweat now covered my skin. My eyes flew to the still-locked door, a sense of panic welling inside, my growing alarm quickly swamping the desire I had felt just scant minutes before.

  “You think you can get rid of me, Olivia? You stupid bitch! We had something special and you had to go and ruin it. Fucking piece of shit slut, that’s what you are.”

  The pain in my head was so sharp I pressed my palms as hard as I could against my temples. Nausea gripped me and I pitched forward as everything in my stomach came up, spattering the living room floor.

  “You breathe a word of this and I will kill you. You understand me, bitch?”

  He shoved me hard as I continued to heave, causing me to trip and fall to my knees.

  “Travis, don’t hurt me,” I shrieked, shielding my head with my arms.

  “Please Travis, don’t hurt me Travis.” He mimicked me, his cold smile stretching into a leer as he grabbed a handful of my hair, wrenching my face up to within an inch of his. “Look at you. You need to learn some fucking manners, Liv.”

  “Travis, don’t do this,” I begged, my hands clutching at his chest.

  “And I’m just the person to teach them to you. Fucking bitch!” he spat, violently shoving me down into the vomit.

  My nails dug painfully into my palms and a tightness gripped my chest. The air was solid and dense, like a tangible thing, yet I dragged in thick lungsful, silently counting each breath. One, two, three, four…

  “Please, can you roll down my window? I need fresh air.”

  He swiftly pushed a button, releasing my door lock and lowering the window. Cool air rushed in and I took deep cleansing gulps. I forced myself to look at him, at his face. His eyes were wide and puzzled, and I could feel my fists start to relax.

  The chill of the nighttime air wafted over me. Blood rushed through my ears like a freight train. Breathing heavily, I willed myself back to the present, squashing old memories back under my mental floorboards.

  “Olivia?” Concern marked his voice. He focused on me, his eyes probing and distraught. As my veneer took hold, his eyes softened, though no less searching.