He lowered his lips to hers once more. As her tongue, hungry and seeking, stole into his mouth, setting him on fire, he reached up and released her hair from its clip. Threading his fingers through the espresso waterfall of silky strands, he savored the spill of softness against his skin. He breathed in her vanilla scent as she roped her arms around his neck and murmured her appreciation. The sound popped a circuit in his brain, turning his thoughts into white noise that drowned out all things rational.
They tumbled onto her bed, hands skimming beneath the fabric of their clothes to the hot skin beneath. Groaning and panting, they deepened their kisses. Clothing fell away. Paul cupped Lia’s breast and pulled her tight nipple into his mouth. With a wordless cry, she arched her back and shifted her hips in entreaty. He wanted to take his time, to put his mouth between her thighs and taste her arousal, but his hunger for her burned too hot. His hands shook as he slid on a condom and shifted her until she straddled him.
Her blissful expression transfixed him. Then she tossed her head back and lowered herself onto his erection. Engulfed by the heat of her, Paul forgot how to breathe. No woman he’d ever known had blindsided him like Lia. She aroused impulsive cravings that couldn’t be denied and he’d long since lost the will to resist.
When her orgasm slammed into her, Paul felt the impact shake his soul. In the aftermath, he skimmed his palms over her flushed skin until her lashes lifted. Her eyes glowed with naked joy and absolute trust. At the sight, something rattled loose in his chest, stopping his heart.
“I...”
With a tender smile she set her fingertips against his lips. “Come for me. Please. I need you so much.”
Keeping them locked together, Paul flipped Lia onto her back and began driving into her tight heat. With an ardent moan she drove her fingers into his hair and met his deep thrusts with a hunger and enthusiasm that turned his desire into something reckless and unstoppable. He locked his lips to hers and surged into her over and over, feasting on her pleas. She was on the verge of coming again when his climax built to a point of no return.
With her legs wrapped around his hips, her teeth grazing his neck, he held off until a series of tremors detonated through her body and she yielded a soft, keening cry of pleasure. Only then did he let himself be caught in the shattering brilliance of his orgasm.
Contentment settled over Paul as he buried his face in Lia’s silky hair and waited for his breath to level out. Trailing his fingertips across her delicate shoulders and down her slender back, he stared at the tin ceiling, then turned his head and took in the cozy pillows they’d knocked to the floor with their passion. Reality intruded, banishing the hazy glow of satisfaction.
They’d agreed she would stay for two weeks. Seven days had already passed. The proof that she would soon depart was all around them. The truth in his heart was that Paul wasn’t ready to let her go.
* * *
With the wedding Paul had invited her to only two days away, Lia took inventory of her closet and found nothing suitable for an evening wedding featuring a Charleston socialite and a multimillionaire. Dallas had described the private event as a “simple affair,” but Lia guessed Charleston “simple” wasn’t a barefoot bride in her momma’s backyard with a barbecue picnic to follow. No, this wedding would be elegant and classy with a guest list that included the town’s elite.
Lia wanted something that would let her blend in with the rest of the Southern women in attendance, but had no idea what that would be. Her best bet would be to reach out to Poppy and Dallas to see if they had recommendations. Once Lia had shot each woman a text, explaining her dilemma, their immediate and enthusiastic response left her second-guessing her decision. In just a few days she’d be bidding them goodbye. Growing closer to the twins was only going to make leaving harder. Not for her. She was all too accustomed to parting ways with those she’d grown fond of.
On the other hand, the Watts family was a tight-knit group who’d been devastated when Ava left. Of course, Grady’s daughter had spent her whole life embraced by her family and naturally when she’d fled Charleston, her absence left a void. By the time the story came out that Lia wasn’t actually Ava’s daughter, they would only have known her for a couple weeks. The loss wouldn’t be as profound.
While Lia was ponde
ring her eventual break with the Watts family, she’d received a flurry of group texts. Dallas listed the names of several boutiques in downtown Charleston while Poppy chimed in with her opinion on each one. Lia read the messages with a growing sense of turmoil. At last she jumped in and asked if either one would be available later that afternoon to come shopping with her and give her some tips. An enthusiastic yes from both women left her overwhelmed with fondness and riddled with guilt.
At three o’clock Lia slid into the back seat of Dallas’s large SUV while Poppy rode shotgun. The two women exchanged animated opinions as to what would be suitable for the wedding as Dallas drove.
At the first store the twins took her to, Lia could immediately see she was in the wrong place. The clothes had a sexy vibe that she might have explored if her goal was to stand out. When she said as much, the twins exchanged a puzzled look.
“But you’ve got the perfect body to rock all of this,” Dallas said, indicating a short red-orange number with a plunging neckline.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to show off what you’ve got,” Poppy contributed.
“That’s not the first impression I want to make,” Lia said carefully. “I was thinking that I wanted to blend in.”
“But that’s so boring,” Poppy cried.
“I think boring is just fine when it comes to a wedding,” Lia countered.
“But we’re already here. At least try on two things,” Dallas said. “Even if you don’t buy anything, it’ll be fun to try some stuff on.”
“Dallas and I will each pick something for you and you can see which you like better.”
Poppy’s enthusiasm quashed any further protest. What would it hurt for her to indulge the twins? But even as Lia nodded her acceptance, she reflected on their growing camaraderie. Usually her nomadic lifestyle kept her from diving too deep into friendship, but the twins were engaging and endearing. From the first they’d made Lia feel like a part of their inner circle. The fact that she didn’t belong, combined with her part in the deception, shadowed Lia’s enjoyment of the outing. Still, the twins were a formidable distraction when they combined their persuasive powers and soon Lia surrendered to their enthusiasm.
They didn’t allow her to do any browsing of her own and Lia could see that they’d played this game often with each other. Although they were identical twins, their personalities and styles couldn’t have been more different. Where Dallas preferred pastel tones and floaty, ruffled dresses that moved as she walked, Poppy adopted a more casual style with bright fabrics that hugged her body and showed off all her assets.
Selections made, the twins herded Lia toward the dressing room. She entered the enclosed space and surveyed each outfit. The first was a strapless bedazzled dress in cobalt blue. While it was beautiful and would no doubt look great with her coloring, it screamed look at me. The second dress—a body-skimming red halter with high side split—was no better. If she walked into the party wearing this, everyone would see her and want to know who she was.
Still, Lia had agreed to try both on. She stepped out in the cobalt blue dress first.
“What do you think?” she asked, turning before the three-way mirror.