A Million Different Ways (Horn Duet 1)

Over his shoulder, the Gerhardt Richter painting of the mother and child hanging over the dresser stared back at me.

“I love that painting. Why did you buy it?”

He looked at it before his pointed gaze met mine briefly.

“A good investment.” A shrug off if ever I’d heard one. I didn’t believe that for a minute. “How was the doctor’s visit?”

Yeah, I knew that trick, too.

“Good. I got a prescription for the pill. You’ll have to suffer through a little while longer though. I can’t start until we get the results of the blood test.”

“Hallelujah, and the fatigue?”

“Most likely anemia. She can’t be sure until she sees the results.”

With his magic fingers sifting through my hair, I was losing a battle to stay awake. A fuzzy memory of Paisley’s face drifted in. “I have to tell you something else…” My voice trailed off as he tucked my body against his chest and sighed deeply.

“Tomorrow,” he murmured. And just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard him mumble one last word, “finally,” followed by a gentle snore.

Chapter Thirty-Three

I was in the middle of the most erotic dream since creation…I heard myself moan. A mirage of golden eyes stared back at me, heavy lidded, sullen.

A tiger. I was making love to a great, big tiger.

Tyger, tyger burning bright…Who wrote that?…Blake…Dunn…Blake.

Oh who cares––my body was painfully aroused, all my female parts throbbing with need. My nipples were erect and hypersensitive. A scrape of something wet and rough. A tongue. Oh God…yes. My body turned hungry and willing. Then a bite that had me bowing off the bed and nonsense spilling from my lips.

I was climbing. But the tiger taunted me, kept me mercilessly on razor’s edge.

“Not yet,” he commanded.

Moving languidly, the jungle cat rose over me. I felt the head of his hard shaft against the soft mound at the top of my thighs, nudging me in a steady rhythm until I was breathless and needy and spewing words of supplication. My hips tilted up of their own accord, meeting him stroke for stroke until he pushed inside of me.

A slow, heavy slide.

I dug my fingers into the muscles of his back and tried to pull him deeper, but he withdrew completely. The tiger was in control and made damn sure I knew it. I was on the verge of shedding tears of frustration when he rocked into me again, with force and certainty. His mouth fastened onto my breast, sucking and biting my nipples. The pain dissolved into hot pleasure.

His thrusts turned relentless, deep and fast. And then I came in a rush so powerful that my hips lifted off the bed, clenched his body like a fist, and sent us both in a downward spiral towards ecstasy.

My eyes were still closed when I heard the tiger speak again.

“What the fuck was that?” he asked, breathing heavily. I rubbed my eyes, cracked one open, then the other.

The tiger stared in shocked amusement.

In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

“I was having the most unbelievable dream,” I croaked. My body’s satisfied state finally began to register. I looked down and found myself naked, with abrasions on my breasts and thighs––everything tingling pleasurably.

“That was no dream, baby,” he said chuckling. “You came so hard you lifted me off the bed.”

I blinked in sudden comprehension, blinked again and turned towards him. He curved his large hands around my head, buried his fingers in my hair, and peppered my mouth with soft kisses.

“If I’d known morning sex was going to be like this, I would’ve tied you to my bed the minute I laid eyes on you.”

Pushing the sweat soaked hair off his forehead, he smacked a quick kiss on my lips and, throwing his legs over the mattress, wobbled out of bed. “Jeezus––” He grinned over his shoulder. “I’m not going to be able to walk today,” I heard him mutter as he walked into the bathroom, provoking a smile on my face too.

We showered together a short while later, taking turns running the sponge over each other’s bodies. I was efficient and workmanlike. He was slow and sensual.

“We’ll never be done if you continue at this pace,” I scolded, and ruined the affect by giggling afterwards. I squeaked as his hand connected with a sting on my rear end, the sound bouncing off the marble walls of his cavernous shower.

“You’ll just have to stand there and take it,” he stated in a low, sexy voice. “I’ve waited far too long to be able to do this and I’ll be damned if I let you hurry me now.”

The distinct shade of triumph in that declaration caused my smile to fade. I looked up into his possessive expression and knew something of consequence was about to be said.

“I don’t want you working here anymore. Just be with me…until you start your residency.”