Shades of Trust

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Neither one of them had appetite, so Ethan took her around the palazzo for a bit, showing her all the beautiful individually decorated rooms and then they moved to the Noble Hall on the first floor to watch a series of outstanding performances; a joyous and sophisticated show, which distracted them and made them relax.

“Come.” He held out his hand to her. “Let’s dance.”

Sophia eyed Ethan with a wicked gleam in her eyes and undid the clasp that held her mantua closed, letting it glide off her shoulders sensuously.

“Jesus, Sophia. Do you want to un-man me here?” he whispered in her ear. His eyes sparkled with hunger as he bent to kiss her bare shoulder, running his hand over the strapless bodice that enhanced her breasts and revealed her curves. “Temptress.”

“Behave!” She gripped his hand and dragged him to the dance-floor.

The disco music throbbed as Sophia let herself go with it, the rhythm in her veins, and they danced until the small hours of the morning.

When they returned to the Pallazzo suite, two table lamps were on, softly illuminating the living room.

From the mini-fridge hidden inside a cabinet in the corner, Sophia took out a bottle of Cristal Louis Roederer. “Another toast.” She handed him the champagne bottle. “Open, please. I’ll be right back.”

He popped the cork.

“Where are the damn glasses?” he muttered, looking around.

“We don’t need glasses,” she whispered in his ear when she came back to the living room and snatched the bottle from his hand, laughing. Swirling away with it, she drank from the bottle, the champagne dribbling down her chin and onto her breasts. The icy liquid rolled downward. “Mmm,” she moaned and shuddered, whispering hoarsely, “it’s cold.” She dragged a hand over her neck, breasts, and flat stomach. The thin black gauze of her wrap clung to the swelling curve of her breasts and her n*****s tightened.

Ethan’s mind shut down as he watched Sophia dance away from him, crossing the living room to the windows, the wrap swirling around her legs. The first light of day had started to creep into the sky outlining her lean body and long legs.

He stalked her slowly and cornered her by the window, caging her with one arm on the wall. He fixed her with his blistering gaze, took the bottle from her hands, and lifted it over her shoulders, letting the champagne wash over her.

She moaned, letting her head fall back. Her mouth curved into a slow, wicked smile. “I’ve never had a chilled champagne shower before.” She licked her lips and demanded naughtily, “I want more.”

“You little devil,” he said, stepping to the fridge, shedding his coat, waistcoat, and shirt onto a chair.

She followed him, untying her wrap, and shrugging it off. It floated to the ground in a dark cloud. She reached for him to divest him of his breeches as he opened a magnum bottle.

He toed off his shoes as he popped another cork and handed the bottle to her, ordering, “Drink.”

She lifted the bottle to her mouth, caressing it erotically with her fingers, lips, and tongue, promising with her eyes to do the same to him.

His gaze didn’t waver from the show as he finished taking off his clothes. He picked up the bottle from her and let the golden liquid pour from it slowly in a steady rivulet to soak her more.

“Don’t finish it on me.” She snatched the bottle from him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

The soft light from the incoming dawn danced on her wet skin and flashed on the diamonds of her headband as she tipped her head to drink and her hand closed over him and traveled the length of his erection.

She reached for him and scattered kisses along his jaw, licking a trail to his earlobe. She took it into her mouth and sucked.

“So good,” Ethan groaned. His head dropped to kiss her shoulder and he lapped at her collarbone. “You and Cristal, the perfect combination.” He pulled away her nightgown and licked his way to her breast, drawing the n****e between his lips, sucking hard.

“Oh. Ethan.” Sophia threw a hand into his hair, holding him in place.

Then with a gentle shove to his shoulders, she backed him onto the sofa. She stood between his legs and slowly ran a hand over her moistened abdomen and stroked his erection in her wet palm.

“Sophia,” he moaned, “please?”

“What do you want?” She glided her hand harder, longer.

“Don’t tease, Sophia.” His hips jerked on the sofa and his breathing quickened.

She tightened her hold and stopped, causing him to moan in pleasure and anticipation.

“I want you,” he growled. “Take me in your mouth.”

“Mmm, let me see what I can do about that,” she murmured, her tongue licking his parted lips leisurely.

He sucked her tongue between his lips, grunting with desire as his hands caressed her hips and buttocks.

Her hand left his arousal for his chest and she handed him the bottle, “Drink.”

Her fingers lightly caressed his hard chest and she bent to kiss one n****e and then another, sucking them both hard.

Ethan grunted in instant appreciation.

Sophia nipped her way down the center of his stomach to his navel, dipping her tongue in.

His fingers found her curls and he tugged. “Down.”

She dropped to her knees, between his thighs, her hand motioning for the bottle. She drank a gulp and smiled sinfully at him. Her hands glided over his thighs to his knees, then she used her nails on the way back up, scraping the inside of them.

“Damn, Sophia.” Heat blazed his body.

She bit at the skin beneath his navel and he drew in a long and ragged breath. She slid her cheek along the pulsating length of his hard arousal, moving up from the base to his smooth rounded tip, lightly blowing on him. She drank a gulp of the chilly champagne and took him fully into her cold mouth.

His hands held her shoulders, digging his fingers in her flesh. His stomach muscles tightened and flexed as he thrust forward between her lips.

She sucked him into her mouth and grasped the base of his erection as desire shot through her body. She loved giving pleasure.

He watched as her mouth worshipped him. Seeing it became too much, and Ethan pulled her by the arms onto his lap before a pending climax could shatter him. Gripping her hips, he ordered, “Ride me.”

Her fingers gripped his shoulders and slowly, torturously she sheathed him with her body as he plunged into her at the same time. She gasped as he filled her again with a hard thrust.

He gave her a heated kiss, deep and lascivious, dragging his hands over the silky skin of her ribs, down her back to the curve of her bottom.

He broke the kiss and watched her.

Lost in her pleasure, Sophia’s eyes closed and her mouth parted, her head thrown back. Her curls brushed his hands as they moved together.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, as he cupped her hips in his hands. “So soft. I love touching you. I love tasting you. Love watching you respond to passion.”

She opened her eyes to look at him.

“How your eyes turn into this yellow feline color when you’re aroused.” He shoved harder into her and she gasped. Ethan felt her body tightening the moment his finger touched her c******s. “Sophia, you’re mine.”

“Ethan,” she gasped, and pushed down against him.

He plunged into her again and she shattered.

She flung her arms around his neck, dragging him to a searing kiss, with her fingers in his hair and holding him tightly as an orgasm consumed her.

Every motion and spasm of her body frayed the threads of his self-control. And with another shove, he sank into her soft body and let go, his climax hitting him hard. With it came a rush of happiness that filled him with wonder.

“I love you.” He buried his face in her curled hair and her sweet scent enveloped him. This is heaven. I want to be here every single day of my life.

She shuddered one last time in his arms and he stroked her back waiting for their hearts to calm.

“I love you,” he repeated in her hair. “You are my only and lasting love.”

She purred, her face resting on the hollow of his shoulder.

Ethan felt safe.

He felt secure.

And above all, he felt loved, as he never had before.

London

Leibowitz Oil Building

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

4:20 p.m.

The intercom buzzed, jolting Sophia. “Yes, Sarah?”

“Mr. Ashford’s on the phone, Mrs. L. I informed him you were busy, but he was quite insistent,” Sarah said in an apologetic voice.

“It’s okay, Sarah. I’ll take his call. Please hold all others, except Gabriela’s. Any excuse will do, all right?”

“Yes, Mrs. L. I’m sorry.”

“No prob.” Sophia sighed and picked up the receiver. “Hello, Ethan.”

“What took you so long, Sophia?” Ethan said, in an annoyed voice.

“Good afternoon to you, too, Ethan,” Sophia said with a hint of ice. “I was working. I have responsibilities, you know. Lawsuits with final judgments, contracts to review, essays to mark. Small things that are, perhaps, far from your big world but they make up my daily life.”

“Sorry, darling, it’s just that I’m having a stressful day,” Ethan explained himself. “I’ve changed our plans for this evening. I’m hosting a small dinner for some friends who came over for a business meeting. They’re French and I would like you to help me receive them.”

“Okay. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“Just your beautiful presence. My secretary has ordered the catering from Arbutus,” he said.

“I’m already salivating.” Sophia loved the exceptional modern European food prepared by Chef Anthony Demeter. “What time do you need me there?”

“Seven o’clock, sharp.”

Oh, please. Not seven. “Ah—”

“See you there, Sophia.”

She hung up, sighing. Sometimes, you’re insufferable, Ethan.