Page 47 of Serenity
I slid into my shoes and draped my jacket over my limbs. A stop by my office informed me Duke wasn’t hiding there either. I’m about to fool around with Duke. Collecting my belongings, I eased out of the yoga studio. Down the elevator and through the spa, I trekked to the front doors. Home was the destination. Food first and then home.
And maybe after unwinding, I’d see Duke.
The circular drop-off out front was lined with several vehicles of guests as they were tended to by valet, but the primary vehicle arresting my attention was a black Cadillac SUV. Outside of it, stood Duke. Six feet of caramel fine. With a sea of curls atop his head and that damn goatee, he smiled upon seeing me. Dressed casually in a brown hoodie and sweatpants, he smirked as I approached.
“Duke,” helplessly, I grinned at the man who’d consumed my thoughts and dreams since our first encounter over a month ago. “You’re back.”
“I am,” he confessed as I stepped into his arms. Height dwarfing me, he stepped closer, eliminating the space that kept us apart.
The kiss he planted on my lips was indulgent. Past my teeth and dancing with my tongue, he tasted me. The groans of pleasure brought life to my center. Slow and sensual, I purred, forgetting we were in a public place. The odiferous scent of his cologne wrapped me under his spell. At the same time, his arms were around me. I withered to bits under the heat of his touch.
“I missed you,” he floated, dragging away from my famished lips.
“I thought you would be gone through the weekend.”
“Not without you. Get in.”
The back door of the SUV was opened. Extending his arm, he made way for my entry. Inside, the fresh scent of Little Trees took over my nose. I slid over the warm leather seats that reeked of new car while waiting for my latest obsession to follow suit.
Unaccustomed to seeing him in casual wear, I took in his appearance without shame. Seeing him in such a relaxed state was such a treat. Thousand-dollar suits composed his usual wardrobe—Intel, I’d put together from peeking into his closet my first night at the penthouse. Throughout the week, we’d also called one another on a video chat. Often, he’d appear on the screen dressed in one of the famed suits or undressing from one to tease me.
Day after day, he’d invite me to change my mind about the Dubai trip I reneged on. Daily and reluctantly, I refused. Daily, I berated myself for missing out on such an opportunity. More than ever, I wanted to get lost in his world and forget about the many tasks that engrossed me, but I didn’t want to cancel my yoga class. The well-being of my students meant a great deal, and many relied on somatic release to get through their week. An instructor couldn’t be replaced on such short notice, so Dubai had to take a rain check.
Our gazes fused. Like molten heat, that connection forbade being broken. Synchronized breaths were freed. He was obsessed with me in the healthiest of ways as I was with him. Both of us were fighting the fire. That innate desire to fuck right in the backseat. Such denial nearly consumed us.
He slid closer, eating our distance and wrapping his hands around my throat. Intuitively, my head tilted up. His tongue teased the seal of my outer lips, licking and nipping and making me purr. He dragged his head down toward my neck, awarding more sucks and licks. Trailing the shell of my ear, he inserted his tongue there.
“Mmh. Duke.”
Peppered kisses. So spicy. So savory. So seasoned. So good and beyond the realm of reason. So many littered my nape and trailed back to my face. So good and I couldn’t get enough of his taste.
“Sweeter than honey, Bee. So much sugar. So sweet.”
“I missed you, too, Duke.”
Saddled across his lap, I gave in to every whim, every natural inclination to consume him. Sucking and biting, I tore into his neck and alternated between lengthy kisses, savoring his hisses. Duke’s hands roamed across my face, down my neck, squeezing my breasts, and finally taking rest near my ass. His self-indulgent squeezes confirmed he missed my body, too.
I sighed. He sighed. We both fought to restore breath to our chests. Both stared at one another in reverence and veneration. And despite that fact, I could feel his hesitation to strip me down and slide inside.
“You’re holding back. Why?”
“Because we’re here.”
A gander around our settings confirmed they had changed. While Duke and I fought not to fuck each other in the back seat, his driver quietly transported us to a private airport. Amidst numerous hangars and private planes, the vehicle parked.
A gust of wind whipped across my limbs as the back door was opened. The banshee-like cry of nature foretold of a storm en route. Duke exited first, waiting near the door for my exit with an outstretched hand.
“Come on, Bee, before this breeze becomes brutal.”
Compulsively, my head shook left and right. This man. This unpredictably amazing man. He knew how to keep me on my toes. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere I have no doubt you’ll appreciate,” he smiled.
“Does that mean you won’t be telling me where?”
Heavy brows paired with a sea of bottomless warm brown orbs bore through me. “Come on, Bee. No more questions.”
Hand in hand, we trudged toward a waiting private jet. I took to the stairs first, with Duke following closely behind. With each step, I felt his hands grabbing my ass. With each step, I playfully swatted him away.