Trish walked into the master bedroom and saw another small fireplace facing the king-size bed, framed in willow branches. She turned and faced him. “I didn’t think it was possible but this room is even more fantastic than the one from before.”
“That’s because it’s bigger,” Adam said with a grin.
“It’s definitely bigger,” she said with a smile as she wandered back into the living room. “It’s also different because we’re seeing it in the daylight.”
Adam followed her, content to watch her enjoying herself. She peeked through the gauze curtains, then pulled the cord to open them, filling the room with more light. “Oh, the view from here is beautiful.”
She turned to face him just as a shaft of sunlight bounced off her back, creating an aura of shimmering gold and bronze around her. It made him realize that she was the most stunning woman he’d ever seen.
“You’re beautiful,” Adam said, unable to keep the thought to himself.
She beamed at him. “So are you.”
“First time anyone’s ever said that to me.” He approached her slowly. “I hope you didn’t make any plans for the morning.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah. Come here.” He yanked her against him and kissed her in a soul-searing meeting of mouths and tangling of tongues. Then, in one swift move he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he laid her down on the bed, then stood and began to unbutton his shirt.
Trish sat up to pull off her sweater, but Adam reached over to stop her. “I’ll do that.”
“Hurry,” she said in a breathless whisper.
“Oh, yeah.” Her mouth was already swollen and wet from his kiss and so damn tempting that he had to taste her again. He knelt on the bed and swept down to devour her, his tongue plunging in and around hers. He felt himself grow even more rigid and had to force himself to control the need that was consuming him.
He reached for her sweater and pulled it up and over her head. The slinky black bra was a surprise and he grinned as he used his finger to trace the shape of her breast, then dipped beneath the lace to play with her firm nipple.
“Adam, now,” she demanded, then closed her eyes and raised her arms over her head. The movement caused her back to arch and her breasts to rise up. Adam swore under his breath and quickly unclipped her bra to reveal her soft, round breasts and tight nipples.
“Perfect,” he said, and bent to take first one, then the other into his mouth.
He moved quickly to whisk off her pants, then left a trail of wet kisses along her belly. He gazed down at the strip of black lace she wore and swore again.
“You’re so damn hot,” he muttered. With one hand, he tugged at those skimpy lace panties and caused a tiny bit of friction against her soft folds. Hearing her whimper ignited his blood. He reached beneath the lace and touched her center, then dipped one finger into her. “So wet.”
Tearing the lacy material away, he replaced it with his mouth, first kissing, then licking and finally feasting on her.
Her incoherent gasps fueled his own internal fire. He ran his hands up and down her strong, sexy legs, then grabbed her shapely ankles and hitched them over his shoulders. And continued his relentless onslaught of her hot, moist center.
The sensation of bringing her to a shattering peak was almost too much for him to take. Desire, painful and urgent, ripped through him as he crawled his way back up to look at her.
“You are the sexiest, most perfect creation,” he said, unable to stop touching her.
“And you’re wearing way too many clothes,” she whispered, and grabbed his belt buckle.
He laughed, stood and stripped, pulling a condom out of his back pocket and donning it.
He had a moment to register her rich, brown hair tumbled around her delicate features, and her long, lush naked body stretched out on the luxurious bedspread, before kneeling back on the bed between her legs.
Holding her gaze, he positioned himself, then entered her slowly and had to grit his teeth to keep from exploding from her heated tightness.
It was all he could do to keep the rhythm slow, to feel each stroke move deep inside her, so deep that he began to lose himself in her, lose all sense of everything but her beautiful eyes and her lush heat. As his movements gathered speed, he felt a bone-deep need resound within himself, but refused to question it.
Her legs gripped him high on his waist, opening her up and allowing him to thrust even deeper. Her breath grew short, her breasts flushed dark rose and Adam knew she was ready to climax.
“Come for me, sweetheart,” he said, his concentration focused, his thrusts slowing, teasing, until he withdrew almost completely. She opened her eyes in alarm just as he plunged back into her so deeply he thought he might lose himself in her. He rushed to kiss her, to swallow her screams, to savor her mouth as he thrust again, then withdrew. Then again, and again. Her eyes flashed hot and dark and he turned relentless, driving into her, plunging, stroking, their bodies damp with sweat and heat, his need savage and unremitting.
He saw her eyes cloud over seconds before she shattered gloriously. He crushed her lips again, tasted her passion, her pleasure, her sweetness, and lost control. His body tightened almost beyond endurance as he emptied himself into her.
Two days later, the night of the gala was picture-perfect in every way. It had snowed that afternoon, turning Fantasy Mountain into a glittering white winter wonderland.
Adam and Trish had reluctantly slipped back into work mode several hours earlier. Now Adam stood at the top of the wide main stairway leading into the hotel and greeted each guest personally. Wealthy investors and their families, old friends, a number of celebrities, even a few of his competitors, were all arriving to enjoy the opening weekend festivities. Adam’s brothers and their top executives were already inside working the crowd.
The paparazzi swarmed outside, their flashbulbs and strobe lights turning the evening sky to daylight. Television interviewers were lined up along the red carpet that swept the entire length of the long carriage drive entrance. Heat lamps were posted at intervals to keep the arriving guests from feeling too much of the chilly night air.
From where he was standing, Adam could observe Trish with her walkie-talkie and her clipboard, coordinating limousine arrivals and valet service. She wore her jeans and boots and a down jacket as she worked the lines, running from one end to the other. She would stop to give an encouraging word to one of his staff, then laugh at a photographer’s joke. She had a knack for making them all feel as though she were one of them while still giving orders and keeping everything on a tight schedule. She radiated confidence and warmth and it was obvious that everyone working the event had fallen in love with her. Everyone.
Hell. Scowling, he ran a finger in between his collar and his neck. Why was it suddenly so damn hot?
Sally strolled up to him and put her arm around his waist. “Darling, everything is simply fabulous. The hotel is magnificent.”
“Thanks,” he said, giving her shoulders a quick squeeze. “You look beautiful.”
His mother wore a high-collared white satin tuxedo shirt with a black taffeta skirt and cummerbund-not that Adam would know taffeta if it walked up and bit him, but she’d described the dress in excruciating detail on the phone earlier in the week. Her hair was all scooped up in some kind of fancy French braided style, no doubt to show off her shiny, dangly earrings.
Sally beamed. “Thank you. Isn’t it about time you got things started?”
“Twenty more minutes,” Adam murmured, checking his wristwatch to be sure. He waved to catch the valet captain’s eye, then tapped his watch and pointed to Trish. They’d worked out the signal ahead of time. Sure enough, within seconds, Trish came running.
“I’ll make it on time,” she said, bounding up the stairway and heading straight for the hotel door. On impulse, Adam stepped into her path and grabbed her in his arms. He swung her around, then kissed her and set her back down, breathless.
“You’ve got fifteen minutes to dress and get back down here,” he said.
“You’re not helping,” she said, smacking his arm. Then her eyes widened. “Is this your mother?”
“Yes,” he said, turning. “Mom, this is Trish.”
“We’ve spoken on the phone,” Sally said, shaking Trish’s hand. “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Duke.”
