He felt physically and mentally drained, so he fell back on the bed. Adrianna collapsed on top of him, her breath coming in gasps. He stroked her back until her breathing evened, and he felt his cock go soft and slip out of her.
Neither moved for a few heartbeats, but eventually, she lifted her head up. “I should get ready.”
He checked the clock on the bedside table. “You can wait a few more minutes.”
“I—Darius!” She giggled when he rolled her over and pinned her down on the bed. “Don’t think this will stop me from getting out of bed.”
“I’m stronger than you,” he teased. She looked even more beautiful with the afterglow of their lovemaking clearly marked on her face.
“I wish I didn’t have to. I could stay in here with you all day.”
“Why don’t you?”
Her brows knitted together. “You know why. I still have this crisis to deal with.”
The explosion at the restaurant. He’d lost his mind and forgotten why she was here. “You have an entire suite outside,” he said. “Couldn’t you work from here? I promise to stay inside the bedroom.” He nipped at her lips. “Besides, you’re dealing with a lot today and you’ll surely be stressed out. And I know a great way to relieve your tensions.”
“Do you, now? I—Ooohhh, Darius!” she purred as he kissed her neck, dragging his lips along the delicate column. “I guess that’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s a fantastic idea.”
Chapter Sixteen
Staying in her suite was, indeed, a fantastic idea. For one thing, she had more privacy and she didn’t have to feel like a goldfish in a bowl while she sat in Emerson Communications’ meeting room. But, having Darius nearby actually helped her focus on her work and do what she needed to do to manage this crisis. His presence was soothing, even though he was just sitting on the couch a few feet away from her. Plus, as he said, he was able to help her relieve her stress. Three times.
Heat crept into her cheeks, thinking about all the sex in the last twelve hours. Even in her past relationships, it was never like this. She wondered if it was because Darius was a Lycan that she seemed extra frisky around him. And God, that body. He seemed amused that she found his rock-hard abs and muscled chest so attractive that she had to order him to put on a robe or else she wasn’t going to get any work done.
Speaking of work, it seemed like the crisis was mostly handled, though she still had to make a live appearance on a cable news network show tomorrow morning to reassure people that it was safe to go to their restaurants. Now that she had time to breathe, it was time to call her mother and tell her about what happened last night. It shouldn’t be a difficult call, but as a grown woman, it was still hard to concede to her parents that they were right all along.
“Mimma, how’s everything?” Frankie said as soon as she picked up.
“As well as it could be,” she said before rattling off the list of things she had accomplished, including setting up a trust for the families of those who had died in the accident.
“Excellent, I knew you could handle it.” The fierce pride in her mother’s voice was evident. “Now, is there anything else?”
She took a long, deep breath. “Yes.” She already knew how Frankie would react to the fact that she had waited a whole day to tell her that she was almost kidnapped. It didn’t make the ear-blasting she got sting less.
When Frankie finally calmed down, she said, “I’m so relieved you’re safe, Adrianna. And now I’m glad I followed my instincts and agreed to have Darius guard you.”
“Yeah, Mama, me too.” She glanced over at Darius, who was sitting on the couch, watching the muted TV. His robe had opened into a deep V, showing off his tattoos and those muscled pecs she enjoyed kissing and biting. Her eyes trailed down to the tantalizing view of his abs and the trail of hair that disappeared under the robe. He must have felt her stare because he turned his head, his cobalt eyes sending her a look that made her core clench.
“Adrianna? Adrianna? Are you there?”
“Yes! I’m here. I mean—” She crossed her legs, hoping that would ease the ache. “Was there anything else?”
“I think we’re good. I’m coming home the day after tomorrow,” she said. “And I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes, but I’m still arranging it. I’ll tell you once I’m back.”
“All right, Mama, I’ll talk to you then. Say hello to Uncle Dante.”
“I will. You be careful. Bye, mimma.”
When she heard the soft click of the receiver and the line went dead, she put the phone down on the table.
“Everything okay?” Darius’s hand landed gently on her back, making soothing circles.
“Yes. Actually, it went better than I thought,” she chuckled. “I half expected her to send an army down here.”
“You do not need an army. All you need is me.”
Do I ever.
“I’ve ordered dinner from room service,” he said. “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I ordered one of everything from the menu.”
Her stomach gurgled loudly at the thought of food. “Oh good, I’m starving.” Going through a PR crises must burn thousands of calories because she had eaten enough food for ten men today. Or maybe it was the sex …
He took her hand and pulled her up. “It’s past seven, and you’ve been working all day.”
“Well, not all day,” she teased. “So, what time will room service be here?”
“Twenty minutes?”
“So, what you’re saying is, we have time?”
He tugged the robe off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
Oh, madre de dio.
Shower sex had never been on
