One to Love Read online

  He lapped at her labia and clit. Bold strokes. Rough. Unrelenting. Sucking in and releasing her. Over and over. Now her behind bucked for more attention. Again, her hands got in the way.

  “I’m going to tie you up,” he threatened, hating to pause in his ministrations.

  “And then?”

  “I’m going to have dessert,” he promised.

  Belinda giggled. “I’ll tie myself to this bed.” She reached for a tie that was draped over the headboard.

  Jesse plucked it from her hand and made fast work of the tie. She could pull at his makeshift restraint and it would be loose whenever she wanted. In the meantime, he headed to the kitchen, gathered what he wanted and returned.

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  Jesse smiled at her impatience.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Jesse flipped open the lid of the caramel sauce. They were going to have a brownie sundae. It looked like he was going to be the one to enjoy a sweet, delicious brown treat. With a slight motion, he dropped a thin drizzle of caramel between the space of her belly button and curly mound. Sweeping lashes of his tongue wiped it clean. Her legs crossed and uncrossed. He enjoyed the view of her sex ready to be picked and enjoyed. Once more, he trailed a thin drizzle of caramel sauce between her legs and followed up with a healthy spray of whipped cream.

  “Aaah.” She gasped and writhed.

  He nudged her legs apart and settled in. This was one meal he had no desire to rush. He took his time eating, bathing her from top to bottom, bottom to top. For extra measure, he swirled his tongue in her wet cave, loving the mix of her and the sundae dressing. This was his dessert, all his. And he was going in for seconds.

  Once he was done and Belinda’s moans had quieted, Jesse switched up with his method of conquest. Gathering a mouthful of ice chips, he settled in and slipped as many as he could into her. She jerked under him. Her moans grew guttural. She begged him to take her.

  He discarded his underwear and donned a condom before untying her.

  “Please don’t make me wait.” She wrapped a hand around his shaft and squeezed, rubbing his balls.

  Jesse had restrained himself from the start. The minute her hand touched him, he almost lost it. She opened her legs and thrust up her hips. With her nod to him, he held on to her shoulders as he came in for the landing. But there would be no taxiing. As soon as he thrust, they lifted off.

  Her legs closed around his hips. The strength in her clasp thrilled him. He pushed deeper inside her. They worked together. She took and he gave, hard, fast.

  “More, dammit.”

  Jesse scooped his arms under her legs and pulled them up. Her uplifted hips took his downward plunge and held tight to each stroke before letting go. Her warm sheath drove his mind into a whirl as their frenzied dance escalated. For all he knew, he could be floating and it wouldn’t matter.

  They were heading to parts unknown together. Her fingers locked onto his back.

  He lowered her legs. And she promptly pushed against him.

  “Pull me up onto you.”

  He was too giddy to resist her demands.

  “I want to ride you to the end.”

  “Well, sweetheart, you’d better grab on to something.” Jesse scooted to the edge of the bed so that his feet could be on solid ground.

  Belinda faced him. Her eyes were bright and focused on his face, peering into the depths of his soul. They were at the peak, hand in hand, readying to jump off together.

  “Hold on tight.” The ride began with him lightly lifting her off his lap. Within seconds, they were soaring together. She slid up and down his shaft, grinding in for good measure. The pressure built, pushing and surging. The flood grew powerful. Nothing would hold it back. Not that he wanted it to.

  “Come with me,” she screamed. Her head tossed back. He felt the tremor of her walls pulsating against his shaft.

  Together, they burst through the last remaining wall between them. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they stayed the course as wave after wave of release shook through them. Their descent back to solid reality came with the best memories to hang on to.

  * * *

  Belinda looked up to see why Tawny hovered at her desk. Today, her hair had transformed into a vivid burgundy with a throwback ’70s mushroom hairstyle. If she had bad news, Belinda wished that she’d spit it out.

  “Oh, I don’t want anything,” Tawny remarked. Yet she didn’t budge.

  “What are you looking at?” Belinda followed her line of sight.

  “It’s the calendar.” Her assistant pointed at her desk. “The Xs?” Her frown settled in, as she waited for an explanation.

  Belinda looked at the blue Xs that she’d drawn through the week on her calendar. “It’s a countdown.”

  “A countdown? To what?”

  “Nothing work-related.” Belinda closed the book to make her point.

  Tawny backed away with her hands up. “You know you can’t keep a secret.” She spun around and headed to the door. “By the way, Dana wants to stop by with potential donors. She said, probably this afternoon or tomorrow morning, maybe even later.”

  “Why?” Her cousin was supposed to be handling the fund-raiser. “There’s nothing to see at the site. And now I have to be ready for possibly two different times.”

  “The site is coming along. But Jesse has made good progress. The ring looks great. The stable renovation is coming together. Pretty soon you can have the Northeast Equine Therapy Association come in and review for their certification.”

  “Yeah, but I’d rather these people just write the check and stay off the premises. Don’t need anyone poking around until it’s up to par.”

  Tawny laughed. “You don’t have to be here. I can show them around the place.”

  “Thanks, but Dana would kill me for not being here, and then kill you for taking my place.”

  They both laughed. Dana’s temper did have a far-reaching reputation. The cousins found it easier to avoid the eruption of her Vesuvius-like tendencies. As they got older, those volatile days were long gone, but they liked ribbing each other over her behavior and the usual fallout that involved all of them.

  “Is Jesse on-site?” Belinda kept typing on the laptop. Her attention casually drifted from the monitor up to Tawny and then back down.

  “No. Hasn’t been around for the week. His workers are here, though. Ed came in earlier, too. But I could tell he wasn’t ready for prime time. One of the workers took him back home within the hour.”

  “Caroline will not be happy. She’d warned me that he was coming with Jesse. I think Jesse managed to be too busy to bring him along most days.”

  “Looks like Ed tried to do it himself.”

  “How did he get here? Please tell me that he didn’t drive.” Belinda shook her head when Tawny responded with a nod. These Santiago men were a stubborn lot.

  “You want me to get Jesse on the line?”

  “Nah. Not urgent. I was going to get a rundown on things in case I get any detailed questions from the donors.” That sounded much better than I’m suffering from a sexual hangover and need a repeat to cool my jets.

  “Gerard, the foreman for the next phase, is in charge. He stopped in at the office this morning to introduce himself. Big guy. Thick beard. Denim shirt. Regular Paul Bunyan type.”

  “Sounds like I shouldn’t be able to miss him. I’ll keep an eye out when I head out.”

  “That’s it for the news.”

  Belinda nodded. Once Tawny left her office, she looked at her desktop calendar. Knowing that Jesse wasn’t coming to the site, she took her blue marker and placed another X through the day. Every week he stayed out of reach and on the weekends, they’d get together. Now that it was Thursday, she felt like a woman dying for a dr
op of water while walking through a desert.

  Her irritation was twofold.

  One—she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She wanted something temporary, fun, something to remember thirty or forty years from now.

  Two—she wanted more than a mind-blowing weekend booty call. They’d both said that wasn’t a destination they wanted on this trip. But that was what it felt like as the weeks passed. Contradiction at its fullest about what she wanted, or didn’t want, from day one.

  Trying to chat over wood being sawed and nailed together had limits. And Jesse didn’t seem to budge from his all-work-and-no-play rule during the workweek. It was like setting a bowl of ice cream on a table in front of her, spoon on the side, but she wasn’t allowed to take any. She wasn’t allowed to lean over the treat and steal a sample. All she could do was stare and look forward to any available day that she would be able to dig in and enjoy.

  While it was easy to want to strip Jesse of his clothes, she also wanted to ease through that private, impenetrable emotional side. Yes, he helped set the rules. Was he tortured over the situation? If he was, then what was he willing to do about it?

  Like there was in hers, was there a countdown in his head? A date to look forward to that made the skin erupt with goosebumps. Not only the skin, but every nerve felt ready to pop at the thought of his company. Never had she suffered such sweet agony over any man. Belinda sighed. The truth—Jesse Santiago was special. Seeking reassurance wasn’t comfortable. Clearly she had the hots for him. And from their nights together, it hadn’t been a one-sided affair.

  Her phone rang, bringing her back to work. The reminder that she ran a business. One that required her undivided attention. There was no time to dwell on Jesse.

  Tawny appeared in her doorway. This time she held up a vase of tulips. “Oh my goodness, look what came for you.”

  Belinda took the gift and looked for a note.

  “No note. I checked.” Tawny shrugged. “Secret admirer?”

  “Stop letting that imagination of yours go wild.” Belinda turned the vase around to check for the note. Nothing. But really, did she have any doubts as to who it could be?

  Her calendar. A vase of beautiful, colorful tulips. Her raging need to be writhing from serious lovemaking with her brooding hero. If she had a photo of him, all arrows would point his way.

  Belinda picked up her phone and texted: Thank you. They’re gorgeous.

  To ensure that she didn’t spend the next half hour staring at her phone for his response, she dropped it in her pocketbook and went back to work. Her life still had to go on. Even if she had to pretend that the butterflies fluttering in her stomach were nothing. Her anticipation for him kept escalating on a steep incline. And at some point, what went up would come down. Hard and fast. She just hoped that she’d survive the impact.

  Her phone pinged.

  Chapter 9

  At three o’clock the next afternoon, Belinda greeted Dana and her small entourage of deep pockets. They smelled of money, old money, and were excited to find the next charity for their philanthropic appetites. If all the pieces fell in place, there would be a sizeable donation to be added to the operations, besides the planned fund-raiser.

  “Sorry to drop in all unexpected,” Dana whispered in her ear when they hugged. “It’s difficult herding rich folk.”

  “You’re the last one to talk.”

  “That’s why I hang around you. I can feel like a regular citizen.”

  Now, that remark earned Dana a pinch on her arm.

  Her cousin squealed with pain, causing the group to look over at them with concern.

  “Behave yourself. Act like a business owner,” Dana playfully admonished.

  “One who is begging for money. Not a problem.”

  Dana introduced her to three siblings who really had an aura of old money about them. Their mother was a movie actress from a Hollywood dynastic line of actors and directors. Their father was a Yale professor and author of books that would hurt her head if she bothered to read about the philosophical greats. Together they were an unlikely mixture of social classes and backgrounds.

  The siblings—Milton, Ronald, Portia—made her wish she had dressed like a British noble on a country estate. As if she had such clothing options in her closet. Instead, they would have to make do with her standard T-shirt and jeans. Dana had upgraded to her suits. Today, it was a black pantsuit. Belinda pasted on a bright smile and smoothed back the unruly strands of hair that escaped the ponytail.

  “We are very excited about what you have here,” Milton, who looked to be the eldest, remarked.

  “Yes. Dana contacted us and I’m glad she did.” Portia’s impassive face didn’t match her upbeat message.

  “I’m very happy that you took time to come and see the facilities. Although, as you will see, it’s still a work in progress. One that should be completed soon.”

  The third sibling remained silent. He never looked at her when she spoke. His attention flitted on the outskirts of their circle. While the other two weren’t exactly brimming over with giddiness, his reserve had a chilling introspection. What was he doing here if he’d rather be anywhere else?

  “Let’s get going. Belinda, would you take us on a tour?” Dana prompted. Her raised eyebrows added the message that she should snap out of staring at Ronald—the imposing one.

  Belinda led them out of the office. She’d already arranged with Tawny to drive them to the stables. Since she was the only one of the group dressed for the dusty walk, she followed behind the golf cart at a brisk pace.

  Some days, like today, she’d look out toward the riding ring and stables, trying to see it like a newcomer for the first time. In her mind’s eye, the horses would be freely running and cavorting in the paddock, an oasis of wellness within the lush green setting. Right now, the stable’s exterior still looked worn and bruised. The appearance didn’t matter now. Once all the interior work was completed, the final phase would be an extensive facelift on the building.

  Like Sunny Dale’s Riding Club, the Dreamweaver buildings would be bright and welcoming. The colors would match the bright hues on her house. She hoped that this family could see the potential and beyond the messy work in progress.

  “Are we ready?” Belinda was a tad out of breath by the time she joined them. “Thanks, Tawny.” She sent her assistant a silent message that she could leave. The parking area was closer to the stable and the siblings wouldn’t need to be driven to their cars.

  “Let’s go.” Dana hadn’t taken that catering smile off her face. Her cousin did know how to wheedle cash from the many philanthropists.

  Belinda ushered them into the stable.

  “Wow!” Milton stepped away and walked farther into the building.

  Even Belinda was awed. By deliberately avoiding the place since she’d invaded Jesse’s work area, she hadn’t seen the progression. The daily reports on paper didn’t reveal the visual impact of what had been done. The extension built onto the stable had a massive domed frame with arching steel beams in place. The indoor facility had an open space that was perfect for bad weather and extra training time in a quieter setting.

  “This is quite impressive,” Ronald spoke. His tone remained cool, but he seemed to take note of every detail. At one point, he walked away to inspect the support beams of an area.

  Belinda was about to explain the floor plan of the stable when Portia breezed past her. She swallowed her remark and followed Portia’s steady march to see what caught her interest.

  “Oh, he’s here,” Belinda said under her breath. She watched Jesse rise from his squatting position. Despite the fact that he was wearing a hard hat, safety goggles and had an unshaved face, she knew every inch of his body.

  “Is that the great Jesse?” Dana chuckled.

  Belinda didn’t have to
nod. She knew that her face said it all. Though no one might notice her blush, her entire body was fast-tracking to a nuclear meltdown. Not only was she flushed, but her muscles twitched and shivered with his close proximity.

  Clearly Portia’s sudden advancement startled him. The woman who didn’t hide her interest in Jesse chatted for a bit, shook his hand and then pointed to their group. All his movements were slow, including his seeming reluctance to acknowledge them. While Portia grinned and gestured madly with her hands, he remained still, and attentive to the woman.

  More than slight annoyance prickled her nerves. A smidgen of jealousy tweaked at her confidence.

  The distance of several feet across the room didn’t hinder Belinda catching every detail of his expression. She frowned. Jesse’s coolness toward her wasn’t a figment of her imagination. She knew the range of his expressions—cool professionalism toward Portia and frosty displeasure for her.

  The heady excitement that almost took over her body retreated with a quick pace. The idea that he truly had been avoiding her hit her square in the chest.

  “You can stand there like a statue. I’m going to meet him.” Dana left her. Milton also hurried along. Only Ronald remained. But with his undead vampiric attitude, she wouldn’t have minded if he did go with the lot.

  “No, he’s...busy.” Belinda reached out to stop her cousin.

  Dana giggled and promptly speeded up. “Hi, Jesse. I’m Dana. Nice to meet you. Heard so much about you.”

  Jesse nodded. His grumpy response looked as if they had intruded on his space. The way he pitched his glare toward her, again, Belinda guessed that he blamed her for the invasion. Well, she could be equally irritated with his avoidance issues. Even if he brought her to her knees in the bedroom, out here, she was his boss.

  “Jesse, since you are here, would you give the O’Hares a tour of the facility? I’ll be here for questions about the project.”

  The way Jesse tossed down the towel that he’d used to wipe his hands spoke volumes. Whatever. He didn’t have a choice. Now he could play tour guide.