Her body resisted him, clenching tightly until finally something gave way, allowing him to slide home. He grunted as he sheathed himself fully inside her, the sensation causing his eyes to roll back in his head.
Holy shit, Jo whispered beneath him, looking up at him with eyes that were bright.
It will only hurt for a minute. I promise. Theo rocked inside her, just a bit to test, and she moaned.
It hurts, but not the kind you mean. Her hands moved from his ass to his hips, and she shifted impatiently beneath him. It hurts because I dont even know what this is, but I want it so bad. Please, Theo. Please. Move.
The last strings of his self-control snapped. With small rocking motions, he pulled back, then worked his way back in. Hed never had anything so tight, so hot around his cock, and if he wasnt careful, he was going to lose it before he could make her feel good again.
She wouldnt let him be careful. She rocked beneath him, urging him to go faster and faster. Her tight sheath was swollen, pulling him back in again and again. The pleasure rose hot and fast, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he strained to hold back.
Slipping one hand between their bodies, he located her clit and focused his attention on it. At the same time, he dipped his head and sucked one of her puckered nipples into his mouth.
Beneath him she went taut as a bow. Her cleft tightened as her eyes went wild with pleasure yet again, and he felt his own release start, fire licking along every inch of his skin. Closing his eyes, he finally allowed himself to let go, to let himself revel in the fact that Jo Marchande, the strong, proud girl that hed loved since the day they met, had given herself to him.
After, he pressed a kiss to her brow. Pulling out, he disposed of the condom, then slid back into the bed, tucking them both under his soft, expensive sheets. She was already drowsy when he tugged her against him, fitting his chest to her back.
You okay? He tucked a ribbon of hair behind her ear. She sighed, a small murmur of contentment that made his stomach do a small flip.
How was it possible that she was his? Hed never done anything to deserve having someone so wonderful in his life.
According to his father, he was lazy. He had no drive, no direction, no purpose in life. He was squandering the opportunities that he had. This, of course, was in direct contrast to Theodore Lawrence Sr., who owned a huge import-export company. His mother, famous in her native Brazil before her death, had been a world-renowned concert pianist.
Hed never live up to either of them, so he didnt bother to try. He knew what he was worth, and it wasnt much. So the fact that Jo Marchande, the woman who had imprinted herself into his very DNA, had deemed him worthy?
It wasnt something that he would ever take for granted.
Ive never been better. Casting a sleepy smile over her shoulder at him, she snuggled back into his arms. Can I stay?
His heart skipped a beat, sending his pulse skittering to catch up.
You can stay. If he had his way, shed stay forever.
* * *
You just couldnt control yourself, could you?
Theo stiffened, a steel rod snapping into place in his spine. Slowly, he turned, doing his best to look nonchalant as he leaned back against the endless expanse of marble countertop in the rarely used kitchen of the house he shared with his father.
What am I lacking control in this time, exactly? His voice was cold when he spoke, every trace of the warmth hed had for Jo frozen into daggers of ice, meant to maim or at the very least protect. You have such a long list, youll forgive me for not immediately understanding what it is that youre referring to, this time.
You know exactly. His father stepped out of the shadows and into the dim kitchen, leaning against the breakfast bar, his stance mirroring Theos own. He lifted his heavy crystal snifter of expensive scotch for a small sip. His gaze slid over the matching one in his sons hand, but as per usual, he said nothing about the fact that Theo was drinking, even though he wasnt yet twenty-one.
Theo knew that, at the end of the day, Theodore Sr. just didnt care.
I assume youre referring to Jo. The words were sour in his mouth. He hated even saying her name right now, not wanting to cast shadows on something that, to him, was so perfect. So theirs.
Of course Im referring to Jo. His fathers voice was layered heavily with impatience. They are family friends. They are our neighbors. They are good people.
Theo said nothing. What was there to say?
You have nothing to offer any of them, his father continued. The utter contempt in his voice was clear. Youve disappointed me time and again, Theodore, but I thought that you at least had the morals to stay away from those girls. Shame on you.
It shouldnt have hurt, but it did. Theo took a hefty swallow of his drink, focusing on the fire that it left as it traveled down to his gut. Taking a moment to study his fatherthe man hed come fromhe wondered how a person could seem to detest someone who had come from them so very much.
Ha. Why was he even questioning that? He knew exactly what his father sawhe saw his lost wife. Theo had inherited his golden skin, his exotic features, his glossy black hair, even the charm that he used regularly, from his mother.
Theo knew that, if given a choice, his father would rather have his mother here in his place.
Did you hear what I said, boy? Theodore Sr. set his glass down on the polished countertop with a sharp crack. The hand not holding Theos own glass fisted in the thick velvet of his robe, kneading at it like a stress ball.
Jo and I have been dating for over a year. Theo tried to rein in his temper. Its not like I plan on sleeping with her and leaving the next day.
You shouldnt be sleeping with her at all, his father snorted with derision, shaking his head. What if you got her pregnant? You really think you could make a go of it? Youd run right out the door, and then where would she be?
Theo expected nothing less from his dad, but hearing the harsh words was still a lash from a whip. He knew hed do no such thing, but hearing out loud what his own flesh and blood really thought of him reminded him of the worst hangover hed ever had. Try as he might, he just couldnt ever outrun the nagging pain.
Have a nice night, Dad. Draining the last of his scotch in one giant swallow, he left the kitchen through the servants door, preferring the longer route back to his room to going anywhere near his father.
The conversation theyd just had was nothing new. Often he was able to completely deflect the criticism, keeping the barbs from landing and piercing his skin.
Tonight, though? Some of those words had landed.
He loved Jo more than anything. But what if his father was right?
CHAPTER THREE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR JOOOO, happy birthday to you.
Cake! Gimme. Standing up in her seat, Jo reached for the tower of cupcakes that Mamesie had so painstakingly arranged on the antique silver platter. Grabbing the one with the most frosting, she sank her teeth into the decadent chocolate cake, shuddering with pleasure when the sweetness of the icing hit her tongue.
Im hurt. Warm breath misted over her ear, and she made a sound low in her throat. I thought I was the only one who could pull that sound out of you. Yet here you are, cheating on me with a cupcake.
Sorry, babe. Turning in his arms, she tuned out the chatter of her mother and three sisters as she focused in on Theo. Thinking about what theyd done last night had a fizzy feeling bubbling up inside her, making her feel like shed drunk a giant glass of champagne too fast. The cupcake offers instant gratification. Unlike someone I can think of, who made me wait an entire year.
It was worth waiting for, though, wasnt it? His voice was a low rumble against her ear. And even though she was still sore, she felt molten heat gather between her thighs. At least, you seemed to think so this morning when you were moaning my name.
She uttered another small moan at that. Putting space between them before she shoved the cupcakes off the table and pulled him down for another round, she tucked another bite of cupcake in her mouth as a distraction.
I know youre trying to change the topic, but I dont think its working the way you hoped. Jo sucked in a sharp breath as Theos stare tracked the way her tongue was licking sprinkles off the top of the cupcake. I can think of a lot of places that would look awfully pretty with a bit of white icing on them.
Stop it! Elbowing him, Jo took another deliberate step away, conscious of the fact that her family was right there. But when she looked around, Mamesie had gone into the kitchen for plates, and her sisters Beth and Amy were fully occupied by their own pieces of cake, still being young enough to have their attention fully commanded by the promise of sugar.
Her older sister, Meg, though, cast her a wink before handing her a napkin. Even if she hadnt heard what was said, it was obvious that she knew that something had changed with her little sister. In response, Jo felt her cheeks heat.
I need to use the bathroom. Giving Theos hand a little squeeze, she swallowed the last bite of her cupcake and excused herself. She headed upstairs to the bathroom she shared with Amy rather than the small powder room on the main floor.
She splashed icy-cold water on her face, which felt good but did nothing to fade the flush on her cheeks. How was it possible that she wanted Theo again already? Did that wanting ever stop?
Wanting to give her telltale blush time to fade before she returned downstairsMamesie was no idiot, but Jo still wasnt keen on the idea of flaunting her newfound sexuality in front of her motherJo wandered down the hall to her bedroom. Her laptop sat open on the slab of plywood and two sawhorses she used as a desk, flashing a retro screen saver of different shapes made of neon lines, undulating around the screen. Yellow legal pads clumped in haphazard piles around the computer, most covered in her messy scrawl.
The keyboard beckoned. She still had a thousand words to go on her latest story. It was just a little article for the local paper, something she submitted every couple of weeks, but for every article that they published, she received a check for a hundred dollars. It wasnt much, but she loved the process of sealing that check in the crisp white envelope, of feeding it into the bank machine to deposit it into her account.
Mamesie had raised her, Meg, Beth and Amy by herself, and while they certainly no longer had access to some of the finer things that theyd had when her dad had been alive, she knew that Mamesie would never accept money from her girlsnot unless the situation were truly dire. So Jo tucked away what she could. She didnt dare to dream too big, but maybe one day she could take some journalism courses. Learn a way to apply her writing to a career, when shed saved enough.
She reread what shed written earlier while she waited for her body to calm the hell down. Pulling out the creaky desk chair that she was pretty sure bore a permanent imprint of her butt, she rolled up to her laptop and started clicking through.
What are you doing up here? She had no idea how long it had been when Theo spoke from the doorway, scaring the shit out of her. She jolted, her elbow sliding over the keys of her keyboard. Swearing, she hurriedly pressed the back arrows to restore her work.
I came up to cool off a bit after you got me all hot and bothered, she replied, her gaze veering back to her screen. She was almost at the end. She was pretty sure she only needed a couple more sentences, and they were right there, fresh in her head...
Its your birthday party. Theo frowned at her computer as he entered her room, closing the door behind him with the heel of his shoehis fancy, hand-tooled, Italian leather shoe. Jo didnt pay any attention to fashion, none at all, but her sister Meg did, and she was forever sighing over the gorgeous things that the Lawrences had.
Things the Lawrences had. Things the Marchandes did not. Neither family talked about it, but the difference in their positions in life was always there, the elephant in any room in which members of both families had gathered.
At least, it was always there for Jo. It hadnt been, not alwaysback when her dad had been alive, theyd enjoyed a lot of the same privileges that the Lawrences had. She knew that Theo and his dad couldnt have cared less that there was now a class difference between their families, but it also meant that when it came to certain things, like money, Theo especially just didnt understand.
Are you working? Hastily Jo tried to close out of her document, but when she looked up and saw the puzzled expression on his face, she knew that hed seen. Why are you hiding up here working when everyone is downstairs waiting for you?
I told you. I came up here to cool off a bit. She could hear the defensiveness in her voice and pulled in a deep breath. I read a few lines of my article and got sucked in.
Well, come back down. He reached for her hand. Its present time. Amys about to pee herself, shes so excited.
Jo started to rise, but something about the way he was being so insistent had her hackles rising. Lowering herself back to her chair, she crossed her arms over her chest, the movement stiff. Tell them Ill be down in ten minutes. I just have a few more lines to finish.
Forget the lines, babe. Theos smile was charming, deadly when he aimed it at you, but Jo had known him long enough that she could steel herself against itwell, sometimes. Its your birthday. Finish them another time.
I cant. Her eyes narrowedwhy was he pushing? My deadline is tonight. I should have handed the piece in already.
Does it really matter? Clearly confused, Theo waved a sure hand through the airthe lord in his manor. Blow off the deadline. I dont see what the big deal is.
The big deal is that theyre counting on me to hand the piece in. If I dont, they have to scramble to find something else for that spot. Jos voice was incredulouswhy was this so hard for Theo to understand? And also, if I dont hand the article in, I dont get paid.
They pay you peanuts. Whats the point? Theo reached for her hands again, and this time instead of just avoiding him, she swatted them away. Rising from her chair, she stood to face him, clenched fists growing sweaty at her sides.
A hundred dollars is not peanuts. Her voice was shaking. Damn it, Theo knewhe knewthat this job was important to her. Im saving it for school, and you know it.