Chapter Two
“This is incredible, Justin, way more…elegant than what I expected.” Ashley did a circle in place, taking in the antique, Victorian-style furniture. The bed took her breath away. A tall, finely carved mahogany headboard depicted cherubs and angels, with a footboard of the same lustrous wood—she nibbled her bottom lip and worried over the charge that would appear on her credit card statement. What if she’d misunderstood the cost for the night?
She walked over and ran her fingertips along the footboard, the wood sleek and cool to the touch. Déjà vu hit her like a bolt of lightning, knocking her back a step.
Justin placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about the cost. You won’t be charged extra for this.”
She peered into his brown eyes, startled he’d so easily read her thoughts. Awareness of a different sort settled within her, recognition. She blinked; liquid heat swirled within his gaze. Far from that of a complete stranger, she stared into the desire of a man who strummed chords other than her libido. The room faded, and the floor rocked beneath her feet. She cleared her throat and backed away, breaking the odd spell. The sweet aroma of roses hung in the air, no doubt from the several dozen white long-stems overflowing delicate vases placed around the room. She inhaled and closed her eyes to savor the moment and banish the strange feeling that had settled in her stomach—white roses were her favorite. The awkward, college-style gropefest she’d feared had been replaced with a romantic ambiance, undoubtedly throwing her off-kilter.
Her eyes drifted open. “This looks like a room fit for royalty.”
Justin gave her a sly grin. “Actually, there is something special about this room. About the furniture, anyway.”
She cocked a brow and met his gaze. “I’m intrigued. What is it?”
“The furniture belonged to a princess.” He leaned in close, his solid chest pressed against her soft back.
She screwed up her face, and he laughed. “It’s true. About a hundred years ago, a Russian princess came to America with her family. She wouldn’t go anywhere without her own furniture, so she traveled with all of this.” He nodded to the bed. “And….”
He paused for effect and brushed her hair over her shoulder. His hot breaths tickled the bare skin at the base of her neck. “And it is said that she died of a broken heart in that very bed.”
Ashley drew her brows together as she studied the delicate pattern of lace on the comforter. “I’m not sure if I want to sleep in a bed where someone died.”
Justin chuckled, stirring her womanly places. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
He pulled her around to face him. This time the kiss moved slower, matching the sensual aura of the room. Her palms slipped beneath his T-shirt to explore the smooth flesh of his back. Muscles bunched beneath her hands, his skin hot to the touch. Scorching. She made to pull away, but he clutched tighter.
“What’s the matter, honey?” he asked against her lips.
“You feel like you have a fever.”
“I’m fine.” His mouth moved to her earlobe. “You know how to warm a man’s blood.” The tip of his tongue traced the outer curve of her ear.
Pure magic sizzled from his touch as he teased her nipples, drawing them tight beneath the rough lace of her bra. He palmed her breasts, and she leaned into his broad hands, her knees weak.
“Let’s lie down,” she whispered between gasps of breath.
He swung her around and they fell to the bed in a jumble of entangled limbs. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she ground against the rough denim of his fly. Wet and horny, she writhed beneath his weight, her nerve endings on fire. God, it’s been too long since I got laid. The spicy musk of his cologne filled her lungs as the warmth of his body enveloped her. He found her slick folds beneath the silky G-string and parted her lips with two fingers, teasing her in an unreasonable, wonderful way.
Always one to drive me to madness for sport….
The errant thought drew her from the moment. Frustrated, Ashley muttered please until he massaged her clit, dispelling the unsettling voice in her mind. The room spun out of control as choked sobs escaped her throat.
“I know you like this, honey,” he said in a ragged whisper against her neck. “Relax for me.”
Despite the incredible pleasure he wrung from her, sharing her body with a total stranger left her tense. Yet, there seemed more to it than just a lack of knowing one another that made her muscles bunch, even as she wanted to melt into a wanton puddle. “You’re still so lovely, breathtaking.”
Still? Along with the odd word usage, the whiskey drawl disappeared behind a stronger, more pronounced accent. She sucked in air and before she could puzzle over the switch, Justin slid a finger deep within her. He pressed against her G-spot and her concerns drowned in the new sensations flooding her body. She opened wider to him, and he moved down her body until his hot mouth found the juncture of her thighs. Pushing aside her panties, his tongue slid over her clit, and she bucked against him. He held her hips firm with his free hand while waves of ecstasy washed through her, building deep within as he devoured her pussy. Everything that she’d ever wished a man would do during oral sex, he did, without any direction. He pushed a second finger inside her, testing her tightness.
Dizzy, she couldn’t catch her breath. The world swirled until at last the pleasure crested. Dazzling lights exploded behind her closed eyelids as she screamed his name. How could an orgasm like this have escaped me for my entire life? As she drifted in bliss, a vision expanded before her closed eyelids of green rolling hills blurring into bright blue skies in the distance. Sod buildings dotted the landscape and sheep grazed the lush pastures. A crisp breeze stirred the hair around her shoulders, long, dark locks and not the reddish blonde she’d always possessed.
How weird. She fingered the silken, wavy tresses. Something pressed against her ankle and when she looked down, she met the wide-eyed gaze of a black cat. Her eyebrows drew together as the feline dashed away. She wanted to follow, but her feet wouldn’t move, and a horrible sense of foreboding gripped her.
“No!” She sucked in a breath, her eyes popping open as she reached out.
Justin grasped her hand. “What’s wrong?” He placed kisses on her palm as he stretched out beside her. His gaze bore into hers and sent hot prickles over her flesh.
“Nothing.” She kissed his neck, hiding her eyes. The recurring and disturbing dream had never come to her while awake, and she shook herself free of the niggling fear. It was silly, and she’d invested so much cash and time into this evening, she wouldn’t let anything ruin it. “I want you naked.”