Always in My Heart Read online

  “I like the way your body moves.”

  His voice was smooth, hushed and came from behind her. Eva turned quickly not sure when she’d actually begun to dance to the music that was playing, and certainly unaware that she was being watched. Not that she had a problem with people watching her dance, it was her job, of course. But here, in this place, where she was just a guest, it had thrown her off a bit.

  “I…ah, I didn’t know anyone was here,” she said, wrapping her arms defensively around herself. “I called out but nobody answered.”

  He was sitting in a chair that was tucked into a corner that wasn’t near either of the lamps she’d seen. That meant he was draped in darkness until, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, head lifted, gaze directly on her. And that’s why she did not make a move to leave. His gaze, the way it held her perfectly still even though she had no idea who this guy was or what he wanted from her.

  Chapter 3

  This was happening very fast. The decision to come to The Corporation, seeing this woman walk into the room, requesting her for the night and watching her sway seductively to music that was by all rights soothing, but in no way sexy. Until now.

  Rico knew, without a doubt, that from this moment on, whenever he heard classical music, he would think of her.

  “What’s your name?” he asked as she continued to stare at him.

  Her lashes were long, he noted each time she blinked, and wondered if they were real or fake.

  “Eva,” she replied, bringing her hands together.

  They were now clasped in front of her as her feet shifted slightly. She had great legs, toned and covered in black nylon.

  “I’m Rico,” he told her because he wasn’t sure how this episode should play out. He’d never been in this situation before—the one where he paid for sex with a gorgeous woman.

  “You have great taste in music, Rico,” she told him, her voice clear in the otherwise awkward silence between them.

  “You like to dance to classical music?” he asked. “That’s not what I expected.”

  None of this was what Rico had expected. Was it really this easy? Did a membership card actually allow him his pick of any woman, and was this particular woman really going to have sex with him for money? Rico realized at that moment that he had no idea how much he would be paying to be with her, and he was certain that she wasn’t the one he should be asking. This wasn’t a motel and he hadn’t picked her…he hadn’t picked Eva up on some corner.

  “I can dance to almost any music,” she answered. “But, yes, I like classical music. It’s always been a favorite of mine.”

  “So you’re a dancer?”

  She blinked and then shrugged. “Yes. I am a dancer.”

  “Then dance for me,” Rico told her.

  When neither of them moved or said a word, he sat back in the chair, letting his palms rest on his thighs. “Dance for me, Eva.”

  Her look was one of uncertainty, which, again wasn’t what Rico expected.

  “I didn’t really come here tonight to dance,” she replied finally.

  Her hands were moving then, twisting so that her fingers were twined together in one moment and then flexing apart in the next. The dress she wore fit her perfectly, accentuating the blatant curve of her backside. She was also on the short side, something he hadn’t originally noticed from a far because of the high heels she wore. Upon further assessment—his gaze having rested momentarily on her pert breasts and the long tresses of hair draped sexily over one shoulder—he realized that she did not possess the traditional dancer’s body.

  Tall, lithe, almost of a boyish quality is what he generally pictured when he thought of a woman dancing to classical music. Yet, Eva had swayed so seductively to the music, like it was second nature to her. Her calves were thick, but toned. Her waist curved inward, but not skinny. That dress hugged her body, cupping her neat little breasts the way his palms ached to do.

  “I’d really like to see you dance,” Rico stated. “Can you do that for me? Please.”

  The music was still playing, even though he’d stopped listening to it the moment she’d walked into the room.

  She did not respond verbally, but let her arms fall to her sides. With a shake of her head, as if she weren’t sure why she was doing this, Eva closed her eyes. Then, she began to move.

  Rico was mesmerized. His gaze followed every movement, every step and sway that seemed as if she knew this particular song very well. He imagined her in a leotard and tights, instead of the form fitting dress that allowed for much more movement than he would have thought possible. Her feet would be bare, her hair flowing free. She would move across a stage gracefully, enigmatically. And he would grow just as hard and aroused as he was becoming at this very moment.

  He had no idea when his legs had gapped open, or when one of his hands had moved to lightly grip his growing arousal. Yet, when she’d come closer, standing right between his knees, turning her back and moving her hips and ass to the high-pitched violin solo, he definitely heard the low moan that escaped from his throat. Her hand toyed with the hem of her dress, pulling it up slightly so that more of her thigh was visible. So much of her thigh that the lacy edge of the nylons, held by a black garter peeked at him alluringly.

  Rico undid his belt and the button of his pants. He kept his gaze focused on the straight line of her back, the dip of her hips and the plumpness of her ass. The zipper moved slowly as he took deep breaths, in an effort to slow this surprising pleasure down a bit. Then she lowered herself, dipping down until she was almost sitting on his lap. His fingers itched to touch her, but he refrained. His breath came quicker, his tongue licking over his lips as he waited.

  When she turned around abruptly, resting her hands on her hips and stared down at him, Rico was still trying to hold on to his control.

  “Is that why you called me back here?” she asked. “How did you know—”

  Her words were cut off when her gaze dropped down to see his hand cupping his rigid arousal. He hadn’t taken it out, so he felt safe that he didn’t look like a horny teenager about to rub one off at the sight of her. Still, the way she was looking at him, did make him feel like he was doing something immoral, which again, caused him to question why he was here in the first place.

  She began backing up at that moment.

  “I’ve got to go,” she was saying as she turned away from him. “I think you have the wrong idea. I’m not…”

  Rico didn’t give her a chance to finish. In the seconds that she’d moved and declared she was leaving, he’d stood, wrapping an arm around her waist and turning her quickly to face him. Her mouth opened to protest and he plunged, his tongue diving fast and furiously into her mouth, taking, devouring, enjoying much more than he’d ever anticipated.

  #

  She kissed him back.

  There wasn’t really another choice.

  Okay, maybe she could have pulled away. But, Eva admitted as her arms wrapped around his neck, she didn’t want to.

  She liked how his hands felt around her waist, his mouth on hers. His tongue was warm and thorough as it stroked deep inside her mouth, coaxing her tongue to mimic its motions. Her eyes had closed involuntarily, her body following that same unscripted plan, pressing closer to his.

  His name was Rico. That’s all she knew.

  No, that wasn’t true. She knew without any doubt that he was kissing the hell out of her. Whatever that meant. She didn’t know, nor did she care. All that mattered was that he didn’t stop.

  His hands pressed flat against the small of her back, holding her firmly against him as he continued the delicious assault on her mouth. She’d come up on tiptoe, her arms clasping behind his neck, locking him to her, almost as if she owned him. That must have suited him just fine, because in seconds Rico was walking her back, keeping her in his tight embrace, but definitely moving her deeper into the room.

  Eva had no idea where she was going. She couldn’t recall what the room looked lik
e because behind her closed lids was only his face, his eyes, so intently staring at her as he’d spoken. There was nothing significant about his dark brown eyes, just that they’d looked at her as if she were not just the only person in the room, but in the entire world instead. He was pouring that look into the hottest kiss she’d ever had, coupling that with his touch and succeeding in driving her absolutely crazy with need.

  She hadn’t come here for sex. In fact, she had been against Kenya coming here for that purpose. Yet, now, all she could think about was Rico tossing her back onto a bed, pushing her skirt up and taking her. Yes, she wanted him to take her right here and now. The man she’d just met and only knew his name.

  When her back hit the wall Eva gasped, breaking the contact of the kiss. Her eyes opened in that moment and so did his. Their gazes locked, bodies still pressed together they simply stared at each other. She was breathing heavily and so was he. She loosened her arms just enough so that her hands flattened on the back of his shoulders. Gripping her fingers she marveled in how taut and strong he felt. He didn’t look big, not like some of the muscled guys she’d seen at TEASE, but there was definitely strength here. That quiet kind that emanated throughout the air surrounding his slim frame. It was echoed in the twitch in his jaw as he continued to watch her and nothing else. He wanted to do more. Rip her clothes off and have his way with her, maybe? Hell yes, would have been her instant reply to such an action.

  Instead, she stood still, wondering, waiting, and anticipating.

  “I’ve never done this before,” he said softly.

  “Neither have I,” she replied without a thought.

  “I want you,” he admitted.

  She sighed. “I want you, too.”

  “Is that all that matters?” he asked, a brow lifting as if to punctuate the question.

  “I believe so,” she told him. Again, there was no hesitation on her part. Later, most likely when she lay in her bed tonight, Eva would wonder what the hell had come over her. But not now.

  Now, was for them.

  Letting her hands slide slowly from his shoulders, she pushed his dark jacket from his arms, until it fell to the floor. She touched the first button on his shirt while holding his gaze. He didn’t speak, but didn’t stop her from unbuttoning the first and then the next button. When she slipped the shirt from his shoulders watching as it fell to the floor, his fingers found the hem of her dress, lifting it up until he could touch the snaps of the garter she wore. His lips parted then, a whoosh of breath coming from him as his fingers moved up and down her thighs, over the garter and the lacy tops of the stockings she wore. When he touched the bare skin of her thigh, Eva sucked in a breath, her eyes fluttering until finally they closed.

  The music still played in the background. A different song this time. Something slower, with the addition of a harp. It was an odd song, yet it seemed as if Rico’s every move was perfectly choreographed to the music. This was the beginning of the song so it was slow, as if just starting to pick up pace. Rico’s hand traced a heated path up her inner thigh and when he finally cupped her juncture, the music’s tempo went just a little higher. His other hand cupped her chin as he leaned in, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth for one quick stroke. Between her legs his fingers pressed against the thin material of her panties. Her heart beat faster.

  With the fingers of his other hand still gripping her chin, his thumb touched her lower lip and Eva licked it. He jerked at the touch, his lips going thin as his fingers worked quicker, rubbing back and forth over her clit through that damn material. She sucked his thumb into her mouth, her fingernails digging into the bare skin of his shoulders. His fingers were magical, they had to be. Eva had never recalled feeling this hot and hungry by a simple touch of a man’s hand. There had to be more to this, more to explain what she was feeling.

  He ripped her panties, yanking again to pull the material away from her skin. Strings and a patch of silk, that’s all they were, no wonder they’d given up so freely. Eva had no excuse for why she planned to do the same. Except that she didn’t think any woman alive would have been able to resist him, especially not the second his fingers touched her hot flesh. Pushing past her swollen vulva lips, sliding effortlessly through the moistened folds he found the nub he’d been in search of and pressed against it hard.

  She yelled out the moment the harp solo grew louder, the strings more constrained in their melody, her heart about to pound right through her rib cage. He didn’t wait, but immediately thrust a finger deep inside her, while the other stayed pressed against her clit. She bucked and he pushed her further into the wall. His hand slipped from her face, and went instead between them to where he simply pushed his already unfastened pants down.

  The sound of them hitting the floor had them both going still. Eva bit her bottom lip, trying like hell not to circle her hips to produce movement of his finger inside her again. Rico looked as if he were thinking, trying to decide whether to keep going or to stop.

  “I’m going to take my hands off you,” he said slowly, as if each word were causing him a measure of pain.

  “I don’t want you to move,” he continued. “Not. One. Fucking. Muscle.”

  She didn’t. Well, she did scrunch her toes in her shoes, not only because they still hurt, but because she wanted…no, she needed him to hurry up and put his hands on her again.

  He moved quickly, bending down to dig into his slacks and pull out his wallet. The hunt for the condom packet was mercifully short and in the next instant Eva could hear the foil ripping. She’d let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes, hoping that if she didn’t see him she could remain still without begging and pleading for him to continue. He must have been feeling the same way because in the next instant he’d grabbed one of her thighs, hiking it up high on his waist and tucking her leg behind his back.

  “Hold on,” he whispered against her mouth as he thrust his sheathed length deep inside of her.

  She held on. Tight. And damn, she was glad she did. He filled her so fast and so thoroughly she’d blinked several times and gulped a couple of breaths before dropping her forehead to his shoulder. He licked along her neck, as if this was the exact position he’d wanted her in, while pumping in and out of her with erotic efficiency. Eva could barely breathe, let alone wrap her mind around what was going on. He felt so good inside of her, and so right. They should slow down, move to the bed possibly. At the very least pause so that she could take off those damn shoes. But no, that would mean he would have to stop moving inside of her and she would have to cease rotating her hips to meet his every thrust.

  That, she had no intention of doing. Instead she continued to hold on tight, loving the slap and slide of him inside of her. She’d never had sex like this before, not in this position, not while still mostly dressed and certainly not in a sex club. That might be hard for some to believe considering her occupation, but it was the simple truth. Her personal life was nowhere near as enticing as her work persona. Maybe that was the reason she was actually here, doing what she was doing.

  Rico’s hands gripping her ass, holding her hard and fast as he continued to move had her mind once again blurring with desire. It was her turn to lick his neck, inhaling deeply of his scent—cologne mixed with man, equaling a truly intoxicating aroma. He made a sound at the contact and Eva was encouraged, so she licked him again, this time sucking the spot gently when she finished. He ground deeper into her, his fingers digging into her cheeks fiercely. She circled her tongue over his skin this time, suckled again, and enjoyed the guttural moan that escaped from him. When he moved slightly, a hand snaking between them so that he could once again touch the hardened nub of her clit, Eva hissed in pleasure. Her teeth clamped together and she breathed in and out, hard and fast. He worked her clit as he pumped in and out of her and there was just nothing else. She could not see, could not think, and could barely breathe through the thick waves of pleasure soaring through her. Her entire body convulsed as her release took h
old, one leg shaking as it was still locked around his waist, while the other barely managed to hold her up.

  Rico’s release wasn’t far behind as he thrust hard inside her, then went completely still, his one-handed grip on her ass growing tighter, until there was almost pain. When he was finished, when they were both still heaving and reveling in the remnants of their release, the music stopped completely, and the room suddenly grew cold.

  Eva didn’t know what to do or to say. It seemed, that Rico didn’t either.

  Eventually, he moved first, which made more sense because she wasn’t exactly sure how to get out of this position without his cooperation. He backed up slightly, not so much that he was completely free of her, but enough so that he could look down on her. That intensity in his glare was still there, only this time it was joined by a sheen of confusion. Eva could relate. She was confused as hell too.

  What had they just done? Well, the answer to that, literally, was simple. Still, there were unanswered questions floating in the air. Ones that had embarrassment and doubt swirling around in her mind. She pushed him until their connection was broken and she could stand on her own two feet. That wasn’t such a success since her legs were still a bit wobbly, but Eva hurriedly pulled down her dress and moved from the wall to cross the room. She was grabbing her purse and jacket before he spoke.