A week later Trace walked into the mansion, tired from overseas travel but anxious to see Diana. This trip had involved long negotiations to calm the banking market in Hong Kong. Everything had gone well. He could have settled his business and come home earlier, but he needed to stay away from Diana. He needed to keep his thoughts and emotions under control. He’d planned to get Diana to fall in love with him and dump her, but he had been snared in his own web. He realized that he’d never stopped loving Diana.
The house was quiet except for the movement of the staff going about their daily routine. Diana was probably still at the office, which gave him time to collect himself. He glanced at his gold Rolex. He wanted to make a stop at the mansion to shower and change before going to the office. Thinking of the information he needed to record, he decided to forego the shower for now and hurried down the corridor to his home office. He placed his briefcase on the desk. Then he massaged the knot in his neck and rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension. Walking to the small wall fridge, he retrieved a bottle of cold spring water. He sat on the sofa, propped his feet on the mahogany table, and laid his head against the cushion. He sipped at the water, his minding drifting. The minute he closed his eyes Diana invaded his thoughts.
She was in his blood. The thought of their weekend on the yacht made him smile. When he asked her to go on the trip, seducing her hadn’t been his plan, at least not consciously. It was supposed to be a weekend for them to get to know each other again, but it had turned into a weekend of pure pleasure. Restless, he stood, moved to the window, and looked out over the manicured lawns. He sighed at the beauty of the land that belonged to him and Diana.
He smiled as his mind continued to fill with images of Diana. She could be very prim and proper when she wanted to be. He had taken her to one of the guest cottages on the property for an intimate and romantic interlude. He grinned, thinking of how they had christened the large in-ground Jacuzzi. Surrounded by the breathtaking mountaintop view of Asheville, he had made love to her. In the midst of his musings, the door opened and Henderson, the family’s longtime chauffeur entered quietly. Trace turned from the window, set the bottle on the desk and addressed the man who had been at Raven’s Nest as long as he could remember.
“Yes, Henderson?”
“Sir, Rosa told me she saw you come into the study. Are you ready to go to the office?”
Making a quick decision, he said, “No, I’ve changed my mind.”
“Are you sure, because…”
“I’m sure. You can have the rest of the evening to yourself.”
“Thank you.” Henderson turned to leave.
“Oh, Henderson, would you please tell Rosa to buzz me in my suite the moment Mrs. Pisano arrives?”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
A loud buzzing sound brought him out of a sound sleep. Disoriented, he fumbled and reached for the phone on the table beside the sofa.
“Yes,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Mr. Montgomery, Mrs. Pisano just pulled into the garage,” Rosa said.
Becoming fully awake, Trace sat up straighter. “Thank you, Rosa. Please don’t tell Mrs. Pisano I’m home.”
Rosa paused before answering. “Yes, sir.”
It would only take a couple of minutes for Diana to come through the walkway into the lower level. He must’ve been more tired than he thought. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fallen asleep sitting up. He rubbed his eyes, picked up the papers that had fallen to the floor, and put them into the briefcase in front of him.
Discarding his robe, he walked naked into the bathroom to run water over his face. He dried his face and quickly ran his hand through the dark thickness of his hair, making the thick layers look untamed and unruly.
Trace grabbed a pair of silk briefs from the top dresser drawer, took a pair of freshly pressed jeans from a hanger, and slipped them on. He chose a short-sleeved navy blue silk shirt and slipped his bare feet into a pair of Italian loafers. Finished, Trace strode out of the room and quickly headed down the long staircase. He wanted to see her reaction upon seeing him. He was acting like a schoolboy on his first date, but he didn’t care.
The sunroom was secluded from the rest of the mansion. Because it was her favorite room, Diana always headed there for serenity and downtime. When she came from work, her ritual was to first take a shower, slip into what she called her comfy clothes and a pair of old flips flops, and head to the sunroom. Today he would wait for her there.
At the wall stereo system, he put on some jazz. Diana loved jazz and blues. To be so young, she had an old soul when it came to music.
At the built-in bar in one corner of the room he poured a glass of white zinfandel for Diana and a scotch for himself. Upon hearing the door open, he turned and watched as she entered the room. She closed the door behind her, insuring her privacy. She didn’t notice him there. She was dressed casually in a pair of khaki shorts and a sleeveless shirt. He looked at her long, brown bare legs and smiled when he noticed she carried a pair of flip-flops that dangled from two fingers. Diana was truly a country girl. She loved to go barefoot.
From his side of the room he said, “Hello, Diana.”
She dropped the shoes and whirled to face him, shocked. Then her eyes lit up. To think she was glad to see him made his heart swell. She remained rooted to her spot, so he walked toward her, carrying their drinks in his hands. He handed her the glass of wine. She took it, but continued looking at him as if he were a mirage.
He grinned at her. “I see you still like to go barefoot.”
Coming out of a stupor, she said, “When did you get back?”
He smiled and took a swallow of his drink. Diana didn’t like being caught by surprise; she liked to be in control.
Trace gently took hold of her elbow and guided her to the sofa. He removed the glass from her trembling hand and set it on the table along with his drink. He closed his fingers around hers and carried her hand to his mouth. He fleetingly kissed the fingers and the palm of her hand. “I arrived late this afternoon.” His gaze caressed her face. “I have missed you.”
Mason watched as she fought with her answer. “I missed you, too.” The softness of her voice was his undoing. Diana reached up, took his face in her hands, and brought his lips to hers. He was surprised she took the initiative to kiss him first. Her tongue entered his mouth. With a swift intake of breath, he brought her closer and deepened the kiss as their tongues battled for control. Laying her on the sofa, he leaned into her and gave her what they both desired. He pulled her closer and took complete control of the kiss. Fire consumed him; he was fast losing control. Just a little bit more and then he would stop…at least that was what his head told him. His body had other ideas. Diana moaned and circled her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer. Her mouth melted beneath his.
Mason used his tongue to brand her as he moved his lips from hers to explore her neck. He moved aside the shirt and her bra and latched onto the brown nipple begging for his attention. He worshipped one breast and then moved to the other. He lifted his head and observed her as she thrashed her head side to side trying to escape the wave of passion rolling over her. She lay before him with her lips parted and her eyes heavy with desire. He slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Never taking his eyes from her, he removed her shorts along with the lace panties she wore. Trace lowered his head and brought his tongue to her flat stomach. He worked his way to her navel and moved lower. Diana grabbed hold of his head as his tongue latched onto her core. She tried to escape the storm, but Trace wouldn’t let her. As her orgasm washed over her, she became motionless for a moment.
Then she reached for him. Her fingers fumbled with the zipper of his jeans. He covered her hands with his, helping her to undo the zipper. When they completed the task, his manhood sprang forth from its confinement. Impatient, he quickly discarded the jeans and the shirt. He threw the sofa pillows to the floor and placed her on top of them. His fingers moved in her center, preparing her to receive him.
“Look at me…” he said hoarsely. “I need you so badly. But if you want me to stop now, I will.”
“I want you.”
“This is our final turning point. I won’t let you go. No more running.”
She gave him her answer by reaching for him, and he followed her initiative. Bringing her legs to lock around his waist, he positioned himself between them. He tried to slow down, but she arched her body against him and pulled him closer. She moaned his name. He shuddered. She gasped. He thrust deeply to the tip of her womb. He didn’t move for a moment. Her vagina squeezed his penis, wanting more. He closed his eyes to get control, but lost it when she bucked her hips. He pulled out and then pushed back into her hard. She thrashed about, but he wouldn’t let her escape everything he was giving her. She gently squeezed his scrotum, and he exploded. With a roar, he filled her with one deep, final thrust, spilling his seed into her. For several long moments afterward, he held her close. There was no going back for either of them.
* * *
Trace lay gazing at Diana’s face and frowned when he saw a slight discoloration to the skin. He ran his fingers gently over the spot. He had noticed it before. Her makeup had concealed it well. He needed to ask her about it. Trace pulled her closer. He inhaled her musky scent and savored the feel of her in his arms. He had continually reached for her throughout the night. He felt at peace.
He cursed himself as he remembered they had made love in the sunroom without a condom, neither of them remembering until it was too late. This was the second time it had happened, the first being right after breakfast on the yacht. The idea of Diana being pregnant with his child didn’t bother him. It stunned him because he would be happy to have the entire package with her. He sighed, tightened his hold, and idly he rubbed her naked back in a soothing circular motion.
“Trace?” Diana asked him sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
In between stolen kisses, they had snuck through the mansion and climbed the stairs with their shoes in hand. They’d shared a shower together, he washing her back and she in turn doing the same. Afterward, they’d grabbed large white, soft bath towels and gently dried each other, all the while enjoying the nectar of each other’s lips. When the kisses had turned fierce and their breathing labored, they’d discarded the towels, fallen into bed, and begun the journey once again. They had foregone dinner altogether.
“Nothing is wrong. I was getting comfortable.”
Diana was sprawled over him and she seemed to have no intention of moving. “Are you saying I’m too heavy?”
Chuckling, he answered, “No. I’ve told you before you could stand to gain a few pounds.”
She looked up at him, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. “Oh, yeah. Are you calling me skinny? You didn’t seem to mind that last night.”
He laughed. “I have no complaints.” He pulled her closer and was quiet. After a few moments, he said, “I don’t want you to have regrets tomorrow morning.”
“I won’t.”
“We didn’t use a condom in the sunroom. This is the second time. I’m sorry.”
She continued gazing up at him with wide brown eyes. “I didn’t realize we didn’t use one in the sunroom.”
“If you’re pregnant—”
“You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Believe me, I’m not worried.”
She blinked up at him. “You’re not?”
“No.” He brought her closer to his lips and gently kissed her. He liked the softness in her eyes. She was opening up to him. He gently caressed her cheek. “I noticed this earlier and wondered what happened.”
“What?” Her hand went to her cheek.
He removed her hand. “Did you hurt yourself?”
She shuffled in his arms and lowered her eyes. “I tripped and hit my cheek against a chair,” she lied. Thoughts of the encounter with Crispina flashed vividly in her mind.
“It looks as if there was a cut.” He examined the skin closely. “Please be more careful. You could’ve seriously been hurt.”
“I’m fine. It’s hardly noticeable now.” She started to move off him.
“Where are you going?”
“I was giving you room.”
Grinning, he pulled her to him. “Did I ask you to move?”
“No, but—” He brought his mouth down on hers, igniting the passion all over again.
“You’re torturing me,” she moaned.
“Not torture. Only pleasure.”
Trace reached for a condom on the night table, reversed their positions, and straddled Diana across his lap. She gasped with surprise and gingerly took him into her body.
He knew she was sore so he lay still, letting her take the lead.
“Ride me, Diana,” he said huskily.
She moved slowly on his shaft, each time taking more, finally taking all of him. He held his breath, slowly releasing the pleasure. Her muscles tightened around his shaft and it throbbed and hardened even more.
She quickened the pace. Bringing his hands to her hips, he pushed and helped her to the edge. With their cries of bliss mingling together, they reached an explosive climax. He knew he had fallen in love with her all over again, but he was afraid because he wouldn’t be able to walk away this time.