Sweet Possession Read online

  I feel him, his mouth, his hands, his everything on me and I’m immediately pulled from my dream. Slowly opening my eyes, I see Reese on top of me, trailing kisses below my breasts and running his hands up my thighs. His wild hair is perfectly disheveled, sticking out every which way and brushing softly against my skin. He quickly removes my T-shirt and panties and tosses them off the bed.

  “Mmm. I love waking up like this.” I feel his lips curl up against me as he trails lower. Nibbling at my hip bones, his teeth graze along my skin and I squirm underneath him. I glance to my right, seeing the time on the alarm clock. “Did you just get here?”

  “Yeah.” His lips brush along my ribs while his hands mold over my breasts. “I know it’s late. And if you’re too tired…”

  Yeah, right. Like I would ever object to this.

  Reaching down, I grip his shoulders and pull him up to me, bringing his face to mine. “I don’t care what time it is; you always have my permission to wake me up.” I lift my head and brush my lips softly against his, tasting his minty flavor. “Thank you for my note and my song. Let’s go get married right now.”

  He laughs against my mouth, the gentle pressure turning urgent. I’m silenced, as I always am when he kisses me this way, and I really couldn’t care less. Opening for him, we move our tongues against each other’s, stroking and savoring as my fingers tangle in his hair. His hands move all over my body, touching and caressing every inch of me with his calloused palms. I moan softly as he teases my breasts, pulling and pinching my nipples in the way I like. My need for him builds quickly, and I reach down between us and grip his length in my hand. “Hard day?” I ask playfully.

  He groans deeply before he answers. “Hardest. I hate being away from you.”

  “We’re always apart on Fridays for work.” I slowly stroke his length, feeling him thicken even more in my hand.

  “I know. This just felt different.”

  My heart constricts at his words, knowing exactly how he feels. Even though we’re used to some distance, this did feel different somehow. Maybe it’s because he’s so close to becoming officially mine, or maybe it’s because I’ve been stressed to the max lately. Either way, I’m not a fan of being away from this man; where he goes, I go.

  “Reese,” I whisper across his lips, hearing his breath hitch at the sound of his name.

  “I need you,” he proclaims, thrusting forward and entering me in one quick push. I gasp with him, pulling my legs up and wrapping them firmly around his hips. He moves fast and hard, plunging deep then deeper into me. My eyes are locked onto his as he holds himself above me, lunging forward in his perfect rhythm. He whispers his sweet words to me between each drive.

  “It’s like Heaven being in you. Tell me you’re mine, Dylan.”

  “I’m yours. I always have been.”

  “Fucking right.”

  I arch my back and press my chest against his, needing the contact. Needing every part of him touching me. I can never get close enough to this man. I want him on me at all times; I crave it. I love the way our bodies fit together, so perfectly and so in tune with each other’s. He drops his head and latches onto my right breast, flicking against my nipple before sucking on it. I groan loudly, loving the way his mouth feels against every part of my body. My eyes go to the inside of his right arm, seeing the words I scrolled on him all those months ago. The fact that he got it tattooed still blows my mind, and every time I look at it, my heart swells. I lean up and press my lips against the words, my words I marked him with. Trailing my tongue across my script, his thrusts pick up, as he slams harder into me. Hearing his loud grunts ring out above me, I glance up and see him pull his bottom lip in and bite it.

  “Make me come, Reese.”

  Dropping his hand between us, he picks up his movements and brushes against my clit, in the way only he does. He knows exactly what to do with my body, and he does it better than anyone ever could. Not that I have any desire to test that theory; this is the only man I’ll ever want. I’m falling fast, clenching around him and softly chanting his name.

  “Dylan,” he growls, crashing his mouth down on mine. I pull his tongue into my mouth and suck on it slowly, swallowing his moans as he gives me his release. Our lips brush against each other’s, tasting and teasing as we both come down from our high. He lifts his head toward the direction of the nightstand.

  “Seven days,” he says before looking back down at me. “You know this is hard for me, right? To be this damn close to having the whole world know you’re officially mine.”

  I slide along his cheekbone with my fingers, studying his face. “I thought I was the only one struggling out of the two of us. You’re always so quick to silence my quickie-wedding suggestions.”

  He shakes his head slightly, leaning into my palm that’s resting flat against his cheek. And then I see it: the shift in his eyes, the possessive, hungry glare he does so well. “It fucking kills me to wait, but I want this to be perfect for you. I don’t ever want you to regret the way you gave yourself to me, and I’ll have no problem moving that preacher along. That ceremony will be brief.”

  I laugh softly before planting a kiss on his jaw. “I love you,” I murmur against his skin.

  He drops his forehead to mine and closes his eyes. “I love you.”

  He always says it like that when I say it first. It’s never I love you, too. Never. It’s as if he’s stating it as a fact, not giving me an automated response to my declaration. The way Reese says ‘I love you’, I feel it more than I hear it.

  He lets his weight press me firmly into the mattress as he collapses down on top of me, tucking his head next to mine. “Seven days,” he whispers, and I barely make it out. It’s as if those words are just for him, the reassurance he gives himself.

  I kiss his shoulder and hold him against me, not wanting him to move. I could wake up with the worst cramp in the morning, but this closeness would be worth it. I press my lips to his ear. “We got this. Seven days is nothing.”

  And with those final words, I feel his body relax.

  I feel the bed move and hear the soft creaking sound of the mattress. Peeking one eye open, I see the back of Reese as he sits on the end of the bed, facing the bathroom. He’s shirtless, his broad back covered in tiny water droplets. His hair is wet and fuckably messy and his scent is overwhelming me, blanketing me and causing me to purr as I stretch. At the sound of my noise, he turns his head and lets his eyes roam freely over my body, which is barely covered in the white sheet.

  “You are impossibly beautiful. Do you know that?”

  I hold my hands out, reaching for him. He drops the towel he is holding and crawls toward me in a pair of shorts, settling on his side and pulling me against his chest.

  “You showered without me,” I state as I press soft kisses to his chest.

  “I had to. Ian and I went for a run.”

  I lean back to look into his face. “You’re that disciplined to work out on vacation?” My eyes take in his hard body, and I realize the absurdity of that question. “Never mind. Look at you. The term ‘rest day’ is not a part of your vocabulary.” A knock on the door prompts Reese to grab the sheet and cover me up to my neck.

  “Hold on,” he yells over his shoulder.

  He shifts quickly and straddles my waist, moving his hands along the side of my body and tucking me in burrito style. I squirm underneath him. “Reese, I could’ve just grabbed a T-shirt.”

  He smirks at me before turning toward the door. “All right, you can come in.”

  The door opens and Joey pops his head through. He smiles at the sight of the two of us on the bed. “Well, look who’s finally awake.”

  Finally awake? I quickly turn toward the alarm clock. “Oh, my God. It’s after twelve o’clock already?” I gaze up at Reese. “You tried to wake me, didn’t you?”

  “Of course I did. Multiple times.”

  I shake my head at myself with a grimace; I’m in New Orleans, and I’m spending my time here in
bed. Of course, if Reese promised to stay with me, I’d never leave this bed. What girl would?

  “The party bus is leaving at three o’clock. And no boys allowed,” Joey says with a smile. He looks almost devious in my doorway, no doubt thinking of everything he and Juls have planned for the evening. “And I have two rules for you, cupcake: wear the sexiest outfit you have in that suitcase, and hand over the cell phone.”

  “What? No way. I’m not giving you my phone.” Reese shifts above me and grabs my phone off the nightstand before getting out of bed. “What are you doing?”

  “He took my phone, too. Let him have it; I don’t need a phone to get to you.”

  I watch him hand my cell over and Joey takes it with a smile. “Thank you. And don’t even think about getting to her.”

  I don’t see Reese’s reaction to what Joey’s just said, but I do see Joey’s reaction to the look he is getting from Reese, and that look makes my dear assistant straighten up in the doorway. I hide my giggle underneath the sheet as Joey exhales loudly.

  “If I see your gorgeous face at any of the places we go to tonight, you and I will be having words.”

  “Joey,” Reese says, placing one hand on the doorframe and gripping the edge of the door with the other. Even though he and Joey are roughly the same height, Reese seems to tower over any opponent with his body language alone. “Nothing stands in my way of Dylan. Not even you.”

  Joey sighs heavily and glances in my direction. “Three o’clock, cupcake.”

  “Got it.”

  The door closes and I immediately flail my arms and legs, breaking free of the cocoon I’ve been wrapped in. I slide off the bed and grab my T-shirt, pulling it over my head. When I brush my wild bed-hair out of my eyes, I see Reese staring at me in the way only he does, like he’s committing me to memory. I sit on the edge of the bed and tap the spot next to me. He smiles, sitting down and placing his hand on my thigh.

  “So, what are your plans for tonight? Naked girls? Lap dances?” I ask as I twirl my engagement ring around my finger.

  His forehead creases with concern. “Do you think I have any desire to see another naked woman when I have this waiting for me?” He tugs at my T-shirt, exposing my bare hip. His finger trails along my skin. “I love this spot right here. Do you know why?” I watch as his finger glides over my hipbone toward the taut skin of my inner thigh. When he turns his head up and locks onto my eyes, I shake my head. The corner of his mouth curls up into a smile. “When I kiss you here, you shake against my lips. You always have.” His finger trails lower, dipping between my legs. I gasp when he feels how wet his words have made me. “Mine.”

  “Yours,” I answer breathlessly. I let my head fall against his shoulder. “I need to start getting ready. Joey will freak out if I make us late to wherever the hell we’re going.”

  He kisses the corner of my mouth before sliding his hand out and sucking on his finger. “I need to get ready, too. But you will be sitting on my face later.”

  “Promise?” I tease, standing and making my way to the bathroom. I turn when I don’t get a response just in time to see him drop his shorts, displaying his massive erection. I stumble a bit. “Wow. I mean, we have a little time, right?”

  He arches his brow. “Get in there before I pin you against the wall. You know I hate rushing when it comes to you.” I pull my shirt over my head, flashing him and pairing it with my best flirtatious smile. He shakes his head. “Go, love.”

  “Yes, Mr. Carroll.”

  By the time I reemerge from the bathroom, ready to get this night over with, Reese has already dressed and left the room. I walk over to my suitcase and grab the black high heels I packed. They are dangerously high, buckle around my ankle, and scream sex kitten. I might actually kill myself wearing these tonight, but when the hell else am I going to wear them? Besides to bed with Reese, which will definitely be happening very soon. I strap them on and walk over to the floor-length mirror hanging on the wall. My blonde hair is falling over my bare shoulders. My makeup is looking on point and very sexy, thanks to my false eyelashes, and my dress is short, black, and practically a second skin. It’s probably a good thing Reese has left the room already because I seriously doubt he’d let me walk out of here in this. He took it upon himself months ago to categorize the majority of my wardrobe as for his eyes only, leaving me with only a few dresses deemed fit for public outings, according to his standards. And none of those dresses would do tonight. This is my bachelorette party; I’m supposed to look sinful. Besides, he can rip this off my body later and do whatever the hell he wants with it. And by it, I mean my dress and my body.

  “Holy shit,” Joey practically squeals as I walk very carefully down the stairs. Juls and Brooke are standing by the doorway, both in tight dresses themselves, and Joey is looking exceptional in a dress shirt and khakis. “Thank Christ the guys left already. There’s no way in Hell Reese would approve of that dress, which you look amazing in.”

  I smile widely. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  “You look incredible, sweets,” Juls adds as I come to a stop at the last step. She points at my feet with her perfectly manicured finger. “I need to borrow those shoes immediately. They are fabulous.”

  “The limo’s here!” Brooke chirps, swinging the door open. “Let’s get this party started.”

  I hold my clutch with one hand as Joey takes my other, looping it through his arm. “Are you ready to get down and dirty, cupcake?”

  I smile at him, concealing my apprehension. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “I can’t believe you got a limo for this. Did the boys leave in one, as well?” I ask, climbing into the back of the stretch-Hummer-style limo that could easily fit twenty people. The last time I was in a limousine was prom, and it was nowhere near as nice as this one. The cool leather of the seats chills my legs as I slide over to the bench seat.

  “No. They aren’t fabulous like we are. They all left in a cab,” Joey answers as he settles into the seat to my right. Juls slides in next to him and smiles at me, pulling the hem of her dress down on her bare thighs.

  Brooke opens one of the cabinets and grabs a bottle of champagne and several flutes. “Let’s make a toast.”

  “Should you be pouring that? Didn’t you pre-game it at the house with a few of the minis from the fridge?” Joey asks, scooting closer to Brooke.

  Brooke glares at him. “Shut up, you queen. I’m perfectly capable of pouring under tipsy conditions.” She fills the glasses, handing them out to the three of us. Joey takes his with a disapproving look before dropping it to give me his winning smile. “Who wants to do the honors?” Brooke asks.

  “Me. I have to practice for Saturday anyway.” Juls holds her glass in front of her, prompting the rest of us to do the same. She beams at me sweetly. “To my very best friend, Dylan, who deserves all the happiness in the world. We all love you very much, sweets.” Her lip quivers a bit and she looks down, hiding her teary eyes. She wipes her finger across her cheek. “Sorry. I’m just so happy for you.”

  Joey sniffles next to her and squeezes her knee.

  “You guys are lame. Is this how it’s going to be all night?” Brooke asks. She tips her glass back when no one responds and downs the contents. I smile over at my two best friends, motioning to them for us to do the same. Brooke collects our empty glasses before reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck. “That stupid couch was not meant to be slept on. I’m getting a bed tonight.”

  “Not mine,” Joey informs her. He looks out the window as the limo begins to slow down. “Oooo, we’re here!”

  My nerves hit me in one big rush, not knowing what to expect when I step out of the vehicle. I try to look out the window, but Brooke blocks my view as she stands and smoothes her dress. Shit. I really don’t want to go to some seedy strip club where you’re most likely to catch an STD just from breathing the air. But I can’t bail, not when we’re already here.

  Juls places her hand on the door, looki
ng back in my direction. “You ready, sweets?”

  I nod and force my most convincing smile. Juls and Joey file out of the limo, followed by Brooke. I scoot myself along the bench seat and take Joey’s offered hand that’s held out for me, mentally preparing myself for what I’m about to endure. And then, I step out of the limo.

  I am expecting neon lights and loud music pumping from a building.

  I am expecting drunk patrons stumbling along the street and the smell of booze and cigarettes.

  But I am not expecting this.

  The limo has dropped us off outside a very ritzy establishment, the words ‘Bella Donna Day Spa’ scrolled in fancy script above the doorway. I turn toward my two best friends who are smiling at me. “We’re having a spa day?”

  “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Juls asks.

  The tenseness in my shoulders has disappeared completely. I reach for Juls’ hand and she places hers in mine, squeezing it gently.

  Joey wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Did you really think I’d make your bachelorette party all about me? What kind of friend would I be if I did that?”

  “But you told me to dress sexy.”

  He runs his eyes up and down my body. “And you knocked it out of the park. Don’t worry, we’ll put that dress to use when we go dancing after this.”

  I lay my head on his shoulder as he directs me to the door, following behind Juls and Brooke. “Thank you, Joey.”

  He kisses the top of my head. “Come on, cupcake. Let’s enjoy some massages.”

  I really have the two best friends in the world.

  Juls and Joey set me up with a two-hour hot stone massage, which worked every single knot from my back that had begun to set in due to wedding-planning stress. Juls, Joey, and Brooke all received massages themselves while I passed out during my session. If I had my phone with me, I would’ve informed Reese that my masseuse had amazing fingers. Very feminine, amazing fingers. I’d never let him think another man had his hands on me. I’m very aware of his views on that, even if it is in a spa setting.