From This Moment On Part 11

Her body welcomed his as if she'd been made to surround him. She was in such good shape and so strong as she held onto him that he didn't need to hold her up at all, leaving his hands free to cover her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as his hips drove into hers. His mouth devoured hers and she devoured him right back until she dropped her head back against the tile on a gasp of pleasure that echoed against the walls of the shower.

"Oh yes, please, just like that," she urged him as her inner walls clenched and grasped at his c.o.c.k.

Needing to get closer, needing to be as deep within her wet heat as he could, Marcus gripped her a.s.s in his hands and f.u.c.ked her as hard as he'd wanted to last night, hard enough that hopefully he could make it through an entire day without having to show up at her video shoot and drag her off into an empty room to take her.

She sobbed his name as she came and G.o.d, how he loved the way she climaxed with her entire body, every muscle tightening as she rode it out before going completely loose.

He wanted to be completely lucid for her o.r.g.a.s.m, didn't want to miss one second of her release, but he just didn't have that kind of control around her, and he had to take her mouth again in another bruising kiss as he found his own release. Just as it had the night before, his o.r.g.a.s.m seemed to set off another set of sparks within her body, strong enough that she was whimpering against his lips, silently begging him to help her get over the second peak.

Marcus slid his hand from her a.s.s to her pelvis and pressed it to her c.l.i.toris. Her eyes flew open as her body instantly responded to the direct sensual contact of his rough fingertips on the center of her arousal.

He lifted his mouth from hers, knowing just what she needed, remembering so clearly how beautifully she'd responded the night before.

"Again," he urged her as he manipulated her between her legs. "Come for me again, Nicola."

Just as he'd hoped, his gentle command had her eyes closing, her breath hitching in her chest, and her body giving itself over to another hit of pleasure.

This time he was glad-so d.a.m.n glad-to be able to watch her come as he pumped into her with his still erect c.o.c.k.

He'd seen so much beauty at his winery in Napa, a hundred sunrises and sunsets over the vines that were each more beautiful that the next. But he would give up every sunrise, every last sunset, for the chance to watch Nicola's skin flush, to feel her nipples pebble against his chest, to be right there with her as ecstasy took her over.

He moved both hands back beneath her hips as her muscles went lax and her arms and legs began to slip from around him.

"I've got you," he said against her ear as he sat on the built-in seat in the corner and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm really late." She lifted her head, then, and smiled up at him. "You're a bad influence on me." She reached for the shampoo bottle before she could see the surprise on his face.

Marcus had spent a lifetime trying to set a good example for first his siblings, and then his employees. And now a pop star actually thought he was a bad influence? Not, of course, that he could argue with her, considering he'd just made her incredibly late to shoot her video. If his sister knew he was the one responsible for it, she'd kill him. The least he could do was make sure he didn't delay her any further.

He reached for the shampoo and began to lather up her soft hair.

"I can do that myself," she protested halfheartedly.

"Let me have the pleasure of taking care of you."

She nodded, saying "Okay," before she relaxed into his hands.

Sixty very efficient seconds later, her hair was clean and conditioned and he was just finishing washing the suds from the bar of soap off her beautiful skin. Another minute later he'd dried her off with a plush towel.

With a soft kiss on her full lips, he said, "Go knock their socks off."

But she didn't move out of his arms. And she suddenly looked really uncomfortable. "This thing we're doing-I know this sounds really horrible, but I just wanted to be sure that we're both going to be really careful to keep it just between us."

He nodded, surprised that she felt she needed to confirm that. "Of course it's just between us."

"Good." She smiled up at him a little uncertainly. "Great!"

She gave him one last smile and then she was moving faster than he'd ever seen a woman get dressed and out the door, leaving him alone in her huge penthouse suite, wondering just how in h.e.l.l he was going to keep from completely losing his mind over her.

Or if he already had.

Chapter Twelve.

Even though Nicola had never flaked on a meeting or been late to a venue for a show or interview, she knew better than to think her previous track record would matter even a little bit today.

People believed what they wanted to believe about her. And she was pretty darn sure that everyone was automatically a.s.suming she'd been partying too hard last night to show up for her own video shoot. So, while she was tempted to burst onto the set full of apologies, she knew better. She had to be completely in control of herself from the first second she stepped onto the set.

"Hi everyone," she said in an easy voice. "Sorry about the delay, I had some important business to take care of this morning."

She didn't bother to take stock of everyone's response, not when she was very much afraid she'd end up blushing as she remembered the details of the very "important business."

The pa.s.sion Marcus had shared with her simply blew her away, so much so that she'd even forgotten to be wary about trusting him. He had a key to her hotel room, which meant that he could snoop through her things to his heart's content if he wanted to. But even though she'd vowed never to trust a man again, knew there was the potential that maybe she was being stupid and naive again, she just couldn't see Marcus rifling through her things.

In any case, she wouldn't have the head s.p.a.ce to process what she was doing with Marcus until the video was in the bag, so she forcefully pushed him out of her head. As much as she could, anyway, considering she still felt the imprint of him all over her body. His big hands, his mouth on hers, his huge shaft plunging in and- "Nico, perfect timing!"

Lori's enthusiastic greeting yanked Nicola out of her forbidden thoughts. "I'm really sorry I'm so late," she said in a quiet voice meant only for her ch.o.r.eographer.

Marcus's sister waved away her apology. "Everyone had so much to set up, I swear they just finished. As soon as you're done with wardrobe and makeup, we'll warm up, okay?"

Nicola loved the way Lori didn't make a big deal out of things. So many people she'd worked with over the years would have held this over her head, would have tried to insinuate that she was a total flake and that they expected nothing less.

"Sounds great. Thanks."

She was turning away to go check in with the director, when she felt Lori's hand on her arm. "I know we're in a hurry here, but real quick, I want to apologize for running out on dinner with you and Marcus last night."

Nicola didn't want to admit she hadn't given Lori another thought after she'd left. Feeling terrible about that, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

Lori shrugged. "It'll all work out one way or another, I suppose," was her cryptic response. "I wouldn't have left if I didn't know you were in totally safe hands with my big brother. Did he take good care of you and get you back to your hotel all right?"

Nicola had never had to work quite so hard to school her face into a completely blank expression. Her breath got caught in her throat as she opened her mouth to try, and she needed to clear her throat a couple of times before responding.

"Yes. He was great."

So ridiculously, stupendously great that she had almost bailed on her video shoot altogether just for the chance to spend the entire day in his arms.

The director walked over just then, fortunately, and saved her from blushing any more than she already was. Glad for the chance to focus on business rather than the swirling emotions she felt over what had happened with Marcus, she spent the next twelve hours working as hard as she ever had in her life.

Everyone might have begun the day thinking she was a flaky pop star...but by the end, she vowed she would outlast them all.

Twelve hours later....

She'd outlasted them, all right. But at what price?

After dragging herself into the elevator up to the penthouse, Nicola barely had the strength left to lift her hand high enough to slip her key into the reader beside her door.

She stood with her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Just another thirty seconds and then she could collapse and not move for another twenty-four hours.

The lock clicked and she shifted her weight to the door to push it open. She barely caught a flash of Marcus sitting at the dining table behind his laptop before he was pushing away and coming toward her.

"Nicola." He grabbed her just before she collapsed. "Jesus, what did they do to you today?"

"It's not them. It's my stupid pride," she said, even though she knew it wouldn't make any sense. And then, oh G.o.d, it felt so good to be held by him, that she lost her train of thought altogether as she let him carry her over to the couch.

She closed her eyes against his chest and finally gave in to utter and complete exhaustion.

Nicola woke up disoriented but not uncomfortable in Marcus's arms. He was so sweet that he'd tucked cushions beneath her torso and her feet while she'd slept like the dead. She loved being with him like this, so warm and safe. No one had ever made her feel this comfortable, like she didn't have one single thing left to prove. She didn't have to be "on" with him, or perform to impress. She could just be herself. Nicola, rather than the world-famous Nico.

"What time is it?" Her eyes felt gritty and every muscle in her body hurt from dancing and performing at 110 percent for twelve hours straight.

"Late."

Feeling terrible that she'd asked for this extra night with him, only to have him stuck beneath her on yet another couch while she snored, she said, "I'm always falling asleep on you."

He laughed softly. "I'm starting to wonder if I should take it as a hint?"

Relieved that he wasn't upset with her for being a big tease, she said, "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

She leaned forward to press her mouth to his, her tongue stroking against his for a split-second, before he pulled back way too soon.

"You're tired. Tell me about your video, first."

She'd much rather kiss him than talk about her crazy day, but when he began to ma.s.sage one of her feet she couldn't do anything but groan at how much it hurt...and how good it felt at the same time. His hands on her were so gentle and yet firm, exactly as he'd been when he was making love to her.

At some point, she realized he'd asked her a question about something, but it took her longer than it should have to remember what.

"The shoot went well," she told him, not sure how much he really wanted to know. He was probably just being polite, probably thought she was one of those stars who just liked to talk about herself when the truth was that she'd rather do anything but.

"Lori called right before you returned. She couldn't stop talking about how amazing you are."

Nicola's stomach clenched, hardly able to bear the praise. "I didn't tell her about us, I swear." Whatever us was.

"I know you didn't. My sister has been excited about working with you from the start. She told me she's never seen anyone as focused and hardworking as you. I'm not at all surprised to hear it."

Nicola was already feeling overly warm from the feel of his hand moving up to her calf as he began to work out the knots in the muscle, but at the praise, her blush turned into a full-body flush.

"Most people are surprised." The slightly bitter comment left her lips before she could hold it back. At his questioning look, she explained, "My image isn't exactly a brainiac workaholic." She knew she must be tired to be talking so openly to Marcus about this kind of stuff.

He frowned. "Your image?"

Even though she knew she should drop the whole conversation, she said instead, "Come on, you have to know all about public images, considering one of your brothers is a big movie star."

"How do you know about that?"

"Don't worry," she said in a snottier voice than perhaps she should have. "I didn't go snooping online about you." He raised an eyebrow as she explained, "Lori told me yesterday that Smith Sullivan is your brother." Nicola c.o.c.ked her head to the side and looked carefully at Marcus. "Maybe if I had been looking for the family resemblance I would have linked the three of you together."

"If you'd known I was Lori and Smith's brother, you wouldn't have left the club with me."

It was a statement, not a question. "You're right," she agreed, as blunt as he. "I wouldn't have left with you." She paused a beat before adding, "And if you'd known I was the infamous Nico you wouldn't have left with me, either."

His dark eyes flashed with something she couldn't read at her use of the word infamous, but before he could respond, she realized, "Hey, that was Smith's house we went to that first night, wasn't it?"

Marcus simply nodded and asked, "Why are you infamous?"

"You really don't know?" G.o.d, she wished she didn't find that so hard to believe. But even though he hadn't known who she was that first night, he'd had plenty of time to do his research since finding out she was Nico.

"I haven't gone snooping online about you, either."

Ouch. It wasn't particularly fun to have her own sarcastic words thrown back at her. She winced and said, "Sorry. I was out of line with that comment."

"Yeah, you were," he agreed as he moved his hand up from her calf to her thigh to begin ma.s.saging that large, tight muscle, "but I'm sure you have to deal with that kind of stuff from people every day, don't you?"

She found it really difficult to believe that he didn't know anything about her story. Then again, he wasn't exactly her target audience, so why would he?

"I do," she confirmed, "but it's a necessary evil, just like my image. I've always figured that as long as I'm able to play my music for people, the tradeoff is worth it."

"What's your image, Nicola?"

Shoot, she was hoping they could get off this whole topic, before she accidentally told him more than she wanted him to know about herself and her past. Sure, he could find out anything he wanted to know online in seconds, but a big part of her-a really naive part, probably-couldn't quite picture him sitting down at his computer and scrolling through pap pictures and stories in People magazine.

But now that he'd asked her a direct question, and was clearly interested in the answer, she couldn't quite find a way to deflect it. "My image is pretty obvious," she said with a crooked grin she didn't quite feel. "s.e.xy." She licked her lips, before forcing out the word. "Wild."

"I can see s.e.xy," he said. "But wild?" He frowned, looked around the nearly dark, very quiet suite. "It didn't exactly look like you were having crazy parties up here before we met."

She shrugged. "People believe what's easiest for them to believe."

"Sure they do," he agreed, "but only when there's a reason for them to believe it."

She hated talking about this, especially to Marcus, but she'd promised him she'd be honest. "I haven't always made the best decisions."

She could feel his eyes, warm and dark, on her as she studied her knee.

"Everyone makes bad decisions at some point in their lives."

She looked up at him. "Have you?"

His mouth tightened. "Not too long ago, actually."

She couldn't help but be somewhat comforted by that. "Unfortunately, I made mine in front of the world. Thus the wild image."