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chapter 9
She didn't seem to notice anything had changed between them. Ichigo watched while she slipped on her coat and said good-bye to her new friends. He was amazed she didn't suspect tonight was her official wedding night. The secret knowledge made him even more impatient to get out of kano's house, where he'd finally seduce her. He'd been crazy to wait this long. He should have known sex was the fastest way to ensure a relationship settled.
The cab arrived and they sped home. She remained silent at his side, stared out the window, and ignored him.
He paid the driver and followed her inside. She hung her coat neatly in the closet and headed up the stairs. "Good night."
He knew anger was the quickest way to gain her full attention. "Rukia?"
"Yes?"
"Did you sleep with him?"
Her head spun halfway around, reminding him of the little girl from The Exorcist. Her mouth dropped open and a gasp rose to her lips. Fierce satisfaction ripped through him at her response, and the connection between them reignited and caught fire.
"What did you say?"
He took off his own jacket and threw it over the back of the couch. He stood in front of her, hands on hips, and gathered all his power to make her mad as hell. Because he knew through her anger he'd find honesty—the passionate woman she hid from him in her ridiculous belief he didn't want her.
"You heard me the first time. I wondered if you had time to make it to the bedroom or did kano just take you against the wall before dessert?"
She ripped in her breath and clenched her fingers into tight fists. "I don't screw other men or kiss them in public because I have more respect for our marriage than you do. And so does Ashido."
Her immediate defense of kano made a tight ball of rage twist in the pit of his stomach like a bunch of poisonous snakes. "You let him paw you in front of my business associates."
"You're nuts! He was a perfect gentleman. Besides, you were all over senna in a public parking lot!"
"That was different. I pushed her away."
"Sure, after you stuck your tongue in her mouth. I'm done here."
His eyes narrowed into slits. "Not yet."
She blinked and stepped back. Then looked straight in his eyes and cracked the final whip. "I'm going to bed. You may be able to control who I don't sleep with, but you don't have any power over my fantasies."
Her icy tone contradicted the mocking words pulsing in the air between them.
He broke.
Ichigo walked toward her with a steady slowness that made her back away for every footstep forward. Her back slammed against the wall when he reached her. Slowly, he splayed his palms flat against the wall on either side of her head. His body caged hers. His wide stance trapped her between his legs.
He bent over and directed his words right against her lips. "If you want sex so bad, all you have to do is ask."
Her entire body stiffened. "I'm not interested in you." The wildly beating pulse at her neck contradicted her words.
"Try again."
"Go play your head games with Senna."
"You want me. Why don't you finally admit it?"
Fury spat from her in waves. "I don't want you. I just want your money."
He realized her ploy had worked before, but tonight he didn't care.
He closed the distance another tight inch. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and her nipples were hard little points stabbing out of the scarlet material, begging to be freed. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her perfume swamped his senses. He grew hard, and her eyes widened as his full length throbbed against her leg in demand.
"I'm calling your bluff, baby."
Pure shock registered on her face as he removed one hand from the wall to casually unbutton his shirt, slide off his tie, then grasp her chin with a firm grip.
"Prove it."
He stamped his mouth over hers, not giving her a chance to think or back off or push him away. He invaded her mouth, plunging his tongue inside the slick, silky cave, then closed his lips around the wet flesh and sucked hard.
She grabbed for his shoulders, and made a little moan deep in her throat.
Then she exploded.
Rukia reached up and tangled her fingers into his hair, holding his head as she kissed him back and met demand with demand. Her hips rose up to thrust against him, and his taste and smell invaded her like a drug.
Her skin burned as all the pent up desire she'd buried deep burst out of her body in a flood of heat. She was ravenous for his taste, for his hands to strip off her clothes and take her right there against the wall, and she reveled in his wild response that was so opposite his rigid control.
Control.
An alarm bell rang in her head and cut through the mist of sexual fog. He'd been drinking. If they were interrupted, he might calmly step away with a reasonable explanation to why sex would not be a good idea.
The knowledge he'd done it twice before skated along the edges of her mind, until she dragged her mouth from his and yanked the hair at the nape of his neck.
His head shot up. He blinked as if coming to from a long sleep, and she caught the question held in his eyes. Rukia made herself say the one thing she didn't want to say.
"I don't think this is a good idea."
She held her breath and waited for him to step back, waited for the fog to clear from his mind, waited for him to agree. She got her second shock of the night when he smiled down at her—a dangerous, masculine smile that promised unspoken pleasures and raw, hungry sex.
"I don't care."
He easily tossed her over his shoulder as if she were a china doll . With an easy grace, he climbed the stairs and headed straight for her room. Her breasts bounced against his back and her belly was crushed against the hard bone of his shoulder, but she couldn't dredge up any words to inform him this was ancient caveman behavior and no longer acceptable.
Because Rukia loved every moment.
He tossed her on the bed and finished his strip tease. Unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor. Slid the belt buckle from the loops and lowered the zipper. Kicked off his pants in one swift motion. All of this was done as she sprawled in the center of the bed and stared at him as if he were her own private Chippendale dancer.
Nope, he was even better.
All lean sinewy muscle and tan skin that called out her to touch. Trim hips and hard thighs and an erection that stood proudly between his legs, hidden from view by a pair of black briefs. Her fingers curled into her palms as her fantasy joined her on the bed and settled against her.
"Your turn." His voice scraped like sandpaper over her ears, one side rough, the other smooth. He reached behind her and slid the zipper down. Her muscles trembled as his hands settled over the spaghetti straps of her dress and stopped. Her breath hitched as seconds beat past, and the heavy weight of his palm pressed against the top of her breasts. Her heart pounded so loud she knew he heard it. Anticipation cranked hard between them until she battled a scream, and then he hooked his index finger underneath the strap and pulled it down.
Oh, God.
Cool air rushed over her skin, but his gaze scorched as he drank in the flesh revealed. Her nipples hardened into points as the silk caught briefly, then continued on its path. He gently maneuvered her arms out of the holes, then moved the fabric even lower, exposing her belly and hips. He stopped and studied every inch of her nakedness with a silent intensity that unnerved her, until she longed to say something but the words died in her throat.
His hands settled on her hips. He grasped the delicate fabric at both sides and began to work it down over her thighs, calves, then tore it away from her sandals and tossed the dress to the floor.
Their breath rose and fell together in an uneven, choppy rhythm. Liquid heat pulsed and pounded between her thighs, masked by the scrap of red panties she had pulled on with no one in mind but herself. But now Ichigo focused his attention in that direction, still saying nothing, studying the apex of her thighs, his thumb lightly brushing the line of her panties as she sucked in her breath and waited. As if he had all the time in the world, he began to play with the elastic band as if testing its strength. Rukia's entire focus shrank to those five fingers and the slow torture they bestowed. He explored the crease at her thighs, then traced an invisible line down the center of her body. He watched every reaction in silence, as if she were his love slave and he was a king used to obedience.
She exploded with sheer frustration.
"Damn it, are you going to sit there and look at me all night or are you going to do something?"
He gave a low chuckle. That full lower lip twitched. He hooked one leg around hers and moved over her in one quick motion. Hip to hip, thigh to thigh. Every muscle pressed against hers. Each delicious inch of his arousal cradled between her legs. He worked the pins from her hair and combed through the strands so the waves tumbled over her shoulders. Then he dipped his mouth and nipped at her earlobe, teased the tip of his tongue against the delicate shell of her ear, then blew out a warm stream of breath.
She jumped.
He laughed and whispered against her temple. "I intend on doing something. I've thought about looking at you for so long, I figured I'd indulge. But it looks like you also have a temper in bed, so I'll move it along."
"Ichigo—"
"Not now, Rukia. I'm busy."
He covered her mouth with his and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth. She arched like a bow as the lightning crack of energy ripped through her. Her fingers clung to him as she held on and kissed him back, drowning in the taste of Scotch and male heat. He parted her legs and tortured her with promises of his hands and his penis, until she became crazed with need, until there was no more pride or logic, just this ache to have him inside her.
His mouth moved on her breasts, sucked her nipples, and nipped with his teeth. His fingers stroked her belly and hips, and hooked under the lace to play, one long index finger moving underneath to test her heat, drenched with moisture as she cried out for more, always more.
He slid off her panties and plunged a finger deep inside, then added another, rubbing delicately over the hard nub hidden between curls, just giving her a taste of it until…
She cried out and her hips bucked as the climax took her hard. Her body shook with pleasure as he shed his briefs and covered himself with a condom. He slid back up her silken length, interlaced all ten fingers with hers, and pressed their joined hands deep into the pillows.
Rukia blinked up, dazed by the endless depths of his eyes, a deep, dark brown that held an array of secrets and a gleam of tenderness she'd never seen before.
He pressed against her, seeking entry. Liquid warmth rushed out to ease his welcome and she lifted her hips to take him. He pressed an inch, then another. Her body tightened around him and she panicked, knowing she'd finally belong to him, knowing he'd never want her in the way she needed.
He paused, almost as if he sensed her emotions. "Too fast? Talk to me."
She shuddered with pure need as she felt him retreat one precious inch. "No, I just, I need—"
"Tell me."
A fine sheen of tears filmed over, her emotions raw and easy for him to read. "I need you to want me. Only me. Not—"
"Oh, Jesus." He closed his eyes. Rukia watched sheer agony ripple over his face. He stopped at her entrance and bent to kiss her.
He tenderly mated his tongue with hers, stroking, tracing the swollen flesh of her lips in an action that bespoke pure humbleness. And when he opened his eyes and looked into hers, she sucked in her breath as he finally let her in, let her see it all, and gave her what she needed.
The truth.
"It's always been you. I don't want anybody else, I don't dream about anybody else. It's only you."
She cried out as he buried himself to the hilt inside of her. Her body opened and accepted his swollen length, hugged him deep and demanded more. His fingers gripped hers and pressed harder into the pillow as he began to move, slowly at first, joining her to the rhythm. She climbed again with him, and the twisting spiral path tensed her muscles, stopped her breath, and teased her with each inch as she moved closer to release.
It was a raw combining of needs, rough and primitive, and she reveled in the honesty of their lovemaking as sweat slid down his forehead and her nails dug deep into his back until she exploded. Pleasure broke over in waves, and she heard him cry out as he joined her, and in that moment they were one.
He slumped and rolled so she sprawled on top of him, her cheek against his slick muscled chest, her hair spilling over her face, her arms wrapped around his waist. No thoughts claimed her in this moment, and she treasured the deep peace as she let herself go, safe in his embrace. She slid toward sleep as he held her tightly.
Ichigo inched out of bed, careful not to wake his wife, and padded naked out of her room to search for some clothes. He threw on a Yankees T-shirt, remembered their deal, and exchanged it for a plain black tank with a pair of sweat pants. His lips curved as he remembered her glee when the Yanks failed in the playoffs. He went down the stairs and started the coffee, pausing to watch the sun struggle up over the mountains in the early morning light.
He considered this marriage officially consummated.
Ichigo rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and tried to think rationally. He sure hadn't thought last night. Not that he had any regrets. Surprise flickered through him at the realization. He'd wanted Rukia for a long time, and last night proved why. Everything was different with her. The way her body fit his, the way her pleasure satisfied him. He loved the way she looked into his eyes with those breathtaking amethyst eyes and dragged her nails over his back and experienced multiple orgasms. He loved the way she screamed his name. They had reached for each other many times through the hours, their hunger insatiable. But it wasn't just the physical that made the encounter so mind-blowing. It was the other connections, to her mind and soul. The way she let him see her vulnerability, the way she let him in when no promises had been made, no words spoken.
She scared the hell out of him.
He poured a mug of the steaming brew and took a moment in the kitchen to gather his thoughts. They needed to talk. Their relationship had reached a fork in the road, and after the last hours in her company, he didn't know if he could turn back. His original intention to avoid sex had been about avoiding emotion.
Wasn't possible anymore. He had feelings for Rukia: some desire, some friendship. Along with other elements he wasn't able to name.
At the end of the year, he still intended to walk away. There was really no other option. A real marriage with kids wasn't in his future. But for now, they could enjoy each other instead of fighting the attraction. He was positive Rukia would be able to handle it. She knew him, knew he wasn't capable of making a true future commitment, but realized his emotions delved deeper than a casual roll in the hay.
He nodded to himself, pleased with the outcome. Yes, they'd explore this intense attraction for the upcoming months. Crazy for them not to grab the opportunity.
Satisfied with his logic, he poured his wife a cup of coffee and started up the stairs.
Rukia mushed her face deep into the pillow as the reality of the situation hit her like a freight train.
She'd slept with her husband.
Not once. Not twice. But at least three times. Too many to term it a crazy mistake. And too wildly intense to chalk it up to a one-nighter.
My God, she'd never be able to keep her hands off of him again.
She groaned and forced herself to look at the situation with some neutrality. Hard to do when her thighs ached and the scent of sex clung to the sheets. She still tasted him on her tongue, still felt the imprint of his fingers on her body. How could she possibly be expected to move on and pretend last night never mattered?
She couldn't. Therefore, she needed a new plan.
Why not keep things the way they were?
She sighed deeply and tried to analyze her emotions with the coldness of a surgeon making the first cut. Yes, the pact clearly stated no sex, but that had been to protect both of them from turning to other partners. What if they just continued as is? Could she handle it?
They wanted each other. She believed his desire for her now; his body had clearly told her what her mind denied. Last night had been much more than sex, but a strange co-mingling of friendship and respect and need. And…
She slammed the barrier down on that scary thought and moved on.
Okay, so what if she suggested they continue to sleep together until the year ended? They'd maintain their friendship and put an end to the horrible sexual tension, while enjoying one another for the next few months. Yes, her deepening feelings for him terrified her. Yes, she may get her heart broken when he walked away. But she knew him, knew he was so hung up on his rotten upbringing, no woman would earn his trust.
She didn't have false expectations.
Rukia ached to take a risk. She wanted him in her bed, wanted to take what she could for this short time and at least have the memories. She was safe because she had no illusions.
Her gut lurched at her last thought but she ignored the warning.
Then the door opened.
Ichigo hesitated, coffee mug in hand. A faint blush stained her cheeks at his intense stare, and she casually slid one naked leg under the barrier of the cover and rolled to her side.
"Hey."
"Hey," she repeated. An awkward silence beat around them in the typical morning after episode. Rukia motioned toward the coffee. "For me?"
"Oh, yeah." He moved toward her and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and he handed her the mug, watching as she took an appreciative sniff of the rich Columbian roast. She sighed with pleasure after a taste.
"Good?"
"Perfect. I hate wimpy coffee."
His lower lip twitched. "I figured." He didn't say anything for a while as she drank. He seemed to wait for an opening, but Rukia figured he couldn't ask her if she slept well since they had hardly closed their eyes.
His male scent rose to her nostrils like a mate seeking her own. He hadn't showered. The thin black tank left his arms and upper chest exposed, and his pants hung low on the waist, giving her a glimpse of burnished skin and a tight stomach. A raw heat tingled between her thighs and she shifted slightly on the bed. Damn if she wasn't becoming a nympho with this man. One more time and she'd need a cane to get into her bookstore, but her body didn't seem to care.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
She blinked and tilted her head upward. A lock of orange hair slipped over his forehead, and his jaw was darkened with stubble. She noticed he kept his attention on her face rather than the slippery sheet that kept falling down and revealing her breasts. Usually shy, a twinge of mischief danced through her with the need to test his control. She stretched in front of him to place her mug on the side table. The sheet tightened, then surrendered as she loosened her grip. The air rushed over her naked breasts and teased her nipples into tight peaks. She pretended not to notice and answered his question.
"Fine. My muscles are a bit sore, though. I need a hot shower."
"Yes, a shower."
"Do you want some breakfast?"
"Breakfast?"
"I'll cook something once I get dressed. You don't have to go into the office today, do you?"
"I don't think so."
"Okay. What do you want?"
"Want?"
"Yeah. For breakfast."
She propped her head up with one hand and studied him. He swallowed hard and tightened his jaw, as if desperately trying to pay attention to her words instead of her half-naked body.
Rukia held back a laugh and upped the ante. Her leg snaked out from underneath the covers and she stretched. She flexed and wiggled her toes in the air. Then hooked her knee over the sheet and bent it at an angle.
Ichigo cleared his throat. "I'm not hungry. Have to go to work."
"You said you're not working."
"Right." Her skin practically tingled under his lustful gaze. Excitement pumped through her veins at the thought of him crawling back into bed to make love to her again, but didn't have a clue as to how to do it.
She gathered her forces and went for the jugular. "So, are we going to talk about last night?"
He flinched, then nodded. When she remained quiet, he seemed forced to respond with something. "Last night was good."
She propped herself up. The sheet did fall and stayed put around her waist. Bare breasted, she leaned on one elbow and tossed her hair over her shoulder and out of her eyes. She ignored the strange sound he made and continued the conversation. "Just good?"
"No, no, it was great." He paused. "Really great."
The man was definitely breaking. She pressed on. "I'm glad. I've been thinking about us and where we go from here. We can move on and decide not to sleep together again. Keep things less complicated, right?"
His head bobbed up and down as he glanced at her breasts. "Right."
"Or we can continue."
"Continue?"
"To have sex."
"Mmmm."
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
Rukia wondered if his mind had fizzled or if all the blood really did leave a man's head to go somewhere else. One quick glance confirmed her suspicions. Her plan was definitely working. She just needed him to admit he wanted to keep sleeping with her and she was sure the rest would work out.
"Ichigo?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to answer the question?"
"What was the question?"
"Do we keep having sex until the marriage is over or do we go back to being just friends?"
"Rukia?"
"Yeah?"
"I vote for sex."
One moment she was enjoying this slow torture, the next he'd pinned her down, climbed on top of her naked body, and dragged her up to meet his mouth.
The kiss was a hot morning welcome. His lips devoured hers, his tongue slid inside to tease and play, then drink hungrily. He rubbed his mouth back and forth and his jaw line scraped her tender flesh with his stubble. His hands pulled the sheet away from her body so he could stroke and arouse, building the heat with quick, efficient motions until a moan escaped her and she parted her thighs.
He reached for the bedside table, then paused when she stopped him.
"I'm on the pill," she murmured. "To regulate my periods."
That was all he needed. Ichigo yanked down his sweatpants, pressed his palms on the inside of her thighs, and surged.
She gasped. Dug her nails into his shoulders. And held on.
He punished her for teasing him, bringing her to the very edge, then backing off as she teetered on the edge of orgasm. He dipped his head and tasted her breasts, licked her nipples, then began the climb again, only to bring her right back down. She tossed her head back and forth on the pillow, reached out, and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. His rough morning stubble scratched her skin.
"Now."
He held on with an iron-fisted control she both admired and hated. A sexy grin tugged at his lips. "Say please."
She gritted out a curse as she neared the edge again. Madness ripped through her and Rukia made a vow to never play power games with her husband again, for his retribution was too brutal. She arched her hips with fierce demand. "Please."
He plunged forward and she rocketed into her climax. Her body clenched with convulsions, and she held onto him tight as he followed. Still inside of her, he slumped over and rested his head on the pillow beside her. Their choppy breathing filled the air.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment. The musky scent of sex and coffee mixed and rose to her nostrils. A tiny flare of fear stirred to life as she lay in his arms. After one night, her body welcomed him as her other half. Rukia wasn't one to casually dive into sexual encounters. She was the type of who fell in love, fell hard, and dreamed of happily ever after.
But there were no fairy tale endings with Ichigo Kurosaki. He had made that clear from the first. She needed to remember his limitations every day, especially after sex. Separate the physical from the emotional. Keep her heart guarded in a tower so high and so strong, even Rapunzel would never have escaped. Enjoy her orgasms and a bit of friendship, then walk away.
Sure. No problem.
Her heart screamed LIAR but she ignored it.
"I guess this cements the deal," she said.
He chuckled and threw his arm over her body. She snuggled closer. "I think we made a logical choice. Now we have something more interesting to do than chess or poker."
She bit playfully at his shoulder. "You're not getting out of our tournaments, buster. We'll just spice things up a bit."
"Such as?"
"Ever play strip poker?"
"You're an amazing woman, Rukia."
"I know."
Xoxox
There.. I hope you enjoyed the lemony goodness. Not a great one , But I hope it satisfied you people. And btw,I have decided to publish another new story. You would get a peek of it in upcoming chapters if you guys are good and review this one!
Ok, so here's a small clue, I wanted to try political romance. And I wanted your feedback regarding this one. offcourse it's ICHIRUKI.
signing off,
DA9.