“Well then, if you are asking, I bet it can go really, really fast,” she purred, leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“Let’s go home, ma chérie,” Tristan suggested, hugging her to his heart. His home was now her home, and he realized that he didn’t want it any other way.
After sneaking out the back entrance, Tristan held Kalli nearly the entire ride home. She’d fallen asleep in the car after their intense lovemaking, and he found it fascinating how enjoyable it was to simply watch her at rest. When the limo arrived at Livingston One, he easily cradled her in his arms, lifting her out of the car and walking into his private elevator. By the time they reached their floor, her eyes fluttered as she awoke. Smiling, she ran her hand down his cheek along his jawline.
“We’re home? Oh my, now this is service,” she teased with a yawn.
“I like the sound of that,” Tristan replied, growing accustomed to the space in his heart she’d taken.
“What?”
“The sound of your voice calling my condo home. And don’t tell Logan I said that. He’ll call me soft.”
“My Alpha, there is nothing soft about you,” Kalli flirted, running the palm of her hand down his abs.
“You’re insatiable, and I do like it.” He softly kissed her warm lips, gently, in stark contrast to their kiss in the hotel.
Slowly separating from their embrace, they held each other’s hands, both in awe of the emerging connection. The attraction wasn’t just physical, as perhaps Tristan had hoped; it was more than that. Both Kalli and Tristan stood in the foyer, unable to articulate the visceral gravitation drawing them together. Cognizant of the overwhelming emotion brewing, Tristan broke contact and waved for Kalli to follow him down the hallway.
“Come with me,” he grinned, gesturing her toward the guest room she’d previously occupied. “I’ve had your things moved back in while we were at the gala. Of course, I’d much rather have you in my bed from now on.”
Kalli could hardly believe that he’d done this while they’d been away. The man was a force of nature.
“Confident, much? How did you know I’d want to come back?” she teased.
“Confident is my middle name, baby. And of course you’d come back. What girl can resist my southern charm?” he drawled.
“Charm? Is that what you call what happened on that dance floor, huh?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“What happened between us…” He instantly came up behind her, running the palms of his hands up her belly to rest just under her breasts until he heard her release a small gasp. “That, my little wolf, is raw sexual energy between a man and a woman. It’s unstoppable, you know. A crime to even try. And there’s more where that came from. Much, much more.”
Kalli felt her head fall backwards onto his shoulder. His sexy voice, laced with pure seduction, sent her reeling. But before she could completely set herself at ease, he stepped back toward the door. Damn, the man was unsettling. Yet again, he had her so excited she felt as if she was walking a high wire.
“Go ahead and freshen up. I’m gonna go get a bottle of wine. Meet you in my room.” He wagged his eyebrows at her.
Kalli released a deep breath that she wasn’t even aware she’d been holding. She was beginning to realize what it meant to be Alpha. It was as if he could do almost anything. He was so sure of himself and everything he did. Yet instead of being overtly overbearing, Tristan’s flair for humor sparkled through the dominance. And like a cat drawn to a Christmas tree, she simply couldn’t resist playing with the ornaments.
After going to the bathroom and brushing her hair, she removed her shoes with a groan.
“Sore? Why don’t you let me kiss it all better?” Tristan leaned on the doorjamb.
Kalli nearly fell off the bed in surprise. He was fast and stealthy. Sneaky wolf.
“I think I might need to put a bell on you,” she teased as she struggled to stand up without looking terribly clumsy. It was the best she could hope for; graceful was no longer an option.
“Sorry chérie, wolves don’t do bells. ’Fraid you’ll have to use those wolf senses that the Goddess gave you, but we’ll discuss that later. Come with me. I’ve got something for you.”
The master bedroom wasn’t exactly how Kalli had imagined it would be. In contrast to his uber-masculine, sometimes bad boy image, his bedroom was warm and inviting. Blonde bamboo flooring contrasting with Tuscan tanned walls, contributed to the sensation of a wide open space, conjuring thoughts of running through a moonlit, golden wheat field. A king sized, antiqued mahogany four poster bed with white linens commanded attention; intricate carvings adorned its long pillars. Fire danced in the gas fireplace, apparently appreciative of the soft zydeco music filtering throughout the room.
“Wow. This is just…it’s beautiful. Like it belongs in Homes and Gardens beautiful.”
“Thanks. Luckily since it was a new building, I was able to customize everything to my liking before we moved in.”
“You designed this?”
“Why yes. There’s more to me than my smooth dance skills, you know.” He winked.
“Hmmm…dance skills, huh? Is that what public seduction at a charity event is called these days?”
“Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Come,” he directed.
As they entered the master bath, Kalli let out a sigh of amazement. Another gas fireplace blazed to life with the flick of a switch. It gave light to the spectacular bathroom. Floor to ceiling windows exposed the night sky, which enhanced the subtle lighting. The oversized Jacuzzi nestled in the corner, awaiting them.
Tristan walked over and started the water. Sprinkling in soft lavender flakes, he continued preparing the space by lighting large pillar candles which surrounded the tub.
Kalli stood speechless. She’d never known a man like him in her entire life. “Alpha, you are something else,” she managed, having lost all ability to articulate her astonishment.
“Well of course I am, chérie,” he joked as he proceeded to pour two glasses of wine and set them on a restored trunk that served as a table. “You expect less?”
“I’ve just never…never…well no one has ever done this kind of thing for me,” she croaked, unable to finish. Struggling to conceal the bubbling emotion surging in her throat, she wiped away a single tear.
Tristan regarded her. So strong and beautiful, yet she was incredibly fragile. The knowledge that someone had once abused her enraged him. It was no wonder that she tried so hard to swallow her feelings. He couldn’t imagine that she’d never had someone treat her with kindness, the sort of kindness that was done out of a person’s heart, unconditionally, without anything expected in return.
“Come over here, Kalli,” he ordered in a soft voice.
She complied, still taking in her surroundings.
“You’re way overdressed, do you know that?”
“As are you,” she countered.
“Well, then,” Giving her a closed grin, he silently indicated his intent. He reached over to her side, finding the hidden zipper he’d made himself familiar with earlier in the evening, and pulled downward. As her dress dropped to her ankles, she reached for his collar.
Stark naked, she slowly pulled at the silken fabric of his tie, taking care to unknot it, and then tossed it on the floor. She gave him a sizzling smile as she unbuttoned each tiny shirt button. His cufflinks clanked to the floor just before she removed his jacket and shirt. The man looked like a Greek god, she thought as she placed butterfly kisses on his bared abs.
Keeping her spine perfectly straight while maintaining his eye contact, she knelt to the floor, unbuckling and unzipping. His erection sprang forth as his trousers fell to the floor. Without touching his newly exposed skin, she continued undressing him, removing his shoes and socks.