Page 47 of Secrets & Desires
“Well, there is someone. An ex-girlfriend of Nox’s. Well, not really a girlfriend, but a fling. At least for Nox. Janine Dupois. Has Noxmentionedher?”
Livia shook her head. “No, but we’ve never actually had the ‘ex’ talk, so I don’t blame him for not doing so. Whoisshe?”
“Fashion editor and socialite. I heard she moved to New York, but made the mistake of trying to break into the scene up there without provingherself.”
Livia rolled her eyes and Odelle laughed. “It’s the way it works, I’mafraid.”
“If Nox and I are going to be long-term—and I hope so—I do hope I won’t be expected tobecome…”
“Like me?” But Odelle was smiling and Livia squeezedherhand.
“You know what I mean. I’m not a socialite. I don’t know anything about thatworld.”
Odelle studied her. “You know, Nox is a pretty down-to-earth guy. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—have fallen for someone who wasn’t suited to him. Don’t ever be afraid you won’t fit in,Livvy.”
When Livia arrived home later,she was feeling more optimistic than she had in weeks. Nox arrived a little after her and she went to greet him at the door. She kissed him tenderly. “Imissedyou.”
She took his hand and immediately led him up the stairs. Nox was grinning. “Well, if this is how youmissme…”
In their bedroom, Livia pulled his tie from his neck, kissing his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt. Nox slowly unzipped her dress, his fingertips trailing up and down her spine. As she pushed his shirt aside, her tongue found his nipple as her fingers unzipped his fly and reached into his pants. His cock was already hard as she freed it from his pants and she chuckled as she heard his sharp intake of breath. She pushed him down on the bed and tugged hispantsoff.
“Just lay back, baby. I’m in charge.” She wiggled out of her dress and Nox wolf-whistled at her. Livia grinned but then knelt between his legs and took him in her mouth. Tracing the veins along the silky, thick shaft, she tasted the salty pre-cum then flicked her tongue on the sensitive tip to drive him crazy. She heard his long groan of desire as she sucked, tasted and teased him, and when he was close and tried to pull away, she shook her head. He came in her mouth, groaning her name overandover.
Livia swallowed his seed down, and then shrieked with laughter as he swept her onto the floor and started to kiss her furiously, as if an animal had been unleashed inside him. He sucked at her nipples until they were rock hard and she was writhing beneath him, so turned on she thought she might pass out. Then, as he moved down her body, licking, tasting, biting at her breasts, her belly, she moaned as his mouth found her sex. “God,Nox…”
He pleasured her until she was begging him to fuck her, and then he launched his diamond-hard cock into her, pressing her knees to her chest and slamming his hips against hers. Livia screamed her pleasure, not caring if every security guard in the place heard her. She lost herself in this heady delirium, kissing him, telling him again and again how much shelovedhim.
Finally, exhausted, they climbed into bed and wrapped themselves around the other. They kissed and chatted quietly, enjoying the timetogether.
“Odelle called me ‘Livvy’ and I get to call her ‘Odie,’” Liv said with wide eyes, making Noxlaugh.
“She told me she adores you. You don’t bullshit—shelikesthat.”
“You are lot closer to her than I first thought,” Liv observed, “which makes me think we—you and I, that is—should spend more time getting to know each other in addition to fucking each other’sbrainout.”
Nox laughed. “As long as we can keep doingthattoo.”
“Hell,yes.So…”
“So, what do you wanttoknow?”
“More about Ariel, if it’s not toopainful.”
Nox was silent for a while thennodded. “Okay.”
Livia stroked his face. “In your owntime,baby.”
“It’s alright, Livvy, I’m not going to break down. The psychiatrist I’ve been seeing has helped me immeasurably.” He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Here goes. We met when we were kids, when Ariel and Amber’s family moved here. Their parents were nice people, moderately wealthy like us, and Amber’s father was a business associate of my dad’s. Ariel and I hit it off straight away. You know she and Amber were twins? Non-identical. Ariel had dark brown hair and dark eyes like yours. She always thought she was the plain one, which wasajoke.”
Livia remembered seeing the photographs of Ariel. “She was lovely. I know you’ve told me how she died…maybe it would help to talk through what happened in the days leading up to herdeath.”
Nox looked at her for a long time then nodded. “Okay. Okay then,let’stalk.”
ChapterNineteen
Twentyyearsago…
Ariel fixedNox with a determined stare, trying not to giggle. “I’ve thought long and hard about it and I think I know the perfect outfit for prom for bothofus.”
