Page 25 of No Promises
Noosh grinned, her whole body relaxing. “Nope, but you did.” She loved the way his thick, dark lashes brought out the startling green of his eyes. His skin, olive, was speckled with freckles, his beard as black as his hair. Noosh couldn’t imagine a more beautifulman.
He drove them straight to the airport, and she admired the deft, friendly way he dealt with passport control as he and Noosh arrived on the runway. The private plane, borrowed, he told her, from Bertie, was an Embraer Lineage with five cabin areas with every luxury, and a master-suite with a king-size bed and a walk-in shower. Noosh’s eyes were huge and she didn’t know whether to approve or disapprove of theopulence.
Christo was watching her, his eyes amused. “For your information, this thing cost fifty-three million and yes, it’s completely over-the-top and ridiculous. Usually, it’s not my thing – I’m a little more environmentally conscious, but just this time… For this occasion, I thought it was fitting.” He bent his head to kiss her then nuzzled her neck, finally whispering in her ear. “I don’t know about you, Noosh, but I’m not going to be able to wait until we get to Italy…and I owe you the very best for how I treated you the last time we were together. I want this to beperfect.”
Noosh leaned into his body, into his body heat, and gazed up at him. “It will beperfect.”
He stroked her face as the pilot came over the P.A. and asked them to strap in for the flight. Christo slid his hands around her waist and fixed her seat belt in place, even making that simple move so erotic that Noosh thought she might explode. Christo never took his eyes from her as he belted himself in next to her, and as they took off, he leaned over and they kissed. The kiss was soft at first, but as their desire grew, their tongues caressing the other’s, it became an urgent thing, their need for each other almostdesperate.
Noosh strained against her seatbelt in her need to be next to him, but when the seatbelt warning light clicked off, Christo put his hand over the belt fastener, stopping her from opening it, grinning as he releasedhimself.
He sank to his knees between her legs and smiled up at her. “I’m in charge now,beautiful.”
Noosh shivered with desire as he slid his hands under her dress and gently drew her panties down her legs before beginning to unbutton her dress. She had deliberately not worn a bra, wanting him to see that her nipples were hard and ready for his touch, wanting him to see her arousal. The sigh of happiness he gave when he pushed the fabric of her dress aside was heady. Christo leaned forward and kissed her mouth, her throat, down to her breasts. He sucked each nipple until Noosh was gasping for air, then trailed his lips down her stomach before burying his face in her belly. He kissed each scar before rimming her navel with his tongue, dipping it into the deep, round indentation, tongue fucking it until Noosh was squirming withpleasure.
Christo smiled his devastating smile at her. “Spread your legs wider for me,beautiful.”
Noosh did as he asked and Christo took her clit into his mouth, his tongue lashing around the tiny bud. Noosh’s body reacted, writhing, bucking against his face until she came, her cunt flooding with arousal as Christo delved his tongue deep inside her, tasting her with obviouspleasure.
When he raised his head to kiss her again, she could taste herself on him. His fingers trailed down her belly, gently stroking her. She gazed at him, her hands cradling his face. “I want you inside me,” she whispered, and he nodded,smiling.
He released her seat belt and swept her into his arms, carrying her back to the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and stepped back to strip. Noosh watched him, her eyes sweeping over his magnificent body, the broad shoulders, slim hips, and his thick, long cock, which curved upwards proudly against his belly. He rolled a condom down over it, grinning at her obvious lust, then covered her body with his. He stroked her face. “Now?”
“Now…please…”
Noosh wrapped her legs around him as, tantalizingly, he notched his cock into the entrance of her cunt, then waited. She groaned at him, and he laughed. “More?”
“More…”
He pushed in a couple of inches. “More?”
“Christo!”Noosh groaned infrustration.
He laughed out loud then launched himself deep inside her with one firm thrust. Noosh gasped at the feeling of him filling her so completely, his cock plowing her mercilessly as they fucked. Noosh tilted her hips up so he could go deeper, her back only protesting a little, but she couldn’t care less. She was lost in this man, his hands pinning hers to the bed, his mouth seeking hers hungrily. The sensation of him driving himself so relentlessly into her, seeing how much he wanted her…god, it wasintoxicating.
Noosh was almost delirious with pleasure as Christo dominated her body, his eyes never leaving her face, and when she came, a towering, shattering explosion of pure ecstasy, he was triumphant, victorious as he tooclimaxed.
Panting for air, they kissed as they recovered. Christo gathered her to him, holding her tenderly. “Are youmine?”
Noosh smiled, her eyes full of tears. “I’m yours, forever.” And they began again where they leftoff.
Bertie sat in the bar,considering ordering another shot of bourbon, when his associate, a private detective called Alan, clapped him on the back. Bertie greeted him, shaking his hand warmly. Alan had been a business connection his family had held for many years – Alan’s tenacious work ethic and utter professionalism were second to none in thebusiness.
Bertie ordered them both a drink then raised his eyebrows at his friend. “So, Noosh Taylor.Anything?”
Alan picked a folder out of his case. “Anoushka Eleanor Taylor, twenty-five next week. A graduate of a high-end college in London – left with top honors. Masters in Communications and Media. Came to New York just under two years ago after she was offered a trainee position with Ally Monroe. Been at the same place ever since, but you knew that. A few boyfriends, nothing long-term, until three years ago when some friends of hers told me she was practically stalked by someone until she gave in and had a tentative relationship with him. That lasted for about a month before she was hospitalized after trying to kill herself. Seems the ‘boyfriend’ – and I use the term loosely – was a psycho who beat her. When she tried to leave him, he threatened to killher.”
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Bertie spat. He had grown very fond of Noosh since she had started seeing Christo; both of them had the same silly sense of humor, and they both adored Christo. That was enough for Bertie. “Who was he? I assume we think he’s the man who shother.”
“That’s just it.” Alan took a sip of bourbon. “When I tried to find out, I was shut down. Completely, Bertie. Police, lawyers, friends. All of them shut up. That’s unheard of. There’s always a leak,always.”
Bertie took this in. “So, whoever it was has money, power, influence…enough to show his teeth if anyone spilled. Someone who wouldkill.”
“Yup. One thing confuses me. I don’t think this guy – if he is the one who shot your friend – has ever killed before, or at least gotten his own handsdirty.”
“Why?”
“Because he left her alive. A professional would have put a bullet in her head or her heart, would have made sure. This was a thrill kill. Shooting a woman in the belly means you want her to know she’s being murdered. She has time to bleed out, maybe even identify her killer before she dies – or survives, thankfully, in this case. Which means Noosh Taylor probably knows who shot her and is scared enough to keep it to herself. I saw the records of her police interviews in the hospital. She swore up and down she didn’t see who itwas.”
