"Don't, Nina. I'm not in the mood for this with you."
I poked my finger into his chest. "Then you shouldn't have started it."
He looked down at me, those dark eyes barely hiding his anger, as the water rolled down over the beautiful features of his face, making me want to reach out to touch him. I extended my hand to caress his cheek, but he caught me by the wrist and held my hand away from him. Stunned, I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't allow that either.
"Nina, be careful with what you do now."
Yanking my arm from his grip, I snapped, "How about I do nothing with you now?" I spun on the wet tile and moved to take a step, but his arm shot out and wrapped around my waist before my foot could hit the floor. In a flash, I was up against the wall with him staring wildly down at me.
The man in front of me was different now—more powerful than I'd ever seen him. I knew I should have been frightened, but he looked so sexy, so commanding that I was more turned on than I thought I could be. His dark hair glistened with moisture, and I slid my hand over his head to feel its silky wetness. My touch made something break in him.
"Nina..." he moaned deeply as he lifted me onto his hard cock, pushing into me with one fast thrust.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and laced my fingers tightly as he kissed me hard, his mouth and tongue demanding mine respond with the same level of urgency, nearly taking my breath away. His cock pounded into my body, hard and fast like a piston as it stroked in and out of me, and he moaned and grunted into my mouth the sounds of a man driven by need. Our bodies bounced and slammed against the marble tile—my back, his legs—each in turn smashing against the hard surface, but neither of us cared.
It was like all the frustration he'd endured in the past weeks exploded out of him and now he sought someone to share his pain. I knew he may never tell me what had been on his mind, but as we clung to one another's wet bodies and raced toward our release, I felt him reach out for me like he never had before.
Our sex was primal in a way that both thrilled and frightened me, but at that moment as he filled me and my body reacted as only he could make it, I felt closer to him than any other soul on Earth. His hands left the back of my head and skidded down the wet tiles behind me, making him sag against my body. I held his head to my heart, listening as he panted softly against me and murmured my name.
He silently lowered me to the floor without saying another word. I stood looking up at his face that now wore a tortured expression. He gently wiped the pad of his thumb over my lips and leaned forward to press his forehead against mine.
"Tristan, what's wrong?" I whispered.
"Nothing," he answered quietly and walked out of the shower. His tone told me that was his only word on the subject, so I let it go, hoping that when he needed to tell me, he would.
After I'd washed up, I found him sitting in bed, just staring toward the wall at the picture I'd painted for him. He seemed to be looking right through it.
I crawled into bed and lay there wondering what to say. Instead of speaking, I let my actions say what was in my heart and curled up next to him. Drawing little circles on the hard ridges of muscle just above his hip, I waited to hear any words come out of his mouth, but as the minutes ticked by, there was nothing. Finally, I closed my eyes, content and safe in his strong embrace but so wishing to know what he was thinking.
His words came out like a whoosh of air from his lungs. "Don't leave me like everyone else has. I'll do whatever it takes, but don't leave me, even if I screw this up."
I knew as soon as the first word left his lips that this had been what was on his mind. Work had been bad recently, but this was what had been plaguing his thoughts. That I'd leave him.
Lifting my head from his chest, I looked up and saw the torment in his face, just as I'd heard it in his voice. At that moment, all I wanted to do was make him happy.
"I'm not leaving you. Is that what that back there was all about? Me leaving?"
"Yes." His voice was a mixture of fear and shame.
"Why would I leave someone who adores me?" I asked, hoping to calm his fears. "I've never even thought of going anywhere. If anyone should be afraid, it's me. You made me sign a contract, which is up in just a few weeks, and you seem to have given me enough money to ensure when you break up with me that I'll be fine."