The Dahlia Trilogy (The Gilded Flower Series) Read online

  He walks over to her and wipes a bit of paint off her cheek. “You are a very talented woman. I’ll spend the rest of my life reminding you of that.”

  Shane looks behind Dahlia and nods at something in the corner. “What’s that?”

  She rushes over to the easel before Shane can lift the cover. “Don’t peek. It’s a surprise.”

  “For me?”

  “Yes, you. Just my way of saying ‘thank you.’”

  “Thank me for what?” Shane’s expression turns serious.

  “Not giving up on me,” Dahlia replies.

  “You have nothing to thank me for, D. I’m eternally grateful you showed up that day on the beach.” Shane pulls her toward him and presses his forehead against hers. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

  He smiles and bends down to kiss her. Their lips part almost instantly, their tongues beginning a graceful dance. Dahlia melts into their embrace, their scorching kiss becoming all consuming. He bites her lower lip, teasing and sucking it into his mouth, then running his tongue over her upper lip. Dahlia groans as he makes his way to her ear, tracing it with his tongue before nibbling on the lobe.

  She bends her head back, exposing her neck to him. Shane lowers his kiss down her neck, sucking and biting until he reaches the base of her neck where he licks and nibbles her sensitive spot. Dahlia draws up Shane’s face to hers, cupping his chin in her hands. She traces his lips with her finger, studying, savoring this time with him.

  After a beat, she closes her eyes and lowers her wet lips onto his waiting mouth, devouring him with an intense passion she could feel building inside her since that day on the beach.

  His hands slowly move up and over her tits, tearing at her thin t-shirt, dropping the rag onto the floor. Shane fondles one breast while taking the other into his mouth, circling his tongue around her fleshy pink tit before sucking on her rock hard nipple. Dahlia gasps as he bites down hard on it, enjoying the pain and pleasure of being in his mouth. She parts her legs ever so slightly and begins to run a finger over her clit, enjoying the two sensations.

  Shane reaches down and removes Dahlia’s shorts and soaking panties. “I want to watch you touch yourself,” he says in a husky voice. He takes a step back and pulls off his t-shirt and sweats, freeing his fully loaded cock. Seeing his gloriously sculpted body turns on Dahlia more, her steaming love tunnel wanting him inside her. She stops momentarily and eyes him, silently calling him to her.

  He shakes his head and begins to stroke his hard, smooth shaft. “I want to see you come, baby.”

  “Kiss me first,” she replies, pure desire radiating out of every pore.

  He steps toward her, still running his hand over his cock. He pulls her in gently by the neck and lays his hot lips on hers. She uses her free hand to stroke his cock, matching the rhythm with her fingers over her pussy.

  Shane moans into her mouth. He sucks on her tongue before letting it go, once again putting space between them so he can watch her get herself off.

  Dahlia runs her tongue over her lips, enjoying what pleasuring herself does to Shane. She closes her eyes as she begins to feel her muscles vibrate, her body about to shatter from her release. “I’m going to come,” she cries.

  Suddenly, Shane picks her up and carries her to a small sofa by the window. He sits back, a bead of moisture covering the tip of his hard cock.

  Dahlia reads his lustful gaze and sits astride him, her now swollen pussy teasing him as she hovers above his cock.

  “It’s a damn fine thing to watch you come, baby,” he says, running his hands over her tits.

  She smiles down at him and bites his lower lip. “Now it’s my turn to watch you.”

  Dahlia traces her snatch with his cock before slowly lowering herself over him. Her lips part in a low gasp, enjoying the fullness of having him inside her. After a beat, she lifts herself all the way off before slamming herself back down again, her pussy slick with her love juices.

  “Jesus, D, you feel fuckin’ awesome.”

  She moves again, this time even more slowly, so he can feel every inch of her warm, wet tunnel. He grabs her ass and begins to move her up against him, her sensitive clit about to explode up against his rod. Dahlia leans forward and kisses him as she begins to move more quickly this time, taking him fully into her with each thrust. He runs his tongue over her lips, nearly missing them as she arches her pelvis backward to drive his cock even deeper inside her.

  Dahlia feels the tightness in her pussy building again as she rides Shane, his hips thrusting faster as she quickens her pace. His cock begins to swell as her cunt muscles begin to close down around it.

  “Oh my God,” she cries out, collapsing onto him, her body utterly wrecked by her orgasm.

  “I know, baby,” he says, wrapping his arms around her.

  Chapter 28

  “D, wake up,” Shane says, kissing her cheek.

  Dahlia rolls over. “It’s too early, Shane, even for you.”

  He chuckles, peeling back the covers and kissing her shoulder blades. Running his hands down her smooth back he says, “Waking up next to you is such a beautiful dream.”

  “You didn’t just wake me to tell me that, did you?” Dahlia mumbles into her pillow.

  “No, babe.” Shane runs his tongue over her ear and bites her earlobe, sending a pulsing vibration down Dahlia’s spine.

  Bending down over her ear, he says in a low voice, “Mavericks.”

  Dahlia props her head up with her elbow, now completely awake. Shane admires her naked body, his sleeping cock growing hard.

  “A friend just texted. Waves are gonna be gnarly today.” He flashes her a mischievous smile.

  “You can’t be serious,” she says. “You said you’d stopped surfing those since that crazy wipe-out.” Dahlia reaches out a finger to trace the scar below his collarbone. She shudders when she recalls how frantic she felt when he was rushed, unconscious, to the emergency room that day.

  Shane catches her finger and brings it to his mouth, sucking on it hard until she gasps, moisture pooling between her legs.

  Dahlia lays back on the bed, her body filling with lust for him as he hovers over her, planting a gentle kiss on her expectant lips before moving down to her wet cunt.

  Shane draws up one leg over his shoulder to give himself greater access to her pussy. Dahlia begins to knead and massage her tits, pinching her nipples as fire courses through her body. He continues to devour her, thrusting and wiggling his tongue inside her aching snatch. She pushes his mouth away before she completely loses herself to him again.

  “What’s wrong, D?” he asks.

  She smiles down at him seductively and licks her lips as she pushes him onto his back. “This time needs to be mutual.”

  Dahlia straddles him, sitting near his face, and takes his waiting cock into her mouth, lubricating it with her tongue.

  “Oh yeah,” he moans. “This feels incredible.”

  Dahlia continues to suck his hard dick, licking and tickling as she goes.

  Shane begins to pant as she moves her tongue over his sensitive skin, the head of his cock reaching the back of her throat. He grabs and massages her ass, finally sticking his tongue back into her soaking pussy.

  Dahlia sits back up to enjoy the feeling of being completely consumed by him. He reaches up one hand to play and pull on her hard nipples, pushing their desire for each other higher and higher. She bends down to take him into her mouth again, feeling close to her release. Her head moves up and down furiously, sucking and teasing the tender flesh on the underside of the head, finally grazing it with her teeth.

  “Fuck, D. I’m gonna come,” he groans.

  Dahlia keeps going as Shane bucks up his hips, ramming himself further into her mouth. He pushes a couple of fingers inside of her, bringing her closer to the edge. Her body begins to tremble, Shane continuing his ministrations over her clit. Two more strokes with her tongue and he finally releases himself into her, his warm cum shooting down the back
of her throat. Dahlia swallows as she sits back, enjoying the exhilaration of the moment.

  Shane gently moves out from under her and wraps his arms around Dahlia. “I’m yours forever. Para siempre, babe,” he whispers into her ear.

  Dahlia closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, allowing the words to mark her heart.

  Chapter 29

  Shane pulls a pair of binoculars out of the glove compartment and hands them to Dahlia.

  “What are these for?”

  “To watch,” he says casually, climbing out of the car.

  “You said you weren’t going out there,” she replies, crossing her arms as he untethers a few surfboards.

  “I’ll be on a boat. I need to be up close to watch the riders.”

  Dahlia takes in the scene. The Mavericks competition was several weeks ago, but the large swells will still draw crowds until the end of the season. She shakes her head. She could never understand the appeal.

  “D,” Shane calls out.

  Dahlia turns around to see Shane standing next to a tall, blond guy with a well-formed chest and strong arms. His chiseled features make him almost too pretty to look at. Almost.

  “I’d like you to meet Sebastian Osgood, my business partner and South Africa’s big wave surfer extraordinaire. He rode one of the most epic ones off the coast of Portugal last year. He’ll be trying out one of our new eleven foot guns today.”

  Turning toward Sebastian he says, “This is Dahlia, my wife.”

  Dahlia reaches out her hand, which Sebastian takes firmly. “Nice to meet you,” she says.

  “Whoa, hey. Pleasure. Shane’s told me all about you. At least now I know he wasn’t lying.” he says.

  Shane wraps an arm around Dahlia, who smiles shyly, uncertainty filling her after hearing the word “wife” spoken aloud. It’s not a title she can so easily subscribe to now, but for all intents and purposes, that’s what she is. After all this time apart, they’re finally reaching a level of love and respect they didn’t have before. This time with him has shown her how much they truly mean to each other, allowing the hole in her heart to finally heal.

  She begins to draw in the dirt with her foot.

  “Ready to crush it?” Shane asks Sebastian.

  “Yeah, man,” he replies. “Northwest winds this morning. Surfline promises some epic waves.”

  “Excellent,” Shane says. “Everything all set for Cortes?”

  Hearing them talk about Cortes grabs Dahlia’s attention.

  “For sure. Got everything lined up and ready to go. Just want to get out there. Keeping an eye on Surfline to make sure it’s all good.”

  “Good. Maybe after that I can take my wife on a proper honeymoon.” Shane winks at Dahlia. A laugh escapes her when she recalls their honeymoon, which involved camping with other surfers before a meet. Hardly romantic.

  “Alright then,” Sebastian says, offering a friendly smile. “See you out there.” Then, looking directly at Dahlia with his green eyes, he says, “Very nice meeting you.”

  “You want to come out on the boat with me?” Shane offers, pulling her to him, “Or watch from up here?”

  Dahlia looks up at him, warming under his gaze. She closes her eyes and allows the sincerity of his feelings to wash over her. When she opens them, she feels her heart expanding with his love for her.

  Before Dahlia can respond, a curvy dark-haired girl looking barely twenty walks up to Shane. “Hey, Shane,” she says in a sing-song voice.

  Shane quickly drops his arms and runs his hand through this hair. “Hey,” he replies casually, putting his hands in the back pocket of his jeans.

  Dahlia raises an eyebrow.

  “You going out there today? You really killed it last time you came out here.” The woman eyes Dahlia and smirks.

  Dahlia’s heart begins to race, but she conceals it with a cool smile.

  “Um, D, this is . . .” he stammers.

  “Don’t bother to pretend you remember her name,” Dahlia cuts in. “I can recognize a groupie when I see one,” she says snidely.

  The girl gives her a dirty look before she turns and saunters away. Shane covers a laugh with a cough.

  “What are you laughing at? Your taste has seriously gone downhill, Shane. What the hell are you doing screwing girls like her?”

  He reaches out to pull her to him, but Dahlia steps back. “Look baby, it was just a one-time thing. Adrenalin. You know.”

  Dahlia rolls her eyes. Yeah, she knows. She hates the stereotype about surfers being man-whores, but it’s generally well-deserved.

  He steps toward her, this time managing to keep her in his grip. Pulling her to him, Shane pushes her hair out of her face and cups her chin in his hands. “You. Are. The. Only. One. For. Me.” He bends down and kisses her affectionately, slowly turning the kiss into a passionate one. Dahlia folds herself into his body, allowing his mouth to take over hers.

  When they finally come up for air, he says in a low voice. “Forever, remember.”

  Dahlia swallows, trying to catch her breath, feeling the truth to those words that were on her engagement ring.

  “What were you doing surfing Mavericks?” She asks.

  Shane shrugs. “I was beginning to give up on you, on everything again. Maybe you could say I was testing fate. Your timing, as always D, is impeccable.” He draws her to him again, this time not letting go until it’s time to leave.

  “You coming?” he asks Dahlia as he gets the thumbs-up from Sebastian.

  “I’ll stay here. Just take care of yourself out there.” She says, blowing him a kiss.

  Chapter 30

  Dahlia clutches the binoculars tight. “Crap,” she mutters to herself as she watches the twenty-foot waves crash down, violently rocking the boats. Through the lens she can see Sebastian being towed out by a jet ski. Her heart leaps into her throat as she imagines all the possibilities that lie ahead. It’s no secret that Mavericks are some of the most dangerous waves to ride, especially because of the rocks inside the break. The adrenalin, the mental challenge of catching a perfect ride that towers above you—none of it seems reason enough.

  She sighs knowing that a life with Shane means living in his world of risk.

  Dahlia lets out a long exhale as she watches Sebastian release the rope and begin to glide down as the wave crests above him, picking up speed in the face of the wave. Suddenly, she sees another surfer drop in on him, forcing him under water. Her heart leaps into her throat as she moves the binoculars around to find Shane.

  Finally, she sees Shane at the edge of boat, poised to dive in. “Don’t you dare,” she says aloud, trying to will him to stay put. She keeps watch, waiting, hoping for Sebastian to surface, knowing he’s getting pulverized by the turbulent waves pushing him down.

  Her heart is beginning to race, each minute that passes means one less minute of air for Sebastian. She knows this must be killing Shane. It’s nearly impossible for a surfer to stand by and watch this. Then, just as she’s about to lose her nerves, a tow rider jumps off his jet ski and rides out the wave, keeping a now unconscious Sebastian from being pulled under again. Another jet ski passes, allowing the rescuer to grab hold of a sled and ride back to the boat.

  “Promise me you won’t go out there again,” Dahlia says quietly as they drive home from the hospital. Thankfully, Sebastian came out of this with only a concussion. But Dahlia knows, like Shane, it could’ve been much worse. He was lucky this time.

  Shane reaches for Dahlia’s hand, kissing each of her fingers. “I promise, babe. No more big waves.”

  “Is that a promise you can really make, Shane? I know how much you love it out there.”

  He looks over at Dahlia. “Babe, you leaving hurt worse than anything that could happen out there. I wouldn’t want to lose you again. Besides, it’s not as if you’re asking me not to surf again. Nothing above ten feet, I promise.”

  Dahlia exhales. “I was so scared for him, and even more terrified that you would go in after him.”
>
  “It was hard not to. But we have a good rescue team.”

  She runs a hand along his cheek and down his jaw line. “I love you, Shane.”

  Chapter 31

  “Hey, babe.” Shane opens the door to the studio.

  Dahlia spins around, her heart about to jump out of her chest. “You scared me,” she says, yelling over the blaring music.

  He smiles at her. “Is that my surprise?”

  She moves to the side and looks down. “Do you like it?”

  Shane whistles approvingly. “Well, I can’t say that I’m as good looking as you’ve made me out to be in this painting, but you’re gorgeous.”

  Dahlia grins as he rubs the small of her back. It’s a painting based on the sketch of her drawing him while he was surfing. She wanted the bright colors of the sea and sunset to bring the scene to life.

  “I’ll hang this in my office,” he says, kissing her lovingly. “Speaking of which, I was wondering if you’ll be ready to go down to Santa Barbara tonight. Sebastian wants to tweak one of his big guns before heading out to Cortes.”

  “Sure,” Dahlia replies, pursing her lips together, a knot starting to form in her stomach. “On second thought, while you’re in Santa Barbara, maybe it would be a good time for me to go to Miami for a couple of days.”

  “What’s in Miami?” he asks.

  “Not what, who,” she says in a low voice.

  He looks at her curiously.

  “Someone who mattered a lot to me before I rediscovered you.”

  Chapter 32

  “Now or never,” Dahlia mutters to herself as she knocks lightly on the heavy white door. She avoids ringing the doorbell. Obviously, she gets the subconscious reason behind this. She’d rather be anywhere but here.

  Dahlia knocks again, secretly hoping he’s not home, although Lily assured her he would be.

  Finally, raising her arm for a final knock, a beautiful brunette with dark green eyes answers the door, her nakedness barely concealed beneath a man’s shirt. Dahlia quickly recognizes the blue Prada linen shirt she gave to Rodrigo during her last visit to Miami.