by Kendall Ryan
While she shimmies out of her damp bathing suit, I unknot the towel from my waist and drop it to the floor.
I offer her my hand, and Noelle accepts, stepping closer until I can gather her into my arms and kiss the delicate column of her throat.
When I pull back and meet her eyes, she smiles shyly at me.
“What is it?” She’s never been shy before, and I’m genuinely curious.
“You have a really nice dick.”
I swallow, trying to hide my amusement. “Is that so?”
I can’t say my dick has ever been called nice before. The American girls I dated in the past generally seemed surprised I was uncut, but otherwise offered no complaints.
We move to the bed and roll toward the center together.
Having Noelle here in my bed, where I can see her stretched out against my pillows, makes me smile. It’s in this bed where I’ve laid awake so many nights feeling alone and lonely. But not tonight. Tonight, I have a beautiful woman in my arms. A woman who makes me feel like I could accomplish anything.
“What?” she asks, her mouth lifting in an amused grin.
She’s perfect, but the words lodge in my throat. I can’t tell her that. My head is telling me to keep this casual, even if my heart is already getting other ideas.
“Are you cold?” I ask instead.
Noelle shakes her head. “Come here.”
I move over her, and all this skin-to-skin contact makes me impossibly harder.
My cock slides against her soft pussy and I fight back a groan.
“Liam,” she breathes.
“Yes, love?” I lean down to capture one perky nipple in my mouth, teasing it with my tongue.
She whimpers, thrusting her hips up to get more contact. “I want you,” she murmurs.
After repeating the same treatment to her other breast, Noelle is practically shaking with need. Reaching between us, she grips my length again, and sends a curse rumbling in my throat.
“Condom,” she groans.
I reach for the drawer in the table beside my bed and make quick work of sheathing myself in the latex. Then I move back over on top of her and kiss her lips, her neck, her collarbone while my hips grind slowly over hers, rubbing my erection over the slick flesh between her thighs.
Noelle groans again, her fingernails biting into my skin where she grips me—on my biceps, my back—anywhere she can reach.
“You want my cock, sweetheart?”
“So much.” She angles her hips up to meet me, rubbing her hot, smooth pussy all over my shaft.
Teasing her was fun, but she’s right. I can’t fucking wait any longer either. Aligning myself with her warm center, I give one long, slow thrust until I’m buried inside my own personal version of heaven.
Once I get inside Noelle, all the stress of my week vanishes in an instant. It’s crazy, but she just has that effect on me. She’s so tight and so sexy and she’s making the most wonderful pleasure-filled whimpers.
Moving above her, I press a soft kiss to her parted lips.
She tucks her knees in firmly against my ribs, squeezing me with her inner muscles.
Fuck.
That feels incredible.
I draw back, easing almost all the way out before her hands capture my ass, forcing me back where she wants me.
“You feel so good,” she moans.
There’s something so intimate about the way her arms hold me close, and the needy way our mouths find each other’s. I keep waiting for this to feel strange—being with my assistant this way—but there are no thoughts of that. We fit together perfectly.
I need to go slow and pace myself or she’s going to finish me, and I’m not anywhere near ready for this to be over.
Changing our positions, I withdraw, and pull her on top of me until she’s straddling my thighs.
“Ride me, baby,” I encourage, my hands stationed on the soft swell of her hips.
She rises up on her knees, aligning herself perfectly before sinking down so slowly that we both let out a slow hiss.
Noelle’s lips part and she sucks in a shaky inhale. Then she puts her hands on my chest and begins to move in short, purposeful strokes designed to make me lose my damn mind.
“Fuck,” I pant.
Noelle’s beautiful tits bounce as she moves, and my body responds to the sight, everything within me tightening at once, like a coil ready to snap.
“Oh Liam,” she moans, long and low. “You’re going to make me…”
“Yes, love. That’s it,” I encourage.
Gripping her ass in both hands, I push my hips up, rocking into her more firmly.
One more deep thrust and Noelle shudders and clenches around me. Her rhythm falters as her tight heat grips me, milking me, and then I’m done for—coming in thick spurts as I pull her down toward my chest so I can take her lips while I empty myself into the condom.
The sound of her breathing my name pulses through me—and some unnamed emotion flares inside me—filling all the empty spaces left behind.
Tugging her into my arms, I roll us onto our sides. Chest still rising in quick inhalations, Noelle’s eyes meet mine, and damn … this woman. I don’t see how I’ll ever get enough of her.
With a soft sigh, she presses her cheek to my chest. “That was …”
“Fuck yeah it was,” I say, still breathless.
Noelle giggles.
So much for the articulate CEO, but being with her makes me feel like the version of myself I’d been missing all these years. The guy who knew how to leave work at work, and who remembered how to have fun. If I’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that life is too short, and there are no guarantees.
But there are second chances, and maybe Noelle is mine.
Chapter Nine
Noelle
“How did you not die?” Jess asks, her mouth hanging open.
I had just relayed the story of my nightmare run in with Liam’s ex and kids over dinner with Jess and Maxine. I haven’t seen them in a while, and I have a lot to catch them up on.
“So, other than the dragon lady, operation bang your boss is going well?” Maxine asks as she swallows a mouthful of pasta. “I can’t believe it took you so long to have sex with him.”
I laugh, taking a sip of my wine. “I was trying not to lose my job, remember?” I say, shaking my head at her with a grin. “And you can stop calling it operation bang my boss.”
“How is he in bed?” Jess asks eagerly, leaning forward.
“Unbelievable,” I tell them. I’ve had a permanent grin on my face ever since I started seeing Liam, and I’ve been dying to tell someone about it. All the secrecy at work was fun at first, but I’m ready to be more open about my feelings for him. And my feelings have grown from more than just physical. I like him. He’s one of the good guys.
“And you thought sleeping with him was a bad idea,” Maxine says, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “I hate to say I told you so…”
“Okay, you guys were right,” I say, holding up my hands. “And who knew I’d actually end up liking him?”
“Like him?” Jess asks, her tone low and concerned. “As in, you have feelings for him?”
I pause, confused by the sudden change. “Yeah, I have feelings for him.” How could I not? “What’s wrong with that?”
“When you said you guys were going on that date a couple weeks ago, we assumed it was a Netflix and chill situation,” Maxine says, watching me over the rim of her drink.
“No, not that kind of date. It was a real date, in public, with clothes on,” I tell them slowly, suddenly on edge.
Jess and Maxine exchange a look.
“I thought this was just a sex thing,” Maxine says, clearly disappointed in me.
“We like each other. Last time I checked, that was a good thing.” I raise an eyebrow, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they aren’t as excited as I am about this.
“It is a good thing,” Jess says quickly, elbowing Maxine.
“You should explore all of your options.”
“But doesn’t he have three kids? And isn’t he technically still married?” Maxine asks, ignoring Jess’s elbow.
“Well, yes,” I say slowly, my heart sinking. I thought my friends would be happy for me, but suddenly I feel like I’ve done something very wrong. “His divorce isn’t final yet, but you guys were the ones who wanted me to do this, and now that I have it’s bad? What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Jess says in a calm voice, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. “It just sounds so… complicated.”
“It’s one thing to have sex with the British hottie, but to actually be in a relationship… with a single dad,” Maxine trails off, finishing her glass of cabernet. “Trust me, you don’t want to let feelings get involved. It’ll ruin all the fun.”
I laugh them off with a wave of my hands. “You worry too much. Seriously, it’s not that complicated. So he’s got a past, who doesn’t?”
I finish my plate of penne, refusing to let their pessimism ruin my excitement about Liam. If they met him, they’d understand. Yes, he’s my boss, but he’s also one of the sweetest, most considerate men I’ve ever been with. Seeing him open up around his kids only made me want to know him more. My friends might think they have my best interests at heart, but they’re wrong. The situation with Liam isn’t too messy, or a mistake. In fact, I’ve never felt so sure about anything in my life.
I flip through the latest issue of Cosmopolitan and skim an article titled “Sexy Ways to Surprise Your Man.” Although the idea of walking up to Liam and handing him my panties in the middle of the workday sounds fun, I’m not sure if that’s the kind of surprise I’m looking for.
It’s been a month since my disaster dinner with Jess and Maxine, where they’d tried to tell me my relationship with Liam was doomed to fail. Far from it, we’re better than ever, spending every spare second we can together. The only problem is that Liam’s been under a crazy amount of stress trying to lock down a huge deal for the company so he can pay his divorce settlement. If he doesn’t land the deal, he’ll have to sell the company he’s worked a decade for to come up with the money to pay off Lexi. It’s a scary thing, because there is a rival investment firm that’s been hinting at wanting to acquire Griffin. If they do, Liam will have to step down as CEO and I’m sure several of us would be out of a job.
I’ve been trying to think of something special to do for him to take the edge off, but I’m having a hard time coming up with ideas. I thought of getting us a nice hotel room for a staycation, but my bank account is in such a sorry state that the nicest hotel I can afford is the Motel 6 by the airport. A cheap continental breakfast and the sound of airplanes keeping us up all night isn’t exactly the kind of soothing romantic getaway I was envisioning.
Still, I’m hoping with a little creativity I can still surprise him with something special. After an afternoon of brainstorming, I decide to invite Liam over to my place for a night of pampering. We almost never hang out here, which is mostly because of me. My shoe box of an apartment doesn’t exactly live up to his giant, sun-filled mansion.
When he arrives, I’m just pulling dinner out of the oven. I give him a quick kiss, my heart fluttering when he moves a hand to the small of my back to press me in closer. Even though we’ve been seeing each other for over a month, I still get butterflies around him. He looks irresistible in a casual button up flannel and dark jeans. He’s definitely learned to relax around me since we first started dating, and he even left his hair tousled the way I like it.
He sniffs at the air once I’ve gotten him seated in the living room with a glass of wine.
“It smells amazing,” he says, smiling. “What did you make?”
“It’s a surprise,” I tell him with a grin. “Follow me into the kitchen.”
I’ve set my small table with candles and my only two matching plates. It’s not a five-star restaurant, but it’s as romantic as a girl on a budget can get.
“You did all this?” he asks, pulling me in for another kiss.
“This is nothing,” I say with a wink. “Just wait for the rest of the night.”
I put his plate down and he looks up incredulously.
“You made this?”
“It’s your favorite from childhood, right?” I ask, hoping I didn’t totally get this wrong. “Shepherd’s pie?”
“Yeah, but how did you—”
“You mentioned it once.” I shrug as a grin creeps across his face. “It was a while ago, but I remembered and thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“I can’t believe you did that for me,” he says, his green eyes locking with mine. “It’s so sweet of you to remember that.”
I raise my glass of wine to toast. “I know you’re been under a lot of pressure, so tonight is your night to relax and be pampered.” I grin. “Cheers.”
We clink glasses and Liam dives into the food. I can’t help but laugh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you attack your food before.”
“This is amazing. Seriously, Noelle, never tell my mum, but this is better than hers.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Your night of relaxation is only beginning,” I say coyly.
Once we’ve finished dinner I leave Liam in the kitchen with another glass of wine while I set up the next part of his surprise. After a few minutes I beckon for him to follow me to the bedroom, where I’ve turned the lights off and filled every available surface with soy candles. I also set up my diffuser to blow calming essential oils into the room. It’s the closest my tiny one-bedroom apartment will ever come to being a spa.
“Welcome to your personal massage room,” I say, as he looks at me with his mouth pulled into a questioning smirk.
“This looks so good.” He glances around the room, before turning to kiss me on the forehead.
“How do you like your massages? Soft or rough?” I ask, smirking. “Oh, and clothes off, please.”
“I think you know I like it rough.” He winks, pulling off his shirt and jeans and climbing into the bed.
“Put this on,” I instruct, handing him an eye mask.
“Are you about to go Fifty Shades of Grey on me?” he asks, taking the mask from me with a raised eyebrow.
“Are you always this difficult when you go to the spa?” I ask sarcastically. “Don’t worry, the mask is just to help you relax.”
He slips it on and when I’m sure he can’t see me I strip off my clothes quietly. I turn on calming ocean sounds, then grab a bottle of essential oil and climb onto the bed. He’s lying face down, and I straddle his hips, pouring the warm massage oil on him. When I start rubbing his shoulders, he groans.
“Noelle, this is amazing,” he sighs. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
“Shh,” I tell him, massaging his scalp. “Just relax and enjoy.”
I keep rubbing his shoulder blades, which are tense and full of knots. I work him over, moving down his spine and back up. Once I’m sure he’s sufficiently relaxed, I ease up, my fingertips becoming lighter, more sensual in their touches.
After a while, I lean forward so that my breasts graze his back, and I feel him stir beneath me. He lifts up his eye mask and turns back, taking in the fact that I’m not wearing any clothes.
“Jesus,” he breathes. “Do you do naked massages for all your clients?” he asks playfully.
I laugh. “Only the really sexy ones.”
I try to keep rubbing his neck, but he stops me.
“I can’t wait any longer to touch you,” he says in a low voice, turning over. His body is such a work of art, and I can’t help taking in his hard biceps and sculpted abs, finally resting my eyes between his legs at his quickly growing erection.
He reaches a hand up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, then cups my face in his hands.
“Thank you for being so sweet and thoughtful,” he says, and my heart beats faster against my chest. I bend down to kiss him gently on the lips, running
my hands through his hair.
“You’re amazing,” he whispers as I pull back.
“You’re not so bad, either,” I say, smiling down at him. I feel his erection pressing into me, and I bite my lip.
“I think I missed a spot,” I say quietly, reaching a hand down to stroke him. He groans and closes his eyes as I cup his balls in my hand. I bend over, my mouth exploring his neck and chest as I continue to stroke his length. I feel him growing harder in my hand as I kiss a line down his abs, running my tongue along his stomach toward his eager erection. I put my mouth over the tip of him, savoring the sound of his sharp inhale. I move my mouth further down, taking more of him until his full length is in my mouth.
“That feels so good,” he grunts.
I continue to move slowly, wanting to draw out his pleasure. He reaches down a hand to grip my hair and I move faster, my breathing coming in sharply through my nose. Before he can finish, I climb on top of him, rubbing myself against him so he can feel how wet I am. He tilts my chin up so I’m looking into his green eyes.
“Fuck me, sweetheart,” he murmurs.
Raising up just a bit on my knees, I use my hand to guide him between my thighs. We had the talk a few days ago about our sexual pasts, and decided to forgo condoms since I’m on birth control, but this is the first time we’ve actually done the deed.
I sink down slowly, allowing my body to accommodate the stretch, and Liam’s eyes fall closed.
“Holy fuck,” he groans, a deep rumble in his chest.
As I lean down to press my lips to his, Liam takes control, thrusting his hips up in time with the steady rhythm of my heartbeat.
Pleasure whips through me and I can’t help but whimper. He feels amazing.
I’ve never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly before, and being with Liam is unlike any other relationship I’ve had. He might have a complicated life, but the connection between us is simple.
I never thought I’d say it, but I’m falling for Liam Bennett, and fast. And yeah there are probably a million details to figure out like our working arrangement and if I’m really cut out to be a stepmom, but right now, I refuse to let my friends be right. This right here, being in this man’s arms is the only thing that matters.