FIVE⁕MORE⁕MINUTES

by Williams, Mary J.

"Fine."

  Sam kept his hands on her breasts but raised his eyes to hers. A lot wary, a little turned on. Time to cut the wary altogether. The turned on would grow from there.

  "Rose is a beautiful, desirable woman. I invited her to my bed on several occasions. She turned me down flat every time." He kept his gaze steady, easy to read. "I wasn't offended or obsessed. I like her. I'm curious to know if she talked me up or warned you to steer clear."

  Believing him, Lila relaxed and smiled.

  "Both. The warning came first. When she realized I couldn't be dissuaded, she confirmed the rumors."

  "Which are?"

  "Come on, Sam. You know what women say about you. Great in bed, generous. Guaranteed orgasms."

  Sam was about to say more when Lila moved again. The rest of the conversation could wait. She was expecting an orgasm? It was past time he delivered.

  He moved his hands to her hips, his mouth latching onto one of those oh so tempting breasts.

  "Sam," Lila cried out, half pleasure, half protest. "I wanted to know about your reputation."

  "Time for show, not tell, Lila."

  There it was, Sam thought. Her eyes turned liquid gold. Close. They both were. Too much time teasing and talking. He urged her to meet his hips with hers.

  "Come with me, Lila."

  Sam reached between them, finding the spot that would send her over. There. He heard the change in her breathing, felt her muscles clench around him. Throwing his head back, he shouted her name. A second later, she joined him, his name on her lips.

  Movements slowing, milking the last bit of sensation for them both, Sam kissed Lila. Long, slow. The desperation over, he gave her tenderness, holding her close when she collapsed into his arms.

  Sam ran a soothing hand up and down Lila's back. How many times had he held a woman just like this? Waited as their heartbeat slowed back to normal? More than he would count. The pleasure blurred as did the faces.

  That was how Sam knew. This was different. Lila was different. When he left her bed, she wouldn't become one of many. He'd wanted to make sure she remembered. Now he was caught in a trap of his own making. Not only would he never forget Lila Fleming, he didn't want to.

  "YOU SHOULD HAVE told me."

  "I wouldn't be telling you now if you hadn't gone all crazy protective brother the second Lila didn't answer her phone."

  "Do I have to remind you of all the shit that's gone down lately?" Alex asked. He tried to keep his voice down to a low roar. He wasn't succeeding.

  "Of course not."

  "Then how is it overreacting when my sister is AWOL?"

  "Listen to yourself," Dani said. "This isn't the Army and your sister isn't one of your wayward recruits. She's a grown woman who has the right to a little privacy."

  "With that, that…" Alex searched for the perfect word. "Reprobate?"

  "Good word," Dani admitted, and then got back to the argument. "She's fine. Lila has spent the night with other men. I don't recall you threatening bodily harm to them."

  "That's because I didn't know about it until after the fact." Alex looked at the clock by their bed. "One in the morning. As we speak, they might be," Alex swallowed, "you know."

  "I tell you what."

  Dani reached over, taking his phone from his tense fingers. She dropped it into the drawer on her side of the bed.

  "Instead of worrying about Lila, why don't you show me what people do at this time of the night?"

  She kissed him, her hand slipping under the covers.

  "Very nice," she said, feeling the length of his growing erection.

  "I'm going over there first thing in the morning."

  "Mmm," Dani placated with several more kisses. "Maybe wait until ten."

  Alex moved his head to the side, giving Dani better access.

  "Nine."

  Dani smiled. Lifting the covers, she paused, her mouth inches from taking him inside. One swipe of her tongue, his accompanying moan, and she knew she had him. Lila's privacy was safe from her brother's protective prying. And she was in for a very pleasurable night.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LILA WHISTLED HER way through her morning work. She was happy. Giddy. And why not? Hours of sexual bliss in the arms of a man who looked like he stepped off the cover of GQ was funny, kind, sweet. There were almost as many laughs as orgasms. And a few tears. They exchanged growing up stories. Telling Sam about the death of her parents was difficult yet surprisingly cathartic. She didn't talk about that time to many people. Her brother — Dani. Rose, and Tyler knew. A close circle of friends. Now Sam.

  Lila cried a little. Then he asked her about the good times. No one did that. They always expressed sympathy then moved on from the difficult subject. Sam gave her a chance to remember her parents in the best possible way. Happy — alive. A weight she hadn't been aware of lifted. She felt lighter. Sam gave her that. She gave him another piece of her heart.

  Sam proved to be full of all kinds of surprises. He woke her with his mouth. Oral sex had always been a mystery to Lila. She didn't like giving; she never got any pleasure receiving. Until now.

  At first, Lila thought she was having the hottest sex dream ever. Sam, doing wicked things to her with his mouth. For the first time, she enjoyed having a man down there. No embarrassment, no awkward tap on the head saying nice try, no cigar. This time, everything was working. His tongue and fingers were in perfect sync, bringing her immeasurable pleasure.

  "I'm dreaming," she moaned.

  "Me too," a voice answered. "Only in a dream could a woman be so pretty and taste like nectar from the gods."

  Lila's eyes popped open, a gasp on her lips. Not a dream. Sam was… Holy crap. She tried to sit up, move away. The lack of embarrassment her dream provided came rushing in, full force.

  "Sam, you have to stop."

  "I will," he said, holding her hips steady so she couldn't get away. "Give me another five, ten minutes and I promise to stop."

  "But…" Lila moaned, louder than in her dream. Or non-dream. "I don't like that. I mean, I've never gotten any pleasure…What are you doing?"

  "Enjoying my pre-breakfast snack."

  Lila was too far gone to protest. She laid down, shutting off her mind. The fingers spread through his thick, soft hair, pulling him closer, urging him on. It didn't take even close to five minutes for her to reach that elusive oral sex peak.

  When Lila finally became aware of her surroundings, she slowly opened her eyes.

  "Sam."

  "Mmm."

  "Why are you still down there?" She tried to close her legs without any success. Sam's shoulders made it impossible.

  "I like the view." His bright blue eyes traveled up her body then back down again. "Beautiful. Too many men don't take the time to enjoy every angle of a woman's body."

  "You've seen it all before."

  "Every woman is different, Lila," Sam explained, his hand sliding up her stomach over her ribs until he cupped her breast.

  "Not that different."

  "Wrong. The differences are infinite."

  Sam scooted up, taking her in his arms.

  "Do you know what it takes to be a good lover?"

  "Amazing hands, fantastic cock, and talented tongue?"

  "No," Sam chuckled. "Though that all helps. Technique is great, I'm all for it."

  "Love the technique, big fan."

  "Smartass."

  "Hey, I'm serious."

  "Then let me enlighten you, Grasshopper." Sam laced his fingers with Lila's. He liked the connection. "The secret, after learning the basics, is caring about your partner. When I'm with a woman, my pleasure is magnified when she is enjoying it as much as I am."

  "That myth is smashed to bits."

  "What myth?"

  "The one that says good looking men are often terrible lovers because they don't have to try. Women fall at their feet." Lila cupped Sam's face giving him a long, deep kiss. "You aren't sup
posed to care if I have fun, as long as you do."

  "I thought we established my well-earned reputation as an orgasm machine," Sam joked.

  "True," Lila conceded, her eyes twinkling. "You can be the exception to the rule."

  "Unique?"

  "You like that?"

  Sam turned his head and shrugged.

  "I've never wanted to be one among many." Sam turned, pushing Lila onto her back. "In the bedroom, my motto is quality and quantity."

  "Nope."

  Lila pushed back. She knew Sam let her, happy to allow her to spread her wings a little and take control.

  This time it was Lila who gave Sam's body a long, appreciative once over.

  "Well?"

  "You'll do."

  The truth was Lila didn't know how she wound up in bed with the hottest man on the planet. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she decided not to worry about it — just enjoy.

  Part of the fun was finding out she wasn't as vanilla in bed as she always thought. Man on top, woman on bottom. Boring. Suddenly, in one night she found herself doing things, having things done to her, she only read about in books. Giving a man a blowjob might not be blindingly original. Or new. But this time, like when he went down on her, she planned to enjoy it.

  "Grab the headboard, Sam. I'm about to blow your mind."

  Now, Lila checked her watch, two short hours later, she could officially say blowjobs were awesome. With the right man.

  Lila felt her happiness wane, just a bit. Sam. He was the right man. The man who would walk out of her life today. When she told her friends that her heart couldn't be broken in one day, Lila was right. Not broken — just severely cracked.

  "I told you, the cyber campaign needs to be pushed out before the first of the year. I don't care if you're visiting your family. That's why we have computers. Get your ass in gear or you won't have a job to come back to."

  Lila's eyes widened. Whomever Sam was talking to, was getting a royal reaming out. If they weren't shaking in their boots, they weren't human.

  The mostly one-sided conversation continued in the same vein for several more minutes. Sam's voice getting louder, his language increasingly colorful.

  "Hi."

  Sam came down the stairs, his hair still damp from his shower. The smile on his face, open, affectionate, showed a completely different man than the one she overheard. This was the Sam she welcomed to her bed. Deep down, Lila knew they were one and the same. That made him what? An intimate stranger? A disconcerting thought.

  "Is something wrong?"

  Sam crossed the room, his arms wrapping around her waist. He gave her the sweetest kiss. Okay, she thought, back to Dr. Jekyll. He must have left Mr. Hyde upstairs.

  "No."

  "Yes." Sam tipped her chin up, his eyes concerned. "You look worried."

  "You aren't really going to fire that poor person, are you?"

  "What person?" Sam frowned. He looked up at the staircase, the light dawning. "You heard that."

  "I think all of Harper Falls heard that. You were very… vocal."

  "Business."

  "Business? Is that usual?" she asked warily. "I would hesitate to do business with anyone who talked to me like that."

  "I wouldn't blame you." Sam sighed, briefly resting his forehead on hers. When he straightened, his expression was rueful.

  "I was talking to Malcolm, my assistant in New York. He had clear, concise instructions. Things that needed to be done before he left for his Christmas holiday."

  "I take it Malcolm screwed up."

  "He did. I'm in a very fickle business, Lila. What's hot this week is easily forgotten the next. If I say something needs doing, it doesn't mean next week; it meant yesterday."

  "Are you going to fire him?"

  "Not this time." Sighing, Sam pulled her in tight, his hands giving her back a soothing rub. "Contrary to what some might tell you, I'm not unreasonable. I hold my employees up to the same standards I expect from myself. If they're just learning, like Malcolm, they get some slack."

  "Just enough to hang themselves?"

  "Smartass," Sam chuckled. "No, enough to learn. Malcolm is on strike two. He's been with me for almost a year, Lila. He knows how I work. He's watched me fire people who wouldn't get with the program."

  Lila pushed out of Sam's embrace. He couldn't read her expression. Was she that upset by what she had overheard?

  "Lila, like I said, it's business. I have no problem shutting it off the rest of the time."

  "I know," Lila assured him. "I'm embarrassed."

  "Why?"

  "Because your business is none of mine." She shrugged. "I was startled by what I heard, that's all. I wasn't thinking. I remember Rose once telling me that you could be a trifle… intense about your work."

  "Did she?"

  Sam smiled. A trifle intense? He remembered being a damn hard-ass. He pushed Rose, never letting up. It was his way; he didn't know any other. She wasn't intimidated. She didn't blink. In fact, she gave as good as she got. Turned out to be one of the best experiences of his professional life.

  "It doesn't matter, Sam."

  "But…"

  "Honestly." Lila kissed his cheek, then lingered on his mouth. "You're leaving in a few hours. Let's not talk about your work."

  "About that."

  "Your work?"

  "No," Sam said. He took a deep breath, suddenly less sure. "I want to stay. The rest of the week."

  "You do?"

  Sam understood the surprise he saw on Lila's face. He felt the same. He took his shower, mentally going over his schedule. Los Angeles for the next few days, a stopover in New York. Paris in time for the New Year. Then he thought of Lila. What would she be doing at midnight on the thirty-first? Who would she be with? Who would she kiss as the clock struck twelve?

  It didn't take long for him to figure that one out. She should kiss him.

  Why not? He could rearrange meetings. His plans for New Year's Eve were tentative. Several invitations, nothing set in stone.

  As Sam rinsed Lila's shampoo from his hair, the scent of her filling the room, he made up his mind. Until now, he hadn't thought about Lila's reaction. Maybe she wouldn't want him to stay. One night might be all she wanted.

  "I don't want to push myself on you, Lila. I want to stay; if you'll have me."

  Lila didn't know what to say. She left her bed this morning prepared to say goodbye. Resigned. Sam was never meant to be more than one wonderful night. A memory to savor. Suddenly, he offered her a few more days.

  Her first impulse was to shout, YES! She would take as much of him as she could get. As she opened her mouth to do just that, the words wouldn't come out. By nature, Lila was not an impulsive person. She thought things through. The longer she thought, the more she knew this was a bad idea.

  Her heart was already hovering between like and love. Another week with Sam was bound to cement her firmly on the side of love. If she let him walk away now, no harm done. A tinge of regret, that's all. If he stayed, she faced a broken heart for the New Year.

  Tell him no, her rational side urged. No, no, no, no, no.

  Lila looked up at Sam. Sweet, sexy, complicated Sam. In the end, there was only one thing she could say.

  "Yes."

  "YOU SAID HE was leaving today."

  "That's what I understood, Alex." Dani exchanged eye rolls with Rose. "I'm not responsible for Sam Laughton changing his plans."

  "One night," Alex grumbled. He gave Jack an accusatory look. "What is it with one-night stands? No one honors them anymore?"

  "If you're referring to my one-night stand with Rose —"

  "Exactly," Alex exclaimed. "She asked for something very specific. One night, no strings attached. Simple. Traditional. Jack screwed all that up by refusing to give her what she wanted."

  "Traditional?" Rose almost choked on her sweet roll. "What is traditional about non-committal sex? And may I remin
d you, he did give me what I wanted — eventually. My one-night stand turned into forever." She laid her hand on Jack's, the ring he placed there shining bright. "No complaints here."

  "Sam Laughton isn't sticking around Harper Falls. No happily ever after for Lila."

  The friends were meeting for a post-Christmas breakfast at Harper Falls newest eatery. Let Them Eat Croissants followed in the footsteps of other businesses in town. The cuter and punnier, the better. This French patisserie was sandwiched between Eye Saw You Coming, an optometrist and Take Me Out To The Ball Gown, a shop specializing in formal wear.

  Alex was five minutes into his rant, the hot coffee in front of him going cold, his chocolate croissant forgotten. Jack, believing in waste not want not, snatched the roll from his friend's plate, taking a hearty bite.

  "There is an age-old covenant," Alex grumbled. "One night means one night."

  "Where is that written?" Drew asked. He slapped Tyler's hand when she tried purloining his coffee. "Patience, Ty. The waitress is making the rounds. You can wait thirty seconds for a refill."

  Tyler wasn't sure. She needed her morning caffeine. One cup, delicious as it was, didn't cut it. She gave Drew her sweetest please smile.

  "Fine," Drew sighed. What could he do? He loved this woman. Feeding her addiction came with the territory. He pushed his cup in front of her. His reward? A big, enthusiastic kiss. Who needed coffee? Tyler was enough to jump-start his day.

  "What is wrong with all of you," Alex demanded. "My sister is in the clutches of a world-famous letch. You're calmly eating pastry and arguing over coffee."

  "First," Rose said reasonably. "No one is arguing. Jack stole your roll. Drew gave Tyler his coffee. Second," she continued before Alex exploded again, "Sam Laughton is not a letch. He likes women. Treats them with respect."

  "But —"

  "Anything," she continued, "that is going on between him and Lila, is one hundred percent consensual."

  "She's right, Alex."

  Dani squeezed his hand. She understood why he was worried. All the years Alex was in the Army, he did his part to keep this country safe. It was an important job; one he was good at. Keeping his sister safe wasn't possible. For the first time in ten years, the siblings lived in the same town. Overprotective brother mode came naturally. It was up to Dani and his friends to help him dial it back several notches.