by Mari Carr
Matching his words with actions, he bent down and took one of her rose colored nipples in his mouth, relishing the sound of her delicious moan and the feeling of her hands tangling in his hair. She was so unlike the women he usually bedded. Women accustomed to power and money who cared only for their own pleasure. To be fair, he tended to treat sex the same way—merely a cold, emotionless merger, a way of having mutual needs met. Sex with Meg was different. He could feel it in the way her hands lovingly caressed his back as if she wanted his pleasure as much as she wanted her own.
Nipping at her delicious breast with his teeth, his free hand plucked at her other nipple, loving the sound of her rapid breathing and excited whimpers. Her hands tugging on his hair caused him to raise his head to look into her deep blue eyes, heavy-lidded with desire.
“Bedroom—now,” she murmured against his lips.
Rob pulled away, smiling at her demand. “Thank God.”
Chapter Six
Meg awoke to the sound of light rain pattering on the window as two thoughts crossed her mind simultaneously. One—she had no idea where she was and two—she wasn’t alone. Glancing to her side, she was greeted by the sight of an enormous muscular back and the sound of soft snoring. The image of light scratches on that gorgeous backside brought back everything—her hellish day of travel, the car accident, drinking at the bar, caviar and Rob as he came into her body ruining her for all other men for the rest of her life.
Squinting her eyes shut, she tried to feel remorse, regret, anything slightly resembling guilt, but nothing came. Nothing but the desire to poke the back next to her until the man rolled over and ruined her some more.
Apparently in tune to her thoughts, Rob turned toward her with a grin on his face. Smiling—with his hair tousled and his eyes still heavy from sleep—he looked years younger than the man she’d seen emerge from that limousine last night.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” He rose up on one elbow and kissed her lightly.
“I was afraid it was all a dream.”
He ran his fingers through her unruly curls. “You are so precious.”
Meg narrowed her eyes. “You know, precious is worse than cute.”
Rob laughed. “Still raining. I guess the parade will have to be postponed. What would you say to breakfast in bed?”
“I’d say you’d better make that a late lunch.” Gesturing at the clock, she was amazed by the fact she’d actually slept in until three-thirty. At home, she was an early riser. “It seems like my days and nights got messed up somewhere.”
“Well, that’s probably my fault.” He sat up. “Kept you up too late.”
“Mmmm. You sure did.”
“You keep looking at me like that and you won’t ever get out of this bed.”
“Well, it is still raining.” She crooked her finger at him. “Not like we could go to the parade or swimming or anything.”
“I would hate to waste a perfectly lovely day like this sightseeing and such.” Leaning down, he took her lips with a kiss that betrayed the unquenchable desire they seemed to share. Coming over her, his mouth moved across her cheek to her ear. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
She was flooded with relief as his words confirmed he felt the same way she did. “There’s still plenty of me here, but Rob—hurry.”
***
Several hours later, Meg stretched out on the comfy couch in the living room and looked at Rob on the other end. The day had been one of the most perfect of her life. After a long, hot, entirely satisfying bout of afternoon delight, they’d ordered an early dinner of thick, juicy steaks, baked potatoes and asparagus. For dessert, they’d polished off a bottle of champagne as Rob fed her strawberries while they’d soaked in the Jacuzzi in his bedroom. Then they’d spent the last two hours simply touching and talking.
He sat with her feet in his lap, lightly massaging them and she wiggled her toes marveling at the fact her feet seemed to be an erogenous zone. She’d never known that, but she certainly felt as if she could have an orgasm merely from the heavenly rubbing he was ministering. She smiled at the thought, wondering how Rob would react if she did.
“Well, that’s a smile fit for the Cheshire Cat. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I could get used to this.” She was too embarrassed to share her true thoughts.
“A foot massage?”
“Among other things.”
“Ah.” The look on his face said he was obviously aware of where her thoughts were lingering. “Want to elaborate?”
“I’ve been pampered, petted, massaged, and fed. I feel a bit like a princess. Thank you, Rob. I can’t begin to put into words how wonderful today was.”
“We never even left the suite.”
She laughed and stretched her arms above her head. “Umm, yes, well, I don’t care if we ever leave.”
Rob felt a slight rush of relief at her words. He had to agree that today had quite possibly been one of the best of his life and he considered the fact he could see himself doing this every night for the rest of his life. Meg was an easy companion—her sense of humor infectious, her views of life interesting, her attitude optimistic, despite the knowledge he knew she’d suffered quite a bit of loss in her life.
One of the things he enjoyed the most about her companionship was her openness as well as her unique perspective of life. They’d left no stone unturned, whether it be religion, politics, literature or even who was the most deserving American Idol winner. She went for David Cook while he remained loyal to Kelly Clarkson.
She’d admitted her family hadn’t had ‘two pennies to rub together’ and yet that didn’t seem to matter to her. He silently wished he could have met the two women who had raised such a happy, strong, self-assured young woman. For the first time in his life, he actually found himself feeling envious of someone else. If someone had asked him yesterday, he would have said he was the luckiest man on earth. Because yesterday all that mattered was the fact he’d amassed wealth beyond measure and lived a life others coveted. He was on top—sought out for his opinions and advice by politicians, business executives and powerful leaders.
Now, as he saw the world through her eyes, he wondered how much of his life he’d squandered in the quest for gold and power. Meg worked day after day with students who dealt with mental and physical handicaps—blindness, autism, mental retardation, deformities that left them in wheelchairs. Every day of their lives was a challenge and it was obvious Meg admired their efforts to succeed in a world where the odds were so clearly stacked against them. She made a pittance for her efforts, yet didn’t complain. In her mind, the fact she’d been born healthy and raised in a loving home environment was so much more than others had and for that she was sincerely grateful. He tried to remember the last time he felt gratitude and he couldn’t recall ever giving thanks.
Humbled, he looked down at Meg as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Jet-lagged, he smiled at his little trooper. She’d missed an entire night’s sleep and yet she’d insisted on staying up with him. Overwhelmed with the desire to take care of her, he rose, bending over to pick her up.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.”
“Ooh, it’s about time too.”
He was amazed to see her come fully to life. “You must be exhausted. Why don’t you call it a night?”
“Without you?” Her face was a mixture of disappointment and confusion.
“Aren’t you tired, Meg?”
“I have the rest on my life to sleep if I want to, Rob. You and I only have two more days and I want to make them count.”
His heart lurched with something like pain as she mentioned the end of their time together. Dismissing it, he grinned as she squirmed to be released. Lowering her, he savored the feeling of her body as it slid down his before jerking back at the realization she hadn’t stopped sliding until she knelt before him.
“Meg.” His hands reached beneath her shoulders to pull her back up.
He’d intended to tuck his little princess in bed for the night. Now she was turning the tables on him. Rob shuddered as she pulled his hard cock from the constricting denim.
“Meg,” he said, “you don’t have to—”
His words caught in his throat as her tongue darted out to tease the small opening of his penis.
“I want to.” All thought of stopping fled his mind as she wrapped her lips and hand around his cock and gave him the blowjob of a lifetime.
Gripping him tightly in her fist, she tormented him with her lips, teeth and tongue. Each time he managed to settle his racing thoughts to her pattern, she changed the game. One minute she would simply run her tongue up and down as if he were a lollipop and she a small child. Next, she would turn into a tiger, engulfing his length, nearly swallowing him whole as her teeth teased his sensitive flesh.
As she changed her motion, he found himself reeling in the wake of her devastating touches. His hands gripped her hair tightly and at her sudden hiss, he realized he was hurting her. He started to release her when she shook her head, his cock still buried in the wet cavern of her mouth. Reaching back down, he pulled again at her flaxen locks nearly bowled over by the realization that she enjoyed his rough play. The notion caused his cock to grow even harder, a fact that obviously wasn’t lost on his little minx as she changed the rules of the game yet again. Using her free hand, she reached down to cup his balls lightly before exploring even farther. The feeling of her finger breeching the entrance to his anus nearly shoved him over the edge. Tugging her hair became an unconscious action as all his thoughts were centered on the extreme pleasure/pain her hands and mouth were evoking in his body.
“Damn,” he hissed, when he felt her finger—one knuckle deep—begin to wiggle in the tight portal. “You are going to pay for this.” His teeth were clenched and the glorious feeling of his orgasm pulsed from the root to the tip of his cock as he took control of her mouth. His hands gripped the sides of her face as he began fucking her mouth in earnest. His ejaculation was so overpowering, he fought to remain standing as his tormentor swallowed down every drop he fed her, licking him clean as she gradually released him.
“Holy mother,” he murmured as he fell to his knees in front of her. Obviously pleased with his response, she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace that couldn’t be called anything other than a hug. She’d tilted his world on its axis.
Pulling back, he looked into her bright eyes—her gaze full of something foreign to him. Happiness, contentment, maybe even a bit of love. Love. He knew she wouldn’t say the words aloud. His Meg was too practical, too caring and she would think it was far too soon for saying such a thing. And yet, even though their acquaintance had been short, he wanted to hear those words from her. He’d suggested a weekend away from the pressures of the real world, a time out of time and she was giving it to him. Just as she had given him her trust, her body, her friendship.
And he had given her nothing but lies. The thought of him allowing this relationship to grow built upon such an innocent deception had seemed small enough at the beginning, but now it threatened to choke him. What would she say when she learned who he really was? Coward that he was, Rob pushed his confession away unwilling to take the risk of seeing that look in her eyes fade away.
Chapter Seven
Midmorning Saturday was just as dreary as Friday and Meg cursed the weather.
“Damn.” She was unaware of Rob’s presence until she felt his arms embrace her from behind.
“Still no sunshine. Honestly, Teach, I’ve never known it rain like this here.”
“Just my luck,” she sighed. “I really wanted to go down to the ocean today.”
“Well, unless you’re made of sugar—which is a definite possibility given your sweetness—I figure we could go for a walk along the beach in the rain without melting.”
Smiling, she turned in his arms, raising her hands to pull his face down to his. She kissed him softly. “I’d love to go for a walk. Are you sure you don’t mind? We’re bound to get soaked.”
“We’d get soaked swimming in the ocean if it was sunny, so I don’t really see much difference.”
“I’ll just go up and slip on my travel clothes.” She glanced down at his oversized T-shirt. She’d worn it all day yesterday, which hadn’t been a problem since they hadn’t left the room. Her luggage still hadn’t arrived. No big surprise there.
“I’ll grab us both a couple of sweatshirts,” he added. “It might be chilly.”
Going their separate ways, they met up again in the living room after only a few minutes. Rob had put on a pair of khaki shorts and Meg took a second to admire his trim, tanned legs. Raising his eyebrows to let her know he was aware of her wayward glance, he handed her a big sweatshirt and a baseball cap before donning his own with a grin.
“This will keep the rain out of our eyes.”
Walking down to the beach, Meg pulled off her sandals, delighted by the feeling of wet sand between her toes. Rob clasped her hand in his own tugging her forward and she was thrilled as she took in her first up-close look at the ocean.
“It’s amazing,” she said as the first wave crashed around her bare ankles. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen the ocean.” Rob was stunned by her revelation late last night. “My family spent nearly every summer, vacationing at the beach.”
“We didn’t really have a lot of time or money for vacations,” Meg explained, “although once, I went to Williamsburg on a school field trip and my mom came along as a chaperone. It was just a day trip, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. Such a wonderfully historic place. We spent the entire day pretending we were colonists living in the 1800’s. It was fun, but not as fun as this.” With her words, she bent down and scooped up a handful of ocean water to splash on Rob.
He acted offended before it apparently sunk in he was already soaked. “Uh-oh, now you’ve done it.” Bending over, he returned the splash, his large hands able to throw twice the water, twice as far.
Squealing, she took off running and kicking up water as he gave chase. She felt his large hands reach out to pick her up in the midst of her retreat and she screamed with amusement as he proceeded to walk out into the water, threatening to throw her in.
“Don’t you dare!”
“What will you give me if I don’t?” He was teasing and Meg suspected he was angling for a kiss.
She pretended to think about his question. “I’ll buy you an ice cream cone.”
Rob laughed at her bribe before considering it seriously. “A chocolate one?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“Not vanilla.” He clarified his demand. “I cannot abide vanilla.”
“No vanilla then.” She felt somewhat relieved when he pulled her closer to him and started to walk back out of the waves that were crashing around his strong thighs.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand again. “Let’s get some lunch. I know a little place that makes corn dogs to die for.”
“What? Corn dogs over caviar? Are you feeling well?”
“Very funny. And I’m not forgetting that you owe me an ice cream either.”
The tiny diner was nearly empty when they arrived despite the fact it was the lunch hour. No doubt the weather had encouraged most folks to eat in the hotel restaurants rather than dash through the streets in such a downpour. Grabbing a booth near the back, they ordered a veritable feast of junk food, while Meg apologized profusely to the waitress for the puddles of water forming on the floor beneath them.
At the end of their meal, Meg ordered Rob a triple scoop ice cream cone—all chocolate—and helped him devour it.
When the waitress returned with the bill, Meg snatched it out of Rob’s hands.
“Meg,” Rob started, but Meg merely held up her hand.
“I don’t break a promise,” she said.
“I owe you an ice cream.”
“But not a whole lunch. Why don’t we split the bill?”
“Nope, this one is on me. I’m not destitute, Rob. Besides, I feel bad taking advantage of your company’s generosity. I’m used to paying my own way, so let me do it.”
“Fine.” Rob threw up his hands. “Have it your way. Thanks for lunch.”
She smiled at his concession as the waitress returned to take her money.
“What’s next?”
“Wanna go to the movies?” he asked. “There’s a theater at the end of the block. It’s probably just about time for the matinees to start showing.”
“That sounds like fun. I wonder what’s playing.”
“Unfortunately this weekend, it’s bound to be a romantic comedy.” His answer was laced with obvious distaste.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m a horror man myself.”
“Eww.” She crinkled her nose. “All that blood and guts stuff gives me nightmares. Give me a good old fashioned love story any day.”
“Well come on, Margaret, odds are good that the theater will be catering to your taste this weekend in honor of Valentine’s Day.”
***
Three hours later, Rob and Meg returned to the hotel arguing about the plot of the movie.
“That kind of stuff never happens,” Rob insisted.
“Bullshit. Of course it does.”
“Meg,” Rob continued, “There is no such thing as love at first sight.”
“Well I believe there is.”
“What you think is love is actually lust.” He pulled her closer to him as he spoke.
“What?”
“Lust at first sight makes more sense. Two people see each other and feel a mutual attraction.”
“Like us?” She nipped at his chin with a small love bite.
“Just like us.”
“And the love part comes in where?”
“Later. Meg, to say you love someone based on merely their looks is shallow. For real love to happen, you need to talk to the person, get to know them.”