by Virna DePaul
Why can’t I live a little?
As I reach for the buttons on my jeans, Hunter is there, helping me, his hands fumbling along with mine. He helps me slip my shirt off over my head, kissing me long and hard. I’m shaking from both anticipation and nerves, but I want this. I want him. And I'm tired of denying myself.
I slip my bra strap down my arm, his eyes watching my every movement. I shift my shoulders upwards, teasing him before letting the bra fall to the ground. I step toward him slowly, deliberately taking my time and once I reach him, he shifts into action.
He curls his fingers under my panties and rips them from my body.
I’m left standing completely bare in front of him, and it’s terrifying. My first instinct is to cover myself, because when it comes to him, I’m ashamed of my body. I’m ashamed of my curves. Normally, I’m a confident woman, but there’s something about him, something that’s different. Something that makes me want to run. I’m terrified that now that he’s seen what I look like naked, he’s not going to want me anymore. I’m nervous, shaking, heart racing.
But when he reaches for me and pulls me back into his lap, any worries I had cease to exist. For a moment, he leans me back and studies my breasts, then touches the small silver bars piercing my nipples. “Sexy as fuck,” he mutters.
His breath is hot and heavy, his chest heaving with desire and need. My eyes bore into his, watching and waiting. I can feel the erection in his slacks throbbing against my vulnerable pussy.
He lowers his head and flicks his tongue against my nipples, lashing them lightly, playing with my metal, then blowing on them, making me whimper.
His gaze meets mine. “Sensitive?”
“Very.”
“Good,” he says. As he continues to lick my nipples, he lowers his hand between my legs and caresses me. I give in to his touch, rocking against his hand for a moment, and it feels so good I actually wonder if he can be the one. If this time, things will be different. The possibility has me panting and impatient to get him naked.
I raise my body up slightly so that I can get a good handle on his belt buckle. I make quick work of it, unbutton his pants, and he does the rest. He pushes his pants and underwear down just enough so that his rock hard cock jumps free.
I feel it before I see it. Long. Hard. Smooth. Ready.
I raise my palm to my mouth and wet it with my tongue before reaching back down to stroke his throbbing hardness.
“Fuck,” he groans, throwing his head back against the back of the leather chair.
I continue to stroke him, preparing him to fill me completely. And when I think he’s ready, even when I’m not so sure I am, I raise my hips to angle myself above him and brace a hand on either shoulder, feeling the heat of his cock against my wanton cunt.
His eyes flash open and he grips my waist. I take a deep breath before sinking down onto him, deeper and deeper until I’m filled to the hilt.
I take a moment to adjust to his girth. His hands gripping me, his eyes burning, he’s screaming for me to move. But I’m not ready. Not quite yet. I take several trembling breaths before I shift on his cock, clear my throat and lift myself up, climbing his hardness with my pussy and then lowering myself back onto him.
I go slow, painfully slow for the both of us, because he’s thicker than I’m used to. He’s not content with the slow pace though, I can feel it in his muscles as he grips me tighter. So, I throw any concerns I have to the wind and just decide to enjoy the ride. I offer him a mischievous grin before I begin bucking against him with a newfound vigor.
I think it takes him by surprise; his eyes roll into the back of his head as I ride him with reckless abandon. I’m a fan of being on top because I fucking hate surrendering control. I think he’s the same way, but by the way he begins to thrust upwards inside me, I think he’s content to be exactly where he is.
“So fucking tight,” he moans. “You going to come all over my cock?”
“Oh God, yes. Please, Hunter. Please, baby,” I moan right back at him and then shrink inside because I just called him baby.
Sweat drips down my forehead, and down my breasts. I feel the flesh of his stomach dampening too. Our bodies slap together, and I pray that there’s nobody left in the shop even though logically I know everyone’s long gone by now.
The tattoo artist inside me begins to worry about his fresh piercing. He’s supposed to avoid sweating for a few hours afterward, but how can I bring myself to care when he feels so damn perfect inside me?
As his belt buckle slaps against my ass, he reaches up to fondle my breasts, caressing my nipples and playing with my piercings with hands that are both strong and gentle. I throw my head back and steady my hands on his thighs, then feel the warmth of his hot mouth around one nipple, his tongue once again flicking the barbell that runs through it.
“Yes,” I scream, throwing myself forward so that his face is buried between my breasts. I ride him harder, faster. And then harder still until the chair gives out from underneath us and is thrown back into a full recline.
It startles us both.
He lets out the hottest fucking chuckle while I steady myself above him. I waste no time getting back into the flow of things, this time enjoying an even better view of him.
His hair is slick and tousled, matted to the edges of his forehead with sweat. The muscles of his chest are hardened and red, and his abs are made of steel. I trail my hands over his long frame, reveling in every edge and groove.
I ride him even harder than before, thinking maybe it really will actually happen this time for me. Maybe I’ll finally be able to reach my peak with a man. After all, this is Hunter Kiss. If anyone can do it for me, surely he can. Only as one minute and then another goes by, I realize my body has betrayed me once again, allowing me to go only so far, ratcheting up my desire to an unbearable level with no intention of providing me with the ultimate relief.
The frustration and shame of it makes me want to cry but I can’t. I can’t let him see how broken I am. Instead, I pour everything I have into bringing him pleasure and driving him over the edge. “Give it to me,” I say. “Shoot your come inside me. I want it, Hunter. Now.”
“Fuck,” he cries out as he bucks his hips upward. Before too long, his fingers dig painfully into my sides and he’s shooting his seed deep inside me. I watch as he orgasms, his entire body straining. Every muscle. Every vein. He’s like a fucking Greek God and I’m so mesmerized by the sight of him that I don’t even think to do my usual routine of faking that I’m coming at the same time he is.
When he comes down from his high, I rest my forehead against his, then immediately straighten when his eyes open. “You didn’t come,” he says, his voice harsh and breathy. His palm cups my ass, but I brush it aside, his touch too much to bear at this point.
“I did.”
“Bullshit.”
I scramble away from him, nearly weeping when I feel him slip out of me. Acutely aware of his semen dripping out of me and covering my thighs, I swipe my panties off the ground. “I have to go.”
“Dani—”
“You need to make sure you keep that nipple cleaned,” I say as I climb into my jeans.
Without putting my shirt on, I pace to the toolbox and retrieve a piercing aftercare brochure. I pass it to him but he knocks it aside.
“Dani, come here.”
I shake my head. “Look, don’t take it personally. I can’t come with a guy. I’ve never been able to.”
“Then you’ve been with the wrong guys.”
“And there goes your big ego again.”
“Hey, big ego, big di—”
I throw his clothes at him, then quickly pull on my bra and sheer shirt. “Salt water works best when cleaning your nipple.”
He studies me for several taut seconds while I pretend to fiddle with my tools as if I’m packing them up. Finally, he says, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He dresses quickly then quietly stands beside me, unmoving and resolute, until I have no choice
but to turn to face him. “We didn’t use protection,” he says, and my eyes widen.
Holy fuck. That hadn’t even occurred to me until now.
I’ve never had sex without protection. Never.
Clearly Hunter’s power over me is even greater than I thought.
“I’m clean and I’m on the pill,” I say, unable to keep the apprehension out of my voice. That woman Amy, I remember. He’d just had sex with her when we’d met. He probably has sex with one woman after the other. He probably—
“I’m clean, too, Dani. I’ve never been with a woman and not worn a condom before.”
I exhale in relief then clear my throat. “Well…good. So, we’re good. This won’t happen again and we’ll keep things professional from here on out. The only thing we need to worry about is my brother. Agreed?”
Like an idiot, I actually stick out my hand to shake his. He just looks at it, then folds the brochure I’d handed him and shoves it into his front pocket. When he finally does take my hand, however, he doesn’t shake it; he pulls me closer, and tenderly kisses my temple before whispering in my ear. “We’re not done, Dani. I’m going to have you again. And I’m going to show you just what your body is capable of.”
7
Hunter
I like Dani Cross.
I mean, after what we did in her shop a few days ago, it’s obvious I’m attracted to her, but I like her, too. I wish I was with her instead of at dinner with a prospective new talent agent, even if it is the gorgeous Lila Strong. Ambient music plays overhead while idle gossip can be heard from nearby tables.
Lila and I have been hooking up for years. What began as a one-night stand in college developed into an actual friendship of sorts, the kind of friendship where I often find myself balls deep inside her at the end of any given night.
Our meet ups have become more spaced apart ever since she left New York to recruit talent in Tampa, but now she’s back nibbling on the carrot I’m dangling in front of her: a top-level position at Kiss Talent.
“Have you given any more thought to my proposal?”
She smiles, looking so damn elegant. She’s a human shark, with teeth and claws that are fiercer than anyone else in this game. That’s why I want her. “I could have told you on the phone, but…”
“Shit. You’re turning me down.”
“Quite the opposite, Hunter. I’m in.”
“You’re in?” I question, brows furrowed. “You’re coming back to New York?”
“The movers are already packing up my apartment,” she confirms.
“Holy shit,” I say loudly before leaning across the table with a sly smirk. “This is why Hunter Kiss is the king. I always win.”
She rolls her eyes and flips her long blonde hair over one shoulder. “Maybe we can both win tonight.”
I cock a brow.
“I mean, once I start working at Kiss, I assume we won’t be rolling around in the sheets anymore.”
“I think that would be best.”
“Well then…” She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Before I sign on the dotted line, why don’t we engage in one final hurrah?”
Lila’s broken through so many glass ceilings because of her confidence, wit, and penchant for taking what she wants when she wants it. Taking the key from my hand, she unlocks the door to my penthouse and leads the way inside.
Like I said, we go way back.
The penthouse is dark this late at night, and I flip on the kitchen light so I can make us both a strong drink. She tosses her hair over one shoulder as she jumps onto the counter surface, kicking her long, tan legs over the edge.
She’s a total vixen and although she might have contemplated settling down at one point, that’s been long off her radar. Now, she’s all about her career. Just like me.
At least, just like I used to be.
Until a certain blonde and pink-haired angel barreled into my life, leaving me distracted and yearning for something more. Something that hasn’t been satisfied by our fast and hard coupling at Skyn. No, that small sample has simply fed my hunger for more and fueled my absolute determination to give her the orgasm that has eluded her all her life.
But the extent of my hunger is giving me pause and I wonder if it’s a good indication that I should simply walk away. From her. From her body. From her passion and fierceness and vibrancy. Hell, maybe even from her brother, if it comes down to it.
Retreat to fight another day, and all that. I never had to do it before, but maybe where Dani Cross is concerned, self-protection should be paramount. Hell, I barely knew her before I let her pierce my fucking nipple. What does that say about her ability to drive me out of my fucking mind?
Shifting and wincing at the sudden sensitivity of my nipple scratching against my shirt, I toss a few rocks of ice into two tumbler glasses and fill them halfway with straight whiskey; it’s Lila’s preferred drink. She likes her drinks just as strong as her men and I like my drinks equally strong.
I pass her a drink and lean against the opposite counter. “Are you going to miss Tampa?”
“I’m going to miss the salty sea,” she chuckles, “but I’m sure there will be enough salty ass men here once they realize I’m coming back. Their tears will probably be enough to fill an entire man-made ocean.”
“You’re a ballsmasher, for sure.”
She takes a gulp of whiskey—not a sip, a damn gulp. “I’m a woman in a man’s world. I have to be something, anything other than weak.”
“You’re certainly not weak,” I point out and take a sip of whiskey. “You know you scare the shit out of Luke, right?”
“That boy?” She cocks her head. “He’s such a damn sweetheart, and I’m going to enjoy making him uncomfortable.”
I laugh and set my whiskey down on the marble counter. “Just remember, you’re not in competition with anyone at Kiss. Anyone else in this industry is fair game.”
“What about you?” She reaches forward, gripping my tie with a show of strength and pulling me close to her, between her legs. “Are you fair game?”
I don’t know how to answer that. Technically I am, and of course there’s a part of me that thinks I’d be a fool to turn down what she’s offering me. The other part of me is occupied with thoughts of Dani, and despite my musings about retreat and self-protection just moments ago, part of me is already strategizing about when I can see her next and how fast I can deliver on my parting promise to rock her world. “You can’t handle this game,” I say with a cocky smirk.
“Really? I’ve handled it plenty before.” She pulls my face closer to hers so that our lips are a mere inch apart. Her icy blue eyes bore into mine just before she slides off the counter and turns so her back is to me. She looks at me over her shoulder, bends over slightly, runs one hand underneath her short black skirt, slides her black panties down her legs, wraps them around her finger and twirls them in the air before throwing them at my face. She hooks her finger over her shoulder, gesturing that I should follow her as she makes her way toward my bedroom.
I reach backwards for my glass and finish the whiskey in one go before following her.
When I step inside the dark space, she’s on the bed wearing nothing, completely bare underneath a thin satin sheet that outlines every curve of her body, but my eyes are focused on her breasts where the dark material hangs down just slightly over her chest.
“That was quick,” I say, closing the door behind me as I loosen my tie and begin unbuttoning my white shirt. “You must really be itching to sign this contract.”
Her lips curl into a devious smile. “I’m itching for something.”
“Yeah?” With my shirt unbuttoned, I leave it on and rip the sheets off her naked body with one strong flick of my wrist. She’s undeniably sexy.
I crawl over her until I’m staring down into her eyes. She reaches a hand up to caress my cheek softly, but she’s not a make love kind of person. She wants to fuck.
I slide one hand down to her bare hip and p
lant a short kiss against her lips before nuzzling her neck and ear. And then I freeze in place, force my eyes shut and try to shake away thoughts of Dani.
Why the hell am I thinking about her when I have this bombshell vixen underneath me?
“What’s wrong, Hunter?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I caress her bare thigh while nibbling against one earlobe. My palm begins to skate up her side, and my cock swells in my slacks, but there’s no sense of urgency. Of excitement.
“Stop,” she commands and pushes a strong hand against my chest so that we’re eye-to-eye. “You’re not into this. You thinking of someone else?” When I don’t say anything, it seems to confirm her suspicions. “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day you were hung up on a woman.”
“It’s not like that.” I roll onto my back, opting to stare at the ceiling instead of at her.
She shifts onto her side and props her head against her palm. “Then tell me what’s it like.”
“I barely know the girl.”
“So there is a girl.” She purses her lips and nods. “Hunter Kiss is caught up in feelings. Who would have thought?” When I glower at her, she laughs. “This is a good thing, Hunter. You can’t go your entire life being afraid of getting close to a woman.”
“Seriously?” I arch one brow as I glower at her. “Says the girl who’s never made it past the third date, not since—”
“That’s a choice,” she snaps before I can say his name.
“And mine’s not?”
“I’m more in love with my work than I could ever be with someone else. You on the other hand, I know there’s a part of you that wants to settle down but you’re too afraid to let someone in.”
“I want you to let me in.”
“If that’s true, I’m still open for the taking.” She smiles faintly. “Literally open.”
I stare at her. I tell myself to move. To take her. I don’t and understanding lights her eyes.
“Do you want to me to leave?”
I shake my head. “Nope. I’ll sleep on the couch and drive you to the airport for your flight.”