Lucky Seven

by Elle M Thomas

  “Tasha.” He hissed her name loudly through clenched teeth.

  She was relentless in her pursuit of him; she sheathed her teeth and was at a loss as to how she managed to accommodate all of him, but she did and as she moved her lips up and down his length, slowly at first she knew this was what she wanted, what she needed. She wanted him to feel totally sated by her and whatever Amanda was and any other Amanda, they would be no threat to her once she left, would they? She built up speed and allowed her tongue to make a whipping, circular movement which had been popular with previous partners and Jim was obviously no different. She could feel he was close and as she employed the use of her hand and now unsheathed teeth he reached down and held her head, keeping her still, stopping her. Pulling back, he dropped to join her on the floor and roughly pulled her face to his where he kissed her, devoured her almost until she could barely breathe.

  “Take your jeans off,” he ordered, watching her get to her feet to undo the button on her jeans. “And everything else.”

  Tasha did exactly as he’d demanded. After kicking off her trainers and clothes, Jim beckoned her back to the floor where he handed her a condom.

  “You do it,” he said as he lay back.

  “Here?” She gesturing to the floor around them, sounding wary.

  “Yes. Here, now.” He smiled, transfixed by her, making her realise just how much she liked his eyes on her.

  Slowly, Tasha unrolled the condom and squealed as she was pulled across Jim’s body and lowered onto him. She cried out with the sense of fullness she felt along with the tight, stretching sensation that was verging on painful. It felt as though he was beginning to claim her back and somehow her mood had put some distance between them which it had in some ways. He allowed his hands to move across her face, neck and chest, then they stilled on her breasts, kneading, teasing and pinching, encouraging her to pick up her pace. Moving up and down she could feel they were both close. He began to move his hips and pound against her until he was battering her cervix and although she knew she was losing the control she had started with she didn’t care. She didn’t want power over him, just over any possible threats to them, to what they had, to this, whatever this was. She liked James to be in control of this, of her.

  She moaned loudly and breathed faster as she felt the explosion in her ready to ignite.

  “Oh, James.” He drove her on, pushed her closer. “Oh, God, I love you.”

  His eyes widened and suddenly she was flat on her back on the kitchen floor and he was over her now, pounding away, claiming her fully.

  “Say it again,” he growled.

  “I love you,” she repeated, almost trembling.

  “Again,” he insisted as he quickened, and she knew this was it.

  “I love you, James.” He met her hips tilting again. She felt the rush flooding through the whole of her body again and again before she arched her back to meet him once more and he was still, frozen in this moment, with her.

  He lay motionless, softening inside her, but propped himself up on his elbows. “I love you too, Tasha,” he whispered.

  They lay together, entwined around each other on the cold, stone kitchen floor for what seemed like an eternity, with no words exchanged until Tasha asked, “What time is it?”

  “Five thirty,” replied Jim, looking at his watch. “You’ll have dinner before you go out, won’t you?”

  She shrugged in his embrace.

  “You will. You can’t drink on an empty stomach and I know you’ll be drinking with Philip running things.”

  She shrugged again.

  “Are you okay?” He sounded concerned.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Petulance and irritation were infiltrating her voice.

  “Have I missed something because you’ve been acting weird since we left the vineyard? You are swinging between ignoring me to becoming predatory to telling me you love me and now back to sulky and cryptic. I was rather hoping you were just cranky because you were horny.” He stared at her with definite confusion and possible annoyance.

  She breathed deeply and considered her options carefully. She could air all of her concerns about Amanda, or indeed her annoyance at his lie of omission. She could blame hormones, again, or she could deny anything was wrong and play innocent until she’d decided when she wanted to discuss Amanda. Was it still the idea of him seeing his ex-wife she didn’t know about every day that was causing her mood or was it because she was going to miss him after Friday, because she loved him? She’d said those words and meant them, but could she really love him? She’d known him for less than a week and he’d said it back, but was his response out of a sense of duty, because he thought he should? Maybe she had been cranky because she was horny in spite of her annoyance with him. More than anything she felt confused.

  “So?” He was becoming impatient.

  “I don’t know. I just feel confused. It’s been a strange week.” She did think she’d fairly accurately summed up how she felt even without any actual details.

  “Can we get up off the kitchen floor before we discuss this some more?” A kind and understanding smile gently curled his lips.

  “I’m not the one who put us down here.”

  Jim laughed as he shook his head in protest at her claim. “Oh, I think we both know you are definitely the one who put us down here, baby.” He got to his feet and carefully pulled her to hers. “Why don’t you take a shower or a bath, or whatever you want? I need to check my emails and then we’ll have dinner and talk about what’s confusing you.”

  Chapter 20

  After her shower, Tasha dressed in a white cotton sundress and returned to find Jim still in his office. She pushed herself up until she sat on the edge of his desk and watched him typing. After a few seconds and a number of typing errors he looked up at her.

  “You are distracting me.”

  “I’m not doing anything,” she protested with an innocent smile that made him smile too.

  “You are looking gorgeous and watching me from the spot where I laid you down. Where I laid you down and got laid to be precise and the memory is very distracting.”

  She smiled at him, a slightly broader smile then swung her legs to and fro teasingly as a sense of calmness washed over her.

  Jim moved his chair back from his desk slightly and laughed, a real laugh that sounded around them as he threw his head back, exposing his neck fully causing thoughts of kissing, licking and nipping the skin there to course through her.

  “No.” He was clearly reading her mind. “I am going to reply to this email and then we are going to have dinner.”

  With a pout and stilled legs Tasha looked at Jim, making him laugh again.

  “You are so funny, honey. But unless you have had your school uniform flown over, there will be no more visits to the principal’s office for you.”

  Sliding off the end of the desk Tasha refocused on food, knowing Jim actually meant every word he’d said. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Sandra will have left something in the fridge. You carry on and I’ll be two minutes.”

  “Did you find something?” Jim joined her in the kitchen and watched her laying the table.

  “Yeah, lasagne or cannelloni I think, and salad.”

  He sat at the kitchen table where she settled on his lap resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “So, what are you confused about?” He bent his head down and inhaled as he buried his nose in her hair. “You smell nice.”

  His words and the warmth in his voice made her smile.

  “You’re distracting me again.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” she protested.

  “I beg to differ; you smell good, you are very beautiful, and in a dress too and the kitchen floor will never look the same after your little show.”

  “Show?”

  “Yes, show and very impressive it was, too. Now I really am getting distracted, so sit on a chair.”

  She moved until she was oppos
ite him and prepared to talk.

  “So, you’re confused?”

  She nodded her head thinking confused might just be the most apt description of how she felt.

  “About what?” That was the real question for them both.

  “This, you, us, your wives, going home and the mess which is undoubtedly waiting for me.” Her reply sounded blunt, but the things she’d listed really were at the crux of her confusion.

  “Wow, it’s quite a list, honey. Let’s start with this, you and us because I think they may all be connected, if not the same.”

  “Jim I don’t even know what this or us is.” Tasha sighed nervously.

  “Is this because you said you love me?” He couldn’t help but grin at her while she blushed at the memory of her declaration of love but as she wondered if he was about to revoke his I love you her expression became more nervous.

  “No. You said it too.” Her defensive tone only served to back up her fear she was somehow giving him the option to take his away, but more than that, she was worried he might take the option.

  He smiled. “But you said it first.” Before she could respond he added, “If you didn’t mean it, if it was in the moment, and it was pretty hot, baby, it’s fine, just say. But I did mean it when I said it. I never say things I don’t mean, so you can always believe me.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t plan on saying it, not the first time anyway.” She grinned. “But I did mean it. I love you.”

  He stared at her intently again then quickly regained his momentum. “You’re distracting me again, so back to this.” He flicked his finger between them. “This is you and me, two people who love each other we now know, but who live on opposite sides of the Atlantic so this will need careful handling and lots of air miles if we’re going to make it work, which we are. As for the mess awaiting you at home, we will sort it. I’ve told you. It will only be a few weeks until I come to see you and we’ll make some decisions, okay?”

  She nodded her head, thinking those few weeks might be the longest of her life.

  “If you don’t want to go home, then don’t. It’s simple.” He spoke so bluntly she recoiled a little.

  Shaking her head, Tasha disagreed. “It’s far from simple, Jim. I have Dan and Pippa to think of and work, so I have to go home.”

  With a nod and a sigh, he conceded her point. “So that just leaves my wives on your list, although I would like to clarify, I don’t have a wife, yet, just former wives.”

  She considered how to proceed with this. “You have six former wives I’ve been given a brief overview of. I have met Sara and she seems nice and she is the mother of your children so I expect her to be around, but what about the others?”

  “What about them? Number six won’t be putting an appearance in.”

  “James!” she shouted out in shock at his dark and inappropriate comment.

  “Are you trying to distract me again, Natasha, or is your ass missing me, baby?”

  She knew he was referring to her James. “Neither. Well, my ass does miss and love you,” she admitted blushing again.

  “Now that thought is really distracting me. Let’s forget dinner and go to bed.”

  “No.”

  “Oh, baby, did you really just say no to me? We will be going to bed, but you should tell me what confuses you about my ex-wives first. So, one and six are done, who next?” He grinned at her and making her disinclined to talk in favour of going to bed, but she needed to do this more.

  “Come on, baby, the clock is ticking if Juan and Philip are coming over at half seven.”

  “Do you still see two to five?” She was becoming nervous at the possible answers she was going to hear.

  “Two no, three on premium rate channels only, four occasionally in passing and five yes. Now can we go to bed?”

  “No.” The timer on the oven buzzed, briefly interrupting them both.

  Jim got up and removed what turned out to be cannelloni from the oven with an arched brow. “Another no, honey? No matter how short your dress is tonight you will not be cold if this carries on.”

  She could feel her insides clenching low in her stomach and smiled.

  As they began to eat dinner, she continued with her questioning. “Why do you see them, or not?”

  “Number two was very bitter about not having children, made worse by the fact I had Lizzie and Philip, and by the end we hated each other. It was worse than that because she hated me, and I pitied her. Number three had pretty much broken all of my non-negotiable rules so there was no going back for us. Number four still works at the same studio she did when I met her, and I only ever see her in passing. Number five yes.”

  She frowned at him and now felt only anger for him. He had still not mentioned Amanda, his evasiveness somehow suggested he knew he was in the wrong for not telling her who she was sooner and that only infuriated her further.

  “Is there something wrong?” he looked at her face that clearly suggested there was.

  “Yes there is. Specifically there is something wrong with number five.” Unable to contain her fury, jealousy and yet more confusion, she shouted.

  “Don’t shout at me, I don’t like it,” he said, seemingly calm.

  “Tough shit!”

  He tilted his head and with an arch to his brow smiled. “Eat your dinner, and put the smart mouth to good use. My mom obviously told you about Amanda. So, what’s your problem with her?”

  His question caused her to stare at him a little disbelievingly. “The problem is she is there with you every day, yes Mr Maybury, no Mr Maybury, three bags frickin’ full Mr Maybury. What the hell is that all about? She is the secretary you used to screw and then she became your wife and now she is the indispensable P.A. who calls you Mr Maybury. Her efficiency is really irritating as is the fact that she is still around.” Tasha could feel she was seriously at risk of losing the precarious grip she currently had on her temper and her sanity.

  “Are you done?” he asked, still infuriatingly quiet and calm.

  “I am barely warmed up. You made such a big deal about knowing everything about me and accused me of lying about Gerry’s message. A lie of omission, I believe the term was. Well, at least I didn’t omit the fact he was working for me and that I was still seeing him every day. What does she have that you can’t let her go? Or is it more what she does for you that you can’t let go? After all, you admitted she was okay as the secretary you were screwing, but not the wife, so how do I know you haven’t just renegotiated the parameters of your arrangement? But credit to her, she got a divorce settlement and a promotion, very fucking impressive I must say.” She spat the final words at him before getting to her feet, clueless as to what she might do next.

  “You really need to stop with the shouting and swearing. Sit down and listen.” He waited for her to comply before continuing. “She is at the office every day as my P.A., no more, and she actually does do exactly as she is told,” he said, emphasising the she. “She calls me Mr Maybury because it is professional and the basis of our relationship is purely professional. I had an affair with her when she was my secretary and when I married her she went to work for someone else because I like to keep business and pleasure separate. When we split, I re-employed her because she was good at her job and yes, she was promoted because of her efficiency, I like that in my staff. I get you don’t like her around, so I will fire her and you will agree never to see Gerry or the photographer again. Do we have a deal?”

  “No! I was never married to either of them.” Her protestation was weak.

  “No honey, you weren’t. They’re just guys you screwed so it should be easier for you. So, do we have a deal?”

  His tone was suddenly cold and his expression suggested he had tired of this whole conversation, causing Tasha’s response to come out in a nervous whisper, “No.”

  “Thought not. Amanda stays. I agree you have a case for my lie by omission, but it wasn’t important to me and I hadn’t realised how jealous you were
. I think it was you and not me who referred to her as okay when she was just the secretary I was screwing, but not the wife. I said that within six months of marrying her I realised she was the biggest mistake of my life. She had been fun as my secretary and brilliant at her job. The parameters of our relationship are set in stone. She is my P.A. She runs my, Marc’s and Marcia’s offices and associated secretaries, no more and her job description does not include sleeping with the boss. And yes let’s give credit to her, she did get a divorce settlement, but not a great one because she signed a pre-nup, and yes she got a promotion, but based on professional merit so maybe not very fucking impressive after all. And for the record, in case you were interested, she has remarried.”

  “Oh.” Tasha looked as embarrassed as she now felt, although she still maintained her belief Jim should have told her sooner about his past with Amanda.

  He thought she was jealous and she probably was, but she’d never been jealous before, not ever. So why now? Because she loved him? But she’d loved Gerry and Jake to a point, but hadn’t suffered such feelings, so why was she jealous now and why specifically of Amanda? Maybe she was just the figure head of her jealousy and insecurities where this man, who had somehow, in a matter of days got under her skin, invaded her every thought and embedded himself in her heart was concerned.

  He was staring at her now, angry still, but eyeing her with a predatory stare and obvious appreciation.

  “Do you have anything else to add?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then you and I—” he sauntered towards her now, “and your ass—” he pulled her to her feet, “and my hand—” he unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder, “have a date in bed.” He finished by smacking her behind hard enough to make her shout out.

  ****

  She looked in the mirror for Philip’s big reveal and laughed. “Oh my goodness, Philip. I’m not sure I’d go with this look on a daily basis, but the hair is gorgeous,” she said as she stared at her reflection, all black, dark smoky eyes and bright red lips with the softest, shiniest, poker straight hair falling down her back.