“Do you know how badly I want to fuck you, Aria?”
His voice is silk, igniting a shiver. “Yes,” I rasp.
He threads his fingers into my hair, and he’s tilting my head to the side, his lips lowering to my goosebump-covered flesh. “I’m not sure you can possibly understand the level of how insane you drive me.”
He cups my breasts, massaging them until he pulls the front of my bra down and has my nipples between his fingers and he’s squeezing them. “I do know because I want you as much,” I reply.
“No, Aria, this is not want,” he murmurs, squeezing my breasts harder. “This is ravenous need.” He slides one hand to my hair, fists the strands, and it’s right then that I feel like he’s taking over my body. “I wanted to fuck you slow. I wanted to savor every fucking inch of you.” He tilts my head further to the side and licks a slow line up my flesh. “But now…” He grinds his cock against my ass. “Now you’re close and all I want to do is get inside you.”
“Please,” I beg, wanting the same thing. Desperate for it, in fact.
His low moan makes me shiver, a promise of so much pleasure. “I want to take you bare this weekend,” he whispers in my ear. “Are you protected?”
I attempt to nod but his firm grip stops me, flooding me with wicked heat. “I have an IUD.”
He slides his other hand down my arm to my hip where he squeezes, rubbing his cock against me, teasing me with how thick and hard he is. “I don’t have unprotected sex, Aria. Ever. Not with anyone.”
His dick presses against my butt crack, and I can’t even care that I know for us to do this means something. I’m crossing lines I don’t cross with sexual partners, but I want to feel every goddamn inch of him without anything between us. “Neither do I.” I wiggle against him, searching for the tip of his cock.
“Is that a yes to no condom then?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
The tension he endures is obvious in the firmness of his body at my back. He’s stiff, fighting against his passion. I know why, and I turn in his arms, discovering eyes that are deadly for the way they control my body’s responses. My nipples tingle, sex clenches with desire. To be wanted so ravishingly is something I’m not sure I can ever let go of. “What are you waiting for?” I ask him.
His brows draw together tight. “I want to do this right.”
I press my hands against his face and state what we both want to hear. “Liam, I want you to fuck me until we’re both screaming. No more waiting. No more reasons stopping us. Take what you want.”
I can’t really say what happens next. All I know is one second I felt like I held all the control, and in the next second, my back is slammed against the wall. My legs are up around his waist and his thick cock is wildly fucking me. My chin lifts against the pleasure, eyes pinch shut, toes curling with every hard thrust that seems to have no beginning and no end. I know nothing else but the way he pounds into me. It’s dirty. It’s hard. It’s rough. It’s a loss of complete control that had been building up for three solid years.
His mouth is kissing mine but I can’t seem to kiss him back. All I can do is lose myself in how he’s driving himself inside me. I dig my fingernails into his back, letting him know I’m there, intense and overwhelmed by how amazing it feels to be touched and taken by him.
With a low growl, his lips move to my neck and he’s devouring me. His rough breathing makes its way to my ear while his hands grip my ass, pinning me to the wall. God, his cock is thick and big and he’s stretching me, not guiding me into pleasure but pulling satisfaction out of me. Though it’s when he leans away and looks at me, my legs falling slightly down his thighs, that I lose all control over my body.
He steals it away with his presence. Within those powerful depths of his eyes, I find my pleasure as he drives into me, hard and forceful. His jaw is tight, brows furrowed, and I read within his touch that I am his in this moment.
A sudden wave of pleasure has my head tipping back, my muscles stiffening against the surge of euphoria, and that’s when I hear him.
“Fuck,” he roars.
His cock swells inside me, pounding into me, somehow pressing against everything that I need him to press against inside me to send me soaring. While I break apart around him, losing myself in a satisfaction I’ve never known, I vaguely feel him bucking and jerking before I feel the warmth of his seed spilling inside me.
Many breathless minutes go by.
When I finally have the strength to open my eyes again, his cock is resting between us but still semi-hard. He’s got his knee between my legs, the only thing holding me up. I lift my head, discovering he’s not looking as satisfied as I feel. He’s not done with me, I can tell by the ravenousness nature of his gaze.
Right then, he silently raises his hand to my face, sliding his fingers through my hair until he’s fisted the strands. He gives a tug in the same second he removes his thigh and slowly I’m lowering to my knees, staring at his thick, muscular thighs. I tip my head back and the sexy slight smile he gives me storms heat back within me. With a small gesture of his chin, I know precisely what he wants.
I reach for his cock placing it in my mouth and sucking him with slow precision, until his shaft hardens again. I taste me, him, and the perfectness of us.
“Eyes on me,” he orders roughly.
I look up at him, bobbing on the tip of his cock. His low groan is more than foreplay to me, it’s like a vibrator to my clit. I cup his balls, enjoying the weight of them, loving how his head falls back. I suck on one testicle and then the other before I grab the base of his cock. Keeping my eyes on him, I treat him to my mouth. His fist tightens in my hair and then his other hand is on the top of my head and he’s thrusting into my mouth. The thickness of his cock stretches my mouth, the tip hitting the back of my throat but moving so fast my gag reflex never reacts. Until he shoves his dick so far in my mouth, I gag once and he backs away, letting me control my movements again.
I slide my mouth off his shaft, and, showing him that I like it rough, too, I gently drag my teeth across his shaft and his hips shoot forward. “Fuck, yes. Again.” He grunts.
I do as I’m told, twice more. That’s when he’s apparently had enough. I’m back in his arms and he’s carrying me to the contour chair which he deposits me into. He hooks my legs onto his arms, entering me again in one swift stroke. My pussy—which hasn’t seen a dick in three years—registers the slight soreness of being used so roughly by him. But Liam won’t be refused today, I see that now. And I won’t stop him. I want to wake up tomorrow and remember this moment and every moment to follow this weekend.
In this position, I see more of him. I run my fingers across his flexed chest, down his hard six-pack, loving the way his thick cock, with trimmed pubic hair, slides inside me. God, he’s masculine beauty. I can’t stop the way my pussy squeezes at him, so greedy for another orgasm, which I know he can deliver.
He reaches for my hips, pins me to him, and then I understand what it’s like to be truly fucked. His thrusts are brutal, punishing me maybe for how long I made him wait. Perhaps even rage induced by the situation we’ve been in these past years. Whatever he’s releasing mentally, he’s doing so on my body, and I’m reaping the rewards.
“Liam,” I scream seconds before I tumble into wave after wave of sheer euphoria that is as hot as it is intense.
When I feel his finger tuck under my chin, I open my eyes, discovering his expression is very similar to what I’d seen before. However, this time, he looks even more intense. As he did before, he reaches for my hair, fisting it, sending me to my knees again. When I look up at him, he gestures at his cock. “Again,” is all he says.
That’s when I realize that I’ve been wrong. This weekend isn’t about fulfilling a fantasy. It’s about draining the lust Liam has for me. And he plans to drain it all this weekend. Now I understand that, it’s not about whether my heart can handle this weekend with Liam.
Can my body survive him?
C
hapter 4
Liam
The next morning, I step out on the terrace of a private restaurant atop one of the nicest hotels at the Santa Monica Pier, a bright sun high in a clear blue sky. A table covered in white linen is set next to the stone exterior of the building covered by rich green ivy overlooking the soft sands of the Santa Monica Bay. Before I can take in anything else, my cellphone rings. I grab it out of my pocket and lift the phone to my ear. “Why are you calling me, Mallory?” I answer the phone in a brisk voice, not pleased with the interruption.
“Yes, you’re going to kill me, I know,” she says quickly, and I can almost hear her cringing when she adds, “Alas, we are finalizing the Bakker offer. Thomas wanted me to reach out to confirm the details.”
I know this can’t wait, and I remind myself while I’m here, my team are all working faithfully this weekend to ensure we get an offer ready to present to Bakker on Monday. “Go ahead.”
“All right.” She draws in a deep breath before she begins. “We’ve included making a yearly donation to the charity Mr. Bakker supports. We’re also putting a provision in that all his employees will remain on with the company after the merger, and the employees are also to receive Christmas bonuses, which is something that Mr. Bakker doesn’t do. Is there anything else you want to add before we finalize?”
I ponder as I watch a seagull soar through the air, then decide. “Our offer sounds strong and solid. Do the clients have any suggestions?”
“No, they felt right in line with what you proposed.”
“Good. Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all. Goodbye.”
Mallory ends the call, and I suspect that her mind is now running rampant with ideas of what I’m up to with her best friend. I’ve never crossed that line with Mallory. I’m sure she recognizes my interest in her friend, as I’ve never hid it, but I’ve never verbalized my desire to be with her best friend, nor will I ever discuss Aria with Mallory. Some lines should never be crossed.
With work behind me, and glad the interruption is over, I turn toward Aria. She’s striding through the small garden on the terrace. Her gait is slow, posture relaxed, as she should be. The pathway is lined by flowers and bushes and pergolas, and in front of the garden is where our table for breakfast is set. This restaurant is as private as it is beautiful, and it’s why I’ve come here for the past few years for breakfast every so often.
When she catches that I’m off the phone now and staring at her, she smiles. “Breakfast on a private terrace, pulling out the big guns, Liam?” she asks with a cheeky grin.
“I only have big guns.” I grin back, approaching the table then pulling out her chair for her.
As she moves toward me then takes a seat, she laughs softly. “Well, I do know for certain you have one big gun.”
Before I can reply, the waiter enters the terrace, the steel door closing tight behind him. Wearing all white with a black bow tie, the dark-haired young man with a thick French accent says, “Good morning, Mr. Maxwell and Ms. Finley.” I take my seat when he stops by the table. “This morning the chef is serving eggs Florentine, pastrami hash, and fresh fruit.”
“Sounds amazing,” Aria says.
The waiter smiles; obviously he takes pride in his work. “How about some coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice for this morning?”
“Perfect,” she says.
I nod agreement.
The waiter sends his bright smile my way now and hands me a circular electronic device with a black button in the center. “When you are finished with your meal or if you need anything, press this button and I will return to assist you.”
“Thank you.” I accept the pager.
When the waiter hurries off back through the door, Aria frowns at the pager in my hand. “What was that all about?” she asks.
“I requested a quiet breakfast for us this morning,” I tell her, anticipating what I say next is going to affect her. “No interruptions. Total privacy.”
And it does. Heat rises to her eyes. Nothing pleases me more. I want her pussy to be soaking wet by the time I touch her again.
Her lips part to answer me, I’m sure, but then there’s a flurry of waiters filling our glasses with water and orange juice, placing our napkins in our laps, and setting our meal out before us.
Once they vanish leaving us alone, Aria reaches for her fork, and asks, “How did you even know about this place?”
“I discovered it mainly through word of mouth.” I sip my orange juice. “But I like it here.” While the beach house is stunning, it’s also not private. “It’s peaceful.”
She glances out at the water, smiles softly. “It is wonderful,” she finally says, scooping up a small bite of her eggs.
I follow her move, eating for a moment, savoring the spicy hints of nutmeg in the thick creamy sauce before addressing her again. “I’m sorry about taking the phone call. Believe me when I say, for the most part, I do not have work calls on the weekends. Sadly, I’m in the middle of a deal that needed my attention.”
“It happens.” She shrugs, clearly understanding the trials and tribulations of business. “Was the call important? Do you need to—”
“It’s fine.” I stop that line of thought before it can even develop. There’s no chance in hell I’m leaving her. “I anticipate that by the time we’re back home, the Bakker deal will be in Bakker’s hands and we can forge ahead.”
“The Bakker deal?” She sips her orange juice.
“It’s a pharmaceutical merger.” Of course, she’s interested. When it comes to corporate law, we speak the same language.
“Sounds lucrative.” She waggles her eyebrows.
I nod and smile. “It is.” I hesitate, eating another few bites, hating that I must even worry about being honest with her. Aria is Jackson’s assistant, and I know right now her loyalty lies with him. It’s rare I talk business outside of my team but I want Aria to be in my personal circle, not out of it. Besides, Jackson doesn’t represent any of the clients fighting for the merger. “Bakker is a good man. Solid.”
“How so?”
I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “He’s not after money.”
“How did you find that out?”
“I went to see what his company was all about myself. After a few minutes of being there, it became obvious that his employees are family to him. So, that’s what we’re planning on using as a bargaining chip.”
“What are you offering?”
“Giving employees Christmas bonus from the parent company, and the company will continue to support cancer research in honor of Bakker’s wife.”
Aria smiles. “I see now why Jackson calls you a real threat.”
My back wants to stiffen that Jackson would even dare talk to Aria about me but all I care about is her being mine by Monday. “A threat to Jackson, possibly,” I clarify. “To others, I lead with a powerful, wise hand, not a forceful one.”
Her smile widens. “In all aspects of your life, I’ve come to discover.”
“Indeed.” I chuckle.
We finish our meal in silence. And as I place my napkin onto my plate, I shift the conversation where it belongs. “Tell me more about Aria.”
She drops a couple sugar cubes into her coffee and uses the small spoon to stir. “What exactly do you want to know?”
Everything, I want to say. I’m desperate to get inside this woman’s head. “What excites you?”
“I think you’ve already figured that out, don’t you?” She laughs, raising the mug to her lips.
“Yes, I’m well aware of which buttons of yours to push.” Desire flickers in her eyes, and I like the way she lights up.“What I mean is, what makes you happy? What is something that excites you in your life?”
“Passion excites me.”
“Explain.” I reach for my black coffee.
She sips her coffee then lowers her mug to the table. “It can be about anything really, but I love when people get passionate. I like being around the energy of
that. Whether it be at work, or an art show, or even sitting around talking to someone who is making something. When people get passionate, that gets me excited.”
Her answer surprises me. “Do you mean that even if you hated art, if someone else was passionate about it, then you’d enjoy it because they were passionate about it?”
“Exactly.” She smiles and sips her coffee before addressing me again. “It’s infectious, and I like being around people who love the life they are living. It reminds me to live the same.”
“An easy woman to please,” I note.
She grins. “Maybe.” Her gaze lifts overhead as another seagull soars by us before she’s addressing me again. “I like seeing the world through other people’s eyes, and what they find beautiful. There’s not much I wouldn’t do or wouldn’t see. But I need that person to be present while doing it with me, enjoying it as much as I am. Something real…authentic, you know?”
I nod. “In a world of fakeness and materialism, a little realness goes a long way with me, too.” That’s to the heart of what makes this woman stand out; she’s so damn real it’s breathtaking. “Do you know a lot of these passionate people?”
“Oh, you’d be surprise how few there are out there. I’ve only met a handful of people who truly know who they are and are true to themselves. Mallory is one of them. Jackson—” She cringes.
I chuckle softly. “You can speak about him. Jackson is in your life. I can handle that.”
“Can you?” she whispers.
I nod. “I can.”
She shrugs a little, brushing off the awkwardness surrounding Jackson. Awkwardness that Jackson put there and that I must clean up. “It took a while for me to get a good group of people in my circle and get rid of all the negativity,” she explains, “but my group of friends now…they don’t come any better.”
Bought by the Boss Page 4