“Thanks.” Christie smiled, but she knew that it looked shaky.
Jane nodded, and then smiled, mischief lighting up her eyes. She never could stay serious for long. An hour of comforting and listening to Christie must have been some kind of record and Christie felt lucky that her friend had taken so much time to be serious and supportive.
That said, Jane was changing track now and Christie decided that it was best to just go with it. After all, she couldn’t let this beat her.
“Now, you need to take your mind off this for the evening.” Jane said with a grin, “The best way to do that is to find someone sexy.”
“Jane!” Christie found herself blushing red at her friend’s words.
“What?” Jane was grinning, “I think it’s the best medicine. Someone for a quick fling, not a full blown romance, if you catch my drift.” Jane winked.
She scanned the bar, her eyes falling on a man at the far end, “I’ll be right back.”
“Wait, I don’t-” Christie tried, but Jane was already out of earshot. Christie sighed and leaned back against the bar. She followed Jane’s path through the bar, her eyes falling on the stranger in the corner.
He was a big guy and Christie could see the outline of his muscles through his t-shirt. He wore a button-up over that, left undone and a pair of dark jeans. His eyes were piercing and Christie could see how blue they were from across the room. His hair was dark and he wore fingerless gloves.
Christie felt something inside her shift, her stomach tightening at the sight of him. There was something there that called to her in a way she didn’t understand, something that called her to talk to him. He wasn’t her type and anyway, she wasn’t looking to hook up. She had more pressing matters to attend to.
Still, she couldn’t deny that he was attractive. Maybe Jane’s taste in men wasn’t completely terrible. She didn’t have to wait long for Jane to storm back to her, “Forget him. He’s not your type.”
Jane’s words came out as almost a shout and Christie could tell she was angry from a mile away. She knew that look and she knew it well. Jane had been rebuffed. It wasn’t something that happened very often, but it wasn’t something that Christie would soon forget. Jane didn’t like being slighted.
Christie bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Instead, she scanned the bar to find someone that suited Jane’s tastes. She leaned in and whispered into her friend’s ear, “That guy’s been looking at you, you should say hello.”
Jane threw Christie a dirty look, “We’re looking for someone for you, honey.”
“I know, I know…but you don’t want to leave him hanging, do you?”
Christie smiled, “No, I suppose not. But you better go and talk to someone- you’re too much of a wallflower.”
Christie laughed as Jane walked off to the unsuspecting man at the bar. He seemed nice enough and she had a feeling those two would hit it off. Besides, it freed Christie up to have a less stressful evening, and to apologize to the man in the corner who Jane had all but attacked.
Christie made her way over to him, feeling a stranger sort of nervousness build in her stomach. She pushed it aside. She wasn’t looking for love, or for a hook-up tonight. She just wanted to apologize. There was no reason for the butterflies that tumbled around her stomach.
Christie’s breath caught in her chest and she smiled, introducing herself. “Hi, I’m Christie Carson.”
He was quiet for a moment, looking her over. Christie could see tattoos peeking out of the neck of his shirt, along his chest. They were dark and tribal looking and Christie found herself wondering what they looked like on his bare chest.
“Christie. So you’re the one she was talking about.” He snorted, a dismissive sound, and Christie felt the flames of anger stirring in her heart. Instead of acting on them, she smiled.
“Yes, that’s me. I just wanted to apologize for that. Jane can get a bit, uh…enthusiastic.”
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, “Enthusiastic? She’s rabid.” He shook his head and turned away from her, leaving the conversation at that.
Christie felt the anger burn in her chest. Who was he to say that about her best friend? Christie wasn’t usually one for confrontation, and she wasn’t usually the type who stuck up for herself, but this was a different matter entirely.
This was a man who thought he had the right to insult her best friend, the only person who had ever befriended her in this new city, who had gone absolutely out of her way to make Christie feel comfortable, to help her get out of her apartment and out of her head.
Who was this man to judge her? Sure she was eccentric and she could be a bit much for some people, but there was no reason to treat her like that. Christie thought she was going to explode right then and there.
“Excuse me, but who the hell do you think you are?” Christie’s voice was quiet, but it carried across the distance with ease. She saw the man stop and shift his shoulders towards her to look at her again.
He opened his mouth, but Christie cut him off before he could even speak, “No! You don’t get to talk trash about my best friend and then make up some excuse. I don’t want to hear it!” She narrowed her eyes, “Men that have nothing better to do than to talk crap about women are the worst kind of men.”
Anger that she didn’t even know she’d been holding back, began to tumble out of her. “Jane is a hard working person. She works much harder than you ever could, and you have no right to insult her like that.” She folded her arms, “You’re at a bar. What, you don’t expect to be hit on? Why? Because it’s a man’s world? Get over it!”
By the time she finished, Christie was all but panting for breath, staring him down, daring him to argue with her, and daring him to make a move against her or Jane.
The man stared her down for a long moment with an intensity that almost frightened Christie. Then he smiled, “Always nice to see a woman with guts.”
Christie opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say. She felt heat flush to her cheeks.
“I’m Ace. Ace Norris,” He chuckled, and the sound was low and warm, “Look, I can’t say I’m in love with that friend of yours, but she’s not rabid, alright?” He chuckled again, “Usually a woman would run off in tears, or storm off to complain to her friends. If she’s really feisty, she’ll throw a drink, but that’s about it.” He leaned back against the bar and looked her over, “That was a breath of fresh air.”
“You’re a jerk.” The words were out of Christie’s mouth before she had a chance to recall them. She wasn’t sure how she felt. Something about him was aggravating but charming as well. Something about him made her want to punch him in the face and kiss him all at once.
“So I’ve been told.” Christie looked into his eyes and shivered as she looked deep into his blue eyes. She felt like she could stare into them forever, “Makes life interesting.”
“So you say.” Christie slid onto a chair beside him, leaning against the bar. Something about this man made her more confident than she usually was. He was not her type; not in the slightest. He looked bad. He looked dangerous. He looked like a one night stand and Christie felt reckless abandon take flight in her chest. She shuddered at the thought.
She couldn’t afford to lose her head, but the way he looked at her, with a dark, predatory sort of hunger made Christie’s heart quicken. When he leaned in, his breath smelt faintly of whisky but she could tell that he was not drunk.
Something in his eyes struck Christie. He looked like a man who was one hundred percent in control of his actions. He knew what he was doing and what he was saying. Every move was with intention, and Christie was curious to know what his intentions were about her.
Then Ace leaned in and Christie let him. His hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her in, and she let him, moving against him, feeling the tight muscles beneath his shirt. Then his lips pressed against hers and she kissed him back. It was electric.
Christie couldn’t remember a kiss ever feeling that goo
d. It was fierce and passionate. Kissing him left her feeling swept up in the tide. She grabbed his shirt and held on for dear life. His hand was caressing her back, moving along the curves of her spine and Christie felt the warmth blossom between her thighs. She gasped and tried not to moan with pleasure and delight.
She wanted this man like she had never wanted another in her life. For once, she didn’t care about what happened in the morning. She didn’t care about the consequences of her own actions. She was going to live in the moment and enjoy every minute of it.
Something in this man called to her on every level, physically, mentally, spiritually. Something about him drew her to him and Christie welcomed it. Ace moved and before Christie knew it, she was pressed against the wall, his hands running down her curves, exploring the shape of her body through her clothes.
“Penthouse suite, the Pandora building.” His voice was breathless in her ear and Christie shuddered at the implications of what he said. His lips brushed the skin of her neck and he sucked on it, sending desire spiking through her, fierce and deep.
“Ace.…”
“Shhh….” His voice was soft. “I won’t hurt you.” He murmured and Christie felt herself relaxing. She trusted him, for some inexplicable reason, she trusted him.
When he pulled away, Christie found herself staring deep into his eyes. He smirked and Christie felt a shiver run down her spine, “Half an hour.”
Something about his words seemed forceful, and yet Christie knew she could walk away at any time. Something about that thrilled her. The lack of obligation when everything else was weighting on her and dragging her down.
And suddenly the thought occurred to Christie that maybe, just maybe, this was something that he needed too. Maybe, beneath all of his bravado, there was a man who was craving just the same way she was.
When she rested her hand on his, his eyes widened in surprise and Christie caught a glimpse of the outline of Ace’s manhood under his jeans. She liked what she saw. She murmured, “I’ll be there.”
Then she smiled, her eyes light with mischief.
“You better bring your A-game. I want the whole nine-yards”, she said. Her teasing was brash and bold and usually, it would have made her blush and stammer.
Now, though, in this moment, all it did was make her head swim with a giddy sort of freedom and with a playfulness that she thought she had buried with her ex.
This would be a new adventure for her and she wasn’t going to be stuck in the past. This was the new her and she was plunging into it head-on.
Ace smirked and Christie felt herself go weak at the knees, “Oh, you’ll get it. You have my word on that.”
Chapter 3
Christie’s heels clicked along the empty corridor, echoing off the walls around her. The air was cool and the wind teased the fabric of her skirt, wrapping around her legs in a lingering caress, leaving Goosebumps on her skin. She’d left the bar about fifteen minutes earlier, making an excuse to Jane, who was already wrapped around the man at the table. Jane had barely noticed her leave, and Christie was glad she didn’t have to explain herself. Not right then, at least.
It had been easy to slip out. Christie had been tempted by another drink to bolster her courage, but she decided that she didn’t need it, and the last thing she wanted to do was to be drunk.
She’d paused in the bathroom to freshen up, spending a few minutes making sure she looked as good as she did when she had first left the apartment. Her heart was racing- she didn’t usually do this. She was from a small town and this was so unlike her. Reckless abandon rushed through her, the undeniable magnetism that had passed between them made Christie feel giddy.
Arriving at his building, she shivered and pressed the button to call the elevator. She glanced upwards, looking at the starry sky, the darkened night and the towering building that beckoned her into its depth. This was risky.
She shifted her weight and held the coat closer around herself, very aware of the skin-tight dress that clung to her body, and the lacy underwear that was hidden beneath.
Her hair was twisted up into a simple up do, and her pulse beat against the skin of her neck. The elevator pulled up and she stepped inside, letting it take her up to the penthouse suite. Ace would be there, a man she barely knew and had only recently met. She remembered his eyes at the bar, his laugh, his kiss on her lips. She wanted this man. A man who had sweet talked her into this. A man she wanted with a burning passion she had never felt before.
She felt her nipples harden against the fabric of her dress at the thought of him, the thought of his broad hands, his silky voice, and his eyes that seemed to stare right into her soul. She stepped out of the elevator and crossed the distance to his door. With trembling fingertips, she pushed the doorbell, feeling anticipation tighten in her stomach.
She didn’t have to wait long. As the door swung open, she caught a glimpse of Ace in the light, before a silky blindfold was wrapped around her face. Then she plunged into darkness.
Christie lifted her hands instinctively, feeling her heartbeat quicken. She opened her mouth to speak, only to feel a fingertip press against her lips. A low voice was murmuring into her ear, “Don’t speak.”
Christie’s head was swimming as she nodded, settling for biting her lip. She felt one hand curl around her delicate wrists, leading her into the apartment. She heard the door shut and lock behind her, and a shiver ran up her spine.
“Do you want this?” His voice was a breath in her ear and Christie knew this was her chance to back out. She had one more chance to walk out of there. Instead, she felt the heat surge between her thighs and she nodded. His hands fell away from her wrists and Christie was left in the dark.
Then his hands were on her shoulders, sliding across her coat, brushing the curves of her breasts as he undid the buttons. Her coat fell to the floor.
“Perfect…” A hand was on her waist and she was being pulled against him. She felt his muscles tense through the fabric of his clothes, before his lips pressed against hers in a kiss. Christie moaned as he ravaged her mouth, his tongue sliding past her lips to kiss her, possess her, and claim her.
Christie kissed him back hungrily, feeling her body respond to him willingly. Ace’s hands were in her hair, undoing the Updo that she had set so painstakingly in place. She felt him stroke her skin, up the curve of her back, before he pulled on the zipper of her dress, which gave way easily.
“Take it off.” His voice was like silk and Christie bit her lip at the command. She moved easily out of the dress, feeling the air caress her skin. Ace pulled away and Christie was left in nothing but her underwear and a burning heat between her thighs. She reached out, but instead of finding warm flesh, she felt the cool touch of glass beneath her fingers.
A window. Christie’s eyes widened behind her blindfold. If the lights were on, then she was on full display to anyone in the vicinity. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she shivered deeply at the thought.
“Bend over, hands against the glass.” Christie felt heat flush through her body. Her nipples hardened and pressed against the lace of her bra. She pressed her hands to the cool, smooth glass and bent over slowly. Ace’s slid his hands along her thighs, before he pushed her legs apart.
Christie gasped at her position, legs spread, bent over for this man who she barely knew, offering herself for anyone to see. Arousal surged within her, “Please...”
“Please, what?” His voice was a soft purr in her ear now, and Christie felt his hands playing with her bra straps. They gave way and slipped out of their cups. His hands slid along her flesh, his thumbs stroking her nipples. He squeezed softly.
Christie moaned, “Please take me.”
Ace chuckled, a satisfied sound, and Christie gasped as her panties were slid down her thighs, dropping to the floor. She stepped out of them, fully naked now, posed in front of the window.
He wasted no time. Christie groaned as she felt Ace’s girth pushing against her wetness. She parted her th
ighs and pushed back against him, gasping as the head of his manhood slid slowly within her. He groaned too, a low sound, and his hands tangled in her hair.
“You’re so tight…” Ace grunted softly as he slid within her, and Christie thought she was going to lose her mind. She gasped in pleasure as he penetrated her fully. Her head fell back as she moaned in delight at the feel of him. No one had ever made her feel this exquisite before.
“Pleasure yourself.” He ordered, his voice strained. Christie leaned against the window with one hand, the other moving to play with herself on command, teasing herself as his girth slammed into her. The pleasure was building hard and fast inside her, and she found herself moaning. She moved to his rhythm as they fucked.
After only a few minutes the need to climax burnt through her body, consuming every part of her mind. Her body tingled, nipples aching, feeling full with the ecstasy of his touch. Blinded by pleasure, she begged, “Please, please, please…!”
“Cum.”
One word, given casually, sent arousal exploding through Christie’s body and mind. She couldn’t take it anymore, and as the pleasure crested through her, Christie lost herself to the feel of him. She’d come back as many times as he wanted. She needed this. She needed him.
Shuddering and trembling, in the pleasure of his touch, she pledged herself to him, “Oh! Ace!”
And he accepted.
Chapter 4
Ace woke up with the feeling of sunlight filtering through the window. He stretched out, feeling the aches and kinks in his body snap painfully. The last few days had been hard on his body and he was starting to feel it. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and rubbed his face in the sheets slipped from his naked chest and he turned to look out the window.
When something caught his eye, he glanced down. Memories of last night filtered in and he was left staring at a stunning woman sleeping in his bed. The sheets had fallen off her body, spilling onto the floor. The sunlight reflected her hair and made it glow, the messy, curly waves sending pulses straight to his manhood.
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