Reluctant Bride

by Sam Crescent

  A burning heat flared in her core as his shaft hit her cervix and stretched the walls of her hot cavern. She knew her climax was coming, and she couldn’t hold back. She couldn’t wait for him. As spasm after spasm flooded through her body, she cried out his name until her orgasm burst. She had peaked. Exhausted, she slumped down onto the comfort of the pillows and mattress beneath her and whispered his name.

  Her body was beaten.

  With a gentle caress, Lucas pulled her toward him, and when he eased the duvet over their sweat-drenched bodies, she felt safe and cocooned in the warmth of his enveloping embrace.

  “You haven’t come,” she whispered. “Don’t you want me?”

  “It’s all right,” he said. “Get some rest. There will be other times.”

  Giving a sigh of contentment, Amal drifted into a light slumber, and when she awoke, the room was in darkness and Lucas was gone.

  Had it all been for nothing? Had he just used her and walked away?

  Amal turned over, and with her cheek pressed against the softness of the pillow, she allowed her tears to fall. She’d been a fool. She’d succumbed to yet another cold-hearted man.

  Lost in self-pity, she didn’t hear the door to her room open, nor did she hear the flick of the switch as the bedside lamp doused the room in soft light. It was only when the coolness of Lucas’s body touched hers that she became aware he was next to her.

  She turned and found herself in his arms.

  “I thought you’d gone. I thought you’d left me,” she said.

  He planted a kiss on her brow. “I went downstairs to bring everything in from the garden. I’ve secured the house, and the chiminea is still burning, but it should eventually burn itself out. It will be all right for the night.”

  Amal gave a brittle laugh. “Nothing will ever be all right after tonight.”

  Lucas smoothed her tousled hair from her face. “And why is that?”

  “You.”

  “What about me?”

  “I have to work with you and live with you, and—”

  “Then I hope you’ve learned a lesson. You should never rent a room to a stranger without considering the consequences.”

  “But I never thought we would…”

  “Would what? End up in bed?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Then let me tell you, I knew it the moment I set eyes on you.”

  She reached up and him on the lips. “Are you saying you thought I’d be an easy lay?”

  He laughed. “You’ve been anything but easy. I’ve worked damn hard to get you into bed.”

  She fumbled beneath the covers and rested her hand on his manhood. She grew hot as she remembered how he had pounded into her.

  “Hard? I don’t think so,” she teased. “But we can soon solve that problem.”

  Pulling back the duvet, she decided to take matters into her own hands and straddled him. She was aroused and couldn’t hide her need from him.

  He had serviced her, and it was her chance to return the favor.

  Propped against a mound of pillows, he was half-laying, half-sitting, and she was astride, waiting for his shaft to stir.

  He shook his head and gave her a lopsided grin.

  “Apart from checking on the chiminea, I’ve also taken a cold shower. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think you’ll see any more action tonight.”

  Disappointment washed over her. Her desire had been dampened.

  She had hoped to return the service Lucas had provided earlier. When he’d spread her legs and taken her over the edge to orgasm, the thought of returning the pleasure had been uppermost in her mind. But if he wasn’t in the mood or if he couldn’t perform … then that was fine. As he’d said, there would be other times.

  “That’s okay. I didn’t mean we had to … have sex.” She felt embarrassed. “There’s no pressure to do anything. If you can’t get it up…”

  Amal found his lips and teased his mouth open with her tongue. Kissing was all right, wasn’t it? Surely, he wouldn’t mind if she showed her affection and her need for him.

  Lucas returned her kiss with equal passion, and when his hands circled her waist and moved toward her breasts, she let out a low aching moan of longing.

  Trailing his hands back and forth along the length of her torso, when he reached her breasts, he pinched the tips of her swollen nipples between his finger and thumb, making her cry out. She was excited. His passion bordered on pain, and that was a part of lovemaking she wasn’t used to.

  Deepening the kiss, Lucas wasted no time in proving her wrong. He gripped her arms and pulled her toward him until her breasts were crushed against his chest.

  Straddled across his groin, she had him pinned beneath her. And when his hands moved to her hips and forced her down against his crotch, she felt his penis shift.

  Lucas’s shaft was stirring.

  “And I thought you said you were out of action.”

  Running her hands through his hair, she trailed kisses along his jawline. The rough stubble rasped against her cheek, but that was the least of her worries. Her concern was for her ability to satisfy his needs.

  With a steady rotation of her hips, she pressed down, grinding her pelvis teasingly against his shaft. His rod wasn’t yet hard enough for combat, but it felt like it was waking up and preparing for a fight. Her constant circular motion covered all bases, and when she looked down and caught a glimpse of his blood-engorged rod peeking between her legs, she knew what she had to do.

  She was in control. And he was hers for the taking.

  Lucas’s gaze burned her with its intensity. She felt on fire. And when the lustful hunger for his body couldn’t be denied any longer, she spread her hands across his chest and kissed her way from his torso to his abdomen, and then down until she reached his crotch.

  With slow sensual strokes, she trailed her hand to his inner thigh and a thrill ran through her when she heard him gasp.

  Settling herself between his legs, she licked her lips and prepared for action.

  Taking his penis in hand, she smiled. His manhood was swollen and hard with a trickle of pre-cum juice oozing from the tip. Her tongue captured the moisture, and as she licked him dry, he shuddered. His shaft was sensitive to her touch. It was almost as if his rod had a mind of its own as it thrashed, demanding attention.

  Amal wrapped both hands around his manhood, and adjusting her position, she lowered her head and took him into her warm, moist mouth. He was engulfed.

  Lucas gave a low, soft growl of contentment, and a burst of satisfaction surged through her. His hands buried themselves amid the tangled tresses of her hair, and as he held her head pressed to his crotch and his musky aroma teased her nostrils, there was no escape.

  Slowly, she pulled back, keeping her lips wrapped tightly around him. And once the tip of his shaft had been reached, she moved up and down, sucking him inside until he was in so deep, he hit the back of her throat.

  Her heart raced. Was she giving him pleasure or pain?

  Crouched above his shaft, a mass of disheveled hair fell about her face like a curtain. She felt wanton, sexy, and like a woman on the prowl for her mate. She was waiting for Lucas to become fully erect before pouncing.

  Cupping his sac in her hand, she felt the weight of his balls, and then, when she found the ridge that ran along the dividing line of the pouch, she gently flicked and squeezed. When Lucas lunged and lifted his hips, she knew by his ragged breathing that he liked her rough handling of him.

  Amal picked up the pace and desire flared.

  “Do you want me to stop?” she asked.

  She got her answer. Lucas pushed her onto her back, and when she was spread on the bed and at his mercy, he impaled her with his rigid rod.

  There had been no gentle easing into her. He just lunged. Claiming what was his.

  Her breaths were fast and heavy, and as much as she wanted him inside her, she hadn’t been ready for his invasion. She’d been concentrating on Luca
s’s needs and had forgotten to focus on her own body. But then the thought of him taking her had her juices flowing, and as he rode her, with each long, steady thrust, her pussy became wet.

  Lucas pulled back, and when the tip of his shaft scraped against her swollen clit, and he was about to leave her, he plowed in until he could go no further and ejected his load.

  Amal came. The intensity of her climax matched his. And when they were both spent and lay entwined in one another’s arms, they slept until morning.

  Chapter Five

  Amal had risen with the dawn, and having taken a quick shower, she’d left Lucas sleeping and had gone downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She was starving and suspected Lucas was, too.

  Food cartons from the evening before were still stacked on the serving tray. And although Lucas had brought everything in from the garden, he’d obviously left the containers and wine glasses near the sink with the intention of clearing away in the morning.

  Last night, food hadn’t been on the list of their priorities. Other things, like getting into her panties and bedding her, had been on his mind. Sexual gratification had taken precedence, their spicy curry forgotten as they’d romped beneath the sheets.

  Amal’s night with Lucas, although exhausting, had enlivened her, and that morning, she felt different. She felt wantonly alive. Her body tingled from his touch, and she ached in all the right places. They were good aches, and she wasn’t complaining.

  Tossing the wasted food into the correct recycle bins, Amal cleared the island’s work surface and made room to prepare a meal. She hated throwing food away, but the congealed curry and the dry, hardened pieces of naan bread were inedible.

  She pressed the button on the TV remote, and as the screen came to life, she muted the sound and set to work. While the TV hosts noiselessly chatted and interviewed guests, she put the coffee on to brew and began gathering the makings of breakfast. She wasn’t paying much attention to the program. The flicker of movement across the screen was unobtrusive company. It was there, unnoticed in the kitchen with her while she kept busy.

  It was a weekday, but Amal thought a substantial meal of eggs, bacon, and sausage might be in order. Lucas had had nothing to eat since yesterday, and she knew he had a healthy appetite. Most workdays, they made do with a quick breakfast and a light snack in the staff room. But at night, when they came home to Dune View, they had gotten into the habit of preparing an evening meal. It relaxed them after a long day in the lab. It was also one of the activities they’d started to do together, like shopping for supplies or strolling along the sandy beach on their doorstep.

  With his hair damp from a shower and a freshly shaven face, Lucas walked into the kitchen. Like her, he was casually dressed. Stonewashed denims, a shirt open at the neck, and a cashmere sweater … and he looked sexy. Not at all like the tough business engineer designer that he was. Amal wanted to switch the cooker’s heat off and turn the heat up in her panties. But he had to have food in his stomach, or he’d be too weak to make it to the bedroom.

  Lucas usually wore a business suit to work, and because he wasn’t, it made her think he had other plans for the day.

  “Something smells good,” he said. “And I’m not referring to the coffee that’s brewing.”

  He was behind her. His arms circled her waist as he planted a teasing kiss on the side of her neck. His subtle cologne tickled her senses.

  With knife in hand, she sliced more bread for their toast.

  “I’m assuming it will be all right to go to work a bit later than usual.” She flicked the knife in the direction of the wall clock. It was nine thirty. “If the boss can fall out of bed and roll into work at this time, I assume I can, too.”

  Lucas reached around her and pinched a triangle of buttered toast from the toast rack. He sank his teeth into it and Amal remembered how his teeth had nipped her nipples and his lips had sucked hard on her breasts.

  “Ah… But I’m the boss, and for your information, I’m thinking of taking the morning off.” He gave a suggestive wink. “For weeks, we’ve been working around the clock. Testing the valves can wait another hour or two. I’ll go in later and—”

  “Are you saying I can’t go in later?”

  “You were supposed to be in at nine, but you’re still here.” He grinned. “How would you like to be punished?”

  “For what?

  “Let’s start with … not waking me this morning or getting me out of bed.”

  “It’s not my job to get you out of bed.

  “No … it isn’t. But it is your fault I’m late. Do you know, I’ve never once been late for work? And if we hadn’t made love for most of the night, I’d have got some sleep. So, I suppose your punishment could be detention. You could work overtime, or I could…”

  He rubbed her ass and was about to give a gentle smack, but she sidestepped him.

  She laughed. “I’d like to see you try! Now sit down and I’ll serve breakfast.”

  Amal thought she sounded like a nagging wife and a wife wasn’t what she wanted to be … nagging, or otherwise.

  While beneath the shower, she’d had time to think, and she’d come to a decision. She was going to keep her distance from Lucas. She didn’t want any emotional involvement. All she needed from him was hot sex and a good time in bed … and that was it. No words of love, no sentimental affection … just passion.

  She looked at Lucas and smiled. “One or two sausages?” she asked.

  But Lucas wasn’t listening to her. His attention was focused on what was happening on the screen. He had picked up the remote and had turned up the volume.

  “The Foreign Office has issued a warning, advising against non-essential International travel.” The presenter looked at her notes. “They are also considering shutting schools, and ordering cafés, pubs and restaurants to close.”

  ****

  Lucas had seen the newsroom backdrop on the TV screen. There was an image of Heathrow Airport, and he knew something big was happening.

  During the last few days, when members of the government and health committees had spoken to the nation, everyone at the lab had gravitated to the staff room. The TV had been switched on, and they had listened to the daily broadcasts issued from Downing Street. There was a sense that the country was heading toward a national lockdown. It was just a question of when.

  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Amal turned the gas off. The food was forgotten.

  “Yes.” He walked to the tall glass doors that ran across a wall of the kitchen and slid them open. He was tempted to step out into the fresh air of the garden and escape, but he knew he had to stay and face Amal. He had something to tell her, and it couldn’t be put off any longer.

  “Are you worried about not being able to fly?” she asked. “Most weekends you’ve flown to Paris, but if planes are to be grounded…”

  “Then I won’t be able to go anywhere, will I?

  “Do you need to?” she asked.

  He turned back into the room and saw concern in her eyes. “Look, this isn’t a good time to tell you, but then again, there never has been a good time.”

  Amal looked anxious. “To tell me what?

  “I was married.”

  There was no point in wrapping it up in cotton wool. If they were to continue with their relationship, she had to find out. The problem was, they’d just spent the night making love, and now he was dumping the news about his marriage at her feet. He wasn’t sure how Amal was going to react. He only hoped she wouldn’t think he had used her.

  “Was?” she asked.

  “Yes. Alena, my wife, died two years ago in a car accident.” He took a deep steadying breath. “We have two children.”

  “Why haven’t you told me this before?” Amal seemed puzzled.

  “Before what?”

  “Before last night,” she said. “Before we made love. Before I shared my bed with you. How many more befores do you need?”

  “Would it have made a difference to w
hat happened?”

  “It might have.”

  He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t want your sympathy, nor do I need your compassion.”

  “I’m not thinking about you,” she said. “I’m thinking about me. I don’t know if I want to become involved with a man who has ties and a ready-made family. I don’t know if I want to invest in that sort of relationship.”

  Lucas gave a brittle laugh. “And I feared pity. Then what sort of relationship did you think we would have?”

  She shrugged. “Casual. A good-time relationship. Nothing more and nothing less. Full stop.”

  “Well, that’s certainly put me in my place. As ridiculous as it might seem, I was worried you’d think I’d used you.” Lucas reached for the coffee pot. Having poured two cups, he pushed one across the counter toward Amal. “Drink up. The sooner we reach the lab, the better. We have work to do, and it’s urgent.”

  Lucas knew the time to focus on his private problems wasn’t now. He had work that was of national importance. The need for the valves to be tested and produced was even greater, and with the threat of the nation going into lockdown, there could be no delays. If everything closed, there was no knowing if parts could be delivered to the laboratory and supplies sent out to hospitals. Company workers might have to stay home due to positive tests and with a diminished workforce, the whole country could grind to a stand-still.

  It had been a demanding day at the laboratory. A horde of government officials had arrived, putting pressure on them. Taking only short breaks for refreshment and food, Lucas and his team had worked throughout the day, testing and retesting until the valves were fit for use.

  He hadn’t heard Amal join him in the lab. He’d been concentrating on finishing his analysis and writing up his reports. It was only when she asked if he was ready to leave that he realized nearly everyone had stopped working and had gone home to their families.

  “Are you ready?” Amal asked. She took off her white lab coat and hung it on a peg near the door. She looked tired. “If you need a minute to finish what you’re doing, I’ll wait for you downstairs.”