A Brush With Obsession

by Theresa Papa

  It’s Monday morning, and there are only two more days until I start classes.

  While I pick up an extra coffee for Dafny as I make my way into the firm, I run into Jaxson. He sneaks up behind me, and his breath warms my ear.

  “Hey, beautiful, how’s the head doing today? Still have that nasty lump?”

  I turn to give him my full attention and put some distance between us. Even though he was very generous with his actions when he immediately left Nico and I alone, I still sense his need to speak to me about things.

  “Hello, Jaxson. My head is much better. Thank you for your concern. It’s nice that I can address you by your name finally, don’t you think?” I tease.

  He smiles back playfully and responds.

  “Well, I want you to still be sure to call Mr. Sexy Plumber should you have any…” He clears his throat suggestively. “Plumbing needs to be tended to.”

  Oh great, he still insists on flirting with me even though he knows I’m with Nico. I need to make it clear where we stand.

  While we laugh at his sexy humor, I take his hand and pull him over to an empty table to talk.

  “Jaxson, I want to thank you for not letting on to Nico about our more personal interactions before we knew about the mix up between all of us. Obviously, when you left us alone and were so sweet and accommodating about the situation, we assumed you knew Nico and I wanted to be together. You know that, right?” I lick my lips and press them together.

  “My brother made that perfectly clear droning on all morning about the great woman in his life.” He rolls his eyes and continues. “You’re a sexy, gorgeous woman, so I automatically have to flirt with you. It’s in my DNA. I’ll keep it reined in from now on since it makes you uncomfortable, but just to let you know, Nico would know I’m not serious just like he did when I kissed you in front of him to make him angry.” He looks away from our eye contact for a second as if contemplating his next words. His lips form a straight line before he continues.

  “My brother is very serious when it comes to women. I’m not so easily trapped into a serious relationship with just one.”

  “I sensed that about you from the beginning. Probably why I was always thinking about Nico even though I was attracted to you just as much.”

  He slaps his palm against his chest and declares, “Samantha, you wound me!” He leans in, his vibrant green eyes connect with mine again, and a wicked grin spreads across his face. “You have to admit I’m the sexier one!”

  I smile, look down at my shoes, and then up at him again as he continues.

  “You’re looking for a relationship.” He drags out the syllables in the last word. “I can’t blame you for picking Nico. He’s the brother who can give you devotion and the bond you crave.”

  A brief lost look into the distance tells me he envies his brother a little, but it fades quickly. I feel closer to him and feel the need to say something else to ease his anxiety. I take his hands in mine and smile genuinely up at him to convey my sincerity.

  “Jaxson, when you find the right woman, there will be no question whether you’ll want to give up all those other ladies. No one else will make you feel the way she does. You won’t be able to get her out of your thoughts for very long. Even if you try to be with someone else, it’ll be her face that you see instead and her voice in your head. I promise these will be the signs, and you will be just as devoted as your brother.”

  He sits deeper into his chair, rubs his jaw with his thumb and forefinger, then he tilts his head as he looks back at me.

  “You really are the angel that my brother made you out to be. Do you always look for the good in everyone? Do you always believe in redemption, even for the nasty things some people do? I’m a player, sweetheart. I flirt, smile, conquer, and move on to the next one. The more down and dirty the lady will get, the better; there is no salvation for me. Ever. It was just your luck that you met Nico before me so that I didn’t get a chance to warp that halo.”

  I slowly shake my head in shock at Jaxson’s description of himself. His deep-seated belief that he isn’t worthy of a loving relationship. I take a mental note to try to get information from Nico about his past. Then I force myself to lighten the conversation.

  “Well, since you say in so many words that you’re the devil and I’m an angel, how will we be friends? I really want to be friends since your brother and I are together now. How ’bout it?” I get up from my chair and hold out my arms, and he does the same with a laugh.

  We hug, and he says to me as he lets go, “This friendship is a great idea. A little of your goodness can rub off on me and a little of my badness can rub off on you. That will even out the scales, as us lawyers like to say.”

  With that declaration, we walk to the elevator and ride up together.

  I feel better about being honest with Jaxson and talking about what happened with us. But some of the things he said about himself make me sad. That he believes himself to be so evil must have been brought about by something in his past. Only extensive guilt would bring about such self-deprecation. Maybe it’s really none of my business.

  The day at the law firm goes slowly for me. I ponder briefly if it’s because I can’t wait to get to the salon to see Nico or if I am just bored today. Must be Nico.

  When I walk in, his station is empty, so I head back to his office. The huge double mahogany doors are closed except for just a small gap. I can hear a woman’s voice as she seductively speaks to Nico. I can’t believe I stoop so low to eavesdrop. I listen to the conversation and try to peek through the crack. She’s stick thin with long legs and auburn long hair. She has her hands on his chest as he walks her backward toward the doors. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but she sounds desperate as she pleads with him. “Listen to me, Nico!”

  I better get out of here since they are headed toward me. I quickly duck into the vacant facial room and leave the door cracked slightly. Nico opens the doors and walks out of his office as the woman hustles on her stilettos behind him. His voice is cool and collected.

  “Here is the business card, Lisa. Take it. I’m sorry about everything; it’s unfortunate that you misunderstood what I clearly stated to you many times. Goodbye.”

  He closes the back door after he gently forces her into the parking garage and shakes his head. I wait until he’s back in his office to come out. Then I knock, go in, and ask nonchalantly, “Hi, how is your day going?”

  “Wow, you are a sight for sore eyes.” He gets up and walks around the desk, enveloping me in his arms. The warmth I feel almost makes me forget all my questions. I wrap my arms around his waist and breathe in the scent that is existentially Nico. We just stay that way for a while with his chin resting atop my head until he says, “I’ve missed you so much last night and today. You are always on my mind; it was difficult to get my work done.”

  “Really, well I thought about you frequently too.” I look up at him through my eyelashes.

  “I hoped we could spend tonight together. We can go out to dinner or I can make you dinner again. How does that sound?” He pulls away enough to look at my reaction.

  “That sounds perfect.” I reach up and kiss him on the lips as my longing takes over. Memories of how much I really did miss him today come forward, and I can’t wait to be back in his bed tonight. With that in mind, I suggest that we eat in so the path to my ultimate result is shorter than if we go out. I don’t let on to Nico that it’s the reason. A girl’s gotta have some secrets.

  We zip smoothly through the evening of clients and close the salon quickly. It’s as if we both buzz with the anticipation to be alone together again. Nico walks out of his office as I’m heading back there. He grabs my hand and leads me to the elevator like the place is on fire. He has a sexy smirk on his face, and I start to giggle as I run behind him with my heels clicking on the marble floor. Oh my gosh, he’s so gorgeous. He really wants to be with me, and he’s not too proud or afraid to show me. The doors open, and
he pulls me inside, caging me against the back wall. His expression is full of desire as he gently slides his knuckles from my temple downward. When they reach my chin, he kisses me deeply, and his fingers resume their descent to my clavicle and rest between my breasts. As his thumb strokes the area above my lacy bra, a wave of arousal pools between my legs. I wrap my fingers in his hair and pull him close to kiss him with all that I am. He growls deep within his chest, and when the doors open in his foyer, I’m whisked off my feet. The walk to the bedroom has me giggling again, I hold on with my hands clasped behind his neck. I can’t help but tease him.

  “So it’s dessert first tonight?” I kick off my heels and let them fall to the floor with a loud clunk.

  “Remember when I told you our first time needed to be slow, gentle, and loving?” I nod my head enthusiastically, smiling really big as he throws me on the bed and strips off my clothes along with his own.

  “Well, this is NOT our first time.”

  “So it’s gonna be wild?” I ask, waggling my eyebrows suggestively.

  “Oh, yeah!” he growls, nodding slowly.

  “Crazy, lustful?” I can’t wait!

  He crawls up my body as he slides all that warm muscular hardness against me. His face is centimeters from mine when he whispers his heated answer. “I’m not gonna stop until you scream my name in ecstasy over and over again, beautiful.”

  Chapter 35

  Nico Pope

  I get so worked up as I kiss and caress Samantha in the elevator that I go wild once we get into the bedroom. First, I remove her silk blouse and sexy bra while she lay there giggling on my bed. Then I turn her face down, run my hands up her thighs, and squeeze her ass. A muffled moan from the pillows that surround her face escapes. I ease down the zipper of her skirt from her spine over the cheeks of her firm butt. I follow the metal tab with my tongue on her skin. As I slide the skirt along with her panties down her body, her full curves make me even harder than before. My pants become uncomfortable fast, so my clothes quickly join hers on the floor while I catch her straining to turn her head and observe. She makes me feel great when the lust in her eyes is evident and there’s a smile on her face in response to my body.

  “You have the perfect body.”

  “Well thanks, grab onto something ’cause I’m gonna hold it against you now,” I growl, and she chuckles at the silly old saying.

  My fingers trace her spine and sweep gently between her voluptuous globes, then part her pink folds. They move toward her pleasure pulse and circle her nub. The giggles have abruptly stopped, and now it’s more like panting and those little mewling sounds I can’t get enough of. She uses her knees to push her shapely ass into the air and begins to thrust down on my hand to increase the friction. She’s not afraid to show me what she wants. Perfect. I plunge my fingers inside to find her so ready, but I want to hear her scream my name first. All she needs is just a little word of encouragement and for me to turn my fingers the right way just a bit.

  “Let go, beautiful.”

  “Oh, Nico! Ohhh.”

  “That’s it, baby.”

  I already put on a condom, so I’m ready for the moment of truth. I circle my arm around her waist and pull back so she’s at the edge of the bed on her knees. Ever since the night at the club, I will never get enough of this view from behind; it’s the hottest sight I’ve ever laid eyes on. I take her hips in my hands and watch myself disappear inside her. I can tell she’s already on the verge of another orgasm when she screams my name again. Then our mutual pleasure erupts in a volcano that leaves us both shaking. Eventually sated, I crawl back on the bed and tuck her close to me. I kiss her lips, cheeks, and forehead.

  “I’m falling in love with you, Samantha Marconi.”

  Her big brown eyes look up into mine with moisture in them.

  “I’m in love with you too.”

  Those words from her lips are a symphony to my ears. I realized when we first met that she was the woman I wanted to grow old with and who I wanted as the mother of my future children. I was shocked at the depth and intensity of my emotions so early on. Until now, I was hesitant to tell her; I was afraid to scare her away, that she’d believe I was moving too fast. And now she has assured me that she feels the same way about me. It will be so much better not to have to hold back my serious thoughts anymore.

  We lay in each other’s arms for a while until her stomach growls. She starts to giggle once again.

  “I’m such a bad host making you starve like this.”

  “Oh Nico, it was absolutely worth it.”

  “Stay here. I’ll take care of everything.”

  I leave her snuggled under the covers in my bed gloriously naked while I run to the kitchen and prepare a mattress picnic. Italian prosciutto wrapped around fresh cantaloupe and some grapes with the perfect wine is what we pig out on in bed together. While she kneels next to me, sheet wrapped around her, feeding me grapes like I’m some kind of Roman king, Sam starts the conversation with a question I didn’t expect.

  “So who was the redhead you were rushing out of your office today?”

  Almost choking on the grape, I sit up straighter and face her with a solemn look.

  “Her name is Lisa. She’s from my past, and I’ve made sure that she stays there now that you and I are together.”

  “Why was she here today?”

  I take a deep breath and decide to tell Samantha the whole truth even though it might make me look bad.

  “I’m going to be honest with you because I always want our relationship to be based on that. And even though what I say next will change your opinion of me for the worst, I will tell you. Before I begin, I want you to know I regret what I did now that I know differently.”

  Sam sits up against the headboard and pulls up her knees as she tucks the comforter around her to get comfortable. “We all make bad judgments, and the fact that you know differently now means everything. So, tell me. I love you no matter what you say.”

  I smile and kiss her softly on the lips.

  “I once was in a long-term, serious relationship with a woman named Ariana. It was when I was still practicing law, and I foolishly thought she loved me. It turned out that after I went through Elizabeth’s trial and chose to leave the law profession, Ariana confessed she was never in love with me. She couldn’t see herself married to me if I was no longer a successful lawyer. The realization made me a bitter man for a while. I’m not proud to say that I had many one-night stands in the time shortly after she left me. Then I met Lisa, and I intended her to be a one-night encounter at first too, but she convinced me that we could satisfy each other’s needs without any strings attached. Her argument was convincing in that it was safer. We both avoided sexually transmitted diseases, there was no hassle to find a willing partner, and we knew each other’s pleasures.”

  I pause a moment to look into Sam’s eyes and gauge her expression. She just listens, trying not to pass any judgment with a little wrinkle between her brows. She really is an angel with such an open mind and heart. I continue with my story.

  “We never went on a date. She would come to the salon every Friday and get her hair done, then afterward, we would go to her place and have sex. I never stayed overnight, never even wanted her in my own bed. I know it’s very cold, and that we used each other, but I want you to understand that after Ariana broke my heart, I’d lost my faith in the concept of love and happily ever after. She didn’t have a hard time convincing me because it was a way to keep my feelings out of it. The minute I met you and knew how deeply my feelings were for you, I ended it with her completely. She showed up today to try to change my mind, and I told her I never wanted to see her again.”

  Samantha sighs deeply, shifts her body in order to place her head in my lap, and hugs me tightly around the waist.

  “I’m so sorry you had your heart broken.”

  I run my fingers through her silky hair while the sheets slid down her back to reveal
her nakedness. My body responds, and since her face is in my lap, she feels it. Her head picks up, and she’s wearing a mischievous smile on her face. I take her face in my hands to make sure she knows how serious my next words are.

  “You make me believe in a life that can include true love again.” As her eyes look into mine, the intense love I feel for her is reflected back at me.

  I lean down to devour her lips. I run my hand up along her side and cup her generous breast. “These are so magnificent; you are my perfect woman.” She chuckles, and I maneuver myself down over her gently, paying equal attention licking and sucking both sides. At first, I get my desired reaction when she arches her back and moans her approval.

  Then she lifts her head, her forehead creases, and brown gems freeze me in my spot when she says, “Lisa’s body is nothing like mine. She’s very tall and thin.”

  I smile lovingly. Her brief lapse in confidence is adorable, but I keep that to myself. I know exactly the right words to zap it right out of her mind because I’ve thought about why I prefer Samantha all day.

  “You have the most desirable body of any woman I’ve ever been with. Your body is feminine and lush; your curves are sexy and turn me on. Can’t you tell by my constant arousal, and the way I can’t keep my hands off you? Every chance I get, I squeeze and knead and touch every part of you.”

  Sam lays her head back down as she looks up at the ceiling and harrumphs.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I compared myself to Lisa. I had a momentary lapse. I was always made to feel very self-conscious about my body in past sexual relationships. The way you always touch and look at me along with that sincere compliment, that’s what makes me feel so free and uninhibited with you. I just regressed for a minute, but I’m back to the present and the lover I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

  I slowly nibble, kiss, and suck my way down her body.