Romancing Austin

by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan

  His gaze swept down along her body. “I knew you were a natural. You can do anything you set your mind to.” His lips hiked to the side in a sexy smirk, and his eyes brightened when their gazes locked.

  The heat in his eyes along with that expression sent shivers tingling over her. Her mouth moistened. Hell, she’d never been so attracted to him. Holt was gorgeous as sin, and she never imagined he would want her physically in return, but she found herself open to the possibility. “You always seem to put so much faith into me.” Breathless, she leaned a little closer to him. The desire to kiss him grew deeper every second.

  “How did you get them to agree?” His tone turned business like again.

  “I used my instincts and let them know I was sincerely looking out for them. Ashley is the woman who wrote and sang the song. She’s a bit timid, so her best friend Kate pretty much took over. I was actually surprised they trusted me so quickly.”

  “I guess similar to the way I knew you would have a natural ability in this business.” He reached over and smoothed her hair behind her ear. “I’m proud of you.”

  The closeness of their bodies coupled with his touch made her heart race. She licked her lips, then glanced at his. “Thanks.” Her sex throbbed, but she could never cross that line with him. They were in dangerous territory and right then, she wanted to devour his lips with hers, to feel his tongue, to know what he tasted like.

  “What are you thinking of, love?”

  She met his stare. Every time he called her love, it twisted her in knots. The lump in the back of her throat, ever present, wouldn’t go away when she swallowed. Could she be brave and admit the truth? She pressed her palms flat against the house to lean back against it and exhaled deeply. “I want to kiss you,” she whispered.

  The muscle in his jaw ticked. He didn’t seem to like the idea. “You don’t know what you are asking for.”

  Chloe nodded to the construction workers finishing the magical garden he made for her. “I’m sure you told them you were building that for your wife.” He went out of his way to get to know her, to make her happy, to give her whatever he could, despite the way he always held her at arm’s length. “You said you wanted to keep appearances of a happy front in public and I love my gift.” Nervous energy took root as flashes of hot and cold washed over her skin. All of a sudden, the chance of his rejection made her gut twist in a tangle because she wanted more from him.

  Holt didn’t respond. Rather he stood there like a damned stoned statue.

  Apprehension gripped her like a hawk’s talons dug into its recently captured prey. “Are you not going to say anything?”

  His lips firmed to a thin line. He looked angry. “You want to kiss me for the sake of appearances?”

  She glanced away for a second, searching for the right words to tell him her feelings without exposing how she was beginning to yearn for him. “For the garden. It was very thoughtful.”

  A strange expression crossed over his face. “You’re my companion. That’s what we’re here for, to help each other out.”

  “Yes. Well, thank you.” She turned on her heels and retreated toward the house. Shame, guilt and remorse pounded through her with every step. She’d crossed a line of their arrangement by wanting to kiss him.

  Even though she wore his ring, their marriage was nothing more than a business partnership. She needed to remember their deal, despite how her body hummed against his. They lived together and shared some common goals. Better not to dwell on wanting more when she agreed to all of this. Maybe she’d lost her damned mind the night she tore up the hotel lobby and became the crazy person hiding deep inside of her—one just dying to get out, to stir shit and drama. Damn her ex, Adam, for pushing her past all reason and sensibility. If not for him, she would still be a journalist and not trapped into a marriage of convenience.

  Holt grabbed her arm. “Hey,” he said, pulling her to a stop.

  “What?” She couldn’t turn to face him. Tears breached her eyes and she desperately didn’t want him to see them. She was the fool in their game, knowing from the very beginning she shouldn’t get attached to him. Of course, her growing affection for him had snuck up on her over the past few weeks. Why’d he have to be so secretively charming and so freaking hot?

  “Look at me, love.” His tone grew soft and tender.

  At his endearment, her breath caught in her throat. “I need to go inside and finish some details for Ashley and her friend.”

  “Now,” he demanded, his voice lowering an octave.

  Chloe blinked rapidly to halt the tears hinging on the edge and peered over her shoulder. “Yes?”

  His eyes assessed her with a dark clarity. “Tell me exactly why you wanted to kiss me.”

  “I…” She wasn’t sure and felt like an idiot for breaching their boundaries. Kissing him seemed so right, so natural. She couldn’t withhold the truth from him. “I wanted to.” Her chest heated from the admission, so she glanced away from him. “We share a bed, Holt. I honestly didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

  “Do you want more?” he asked in sultry rasp.

  Stunned by his question, her mouth fell open. The thought of maybe pursuing more made her pulse skip a beat. “Do you?”

  He tugged her to face him and pressed his frame flush against her body. “I asked first.”

  Having his body against hers sent an exciting thrill to her womb and warmth between her thighs surged with every ragged breath. “Yes,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

  “Are you asking for more between us?” His nostrils flared.

  She couldn’t tell if it was from anger or because he wanted more as well. “Maybe.” Her nipples hardened brushing against her bra as she breathed in heavily. The last bit of control she possessed slipped away. Being so close to him intoxicated her. His heady pheromones seeped into her senses and she longed to have him bury himself into her.

  “You need to be aware that what you ask for might not be what you’re expecting.” He ran his hand through the back of her hair, until he fisted it at the nape of her neck.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means you don’t know what you’re getting into with me.”

  “Holt, you know you can tell me anything. I’m in this with you.”

  He studied her for a moment, keeping his dominant grip on her hair. “You need to decide if you want more or not. It’s your choice.”

  What did that even mean? How could the decision be hers if she didn’t know his thoughts on the subject? “Can you explain please?”

  “I’m saying that I will follow your lead. All I want is for you to be happy.”

  Well, his explanation didn’t reveal anything. Did he want to take things further between them? Did he desire her like she wanted him? Chloe took a steady breath as she glanced at his lips and asked, “Do you want to kiss me?”

  “If it makes you happy.”

  “Damn it. That’s not an answer.” Frustration boiled to the surface, mixing with the heady need she had to strip off his clothes and feel him inside her.

  A dangerous heat danced in his eyes. “Do you want me to kiss you, love?”

  The passion in his expression drove her desire even higher as heat blossomed between her thighs. “Yes.”

  Holt gauged her body language from the red blush on her chest to her shallow, panting breaths. He could almost smell the sweet nectar of her pussy. It turned him on to think he affected a woman like her…so strong and independent. It made him want to fan this flame between them. Loosening his grip on her hair, he slid his hands down the side of her ribs and stopped at her waist. His fingertips grazed against the bottom of her tight tee as he slipped them underneath the edge of the material, barely caressing her soft and tender flesh.

  A gasp left her lips at his touch. Her deep brown eyes widened. She was so responsive to him. The attraction between them had grown over the last few weeks—it’s why he felt the need to distance himself from her, because he was dying to
fuck her. He resisted because he didn’t know if she felt the same way. Now, she was the one asking for more from him. After seeing her sexy ass strut toward him in that short black skirt and heels, he lost all control. He dug his fingers into her waist and pulled her closer. He needed to pound his cock into her—and soon.

  When she was chest to chest with him, he moved his hands to the small of her back, stroking his fingertips over her skin with a feather-light touch. “Do you want me to do more to you?” He pressed his hardened cock against her belly. He needed to know just how far she wanted this to go. If they took this to a new level, he wanted it all—all of her.

  Staring up at him, Chloe licked her lips and swallowed. “Maybe.”

  Fuck, he loved how innocent she seemed sometimes, so vulnerable to him. He leaned in until their noses brushed. “Maybe is not an answer. Yes or no?”

  She sucked in a deep shuddering breath, breathing him in. “Do you?”

  He angled his chin slightly to the side, bringing their lips even closer together. “Answer me, love,” he demanded, his voice rough.

  “Yes.” Her tongue swiped along her top lip, barely touching his, leaving a slight essence of moisture.

  He spoke against her lips, “I will not go easy on you—do you want to submit to me fully?” Holt knew he liked to dominate in bed. He’d realized it a long time ago. What he didn’t know was if she wanted to give all of herself to him. He didn’t do anything in his life halfway. His palms slid down to her voluptuous ass and squeezed her cheeks through the black skirt as his cock throbbed in his pants.

  She swallowed deeply. “Yes. I think that’s what I want.”

  “You think? I need you to be sure if we are to go any further.” He moved one hand down to the top of her thigh and let his fingertips linger on the hem of her skirt while kneading her ass with the other one. “If I touch your panties will they be soaking wet for me, love?”

  “Yes,” she whispered against his lips, clinging to him.

  Not good enough. The Dom in him needed a firm answer. When he took her, she might balk, and he wouldn’t be able to stay with this arrangement they made. “Do you trust me enough to submit to me?”

  Her eyes met his with sincerity. “Yes.”

  He hiked the back of her skirt higher as he caressed from her inner thigh and over to her pussy. Her skin felt soft and supple. She wasn’t wearing panties, but a thong…a very wet thong.

  Chloe inhaled sharply as he massaged the material against her clit.

  He couldn’t wait, he needed to be inside her and feel her grip his cock. He backed her into the corner of the house just left of the front door and hefted her up to sit on the edge of a large potted plant.

  “Holt, what are—?”

  As he moved between her thighs, he crushed his mouth against hers in a punishing kiss for making him wait this long. He wanted her to know how it would be now, since she agreed to give all of herself to him.

  She opened for him, inviting his tongue inside, matching him stroke for stroke as she ground her pussy against him. Raising her arms, she encircled his neck and pulled him in tight. Her body strained to get closer to him as she moaned with need.

  This is what he’d wanted, what he waited for. Chloe would be his. Unzipping his pants, he let his aching cock spring free. Leaning his hips forward, he nudged the tip against her soaked panties and pressed harder against her. They were outside and at any moment, they could be spotted. If someone came walking around the corner, they would see them. Regardless, he loved the voyeuristic nature of it and wanted to open her up to new pleasurable experiences as well.

  He’d also craved her for weeks now and didn’t know if he could wait a minute longer. Nobody would be able to see him entering her, and if someone did stumble across them, he could quickly tuck his cock back in and slide her skirt down. It was the thrill of getting caught that made it so exhilarating. Especially fucking Chloe like this for the first time, sharing such an intimate moment together.

  Reaching between them, he slid his hands to her thong and moved it to the side of her pussy. He stroked her silky lips with his knuckles. “This is what you want, love?” For his sanity, she better damn well say yes because he didn’t have the ability to back off. Not from her. She’d become a necessity for him—each day. More and more, as she silently broke through his barriers. It was why he built her dream garden at the entryway, a quiet declaration that he would give her anything. He knew for sure now that he couldn’t go another moment without her.

  “Yes. I need you.” She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. “Please.” Her eyes danced with desire and need.

  “Please what, love?” He knew what she spoke of, but he wanted her to beg for him as he nudged against her damp sex. The surrender in her body language and the willingness in her response proved to him that she longed for this—even out in the open.

  She moaned, arching her hips, pressing his shaft just barely inside. “I want you inside of me, please.”

  The little noises she made undid him. Holt pushed the head of his cock into her slowly. “Is this what you want love?”

  “Yes. I want all of you,” she whispered breathlessly.

  He nuzzled the side of her face, inhaling the scent of her sweet smelling hair as he gradually sank his cock into her tight pussy. He stilled as he let himself settle into her, permeating inside of her. “Will you take all of me, love? Will you let me come inside of you?” He knew she was on birth control, because he’d seen the little matchstick implant inside her upper arm.

  Her inner walls clenched, gripping him in welcome as she breathed out a, “Yes.” She buried her head against his neck as she wrapped her arms over his shoulders, holding him to her. Her entire body trembled helplessly, as her tender lips pressed into his skin.

  He languidly stayed inside of her, reveling in the way her pussy welcomed him. For weeks, he’d waited to take her—possess her and claim her—and he would enjoy every soaking wet second of her before pummeling her into madness.

  “Mr. Michaelson?” A male voice asked from behind, in the distance.

  She went rigid against him.

  His adrenaline kicked in and his blood raced a steady staccato. He buried his face in her hair. “Don’t move,” he whispered. The thrill of someone catching them shot straight to his already heavy balls. Since his pants weren’t down though, it could look like they were in a simple embrace. An intimate embrace, considering her legs were locked around his hips. He kept his cock submerged in Chloe and turned his head to the side, eyeing the man walking up the sidewalk. “I’ll meet you by the entryway to speak with you in a moment.”

  “Sure thing.” The contractor’s mouth was set in a firm line. He nodded in understanding, turned, and immediately walked back down the drive.

  She let out a deep breath and he swung his gaze back to her. Her face was flushed a deep pink, blushing her cheeks and chest. “He saw us.”

  Cupping her chin, he brought his head closer to hers, nuzzling her nose. “Kind of exciting isn’t it? To be caught with my cock deep in your pussy.”

  She nibbled the corner of her bottom lip as though she felt unsure.

  “Don’t be shy, love. He couldn’t see anything. It will be okay. I have to go see what he wants. Wait for me in our bedroom?”

  Chloe looked a little more confident as she nodded her head. “Okay,” she whispered.

  He pulled out of her, quickly tucking himself in his pants and zipping them closed, then helped her off the edge of the potted plant while sliding her skirt into place. His fingertips lingered at the top of her thighs and he caressed her smooth skin. “You’re mine.”

  Her eyes rounded for a second. Then a slow smile formed on her luscious lips.

  This made him feel even more for this woman who’d become his wife. The blend of a natural innocence combined with a sensual wantonness was so unique. In his experience with women, he found most to be calculating and controlling. Not Chloe; she was the real thing. He
knew he needed to give her all that she wanted and then some. “I’ll meet you upstairs.” Putting his hands in his pants pockets to mask his hard-on, Holt turned to go find the contractor. He knew they risked the chance at being caught, he just hadn’t expected someone to walk up on them, especially so soon. He’d barely gotten a chance to enjoy being connected with her.

  There would be no holding back now. He was going to take her every which way he could. Chloe’s intelligence and beauty had drawn him to her in the first place. Her ability to stoke his passion and soothe his beast at the same time astounded him. Whenever she looked at him, she seemed to look into the hidden depths of him. For too many years, emotional isolation consumed him until he felt foreign in his own skin. In his solitary life, he’d developed a deep-seated need to own and dominate his lovers in every way possible—he craved the ultimate control without true affection. He wanted to revel in her, in her essence, in all that was Chloe. He’d always been a recluse in the world and now, he wanted to steal her away from it too…and claim her as his…precisely why he requested she sleep in his bed.

  This woman was the one who could make him happy. No—happy was too general of a term. She brought light into his darkened world and quieted the demons inside of him, remnants of his parent’s strict and structured life over him—of everyone who had tried to control him.

  There were times in the last few weeks, when he didn’t know how to process his feelings for her, but he always felt he could satisfy her and by damn, if he would let that punk ex-boyfriend take her away.

  2

  Chloe paced along the floor in their bedroom upstairs, mulling over what just happened. She’d wanted to kiss him; she’d made it known and instead he’d…claimed her in a way. The way he stretched her filling her up, joining them as one. So raw and erotic. Like he was showing her he possessed her by slipping deep inside of her and staying there, not moving.

  Maybe he’d been enjoying their link? How’d they go from a marriage of convenience to him just taking her like that? Outside in front of people no less? And then the construction worker interrupted, and she didn’t know what to think. It was sort of exciting to get caught, but still be hidden in a way.