He breaks the kiss and takes a step back, pulling his shirt off. He’s naked now — the first time I’ve seen him fully so. The sight sets my legs to shaking. I hold myself up straight, determined to not fall over.
His eyes run slowly up and down my body.
“You still have your clothes on.” He grins, raw and mischievous at the same time.
In response, I slowly pull my shirt off, making a scene of dropping it to the floor. I’m just as dramatic with the rest of my outfit. The bra and pants follow, laying in a mess next to the shirt.
“What about those?” He eyes my pink panties, looking hungry.
“What, these?” I coyly ask. “These don’t count, do they?”
He smirks and shakes his head, his voice thick with promise. “Don’t make me make you.”
“What?” I twirl a finger through my hair. “Make you do what?”
“This.” He launches himself at me, grabbing me around the waist and lifting me up. A second later, I’m flat on the bed, him hovering above me. He holds my wrists in his hands, stopping me from going anywhere, not that there’s anywhere in the whole world I would rather be.
He kisses me deep and continues to do so as he goes lower, licking and sucking down my neck and across my breasts. I close my eyes when he gets to my nipples. His mouth closes over one while his hand gently rolls the other one, pinching and releasing.
I sigh in pleasure, reflexively opening my legs to rest them against his outer thighs. He holds onto my wrists while he goes lower, kissing across my stomach. At my waist, he lets go and brings his hands to my hips. I hold my breath as he finally removes my pink panties and starts to massage my thighs, spreading them wider while doing so.
His kiss against my swollen nub feels like velvet. Languidly, he runs his tongue down my folds then up, swirling it around and around in little circles. He takes his time, his tongue moving deep inside me, then two fingers.
I gasp from the sudden intensity of it all, and Simon slows down, making his touch even lighter and slower, his fingers twisting deep inside. My eyes fall shut, the darkness pulsating beneath my lids. Needing more, I arch into his mouth.
My entire body shakes with jolts of pleasure, each one coming on quicker than the last. My body tightens, each cell begging for release when his teeth graze my clit and I explode. I bite my lip to stifle the scream that wants to come and clutch onto the sheets in an effort to stay grounded. If I let go, I’ll fly into the atmosphere.
Simon crawls up my body, his breath sweeping its way up my shaking torso. He kisses me long and deep, each slow movement of our lips relaxing me even more. When he draws away, he reaches over to the little bedside table. The drawer opens and there’s the sound of crinkling. He’s on his knees on the bed, slipping a condom over his length. He crawls forward again, easing in between my legs as he does so, his eyes on my center, studying my sex until I squirm.
“You’re beautiful. All of you,” he says, moving until our lips connect again.
His arm snakes under my neck as he stretches out above me. His hard tip brushes against my folds, nudging at my entrance. I press my lips against his jaw and the stubble there scratches my skin, slightly itchy but therapeutic at the same time. He moves forward slightly, teasing me. My core is pounding and the need to have him inside of me becomes painful.
I clutch at his back, my fingernails digging into his skin. He grunts in response and nips my neck, his teeth sinking deep. Rolling my head to the side, I give him permission to do it again. He does and I’m crying out, responding to the mixture of pain and pleasure when he thrusts, entering me in balls deep. The pleasure comes in waves, matching our heavy breathing.
Everything below and above me is soft, the world delicious and perfect. Simon’s mouth against my ear is the sweetest part of it all, and I grab at his hair, his neck, his back… anything I can get my hands on.
He slips his hands under my hips and arches me up, joining us even closer, hitting a deeper spot inside of me. I gasp and hold on tighter. The light in the room is fading, or is that just me? Everything is blurring, losing all form as the ecstasy pools and collects. I explode again, my face pressed into his shoulder.
He nuzzles my neck, then surprises me by drawing back. Flipping me onto my stomach, he climbs on top of me and presses his mouth against my neck. Sweat drips down from him onto my back as he enters me again. I’m pressed tightly beneath him, with nothing to do but relinquish control and enjoy what’s happening as his fingers link with mine.
He adjusts angles and the familiar feeling is back, the tension and tightening of every cell. I cry out into the sheets as Simon’s thrusts grow more urgent, pounding me, taking me closer and closer to the edge.
“Yes, baby,” he growls as I come apart beneath him. Seconds later, he jerks deep inside of me as he finds his release. He’s gasping as he collapses onto my back, his face buried in my neck, his lips on my shoulder. With a last shudder, he slides off me.
Before I can even move, his arms slip around me and pull me close to his chest. We’re splayed out across the sheets, hot and spent. The familiar scent of him I love so much fills the air, its presence not only doubled but mixed with the smell of his sweat and our love making.
His hand trails up and down my arm, from my shoulder to my wrist then back up again. A thumb hooks under my chin and Simon turns my face to him. The kiss is deep and long, just the kind I’m already growing attached to.
*
It’s dark when I wake up, and I’m alone in the bedroom. The door is half cracked, and there’s a faint light coming from somewhere in the hall. Groggily, I roll over and search for my clothes. They’re not on the floor where I tossed them. Instead, they’re neatly folded and waiting for me at the foot of the bed.
I get dressed and run my hands through my hair. They snag painfully on the tangles there. My eyes are starting to adjust to the dark room and I see the second open doorway I didn’t before. Going into the master bathroom, I flick the switch and squint as light erupts all around me.
The bathroom is impeccably clean, without so much as toiletries out on the counter. I splash some water on my face, trying to wake myself up, then finger comb out my hair.
Deeming the job good enough, I slip into the hallway. The light is coming from a little lamp near the banister. Clanking sounds travel up the stairs.
Taking my time, I walk down the steps, following not only the noises but the smells of something cooking.
Simon is in the kitchen washing lettuce at the island’s sink. Behind him, the oven is on, a pan of food resting on one of its shelves.
The oval table in front of him is set with places for two. He smiles when he sees me, his hands never pausing in the task at the sink.
“How long did I sleep?” I ask, leaning in the doorway.
“It’s only about nine.”
“Mm.” I rub my face, trying to dispel the last bit of sleep trapped behind my eyes. The floor creaks as he steps forward. His arms slide around me in the way they always do, holding me close and safe. I drop my face against his chest, savoring his scent. He’s had a shower and is wearing fresh clothes. In contrast to him, I feel incredibly filthy.
“I should go home,” I murmur into his shirt. “And change.”
“Stay,” he softly says. “Wear my clothes.”
I laugh. “Your clothes?”
He draws back slightly and looks down at me. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere all weekend. You’d look good in my boxers… or nothing at all.”
His hand trails across my shoulder and my heartbeat immediately picks up.
“That sounds good,” I rasp, holding him even tighter.
I lift my face and he kisses me, the taste of mint swirling around on his tongue. He breaks off and goes to step away, but then changes his mind and kisses me hard one more time before turning back towards the sink.
“I’m making dinner.”
“I see that.” I can’t help but smile at the image of this mogul being
so domestic.
“Did you hear from Crystal or Eryk?”
“No.” I stand up straighter, slightly embarrassed that I didn’t think of it on my own. “I need to call them. I’ll be right back.”
“I hung your bag in the hallway.”
“Thanks.”
I spin out of the room and collect my phone. Stepping out the back door, I settle into a sitting position on the grass. The view of the city is even more noticeable now that the sun has set. The buildings sparkle brighter than the stars above them, reflecting a small amount of the life throbbing all around.
There are no messages on my phone, so that must be a good sign that everything is good back at the apartment. I call Crystal and cross my ankles, waiting while it rings.
“Hellooo,” comes her slow and seductive answer.
I laugh. “Hello?”
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
She snorts. “I want to ask where you are, but I can take a guess.”
I bite my bottom lip, unable to stop the grin. “You’d guess right.”
She squeals. “So you guys are together now?”
I sneak a glance over my shoulder. Light spills from the side of the house, but other than that, there are no signs of life, and I can only assume Simon is still busy in the kitchen.
“I think so,” I say, lowering my voice. “We told each other that we love each other.”
She gasps. “Oh my God, I am seriously swooning right now.”
“How’s Eryk?” I quickly ask before we detour too far from my reason for calling.
“He’s fine. He’s lying on the couch staring at me, watching me talk to you.”
I chuckle. “So he’s feeling okay?”
“He’s feeling good. He’s also giving me the thumbs up. I think it’s for you.”
Eryk’s distorted voice comes over the line. “It’s for you!”
I draw my knees up and take in a long breath, savoring the feeling of it filling my body. “Good. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Thanks for checking in.”
“We thought you’d been fucked to death!” Eryk yells.
“Can it,” Crystal snaps at him. “You need to be resting. Jeez… Sydney, are you coming home tonight?”
“I don’t think Simon wants me to leave quite yet. He said he wants to stay around here all weekend.”
“With you?”
“Yeah.”
Eryk yells again. “He wants to fuck you to death!”
“I have you on speaker phone, by the way,” Crystal says. “In case you couldn’t tell.”
I giggle. “I think I should go. Simon’s making dinner.”
“Okay. Have fun!”
“Have sex!” Eryk yells.
I hang up and bounce off the grass, propelling myself back towards the kitchen and the man waiting there for me.
He’s standing in front of the table, setting a pan of some kind of casserole next to the salad bowl.
“Smells good,” I say. And it does. Really good. And just like that, I’m starving.
“Hopefully, it will be good. How is he?”
I enthusiastically nod my head, not meaning to look like a bobble head, but not being able to contain my joy over everything being so perfect. “He’s great.”
“Good.” His eyes lock on mine and he steps forward for another kiss. I let myself go loose in his arms, and he pushes his weight against me. The kiss grows deeper and I bump into a chair.
Chuckling, he breaks off. “We could forget about dinner.”
I pretend to pout. “I’m hungry.”
I’m ravenous, actually, and I try my best not to scarf down the whole dinner in two minutes. As we’re finishing up, Simon looks over at me.
“You write on Saturdays.”
I swallow a bite of carrot. “I do…”
“You told my father. That’s how I know.”
“Oh.” I nod.
“Screenplays.”
“Yep.”
“Did you today?”
I laugh. “Today was awfully full, so no. I actually took Brendan to the airport this morning.” I wait for his reaction. His lips purse slightly, but his face doesn’t give much away. “He didn’t have as much fun here as he thought he was going to.”
“With you?”
I run a hand across the top of my hair. “He was kind of hoping we might get back together.”
“Hm.” He stiffly nods his head.
“We’re not,” I say, my voice deep, serious.
He barks out a laugh. “I should hope not.”
I grin and tap my foot against his leg under the table.
“What are you writing now?” he asks as I take another bite.
The question takes me by surprise. I don’t usually talk about my projects, preferring to just keep them mostly to myself. “It’s… nothing special.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“I kind of am.” I study him. “Have you ever written anything?”
He guffaws, his eyes lighting up with the laugh. “Anything good? I don’t think so. Bad? Yes. Absolutely.”
I grin. “Then you have no right to tell me not to be embarrassed.”
“You have an eye for things I don’t have, as well as a sensitivity most people don’t.”
I blink heavily, staring back at him. “Wow. Thanks.”
“It’s a simple observation. I think anyone might be able to see it. You have the qualities of a great writer written all over you.”
I stare down at the table, aware of the flush creeping across my body. “What about Star Trek fanfic?” I ask. “Were you responsible for any of those in your fan boy days?”
He lifts a brow. “How do you know I’m not still writing them?”
“Wow. Finally, the enigma of Simon Mulroney begins to unravel.” I grin at him. “So that’s what you do behind that closed door all day.”
He runs his hand along the edge of the table. “There was a time when I wanted to make films.”
“Huh?” I say in honest confusion. “You do make films.”
He shakes his head. “Not the kind I want to.”
“The Dawn Companion,” I say. “Isn’t that kind of like Star Trek? They both have a lot of unbelievable action in them.”
“That trilogy’s story line is shit.”
I snort. “It’s definitely not Tolstoy. Millions of people love it, though.”
“You know that doesn’t mean it’s actually good.”
“Of course I know that. So what is good? I mean, you’re the head of the studio. You can do what you want, right?”
“Not entirely. But to a certain degree, I can make executive decisions, just as long as what I decide to do makes money — or at the very least doesn’t lose money.”
I nod and smile. “Right.”
“Can I see what you’re working on?”
The smile falls off my face. “I don’t know.”
“Why?”
I wrinkle my nose. “It’s not close to finished yet.”
He folds his arms on the table and gazes at me. “What does it need?”
I give that some thought. “I don’t really know. I’ve been struggling with it for a while, and I can’t quite figure out what it’s missing. I’m kind of stuck.” I shake my head. “Maybe I should just give up on it.”
“No,” he quickly says, a strange ferociousness in the word. “Don’t quit. Let me see it. Maybe I can help.”
I suck in a sharp breath, still half uncertain. “All right,” I finally say. “I email it to myself whenever I make changes, so I could pull it up now from any computer.”
His eyes sparkle and he sits up straighter. “Let’s do it.”
A bit of nausea comes over me. “What about cleaning up?”
“I’ll just put them in the dishwasher and worry about the rest later. There’s a computer across the hall, in the study.”
“Okay.” Now I’m really starting to regret agreeing
to this. Slowly, I stand up and edge across the hallway and in the direction he pointed me to.
The computer is at a long wooden desk. Simon’s library doesn’t have as many books as his father’s, but it’s cozier, with a love seat holding lots of throw pillows.
Hm… maybe if I call him in here and just start seducing him on that couch, he’ll forget all about the screenplay…
I boot the computer up, gnawing on my thumbnail while I wait. Sucking in a deep breath, I pull up my email and open the document holding the screenplay. The empty title page glares at me. I hardly ever show people my writing. Just the thought of doing so with Simon is a big deal.
Planting my palms against the desk, I push myself up.
Here we go.
He’s washing his hands at the kitchen sink. “It’s pulled up,” I say, standing self-consciously in the doorway.
“Great.”
“Are you going to read it now?”
He gives me a coy look. “Unless there’s something else you would rather do.”
I nervously tap the doorway. “Just go ahead and read it so we can get it over with.”
He playfully grabs my waist as he walks by. I turn and watch him go into the study, but can’t find it in myself to follow.
“I’ll be… doing something else,” I call to him.
I start to walk down the hallway, thinking maybe I’ll find the TV, but stop when headlights flash through the windows next to the front door. Curious, I edge towards the lights. The curtains are drawn in the study, so Simon doesn’t know someone’s here.
A Jeep pulls up and Dana gets out of the car, a folder in her hand. She walks across the small front patio illuminated by porch light. I freeze. Maybe I should go hide. Does Simon even want Dana knowing I’m here?
I indecisively hover for a second, and then, for some reason I can’t explain, go to the door. Opening it, I quickly step outside, making sure to firmly close the door behind me.
“Oh,” Dana says, her eyes wide. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
We look at each other for a second.
“Is this weird?” I ask, twisting my fingers in front of me.
Crushed (Crystal Brook Billionaires) Page 50