by C. M. Steele
“I thought you hadn’t wanted any of your assistants before me.” Her voice caught like she was upset. She still believed the rumors. I had to fix that.
“I didn’t want any of them. I’m thinking maybe she spread those rumors to ruin my reputation.” I was running possibilities in my head. “But I really can’t imagine why. How would that benefit her?”
Chapter 13
We arrived at her place. It was small but nice. Jess led us to the entrance. It was dark out already, and she couldn’t see the lock, so it took her a minute to unlock the door and let us inside. She hit the light switch along the wall next to the door, and the house was illuminated with white lights. It brought out the stark whiteness of the rooms. It was plain for a girl’s place. Having raised a little sister, I knew this place should be packed with pretty things. Layla’s dorm was decked out like her room in my house.
“Welcome to my little house,” she said almost apologetically.
“So, baby, this is where you’ve been hiding out on me? It’s cute. Now go get your shit for at least the weekend. We can move your stuff when you’re ready.”
She raised her brow, apparently ready to argue with me, but the look changed to a smile. “I missed you too, Nate.”
Fuck, that deserved a kiss. I took her in my arms and kissed her hard and deep before pulling back to look at her face. “Let’s get your things, babe.”
I followed her to her bedroom, giving her a nice smack on her ass. I took in the bland bedroom. The room only had one six-drawer long dresser with a giant mirror and a queen-size bed. She stepped into the closet to pull out a suitcase. After helping her, I put it on the bed so she could fill that shit up. I hoped she wouldn’t want to come back here again.
While I waited, I looked at the busy dresser top and mirror. Then I caught sight of the romance-ending offender on her mirror—the card from the flower shop I’d bought the flowers from. How had Erin switched the cards before Jess got to the office? I plucked the card off and took a closer look. It was definitely from the same place. I would have to call the flower shop in the morning.
Staring at her through the mirror, I watched her move efficiently through the room. The emptiness of the entire space boggled my mind. She had to have lived there long enough to leave her touch.
“Babe, why is it so bare in here?”
She stopped packing and looked at me with a half-smile. “I guess I never felt like it was home. I don’t why, but it felt like just a place to sleep.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist, squeezing her body against my chest. Smiling down at her, I said, “Good, because it isn’t your home anymore. My home will be ours.”
“You’re lucky I missed you, Nate.” I could tell she wanted to tell me to go fuck myself, but under that “fuck you” attitude was the truth.
“Yes, I am. So damn lucky.” I squeezed her tighter before bending to taste the soft lips that I dreamed I’d never touch again.
Her phone buzzed, and she pulled away to check it. Jealousy struck me when she smiled at her phone.
“Somebody important?” I growled.
“My cousin.”
“Oh. Has there been anyone else since you left me?” I hadn’t bothered to ask because she’d been the only one for me, but I didn’t even know if she was single.
“No,” she admitted, shaking her head.
“Good, there’s been no one for me either. Just in case you were curious.”
She smiled brightly before closing up the suitcase, so I knew she’d wanted to know but wasn’t going to ask. She had no idea that it had been so long, I couldn’t tell her the name of the last woman I was with because I didn’t even remember.
“Do you have everything you need?” I asked.
“Just need one more thing.” She rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a shower tote bag. “Okay, now I’m ready.”
We left her apartment before I fucked her as hard and fast as I felt like doing. Once I got everything in the car, I drove off with my woman. Tucking her hand in mine, I felt tremendous relief flow through my body. I couldn’t help but twist to look at her. She turned too, and I gave her a satisfied grin that made her blush.
Kissing her hand, I whispered, “This is only the beginning of something fucking amazing.”
“Jess, I want you to know that from here on out, there’s no getting away from me. If you’ve got issues you want to throw out there, let me know and we’ll work on that shit because I’ve got a few of my own that we haven’t dealt with yet.”
I hadn’t dealt with them yet. I knew that a big part of me was just like my father. I was beyond in love with Jessica. If something happened to her, I didn’t think I could take it. Losing her forever was an unbearable idea. The moment I saw her standing at our table, I’d known that she couldn’t leave me again. That was what scared me. I was obsessed. She held all of my future in her hands.
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it? You’re not going to argue with me about it?” I asked.
“What for? It’s what I want. I really missed you. I hated you and loved you all at once. It’s a hard thing to do. The fact that someone tried to tear us apart only makes me want to fight harder to keep us together.”
Chapter 14
I meant every word I’d said to him. He was the one I wanted to be with for forever from the moment I saw him again. Seeing him with Layla had made me extremely jealous, but after he straightened me out, I’d felt like a total fool.
I had a feeling that Erin was the bitch trying to destroy Nate. But why? Had they had a relationship? I tried not to think of it because that was brutal to consider. Would he fuck someone and let them continue to work for him? I hoped not, but I had to ask before we pulled up to his house.
“Nate, I know you said you didn’t sleep with your assistants, but did you sleep with her?” I wanted to bite my tongue the moment the question shot out of my mouth.
“Her? Erin? Hell no,” he answered, apparently appalled that I should even ask.
“Oh, okay,” I muttered, embarrassed by my jealousy.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad you asked. Nothing should come between us. Imagine if you’d had actually called me out on that bullshit back then? You’d be walking around with a rounded belly and my last name by now.”
“What?” I tried not to be overly excited by that, but I was. I ached to have his babies. Many of the dreams I’d had over the past few months had been about him and the possibility of getting married. The things I’d fantasized about, then chastised myself about, were all about him and a life together that I thought would never happen.
“What nothing. I plan to make you marry me and fill you with my babies.”
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to come up with something to say, but I had nothing.
“Don’t argue because it’s going to happen.”
“Okay.” It was what I wanted, so why deny it? I wanted to be married to a man like him.
“That’s what I like to hear,” he said with a smile, squeezing my hand before we pulled into his driveway.
The drive had taken less than a half hour. When we pulled up to his place, I wasn’t surprised by its beauty. Everything in his office building was crisp, well-decorated and clean at all times, so it made sense that he would expect the same of his home.
I stepped out of the car and looked at the three-story house and four-car garage. “This looks sweet, Nate.”
“Thanks.” He placed his hands around my waist from behind. His body felt so warm against mine that I didn’t notice the chilly spring night anymore. Nate grabbed my hand to take me. “A short tour tonight. You can have the rest of the tour tomorrow, if you can walk by then.”
“You talk a big game, mister, but I’ll probably be done before we can get to a second round. When you touch me, I feel all gooey.”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
I felt his lips on my neck, gently kissing my pulse. Tilting my head, I gave him more room to expl
ore. “I thought we were supposed to tour the house.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
He lifted me and carried me upstairs into a large bedroom. He closed the door with his foot then paused to lock it. I knew I was in trouble.
Chapter 15
Lifting her into my arms and pinning her to the wall, I kissed her with all of my pent-up desire. My lips met hers with the love and tenderness I felt for her, but it swiftly changed to an aching hunger that left me ravenous. Groaning, I pressed my hips into hers, then wrapped her legs around my waist and ground my hard cock into her belly. I wanted her to feel what only she could do to me. My cock felt harder than I’d ever thought it could. I moved my lips to kiss and nibble down her neck.
She cried out with a sighing, “Nate,” and tossed her head back, giving more access to her throat. Sucking her flesh near her rapid pulse, I marked her as mine. Our bodies danced on the wall as I rocked into her and she pressed into me. Still clothed, we both cried as we came.
With my head resting atop hers, we attempted to slow our racing hearts. “Damn, Jess. You’ve unmanned me. I was supposed to be inside you when I came.”
“Are you telling me we’re done for tonight?” she said with a whimper.
“By no stretch of the imagination. I plan to fuck, love, and devour you all night.” I took another kiss from her lips.
But the first thing I needed to do was get her ass naked. Her white blouse parted right above her breasts, reminding me of the day in the office when I’d wanted to strip her bare on the conference room table. My finger ran down her cleavage, stopping when I hit the button that had haunted my dreams. I flicked it open, then the other three buttons that blocked my access to her breasts. They spilled out of the white top, barely covered in a white cotton bra. I licked my lips, but with my hunger growing, I was out of time to savor them. I ached to bury my cock in her womb.
Kneeling before her, I reached behind her and unzipped her skirt then slid it down her legs. “Lift your foot, and the other.” She did as she was told, and I slipped each heel off her. I looked up at her sweet face from my perch at her feet. “You’re beautiful, Jessica.”
My hands moved up her legs, tickling her into a little shiver. I smiled as her scent hit me head-on. She was sensitive to my touch and so fucking turned on. I planted kisses on her little pink panties, which were drenched with her desire for me. I slipped them off. Standing, I peered down at her while lifting my shirt over my head. I grabbed her hands and pressed them to my chest. Her touch was an aphrodisiac. Her fingers moved with eagerness to explore me, and I wasted no time stripping off the rest of my clothes. With both of us naked, I pulled her close for a rushed and hungry kiss. Lifting her off her feet, I carried her to the bed that would be ours.
“I will worship you forever, Jessica,” I promised.
Her body was meant to be treasured, but like a man starving, I needed to act before my feast became just a dream. I gruffly parted her thighs. My cock was so stiff that it didn’t seem as though I’d just come a few minutes before. That was a pleasant surprise I planned on getting used to because I knew that this wasn’t because she was new. It was because she was everything—my desire, my heart, the best part of me, and more. My eyes moved to hers, gazing into her soul, and with my cock lined at her wet pussy, I plunged into her depths. Her grip was intense and actually painfully tight. Only her ear-piercing cry shook me out of my euphoria. Her head was tilted to the side, her eyes scrunched closed.
“Shit. Yes. Shit. Baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect… I mean, I didn’t know.” With one hand on the mattress, I used the other to turn her head toward me. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s okay…”
“It’s not okay. Well, it really is. You have no idea how fucking manly I feel, how damn proud I am that you gave me your virginity, but I hate that I hurt you.”
“It’s getting better. It doesn’t hurt that much anymore. I’m just glad I didn’t look at your size, or I might have run for the hills.”
I chuckled. This wasn’t the place to laugh, but it was better than her tears. I couldn’t help but smile. She belonged only to me and only would.
I needed a moment to get back into the mood to finish what I had started. I was still hard as fuck, but I needed her with me. Reaching between us, I pressed on her clit just hard enough to send her body the message that I was all in and this wasn’t over. In an immediate response, she pulsed. I groaned when I felt her pussy clench down on my cock. It was like a freaking vice, choking me just enough to stave off my orgasm. Her body was slowly coming alive for me. With each squeeze, I ground my hips into her. One hand teased her breast, my other slipped into her hair, tugging her head back.
“Mine,” I growled before snatching her lips, nipping them before kissing. “Mine,” I moaned with each short thrust.
As her cries and groans turned to sighs and moans of pleasure, I quickened my pace. All that mattered was burying my cock deep within her. I felt her juices lubing up my shaft, making it easy for me to work us into heart-racing orgasms. We cried out, screaming each other’s names as I shot my hot cum into her womb and her greedy little pussy sucked it up.
“Nate!” Jess continued to cry out as she rode her orgasm. Her voice lowered until it was a whisper.
Out of breath, it took all I had to pull out of her. She was just as tight as when I’d gone in, and my movements stung her. I watched her wince.
I had to take care of my gift, treasure her as I should. I bent down and stole a kiss before collapsing at her side.
Within minutes, I heard her soft snore. I guessed a bath was out of the question at the moment. I pulled the covers over us before wrapping my arm around her waist. I tugged her close while she moved onto her side. I’d never let her go again.
Chapter 16
I woke up from the most amazing dream. I dreamed that Nate and I had found each other again, and he’d deliciously claimed me. When my eyes opened, it dawned on me that it wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t my bed. I smiled. It was all real. The three months without him had been painful. Always waking up from dreams of him had been unbearable.
I turned and noticed that the other side of the bed was empty and cold. He was gone. I started to panic, then I remembered that this was his house. He wasn’t going to just leave me here and hope that I scurried out on my own. Stretching my body, I immediately cried out. Damn, my body ached in parts I didn’t know it could. My inner thighs felt as if I’d been lunging all day. It took a moment before the ache eased. Sitting up but keeping the covers over my breasts, I took in the bedroom.
It was large but not empty. There were two large dressers, making me wonder if he’d once been married, but I already knew that wasn’t the case. A big comfortable chair with an ottoman sat in the corner of the room. There was a small round table with an empty glass and a book on it. Slowly, I crept off the bed, my body refusing to work fast. He’d joked about me not being able to walk in the morning, but apparently he wasn’t kidding. That damn beast between his legs had destroyed my innocence and punished me until I surrendered to my need. The memory washed over me, and my pussy came back to life. Wow, I hadn’t expected that. The man was going to turn me into a wanton hussy in no time flat.
Ignoring everything but the need to pee, I walked bowlegged to the bathroom. Wanting to see if I looked different now that we’d shared our first night together, I looked into the wall-size mirror. I broke out into a huge smile and took a deep breath. There was a note written in toothpaste.
I love you, Jessica. Please don’t leave me. —yours, Nate
Laughing and smiling at the same time, I did my business. After washing my hands, I looked for a toothbrush. Grabbing his and the now-almost-empty tube of toothpaste, I cleaned the smile that didn’t seem to want to disappear.
As much as I loved having his scent coating every inch of my flesh, I needed to shower. I knew that he’d showered this morning too, from the damp towel hanging up and the oth
er one on the floor. Men.
The high-pressured showerhead came to life, making me jump. Climbing into the hot water, I felt the pressure like a massage. “Damn, I need one of these.”
“It’s yours too, babe,” he replied.
“Aah! Damn it, Nate, you scared me.” I grabbed my breasts, covering them. I hadn’t heard him come in.
“Sorry, babe. I heard the shower, and I couldn’t pass up a chance to see you naked. Give me a kiss and I’ll let you shower in peace.”
I moved to the edge of the shower, and he pulled me to him, not caring that he was getting wet. He growled before taking my mouth. Every kiss was intense yet soft. I moaned in his mouth, which made him grunt before wrenching himself away from me.
“You’re too much, Jess. I’m going to make you something to eat.”
“I love you too, Nate.”
“Thank heavens for that.” He smiled and walked out of the room, but not before picking up his dirty towels.
After washing, I grabbed my clothes and got dressed. My mind and heart felt so damn peaceful. It struck me that one day, this could all fall apart. That thought was almost enough to make me ready to run again, but I’d rather have a short time with him than nothing.
“Why do you look so damn sad?”
I jumped. “You did it again. How can someone so big like you creep up on me?”
“Maybe you’re just not paying attention. You looked lost in thought, some negative thoughts. Do you regret last night?” He moved to kneel at my feet and stared into my eyes.
“Not at all. I just hoped that I wasn’t a flash in the pan. It scares me that we might not last.”
“Don’t ever think that. I have no intentions of letting you even leave the house, let alone walk out of my life. There’s a lot you don’t know about me and my family. If I told you the truth, you might realize how crazy I am for you and run. I can’t have that, so I love that you’re afraid to lose this. It gives me hope that you won’t run screaming.” He pressed his cheek into my hand before looking back up at me. “It has to do with my father, but I just want you to know that I’ll never hurt you, and I don’t want us to ever end. Forever, growing old and grey with twenty grandkids.”