Arousal

by A. C. Rose

  “I want so badly to taste you,” he said, his voice vibrating between my thighs. “I want this part of you to be mine. I want you to be mine.”

  “That’s what I want, too.” I was open and raw, and he was the only one who soothed the burning need. I craved him. I needed him. I wanted him to take me.

  He brought his mouth close to my clitoris and grazed it, ever so gently, with a puff of air. And then another, and another, until my hips bucked wildly. I hungered for his tongue. I wanted to shove myself into his face, to force him to lick me.

  But he had other ideas and brought his hands to my hips to stop the movement. I was burning for him. “Still, my love,” he said, his words hitting my sensitive parts as he spoke. “We’re going to take this very slow.”

  I relaxed and sank into the ecstasy of arousal that had formulated between my thighs for six days. But I couldn’t help from moaning for “more.”

  He opened me with his hands as his mouth found my center. Burying his face deeply between my legs, he pressed his tongue inside, overwhelming me with pleasure. His tongue found a rhythm and he released my hips so I could rock them back and forth. An erotic tickle began in my lower body and thighs and moved through me. And it got bigger and more intense until finally, with several sweeps of his tongue at just the right moment in just the right place, I came. Hard.

  Sounds I’d never heard before rose from within me like a love call. He stayed on me until my hips stopped quaking. Then he dipped his tongue inside me, tasting the fluids he’d teased out of my body.

  He crawled his way up my body and lay flat out on the rug besides me. He took my hand in his.

  I felt drunk on sex hormones. It felt as if parts of my body were singing with joy. I felt loved. And I realized I had never, ever, been this intimate or this close with a man.

  Silently, we stared up at the ceiling. He caught his breath as I caught mine. I became aware of the instrumental music playing in the background. It was a karaoke version of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.”

  When the song was over, he reached out a hand to help me to my feet. As I rose from the floor, passing his cock on the way, I had to admire how perfect—and perfectly hard—he was. Once I was standing, he moved his hands to my butt and pressed me close. He jutted up against my stomach. Flesh to flesh, we stood. Complete contact. No clothes in our way. Finally, he was all mine.

  “I need to feel you inside,” I whispered, grinding my hips into his.

  “It’s about time, right?” He laughed, caressing my hip and butt. “Now is our time, my love. We are free to…”

  “Fuck like bunnies?” I took hold of his hardness and rubbed him back and forth in my hand.

  “Exactly.” He moved out of my reach and playfully smacked my ass and massaged it. It sent a rush of erotic energy back into my lower parts. “Now I have to do something caveman.”

  He picked me up off the floor and lifted me in his arms like a man about to carry his bride over a threshold. I wrapped my hands around his neck as he walked us into the bedroom. He placed me on the new sheets. They were elegant, probably four hundred count Egyptian cotton, and smelled fresh. I couldn’t wait to cover them with sweat, pheromones, and sex. I moved my limbs like a snow angel, to test out the material. It was cool and smooth on my heated skin.

  I left my legs open. He accepted the invitation.

  Nicolai pulled himself over me. His cock pressed against my skin as his long torso traversed my body. He brought his face to my lips and kissed me, sweetly. Then he rested his forehead against mine for a moment and stilled his movements. We lay there, melded together by this invisible force. How could this power be six days in the making? It felt ancient, primal.

  “I don’t think I can wait another minute,” he finally said, breathless. “Is that okay? Do you want me? All of me?”

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  He felt around the bed and grabbed hold of a condom. His security team comes prepared. He kneeled between my legs, ripped it open with his teeth, and looked right at me as he slid it on.

  “Open for me,” he said, bringing his body back down between my legs. He kissed my lips and cheek as he nudged my thighs farther apart with his knee. “Just for me.”

  He looked deeply into my eyes as he moved to my opening. I saw warmth, passion, and need. Then he paused before entering me, searching for permission.

  I nodded. In a moment, he was inside me. So deep. His first thrust sent sensations through my whole body. He did it again, slowly bringing himself out and pressing back in. Then in and out, again. Holy fuck. My hips picked up the rhythm and moved with him until I greeted him thrust for thrust.

  “Oh my God,” I groaned, my hips thrusting wildly. “I can’t believe you are here, making love to me.”

  “Baby, I’ve been waiting for you for so long.” He panted, his hips bringing him in and out of my body, firing off every nerve ending in that part of my body. “I’m going to lose myself.” He leaned his head on my shoulder, his breath hot against me.

  “Don’t hold back,” I said, clawing at his shoulders and pulling him deeper into my body. “No more holding back. I want you.”

  He grabbed my hips and plastered them to his, filling me and staying deep, while still managing to move in and out, creating delicious friction. Our bodies and lower parts were sweaty and swishy as we pumped into each other. I wanted so bad to make him come, but suddenly, I was swirling off into a tingle that spread from my toes to the top of my head and then circled through my internal organs. I surrendered myself to pleasure, letting it wash over me. I lost myself to the moment, to him, as I came again. And it felt so good.

  He slid his tongue into my mouth and kissed me deep enough to take my breath way. My still-quivering love muscles clenched around his shaft.

  “Allison.” He groaned and shuddered as he released. He brought his mouth down on my neck and sucked, hard. Another hickey. “I love you. I really do.”

  I couldn’t stop the tears that flooded into my eyes, and he couldn’t stop his either.

  Gently, he slid himself out of me and kneeled between my legs. I was surprised when he lifted me up to kneel with him.

  “Thank you for trusting me,” he said, pulling me close. He brought his mouth to mine and we both cried. Then he kissed the tears streaming down my cheek.

  I placed my arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. “I think the Earth may have moved,” I whispered through my tears. “Something has changed.”

  “We’re changed,” he was smiling now. He pulled my body tightly against his so we were chest to chest. “Today we danced with our hearts.”

  “I love you,” I said. Even though I’d said it earlier, I knew it now with complete and utter clarity.

  “My Ves’tacha.” He kissed my forehead.

  “Da,” was my response.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Sometime in the evening, around midnight, we rolled out of bed. He tossed on his underwear and I put on his shirt, and then we made our way into the kitchen. We were satiated, finally, from our time together, but starving for actual food.

  He went to the refrigerator and pulled out all sorts of small dishes, apparently left by his team, and grabbed a couple of spoons and forks from the counter. He lowered himself onto the kitchen rug and sat.

  “Grab the champagne and a couple of paper cups,” he said, opening all the containers of various organic salads and other stuff. “Now we really have something to celebrate.”

  “So your security team caters,” I joked, thinking about his earlier request for my key.

  “They do whatever I tell them to, my love, and they will do the same for you.” He handed me a container and a fork. “Eat.” The first thing I tried tasted like a chicken salad with herbs. Whatever it was, it was good.

  We stared at each other, for long stretches, as we nibbled on the food. It was like being a couple of giddy kids, sharing the containers, passing them back and forth, and giving everything a try. The past week
seemed like years of waiting. And, in the moment, everything seemed perfect in our world.

  He popped open the champagne, expertly capturing the cork in his hand.

  “I did something I’m hoping you are happy about,” he said, pouring some bubbly into a glass and handing it to me. “And I would have done this regardless of how things turned out between us, for purely business reasons.”

  “Uh-oh,” I said. “Luckily I’m in a very good mood, Mr. Petre.” I had no idea what he was going to reveal.

  “I hope this puts you in a better mood,” he said, pouring a glass for himself, and taking a sip. He paused to savor the taste, or stall, before speaking. “I bought your father’s company.”

  “You bought Berke and Monroe? As in you own it?” This was not a piece of information I expected to hear on the heels of all that unfolded tonight. I was stunned.

  “Da,” he said, taking another sip and eyeing me with caution as if I may have a bad reaction. “Remember, this is happy news.”

  “What if I decide I don’t like you tomorrow, and I then am stuck with you as my boss?” I rolled my eyes and laughed. Even by romantic comedy standards, this was a pretty bizarre development.

  “The thing is, I want you to be the boss,” he said, holding my gaze in his as I adjusted to the idea. “I’ve invested in the e-reader, and I need someone to market it. I don’t have the time or skill to nurse that company along, but you do. So you would really be doing me a favor if you continue to service my account.”

  “I could continue to, um, service your account.” I smiled, jokingly batting my eyelashes. “But how did this happen?”

  “I’ve been working on the deal for a while,” he said, taking a bite of bread. “I looked into the company before we signed. I heard your father’s partner wanted out, and he was keeping that Sheila there because he couldn’t hack it. I prefer to own small companies that can work on my business interests rather than paying big retainers to companies that may not be as vested as a loyal staff would be.” He took a moment to finish chewing.

  “I guess that makes sense from a business perspective.” I picked up a different container, feeling the need for comfort food as I processed this new development.

  “There’s something else,” he said, sipping his champagne.” More recently, Grandmamma had a vision that certain dishonesty and greed had taken your rightful place in the company, and your rightful inheritance, away.”

  “What do you mean exactly?” I put down the food to listen. There was a part of me that always wondered how things went down in the business when Dad was sick.

  “We never know exactly how Grandmamma gets her insights, but based on her warning, I did some investigating.” He took my hand into his. “I learned your father was the financial brains of the operation and he was a pretty organized guy.”

  “Very. He did run the business end of things for all those years,” I said.

  “Something didn’t make sense to me about that.” He squeezed my hand. “Why would a man with business acumen not have a will, or at the very least leave directions and an inheritance to his only daughter?”

  I bent my head. The pain of being abandoned by my dad again, in the end, flooded back. “I was so concerned about being cut off from his company I never rocked the boat.”

  “Allison, around the time of your father’s death, several large transfers were made from the company to offshore accounts.” He leaned in and lifted my head. “We think they diverted money from your father’s share of the business.”

  “Oh my God.” I stood up and grabbed the kitchen counter for support. “They stole my father’s money? I thought they used it for his health care costs. I just wanted him to be taken care of. I never questioned.”

  He stood and put his hand on my back for comfort.

  “My finance team and my legal team are looking through the books and bank statements, as well as your father’s medical bills.” He kissed the back of my neck. “We will get to the bottom of it.”

  “Nicolai, I can’t believe you would do this for me.” I turned and threw my arms around him.

  “This company was always meant to be yours, and I believe at least half of it legally is,” he said. “I am simply restoring what is meant to be. I get the added bonus of a top notch firm putting a new product on the map.”

  “I don’t even know what to say. Somehow this all feels right.”

  “There’s just one executive decision I’d like to make, and that’s to fire Sheila,” he said. “Especially since she is now part of an investigation. As is business protocol, we have locked down her computer and removed files from her office so she could not get a chance to go in there and hide her tracks. As of Monday, after we’re finished with The Today Show segment, she will be called into the boardroom to meet with the new owner. And you, as the President of the company, can fire her.”

  “That’s intense.” I should have felt vindicated, but I was oddly sad. Sheila was the bane of my existence at work; still, I didn’t like the idea of hurting another person. “Shouldn’t you do that?”

  “No,” he said. “I think you should. Or at the very least, we can do it together. Your team already loves and respects you, but this will seal your place as a leader of the company.”

  “Okay. I’m ready to do that,” I said, looking deeply into his eyes. I saw love and warmth. I saw a man who cared enough for me to invest his time and money in winning me back something that is close to my heart.

  “And I am glad you are ready, Ms. Monroe,” he said, retrieving our champagne from the floor. He clinked his paper cup against mine “Here’s to bringing in the new. And to having what is rightfully ours.”

  He put our cups on the counter and leaned against it, pulling me onto him. He wrapped his arms around me. Over his shoulder, the bright glow of the full moon hung outside my window. And when Nicolai kissed me deeply, the moonlight seemed to fill my kitchen. And my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Suddenly, there was light all around us. And something moved me to reach inside my purse on the kitchen counter and open the secret zipper compartment. My hand touched the velvet pouch Grandmamma had given me. I’d forgotten all about it. The item inside felt heavy and cool. I pulled it out and held it in my palm.

  “What’s this?” Nicolai traced a finger along the soft material. “Are you going to propose to me and give me a ring?”

  I laughed out loud but wondered if he hoped I would.

  “I forgot all about this.” I was super curious now about what was in the bag. “Your grandmother gave it to me when I met her. And she told me to keep it near my heart on the full moon.”

  “Really?” I could tell from his face he was surprised. Apparently he hadn’t seen her hand it to me or noticed me slip it into my purse. “You didn’t mention it.”

  “I meant to, right after she gave it to me, but your cousin showed up at her house and I stashed it in my pocketbook before I had a chance to look,” I said, remembering how something had told me to hide it from Vlad. “When I rediscovered it later that night, I hid it again, moments before he showed up at my door.”

  I thought he might get mad at the mention of Vlad, but from his expression, he seemed intrigued. “Interesting,” he said, nodding. “Whatever is in there seems to have protected itself from his eyes.”

  I hadn’t even thought of that. “Seems we were meant to open it together,” I said.

  I opened the pouch and let the object slide out on my hand. It was some sort of blue stone, almost like a dark crystal, and smooth to the touch. The stone was attached to a pendant with diamond-like gems at three points. Maybe it was a piece of antique costume jewelry.

  “Is this a family heirloom or something?” I walked to the window to look at it under a lamp. Nicolai followed. “A piece of jewelry she used to wear?”

  He lifted my palm in his to take a closer look and seemed astonished.

  “Oh my Lord,” he said out loud. “This is Queen Marie’s sapphire pendant.�
� He took a deep breath and looked more closely. “It’s been in the Romanian and Greek monarchies.”

  “It’s a replica. Right?” I searched his face. “Like from a museum?”

  “No.” He eyed it more carefully. “I believe it’s the real one.” He was shaking his head in disbelief, but there was a huge smile on his face.

  “Seriously,” I said, taking a closer look. “This can’t be real.”

  “It most definitely is,” he insisted. He whistled, as if making a catcall. “That’s some piece of jewelry. I believe it is a four hundred and seventy-eight karat sapphire.”

  “How do you know so much about it? Was it in history books or part of the country’s folklore?” My breathing began to get heavy.

  “Grandmamma had me look into this a while ago and I discovered it was with private owners and she didn’t ask me to pursue it any further. She must have had her clairvoyants’ community figure out where it was and then had her lawyers get it.”

  “How do you just go ‘get’ something like this?” I had no idea how people could buy and attain royal jewelry.

  “Private deals are made, things come to auction.” He stared at the jewel. “You never know with Grandmamma.” He had a devious grin on his face.

  “Why … why would she give me this?” I was flabbergasted.

  “She must have felt you needed to be the keeper of that stone,” he said, running a finger over it. “She probably charged it with special protective energies, her energies. Clearly, she wanted you to have power. Look in the bag, is there a note?”

  I slid my hand into the pouch and found a small folded card along with a key. I handed it to him to read.

  “My Dearest Allison,” he read it out loud. “The authenticity papers for Queen Marie’s Sapphire Pendant are in a vault (key enclosed). Perhaps you will step into the role of countess and wear this. Most importantly, my hope is you love my Nicolai. But this jewel is yours alone, whether or not you choose to be by his side. I don’t want you to ever be dependent on a man. If you hold this to your heart, it will help you know your truth. It has been blessed especially for you. With Love and Great Affection, Grandmamma.”