by Missy Maxim
“Whatever are you going to do with me, Miss Mitchell?” Julian asked playfully.
Catherine winked. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
She stopped by the side of the bed and slipped her hands under his jacket, sliding it off his shoulders. It was tossed towards a chair. Her hands went to his belt buckle next as she leaned forward to kiss him. He tried to pull her closer but she slapped his hands away. He moaned at suddenly feeling her warm hand on his erection, then whimpered when she let go.
Catherine grinned as she pushed him backwards.
“Sit,” she commanded.
He arched a brow. “Now, what? Oh god…” He never would have expected her to… “You devious…little…minx!”
She chuckled around him.
Feeling his prominent erection against her belly in the other room, she’d suddenly remembered her dream, the one about sucking him off. And just as suddenly as she remembered, she realized she really wanted to make that dream reality. So, she’d unzipped his pants, pushed him onto the bed, dropped to her knees, and taken him into her mouth as far as he’d go.
Julian was panting and moaning almost instantly. “God, pet…just like…you…fuck! Where did you learn that?”
She massaged the spot behind his testicles, earning a growl and the thrust of his hips. “Magazine,” she brightly replied, then dropped her head again. By the way his hands were gripping and twisting the bedding, it wouldn’t be long.
“Kitten…gonna…don’t have to…”
He shouted unintelligibly as he came, briefly choking her.
She stayed in place, swallowing down all he had to give. It coated her throat, and she was really going to need a glass of water after this. Giving his dick a parting kiss, she sat back and daintily wiped at the corners of her mouth. He was breathing heavily, half slumped on the bed, staring at her with a look of…awe?
She blushed. “What?” she asked self-consciously.
“I never…get up here.”
He grabbed her shoulders and hauled her up for a kiss, plunging his tongue in her mouth.
“You’re amazing.”
“I dreamed about it once,” she confessed, blushing further.
“Did you now? On who?” The way she ducked her head told him the answer. “And when was this, naughty girl?”
“Umm…last week?”
Julian chuckled and brushed his nose against hers. “Before, or after, you got a peek at my bits?”
“I didn’t peek!”
“You noticed the towel was gone.”
“I didn’t have to look there to see that,” she argued.
“Ah, so it was before…and does reality measure up?” He punctuated the last word with a thrust of his hips into her belly, showing off he was hard again.
“I wasn’t taking notes,” Catherine replied. She flicked his ear with her tongue. “It was more about making you scream my name,” she added huskily. In a blink, she found herself on her back, their positions reversed.
“Oh, I think it’s you who’ll be screamin’ before the night’s over, love.”
“I’m not a screamer. Didn’t make a peep when you scared me at the theater.”
“No one to mind your decorum for, here, baby. We’re the only ones on this floor. And I’m a man of many talents.”
“I’m sure you are, but what makes you think I’ll be taking advantage of them?”
He grinned wolfishly. “Because, Catherine, I know exactly how hot I make you. I can practically taste you on the air right now. Gonna lick your sweetness. All. Up.”
Okay, vampires senses? Eww. Julian promising to make her come? Guh! He was right, of course. She was all worked up. But getting naked and groin-y was a point of no return. Even now, she wasn’t sure she was ready for the main event.
Something of what she was thinking must have shown upon her face, for his expression softened into kindness and understanding.
“I won’t make you do anythin’ you don’t want to, love. You have my word.”
She nodded, unconsciously relaxing. “Yeah…breathing’s becoming an issue.”
“Oh!” He rolled up onto his feet. “Sorry. Forgot.”
“It’s okay.” She squirmed uncomfortably. “Corsets are kinda evil.”
“I’m surely not goin’ to stop you if you want out of that dress.”
His tie and cuff links were left on the dresser, his shoes and socks coming off next. She watched him undress with a combination of trepidation and hunger.
She chewed on her lip while weighing the decision. Finally, she asked, “Could you help me?”
Julian paused and looked at her, his shirt unbuttoned. “Just tell me what to do, kitten.”
She stood and turned around. “Just, um, loosen the laces in the back, here.”
He crossed the few feet between them and scrutinized the lacing. The bow had been double-knotted so it would stay tied. His nimble fingers gently worked the bow loose and slackened the ribbon through the eyes. She sighed and slouched slightly now that the dress was loose enough to take a full deep breath.
“Better?” he softly asked.
“Much. Thank you.”
Catherine held the dress up with her hand. She turned her head to smile at him, then walked into the bathroom to retrieve a complimentary robe.
***
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath once she was out of sight. Going at her pace was taking nearly all of his self-control, but he just couldn’t push her. It felt…wrong. It was why he’d zipped his pants up again once he stood, though the button was still undone. He knew she wanted him, but whatever would tip the scales in his favor hadn’t happened, yet.
At least she wasn’t trying to be a tease.
Catherine came out in a white fluffy robe, the dress draped over her arm. She went over to the closet and carefully hung it up, caressing the beautiful beading a final time before shutting the door. Her hair was still pinned up and she hadn’t removed her shoes, yet.
He coughed. “Hungry?” God, he wanted to see what was under that robe.
***
“Oh…yes,” she replied, relieved for a safe topic. “I hope there’s something normal on the menu.”
He shook his head. “Bloody Yanks,” he teased.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re all cretins… I’d kill for a burger or pizza, just sayin’.”
“I think we can let the diet slip, just this once.”
Julian started playing with entertainment center remote while she perused the menu, then called room service.
“You want anything?” she asked. He shook his head. “Hi, I’d like to place an order…the sirloin burger…cooked medium, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, no pickle…fries, definitely…a diet Coke, and…a piece of the triple chocolate cake. Uh-huh…twenty minutes? Thank you!” She checked the clock. “I’m gonna really enjoy this.”
He turned off the TV. “Why don’ t you take your hair down?”
Catherine nodded. “Alright.”
She didn’t know how many pins the hairdresser had used, so she was kind of feeling blindly. She placed them on the nightstand as she pulled them out.
“Here.” He came over to help. He batted her hands away and took over, loosening the curls as they tumbled down.
How did he make everything a sensual experience? Having his hands in her hair sent tingles down her spine and butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He removed the last pin and combed his hands through her locks to make them flow freely down her back. She bit back a moan of pleasure.
“There. Much better,” he murmured. He stroked the silky strands from crown to ends. “So pretty. Cat…”
“Hmm?” She half turned.
He slid his hand under her hair to cup her neck and leaned in to kiss her. She sighed into his mouth, her arms slowly sliding up to wrap around his shoulders. He had the most perfect lips for kissing, not that she had a lot of experience. They had just the right fullness, his bottom lip slightly more plump, and were surprisin
gly soft for a man’s. She could tell he was holding back from completely devouring her, and a part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind, but room service would be there soon.
Maybe after she ate.
All too soon, the doorbell rang. They parted, panting.
“I’ll get it,” they both said. He chuckled, while she blushed.
“I’ll get it,” Catherine repeated.
She walked out, only to find the attendant was already gone, leaving a cart with covered plates on it. She wheeled it into the bedroom, stopping in her tracks when she looked up.
He’d shed his shirt and was casually reclining on the bed.
Yummy, she thought, before dropping her attention to the cart. She lifted the cover off the bigger plate, her mouth watering the second the aroma of the large burger hit her senses. She picked up the sandwich with both hands and took a big bite, humming with pleasure at the first taste.
“Oh, this is good!”
He laughed. “And they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“Oh, shut up,” she mumbled, her mouth partially full. She wolfed down the burger like she hadn’t eaten in days.
He stood and leaned over to snag a couple of fries. She slapped his hand.
“Hands off my food, buster! Get your own.” She pulled the cart behind her and tried to look stern, though the effect was somewhat dimmed by the fact that she was still chewing.
Julian grinned and backed away to the bed. “You are so bloody adorable.” He propped a pillow behind his back and crossed one foot over the other, getting comfortable. “You can have a seat, pet.”
“No more stealing my food,” she said, eyeing him warily, before taking a seat at the foot of the bed.
“Mm-hm. Give me your foot.”
“What for?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’ve been complainin’ about those shoes, and I have hands. Gimme a foot.”
“Okay, okay…”
She shifted to put the footboard at her back so she could place her feet in his lap. The heels of her shoes came close to landing on sensitive property. She blinked innocently when he winced.
He unbuckled the sandals and dropped them on the floor, then took one of her feet in both hands and started kneading it.
“Ow! Ow. Ohhhh…” She melted as the tension suddenly disappeared. “How did you do that?”
“Told you--I have many talents. Just relax and finish your grub.”
His skilled hands worked over every inch of her foot. He switched feet. She was leaning back on her elbows, eyelids heavy, watching his hands.
“Puttin’ you t’ sleep, love?”
“Hmm? Um, no…just very relaxed. I’ve never had a foot massage before. My ankle once, after I twisted it, but not my feet.”
“No generous boyfriends in high school?”
She shook her head. “I had boy friends, but not boyfriends. Everybody’s best friend.”
“A date for the dance, at least?”
“I went, but it was always a group outing. You saw me when I arrived. I wasn’t one of the popular kids. But I had several friends and we stuck together, made sure no one was alone. Could’ve been a lot worse. Were you ever picked on as a kid?”
“Couple o’ times, maybe…hard to remember that far back.”
Yeah. Right…
“I suppose. Kids are cruel in any time period, though, right? Popularity contests seem to be human nature.”
“They do, at that.” Julian pulled her closer by her ankles.
“Hey…”
He started massaging her calves. “Done with the feet.”
She smiled, shaking her head, looking at the canopy above. Standard male tactic: look as innocent as possible while getting their hands on more skin. Extra points if the girl doesn’t notice. Not that she minded, honestly. She knew how this night had to end.
Four more hours to sunrise.
***
His young companion was trying to appear nonplussed at his attentions, but he could read what was underneath her surface calm--the accelerated heartbeat, the rise in body temperature, the deliberately deeper breaths. He was at knee-level now. Any higher, and he had to slip under the hem of her robe or push it higher on her legs. His hands moved under her knees so he could work on the back of her legs.
Such soft skin.
“Why don’t you roll over, pet?”
“Why?”
“Catherine…”
“Okay, okay…” She flipped over.
Julian kneaded her thighs, skipped over her shapely behind, and started on her lower back through the robe. The thick terry kept sliding under his fingers, getting in the way.
“This would work better on skin,” he said.
She waited so long to reply, he began to think she was going to ignore the comment.
Catherine wriggled to pull her arms out of the robe and pushed it down to waist level, revealing the fastening of her black lace bra.
He swallowed and put his hands on her back. They’d absorbed enough of her body heat by now to feel warm. She sighed as his thumbs dug into the muscle group at her waist.
“Nice?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She placed her forehead on her hands for a pillow.
He slowly and carefully kneaded every inch, all the way to the nape of her neck. He brushed her hair up out of the way and pushed his fingers over the curve of the base of her skull and along her scalp. She sighed. He continued massaging her scalp in gentle circles. When he was finished, he sat back on his heels and lightly squeezed her shoulder.
“Pet?” He brushed her hair off her face. “Catherine?”
Oh, bloody hell…
He’d put the girl to sleep. Muttering chastisements, he got up and went to the other side of the bed, turning down the covers, then came back around to roll her over so he could pick her up.
What’re ya doin’ to me, love?
She whined a little at being moved, but didn’t stir. He set her down on the soft sheet and covered her up to the neck with the rest, then turned off most of the lights, and got into bed next to her.
“It’s a sad day for you, mate, when you try to seduce a girl, and she falls asleep,” Julian muttered.
Chapter 12
There are moments in life that contain instant knowledge.
The first time expectant parents hear their baby’s heartbeat and realize the world isn’t just about them anymore.
The moment when a runner can see the finish line and knows they’re going to win.
The instant death is inevitable when your parachute doesn’t open.
And the moment when you look into another person’s eyes and know that tonight, or for a few hours, you’re the only two people in the world.
Catherine’s eyes popped open, her body sensing she was being watched.
Julian was right there, his blue eyes dark in the dim light. Their eyes met. Their lips touched.
She cupped his cheek with her hand as his arm slid under her back. No more hedging or evading. She was ready to dance.
***
He was in no hurry, though the way she kissed him now was encouraging. He wanted this to play out with prefect timing, making her completely willing putty in his hands. She was already more responsive to his touch than Celia. Whether that was a Catherine-thing or a human-thing, he didn’t know.
Right now, didn’t care. What mattered was that she was warm, soft in all the right places, and wanted him.
***
She rolled onto her side to face him, pressing her body closer. His touch heated her blood, feelings arcing from nerve endings long after his hand had already moved elsewhere. She ended up on top of him, grinding her pelvis against his hardness and cradling his face in both hands. His hands were on her butt, encouraging her movements.
Needing oxygen, she broke the kiss to sit up. He looked bewildered and slightly panicked, until he realized she wasn’t moving away. She kept eye contact and she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, to
ssing it to the side and on the floor.
His gaze immediately dropped to her bare breasts, his hands coming up to feel them. Her head fell back as he gently squeezed and kneaded with talented fingers. He sat up to wrap his lips around one nipple while tweaking the other between two digits, his other hand on her back to hold her in place.
Catherine moaned. Her hips rocked back and forth over the erection beneath her. Logically, she’d known the boob stuff was going to feel good, but not this good. It felt like all the blood in her body was pooling right above her clit, and if she could get just the right…
“Julian…”
He lifted his head and grinned. “Need more, baby?”
She nodded eagerly, whimpering and wriggling in his arms.
The hand that’d been on her breast dropped to the tie of her panties and pulled the bow loose, then slipped underneath to stroke her center while he sucked hard on the other peak. She squeaked and grabbed his face to bring his lips to hers; kissing him with all the intensity she felt coursing through her body. The closer she got to orgasm, the harder she held on, digging her nails into the back of his neck.
***
The heat radiating into his fingers increased along with the whimpers and moans timed with the roll of her hips, as any second she was going to pop. She was taking what she needed, and he had no problem fulfilling that. Clinging to him like a life preserver as he swallowed her cries with his mouth.
Hottest thing he’d been a part of in a long damn time.
She panted post-climax, watching him suck her juices off his fingers. He winked.
“Delicious.”
She blushed. She brushed her fingers tips over the grooves in his skin from her nails. “Sorry about that.”
He tipped her chin up. “Hey, don’t apologize. Don’t ever apologize for expressing your passion, sweetheart. Besides…” He Eskimo-kissed her nose. “I like it.”
She blushed again. “Oh.”
***
Their faces were still millimeters apart. Their lips met again, slower this time. She could taste herself on his tongue. It wasn’t repulsive.