“Relax…you’ll find it will bring you much more pleasure.”
He was right. After the initial shock of pain wore off, the pleasure of his bite soared within me. He still caressed me between my folds, and my breath came in tiny pants. Almost too soon, he released my nipple, running his tongue up my neck until his mouth claimed mine. Instinctively, I slid my arms around his neck, kissing him back feverishly.
“Ah, Mrs. Andrews. It seems we will have to do something about those hands…stay here and don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
He returned with the handcuffs we’d previously used in Antigua. Taking my wrists behind my back, he cuffed them together. I moaned again with both pleasure and pain. With agonizing slowness, he circled around in front of me. His eyes met mine with a knowing gaze, and kissing me tenderly, he whispered, “You take my breath away, Sydney.”
He trailed kisses along my jawline and down my neck, finally reaching my breasts again. Standing naked in my heels, my hands bound behind my back, my heart raced with expectation.
“Ah…” I cried out as he attached the small nipple clamp to one of my breasts.
Sliding his hand between my folds, he caressed me slowly, tantalizing my nub while taking my other nipple between his teeth. My legs shook, and I arched my back as waves of ecstasy pulsed through my body. He continued to devour my body with his mouth while stroking my nub. I was so close to going over the edge but knew he wouldn’t let me release completely. This was what he was so good at—taking me to the brink of my desire, only to hold me back. I panted, almost breathless in my need. Moving around behind me, he took hold of my bound wrists, guiding me to the dining room table. He reached around and placed the other clamp on my bare nipple.
“Bend over, Mrs. Andrews,” he demanded huskily as I heard him unzip his pants.
I did as he asked, my nipples sensitive and hard as pebbles from the clamps. When my breasts hit the table, I cried out, moaning for sweet release. He slid his powerful hands down to cup my bottom as he entered me slowly.
“Sam,” I cried out.
Bound, my legs spread wide as he fucked me from behind, my orgasm built from deep within. His hips thrust in a steady rhythm, edging me closer to the point of no return. My body trembled, and he reached his hands around to my breasts, pinching the tips of my nipples between his fingers as he thrust deeper into me. I felt his hardness throbbing within, both of us close to the brink of our explosive desire. With one last thrust, we both come, the nipple clamps removed causing a great rush of pleasurable pain.
Exploding around an orgasm so immense, my body shuddered vigorously as I fell apart under his weight.
After a few minutes, he pulled out of me and released me from the cuffs. Wordlessly, he helped me up from the table, turned me around, and crushed his mouth down on mine. A delectable ache between my thighs made itself known. He lifted me up onto the table, and I wrapped my legs around his hips. Then, his hands firm under my buttocks, he carried me to our bedroom, our mouths still melded together. Laying me down on the bed, he climbed between my legs. I moaned, arching my hips up to him, wanting him to impale me again with his hard shaft. He leaned down and kissed me deeply, nudging his bulging manhood into my entrance. I clenched around his hardness. A low growl escaped me as I locked my thighs around his waist, urging him deeper. His thrusts became more urgent, and my thighs trembled as another orgasm ripped through me.
“Sam…oh, my God…” I groaned.
“So, fucking amazing, Sydney,” he whispered in my ear.
I came hard and fast with Sam not far behind. As he collapsed on top of me, I wrapped my arms around his back, kissing him tenderly on his cheek. He rolled to his side, pulled me into his arms, and spooned me from behind as we both fell into a deep, satisfied sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Waking the next morning, I was disappointed to find myself alone in bed. Turning onto my back, I rubbed my eyes as my thoughts turned to last night. I blushed, thinking about our proclivities, but also found myself acutely aroused, a dull ache building between my legs. I rolled onto my stomach, squeezing my legs together, trying to squelch the ache, but it wasn’t working. The need became more intense with each memory. I groaned loudly. That’s when I felt the bed lower behind me and the sheet slipping quietly from my body. Sam kissed the inside of my calf. I tingled with pleasure. He kissed my inner thigh as he parted my legs with his hands. I felt his lips on my backside as he kissed each cheek slowly. I shuddered as he stroked my ache.
“Ah…” I whimpered.
He continued his ascent up my body with his mouth. I felt the head of his magnificent arousal at my entrance. Slick with need, I parted my legs wider, giving him full access to my channel. As he entered me slowly, my body quivered with anticipation of him pumping powerfully inside me. I lay flat on my stomach, my legs spread wide, and with Sam’s solid cock inside me and his lips on my neck, I felt overwhelmingly sensual. I arched my bottom up a little to give him further access. He thrust harder into me, holding my arms next to either side of my head with his hands. My breathing was ragged as he pounded into me, his body slapping against mine. I was building quickly, my need wild and uncontained.
“Come for me, Sydney,” he whispered in my ear as a low growl escaped him.
I crested instantly, and waves of uncontrollable pleasure washed over me. He thrust into me harder and harder. My hands still bound by his, my ass still slightly arched for his cock to pound deeper into me, another wave of pleasure crescendoed deep within me.
“That’s it, Sydney. I want you to come for me again.”
He pulled me up by my hips so I was now on all fours. I felt him move his hands around to my breasts, his fingers pinching my nipples expertly as cries of pleasure escaped me. He held me up on my knees, and his cock impaled me over and over again, my back slick against his chest. Reaching around me, he slid his hand down between my legs, the fingertips pinching my nub, and I groaned loudly.
“Sam…” I gasped.
“That’s it, Sydney. Come again for me.”
I felt him close to his own orgasm as the pulsating began at the base of his cock. He thrust harder. I came undone in his arms as he came undone behind me. Rolling over onto the bed, he kissed me tenderly on the lips.
“Good Morning, Mrs. Andrews.” He smiled into my eyes.
“Good Morning,” I whispered.
“Time to get ready for our day. Our guide will be here in an hour. Breakfast will be here in fifteen minutes.”
I groaned. “I’m too comfortable to get out of bed.”
“Let’s go, Mrs. Andrews. I have a feeling you won’t want to miss out on this day.”
I groaned again, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
“Okay, if I must.” I sashayed as I walked into the bathroom.
I noticed a beautiful bouquet of peonies on the bathroom counter as I prepared to shower and get ready for our day. Walking over to them, I leaned my head down to take in their magnificent fragrance. Spotting an envelope attached to the vase with my name on it, I took it quickly and opened the note.
Sydney, I saw these and thought of you. Beautiful flowers for my beautiful wife. XOXO-Sam
Tears sprang into my eyes. As much as I tried not to think about it, knowing how our story would end caused me great agony. I was usually able to keep these emotions at bay by focusing only on the present, but moments like these, when I was alone and the thoughts crept in, were a reminder that one day, he’d let me go. My heart ached.
“Get it together, Syd,” I whispered, holding the notecard to my chest.
Sam held a steaming mug of coffee out to me as I approached him in the kitchen.
“Thank you. It smells wonderful.”
“Let’s get you fed, Mrs. Andrews. We have quite a day planned.”
“I can’t wait to find out what we’re doing today.”
“You won’t be disappointed.”
“I have no doubts.”
After breakfast, we walked
out to the hotel lobby. One of the concierges approached us, letting us know our car was waiting outside. We were ushered to a sleek black Mercedes, where our tour guide, Oscar, introduced himself, then opened the back door so we could climb in. I was giddy with suppressed excitement.
Paris had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. There was something so utterly romantic about the city, and I loved that Sam made such a great effort to find out what was important to me. Talking to my sister so that he could take me to a place I probably would have never gotten to on my own reminded me how truly special he was. I leaned in, kissing him on his cheek.
“What was that for?”
“That was for making my dream come true.” I gazed at him, my lips turning up into a smile.
He stared at me for a long time before speaking.
“I take great pleasure in watching you enjoy life, Sydney. No one appreciates life quite like you do.”
I beamed up at him, basking in his compliment.
Oscar was a wonderful tour guide. He introduced us to the beautiful architecture of Paris, beginning with the Opera Garnier, which inspired The Phantom of the Opera. We passed by the Louvre which, I was told, we’d have a private tour of later in the week, then continued along the Seine River, finding ourselves at the Cathedral of Notre Dame for a private tour.
“Wow,” was all I could manage as I climbed out of the car.
“It’s magnificent, no?” asked Oscar in his French accent.
“I have no words,” I replied.
Sam held my hand as we followed Oscar inside the Cathedral. My eyes darted everywhere, taking in the splendor that surrounded me. I squeezed Sam’s hand in excitement. He returned the gesture, with a wide grin spread across his face. We spent the next hour and a half touring the Cathedral. There was so much to take in, from the organs, to the art masterpieces, to the beautiful stained-glass windows. Oscar was well-versed in the history and architecture of the Cathedral, leaving out no detail, which made our tour that much better.
When we finished, we hopped back in the car, heading to the Marias district. Oscar led us on a walking tour of this delightful slice of heaven, winding our way first to the Royal square in Paris, Place de Vosges. The square was far removed from the noise and traffic of Paris, with restaurants and art galleries along the north side. Oscar told us it had been created for the wedding of Louis the 13th in 1612. He left us to walk around the square for an hour, and Sam and I took our time exploring the little art galleries. I fell in love with a small painting of pink peonies which reminded me of the bouquet Sam gave me this morning. I took a few minutes to linger over the detail in the painting, admiring the way the lighting above it made the flowers look real, as if they were popping off of the canvas.
“Ready to move on, Mrs. Andrews?” Sam whispered in my ear from behind.
Chills ran up my spine. His close proximity always thrilled me. Turning slowly toward him, I smiled, leaned up, and kissed him tenderly on his soft lips.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Oscar was waiting outside the gallery for us. I walked alongside him as he pointed out various historical landmarks on our way. Thinking Sam was behind us, I turned to find him nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Sam?” I questioned.
Oscar scanned the crowd behind us for a moment.
“Ah, there he is, madame.” He pointed to Sam further back in the crowd.
As he approached, I noticed two white to-go cups in his hands.
“I thought a cup of coffee was in order.” He smiled, handing me a steaming cup of black coffee.
“Ready?” asked Oscar.
Sam nodded, and we followed Oscar back to the car.
We spent the rest of our time with Oscar exploring the Left Bank, known as old Paris. Hand in hand, we strolled through the Latin Quarter, explored the Pantheon, Luxumbourg Garden, and wound our way to the Saint Germain District, which was home to many musicians, artists, and writers, and had been since the 1920’s. Oscar guided us to Cezembre Restaurant, leaving us to have a late lunch, letting us know he’d return in a few hours to gather us up and take us back to our hotel.
We were seated in the back of the bistro at an intimate, private table for two. Sam must have called ahead and done his research, because they immediately served us a glass of wine and our first course.
“This has been such a fantastic day, Sam,” I exclaimed. “I feel like I have to continually pinch myself to remind myself that this is actually real.”
He smiled warmly at me. “We have so much more to see this week. Tonight, we have dinner reservations at someplace special.”
“Where are we going?” I coaxed, knowing he wouldn’t tell me but trying my luck anyway.
He raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘Do you really think I’m going to tell you?’
“I know, I know, you love to surprise me.” I winked at him.
“I do love to surprise you, Mrs. Andrews. I love to see the expression on your face when the surprise is finally revealed to you. You absolutely glow.”
My skin tingled at his compliment.
“After lunch, Oscar will bring us back to our hotel. We’ll rest for a few hours before dinner, and he will then pick us back up at six thirty.”
“I’m not sure how I’m ever going to go back to reality.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Sam’s frown gave away what he was thinking.
“I’m afraid of that, Sydney,” he said quietly.
“Sam, please. I told you, I will be fine.”
“I hope that’s true. I hate the thought of hurting you.”
“You’ve made absolutely no promises. We made a business arrangement, nothing more.”
Reaching across the table, my hand found his. I gave it a light squeeze, hopefully reassuring him.
“Well, you did make me one promise,” I whispered.
“What did I promise?”
“You promised we’d remain friends after all of this is over.”
“We will definitely remain friends, Sydney.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
“Then that’s all I ask, Sam.”
“You really are like no other, Mrs. Andrews. A rare gem.”
I brushed a tendril of hair out of my eye, gaining the confidence to ask the question that so often came to my mind.
“Do you really see yourself staying single for the rest of your life?”
In the deepest depth of my being, I’d hoped I had somehow changed his mind about remaining single. He gaped at me, then closed his eyes briefly, as if he was thinking about how to answer my question. Blinking twice, he looked confused as his gaze found mine. Pursing his lips, it looked like he was about to speak, but he hesitated, as if having some sort of internal struggle. I waited, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts.
“I’ve been single for a long time, Sydney,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “After Lena destroyed everything we had, I decided to not ever let someone that close again. Her betrayal hurt. I gave her my whole heart and she shattered it. It’s hard to pick up the pieces and trust again when something like that happens.” He stared intently at me. I wasn’t sure where the courage to get so personal came from, but I was on a roll, so I continued with my third degree.
“What about children? Did you ever want them?”
He shifted uncomfortably. It appeared I’d hit a nerve.
“I dreamed of children at one time. When Lena and I broke up, she called a few weeks later to let me know she’d had an abortion. She told me she had been pregnant and decided to abort our child because I wouldn’t forgive her and take her back.”
He frowned, and my heart hurt for him.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t know whether it’s true or not. It could be she just wanted to hurt me even more because I wouldn’t take her back. But it was another dagger in my heart. To think she got rid of my child, without giving me the opportunity to even know about him or
her, was devastating.”
He shrugged as if he was trying to release the memory.
I didn’t have any words for him, so I reached across the table and squeezed his hand gently.
“And who knows, if it was true, the baby could have been Marcus’. I have no idea how long they had been sleeping together.”
My heart ached for Sam. So much loss at the hands of two people, one whom he’d truly loved.
He was quiet, almost pensive as he contemplated his past. Shaking his head, he looked uneasy.
I was surprised when he asked me, “What about you, Sydney? Since we’re sharing our deepest secrets, do you want children?”
I stumbled over my words, caught off guard. “I did. I mean, I do. I just feel like I’m at a place where that might not happen now. I thought James and I would be getting married this year and we’d start a family immediately. I’m not getting any younger, that’s for sure.”
The reality of my words hit me like a cinder block.
“You still have time. So many people have children later in life.”
“Yes, but I’ve dedicated another year of my life to you, then I’ll have to start dating, and ugh…the process sounds completely agonizing.”
Sam stifled a smile.
“I have a feeling there will be plenty of men knocking on your door when they find out you are single.”
Chapter Sixteen
Back in our suite, Sam called home to check on his grandfather. His mom let him know he was doing well, with no major changes, and they that they were heading over there tonight for dinner. Sam then called John to check in on the house and Bear. My fur-baby was apparently doing great, loving his early morning swims in the pool and his long walks in the evening.
“He’s completely spoiled.” I giggled.
“He is. It sounds like John and Loretta vie for his attention. How about a nap, Mrs. Andrews? We have a long night ahead of us.”
“I was thinking about a long soak in the tub before a nap.”
“That sounds lovely. Why don’t you go enjoy yourself? I have a few phone calls to make for work.”
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