[4 Seasons 01] Seducing Summer

by Serenity Woods

  It was the best thing in the world as she began to tense around him, her autopilot kicking in and her body taking over, but he wasn’t ready yet. He withdrew his fingers and lifted his head, and just blew softly on her hot flesh.

  “Aaahhh…” She writhed beneath him, trying to push her hips up to meet his mouth.

  He waited for about fifteen seconds, kissing across her hips and thighs, before he lowered his head, letting her body loosen before he began with his fingers and tongue, teasing her once more to the edge.

  Yet again, though, after about half a minute as she began to tighten, he withdrew his fingers and lifted his head.

  “Argh!” She lifted up on her elbows and glared at him. “Gene!” Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes blazing with unspent desire.

  He fixed his gaze on hers. “Lie down.”

  Her chest heaved and she continued to glare at him for a moment, then flopped back and stared up at the ceiling.

  Hiding a smile, he kissed the insides of her thighs, waiting for her to relax, and only then returned his mouth and fingers to begin stimulating her again.

  By now, her slippery moisture coated his hand and her clit was firm and hard as a button, and as he sucked it, she gave a long moan almost like a cry and writhed beneath him. Taking pity on her, this time he didn’t stop but went with her all the way, and was rewarded when she tightened around his fingers and wailed as her orgasm claimed her with thick, hard pulses, her head lifting up and her features creasing with pleasure.

  He kept his mouth there until she groaned and collapsed back onto the mattress, and then he carefully withdrew his fingers and took a few moments to place soft kisses and light licks, tasting the aftershocks that rippled through her until her breathing slowed and her body relaxed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Callie lay high on a haze of sexual endorphins, limp and spent. It seemed that Gene hadn’t finished with her yet, though. He was kissing her thighs, and across her hip, slowly moving up her body, teasing and tantalizing with his lips and tongue as he went.

  “Mmm.” She felt as if she were swimming in a huge bowl of melted chocolate, rich and sated. “That was nice.”

  “It was.” He moved to lie beside her. Eyes closed, she felt his fingers slip down between her legs, gathering her arousal. Then, to her shock, he smoothed it across a nipple before lowering his mouth to suck it off.

  “Gene! Jeez.”

  “What?” He did it again, to the other nipple.

  “I… oh…” She’d thought she was completely spent, but to her surprise her body began to stir again.

  He kissed up her neck to her mouth, wrapped his arms around her, and rolled onto his back, taking her with him. Callie pushed herself up to sit astride him, feeling his erection like a wooden pole between the cheeks of her bottom.

  “Mmm.” She rubbed against it, liking the way his eyelids fell to half-mast with desire. “It feels as if you’re ready for action.”

  “Always, when you’re around.” He pulled her down to kiss her, and she gave in and opened her mouth to his searching tongue, wanting to turn him on as much as he’d done to her. It didn’t seem to be a difficult task. In less than a minute, he was reaching for his wallet, and she helped him out, removing the condom, tearing off the wrapper, and rolling it on for him.

  She did it slowly, taking time to stroke him as she went, and by the time she maneuvered herself so the tip of his erection parted her folds, he was breathing deep and fast, and his eyes were hot with passion.

  Pushing down, she welcomed him inside her, closing her eyes as he slid in easily. His hands landed on her hips, pushing up the final inch, and she tipped her head back with a groan, enjoying being filled like this, being impaled.

  Holding her hips firmly, he began to thrust hard beneath her, but Callie didn’t want that. He’d drawn out her pleasure, taking time to arouse her, and she didn’t want this to be all about the destination. The journey was where the fun lay.

  So she took his hands, linked their fingers, and moved them up to pin them above his head. He could have wrestled himself free with little effort, but he chose to play along, and let her hold him down while she began to ride him with long, slow thrusts, rocking her hips to slide him almost out before she lowered herself again. He said nothing, but his gray eyes fixed on hers, filled with an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher—admiration? Affection?

  “I could get to like this,” she whispered, bending to kiss him. “Having you at my mercy.”

  He closed his eyes while she pressed her lips to his, and she felt them curve up. “Hmm,” he said when she eventually moved back.

  “Yes.” She could feel the tension building inside him, and she slowed her movements, enjoying the sensual slide of his rock-hard erection through her swollen and sensitive flesh. “Maybe I’ll buy some handcuffs and chain you to my bed at home, and keep you there for when I feel like using you for my pleasure.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Handcuffs?”

  “Mmm. I’m sure Neve has a few sets in her displays. I’d cuff each hand apart, and your legs, and bring you food so you never had to leave.”

  “I can think of worse ways to live.” His voice had grown husky—the game was turning them both on.

  She leaned over him, grazing her nipples over his lips. He opened his mouth obligingly and sucked first one and then the other. She kissed around to his ear, feeling his deep groan rumble through his chest as her breasts brushed along it. The wet, hard beads of her nipples scraped through the hair on his ribs, sending tingles right through her body, down to her clit. “Oh…” Her orgasm wasn’t far away, but she wanted him to come first—he deserved it.

  Lifting up again, she kissed him, making sure her thrusts were slow and regular, knowing he was close when his breathing grew ragged and his hips thrust involuntarily. He made as if to loosen their hands, and she knew he wanted to toss her onto her back and thrust hard to relieve the ache inside him, but she shook her head and tightened her fingers on his.

  “Just wait,” she instructed. “Let it take you slowly. I want to watch.”

  He blinked a few times, then gave a small nod, so she straightened her arms and continued to move, teasing him further to the edge with each push of her hips. At one point, she let him slide almost out of her and just teased the tip of his erection, in and out, watching his chest heave and his face contort with pleasure, and then she sank down, taking him all the way, and carried on with her slow thrusts.

  It didn’t take long after that. With delight, she watched his climax take him with the wash of a long, gentle wave that gradually grew in strength rather than a tsunami. She saw his fierce frown, his lips part with a groan, his body tense beneath her, and felt him swell inside her as his body pulsed.

  Only when he’d finished and relaxed back into the pillows, gasping, did she thrust a little harder, grinding her clit against him until her own orgasm hit, and she clenched around him, trying not to laugh as he swore and complained while she squeezed his hyper-sensitized shaft.

  “Ow,” he said when she finally released his hands and fell forward onto his chest.

  She gave in to the laughter and giggled away, enjoying the warmth of his arms when he hugged her. “Sorry.”

  “I think you’ve milked every last drop out of me.”

  “Mmm. I hope so.”

  He sighed and kissed the top of her head, and they lay there like that for as long as they could before they had to move. He withdrew and disposed of the condom, and she shifted to the side, her heart racing at the memory of how he’d been the last time they’d done this.

  But this time he turned her so her back was to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, and she nuzzled into his embrace, enjoying the slide of their warm skin from the heat of the room. His arm rested tightly under her breasts.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  She felt him chuckle. “You’re welcome.”

  “I mean for not leaving immediately. I appreciate it.”

&
nbsp; He kissed her hair. “I’m sorry about last time. I have to tell you, though—I’d rather go back to my own room in a while, if that’s okay.”

  The sun had set now, and the sky was turning a darker blue and purple, with the first stars appearing—Orion to the north, and Sirius the Dog Star shining brightly to his side.

  Callie swallowed hard. “Of course.”

  “It’s just… I sleep very little, and I’m quite restless. I wouldn’t want to wake you.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I don’t mind.”

  “Thank you.”

  So they lay for a while, not saying much, and then he kissed her goodnight, gathered his clothes, and left the room.

  Callie curled up in the big bed, but it was a long time before she finally fell asleep.

  *

  Gene was still awake, sitting at the table in his room and working through the latest reports from his office, when his mobile rang on the bedside table.

  Holding it up to his ear, he answered, “Hello?” as he walked over to the window. For a moment, he didn’t register who was calling, taken aback by the beauty of the view. The sky was filled with stars that had turned the ocean a stunning mixture of black and silver. It took his breath away—or was he just seeing things differently through the eyes of a man smitten by the gorgeous blonde lying in the other room?

  “Gene?”

  He snapped back to the present. “Kev?” He frowned. It must have been close to midnight. “What’s up?”

  “Bad news, I’m afraid.”

  “What’s happened?”

  “Philip’s just rung.” That was their contact at the Special Tactics Group. “Within the space of about an hour, two members of the jury that convicted Kirk have been shot and killed. Philip admitted Kirk’s slipped the net.”

  Cold slithered through Gene’s veins, making him inhale sharply. “Fuck.”

  “Yeah. I can’t believe it. I was convinced he was on the verge of being found.”

  “You and me both.”

  “I’ll inform Ms. Hawke in the morning. I assume she’ll contact Ms. Summer and update her.”

  “Yes, I’m sure she will.” Would it have any effect on Callie? She’d not raised the subject of the threat on her or her mother’s life at all. Neve had suggested Callie didn’t take the threat seriously. Would this make a difference? “All right. Stay frosty. Send me through any details. We’ll talk more in the morning.” Gene hung up.

  He leaned on the window and rested his head on his arm. All of a sudden, he wanted nothing more than to confess to Callie and discuss the situation with her. If she was aware of who he really was, maybe he could convince her that his presence there was essential, and there wouldn’t have to be any more secrets between them.

  But what if he told her and she still refused to take it seriously? If she broke off their… relationship, or whatever it should be called, sacked him as her PA, and told him to get lost? His heart sank. He couldn’t risk it. He wouldn’t be able to protect her properly from a distance.

  Then he gave a wry laugh. That’s not exactly the truth, is it? The reason he didn’t want to tell her wasn’t just because he was worried about protecting her, although that was important. He didn’t want to tell her because he didn’t want to risk losing her. Not now. Not when they’d begun something that had made him feel the best he’d felt in years.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “What’s he doing here?” Rowan glanced over her shoulder to where Gene stood by the drinks table, topping up glasses from a bottle of bubbly for a group of Willow’s friends.

  Callie had just finished filling her, Neve, and Bridget in on the successful appointments she’d had over the past week. They were all thrilled that so many stores were willing to stock the Four Seasons designs, and she thought that for the first time since they’d begun their venture, the rest of them were finally beginning to believe in her vision of how far they could go if they gave it their all.

  She followed Rowan’s gaze, admired Gene briefly in his black tux and bow tie, and then looked back. “Neve suggested he come and be a waiter for us. I thought it would be funny to see how he reacted in this kind of situation.”

  “He seems to be doing all right.” Bridget sipped her wine and grinned as the women around him burst into giggles at something he’d said.

  “Yes, he does,” Callie said wryly. She was slightly surprised by that. There was something straight-laced about him at times, and she’d half expected him to get flustered and embarrassed in a group of women, but the opposite appeared to be happening. If anything, he seemed to have relaxed more, losing the ex-soldier ramrod stance and becoming quite the flirt.

  “He’s rather gorgeous.” Rowan nibbled nervously at some peanuts. “I have no idea what to say to him.”

  “Dear Rowan,” Callie said with affection. “He’s perfectly normal. Just talk to him like you talk to us.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t. What would I say?”

  Neve gave an unladylike snort. “I don’t know why you always go to pieces when a good-looking guy turns up. Looks don’t mean anything. It’s what’s inside that matters.”

  “What’s Gene like inside, Callie?” Bridget asked. “Spill the beans.” Her expression was a little too innocent. Rowan giggled.

  Callie met Neve’s steady gaze and knew she suspected what was going on between them. Can you not tell Neve about what happened tonight? Gene had asked that the first time they’d slept together.

  “He’s very nice,” she said.

  Bridget rolled her eyes. “Aw, come on…”

  Callie laughed. “Nothing’s happened between us.”

  “You’re kidding me.” Rowan’s eyes nearly fell out of her head. “He hasn’t made a move on you? More importantly, you haven’t made a move on him?”

  “Not at all. We have a professional, working relationship.”

  All the other three women snorted.

  “I’m telling the truth,” Callie said softly, not liking that she was lying to her friends. Was she putting Gene’s feelings above theirs? What did that mean? “I like him, of course I do, and I think he likes me, but he made it clear on the first day that he’s here to work and that nothing’s going to happen between us before Becky comes back.”

  “And when she does?” Rowan asked.

  Callie shrugged. “We’ll have to see. I’m in no hurry anyway. I’m still in post-Jamie gloom.” That was only partly true. Gene was rapidly dispelling it. “What about the rest of you?” she asked in an attempt to draw attention away from herself. “Any news on the romance front? It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, after all. Are you expecting cards and flowers from anyone?”

  “No,” all three of them said at the same time. They all laughed.

  “We’re hopeless.” Rowan sighed and sipped her wine.

  “Speak for yourself.” Neve finished off her glass of vodka. “I don’t want any of that stupid romance stuff. I’m going clubbing tomorrow night, and I’m going to find myself a man for the night for some tawdry sex.”

  “Neve!” Bridget scolded. “You love to shock us all, don’t you?”

  “I might join you,” Rowan said enviously. “I haven’t had sex for a millennium.”

  That made them all laugh. “Somehow I can’t imagine you in a nightclub on the prowl,” Callie teased.

  “I know.” Rowan swirled the last inch of wine around in her glass, watching the bubbles rising and popping on the surface. “Nightclubs terrify me.”

  “Everything terrifies you.”

  “True. But I know I’m never going to meet anyone sitting behind my desk. I have to put myself out there a bit, I am aware of that. The other day, Hitch said ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ and although it’s a cliché, it really made me think. He’s right. If I don’t take risks, I’ll never meet the right man.”

  “My brother knows precisely nothing about romance,” Bridget advised her. “For God’s sake, don’t let him give you advice.”

  “O
h, I don’t know.” Callie wasn’t sure she agreed. Bridget’s brother was a nature photographer who spent almost every waking hour of his day covered in tree ferns and hiding in the middle of the bush somewhere, photographing possums and kiwi and other nocturnal creatures. About eight feet tall, gorgeous, and funny, he was obsessed with his work, and Bridget was right in that his track record with women was abysmal, extending to brief bouts of concentrated sexual activity before he disappeared once more into the wild, invariably leaving a bawling woman in his wake. In spite of that, though, he was very down-to-earth, and Callie could think of worse people to give the romantic, idealistic Rowan advice.

  “Can I get you ladies anything?”

  Callie glanced up to see Gene standing there, a bottle of bubbly in one hand and a dish of miniature chocolate eclairs in the other.

  “Ooh.” Neve took three eclairs. “Thanks.”

  Callie held up her glass. Gene’s eyes met hers for a brief moment, and then he rested the lip of the bottle on the rim of the glass and tipped it up.

  When they’d met up in the morning, he’d been quiet but hadn’t pulled away when she’d hugged him. He’d continued to be a little reserved while they’d driven back to Picton, where they’d left the car to be returned down south and had taken the ferry to Wellington. Catching a taxi back in the city, Gene had instructed it to take Callie back first, and he’d left her with a promise to attend the party the next day.

  They hadn’t discussed how what had happened would affect them once they left for their journey north. Callie supposed she would have to wait and see once they arrived at their next destination.

  He hadn’t asked her to keep quiet about their relationship again, but when she’d arrived at Willow’s place, he hadn’t greeted her with anything more than a formal nod of the head, either, so she’d assumed he wanted to keep it beneath his hat for the moment.

  He wandered to the next group with the bottle, and Callie sipped from her glass.

  “How’s your mum, by the way?” Rowan asked. “Any news on the death threats?”