“Let my body decide? I’m a grown woman, Jack, not just some young girl you can use up and toss away. I won’t allow myself to be used. I’m smarter than that.”
“Smarts are overrated,” Jack said seriously. Hadley waited for a condescending wink, or chuckle. Or some indication that he took her emotional turmoil lightly. Instead he met her gaze steadily, and she saw a flash of understanding there. He spoke again, still looking directly into her eyes. “I’ve got some of them myself,” he said. “Intelligence. It will override your instincts if you let it. The key is not to let it. Follow your instincts, Hadley.”
Instincts? Hadley felt herself react to the word instantly. Those shadowing, fleeting feelings that she used to have so frequently had quieted lately. She hadn’t been listening. What were they saying now?
Instead of firing off a rebuttal, she let his words sink in. Silently, she picked up a plate and began serving some food. As she placed eggs, bacon, and some fruit on her plate she felt a wave of wonder pass over her.
What if this is the message I’ve been needing to hear? she wondered. He was speaking to her so intensely, so openly, as if he felt it important for her to hear his words, and take them to heart.
How have I been doing, relying on my smarts? she thought.
‘Intelligence will overrun instinct, if you let it,’ he had said.
Yes, she thought. Yes, it will. All of her logic told her to get through the next two days, and put the kiss behind her. Her logic told her to fight tooth and nail for her business, and do what she could to make her way back to the front of the pack once she returned to the city.
Work harder.
Longer hours.
Smarter.
Beat the competition.
Only the strong survive.
Words and phrases from her life in business careened through her mind. Where has it gotten me? she thought. The bank may take my house. My business is failing. I have no self confidence, few friends, and no loving partner. Cassy is my only companion, and I’m going to let her down. This isn’t working. What if I’ve been doing this all wrong?
Is there another way?
She looked up, hesitantly, towards Jack. As she peeked out between her bangs, she saw that he was watching her. Spearing a strawberry onto her fork, she lifted it to her lips. “I could try that,” she said thoughtfully.”Letting go of some of the intellect. But you should try something too. You are emotionless. Why?”
She watched him pale at her words. He sputtered and almost couldn’t swallow his coffee. She knew that he wasn’t used to people speaking to him like that.
He nodded. “I am… guarded,” he said. “I’ve been through some things, in the past, which--” He stopped himself and used a napkin to pat his lip. “Which I don’t need to go into at this moment. They are private matters.”
“Jack, if you kiss me, you have to know that for me, touch like that is an emotional thing. I can see that for you it is not. I’m being open to instincts, so you should be open to emotions.”
She bit the strawberry off of the fork, and felt flavors burst over her tongue. As she swallowed, she licked her lips.
“What if this is working for me? The way I am now?” he said carefully.
“Is it?” she asked. “I mean, honestly. Is it? That’s what I had to ask myself. I know you are a wealthy man, but I can’t help but think that there is more you could be doing than hooking up with pop stars that splash pictures of you all over magazines.” She eyed him and saw that her judgement had been an astute one. He seemed to cringe at the memory of the Gossip Trender photos.
“I’m not like other men, Hadley.”
“Oh, you’re not?” Hadley asked in a challenging tone. “I think you’re human like the rest of us, Jack. I’m only telling you that humans have emotions. I have emotions, and I can’t turn them off. And they’re… nice, sometimes. You might be surprised.”
“And you’re going to surprise me?” Jack asked playfully. Hadley was happy to see some color returning to his face.
“I think I could,” Hadley said.
He sipped his coffee, looking at her in a whole new way. She speared a second strawberry. I think I’ve already surprised you, Hadley thought while she bit into the berry. She looked into Jack’s eyes and raised one eyebrow. I’m not like the other women you’ve been with, am I? she asked with her eyes.
He shook his head, supplying her with an answer.
The drive to El Calafate was beautiful, and Hadley could not believe that she had been so close to saying no to the opportunity. Jack drove in a white Corvette, and Hadley felt like a queen as the sun-drenched, whitewashed landscape sped past.
Her sense of being royalty increased as they entered the village and Jack purchased an appointment for her at a local spa. She felt pampered as she got her nails and hair done, and basked in the facial that the talented spa staff delivered.
The feeling of attractiveness that had been growing inside of her was now through the roof, and she allowed herself to flirt with Jack openly as he praised her polished appearance.
They laughed and joked over lunch, and she found that when he held her arm or elbow lightly she was open to his touch. It began to feel familiar, and she started to remember how wonderful it was to be in companionship with a man.
Following her instincts turned out to be more fun than she expected. Instead of overthinking every option before her, she felt her responses in her body. The tingles were fun to pay attention to, as if a feather was whispering over her heart. She was listening to this intuitive sense as the corvette sped down the highway that would take them home.
The feathery, light feeling was whispering something to her.
“Jack, let’s pull over,” she said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
The sun was sinking behind the mountains, and they were still an hour from the cabin.
Jack smiled. “I know just the place,” he said.
They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and Hadley wondered what he had in mind. Another ten miles passed in silence, and Hadley’s anticipation grew. The pink sky had washed the snow in glowing rose, and the scene before her eyes was stunning. She couldn’t wait to be walking through it with Jack.
He pulled off on an unmarked road, and the Corvette began climbing a steep, passageway. After several minutes of climbing, the road stopped.
Jack got out of the car, and Hadley followed him.
She wore leather boots, a long, puffy jacket which she had borrowed from the cabin, and leggings that had been packed for her. The evening air was cold against her skin, and she was happy as she reached Jack’s side and he put his arm around her.
It was warm at his side, and she nestled into him as she took in the scenery around them. The wilderness around them was breathtaking.
The sun-dappled snow blanketed the ground, and beautiful pines that looked like Christmas trees sprinkled the landscape. The sunset created a pink and orange glow over the mountain peaks, and Hadley felt as if she was walking through a post card.
As they rounded a corner on the path, a lodge came into view. A man was moving a heavy wooden fence across the path.
He waved at them, and kept working. Then he looked up from his work.
“Jack?” he called. “Is that you?”
“Jose!” Jack responded. “It’s me.”
“Brother! I didn’t know you were in town.”
The man was rushing forward, and Hadley watched him greet Jack warmly, hugging him and patting his chest.
Jack motioned towards Hadley.
“Jose, this is Hadley Wilder. Hadley, this is Jose,”
“So wonderful to meet you!” Jose said warmly. “Jack is a good man. A friend of his is a friend of mine. You must come in! Angelina will be so happy to see you! And the children. Come, come in!” The man was eagerly waving them forwards.
“Is this okay?” Jack asked, looking towards Hadley.
Hadley’s rational mind wanted to decline the offer, and ask that th
ey walk back to the car before it got too dark. But the man was so warm and welcoming, and he was so excited to see Jack.
Somehow, seeing his affection for Jack made her see the billionaire differently as well. He was more than a billionaire. He as a man. A good man. Maybe he hasn’t always been so analytical and guarded, she thought. Jose seemed to see past Jack’s wealth and into the man inside. It was a stark contrast to the way Hadley had seen Jack treated by others in New York, and it was refreshing.
“Yes, of course,” Hadley said, smiling. She felt happy. “I’d love to visit with Jose.”
Jack hugged her close again as they walked towards the entry way.
After a warm meal with Jose and his family, and several glasses of wine, the discussion turned to sleeping arrangements. The meal had lingered late into the evening, and Jose was insisting that they stay the night.
“We only have a small room, but we will make you very comfortable. Please,” he said, refilling their wine glasses yet again. “Be our guest tonight.”
Hadley felt blissful as she reached for the glass of Chianti. The fire was crackling and the cozy ranch was warm and filled with love. She sipped her wine, happy with the thought of staying.
Jack accepted the offer graciously, and slipped away from the table with Jose, who wanted to show him the room.
Jose’s wife, Angelina, was a warm woman and Hadley felt at ease at the table chatting with her. Soon Jack and Jose returned, and one by one the kind family left the room, yawning as they drifted off to bed, and wishing Jack and Hadley a good night.
Hadley found herself alone with Jack, and she had the sensation that he was not the man she had met in Brooklyn. His distant, elusive persona was melting away. She could see that being with his close friends had touched him deeply. They moved, without discussion, out to a small porch. Hadley felt in sync with the man at her side as they sat and gazed up at the star speckled sky.
“The stars are more beautiful here,” Hadley said. “Much more beautiful in the city.”
“No light pollution,” Jack said. “Things are pure here.”
“Is that why you visit the cabin?” Hadley asked.
Jack nodded. “It’s good to get away from cities. That’ll get you caught up in your head. When I’m out here, in nature I feel freedom. I feel that I can breathe.”
“Your money buys you freedom everywhere you go, I’m sure,” said Hadley, thinking aloud. “You can have anything you want.”
“It comes with some drawbacks,” Jack said. “When I get away, to places like these, I start to forget about the wealth. I enjoy it.”
“I can tell,” Hadley said. “Have you always been wealthy?”
“Since childhood,” Jack said, his sigh releasing a puff of mist into the night sky.
“Have you ever married?” Hadley asked.
“No. My lifestyle doesn’t really… suit marriage I guess you could say. I was with someone once… long ago. We almost married, but --” He stopped short, and for the first time Hadley saw an emotion besides detached amusement pass over his face.
“But what?” she prompted.
“Sometimes, people don’t want wealth. It frightens them. It comes with many responsibilities, you know.” His voice was soft.
“But there’s so much more to you than just wealth, Jack. I told you that this morning. Were you in love?”
The pain stayed apparent in his eyes, and Hadley wondered what his story was. She watched him look over the landscape.
After a moment he spoke. “I’ve learned how to live this kind of life. It’s a life that not many would understand. A guarded life. That’s the way it has to be. I can understand why she didn’t want it.”
“I was in love once, too,” Hadley ventured. “He was in the military. Wanted a family. I thought we’d marry but I kept putting it off… putting it off. I was just starting the business -- my marketing firm -- and it took up so much of my time, and my energy. When the war started he went to Iraq. Missing in action. He’s gone. I thought I had so much time to decide… if he was here I’d tell him I was such a fool.”
Both were silent, and after a time Jack stood. He offered Hadley his hand, and she accepted it.
The guest room was small, as Jose had warned them.
The bed’s mattress was smaller than a queen, but larger than full. Hadley laid down carefully as Jack used the bathroom. She removed her pants, and kept her top on. She laid her head on the pillow and curled up close to the edge of the bed. In darkness, she heard Jack enter and felt the old mattress tilt towards him as he laid down on it.
He too, stayed on his side of the bed, and she could sense the empty strip of mattress between them.
She was glad that neither of them was pretending that their talk on the porch had not affected them.
Yes, she had to trust her instincts.
But she could not ignore her emotions and have sex just for the sake of physical desire. She was past those days, and sex meant so much more to her than that. She could see that deep down, Jack felt the same way. Perhaps he’d gotten used to sleeping with many women over the years, but she knew now that deep down he longed for love.
The ranch was still, silent, and pitch black. Hadley felt her body relax as the energy she’d exerted over the day and evening overcame any apprehension she had about lying in the same bed as Jack. She was still aware of the space between them as she drifted off to sleep.
At some point in the night, Hadley emerged from sleep long enough to feel that her body had turned, and she was facing Jack in the bed. Her knees were bent, and she could feel heat from his body under the covers, so close to her own skin. His arm had spread out, and was touching her arm lightly.
Chapter 6
When morning light filtered in through her dream state and she opened her eyes, she felt his arms around her. Somehow, as the night had progressed, the two had inched closer and closer in the bed.
She could feel his breath, soft on the back of her neck as he slept.
His strong arm was draped over her, his body curled around her, spooning her tightly. A happy, comfortable feeling came over her, despite any logical contradictions that she had to the situation.
She could feel his skin against her back -- could feel the contour of his chest, his legs. Her body pressed in closer to his, almost involuntarily, as she felt that he was aroused in his sleep. He stirred, and his arms began to move, holding her closer.
She let her fingers trail up and down his forearms, savoring the feeling of being held so tightly. He was awake now, she could tell by his breathing. She felt him move slightly, and then his lips were on her ear, and then her cheek.
His facial hair was slightly rough as it grazed her skin, and she loved the way his lips felt. Smooth, warm, eager. His skin was so soft and warm under the covers.
Hadley felt him move against her, from behind. She felt again that he was hard, and his hardness was playing against her undergarments. Tipping her pelvis slightly gave him more access to her, and as he kissed her earlobe gently she pressed back into him, rocking slowly along with his movements.
She felt her body warming up, against his; coming alive with instinctual desire. As the cobwebs of her dream state cleared away, she found her body so entirely aroused by the man next to her that she felt almost woozy.
His kisses trailed from her ear to her neck, and with his hands he began lifting the thin top which she wore up. She helped him remove it, without moving from her position at his side.
It was even better to be held in his arms without her top on.
She could feel his warm chest against the skin of his back. She felt him kiss her shoulders, and then the skin on the back of her arm. Arching her body against him, she pressed her behind into his groin area, and gasped as his hardness met her. Mindlessly, her eyes still half closed with sleep, she let instincts take over. No clear thoughts had entered her head, yet she could feel her body was alive, moving and responding.
His hands released the clasp of
her bra, and she felt his fingers move to the front of her breasts, cupping them as he kissed her neck. His hands felt good on her breasts as they toyed with her nipples, exciting her to hardness. She used her hands to reach behind her. She curled her fingers into his boxers, and found his dick. Once it was in her hands she began sliding her fingers up and down it as he thrust forward.
“Mmm,” he moaned, his lips closed to her ear. The low tones sent vibrations through her body.
He kept her hand on him, listening to his reaction to her touches. As her fingers moved along his hard, long member she felt him increase in size. He was throbbing in her hands, and she let her fingers slide up to the head of his shaft, and feel the ridges of him. He felt so good. She knew he would feel good inside of her.
He moaned again, and nipped her ear lightly. She released his member, and he whispered, “Let me get a condom.”
Hadley closed her eyes as she waited for him, enjoying the half sleep state she was in. It felt good to let her mind be completely clear, and enjoy the pure sensations that were washing over her.
She felt him climb back in bed, and she opened her eyes to see him rolling the condom over his long, hard dick. He was completely naked now, and looked even better than when she’d seen him in only the towel. As he climbed over her, the cut of his six pack, muscular chest, and strong arms was highlighted by the morning sun seeping through the thin curtains.
His strong hands pulled her panties down, off of her body, and then she felt him gently move her so that she was on her side. He got into bed behind her, so that he was spooning her again.
He pulled the covers up, and Hadley enjoyed the warmth of his body and the blankets. She felt his hands reaching around her and begin stroking her already wet pussy.
When she bent forwards at the waist, she felt him enter the space between her legs, and find her lower lips. His hands continued to stroke her as his dick played against her opening, and soon she was so excited that she needed him to enter her.
She arched her body, quivering with anticipation and need, but he would not enter her fully. His fingers moved against her clit until she felt spasms of pleasure coursing over her, and soft moans of need coming unexpectedly from her lips.
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