SMITTEN (Paris Après Minuit)

by Juliet Braddock

  The throb of his erection spiraled her out of control. Wild from the heights of their fervid intensity to seek and claim pleasure, she lost herself in the reverberations of her own body. Unwittingly, Nigel unearthed hidden delights with every pump of his hips. Striking her from different angles, his cock incited thrills beyond her G-spot.

  Desire consumed him. His hands took control of her hips, commandeering her into the reckless gyration of his thrusts. She continued to cry out, but he remained silent, stroking her into those final flutters of her all-consuming climax.

  When she collapsed on his chest, his heartbeat pounded in her ear. Soft again, he still pressed against her as if he didn’t want to leave that spot in the field. Slowly, they cuddled each other back to reality.

  “January, what you do to me…” he whispered right before they drifted into a summer afternoon nap. They dozed for only a few minutes, and when Nigel stirred beneath her, January moved to stretch out beside him. She guessed that she’d likely suffer some sunburn, but she wasn’t averse to a little pain for the sake of soul-startling sex.

  His arm reached toward the nearest lavender bush, and he broke off a stem and tucked it into her hair.

  “First, we’re trespassing, and now you’re stealing.”

  Nigel shrugged and grinned. “Who cares?” He smoothed his hands over her body again, stopping for an occasional kiss. “Don’t suppose you’d dare to do this on your father’s farm.”

  “Find me some tall cornstalks, and we’ll ponder it.”

  “This is heaven, isn’t it?” he wondered out loud. “You’ve given me a new perspective on country living.”

  “You, too,” she said. “It’s like we’re rediscovering something beautiful together.”

  “I…I’m not going to lie,” he said, his voice suddenly wavering. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to miss you, too.” Tears came to her eyes, but she promised herself she wouldn’t cry until she got on the train.

  “Will you let me call you when…when you go?” Running his fingers through his hair, he twisted his face in frustration and sadness.

  “Nigel, if you don’t call me, I think it would destroy me.”

  Eventually, January slipped back into her little white dress, and they cleaned up as best they could. That pesky condom did get left behind. She wondered if it was the only one abandoned in those fields.

  They sat and talked about everything—their very different childhoods, schooling, friends, careers—until the sun wasn’t shining so brightly anymore. Nigel worried about her burn, but she assured him that she’d be fine with a little aloe lotion. If they made it back in time, Nigel had decided that it was time to come clean with his parents and show up at dinner together.

  The landscape along the drive home was equally stunning, and that time, Nigel didn’t blindfold her. She sat as close to him as she could without disrupting his driving.

  “Today is one of those days that you hate seeing come to an end,” she told him. “I feel like I might have a good cry before bed.”

  “I’m hoping that wasn’t the last,” he admitted. “I’m very serious in saying that I want to see what might happen with us.”

  “Would I sound like a weak teenage girl if I told you I felt the same?”

  “There’s nothing weak about going after what you want and what you feel you need in life, is there?”

  “So wise, you are,” she said, truly hoping he’d call—and worrying what the summer separation might do to them. “They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  And Nigel intended to prove to her that it did.

  When they arrived back at the manor house, they managed to sneak up to her room unnoticed. Xav had texted that he wouldn’t be returning soon. January just wanted a quick shower before the night carried on. Lenny occupied Nigel, and he played with her on the bed while January put herself back together.

  “You like her?” January’s words trembled slightly as they fell from her lips. “You don’t mind a little bit of rabbit fur?”

  “Isn’t that a given with the pets we love?”

  January left her hair down and wore a simple sundress and flats that she’d bought on their drive home. Nigel made it clear he preferred her look when she didn’t spend hours fussing in the mirror.

  When they left the room, he took her hand and held on to it—perhaps for the courage to face his parents—but he didn’t let go when they stepped outside just as dinner wrapped.

  “Well, look who decided to make an appearance,” Lawrence said rather gruffly. “I suppose you’d like some more wine, Nigel? Didn’t have enough on your picnic today?”

  “Oh, we spilled most of it,” January grinned at Nigel.

  “I’m sure you did,” Lawrence said and gestured for them to sit down. “Clarissa, your son has returned…”

  As she stepped through the kitchen door with a full bottle in her hand, Clarissa smiled. She hadn’t seen Nigel so happy since his time with Charlotte in Paris. She just hoped that January was sincere. Clarissa couldn’t stand to see her son heartbroken again. However, she embraced them both with open arms. She had to have hope, for Nigel’s sake.

  “So, did you have a lovely day?”

  “Nigel found the most beautiful picnic spot,” January told her. “And thank you for the provisions.”

  “I just enjoy seeing happy people,” Clarissa said. “And I’m glad you enjoyed your time together.”

  Conversation flowed with the wine, and once their last guests left for the night, Clarissa joined them at the table to enjoy the evening.

  “So, January, what brought you to Provence?” Clarissa asked.

  “A little R and R before my next movie begins filming,” she said with a quick look to Nigel. He knew the truth—he knew she ran away from Paris, just like he did, with a heart torn into two pieces. However, he spared his mother the details.

  “What’s Hollywood really like?” Clarissa pressed her. “I’m sorry if I’m overstepping here, but I’ve never been in the presence of a famous actress before.”

  “Oh, we met Dame Judi at that fundraiser a few years back,” Lawrence chimed in. “Lovely lady.”

  “Dad is a big Judi Dench fan,” Nigel explained.

  “She’s an icon…” Lawrence added, eyes challenging the three of them to disagree. “There’s no one else quite like her. Do you find her inspiring—as an actress—January?”

  “I think she’s wonderful, and her sense of humor is off the charts.”

  An animated conversation on Dame Judi’s hobby of needlepointing foul language on pretty little pillows followed, and before she knew it, January was having another glass of wine with Nigel’s father.

  In fact, Lawrence admitted that he bought one of Judi’s needlepoint creations in a celebrity charity auction. With pride, he told January that the casing read, “Fuck off, you shit!” January couldn’t hide her amusement.

  With a smile and a nod of approval to his son, Lawrence smirked. “I like this girl, Nigel.”

  “Oh, Larry, you’re too much!” January said.

  At last, January found common ground with this seemingly stoic man. He’d proven himself to be quite a character. She even discovered his guilty pleasure in celebrity gossip. Much to the protests of his son and wife, Lawrence wanted to know every major star whom January had ever met, and he quizzed her on their personalities off-camera.

  Try as she might to save her, Clarissa dug into January’s love of animals, which launched a discussion of growing up on a farm.

  January’s pride in her roots surfaced as she detailed the Gallimore’s story. Her father and grandfathers before him built a sustainable business for her brothers to carry on. Yes, there were good years and bad years in every industry, but her family refused to give up. Her brothers invested wisely in the farm and introduced the latest technology to do their jobs. If future generations continued to build on the Gallimore legacy, that farm could withstand ano
ther hundred years.

  “Maybe one day Nigel can visit,” January said with a pat on his knee after drinking far too many glasses of wine. “I’ll teach you some of my old rodeo tricks.”

  “Oh, I bet you could…” Lawrence said and swallowed the last from his own glass as Clarissa nudged him. “I mean…Nigel’s quite adept with horses.”

  “On that note, it’s time to go!” Nigel stood up and took January with him. “Must get some rest. We’re going riding in the morning.”

  “We are?” January asked.

  “We are now…bright and early.” First, though, he turned to Clarissa and took her into his embrace, hugging her like he did when he was a child. “Mum, thank you for everything today. You truly are the best.”

  With tears in her eyes, Clarissa had to turn away. She had been raised with the adage that your children should never see you cry, but she couldn’t stop herself. For once, she was happy for him.

  “Anything to see that smile again,” she told him, swallowing her emotions. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” he said with a kiss on Clarissa’s cheek. “Good night, Dad.”

  “’Night, Son. ’Night, January. It’s been a pleasure.”

  “Oh, Larry!” January threw her arms around him. “You son of a gun!”

  Meanwhile, as Nigel hustled January through the house to take her on another adventure, Clarissa patted Lawrence’s hand and turned to him with the tears still in her eyes.

  “She’s a good girl, that January Gallimore. Do you think she’d pose for a picture with me before she goes?”

  “Oh, Lawrence, you are unstoppable, aren’t you?” Clarissa laughed through her tears. “I only hope this trip isn’t your last chance at a photo-op with her—because I don’t want to have to see Nigel with another broken heart.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “For the little one,” Nigel said as January swept a brush through her ponytail. In his hands, he held a bowl of carrot wedges just for Lenny, whom they’d brought with them to his cottage the previous evening—along with a suitcase stuffed with everything January would need for the next twenty-four hours.

  With a yawn, January covered her mouth. It was still dark outside, but they were up to catch the sunrise from the backs of Nessa and Nellie. This was their final day together, so she didn’t complain about the early wake-up call.

  Cupping Nigel’s chin, she gave him a kiss. “Please don’t tell me you procured those from your mother, too,” she groaned. “You are such a thief. Stealing from Mum. Stealing lavender at the farm. Nigel, what am I gonna do with you?”

  “I’m the Maestro here,” he reminded her. “And at least we don’t have to hide from my parents today.”

  “You know, I had a really lovely time with them last night.”

  “And Larry?” Nigel’s eyes widened. “My father allowed you to call him Larry?”

  “He’s a lot of fun when you give him some wine and get him going,” January noted. “It was all fine.”

  Admittedly, even Charlotte never managed to bring Lawrence out of his shell as January had. “Are you ready for a ride?” he asked as he placed Lenny’s breakfast in her cage.

  With a loud smack, she smooched his lips. “Come on. We have to beat the sunshine.”

  # # #

  “Oh, look!”

  While January took care not to spook the horses with any sudden moves, she slowed Nessa to a stop.

  “Ahhh…” Nigel stared ahead to the break of a new day. In his mind, they embarked on an entirely new chapter in their lives. He reached across the space between them to pat her hand.

  January clutched his fingers and held on to them. Nature awakened and came to life around them. The warm glow of what promised to be another beautiful day illuminated the fields and forest. Nigel had the opportunity to take in this view on any given morning. She wished she had more time to spend with him, but the seconds continued to tick away.

  Once the sun had risen, they rode on, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Suddenly, they had so much to say to each other that Nigel and January rushed through conversations just to get everything in.

  “You know, I do feel terrible that Xavier didn’t see much of you this week,” Nigel said as they made their lazy return to the stables.

  “I think he’s actually quite happy with the way things turned out.” Over the years, Xavier left her notoriously alone on many a dance floor to take off with his flavor of the evening. She knew he harbored no angst in the time she spent with Nigel. “He likes you. But he was never a fan of Etienne. And while I don’t think he expected me to meet someone on this trip, I think Xav is rather pleased with the fact that I did.”

  “They do say you always find someone when you’re not looking,” he reminded her. “Perhaps we could do dinner with him tonight? There are a million places in town…”

  January, however, thought of his parents, and she wanted to share a proper goodbye with them. “Or maybe we all have dinner at the Manor House with Clarissa and Larry?”

  They had reached the stables, but Nigel paused before his dismount. “That really means something to you, doesn’t it?”

  “I like them, and they’ve been so hospitable this week. I don’t want to check out tomorrow and pretend like it was just another trip—because it wasn’t,” she rambled, but she spoke from her heart. “And come on…last night was fun with them.”

  Hopping down from Nellie with precision, he stood beside January and Nessa and looked up at her. “For you, maybe…”

  “I like Larry and Clare.” With equal equestrian skill, she made her dismount. “Does she like to be called Clare?”

  “Actually, her friends call her Cissy,” Nigel told her, and then shook his head in disbelief. “But…are you sure?”

  “Of course, I’m sure,” she insisted. “What’s the issue?”

  “Well…in all honesty…Charlotte and I rarely spent time with our parents,” he admitted. “I just didn’t think you’d really want to have one last dinner with them.”

  “Ah, but you and Charlotte were in your twenties,” she pointed out. “I’m totally mid-thirtysomething here. You start to appreciate your parents and realize they’re not going to be here forever. Believe me, I just had this awakening, and it hit hard. But it’s true.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to think about when they’re gone…” He squinted as if the sun was in his eyes, but January knew that he just couldn’t face the facts. Losing anyone else just wasn’t an option for Nigel. “If that’s what you want to do, then we’ll have dinner with Xavier…and Mum and Dad.”

  “Great!” While she triumphed in having won that small battle, January glanced at the crop in his hand. “Now…gonna use that again?”

  “Here?” He gestured around, innocently waving his implement in the air, but January caught the roguish look in his eyes. “At the stables?”

  “What better place?” she challenged him.

  “Bloody hell, what time is it?” he demanded suddenly as he whipped out his phone. “Um, we only have three hours before the stable staff arrives…”

  “Nigel, my dear…do you know how much we can accomplish in three hours?”

  “January…”

  “I love that I can shock you,” she said with a playful tap to his ass. “I even brought this for some fun.”

  She reached into the small messenger-style purse that she’d been wearing all morning and pulled out her horsetail anal plug. With the shake of her head, she batted her lashes and said, “I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but…”

  Nigel’s jaw literally fell so low that January felt she needed to lift it back into place.

  “My word…” he said finally. “Is that…does it do what I think it does?”

  “Neigh…neigh….” While her vocalization of horse sounds impressed him, she ratted Nellie and Nessa with her impersonation. “Nessa and I shall race you to the stalls…”

  “No!” he panicked. “She doesn’t race…but…oh,
my word…” He looked left, right and all around just to assure himself that they were all alone. “Proceed.”

  With the shake of her hips, she walked Nessa ahead of Nigel and Nellie through the dimly lit stable and on toward the stalls. While the other horses that boarded with the Hereford-Smyths voiced their hunger for breakfast, Nigel attempted to ignore January’s flirtations. He had to settle Nellie and feed the brood.

  While she took her time to remove Nessa’s gear, January also began to adjust her own clothes. In between unfastening the bridle and unbuckling the saddle, she opened the buttons of her crisp white blouse—all the way to the waistline. Giving a pull, she revealed the cups of her bra.

  “Now, come on! That’s totally not fair!” With sweat pouring down his forehead, Nigel carried in two full buckets of feed.

  January couldn’t help but whistle as he hurried past her in his own fitted jodhpurs. Round. Perfect. Tight. And so easy for her to hold onto when they fucked.

  The definition of his cock pressed against his fly. The idea of pony play excited him more than she had anticipated.

  Summoning her inner-brat, she puckered her lips. “You don’t like my breasts?”

  “Give me ten minutes, January,” he said, “and we’ll talk about it.”

  With his utterance, her nipples stiffened in anticipation. She’d pushed his patience. Nigel was getting close to reprimanding her. However, she waited while he attended to all the horses, and Nigel made sure he took care of every single one, upholding his responsibility to his stable.

  When he returned to January, she waved her tail in the air. “Got some lube?” she teased.

  “I have some horse liniment,” he suggested with a chuckle.

  “I prefer a Dom—not a sadist,” she said. “And I brought some. You can get lube in travel size. I never leave home without it.”

  Leaning against the adjacent stall, Nigel kicked one leg to rest in front of the other. January licked her lips.

  Flustered once more, Nigel ran his tanned fingers through his thick blonde hair. “You just…tote your…ahem…sex toys with you, uh, everywhere?”