by Ju Ephraime
“What would you like for dessert? I’m going to get some chocolate cake.”
“I’m not big on dessert, but I’ll have some of your chocolate cake with some coffee.”
“Okay,” she replied, moving away from the desk. She couldn’t wait to get into the hall to take a deep breath. She was in a hot mess, lusting after her boss until she was almost delirious with need. Nothing in her otherwise uneventful life had prepared her for such need. She didn’t know how to handle this. In times such as these, she wished she had a bit more experience in that department then she would know what to do next.
Lisa left Damien to get the chocolate and coffee. She was thinking so hard as she made her way to the kitchen that she didn’t hear Jake approaching, until he was right beside her.
“What’s the matter, Lisa?” he asked.
“Why does everyone think there is something the matter with me?” she snapped.
“Whoa, don’t bite my head off,” Jake said. “I thought you were still not feeling well from whatever bug you had last evening.”
“I’m sorry, Jake. I’m okay. Just dealing with some personal problem,” she replied.
“Anything I can help you with?” he said.
She wished.
“No, Jake, thanks for asking. This is a problem I have to handle on my own, but thanks again.”
She had to be careful because soon everyone would guess her secret. Jake was very perceptive, and he had full use of his sight, unlike Damien, so she could only hide so much. She vowed to be more careful going forward.
She brought the cake and coffee to Damien but excused herself to return to her office to finish some paperwork. She thought Damien would comment on her quick exit, or at least try to stop her, but other than the slight tilt of his head as if questioning her hasty retreat, he did not say a thing. She was grateful, because she did not know if she would be able to deny him if he’d asked her to stay.
Of the three offices, hers was the least used. She was always in either Damien’s or Jake’s, but going back to her office gave her some time to pull herself together.
Fourteen
Lisa sat in her office staring at the computer screen. She could not even remember why she had come in here. She might as well have remained in Damien’s office because she kept seeing him, smelling him, feeling him touching her and looking at her with so much heat. She could no longer deny the feeling growing between them. She had only to close her eyes to recall the bulge in his jeans, a bulge that he could not hide from her, and she had seen him try.
She felt like a wound-up toy. All he had to do was pull her string, and she was ready. She felt as if she had no self-control in her obsessive attraction for her boss. Her professionalism seemed to fly right out the window the moment Damien was in the same room with her. It was making her crazy.
She stayed in her office as long as she could. By the time she was able to work up the courage to venture outside, Damien had apparently retired to his room because the light was off in his office and there was no sign of Jake.
She walked past the gym on her way to her room and noticed that both Jake and Damien were in there. She stood on the other side of the glass and observed them for a bit before grabbing a sweater and going for a walk around the property.
She needed some fresh air, but she could not go too far away from the house without telling either Damien or Jake, even though she knew they were in the gym for usually a good hour or so before they emerged. But she had no idea how long they had been in there already. She usually took a long walk after dinner, and she intended to do just that.
She loved this time of day, just before sundown. Everything was quiet and peaceful, as if preparing to settle down for the night.
She was soon in her favorite spot—the babbling brook at the edge of the property. She was ecstatic when she’d discovered the brook the second day on the job. Since then she made a point to visit every evening to see the wild ducks that seemed to appear about the same time every sundown. She believed they had gotten used to her presence. They paid her no mind as they dipped and dabbed at the small fish that inhabited the brook. Lisa’s fascination with the brook was a source of amusement to Jake. They’d had many an argument as to the reason why the brook appeared to be flowing backwards to her. Jake could laugh if he wanted, but she vowed she would follow the brook one of these days to determine its source herself.
She remained at the brook until the light had faded and the first finger of darkness was creeping across the sky. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there, but she now had to hurry if she did not want Jake coming to look for her.
She was almost running by the time she made it back to the house, and just as she feared, Jake was in the sunroom pulling on his boots. As he looked up at her, the relief on his face was evident.
“Where have you been Lisa? You were gone almost three hours. Damien and I were worried. I was just on my way out to look for you.”
“I’m sorry Jake, but I got so caught up with feeding the ducks I forgot the time until I saw the light was fading. Did you need me to do something?” she asked.
“No. But you know Damien is very protective where you are concerned. I thought you might be feeding the ducks, but Damien was convinced you might have had an accident and was lying helpless on the ground. He gets that way because he can’t go and look for you himself.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more considerate next time. I’ll go to him after I’ve freshened up. Please let him know that.”
She avoided Damien’s part of the house. She did not want to run into him until she had the time to freshen up. She was thankful when she was finally within the confines of her room. She slipped the lock home to give herself the added privacy she needed. She intended to take a nice long bath with her favorite book while she sorted out the mess she was making of things with this job. She knew it would become even more difficult when Jake was no longer around. At the moment he provided a buffer between her and Damien. She didn’t know what she would do when that buffer was gone.
The water had gone cold in the bath by the time she stepped out of the water. She got into the shower and shampooed her hair. She knew just drying it would take the better part of an hour. As a general rule, she could not be bothered drying her hair, but tonight, it would provide a diversion for her to keep her mind off Damien.
She gave herself a facial while she dried her hair. When there was nothing else she could do to herself, she reluctantly moved to get dressed to make her nightly rounds. But she lay on her bed as she seriously contemplated asking Jake to do the rounds for her. In the next thought, she rejected the idea. She had to man-up or woman-up to take her punishment like a woman. But still she made no move to get dressed.
It appeared that the excitement of the day was too much for her because the next thing she knew she was asleep.
Lisa moaned, twisting and turning on the bed in the coils of a dream that had her almost falling off her bed.
Damien was in her room, and he was able to move around without the wheelchair. His gorgeous eyes were looking at her with the hunger of a wild predatory animal as he came to her, his erection protruding from his body.
“Let me see if you are ready for me,” he told her as he reached between her legs and ran his hand over her folds, which were dripping. As he moved her toward the edge of the bed and positioned himself at her opening, she was practically panting with need. He gave her a slight nudge before pulling back, angling his hips to move again.
The phone trilled as she braced herself for the thrill of her life. For a long moment she didn’t know where she was. She dragged her mind back from the sexual fog that had surrounded her as she looked around for Damien.
“Noooo!” She was alone in her bed, hanging off the edge, the sheet wrapped between her legs, which were damp as if she’d had an orgasm. She knew she had not because she was pulsing with need. How did she get to the edge of the bed?
The phone trilled again, forcing her b
ack to the present. She reached for it, glancing at the bedside clock. It was 9:30 P.M.
“Hello.”
It was Jake’s voice on the other end. “Lisa, will you be going to Damien tonight, or should I go? If you don’t feel up to it, I don’t mind helping out tonight.”
The temptation to cry off for one more night was great, but she had a job to do. So, never being one to shirk her responsibility, she answered in the negative.
“I’ll be okay, Jake. I dozed off, but I will go at my usual time. Thanks for offering.
Lisa knew it would be torturous going into Damien’s room so soon after she had this dream about him. If she could sneak in and out without his detecting her, she wouldn’t have such trepidation, but he seemed to know when she entered his room, no matter how quietly she moved. She hoped he did not try to touch her. She did not know if she had it in her to resist the temptation he presented.
Lisa got out of her bed. She threw on an old pair of jeans and a sweater, pushed her feet into her favorite house slippers and, in no time, was making her way to Damien’s room, which was on the first floor on the other side of the house. The home was large and sprawling, with several bedrooms on both levels, and the main living quarters on the first floor. She had to make her way across the entire length before taking the stairs to the lower level.
She was so charged that she was practically skipping across the floor. She felt as if she were sixteen again on her way to her first date. Not that she was going on a date, but that’s how she felt. As she made her way to his room, something in her snapped. She could not fight her feelings for Damien any longer. She exhaled then, which surprised her, because she did not realize that she’d been holding her breath. Buoyed by her decision to finally just accept her feelings for Damien, she quickened her steps. She knew in her heart that she wouldn’t fight whatever the night brought.
She entered his room, taking care to be as quiet, just in case he was already asleep. The lights were out in the room but she could see the silhouette of his body in the bed. Disappointed that he was already asleep, she turned around and began walking back to the door. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, a larger hand came over hers, startling her half out of her wits.
“Damien, you scared me to death,” she said breathlessly. “How did you get from the bed to the door so quickly? I didn’t even hear you move.”
“I didn’t move. Why didn’t you go closer to the bed like you used to do before?” he asked.
“What do you mean you didn’t move?” She pounced on that, ignoring his other question.”
“I had a feeling you would pull a trick like that after the way you walked out after dinner earlier, so I waited for you.”
It was only then that she glanced over at the bed, and saw there was still a figure on the bed. “You were never in the bed. You fooled me with the famous trick. You placed a dummy in your bed. Why?”
“I had a gut feeling you were running scared, darling, and wouldn’t come close enough to the bed for me to touch you. But I was determined to touch you tonight. I can no longer fight what is happening between us,” he told her.
“Oh, Damien,” She said softly. What is it about this man? He makes me feel alive, sexy, and needy. This is crazy.
But she didn’t pull away from the hand encircling hers. She liked having him touch her. She liked having him close. He smelled of fresh, clean soap and aroused male.
Taking a deep breath to calm her already frazzled nerves, she took the scent of him into her lungs. Her heart beat immediately accelerated. Boy, she wanted this man, and she was afraid if he didn’t release her and step away, she would have to help herself to him.
She let out a long breath as she leaned her head against Damien’s shoulder and looked up at him to find him smiling at her with a warmth that stroked her overwrought body even further.
“Damien, what are you doing to me?”
“Not as much as either of us would like.” Reluctantly it seemed, he released her, only to reach again for her, as he pulled her against the hard length of his body, and then his mouth was on hers. She gave herself to his kiss, to the stroke of his hot tongue against hers, to him.
Lisa felt the ground shift beneath her feet. He tasted like what she imagined sex would taste like, sweet and sour, with a bit of salty thrown in. His tongue, smooth and slippery, moved against hers in that old mating dance. Her fingers clenched in his hair, holding him to her, afraid he would decide to call a halt like he’d done before.
“This is irresponsible,” he said against her lips.
“I know,” she answered as she moved closer into him, nipping his chin.
But who needs responsible when it feels so right? She laughed.
Damien’s laugh was even warmer than his smile, as he couldn’t help laughing too.
She licked his lips. “You felt right to me.” Then she moved away slightly.
“Feeling ambushed?” he asked wryly.
“Yes. What is it about you that make me lose all sense of reasoning, all control?” I’m not usually like this. I don’t just jump into a man’s arms because I like the way he looks or like the way his jeans fit,” she told him with a wry smile.
“I’d love to take all the credit for what’s happening between us, darling, but it wouldn’t be true. What’s happening between us is as old as time. Something in us recognizes each other, and regardless of how hard we fight it, it’s stronger than the both of us, tempting us to break our own rules. In the end, it will win, so why keep fighting it?”
Lisa closed her eyes. Then she sighed, knowing he was right.
Damien took his hand and wrapped it around her butt, bringing her back to him where the hard length of him made it clear just how much he wanted her.
“To hell with this,” he said.
He brought his mouth to hers in a kiss that was so full of promise Lisa could do nothing else but hold on as he engaged her in a backward dance, moving her to his bed, one step at a time.
Fifteen
Lisa went with him even as he pulled her closer. She breathed out his name when his mouth found her. She wasn’t used to wanting a man like this, mind and body. Savagely wanting, savagely seeking. She was not prepared for the explosive moan that escaped from her. She couldn’t believe it was coming from her mouth.
“Are you sure about this, darling?” he asked her, his voice so hoarse it was almost gravelly. His mouth nibbled and nipped all over her face as he sniffed and rubbed his face against hers between kisses. “You’re so vulnerable right now.”
“Aren’t you?” she asked.
“Aren’t I what?” he wanted to know.
“Vulnerable,” she responded.
“You have no idea,” he replied, “but that will not stop me.”
He moved his hips against her so she could feel the length of his erection, setting fire to her already inflamed core.
“I’ve been hard since the first time I shook hands with you during your first interview.” His words came out in a growl. “You get to me like no one has before.”
Knowing she had no experience in such things, she began to doubt she would be able to keep up with him, to satisfy him. What if he was disappointed in her? To cover her insecurities, she had to take a dig at him.
“I get to you more than…what was her name again?”
Deliberately his teeth closed over Lisa’s bottom lip. “I have no recollection of anyone else, not when you are around. The way you affect scares me almost as much as it turns me on. So I’m warring with two powerful emotions anytime you are near.”
She pulled back a bit, just enough to see his face clearly. His lids were heavy with lust. So much so that only the thick lashes were visible to her, forming two crescents on his cheeks. When he raised his eyes and looked directly into her face, there was an intent focus in his gaze that staggered her.
“It’s the same for me,” she said. “I need you so much that it hurts. I lie awake in my bed most nights hurting from need for you. I
don’t know how to satisfy such need. I hope you do.”
Damien gave her his slow, hot smile. “I sure will try.”
He lifted her unto the bed as if she weighed nothing. Then he stretched the length of his body over hers. She arched her back, bringing her body up to him in an offering. He lifted himself off her, and she felt bereft of his heat. But he reached for her sweater as he brought his lips to her neck. She had no bra underneath the sweater, so his hand closed around her left breast, lifting it in his hand, as if weighing it. Then he reached for the right one and did the same.
“I need to feel your skin.” And without any warning, he lifted the sweater off her. She was only too happy to comply, lifting her back off the bed to assist him.
“Let me help with your shirt,” she told him.
“Are we going to strip each other one piece of clothing at a time?” he asked.
“Yes,” she responded breathlessly as his chest was exposed to her. The muscles rippled as he leaned back to free his hands from the shirt.
He looked down at her for a long moment, as if he could see her, while the air around them charged with longing. The light from the table lamp drizzled over them, adding to the mystique of the entire experience and charging them even further with each breath they took.
***
Damien was surrounded by her unique violet scent. The heat they were generating appeared to intensify the smell, making it stronger, filling everything inside him until it became too much for him. He felt as if he was busting out of his skin. He needed to be inside Lisa. He needed to be deep inside her. Now!
His mouth pressed hard against hers with all the savage need he was feeling. His fingers sought solace in the full tide of her hair. He could not stop the groan from escaping as he held her still while he played with her.
She kept arching her back, offering him her beautiful breasts. He moved his hand over her and palmed her breast. He knew they were beautiful; they felt perfect in his hands. His mouth followed hand, and soon, sounds of pleasure filled her throat. He could not get over the texture of the skin surrounding her nipples. The nipple was so erect; the skin was almost rough. He could not remember ever noticing this texture before. But then again, he is relying on all his other senses to fully appreciate the uniqueness of Lisa’s body—his woman---his!