Con Man

by Amy Brent

  But, L being a gentleman also kept raising my standards for men. I mean, if he was a dick and said a few shitty things every now and again, I could justify eventually leaving him. But, not only was the man good in bed, but he kept surprising me with all these incredible things around every corner.

  And, each time he did it, there was a soft expression behind his eyes. One that genuinely was spoiling me just to watch me react.

  Fuck, I was in a lot of trouble.

  For the past couple of days, it had just been the two of us. Our first night here was spent lounging around in the hot tub and holding each other while we drank champagne and watched the sunset. We took a shower together and washed each other down, then we fell into bed and just talked. We talked about his business and how he wanted to train me, I talked to him about my dreams and aspirations for the company I eventually wanted to build.

  We fell asleep in each other’s arms to the sounds of the ocean waves lapping against the bungalow.

  He woke me up with his tongue between my legs, and the first sensation I was aware of was the feeling of my orgasm building and crashing over me. He licked and sucked, guzzled and slurped, and by the time my body came down from its second orgasm I could feel him smiling into my pussy. Things could not have gotten any better for this weekend getaway he had planned.

  Until dinner rolled around.

  When I stepped out of the shower with my towel wrapped around me, L was setting up dinner on the terrace of the bungalow. The sun was setting, casting beautiful colors off our crystal champagne glasses, and he was in a breezy button-down shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He looked absolutely breathtaking, and I put on the only sundress I owned before I joined him for dinner.

  “You look spectacular,” he said, smiling.

  “So do you, L. Now, what gives? You haven’t thrown me down on the bed or covered me in chocolate sauce. You haven’t pounded me into the mattress or thrown me against the wall in the shower. What gives?”

  “I figured we could actually spend some time together,” he said, shrugging.

  “Uh-huh. So, our sordid affair has turned into a secret, delicate courtship?” I asked.

  “Do you want it to be one?”

  His question stopped me in my tracks with my champagne glass poised at my lips. I peered over the rim to see his reaction, and looked for any signs of him joking.

  But, he wasn’t.

  “L?” I asked.

  “Charlie?”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You sounded pretty serious with that courtship nonsense.”

  “If it’s nonsense, then forget about it,” he said.

  “L, cut the shit. What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Would you like some fruit?” he asked, dumping grapes onto my plate.

  “L, what is running through your head?” I asked.

  “What about some sliced steak? It’s fabulous here,” he said, spearing some onto a fork.

  “L, damn it, why won’t you—”

  “I care about you, Charlie.”

  I furrowed my brow as he dropped the speared meat onto my plate. I had to have heard him wrong. Ellison James didn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I care for you, Charlie,” he said, a bit softer this time.

  I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Ellison James, the most powerful man in the real estate development world, had feelings for me. A lowly management woman with thighs that rubbed together, tits that fell out of her shirt, and a stomach that was anything but flat. A woman who lived in a small, dingy apartment with no one but her cat, and no one to call a friend but her weird college ex who wouldn’t stop coming around.

  “You what?” I asked.

  “I know this makes things difficult, because I know you want to end it because of your—”

  “Wait, I thought you wanted to end it,” I said.

  “And I did. I mean, it’s easier that way. There are rules I enforce and issues that arise if I don’t enforce them, and I have my reputation to consider. The life of my company, the breadth of my international reach, not to mention the lawsuits I’d have to settle out of court.”

  “Sorry for being confused, L. Are you talking yourself out of this or into this?” I asked.

  “What I’m saying is, it will be difficult. Trying to have a real relationship between the two of us while we also work together is going to take work. Work and secrecy until we’re tired of the secrecy, and then I don’t know what comes after. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’ve also never felt like this before,” he said.

  “So, we’re not just hooking up?” I asked.

  “That’s why I haven’t—as you so eloquently put it—thrown you against the mattress,” he said. “Because—well, at least now, for me—it’s no longer just about sex.”

  My entire chest was screaming at me to respond. My gut was yelling at me to shove this table off to the side, jump into his lap, and make love to him right on the deck. My body was telling me to take every single part of him he had to give and never let go, because there would never be another man like him. There would never be another Ellison James to come in, scoop my heart out of my chest, and promise to keep it safe so long as he was near.

  But, my mind. My mind was telling me this was a bad idea. Everything I’d ever worked for was already in jeopardy every single time I let his dick anywhere near me. Every single time his tongue parted my lips, the threat of my entire career—my life really—crumbling to the floor was a possibility. If one wrong person saw us holding hands, it was all over.

  My entire future would be history.

  I gazed into L’s eyes and saw a desperation. He wanted to cry out, to shake me from my trance just so he could jostle my answer out of me. But, he was being reserved. A gentleman. Even though I could see that his eyes screaming at me.

  But, there was one rational thought in my mind, over and over I heard it. One small echo in the dark recesses of my mind, that didn’t care about my future or my career and didn’t give a fig about what anyone else thought.

  It was telling me it was too late. That I’d already lost my heart to Ellison James anyway.

  “Good,” I said. “Because it’s not just sex for me anymore, either.”

  Breaking our trance, I picked up a grape. I popped it in my mouth and cast my gaze out to the ocean, and as I chewed it up I thought about what had just occurred. This man—this strong, intelligent billionaire with eyes of cobalt steel that reflected the depth of the ocean itself—had just admitted to being as taken by me as I was with him.

  His fingertips danced along my jawline, turning my head to his before he captured my lips in a kiss.

  I threaded my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. His body was vibrating, shaking against my skin as his hands cloaked my back. The taste of the grape upon my lips forced his tongue to slide all along my mouth, collecting as much sweetness as he could while he slowly stood up with me.

  “You are a captivating woman, Charlie,” he said, murmuring into my lips.

  “Have your way with me, L.”

  Pressing his lips against mine once more, he slowly turned me around and backed me into the bungalow. The backs of my legs hit the bed, forcing me to sit down upon the beautiful satin sheets, and the sheer curtains that donned the double doors to the terrace blew back with the force of the ocean. Mother Earth was cheering us on, clattering the waves against the bungalow in her own symphony as L pulled his breezy white shirt from his body.

  Slowly, I slid my fingertips down the ripples of his muscles while his fingers slid the straps of my dress off my shoulders.

  Chapter 17

  Ellison

  Her sundress slipped off of her shoulders, fluttering down her breasts, and all I could do was stare. Charlie was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and the Bahama sunset shining off her nipples beckoned. I slowly pushed her
down onto the bed, wrapping my lips around her puckered nipple, and her hands flew to my hair and pulled me deeper against her body.

  The way she rolled against me, molding to me while she moaned and groaned, was intoxicating. There was something about her—the way she smelled and the way she felt—that threw my mind out of control. All of a sudden, several images flooded my mind. Images of how I wanted to take her, how I wanted to cover her with my cum while she drenched me in her juices. I wanted to cover her with strawberries and lick every crevice.

  I wondered how raspberries would taste covered in her silky juices.

  I slid her panties off with my fingertips, my tongue driving her wild as I drug it down her skin. Her pussy was glistening for me, the colors of the Bahama sunset reflected on the ocean. I shoved my tongue into her depths, lapping at her pussy while she trembled on the bed. My hands flew to her hips, holding her down while she groaned in frustration, and I felt something odd happen to my body.

  I felt my chest tighten as I flicked her beautiful clit.

  I’d never felt anything like that before, and it caused me to work even harder. With every roll of her hips into my face, my chest tightened even more. When she wrapped her legs around my back, my heart fluttered. When she pulled me deeper into her drenched pussy, my chest burned.

  But, when her legs pulled taut and her toes curled with her orgasm, I felt a burning sensation behind my eyes as my name fell from her lips.

  She called my name out to the ceiling, breathless and wanting, and I was blinking back the unfamiliar while my tongue clung to her clit and steadily rode out her orgasm.

  I was losing myself to her, and I had no idea what to do about it.

  “Holy fuck, L. That was—amazing. Thank you.”

  I looked up at her and simply marveled at my work. Her chest was flushed and her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Her hands were trembling at her sides and her lungs were gasping for air.

  In that moment, I hated my job. I hated that I would have to hide the way I felt about this beautiful woman in order to protect my company. I hated that I would have to hide our relationship in order for her career to not be jeopardized.

  I hated that she had to be a secret.

  I ripped the rest of the clothes off my body and crawled up her before I plunged deep into her depths. I wanted to drink up every part of her while she laid there, helpless to my attack while I wracked her body with pleasure. I wanted her to cry out as much as she could, until she was hoarse and couldn’t speak. I wanted to defile every part of her, just to hear my name fall from her lips.

  Because when we got back home, we couldn’t.

  We wouldn’t have this freedom, and it killed something inside me.

  “You like that dick?” I asked, panting. “You like the way it fills you up?”

  “Oh, God, L. Please don’t stop. Give me all of it, baby. Please. Oh—oh, fuck.”

  I sat back on my heels and threw her legs over my shoulders, then groaned, feeling her juices trickle down my balls. I loved how wet she got for me—how her body yielded to me so effortlessly whenever my cock pulsed for her. Her walls massaged me perfectly and I hardened for her, bending her in half while I fucked her deep into the mattress.

  So deep she couldn’t move.

  Her tits bounced in my face and I lapped at them, wanting to taste her skin while I pounded deep into her hips. The ocean breeze fluttered across our bodies, blowing the sheer curtains out so far they tickled the backs of my feet. I pressed my lips into hers, smirking at her helpless panting while I took what I knew was mine.

  What I wanted to be mine in ways I’d never experienced before.

  “So close. So close. So close.”

  Her breathless chants spurred me on, causing my balls to curl up into my body. Her legs trembled and her toes curled, and I could see the pleasure she wanted so badly waft over her face.

  “Cum for me,” I said, grunting. “Say my name.”

  “L. L. Oh, holy sh—Ellison. Holy fuck, Ellison. Ell—i—son!”

  I buried myself deep into her pussy, just as her body let go. Her pussy clamped down onto me harder than I’d ever felt before, sucking me deeper and deeper into her body as her legs slid from my shoulders. My body collapsed, my lips crashed down and capturing hers as we heaved for air. I could feel our juices running out from her throbbing pussy, flooding the bed below us while our tongues danced, still desperate for one another.

  I knew—in the back of my mind—that when Monday came along, I’d be glad I agreed to this. I knew I’d walk into the office and Michael would realize something was different, and I’d be glad we had this secretive agreement. I knew my company and everything I’d built would be better off with this being a secret.

  But, there was still that tightening sensation in my chest that wished we didn’t have to lie.

  I felt Charlie smile into me before I slowly pulled out from between her legs, and I slid down to lay my head on her stomach. Her hands mindlessly ran through my hair, causing my eyes to flutter closed while the sound of the ocean serenaded us to sleep. The fluttering of my heart told me just how much I’d lost to this woman. This woman who worked for me, who had dreams and ambitions equal to mine. This woman who was a shark in the boardroom and a sexual partner unmatched in my considerable experience.

  But, I finally realized what the tightening of my chest was, and I was so glad Charlie’s breaths were evening out in sleep, because I could no longer hold back the shaking of my body as I held back my tears.

  Guilt.

  I felt guilty for having to hide this.

  In one fell swoop, I had become a hypocrite. In one fell swoop, I had become the man I’d never wanted to be. In one fell swoop, I had not only started an illicit relationship with an employee, but I had encouraged it to become a full-fledged relationship, and it was that selfishness that would sink us.

  It was that selfishness within me that would lead to broken hearts for both of us.

  Because I knew this couldn’t continue.

  Not if I wanted my company to succeed.

  Chapter 18

  Charlie

  I sat on my couch, going over the weekend in my head when my doorbell rang. I still couldn’t believe what I was doing with L, and part of me knew I was in over my head.

  But, the racket at the door pulled me away from any further thought.

  “Go away,” I called out.

  “Charlie, come on,” Rick said. “Open the door.”

  I sighed, rolling my eyes before I got off the couch. I wanted to be left with my thoughts, but I knew if I didn’t open the door he wouldn’t actually go away.

  “What, Rick?” I asked.

  “Let me come in for a second,” he said.

  Before I could answer, he pushed his way past me and started calling out for Johnson. My cat came running from the other room, jumping into his arms while he sat on the ground playing with him, and the only thing I could do was stare.

  “You know, jet-setting around the world looks good on you, Charlie. But, you really should give me a key to this place so I can come check on this little guy,” he said.

  “As you can see, Johnson is fine. And, thanks for the compliment,” I said.

  “I haven’t seen you this radiant in, well—ever, really. You’re all tan and glowing. Who knew business trips could be so fun?” he asked.

  I knew he was fishing. He was wondering what this latest trip was about, and I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want to tell him what was going on, and even if I did, I couldn’t.

  After all, what L and I were doing was still wrong.

  “Were you alone?” he asked.

  “On a business trip? Nope. It’s unsafe to travel by yourself,” I said.

  “Ah, a company with a buddy system. How convenient,” he said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, bending down and taking Johnson from his arms.

  “Where’d you head off to this time? Back to Finland or wherever
?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but we were actually in the Bahamas,” I said.

  “Doesn’t really sound like a business trip to me,” he said.

  “It is when you have work to do in the Bahamas. But, yes, I did indulge in some of the sights.”

  I could tell jealousy was rising up in Rick’s body, and I wondered if telling him I was seeing someone would help. He needed to move on, and he needed to understand that I had, too. I mean, I didn’t have to tell him who it was—after all, that was none of his business. But, if L and I were going to attempt a relationship—albeit, a secretive one—I’m sure he wouldn’t take kindly to some other single guy being in my apartment anyway.

  “I’m seeing someone, Rick,” I said.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I’m seeing someone.”

  “That who you were in the Bahamas with?” he asked.

  “No,” I said, lying. “But, I know that you come around here partially because you think we’re gonna get back together.”