It was time. He pressed her back, feeling her body slowly expand and envelop him. Inch by inch, he sank into the heat of her until he was fully buried. It was excruciating, balancing the fine line of pleasure as he fought to keep control. He’d waited a long time to finally experience this moment. He wasn’t about to let it go by in a flash.
And then Sam started moving her hips. She rocked forward, then back in one long, slow stroke. Brody groaned and pressed his fingertips into the ample flesh of her backside. Sam moved again, this time faster. And again. And again.
She arched her back, giving him a magnificent view of her breasts as she braced herself on his thighs. He moved one hand to slide across her taut stomach and cup a breast. Brody pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and Sam cried out. She moved faster, thrusting him inside her body at a pace that neither of them could withstand for long.
And then it happened. He felt Sam’s inner muscles tighten around him. Her hips continued to move frantically as her cries grew louder. “Brody!” she cried, over and over until Brody could no longer hear her over his own groans of anticipation. As Sam screamed out the last of her orgasm, he let go. The white-hot sensation of pleasure exploded inside, flowing out of him and into Sam in a throbbing, pulsating wave.
“Yes!” was all he could say. Yes, it was really happening. Yes, he was no longer a virgin. Yes, he had the sexiest woman he’d ever seen in his bed. And finally, yes, he would like to do that again very, very soon.
Seven
Sam awoke the next morning to a beam of sunlight stretching across her face. She pried one eye open to find herself facing a gloriously sunny morning. The windows of Brody’s bedroom faced the eastern horizon. She wasn’t quite sure if he liked the view or needed nature’s alarm clock to wake up.
She turned her head and found the bed empty beside her. Apparently he just liked the view. She ran her hand over the mattress. His side of the bed wasn’t even warm. He’d been up for a while. Then her fingers brushed over something unexpected and soft.
With a yawn, she sat up, tugging the sheets to her chest. Looking down, she saw one of her pink roses beside her. She picked it up and brought it to her nose. It was lovely.
The whole night had been amazing. Sam never expected it would be like that. She had been attracted to him from the very beginning. A part of her was drawn to his dark, brooding personality. She wanted to understand him. To know what kind of secrets had driven him into this self-imposed exile. Sam had worried herself to death thinking this was going to be just like the scenario with Luke. She couldn’t have been more wrong, but she never imagined Brody would tell her that he was still a virgin.
It surprised Sam, although in retrospect, it was the missing piece that made everything about Brody make sense. The hesitation in his touch. The awkwardness of being near to her. The charming innocence…
When he confessed to her that he’d never been with a woman before, it was one of the saddest and sexiest things she’d ever heard in her life. She’d never been a man’s first before, and it was an amazing turn-on for her. Even her first time had been with an older, more experienced guy. You never forget your first. And she wanted so badly to be that woman for Brody.
But she also wanted to make love to Brody because it was something she could do for him. She couldn’t free him from his prison. She might not be able to make him a happier, more open person. But she could give him her body. Sam could tell how much his confession pained him. No man ever wanted to have to say that to a woman. And if nothing else ever happened between them, she would be happy knowing she shared that part of herself and lifted one burden of the many from his shoulders.
Sam inhaled the rose’s perfume again and flopped back against the pillows. Her muscles ached and she’d barely gotten five hours of sleep, but she didn’t care. She was too happy and satiated to care.
The first time they made love, Sam had wanted to make it all about Brody. Every move, from the seductive slide of her panties over her hips to the glide of her tongue along his aching flesh, had been to give him an experience he would always remember. She took control so he didn’t have to worry about making a misstep. Sam had been with more experienced men that fumbled with bra clasps and poked around her body like they were lost. She didn’t want that on his mind for even a moment, and it had gone perfectly.
As had everything else last night. By the time they finally fell asleep, no part of her was left unadored, no need unfulfilled.
Sam sighed. A week ago, you couldn’t have convinced her that she would be where she was right now. Her irritable mystery boss held more surprises than she ever could’ve imagined when she first sat at her desk and looked up at those surveillance cameras.
“Sam? Are you awake?”
Before she could answer, Chris leaped up onto the bed and gave her a wet morning kiss on the cheek. Brody scolded her and forced her down off the bed.
Sam sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. “I am.”
Brody gave her a crooked smile of concern. “Were you awake before Mauling 2.0?”
She laughed. “I was. Thank you for my rose.”
“You’re welcome.”
Sam couldn’t help but notice how handsome Brody looked this morning. He was wearing a pair of khakis with a white, collared shirt that was rolled up over the muscles of his forearms.
It made her realize what a mess she must be herself. She certainly had bed head, last night’s makeup smeared around, and clothes in so many different places she might never find them all to go home today. She ran a self-conscious hand over the wild curls of her hair, but there was nothing her hand could do to tame them. On the bright side, she had a toothbrush in her purse. After years of teenage orthodontia, carrying one with her became a habit she hadn’t broken.
“I put your clothes on the chair.” Brody pointed to an upholstered chair a few feet away. Each piece of her clothing was neatly folded and stacked there, with her heels on the floor beside it.
“Thank you.”
“If you would like to take a shower, there’s fresh towels on the stand beside it. I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready. I was thinking of making breakfast if you’re hungry.”
“Breakfast?” After last night, she doubted he would attempt cooking again anytime soon.
“Bagels,” he corrected with a grin. “I can manage bagels.” Brody called Chris and the two of them slipped out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.
At least there would be no walk of shame. Sam always hated that part. She flipped back the covers and carried her clothes with her into the master bathroom. The shower stall itself was bigger than her whole bathroom with glass tiles and shiny chrome fixtures. It took her five minutes to figure out which knobs controlled what, but once she got it working, she was rewarded with a decadently hot, steamy spray from three different nozzles.
About thirty minutes later Sam came downstairs. She was a little overdressed, but cleaned up pretty well. She found Brody back in the kitchen. He was pouring two mugs of coffee. She watched him add a splash a cream and a teaspoon of raw sugar before stirring and handing it to her.
“Are my coffee preferences online, too?” she asked.
“Not that I’m aware of.” Brody laughed. “But the barista writes it on your cup.”
“Oh.” Sam took a sip and watched him doctor his own coffee. “So you mentioned bagels?”
“Yes. I have whole wheat, cinnamon raisin and everything.”
“Cinnamon raisin would be great.” She didn’t need poppy seeds in her teeth or onion breath.
“An excellent selection, ma’am. I will toast it to perfection and deliver it to you on the patio if you’d care to relax outside.”
“Why, thank you. That would be lovely. Come on, Chris.” The dog picked up her red ball and trotted down the hallway with Sam.
It was interesting to see Brody like that. He looked so comfortable. He didn’t even appear to mind having his picture taken. It was a huge departure from the man she was getting to know. It made her wonder who those people were. And although she had no reason to be jealous considering everything that happened last night, it especially made her wonder who the blonde he hugged to his side was.
Chris waited impatiently for her on the patio. She dropped her ball and barked. Sam continued outside as requested. “Sorry, Chris.” She bent down and picked up the ball, tossing it out into the yard.
Chris leaped off the patio, dashing through the dewy morning grass. When she returned, Sam was sitting in the chair by the fireplace. They tossed the ball a few times before Brody showed up with bagels and cream cheese.
“That picture in the hallway,” Sam said, after smearing her bagel with the fluffy white cheese. “Who’s in it with you? Are they friends from college or something?”
Brody glanced through the doorway and shook his head. “No. That’s my family.”
His family? Only two out of the five in the portrait shared even the slightest resemblance. She expected Brody to elaborate, but he took a bite of his bagel instead. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Things had gone well enough that she didn’t want to push it. But it made her curious. He never mentioned having brothers and a sister before.
“Are you busy tonight?”
Brody’s question startled Sam from her thoughts. “Tonight? No. Why?” She’d already spent a large portion of the weekend with him. She didn’t mind seeing him again, but she thought he might be ready for some alone time.
“I still feel bad about dinner last night. I promised you a proper dinner date, and if you’re available this evening, I’d like to make good on it.”
Sam wrinkled her nose. “Are you attempting to cook again?”
“Oh, no,” he said. “This time I’m leaving it up to the professionals.”
* * *
Brody dialed Sam’s phone number at exactly seven that evening. He would’ve liked to pick her up at her door, but since she lived in a large and busy apartment building, he would have to settle for meeting her at the curb in his Mercedes.
Sam slipped into his passenger seat wearing a pale pink iridescent dress. It was one-shouldered, short and gathered at the waist with a belt made of large chunky rhinestones. When she sat beside him, the dress rode high up her thighs and made her legs look like they went on for miles.
He eyed her with a sly smile. “I told you I was taking you out for dinner, and you wear a dress that makes me want to take you home and strip you naked right now.”
Sam grinned. “Do you like it? It’s one of my favorites.”
“It’s very sparkly,” he noted.
“It is. And as for stripping me naked, it’s all part of the anticipation.”
“I’ve had thirty years of anticipation. It’s not novel for me. I’m frankly tired of it.”
“Too bad. You said you were taking me to dinner and you’re not getting out of it.”
Brody reluctantly shifted the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot. “If you insist.”
“Where are we going, anyway? You said you don’t go out to eat.”
“I don’t,” he said, ignoring her first question. He wanted to surprise her.
A short while later, they stopped outside of a Beacon Hill town house, the home of one of the finest French and Italian fusion restaurants in Boston. Instead of pulling up to the valet, Brody drove around back and entered a private parking lot.
“Are we really going into a restaurant?” Sam asked. “With people in it?”
“Not exactly.” Brody had made special arrangements for a private service. He’d done this once before when Wade brought Tori to Boston, and it had worked out well. He opened the back door and she stepped inside ahead of him. “Take the first right,” he said.
Sam turned down the first hallway and they went through a door marked “PRIVATE.” The room beyond it was small. At most it could seat four people. A crescent-shaped table extended from the wall. It was draped in white linens and lit with several candles. There were two place settings and two chairs waiting for them.
Brody helped her into her chair at the table and took his own seat. The wall they were facing had a small window with what looked like wooden shutters over it. He reached forward and tapped at the blinds. Less than a minute later, the doors opened and someone reached through to place two glasses of white wine on the table.
“What is this place?” Sam asked. “Are there no menus? No waiters?”
“This restaurant does private chef’s tastings. Small groups are invited back here to eat some of the best food in the city. They only take one reservation a night. It’s as close as you can get to the action without eating in the kitchen itself. I think you’ll like it.”
“No one is going to come in the room?”
“Not if they want my generous tip. The only person we will see is the chef. The executive chef presents the food and talks with the diners about what he’s prepared.”
“Can the chef see us?”
“Yes,” Brody said. “But I’m not worried about it. The room is dark enough. He’s only going to be interested in what he’s serving us.”
Sam smiled and sipped her wine. “I was wondering how you would pull this off.”
“I thought about renting out an entire restaurant, but this seemed more…intimate.” Brody took advantage of the dim lighting and private room to lean in and press his lips against Sam’s neck.
She sighed and tipped her head to the side to give him better access. “It certainly has its benefits,” she said.
The window opened again and Brody pulled away. The executive chef leaned through the opening and presented them both with a salmon plate with dill and caviar, the first of several courses. Each plate included a perfectly paired wine. It took nearly two hours to complete the tasting, but Brody enjoyed every minute of it. Because Sam did.
He liked watching her face light with excitement as each new course came out. There were a few things she’d never had before, but she was brave enough to try everything and enjoyed almost all of it. Brody ran the risk of some people seeing him while he was here, but it was worth it.
Sam deserved a decadent night out and more. She had changed his entire world since he met her. And last night had been one of the most incredible nights of his life. He’d dreamed of that moment since he was fifteen years old, and nothing he’d imagined in all that time could compare with the reality.
She did everything in her power to make that night special for him. There was no way he could ever repay her for that. But he would try. If everything fell into place the way he hoped, he had a special surprise in store for her.
The chef served their last course and thanked them for joining him. Brody shook his hand and passed him a credit card to cover dinner and gratuity. They were now left alone to enjoy their trio of canneles. He took his first bite, letting the hazelnut cream melt on his tongue. A moment later, he felt Sam’s hand on his thigh.
It seemed as though Sam had a special surprise in store for him, too. He had difficulty swallowing his next bite as her fingers kneaded the muscles, inching ever higher. Brody looked over at Sam. To see her sitting there, she was quietly eating her dessert. If anyone were to see them, they would never suspect that her hand had dipped into his lap.
“Mmm…” she sa
id. She turned to him with a smile and licked the last of the ice cream from her spoon. “The brown butter one is really good.” Her dark eyes fixed on him, the elegant line of her brow arching up. “So, do you like it, Brody?”
He knew she wasn’t talking about ice cream. “Oh, yeah,” he said, nearly groaning as she stroked him through the fabric of his pants. “I think this is the best course so far.”
“Me, too.” Sam leaned over and kissed him.
Brody dropped his spoon and turned toward her to cup her face in his hands. He really enjoyed kissing Sam. There was something about it that made him want to indulge in kissing her for hours. He didn’t know if it was the softness of her lips, the sweet taste of her mouth or the soft cries of desire against his skin, but he couldn’t get enough of her.
His hand went to her waist, stroking and clutching at the shimmery fabric of her dress and the skin beneath it. He could think of a few other places he would prefer to touch, but since making love to Sam in this tiny room was not a viable option, he needed to leave the naughty antics to her.
His tongue glided along hers and Sam mimicked the stroke with her hand. Despite the layers of clothing between them, she had him balancing on the edge. He groaned aloud this time, unable to suppress it. Brody was certain someone in the kitchen had heard.
Sam pulled away from him with a smug expression. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you going to finish your dessert?”
Brody shook his head and grasped Sam’s roaming hand with his own. He pulled her away, as much as he hated to do it. “I think I’d like my dessert to go.”
Eight
Sam didn’t regret a moment of her weekend, but at the same time, she dreaded this first day back at the office. Would things be weird between them because they had had sex? Would he act differently around her? Or worse yet, would he find a reason to replace her now that he had got what he wanted?
The thoughts haunted her on her Monday morning commute. Her strategy today was to keep quiet, lie low, make Brody come to her and see how he acted around her. She was probably worried over nothing. Things on Sunday morning had been fine. Their dinner was wonderful and dessert was amazing. It wasn’t awkward at all. But that didn’t mean something else couldn’t happen to ruin it.
A Beauty Uncovered Page 9