by Various
Three hours later she was woken by the phone.
“Hi. Sorry to wake you.”
She bolted upright. “Cam?”
“Yea, listen. Can you come down? It’s Ted. He’s drunk out of his trees and I can’t get him to go to bed. He’s woken at least one of your guests. I’m real sorry—Ted. Grow a pair, man, and stop wailing.—Please Elsie! I’m not good with crying, drunken men.”
She glanced at the clock. Two in the friggin’ morning?
“I’ll be right down.”
She found them in the kitchen. Asher was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down his face, so drunk he was barely able to speak. He started to wail when he noticed her.
“ ‘sie. Why doesn’t anyone love me?”
Elsie looked at Cam who just shrugged his shoulders.
“Lots of people love you, Asher. You have millions of fans.”
“That’s not me they love. They love the fake me. But no one loves me. Ted.”
She rolled her eyes and glared at Cam. “You had to call him Ted all day, didn’t you?”
“Don’t you get mad at my best friend,” Asher - Ted - said, shaking his finger at her.
“I’m sorry. Would you like me to call you Ted?”
“Please.”
“Listen, Ted. It’s very late. And you’re really drunk. Let’s get you into bed and we can talk tomorrow when you feel better.”
“You said you wouldn’t sleep with me,” he said. “Did you change your mind?”
Sweet lord. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. And did you stop to think that women might love you more if you only slept with one of them?”
“I normally only ever sleep with one. It’s a lot harder to get a threesome than most people imagine. They think, ‘Oh look at Asher, big rock star. Bet he has orgies all the time.’ But you know, I’ve only ever had two orgies.”
“Good for you, man,” Cam said. A second later Elsie punched him. “What? I’m just trying to make him feel better.”
She glared. “That helps him how?”
He smirked in response.
It took them ten minutes to get Ted quietly to his room. And another ten for her and Cam to get him in bed.
“Will you take off my trousers?”
“Shut your mouth,” Cam growled.
“But...”
“Enough, Ted. Apologize to Elsie for waking her, and for the things you’ve said. And then go to sleep.”
“ ‘m s’ry ‘sie.” And with that he passed out.
Cam and Elsie looked at each other and tiptoed out of the room, like two nervous parents afraid to wake a sleeping baby.
“I’m really sorry I had to call you,” he said. “But he kept asking for you. I was afraid he was about to start shouting your name through the house.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Thanks.” They both stood in the dimly lit hallway. “Well, I guess I’ll head down to the cottage.”
“It’s late,” she said. “I imagine you’re tired.”
He moved a step closer. “Not really.”
“Yea, I’m pretty awake right now myself.” She shuffled her feet. “I don’t suppose you’d like a cup of tea or anything.”
“I’d love tea. Or anything.” He moved closer.
“We don’t have to go down to the kitchen. My rooms are closer. I’ve got a kettle.”
“If you like,” he said, this time not moving at all.
She turned and led him up a small set of stairs. When she got to her door she stopped. “I’ve never invited a guest in here before,” she said quietly. It seemed important he know that Asher had never been there.
“Well, thank you for inviting me.”
She got the impression he was just as uncertain as she was about what exactly was happening—or might happen.
Her suite was made up of a small kitchenette/living room, her bedroom and a spacious bathroom. It was decorated simply in various layers of whites and sea foam green, her personal oasis. He sat on the plush sofa.
She could count on one hand how often someone had sat on that sofa. Truth was, she had created this room and never used it. She wasn’t even sure if there was milk in the fridge. She was right. Another check and she groaned.
“Um, it seems I’m out of tea bags,” she said, giving him a sheepish smile. “Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had teabags here. I know I bought this pretty canister set, but they’re all empty. I don’t think I ever filled them!”
“That’s okay,” he said, picking up a photo album lying on the coffee table. “May I?”
“Sure, although don’t think you’re going to find anything incriminating in there,” she said with a grin.
“There’s nothing in here,” he said.
“Yea. I bought that because I thought it would look nice on the table. I haven’t gotten around to printing any pictures to fill it with. Then again, all my pictures these years are of the inn, so that might be why.”
God, how pathetic he was going to think she was.
“Well, that’s your life, so why not fill it with what matters to you? Some people take photos of their dog and fill albums with those. There’s nothing wrong with the photos you have, if they mean something to you. And this place certainly is important, yes?
“Exactly,” she said. “Sometimes people will get on my back about spending too much time at work, but when your work is your home, what else are you supposed to do? It’s the choice I made and I love it. If I didn’t I’d close the door tomorrow and just live here myself.” She didn’t add that life would be too lonely then.
“I get it.”
“Thanks,” she said. “So, I can run downstairs and grab some tea bags if you’re desperate for tea.” She went back to the small refrigerator. “Or I can offer you a bottle of water.”
“I’m good,” he said.
He sure looked good, sitting there. The room was better with him in it.
“Nice shirt, by the way,” he added.
It was then that she realized she was wearing ratty blue plaid flannel pj bottoms with a shirt she’d gotten almost twenty years ago at a Def Leopard concert. Her chest read ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me.’
“I wasn’t expecting to be out of my room tonight.”
“Oh, I’m glad you wore that out,” he said, standing and walking to her. “It will give me plenty to dream about. And because of that, I should really go.”
She blushed. This was it, the magic minute. If she wanted anything to happen with this man, now was the time to say or do something.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek, lingering there.
“I think you should stay,” she whispered. She felt him tense. Then he kissed her cheek again, nearer her ear.
“I’d like to stay.” His breath on her ear caused her to tremble. Then he kissed her ear lobe, nipping it with his tongue.
There was no turning back now, she told herself as she glided her hand up his firm chest. Even with the softness of the cashmere sweater, she felt his hot, hard body beneath.
She was shocked when he picked her up and laid her on the counter. “I want to see your eyes.” His voice was deeper and quieter than she’d ever heard it.
“God, you’re beautiful.” He stroked her cheek slowly, before twining his fingers in her long hair. Pulling her head back ever so slightly, he descended to capture her mouth in his. His lips were firm and unyielding.
She wasn’t the melt at a man’s touch type of woman. Instead she met his kiss with her own intensity, days of built-up longing taking its release in her lips and tongue. For a first kiss there was nothing hesitant or sweet about it. Pure raw heat coursed through her. The ferocity of her passion startled her. She broke the kiss.
“I’ll only go as far as you want,” Cam said, running his thumb softly along her bottom lip.
She replied by pulling her shirt over her head, revealing nothing but skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and guided his head to her breasts. She longed to feel him stroke
her.
He didn’t disappoint. From the first slow pull of his lips across her nipple to a feverous suckling, Elsie discovered that it was more than possible for a woman to lose control just from this very act. He stopped just long enough to carry her to the sofa, before continuing his torturing of her.
She began to tug at his sweater and shirt, wanting to feel skin on skin.
“No,” he growled, as he worked her breasts, moving from one to the other, alternating between light grazes of his lips on her firm nipples to deep kisses taking in as much of their fullness as he could in his mouth.
“Yes,” she said, still trying to loosen his shirt.
“No,” he said again, taking her slender arms and pinning them to either side of her now twisting body.
Elsie wanted to scream in frustration. Her body yearned to feel his skin. She’d dreamed of touching him for so long that to be denied it was sheer torture. Which might be his intention.
Her nipples were on sensory over-drive, making the rest of her body yearn for similar treatment. It was as if there was an imaginary wire that went from her breasts to her inner-core, sending signals to her erogenous zones to let them know that there was a very skillful master at work, and they should prepare themselves in anticipation.
The need to touch Cam was overwhelming. She had to do something to maintain some form of control. But she was unable to move her arms. A slight wiggle of her wrist to see if she could break free, and he tightened his grip on her arms. He also broke his grasp of her nipples.
“No moving that body of yours unless it’s in absolute pleasure,” he said before his mouth covered hers.
She tried to take control of the situation, wrapping her lips around his tongue and drawing it deeper into her mouth. She thought she felt him grow harder against her thigh, but really, who could tell. The man was all rock hard sinew at the best of times. Maybe that was his leg.
Holy crap. If she couldn’t tell the difference between his cock and his leg, she had bigger things to worry about.
Elsie attempted to shift her leg, to draw it up between his legs, but the man really was a giant. There was no way she could budge.
He pulled his mouth away from hers, dropping a feather-light kiss on her nose.
“Frustrated?” His eyes glowed with the glee of a man who was getting exactly what he wanted.
She refused to comment. Instead she wriggled as best she could beneath him, and slowly sucked on her bottom lip in some vain hope he’d want to give her free reign to give as well as receive.
He nipped her lip. “Elsie,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I’ve been dreaming of ways to please you. I’ve fantasized about tasting you. Let me show you, before I lose control. Because I know once you start touching me, there’s no way I’m going to stay sane.”
She shuddered in anticipation.
“Does that sound good to you?” He suckled her neck.
“Oh God yes.” What kind of woman would say no to a man after that?
“Where’s your bed?”
“In there.”
Cam picked her up as if she weighed nothing and strode into her room.
The covers of her bed were still tossed back from when she’d jumped out of it an hour ago. Cam pushed them the rest of the way down and laid her across the centre of the soft mattress.
On a good day Elsie loved to lie on her soft cotton sheets and feel them against her skin. Now they were adding to the sensations that were already coursing across her body.
Cam kissed her again, and then made a trail of soft kisses down her neck, between her breasts, onto her stomach. Tiny butterfly kisses, to match the fluttering in her stomach.
He ran his hands down her torso, stopping when he reached her waist.
“Last chance to change your mind,” he said, his mouth nuzzling the skin below her belly button.
“Are you crazy?” she moaned. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
He laughed. “I’ll take that as a please proceed.”
He slid his hands to the waistband of her flannel pants and slowly pulled them down. The fabric caressed her hips, sliding easily over her bottom thanks to the one appealing piece of clothing she was wearing... blue satin bikini panties, trimmed with lace.
She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard him growl at the discovery.
He continued his trail of kisses as he removed her panties, moving down her thigh, to her knee, kissing her calf and ankle as he dropped the blue satin to the floor.
Her body longed to touch him, but she resisted. It felt decadent to simply lie there and let him explore her.
He ran his hands back up her legs, widening the gap between them as one hand caressed the slight covering of hair that crested her mound.
Despite knowing what was about to happen, Elsie still gasped when he softly stroked the wet skin inside. He was taking his absolute dead time, one finger exploring the entrance to her core, circling around her clitoris without actually touching it.
It was excruciating. And maddening. And she hoped he kept doing it.
Never had a man taken such time with her. It was normally kiss, stroke, thrust, thank-you. Elsie felt like Cam was unwrapping her, like a gift you’ve wanted for a long time, and to draw out the anticipation you slowly unwrap it, taking your time undoing the bow in the ribbon, languorously unloosing each layer of tape, before peeling back the paper to reveal the treasure inside.
His finger slowly eased deeper into her centre, while his mouth nipped at her inner thigh.
Elsie wanted to grab his hair and lead his head to take over from his hand, but she also wanted to give him his freedom to go at his own pace—even if she melted into the bed trying to contain herself.
But sweet gentle Moses, there was only so much a woman could take. It turned out that for Elsie, that was the moment he replaced his finger with his tongue and swept it across her already pulsing clitoris.
Thrusting her hips up off the bed, she tangled her fingers in his hair and tried to bite off the scream of pleasure that was building in her throat. Sure, she’d renovated the rooms so that they were virtually soundproof, but she didn’t trust herself not to bring the walls down if she were to let loose the pent up moans of desire.
She needed to get herself under control. Oh dear God. She needed to keep it together. Oh sweet mercy. She exploded as a torrent of waves crashed through her body. And yet Cam continued. Her legs, somehow, had ended up over his shoulders, and he continued to stroke her as she writhed on the bed, her hands trying to push his head away to create a break in the intense convulsions coursing through her body.
“I can’t handle any more,” she moaned. “Please,” she begged. But was she begging for him to stop? Really? Or just continue his ministrations elsewhere?
Finally she managed to drag his head away.
He smiled wolfishly at her. “More? Or do you need a rest?”
More? She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. Hell yes, she wanted more.
She didn’t let herself think about why he’d have a condom in his pocket, as he pulled it out as he quickly undressed. She supposed this was the time when she was meant to size up his perfect body, and run her hands along the muscles that rippled down his chest—so that was what a real six-pack looked like!—but the only thing Elsie cared about at that instant was feeling him slide inside her.
The man was big, and she just knew her body was about to stretch in ways she’d never had to before, but she was damn well willing to give it a try. However, it was going to be on her terms.
“My turn,” she said, pushing him on his back. She spread her legs over his hips and leaned her chest towards him. Her breasts hovered above his face and he grabbed one with his mouth.
Slowly, she eased herself down onto his shaft, moving up and back down in smooth intervals until the entire length of him filled her.
She closed her eyes at the sensation of fullness. Every slight move he made, every pulse of his cock, threatened to
take her over the edge again. She wanted to make it last, wanted to feel him tremble inside her before allowing herself to lose control again. But it was going to take all of her strength to do it.
As she rocked her body on top of him, Cam continued to tease her breast with his tongue. His hands were gripping her rear-end, helping set the pace. Before long he was raising his hips to meet her, thrusting into her with force. Soon they were in the midst of a harmonious rhythm, his thrusting up as she pushed herself down, their bodies converging with mounting speed.
Cam pulled his mouth away from her breasts. “Open your eyes,” he panted.
Elsie wasn’t aware she’d closed them.
“I want to see you,” he said as she looked at him. “Beautiful,” he moaned. “Oh sweet Jesus, Elsie, you are breathtaking.”
She felt him shudder beneath her, all the invitation she needed to let herself go. As wave after wave of pleasure flowed over her, she lay on top of him, their frantic breathing in tandem with one another.
Her hair was tangled around his face, while her cheek rested on his shoulder. She kissed it.
Cam reached down and pulled a sheet up over them, wrapping his arms around her.
Her last thought before she succumbed to her exhaustion was that she was in trouble. Big, freakin’ ginormous trouble.
NINE
Cam woke to find himself alone in bed. The only certainty that he hadn’t dreamed the night before was that he was in her bed, surrounded by her scent, and tell-tale signs that this was a woman’s room. Useless pillows piled on a window seat, a soft lilac duvet cover, and a hundred subtle little things that you wouldn’t find in a room if it was shared with a man.
The sun was streaming through lace curtains, blowing in the cold breeze from the open window. He remembered getting up at some point in the night and opening it, the cold air adding to the sensations of their sweaty bodies.
It was seven thirty. The latest he’d slept in since arriving at the inn. But the last thing on his mind this morning was getting breakfast and going in search of birds. The only thing he wanted was for Elsie to come back to bed. He heard the shower running in the bathroom, and figured the best way to get her back to bed was to entice her.