by Various
"Have you tried talking to him?"
"Yeah. All week. But he keeps saying the partners are riding his ass and he has no time. He’s just blowing me off. And now, he won't even look at me." I can hear Katie's tears stuck in her throat.
"Come on. Let's get you to the rest room."
I hear them all turn and walk the other way. Damn it! I can't follow them.
Okay, so he was flirting with another woman, and then he met me. He obviously is no longer interested in her, which is why she’s so upset. He isn’t looking at her today—the day after he spent the night with me. I should be happy about that. Right?
We never talked about his attachments. Only mine. I just assumed he was single. Bad move on my part. Why aren’t I thrilled that he is giving her the cold shoulder? Will he just ignore me when he’s ready to move on?
I lean against the wall for a second, realizing I have no idea who he really is. I brought him to my house and slept with him, but I don't know him. Not really.
I hear more people coming down the hall and pull in a deep breath so I can get back to work.
The afternoon comes to a close. There are stray groups here and there talking, boasting about their latest client or lawsuit. I haven't seen Mrs. Foster or Mr. Cole the elder in a few hours; that is good news. Julie is checking the breakout session rooms, collecting jackets, notebooks, phones, and the occasional briefcase to be stored and hopefully retrieved by the end of the conference. Otherwise, we will haul it all over to their office after the show.
"It was a good day," Julie says behind me.
I turn to face her. "Yes. I think it was."
She starts laughing. "Did you see that one security guy, Sean? He thinks it's us, ya know."
"Us what?"
"Sean thinks we’re the cause of all this chaos. Man, I'd like to have him protect me!" Julie looks sort of dreamy as she talks about Sean.
"Sounds like a crush to me!" I say, teasing her. She’s so easy to fluster.
"Speaking of crushes," she gushes at me. Oh no.
"Nope. We’re so not going there. Not today."
Julie looks confused and then hurt.
"Sorry. Just don't want to jinx anything," I say, trying to soften the blow.
"Excuse me, ladies."
I whip my head around to the sound of Ryan's voice.
"Hi," I say, my voice too high. Suddenly, I’m nervous.
"Nora. Can I see you a moment, please?" Ryan asks, his voice crisp, and my heart sinks. Oh, here it comes.
"Sure. What's up?" I say, sounding as if I am pleading with him. Yuck!
"Could you come with me, please?" Ryan asks, and heads out the door. Looking at Julie, I shrug my shoulders, having no idea what this could be about.
I follow Ryan in silence as he leads me down the hall. We seem to be going toward one of the breakout session rooms. I thought Julie checked these.
He walks into Evergreen. I duck into the room expecting a lecture. The door closes behind me and Ryan wraps his arms around me from behind and spins me around to face him.
"Oh!" I say, before his mouth covers mine.
"I’ve been thinking about you all day," he growls into my ear as his mouth grazes my neck and up my ear.
"Me too!" I wrap my arms around his neck, caressing his hair, loving the feel of his skin, and burying my head in his neck.
"Are you almost done? Do you guys have to like, clean up, or something? I really want to go home with you." I hear the restraint in his voice and my insides react to it. Everything is alive.
"Yeah, Julie and I were just figuring that out when you called me over here. I thought we had another problem to deal with. She’s probably pacing and won't leave until I get back to her and tell her everything is fine." His leg is bracing against mine, I have somehow been moved to the wall near the door. The weight of his leg against mine is spreading my thighs apart ever so slightly. I feel my nipples rise up against the thin material of my bra.
"Go tell her everything is fine so we can get out of here. I’ve been waiting all day for you." His raw voice is such a turn on. My knees almost go limp.
With all of my will power I push him away from me and take a deep breath.
"Okay," I say shakily, raking my hands through my hair. "Okay. Let me finish up here. Give me 20 minutes and then I'll leave. Would you like to come back to my place? You already know where that is." I pause. "Hey, where do you live, anyway?"
"I live too far away. I'll see you at your place in 30." He kisses me and leaves.
I feel like the wind has just been knocked out of me. I’ve never met a man who so quickly and completely consumes me like that.
"What's wrong? You look—I don't know. What did Ryan want?" Julie rushes at me when I get back to the big hall.
"Everything is fine. Things are great," I squeak. I should be embarrassed, but I’m too excited. "Listen. What's left to do? I want to leave."
Julie looks stunned. "You want to leave? YOU?" And then it finally hits her. "You! Oh and Ryan. OH! Okay. No wonder. Oh, my God. Were you ever going tell me?"
I just stand there, smiling like an idiot. Julie is laughing at me and I don't even care.
"Julie. I want to leave inside of 15 minutes. What's next?"
"Okay. Let's go check the set ups for tomorrow. This should be quick."
We both turn to leave and head to our make shift office.
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask her as we walk together.
“Sure.”
“Well, this thing with Ryan is new. Like, really new. So um, I heard some of the lawyers talking, and one of them was sad that she was getting the brush off from him today.”
“So, you felt sorry for her?” Julie scoffs.
“No. But they mentioned that Emily was after him. What do you think? Should I be worried?” I stop and look at her really concerned.
“Look, Nora. Ryan is hot. I mean, like smoking hot. Lots of women are going be interested in him. I’ve seen him blow off Emily. He isn’t interested. And this other chick? He blew her off, and I think that says a lot about Ryan. He likes you. Don’t fret about this one. Just go with it! Don’t try to fix it before it’s broken. Okay?” Julie reaches out and hugs me.
I feel the tension leave my shoulders. She is making sense.
“Okay. You’re right. I should take that as a compliment.”
“Yeah,” Julie says, pulling back from our hug. “Besides, now you know what his brush off looks like.”
She walks ahead of me while that sinks in. Pushing that thought into the very back of my mind, I join her with the goal of getting out of here as quickly as possible.
It is anything but quick. I have had to text Ryan twice with time delays. It's been over an hour and I’m just leaving the hotel. The good news is that everything is set for the morning. I shouldn't have to come in until after seven. That will give us two hours to finalize everything.
My head is buzzing when I pull into the parking lot. I see Ryan's car sitting in the lot. My stomach flips; he is waiting for me. Just as I get out of the car, Ryan opens his door. He pulls out a small duffle bag and has changed into jeans and T-shirt. Somehow, I don't think he lives far away.
"Hey. Sorry. Events are like that." I say, trying to gauge his mood. Never have I had a man wait for me without getting pissed. I don't know what to expect.
"No worries. I went home and changed. Grabbed some clean clothes, so I can shower here in the morning." He looks divine. His faded dark green T-shirt runs tight across his chest, showing off his muscles. And those jeans fit him perfectly, accentuating all those good parts.
"You look really, um, good casual. That's a good look for you," I say, reaching up to kiss him.
We start to walk to the apartment and head for the stairs. I always take the stairs; Darren hated the stairs. Ryan doesn't seem bothered either way. I really need to stop with the random comparisons.
"Hey, so listen. Do you want to order some take out? I'm going to change?" I say, as we wa
lk in and head down the hall to my room.
I get to my closet and start taking off my shoes. They are a killer. They look great, but after a long day of walking around, my feet hurt. I slip off my skirt, fold it up, and put it the dry cleaning pile.
Pulling off my stockings I sigh in relief; I hate those things. As I’m unbuttoning my shirt, I hear something behind me. Turning around, I find Ryan watching me from the doorway.
My fingers are still opening the last button on my shirt and I freeze.
"Hi. Didn't know you were there?"
He doesn't move, just watches me with that wicked smile of his. Oh, I really like that smile.
"Do you have any idea how amazing you look?" He leans against the doorframe crossing his arms.
Not what I expected him to say. "No. I guess not. Have you been watching me undress all this time?"
Suddenly, completely aware of my almost nakedness, I drop my hands. He was watching me?
"Yes. I have been watching you. Best show in town."
He still doesn't move. His eyes don't waver. He continues to stare at me, leaning against the door.
"Best show in town? Are you kidding me?" I ask, completely unsure how to react.
My body has reacted one way and my mind another. My body is completely alive under his gaze. My nipples are hard, my stomach is clenched, my underwear moist. My head, on the other hand, is completely appalled.
Ryan takes a step into the room and reaches out to touch me. I automatically walk towards him.
"No. Not kidding. Hands down, you are the best show in town. I’ve never seen such a striking woman. Look at you." He opens my shirt and slowly pulls it off.
I’m standing next to him in my bra and panties. He is fully dressed. There is something about his look that is coiling my insides in a good way. It's a powerful aphrodisiac to be looked at with such desire. I reach up and circle my arms around his neck.
"Hmmmm, I like this. Me naked and you dressed."
"Yes, Young, I think you do," he says slowly in my ear. "I think you really do."
Exhaling my delight, I nuzzle into his neck, running my hands along his arms and back, feeling his muscles tighten underneath the fabric.
His hands are on my back. His fingertips run up and down my spine and caress my backside. My skin pebbles with goose bumps. I lean deeper into him and feel his erection pressing through his jeans.
Looking up, my mouth finds his. Urgently, he kisses me while running his fingers up and down my arms. I feel my insides coil again. He reaches up and slips his fingers into my hair, slowly fisting a handful then pulling my head back, lifting my jaw and exposing my neck to his mouth.
I’m at his mercy. He fully dressed, me almost naked, exposed. I try to find a reason not to like this, to feel too vulnerable, too much at his will. Nothing comes to mind. I really like this. The realization turns me on even more, making my body shudder.
"Oh, Nora. Look at you. You are amazing. You feel so good in my arms." Ryan moves to take his shirt off. I watch it come off, sliding up his muscled abdomen and over his head. His hair is slightly askew afterward. Honestly, I can truly say that this is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life. Never have I seen such dark eyes shine with desire. He wants me, and that does things to my insides. He watches me as I move back towards him.
"Wait," he says, surprising me. He turns off the harsh overhead light and walks over to the night stand to turn on the lamp. The room is aglow with soft light.
"Come here." He sits on my bed. "Come here where I can see you."
I indulge him. Walking over slowly, I perform for him. Stopping just short of his reach, I wait for his next instructions.
"Turn around," he almost whispers.
I turn and face the wall. He sighs and moves his hands over my ass. Caressing me, he starts pulling down my underwear. Slowly, I feel each warm hand wrap around my hips, pulling me back towards him.
Stepping back, I can feel his breath on my ass. Ryan moans and I feel his teeth scrape across my skin. Once again, my body shudders.
"Oh, God, Nora. Oh, my God." He whispers behind me, slipping off my underwear while kissing my ass and rubbing his hands up and down my thighs.
His hands turn me around while he drops to his knees, his hot mouth pressing into me. His fingers slowly spread my folds open and his tongue penetrates me. My insides liquefy and my knees buckle. Holding his head for balance, I spread my legs and hear him moan again. Then I feel it, that sweet warm feeling as if honey is being poured into me. It’s building. My fingers dig deeper into the sides of his head. "Oh shit, Ryan. Here it comes."
His tongue works its magic on me, sliding across my entrance and sucking my clit into his mouth. Suddenly, an explosion of sensation hits me. I hear myself cry out, as the pleasure washes over me again and again.
When the earthquakes die down, I realize I am on the bed and Ryan is standing over me. He is unbuckling his pants. My panties are still hooked to my ankles. I slip out of them and sit up to take off my bra.
Just as I sit up, Ryan's pants fall to his upper thighs. Forgetting all about my bra, I reach up and slip his underwear down. His cock springs from its confinement and smacks me in the face. I pull it into my mouth, where it barely fits. Holy shit, he tastes so good.
Adjusting, I find my rhythm. Tongue, pressure, suction.
"Nora. Wait. I can't," I suck harder in response to his protests. "Ahhh—"
I feel him stop fighting and relax into it. Cupping his lower shaft, I lick his head. Sucking what I can get into my mouth, every once in awhile I take his entire length deep into my mouth and down my throat. Fighting my gag reflex, I can only do this sporadically, but my reward is his erratic breathing and moans.
I feel so powerful right now. His impressive length is in my hands, his cock in my mouth, down my throat. I glance up and almost come at the sight of him. His legs are spread apart, his hands are on my head, and his hips are thrusting into my mouth, eyes closed, moaning. Yes, I could come just looking at him. And then, his hand slips to the back of my head and pushes me hard towards him.
A thrill shoots through my entire body. I know what he wants. He wants more throating. His hand is urgently pushing my head closer to him, his large cock thrusting deep into my mouth. "Oh, God. That's it, Nora, I'm going to come. Just like that, yeah. I'm going to come."
Relaxing the back of my throat, I let him have his way. With every thrust, I feel my pleasure rising. I am close to coming again, too. His hands tighten their grip on my head, I can tell he’s close.
He jerks sporadically. "Oh shit, Nora." He collapses forward, tucking me into the fold of his body. Over and over again he releases into my mouth. His jerks and moans push me over the edge and I swallow and suck harder. Possessed, I suck as if this is an elixir of life and I want it all. The harder I suck the harder I come.
"Stop! Stop." My brain registers his high pitched voice begging me to stop. I release him and slide over to let him lie down.
"Holy shit. What was that?" His voice is still high, his breath still ragged. "Not my plan. Not my plan. Oh God, I'm so sorry."
Laughing, I sit up. "You're sorry?" I push Ryan away from me and lie down next to him. "Please, don't get all weird on me."
He laughs between breaths. "Really? You're worried about me getting weird? That’s a good one, Young."
"Yeah, okay, Cole. Whatever. Glad to know you're not getting weird. And it's comforting to know you're making sense." I tussle his hair as I snuggle close to him, pleased that I have undone this man to complete and utter senselessness.
He looks at me and smiles. His eyes are closing and then popping open and then closing again. I sit up and slide his pants off the rest of the way and push him off the covers, then he slides back on top of the sheet. When I cover him with the blankets, he sighs.
I am still only in my bra, but don't care as I walk the house, checking the door, turning off the lights, and brush my teeth. For the second night in a row, I slip into my bed and sp
oon next to Ryan Cole, completely satiated, and drift off to blissful sleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Can you believe it?" Julie is shouting to be heard over the thumping music. "We’re done!"
"Yeah. I thought it went exceptionally well," I shout back at her.
We're at Midnight Mary’s celebrating our success. All those months of prep and work and then bam, the event is over and we’re on to the next one. I’m still getting used to that pattern of work.
Ryan is meeting us here later—so he says. Emily and the higher ups pulled him away to ‘de-brief.’ I hated the jealous feelings spawning in my insides as I watched Emily snake her arm through his as they walked away together.
"Come on! Let's dance some more!" Julie downs her second cocktail and pulls me to the dance floor. I’m not even tipsy. I’ve been nursing a beer, hoping Ryan would show up and drink with me. Julie doesn't seem to have noticed my lack of alcohol consumption.
We start dancing together. This place is pretty crowded for a Wednesday night. What the hell, I get into the music and start grooving with Julie. Before the song is over, I feel hands on my hips and a body closing in behind me.
"Hey, buddy," I whip my head around, ready to push the jerk away, and see Ryan smiling at me. "Oh! It's you!"
He laughs. "Yeah it's me. Were you expecting someone else?"
"No. It's just that I thought you were someone—Doesn't matter. How are you?" I shout back at him.
He slides closer to me and we start moving together. Immediately I'm hot. He's still in his suit, but his tie is off and his white shirt collar is open, sexy as hell. The sexual energy pours off him in waves, slamming into me and waking every cell in my body.
Sliding my hands up his arms and resting them around his neck, my hips involuntarily press against him. I feel his thickening erection between us. A thrill runs through me knowing I have the same effect on him as he does on me. Suddenly, I want to go home and get him in bed, again.
We dance, front to front, his hands resting low on my hips, my hands on his neck. With my heels on I am almost taller than he is. I love that I don't have to look down, or pretend to be anything but who I am. I toss my head back and shake out my hair. I feel his mouth on my neck, which connects instantaneously with my sex.