by J. Sterling
My eyes opened, and I found Daniel watching me, staring at me. His eyes locked on mine, like he was memorizing everything about this moment. Our connection seemed so deep, so fierce, and I never wanted it to end. He pushed slowly into me, with care, and my mouth opened with the slight ache. It had been so long for me, but the pleasure far outweighed any discomfort.
“Are you okay?” he asked before moving all the way in.
My fingers dug into his back, pulling him to me. “Yes,” I exhaled. “I want you.”
He breathed out a quick huff of air before pushing himself deep inside me, and I moaned with the feeling of him filling me.
“Elizabeth,” he growled before moving in and out.
I rocked my hips in time with his. “You feel so good,” I whispered. “So fucking good.”
I had no idea what I’d been missing all these years that I’d banned men, but I wagered that most of my experiences wouldn’t have been anything like this. This was more than just a physical act. It was sensual, filled with emotions, and that always made sex better.
“You feel amazing.” He continued to move before running his fingers down my cheek. “I love being inside you. You’re perfect.”
I glanced away with his compliment before saying, “Stop.”
“What?” His body immediately stilled.
“I want on top.” I tried to push his shoulders over so that his body would move.
His devilish grin appeared. “Your wish is my command.” He rolled over, seamlessly taking my body with his, never breaking our connection.
Lowering myself completely on top of him, my mouth opened again as pleasure coursed through me. His hands reached for my sides, and they directed my pace. I rolled my hips, my body moving forward and back on him, and I felt him growing even larger inside me.
“Jesus, babe, I’m gonna come,” he warned.
I smiled, knowing that I was the one bringing him such pleasure. My movements quickened as his fingertips dug into my sides, my body moving on him, against him, with him.
“Oh, Daniel,” I said as I rode him even harder. “Oh God.” My body quaked as the orgasm soared through me, forcing even my toes to curl.
Daniel bucked into me, using his hands to move me up and down as he jerked slightly, and his body tightened. His eyes squeezed tight, and I watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched with his orgasm. He reopened his eyes, and a smile formed across his lips.
“You’re incredible.” He pushed up to kiss me before moving me off his lap. He stood up from the bed, his condom-covered dick still at full attention. “Bathroom?” he asked.
I pointed to the door, my breathing still erratic. I fell onto the bed, grabbed the sheet, and pulled it against my chest as my heart raced.
When he reappeared, he was smiling.
“What are you so happy about?” I asked.
His smile grew deeper. “Like you need to ask.” He winked before sliding into bed next to me and planting a kiss on my cheek. “We should definitely fight more often.”
I laughed. “No, we shouldn’t, but we should definitely do that more often.”
“Just give me thirty minutes to recover, and I’m all yours.” He pulled my naked body against his and held me tight.
“Thirty minutes? You’re an old man.”
He huffed, “Yeah? I’ll show you old man”—his fingers playfully scratched against my side—“in thirty minutes.”
28.
ELIZABETH
Daniel left before my alarm blared, and I awoke to a single white rose sitting on my nightstand. How he’d had the time to get a rose before he left town, I had absolutely no idea, but I appreciated the sentiment. It was the first time since meeting him that I truly hated the fact that he lived so far away.
I ached for him, and the very idea that I wouldn’t get to see him when I got home from work made me sad. The logical part of my brain tried in vain to silence my heart, reminding it that I’d lived just fine for years without Daniel Alexander by my side. But my heart refused to listen to logic. It was too ecstatic at being so excited by a man.
Stupid heart—oh, how I love you.
****
I strode onto the studio lot, my feet reacting as if they were dancing on clouds with each step.
“Oh my gosh.” Barbara rose to greet me.
Without stopping, I walked straight into my office, and she followed before shutting the door behind her.
“You totally got laid last night. You have sex face!”
Laughing, I turned around to face her. “What the hell is sex face? And how do you always know these things?” I rushed to my desk and dropped into my chair.
“You already know that my vagina has superpowers.” She winked before slamming her hands down on my desk and sitting across from me. “I want to know every dirty, disgusting detail.”
“Uh…no,” I tried to argue, not wanting to fill anyone in on the details of my night with Daniel.
Barbara knowing we’d had sex should be more than enough information.
She crossed her arms and pouted. “Fine. But, honestly, you look really happy and relaxed. I should have gotten you laid years ago.”
“And we say you’re the romantic one.” I smiled, sorting through the scripts and notes on my desk.
“By the way, Ben keeps calling you. I keep”—she made air quotes with her fingers—“forgetting to tell you.”
“Ben? Why? What does he want?”
The idea of Ben calling me made me irritated. Seeing him hadn’t truly fazed me like I thought it might, and I wanted to forget the whole thing had ever happened, especially the part that included his little sister screwing Daniel.
“I think seeing you messed him up. He sounds desperate every time he calls. His voice is shaky and off.”
“If I’m available the next time, just put him through.”
“Also…” she dragged out the word.
“Spit it out. What the heck is wrong with you this morning?” I stopped shuffling through my papers to eyeball her.
“Mr. Kline is on a rampage. He’s in a foul mood, already stomping around over here and slamming doors shut over there.”
“Great. I’m meeting with him in twenty.”
“I know. Just giving you a heads-up. Happy day-after-sex day!” She pushed back from the chair she was in and strode out of my office.
I sucked in a quick breath, determined not to let anything affect my newly blissful state of mind.
****
“I need a shower.” I started stripping off the few pieces of workout clothing I wore. I kicked off my shoes and socks on the living room floor before peeling off my tank top and dropping it as well.
I pretended not to notice Daniel following behind me. I slipped out of my shorts and deposited them in the hallway. Daniel still pursued me, picking up each item as I dropped it. My sports bra landed on my bedroom floor, and I heard him groan with pleasure. My underwear almost made it into the bathroom but not quite. His hands were all over me in that moment, before his mouth joined in.
I shoved him away. “Let me take a shower before you taste me all over, please. I’m disgusting.”
He smiled and sucked in his bottom lip. “I’m coming in. This whole shower thing is not happening without me.”
“If you insist.”
Being completely naked in a brightly lit shower with a man was one of the most personal things you could do, in my opinion, aside from holding his penis in your mouth. But right now, I was so blinded by my desire for him that I didn’t care if I looked fluffy in this lighting or if my body wasn’t quite perfect. The lust pumping through my veins and the fully erect penis I was staring at helped any insecurities I might have had fade away in that instant. I wanted him, and I didn’t care about anything else.
“See something you like?” He winked, and I stopped myself from smacking his arm.
“Not sure. Looks sort of…” I paused, my intention to torment him and mess with his head clearly working by the loo
k on his face.
“Looks sort of what?” he growled before looking down and waving a hand. “Get in the shower. I’ll show you what it looks like.”
It looked big, intimidating, but it was far more fun to tease Daniel Alexander than it was to stroke his…ego.
The water hit my face, and I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of it against my skin. Daniel’s hands wrapped around my midsection, his fingers splayed across my stomach, as he worked to turn me around. His mouth briefly met mine with fervor before moving down to my exposed breasts. He nipped and sucked my nipple into his mouth, and my knees trembled. As he visited each breast, giving them both proper attention, I moaned before he started kissing down the middle of my stomach.
When he dropped to his knees, my fingers fisted his hair, saying everything my lips currently couldn’t. I didn’t want him to stop. His tongue pressed against my sex before licking two times, and a sound escaped my lips that I would swear couldn’t have come from me. Tossing my head back, I pulled his face harder against my body. He continued to lap me up, his tongue exploring every inch of my most sensitive area, as pure pleasure ripped through my body with each stroke of his tongue.
“Elizabeth? Elizabeth, have you even heard a word I’ve said during the last ten minutes? Elizabeth!”
What the fuck?
Shaking my head, I refocused my eyes, Daniel’s naked image disappearing as Mr. Kline’s private boardroom came into view. His beady brown eyes bore into me from behind his wire-rimmed glasses.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Mr. Kline, I’m so sorry.” I glanced around the room filled with men, feeling like an absolute idiot.
They all stared at me, silently judging and feeling thankful that it wasn’t happening to them.
“What is going on with you lately?” Mr. Kline growled and slammed a hand on the table, making his pen roll onto the floor. “Tell me what was so great in your fucking head that you didn’t hear a word I’ve said.”
Seriously? “I’m sorry. I must have drifted off to this book I started reading this morning. It’s extremely addictive, and I can’t stop thinking about what might happen next with the main characters,” I lied through my teeth, hoping like hell he’d buy what I was desperately trying to sell him.
“Adaptation worthy?” He suddenly seemed less angry.
“I hope so. I’ll know for sure once I’ve read the whole story.”
“I want a presentation on why it is, or isn’t, worthy of pursuing once you finish reading it,” he demanded.
“Of course,” I agreed before realizing that I needed to find a brilliant book to read—pronto.
The rest of the meeting went on without any more daydreams on my end. I needed to get it together. This very thing was exactly why I’d stayed away from men in the first place. Daniel could not make it impossible for me to function during the days, or this wasn’t going to work, not one bit.
29.
DANIEL
It absolutely sucked leaving Elizabeth’s place this morning, and I’d had to force myself to go. Everything in my body had wanted to stay by her side, hold her until she woke up, and then send her to work with my scent all over her. I was like a fucking dog in heat, wanting to mark his territory.
With my phone, I’d snapped a picture of her sleeping, her blonde hair splayed across the pillow and down her back while she looked so peaceful. It was the only picture I had of her, and right now, I was so fucking thankful that I had been such a psycho and taken it. Looking at her beautiful face brought me utter joy.
I had officially turned into a pussy.
Two knocks on the door, and James walked into my office, a bottle of water tucked under his arm.
I placed my cell phone down. Perfect timing.
“How was last night, buddy?”
He made himself at home on my couch, and I made a mental note to purchase a Nerf gun for future meetings like this.
“How many times do I have to tell you to go lie down on your own couch? This isn’t your bedroom.” I pretended to be annoyed as I imagined pummeling him with a dozen rubber darts at once.
“You’ve been saying that for years.”
“You’re a good listener.”
“Ha-ha. So, tell me about last night,” he said again.
I glared at my best friend, my mouth shut tight, until he swung his feet from my furniture and moved to a normal sitting position.
“Better?”
“Much.” I smirked.
“Are you going to tell me? Or am I flying down there and asking her myself?”
I bristled. “Don’t fucking talk like that. You know I’d beat your ass. You’ll meet her when I allow it.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a control freak?”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?”
He shook his head and opened the cap on a bottle of water before taking a swig. “Mostly you. Every day. Good thing my confidence can handle it.”
“Yeah, you clearly have a confidence issue.” I gave him a little head nod before huffing out a laugh. “Last night was great.”
“When isn’t sex great?”
“When it sucks,” I said, my tone serious.
His hands flew up in defense of his stupid words. “Okay, okay. I meant, when isn’t sex great when you actually like the chick?”
“Stop calling her a chick.”
“Buddy, you are so far gone with this one. Should we go shopping for china patterns later? Should I tell Serena to clear your schedule for the rest of the day?”
Damn it. Where is that Nerf gun when I need it?
“Why don’t you ever have anything else to do?”
He leaned back and placed his feet on top of my coffee table. “Harassing you is more fun.”
“Get your feet off my table. Were you raised in a barn? I know for a fact that you fucking weren’t. Don’t make me call your mother.”
He promptly moved his feet. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “I so would.”
“You play hardball, man. Now, seriously, tell me more about what happened. Everything good with you and your future wife?”
“Shut up, dickhole.”
“You know I’m just giving you shit,” he stared at me. “Now tell me what happened dammit.”
I sighed, half temped to ask him if he needed a tampon to go with his whining, but I digressed.
“It was fucking great. She’s great. I’ve never met anyone more in sync with me. I don’t know. We just get each other, you know?” I looked at him before shaking my head. “Of course you don’t know. Why the hell am I telling you any of this?”
“Because I’m your best friend. But sometimes, Daniel, your words hurt.” He threw his hand over his heart in mock pain.
“Oh my God, get out of here, and go do something that makes me money.”
“Fine.” He stood up. “But only ’cause you asked so nice.”
Once I heard the door shut, I sorted my emails, searching for ones that needed immediate attention, as my thoughts filled with Elizabeth. Her naked body entered my mind, and my dick started to harden. Just a single thought of her had us both pining for more. I needed to fly her up here. I wanted her here, in my space, where I could take her in every corner of my office, home, and plane.
Elizabeth Lyons had turned me into a fucking sex fanatic.
Reaching for the phone, I dialed her office line.
“Elizabeth Lyons’s office. This is Barbara.”
“Whatcha wearing?” I teased, not meaning the question at all.
Thankfully, Barbara knew that.
“Granny panties, jean overalls, and a long-sleeved shirt.” She laughed into the phone.
“Sounds hot. Send me a pic.” I tried to keep a straight face, not that she could see it.
“Elizabeth’s in a meeting. I’ll have her call you as soon as she gets out, if she has a chance.”
“Sounds good. Tell her I miss her.”
; Barbara cooed, “That’s so sweet. I’ll tell her. Bye.”
30.
ELIZABETH
After the meeting ended, I started to think that maybe I wasn’t the type of person who could balance both a relationship and a successful career. Because if this was how adult Elizabeth behaved, it wasn’t going to work.
What happened today could never happen again. Who daydreamed about shower sex in the middle of a presentation with the head of the studio? Then again, who wouldn’t daydream about shower sex with Daniel Alexander?
No.
Damn it.
This was the exact problem and issue I’d always wanted to avoid in my life. I needed to refocus.
As I neared Barbara’s desk, her face lit up. “Daniel called. He wanted you to know he misses you.”
My heart fluttered with her words, causing my body to declare war on itself. It was officially on—heart versus brain.
I tried to keep a straight face, acting like I wasn’t affected. “Anyone else?”
“Ben and someone named Kate. She left her number. She sounded odd.”
My breath stammered. “Kate?”
“Yeah, who is she?”
“Ben’s sister,” I said, wondering why in the world Kate was calling me at my place of employment.
“The one Daniel—” Barbara practically shouted.
I cut her off, holding one hand in the air, “Don’t say it, but yes.”
“Well, that’s weird, right?”
“Very.” I turned into my office.
I placed my notes on my desk and stared at the call log online. Why the hell had Kate called me? And why wouldn’t Ben stop?
Pulling my cell phone out of my purse, I noticed a text from Daniel.
It’s ridiculous how much I miss you.
I stared at it for a full minute before deciding not to respond. For whatever reason, I held Daniel at fault for my daydreaming this morning, and I was pissed at him for it. I wanted someone to blame, and I refused to blame myself.