by Layla Hagen
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Discovering your sweet spots,” he answers without hesitation.
“You missed the most important one,” I joke, pointing to my clit.
“I’ll take care of it later,” he rasps, while planting his lips on my inner thigh. He nuzzles my skin with his mouth, tracing a line until he reaches the side of my knee. Raising my bent leg, he swipes his tongue over the sensitive skin at the back of it. Bliss and torment course through me at the same time. I’m going to break out of my skin if he doesn’t take me soon.
“See?” he asks, satisfied. “Sweet spot.”
“I’m so aroused that every inch of skin is a sweet spot,” I murmur. “You’d better hurry up, mister, or I‘ll make love to your face or fingers. I don’t mind either.”
“You threatin’ me?” he asks.
“Obviously.”
“I guess I have to tease you some more.” His scorching-hot mouth continues back up my thighs, resting above my folds.
“You’ll pay for it. You’ll—”
Pushing my panties to one side, he sucks my clit gently into his mouth, and I forget my words, enjoying every second of the sweet torture. Desperate for more, I shove my hand in his hair, tugging at it all the way to the roots. Unexpectedly, he pushes himself up on his elbows, taking my hand.
“What are you doing?” I ask. The look in his eyes is raw and primal, oozing masculinity in a way that turns my knees to mush. He pushes down my panties and does away with my bra. Next, he discards his own clothing and leads us to the side of the couch.
When we’re in front of the armrest, he says, “Turn around.”
“You’re bossy,” I challenge.
“That’s right. Turn around. I want you from behind. I want to feel your sweet ass against me when I’m buried inside you.”
Oh, God. My insides clench almost painfully, heat pooling low in my body. I do as he says. When my back is to him, he nudges my thighs open with his knee, spreading me for him, and says, “Lean forward and don’t look back.”
Licking my lips, I obey, resting my hands on the arm of the couch. My ass is almost pressing against his crotch. He grips my ass cheeks with his hands, parting them slightly. The anticipation is nearly undoing me. When I feel him dip his tongue once between my cheeks, a jolt of heat sears me from my center all the way to my toes. My knees buckle violently, almost giving way.
“Eric,” I hiss through gritted teeth, my breath coming out in heavy pants. He feathers his mouth over my spine, starting at the base and then tracing all the way to the back of my neck. He’s only a breath away from me, teasing me.
“You’re so sexy, Pippa,” he says with a groan. “I like seeing you all flushed and ready for me.”
He drags his tip up and down the seam of my sex, slapping my clit. Shards of need pierce me with every gentle slap. He’ll be the death of me….
“We don’t need a condom,” I whisper. “I started taking birth control pills ten days ago.”
Eric kisses the side of my neck, and every fiber of my body screams for him.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
“Yes. Unless you don’t want to… I’m clean. I got tested a while ago,” I say quickly.
“Of course I want to. I’m clean too, but this is a big step. I want you to be sure about it.”
I melt, remembering this man didn’t bring a condom on the boat because he didn’t want to rush things.
“I am,” I say. “Completely sure.”
“You drive me crazy, Pippa.” His words come out more like a groan.
My center pulses with anticipation when Eric takes my hips in a possessive grip, slamming into me. The sensation of him stretching me, filling me more with each stroke, causes pleasure to radiate through my very bones. The sound of his hips slapping against my ass is as much a turn-on as hearing him call my name in the throes of passion. His voice, hoarse and masculine, spurs something deep inside me.
Kissing my neck, he brings one hand to my clit, pressing his fingers against it.
“Right there. That’s so good.” I rasp the words, fervently looking for more. The pulse of my orgasm forms inside me already. Panting, I give in to the sensations he awakens inside me, until my inner muscles close in around him, and I cry out. Eric finds his release while I’m still quivering in his arms.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Mmm, better than okay.” I push away a strand of hair that sticks to my sweaty forehead. “I’m trying to decide which name fits you better, Master of Pleasure or Master of Orgasms.”
He kisses my earlobe, then grazes it between his teeth. “You know what I need to hear.”
“Let’s shower.”
***
After the shower, we return to the living room and snuggle on the couch. I lean in to his touch like a kitten looking to be spoiled, then relax completely… until my phone beeps with an incoming e-mail from my lawyer.
“Sorry,” I murmur to Eric. “I have to read this.”
I toss my phone away after reading it. “Can’t postpone this much longer. I’ll have to face Terence in a mediation meeting.”
Eric takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “You know my opinion about this. Don’t run away. Fight him with his own weapons.”
“Sounds more tempting with every passing day,” I admit.
“If you need me, I’m here. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, such as punching him again.” The nonchalance in his tone makes me chuckle.
“Why would I need that?”
“It would make you feel better.” Eric kisses my temple, pulling me in his arms again.
“I’ll handle this,” I assure him. “Let’s forget about it.”
“Okay, but if you need help or to talk about it, I’m here. I want you to know that.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I love your hair,” he says, twirling a lock of blonde mane between his fingers. “Especially after you wash it.”
I eye him suspiciously. “I didn’t put any hair product in. It looks wild.”
He shrugs. “It has its own personality, like you.” Eric leans over me, dragging the back of his fingers down my cheeks. Uh-oh. I know that look in his eyes—desire. Normally, I’d jump at the opportunity to snatch some more sexy time with my man. But right now, I have a very important appointment… with my TV, which is why I insisted we come to the living room instead of the bedroom after our shower.
“What’s wrong?” He pulls back, watching me with concern.
“My show is starting in three minutes,” I say quietly.
“Your… Huh?”
“TV show.” I wiggle out from under a stunned Eric, grabbing the remote and starting the TV. “It’s on every Saturday.” The intro music is already on.
Eric sits up, grumbling. “A crime show?”
“Yep,” I reply proudly, as the main detective appears. He’s a hottie.
“You read romance novels but watch crime shows?” Eric asks, mystified, as if the two things are mutually exclusive.
“Yep. I have multiple personalities. They all drool at the sight of him,” I explain seriously, pointing at the hottie on the screen.
“Can’t you record it?”
“No can do. The Internet will be full of spoilers if I wait.”
“But if you record it, you can skip all the commercial breaks,” he insists.
“I love the commercial breaks. I get to fret and wonder what will happen next. Watching it live is part of the experience. It’s like a soccer game. Much better live, right?”
He nods at this, and I congratulate myself on drawing this comparison.
“I can’t believe I’m being cockblocked by a show.” He smirks, and I almost expect him to whip out his phone or find some other way to work, but instead he grabs my feet, pulling them in his lap. His eyes are fixed on the TV.
“What are you doing?” I inquire.
“Watching with you. There’s already been a crime in the first minute. Soun
ds like my kind of show.”
“Do you want this to be our show?” I ask. My stomach somersaults, and I’m aware my excitement level is a tad ridiculous, but I can’t help it.
“Okay,” he answers. “Does this mean I get to spend time with you every Saturday night?”
Oh. I hadn’t even thought about that. “Do you want to? I mean, you don’t have to—”
Without warning, he pulls me toward him until my ass is almost in his lap, and he silences me, putting his forefinger to my lips. “I’d love to. I’d spend every night with you if I could.”
Until I leave.
The unspoken words hang between us, but as much as they make my heart clench, I don’t want them to shadow this moment. It’s too precious.
So I nod. “It’s a date.” Then I realize he might prefer to do something else Saturday nights, or at least today since Julie is with Mom. “If you want, we can go out afterward.”
“I don’t care what we do as long as I’m with you, Pippa. And I like staying in.”
“Me too. I’m a homey kind of person,” I confess.
“I’ve gathered that. Also, staying in will be much more fun. ”
“In what way?”
“Plenty of ways. I’ll show you.” His voice becomes throatier with each word. “I promise they will all make you ache.”
“I can’t wait,” I say, suddenly breathing hard.
Chapter Nineteen
Pippa
The next two weeks are something out of a dream. The only downside is that both Eric and I are working crazy hours, so we try to sneak in as many lunch dates and dinners as possible. We mostly live for the weekend, though, especially since Mom insists on Julie sleeping over at their house.
I arrive late and flustered in Sebastian’s office on a Monday morning, smothering my hair and skirt and hoping I don’t look like someone who’s just had mind-blowing sex. When I step inside the office, I find Max there as well.
“‘Lo, sis,” Max greets me.
“Hi.” I slump in the chair next to him, drawing my breath from so much running. Sebastian eyes me seriously. “How come Logan’s not here?”
“He and Blake are at the bank,” he says.
I perk up at this. “Those two are clicking, aren’t they?”
Sebastian shrugs. “I’ll have a talk with Blake soon. He does his job all right, but I can tell that something’s bothering him.”
“So, what’s this about?” I ask.
“Christopher told us he’s looking to replace himself in Hong Kong,” Max says.
My heart does a somersault. I’m so giddy I could jump from my seat and hug my brother, but I try my best to be professional and asks, “Why?”
Max shrugs, rising from his chair, and starts pacing the office. “I think he wants to be back home.”
“He’ll return here as Chief Operations Officer,” Sebastian says, which I expected because that was his old job. Max took the job of International Development after his return from London.
“This is great. So, when will he be back?” I ask.
“It’ll take a while to find the right person to take over there,” Max remarks. “Took me long enough to find a replacement for myself in London.”
“At least we have you back.” I grin.
“Don’t set your matchmaking eyes on me, Pippa,” Max says.
“I’m not,” I lie. But it’s just half a lie. I was thinking about how great it’d be to finally have everyone home again. Matchmaking him might have crossed my mind.
“Yes, you were,” he says with an annoying certainty as he drops in the seat next to me again. “I can practically see the wheels turning in your head.”
I pout, leaning back in my chair.
“You’ve been gone for too long, brother,” Sebastian says. “If you want to lead a peaceful life, you can’t win against Pippa.”
“What he just said,” I say with a nod.
“You don’t get to make any plans for me, sister. Are we clear?” Max asks.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” I say seriously.
Max gawks at me. “Who are you, the CIA? Speaking of, what’s up with you and Callahan?”
“We’re dating,” I mumble, wondering where this is coming from. I’m used to Logan and Sebastian meddling in my affairs, not Max. “We like spending time with each other.”
“You seemed… serious when you guys were at Mom and Dad’s,” Sebastian says.
“We are.”
“But he’ll go back to Boston at the end of summer.”
I can hear the unspoken continuation. Last time we talked, we all thought it was a good way for you to have fun.
“Way to be tactless.” Max shakes his head at Sebastian.
“I don’t want you to get hurt again,” my older brother says.
“I won’t. Don’t worry. I’ve got my big girl panties on,” I reply with a heavy heart.
Sebastian eyes me in silence for a few seconds, then casually asks Max, “What’s the valuation of his company? Can we buy him?”
I drag my hands across my face, shaking my head. “Sebastian, stop.”
Neither of my brothers pays me any attention. Typical.
“Logan and I ran the numbers. His company is worth almost as much as Bennett Enterprises. There’s no way,” Max says.
For a few minutes, I’m too stunned to speak. I don’t know what surprises me more. That they are talking so casually about buying an entire company to keep Eric here, or that Max is involved in this. It shouldn’t surprise me, though. After all, Sebastian and Logan set up a company for Terence back in the day, so the asshole could name himself CEO even though he didn’t have the brains or willpower to work to deserve that title. At the time, I thought his growing resentment for me was because I was earning more than he was, and he was feeling inferior in front of our friends. No, turns out he was an ass.
“Sebastian, Max,” I say, in a voice as calm as I can muster, “I appreciate your concern for me, but I don’t want you trying to solve my problems. Last time you did, it didn’t go over so well. It’s time I handled my own issues.”
“We don’t want you to get hurt again,” Sebastian answers in a concerned voice.
I sigh. “Neither do I, brother. Neither do I.”
Chapter Twenty
Pippa
I spend the rest of the week working late every night, whether I stay at the office or take work home with me. Today, I’ve decided to leave the office early and work from home.
It’s six o’clock when my doorbell rings, startling me. I wonder who it is. I haven’t ordered food.
When I open the door, my face instantly cracks into a smile. Eric. At the sight of him, my heart somersaults, filling me with energy. I’ve been running on caffeine and sugar for the past few hours, and they had started losing their effectiveness, but seeing him fills me with a jolt akin to having a caffeine pill.
I take his hand, pulling him inside and closing the door.
“What are you doing here so early?” I ask him.
By way of answering, he pulls me in to a kiss, plastering me against the wall and pressing his body against mine.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he says after we pull apart. Eric walks straight to the couch and I climb in his lap, lacing my fingers at the back of his neck. “Julie might like your mom more than she likes me. She’s now sleeping there twice a week, in addition to the weekend.”
“Mom loves Julie, and I believe she’s trying to give us some couple time.”
“Ah, makes sense.”
“Anyway, since Julie is sleeping at my mom’s house today, I thought you’d stay up late at the office.”
“Well, I was in a meeting and thought, ‘Do I really want to spend the entire evening talking to the insufferable dickheads in my office, or with my woman?’ You won.”
I pinch his abs, which is no small feat considering how ripped he is.
“Glad I rank above insufferable dickheads. I rank you above vegetables a
nd flat shoes too.”
Eric frowns. “That’s a random combination of objects.”
“No,” I insist. “It makes perfect sense. I don’t like to eat vegetables or wear flat shoes.”
“Your mind will forever be a mystery to me.” He cups my jaw, pulling me into a smooch. Afterward, he adds, “I’d hope to rank above cupcakes, at least.”
“Only if you rank me above risotto.” In a small voice, I add, “You wormed your way into my heart, Eric.”
His smile falters as his eyes become more serious. “Back at you,” he says, and the words fill me with warmth and joy.
“So now I have a hole inside that’s mine?” I ask.
He smiles my favorite smile, his arms encircling my middle. “Yeah, you do.”
“A big one or a small one?”
He drags his thumbs over my lips, and I bite it slightly. He groans as he says, “You’re very focused on size, you know that?”
“Of course,” I reply seriously. “Size does matter. Anything else is a myth. So… how big is that hole?”
“Come here.” He cages me between his arms, leaning his forehead on mine. “You’re becoming so important to me it scares me, Pippa.”
“Let’s be scared together,” I whisper, shuddering with emotion. As I pull back a notch, the skin on my arms has turned to goose bumps. Eric must notice this because he smooths his hands up and down them.
“It’s been a long time since I felt this way,” he continues. One of his hands finds its way to my hair, fisting it and pulling me to him. “I don’t know what to do about it. But I know you’re mine.”
“Yours,” I whisper in agreement. Our lips meet halfway, as our hands roam hungrily over one another. I want more of him, right away. I flatten myself against him, seeking his warmth, and he wraps me in his arms tightly.
After we pull apart, we remain silent for a few minutes, listening to each other’s breaths. I sit up, squirming in his lap.
“You had to do that, didn’t you?” he asks, a smile playing on his lips.