by Alice Ward
She stood in front of me completely naked, and I realized she hadn’t been wearing underwear the whole night. I groaned and pulled her back against me. Her ass rubbed against my erection, and I moaned in her ear. She leaned back further, twisting her neck around so she could face me.
I held her neck gently while our lips met. We kissed slowly, letting our passion build before our tongues found each other and our breathing became ragged. I caressed her naked body, feeling every inch of her. When I reached her breasts, I cupped them tightly in my hands, and she gasped against my mouth. The sound was too much. I couldn’t take it anymore. In one motion, I spun her around to face me and threw her backward onto my bed.
She laid there, naked and beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring. Moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating her body seductively. I let out a hungry moan and climbed on top of her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Tara
Sean looked at me with more desire than ever before. He climbed on top of me, and I could already feel myself getting wet. I had been thinking about this moment all night, just fantasizing about the things he would do to me. Now that we were finally alone, I never wanted the moment to end.
His lips found mine, and he kissed me deeply. It was a kiss full of meaning, and it made my heart ache for him. I loosened his tie and pulled it over his head, breaking away from his lips just long enough to discard it. While we kissed, I lifted my legs around him and he caressed my thighs. I shivered and searched frantically for the buttons on his shirt. I was lying beneath him, completely naked, and I wanted to feel his skin against mine.
I unbuttoned his shirt and shoved it off his shoulders. He shook it free and tossed it away. I could finally feel his bare skin, and it made me moan against his lips. We kissed faster, and I ran my fingers down his ab muscles. No matter how many times I saw him naked, no matter how many times I was lucky enough to touch him, I never got over the novelty of it. I felt like I was living inside a dream. The only thing that was real to me was Sean. Sean’s lips. Sean’s chest. Sean’s body. Sean.
I slid my hands down to his pants and quickly unbuttoned them. The zipper slid down easily and I began pushing them off his hips. Sean got the hint quickly. He jumped up and slipped them off, along with his boxers. When he climbed back on top of me, his erection pressed against my leg, and I longed to touch it. I moved my hand down, but Sean had other ideas.
He kissed me again, trailing his fingers down my neck. I was breathless in an instant, and then he moved down my neck to my breasts. His lips found my nipples, and he teased me softly. His movements were gentle, slow. It felt like he wanted to make this night last forever. I wanted exactly the same thing. I was desperate to feel him inside of me, but I wanted to feel every single inch of him. I wanted the passion we felt to overwhelm us both until he just couldn’t take it anymore.
While he kissed my breasts, I held onto him tightly. My arms and legs wrapped around his body. I never wanted to let him go, but he untangled my legs gently. With one hand, he trailed his fingers up my thighs, stopping only to push my legs apart. I gasped when he touched me. He didn’t slide inside me. Instead, he stroked me between my legs. He moved his face up to kiss me again while his fingers continued to play with me. I moaned and squirmed beneath him. Every time he moved, a fresh wave of pleasure washed through me. I wasn’t close to an orgasm, but just feeling his body against mine was so delicious, I could have spent the entire night lying there letting him tease me.
“God, Tara,” Sean moaned against my lips.
I reached down to wrap my fingers around his cock. It was hard and pulsing in my hand. I groaned and tugged on him gently. I wanted to feel him inside of me more than anything. Sean got the hint and sat up slightly. He positioned himself perfectly and slowly slid inside me. I moaned deeply when he entered me. I could feel every single inch of him, and I still wanted more. I lifted my hips, trying to press him further in.
Sean’s eyes closed, and he let his body fall against mine. He moved inside me with his hands wrapped protectively around my shoulders and his lips just centimeters from mine. He moved slowly, barely thrusting, but each motion was hard and deliberate. He wasn’t in it for a fast release. He wanted to feel me just as badly as I wanted to feel him.
Sean held onto my shoulder and moved his hips. With every thrust, I lifted my hips to meet him, and he hit my pleasure spot perfectly. It didn’t matter how slowly we moved. Every movement sent waves of desire cascading through my body, and I was soon breathing heavy. Sean’s lips found mine and he kissed me slowly, his tongue slipping into my mouth.
He licked my lips, tasting me.
“Oh my god,” I moaned against him when he hit my spot again. My legs were already starting to shake. I had to fight the urge to pick up the speed. My body was desperate for release, but Sean was determined to make this last.
He slowed down even more, and I groaned in protest. My nails dug into the skin on his back so hard that I worried I might hurt him. He panted in my ear, thrusting slower and harder than ever. My head pressed against the headboard, and with each, rough thrust, I banged against it. I didn’t care. I didn’t even notice. My entire body was on fire.
“Sean,” I breathed. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m so close.”
“Shh, baby,” Sean whispered in my ear. His tongue slipped inside my ear, and I shivered uncontrollably. “I want to enjoy this. You feel so goddamn amazing.”
I moaned louder than ever. His words and his body overwhelmed me. I could feel my orgasm building, preparing to spill over and take me over.
Sean thrusted even harder, picking up the pace just slightly. I heard him growl, and he moved his lips to mine again. He kissed me hard and fast, and his body soon followed suit. He couldn’t take it anymore, either.
He moved faster and faster, thrusting so hard that my head hit the headboard harder each time. I could barely feel it. Sean was moving faster, sliding in and out so quickly I barely knew what was happening. Our slow, sensual sex was becoming fast and hungry. Sean grunted and moaned against my lips, and I could barely breathe.
I bit his bottom lip and tried to keep from screaming. The sensations coursing through my body were so strong I thought I might explode.
“I’m so close,” I moaned. “Oh my god, don’t stop. Please. Please don’t stop. Please.”
At the sound of my begging words, Sean moved faster than ever. He braced himself with his hands and threw his body against mine so hard that I saw stars. My body shook, and my legs tightened. I moaned louder than ever, and I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t scream. Sean continued to pound against me until finally, the release I’d been begging for found me. Ecstasy flooded my body, and I jerked violently. Sean didn’t stop. He kept his movements hard and fast, making my pleasure last longer than ever. I whimpered and writhed beneath him, giving myself over to him completely.
When Sean finished, I felt him pulsing inside of me, and I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist. He held me against him, breathing heavily. I felt his heart pounding against mine, and I never wanted him to let me go. When he did, it was only to pull out of me and roll over to the side. He pulled me with him so my head was on his chest. I threw my leg over his waist and nestled closer to him.
In that moment, I felt safer and more at peace than I ever had. My body still vibrated with the after effects of sex, but what made me happier was knowing that Sean was still right there beside me. I closed my eyes and stroked his skin, wanting to live forever in the feel of him.
“You’re amazing,” Sean said softly.
“I was just thinking the same thing about you.” I laughed.
“I want you to have the company,” Sean said suddenly.
I blinked, pushing myself up to look him in the eye. His words were so far from what I thought they’d be that I couldn’t quite process them.
“What?” I asked lamely.
“The company,” he said. “It should be yours. I know my dad left it to me, but I don’t
want it. Not really. I’ve never been one for the corporate world. You, of all people, know that. I’m not built that way, and I don’t want to try to be. I don’t want to run Yates’. I never have.”
“But,” I stammered. “It’s yours. It’s your company. He gave it to you.”
“Which means I can do whatever I want to with it,” Sean said. “And this is what I want. I want you to have it. I want you to run it.”
“But Sean—” I began.
“No.” Sean shook his head firmly. “I’ve thought about this a lot and I’m sure. I would never be able to run things like he did. I wouldn’t even know where to begin, Tara.”
“I could teach you,” I suggested.
“But why?” Sean laughed. “Why take the time for all that when I don’t even want it? I don’t want it, but you do.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Sean smiled. “Tara, I know you. You’ve always hoped that, one day, Yates’ would be yours. Well, I’m saying it can be.”
“I’m not a Yates,” I said weakly. “Ray always wanted it to be a family business. That was always his dream.”
“And you are family,” Sean said simply. “He felt that way and so do I. Tara, you have earned the right to run this company. You’ve worked so hard for so long. It should be yours. I’m more sure of that than I am of almost anything in the world.”
“Sean,” I began. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say yes,” Sean said. “Say yes.”
“This isn’t because we just had amazing sex, is it?” I asked with a nervous laugh. I was stalling, and he knew it. I never imagined Sean would offer me the company. Ray left it to Sean, and I thought that was an amazing decision. I knew Sean didn’t have the mind for business, but I did. I would help him in any way he needed.
“Tara,” Sean said. “You deserve this.”
“What about you?” I asked weakly.
“I’ll keep my stocks,” Sean shrugged. “And I’ll be fine. That’s more than I ever thought I would have anyway. Tara, you were born to run this company. You know that.”
“I can do that job,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I should.”
“You deserve this,” he said again. “Just let yourself have it.”
I stared at him and tried to think of another argument, but I couldn’t. Deep down, I knew Sean was right. This is what I’d always wanted. I hoped that Ray would leave the company to me, but I never thought he actually would, and I was right. When he left it to Sean, I thought that was the best-case scenario.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked.
“As sure as I am that I love you,” Sean said simply.
I blinked. It was like he was on a mission to keep surprising me. First, offering me the company and now this. We hadn’t said those three words yet, and now that he had, he could never take them back.
I grinned and kissed him softly, letting all my emotions come out in that one kiss.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” Sean asked brightly.
“I will,” I said. “And one more thing. I love you, too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Sean
Two months later, I still wasn’t used to the new house. We moved in quickly. Everything I owned fit easily into the house, but many of the rooms were still empty. I’d never had a formal dining room before, so Tara helped me pick out a nice dining room table and chairs. She even found me a china cabinet that matched and looked amazing in the room. I never imagined myself in such a grandiose house, but I loved it.
Paisley’s room was decorated to her exact specifications, and she raved about how much she loved it. When she started back at school, she couldn’t wait to tell her friends all about her new house. She even asked if she could invite them all over for a pool party one weekend. I was so surprised by her excitement that I said yes without thinking about it. Having twenty eight-year-olds over wasn’t an easy task, but Paisley had so much fun.
Tara helped with the party and with everything else. She helped us unpack everything and get the house organized. She even went shopping with us whenever we needed a woman’s opinion. Paisley was great at decorating, but she was still just a little girl, and I couldn’t get behind polka dot everything. By the time we’d been there for a while, the place was starting to look more like a home. Paisley had taken over the library and made it her own, and the garage was covered in my mechanic gear. We were happy.
Still, as I woke up one Saturday morning, I had to remind myself where I was. After so many years of living in the same house and doing the same things every day, it was taking me a long time to fully settle in to my new life. I went back to work at the mechanic shop part-time to give myself a sense of purpose again. I stayed on at Yates’ as the face of the company whenever Tara needed me, but that took up so little time that I soon felt useless. Working as a mechanic again made me feel like myself. It was fun. It was me.
Plus, I knew I wasn’t the kind of man to live off someone else’s money. Despite what my father wanted to do for me, I still didn’t feel like modeling was a real job. At least, not for me. I needed to give myself a chance to feel like I was doing something worthwhile. Giving Yates’ Motorcycles to Tara was the best decision I could have made. I could stay in the life I loved, and she was finally playing the role she always wanted to play. Tara thrived as the boss, and everyone saw it.
As we woke up together that morning, I kissed her shoulder softly and pushed myself up. I leaned back against the headboard and watched her while her eyes flickered open. She rolled over to face me with a sleepy smile on her face. Her hair was ruffled, the way I loved, and her eyes were barely open. No matter how many times I woke up next to her, Tara always made my heart skip a beat. She looked her best in the mornings: simple, gorgeous, and natural. She never had to try to look beautiful, which was just one of the things I loved about her.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
“Morning,” she said back. “How’d you sleep?
“Good,” I said. “It’s still a little strange waking up here.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Tara said. She sat up beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. “This is your home now.”
“And I love it,” I said. “I really do.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m sorry I was so late last night. I didn’t mean to wake you when I came in.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m glad you did.”
“I still think I should just stay at my place when I work late,” Tara said.
“Not a chance in hell,” I said firmly. “I love you being here.”
“If you insist.” Tara laughed.
“I do,” I said. “Now tell me, what was so important that it kept you at the office so late?”
“New ad campaign.” Tara yawned. “We want to launch it at the end of the month, and to do that, we’ll have to pull all-nighters.”
“Sounds insane,” I said.
“But worth it,” Tara promised. “This campaign is projected to increased our profits by another twelve percent. I can’t believe how fast things have turned around. Having Zach out of the way has really helped. I never realized just how much trouble he caused until he left. There was so much none of us knew.”
“He was poisonous,” I said through gritted teeth. I still didn’t like talking about my brother, and I wasn’t sure that would ever change.
“He really was,” Tara said. “Did I tell you he was embezzling from the company?”
“What?” I asked. Tara lifted her head off my shoulder and turned to face me with a somber nod.
“Yup,” she said. “Not large amounts, but it was enough. He was incredibly clever about it. I never would have found it on my own. The accounting department did a complete sweep after he left and found the evidence. It’s insane. We were all busting our asses to bring in more money, and Zach was stealing it.”
“I’m glad my dad wasn�
��t around to find that out,” I said sadly. “It would have broken his heart.”
“I know,” Tara said. “I thought the same thing. Anyway, I’m just glad we’re rid of him. Now, we can really begin to move forward. I have so many plans and ideas. I can’t wait to put them all into effect.”
“You’re doing an amazing job.” I smiled. “My dad would have been so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Tara blushed. “I really hope so. I learned so much from him. I’m just trying to do things the way he would have wanted.”
“You are,” I said confidently. “I promise.”
As our conversation came to a close, Paisley burst through the door and jumped on the bed. She bounced around a little, grinning at us in her childlike way. I reached over and ruffled her hair gently, pulling her against me for a morning hug. She hugged me tightly before she continued her bouncing.
“Someone’s in a good mood this morning.” Tara laughed.
“She has something she wants to tell you,” I said, remembering Paisley’s excitement from the night before. She came home from school with a wide smile, demanding to see Tara. I promised her she would see her in the morning, but she was disappointed. Her news was just too good to wait.
“Well, tell me,” Tara said eagerly. “What is it?”
“My report card came in,” Paisley said. “And I got straight A’s! Even in math!”
“Wow!” Tara said. “That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you, honey.”
“Thank you!” Paisley grinned. “And I got moved up to the next level on swim team. I’m now the anchor, which means I’m the fastest swimmer on the team! Me! Out of everyone, I’m the fastest!”
“I’m not surprise,” Tara said firmly. “You’ve been practicing nonstop. You deserve that spot!”
“I know!” Paisley said.
She was still bouncing up and down on the bed, excitement practically seeping through her pores. Tara listened attentively while Paisley told her all about her week at school. Getting her report card and becoming the anchor were just the beginning. She had friend drama and school projects to share with Tara. I watched them talk with a smile on my face. Lately, it seemed like I was always smiling. I couldn’t be in the same room with Tara or Paisley without grinning from ear to ear. They both had a direct line to my happy button.