A Jewel In Time; A Sultry Sisters Anthology

by Barbara Devlin

Slowly, he eased her hair to one side and gently kissed her neck. Her body responded. “Emerson,” she whispered.

  His lips planted a row of kisses from her collarbone to her hairline. She shivered with pleasure. She’d always loved to be caressed and kissed in that area. It was one of her main erogenous zones.

  He moved her hair to the other side to expose virgin skin then he delivered the same treatment. This time Olivia squirmed. Her nether region flamed and longing built within her.

  “Emerson, I…” She’d decided she was going to tell Emerson about Travis. She wanted to be honest with him. He deserved that.

  “Shhhh…” He pressed his hard cock against her buttocks.

  Oh, my. Things were getting out of hand quickly. Take control now or feel regret tomorrow. The decision bounced back and forth in her head. She really wanted to be with him, but she wanted to be free and clear. “But…”

  “Shhhh…relax.” His warm hand slipped inside her robe and cupped a breast.

  She gasped, leaning more deeply into his chest. She began to turn, bringing her hand to his cheek, then stopped.

  No. She could not go there not yet. Not until she’d talked to Travis. She stiffened and pulled away. “I can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” He hugged her. “What’s wrong?”

  All right, time to throw it out there. “Technically, I have a boyfriend.”

  “Technically?” He frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I want you, but I’m in a relationship—sort of.” She bit her lip. “I need to end it—I am ending it, even though it’s been over for—who knows how long, and has not really been a relationship anyway, if I think about it. And until I do, I can’t do this, with you. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned about commitment. Do you understand?”

  “I don’t want to, but I do.” He released her and stepped back.

  “I’m sorry.” Giving Emerson a tight smile, she bounded across the room, and jumped in her bed, before she threw her principles out into the snowy night and jumped him. She turned so her back faced him. “Thanks for everything. Good night.”

  He sighed. “Good night, Miss Hollywood.”

  * * *

  Emerson awoke with a rock hard reminder of the previous evening’s events. Olivia’s last minute rejection of his seduction left him craving her, and her reason for rebuffing his advances had left him tossing and turning for most of the night. He wondered who was the bloke, how long had they’d been dating, were they living together?

  The object of his desire occupied the bed next to him, oblivious to the world. He studied her features in the dim light that seeped through the drapes. Her golden tresses covered the crisp pillowcase, and a few locks fell over her forehead. One stray string of hair lay across her rosy cheek. He longed to sweep it to the side and savor the softness of her skin. Her pink lips parted slightly inviting him to press his against them.

  He’d hoped she’d planned to end things with her sort-of boyfriend today. Once she gave Emerson permission, he’d press his lips to hers, he’d bury his hands in her hair….

  A noise shattered the silence, interrupting his fantasy.

  I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you

  For all my life

  He scanned the room. The song emanated from Olivia’s bag.

  When you’re with me, baby the skies’ll be blue

  When had she set her alarm? Wait, that wasn’t an alarm. It was a ringtone.

  For all my life

  He recognized the song. “So Happy Together,” by the Turtles.

  So happy together

  Unbelieveable. If that was the wanker’s ringtone, it would indicate the relationship was much more serious than sort of. That would account for her strange behavior.

  Me and you and you and me

  What a bloke he’d been, ruthlessly hitting on her. Why hadn’t she just told him the whole ugly truth?

  No matter how they toss they dice, it has to be

  Yeah, why hadn’t she? If she’d been so happy with some other guy, why eyeball him in the bathroom like he was the most delectable chocolate dessert she’d ever encountered? Because she wasn’t.

  The only one for me is you, and you for me

  Olivia bolted upright and dove for her bag. He watched silently.

  So happy together

  She rummaged through her luggage like a starved raccoon digging for its next meal. “Sorry. Did my phone wake you?”

  “No.” He scooted to the edge of the bed to sit where he could observe her more closely.

  “Oh, good.” She knelt next to her bag. One finger swiped at the phone’s screen. He assumed she was reading texts.

  “That’s quite a ringtone.” He tried to make the statement conversational without conveying his annoyance.

  “Oh, uh, that, yeah.” Her back muscles tensed.

  “Olivia, are you and your boyfriend engaged?” Emerson crossed his arms. “Please, be honest with me.”

  “Heavens, no!” She pushed herself off the floor, sat on the edge of her bed, and faced the TV and dresser rather than him. “I told you, he’s a lousy boyfriend.”

  “Are you living with him?” He dug his heels into the carpet.

  “No. And whatever we had, I’m going to break it off, but I don’t want to do it over the phone.” She shifted on the bed, pulled her robe around her more tightly, and avoided eye contact. “Are we still snowed in?”

  He ignored her question. “Why not? Because it’s serious?”

  “Because we have been dating for a year and he’s waiting for me in Hawaii and I think it would be a shitty thing to do. I’d be pissed if someone did that to me. Wouldn’t you?”

  He huffed. She’d given a valid reason, but now a line had been drawn. At least for now. “Very well then. I apologize for making advances. I won’t do it again.” He stood.

  “But I’m going to end it, I swear.” Her eyes pleaded with him.

  “I’m going to take a shower and then get some breakfast.” He started toward the bathroom.

  “Wait!” She reached for the edge of his robe and barely snagged the corner before he moved too far away. “Let me explain.”

  “There’s no need.” He wrestled the material from her fingers. “I understand and am quite sorry.” He strode away from her.

  “Emerson, please, stop.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I really like you.”

  “I really like you, too,” he said without slowing.

  “Don’t be angry with me.”

  “I’m not angry. I’m just unhappy with the situation.” Emerson closed the bathroom door with more force than he’d intended. The noise of the slam echoed off the marble.

  He rested against the sink and sighed. His disappointment was palpable. He’d finally met a woman with whom he could see himself building a life. He sensed she was a good match for him and what stood between them was her decision to end things with someone else in person, rather than over the phone.

  The truth was he was hurt.

  Had he known she was involved with another man he certainly would not have allowed himself to fall for her.

  Bloody hell. He had fallen for her.

  * * *

  Olivia kicked the dresser then recoiled in pain. Had she blown any chance of her and Emerson being together? Damn ringtone.

  She flopped on the bed. Was she being silly to insist that she break-up with Travis in person? She and Travis had history and her friends thought he’d planned the trip to Maui to propose, so it just seemed mean to call him up and say it’s over. She doubted he’d see it coming. But then, why drag it out. If she let him go now, he could have a wild orgy guilt-free with his new friends and their chests. If he wasn’t already.

  So was there something else keeping her from letting Travis go? The fear she’d experienced last night returned. She was afraid of getting hurt by Emerson because she’d fallen for him.

  She sat with that awareness for a moment. She’d fallen for him.

  Yep. S
he was head over heels and heart over head. Crap.

  And a damn ringtone had gone and mucked everything up. Now more than ever, she was determined to break up with Travis. The sooner the better.

  Once Emerson was done in the bathroom, she’d shower and go downstairs so she could call him and do it in private.

  She tossed the comforter over her while she waited and pondered the strange dream brought about by the brooch. She’d had the same ship dream again last night. Perhaps neither Travis nor Emerson was her perfect mate. She envisioned Jack Sparrow. She could get down with being with him. Unfortunately, in real life Johnny Depp was even more eccentric than the pirate character and taken.

  However, when she’d fallen asleep in the tub, she’d dreamt about Emerson. It was a hot sex fantasy. Did the brooch do those? She pursed her lips and wondered.

  Her phone pinged, alerting her to the receipt of a text from her mom. She typed out a quick response, letting her know she was stranded in Boston, but OK. Then she hit play to hear Travis’ voicemail.

  Hey. His voice cracked.

  She cringed. That had only happened when something was wrong.

  I was hoping to catch you. I, ummm…

  She stared at the screen as the ticker moved forward but no sound came through the speakers for almost 15 seconds. Whatever he said next wasn’t going to be good, because he never hesitated in his communication.

  I probably shouldn’t tell you this in a message, but it’s eating me up.

  Olivia flipped onto her back. Oh, boy. It was actually very bad. She suspected—or actually she hoped--he’d called to break up with her. That would be fantastic.

  So, here’s the thing. Something happened.

  She knew it. Those girls were nothing but trouble. Olivia had feared Travis would bed one of them—or all of them--if she hadn’t arrived in Hawaii soon. Apparently, he had.

  I didn’t mean for it to, but we were playing drinking games last night and you know I can’t drink hard alcohol quickly…

  Olivia sneered. Light-weight sissy.

  …and one thing led to another and well, Bambi and I.

  Bambi? Had her name had to have been Bambi? What a cliché.

  Oh, man.

  There was another pause. She envisioned Travis pacing their suite in his boxers while he raked his free hand through his hair.

  Shit, why am I telling you this?

  You are telling me because your sorry ass feels guilty.

  Anyway, something happened, and I feel guilty so I needed you to know.

  Yep, she had called it.

  Hope you understand.

  Understand? Meaning she’s supposed to be OK with it?

  If you were here, I never would have done something like this.

  Was he actually blaming her for his cheating on her? She rolled her eyes.

  Call me.

  She drew in a breath and hit replay. She needed to hear his confession again before she talked to him.

  As she listened a second time, anger boiled because he hadn’t respected her enough for her to not cheat on her--on their special vacation, nonetheless. But it irked her more that she could’ve enjoyed a hot and heavy evening with Emerson if she’d known Travis boinked some bimbo.

  However, a larger part of her rejoiced. She now had no reason to wait to kick his ass to the curb. She would do so, right after she patched things up with Emerson.

  She eased off the bed and rifled through Emerson’s suitcase. She chose a dress shirt that looked like it had already been worn and the pair of sweatpants he’d given her to trudge through the snow. She thought it best she be clothed, no matter how oddly, for the conversation they needed to have.

  She dressed hurriedly so as not to be caught naked again, then sat on the bed and fidgeted. What was he doing in there? It had been awhile since the water had stopped running.

  Needing something to do, she jumped off the bed and opened the drapes. A wall of white looked back at her. The snow fell so thick visibility was zero. They were going to be there at least another day. She returned to the bed and scanned FaceBook on her phone.

  It seemed as though Emerson took forever in the bathroom. Her stomach growled repeatedly while waiting. She wasn’t surprised. It was afternoon already. They had slept in.

  Emerson exited with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She sighed. He had such a great physique.

  He didn’t look at her, but instead busied himself organizing the items in his suitcase.

  His silence ate at her more than her pangs of hunger. “Can we talk please?”

  He said, “Go ahead,” but his attention remained on his luggage. His position afforded her a view of his damp, sexy back.

  “Emerson.”

  He turned. “Yes.” A deadpan expression replaced his friendly one. What she’d seen in his eyes for her before was gone.

  Suddenly she was overcome by emotion. The loss of her grandmother. The realization she’d been in a shell of a relationship for a year and had just been cheated on. She had no luggage and was stranded away from her family for the holidays. But what caused the most pain was the fact she’d ruined her chances with a man she’d fallen for. It was too much. Tears filled her eyes. She blinked to hold them back, but it was too late. The flow had started.

  “Nevermind.” She snatched her phone off the bed and retreated to the bathroom.

  Chapter 6

  Emerson was not a man who played games. Nor was he the kind of man who fooled around with another man’s woman. So even though it took every ounce of willpower he had in him, and some he borrowed from an unknown source, he had shut Olivia out. He couldn’t understand why she’d freaked out, run into the bathroom, and cried before he’d even really said anything.

  He hadn’t followed her or tried to coax her out. In his experience, when women cried because of something a man had done, it was best that man had kept his distance, and had not even attempted to figure out what he’d done. If anything.

  After about fifteen minutes later, Olivia slinked into the room, with her head down.

  He stood to block the path to her bed. She had wanted to talk and he’d give her that. He wasn’t going to let her escape. Not that she could go far. They were snowed in and sharing a room.

  She stiffened and her breathing stopped. She seemed scared. That offended him. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Perhaps, in the past a man had hit her. The thought made his blood boil.

  “Relax.” He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face so he peered her in the eyes. They were sad. He had not wanted to cause sadness in her gaze. “Can I ask you a question.”

  She nodded, resumed breathing, and softened a little.

  “Are you in a serious relationship with another man?” He stroked her cheek. “And do you love him?”

  “Not really, anymore.” She peered past him and twisted the edge of his dress shirt between two fingers nervously. “And I never loved him.”

  “Does he know that?” He placed his other hand on her shoulder.

  “He slept with another woman.” Still avoiding eye contact, she squirmed beneath him, but he held her steady.

  “Are you sure you’re not in love with him?” Emerson held his breath waiting for her reply.

  “No,” she whispered. Some emotion he couldn’t place traveled across her face, then she straightened, locked stares with him, and repeated, “No. No, I’m not. And I never was.”

  He smiled widely. That was exactly the answer he wanted to hear. He grabbed her and snapped her into him. He crushed her body to his and savored the feel of her feminine curves molded to him.

  She gasped. “Oh, Emerson.”

  He slid his palm behind her neck and drew her face to his. Slowly, gently, he touched his lips to hers.

  She jolted as though an electric current surged through her. She returned his embrace with her whole body. She kissed him with her lips, explored him with her hands, and pushed into him with her weight. He was exhilarated. His cock at full attention, his ye
arning to be inside her raged through him like a hurricane.

  He continued to kiss her with a tiny bit more pressure each time he made contact. He was hungry, and she was breakfast and lunch, so he planned to enjoy every minute and come in contact with every inch of her skin with his fingers or other part of him that might give her pleasure.

  She opened her lips to receive his tongue. He obliged. She tasted like she smelled--sweet. With one of his hands, he quickly undid the buttons on the shirt she wore and removed it without parting from her tasty mouth. And his adept fingers unhooked her bra. He still had it.

  She shimmied out of the undergarment. They stood bare skin to bare skin. She shifted slowly side-to-side with her nakedness pressed against him.

  The friction of her softness made him even harder than he already was and heightened his lust. A full on tsunami of desire raged within him. His ability to go super slow slipped away, when another wave of longing crashed within him. He’d have to kiss every part of her during the next round.

  She made a suckling sound.

  He cupped her buttocks in his hands and lifted her.

  She wrapped her legs around him.

  Her pussy lips cradled his hard cock. He rocked her so that his head massaged her clit.

  She pushed into him moaning then reached between them to put him in her.

  He stopped her. “Not yet.”

  She breathed deeply, tilted her head back, and gave her neck to him.

  He bit playfully into it causing her to grind more firmly into his crotch. She was hot and slippery and if he wasn’t careful, he’d be in her.

  He tossed her onto the bed and came down on top of her. She giggled. It sounded like she was nervous, but he found it sexy as hell. He pinned her arms above her head with one hand and reached between her thighs with the other.

  “Yes. Yes,” she urged and spread her legs wider.

  He smirked and took a nipple into his mouth to suckle while he used a finger to explore her precious pussy.

  She squirmed and moaned under him, as he stroked inside and out. She was so wet. The ache to be inside her consumed him. He grabbed his cock, positioned himself at her opening then he lifted his head. Her eyes weren’t sad anymore. They were wild with desire, pupils fully dilated. He locked gazes and thrust into her.