One Night

by Ramona Gray

  “Gah! Edward no!” Kate cried. “Don’t touch the cat!”

  She sprinted toward the bed, visions of Edward torn and bleeding while Chicken calmly cleaned bits of his flesh from her paws running through her head. She was shocked into silence when she turned on the bedside light and, instead of the bloody carnage she was expecting, she found Edward lying on the bed staring at her with Chicken curled up calmly beside him.

  “What?” He asked as he gently stroked Chicken from her head to her tail. The old cat purred loudly at his touch, stretching out and showing him her belly. He gave it a quick rub before scratching under her chin. “What about the cat?”

  “How are you doing that?” She breathed.

  “Doing what?” He asked.

  “Chicken doesn’t like anyone. She barely likes me.” Kate sat down on the bed and gave Chicken the stink eye. “I can’t believe she likes you.”

  Edward laughed. “I told you I was irresistible.”

  Kate rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on his flat stomach. “Uh-huh. I’m going to order the pizza.”

  She shook her head in disbelief as Chicken climbed on top of Edward and sat on his chest, purring contently.

  Chapter 7

  “That was so good,” Kate said as she closed the pizza box and set it on the floor. “Although I suppose coming from New York, you weren’t that impressed with it.”

  “Actually, it was pretty good,” Edward said. He was leaning back against the headboard, naked except for the sheet draped across his lap, and he popped the last of his pizza into his mouth before grinning at her. “You seemed to have worked up quite an appetite.”

  She blushed a little before asking, “When do you leave for New York?”

  “Tomorrow. Why? Are you anxious to get rid of me? You did promise me one entire night remember,” he said teasingly.

  “I remember,” Kate replied. She picked at a string on the quilt. She didn’t dare look at him for a few minutes, positive he would see just how badly she regretted their “one night” agreement. The thought of having him for this night only ripped at her insides.

  You can’t keep doing this, she told herself sternly, so just enjoy tonight for what it is and stop thinking about tomorrow.

  “You okay, Katie-did?” Edward asked quietly.

  She forced herself to smile at him. “Never better.”

  She took a deep breath and tugged her short nightgown down over her knees. He was still sitting up against the headboard, the sheet pooled around his waist. She stared at him for a few moments. His broad chest was covered in dark hair and she envied the deep natural tan that covered him. She followed the narrow path of hair below his navel to where the sheet covered him. When his reaction to her stare became obvious against the sheets, she smiled and glanced up at him.

  “What are you thinking about, Kate?”

  “How jealous I am of your tanned skin,” she said as she crawled across the bed and climbed into his lap. She straddled him, her pale thighs on either side of his hips and leaned forward to graze her lips across his. He slid his hands under her nightgown to cup her ass and pull her against his erection. She moaned a little and place feathery-light kisses across his chest.

  “I like your pale skin,” he whispered. “In fact, I think it’s time to see more of it.”

  He grabbed the hem of her nightgown and tugged it off her body. He leaned back a little, staring greedily at her before cupping both her breasts. The stark contrast between her pale skin and his tanned skin was erotic and she couldn’t stop the small moan escaping from her lips when he rubbed his callused thumbs across her nipples. They hardened under his touch and she arched her back and grasped his head in her hands when he leaned forward and nibbled and laved at her nipples.

  He moved his hands to her waist, holding her firmly while he kissed her breasts, the tender side swell and the soft underside and then placed light kisses on her ribs. She moaned and ran her fingers down his ribs, laughing softly when he jerked and squirmed away.

  “Right, you’re ticklish.”

  She ran her hands back over his ribs and with a low growl he grabbed her wrists and held them at her sides before leaning forward and kissing her breasts again. He licked and sucked and pulled gently on her nipples until she was breathless and rocking her hips against him. She tried to tug her hands free but he tightened his grip and continued to tease her nipples with small kisses and nips.

  “Edward please!”

  He released her hands and she reached under the sheet to take him into her hand. His relentless assault on her breasts had driven her crazy with need and she pulled the sheet back with her other hand, exposing his thick cock. She ran her hand lightly down the shaft, slowly stroking him before running her fingers across the smooth skin of the tip. She leaned forward and positioned herself above him and made a loud cry of frustration when he prevented her from sliding him into her warmth.

  “Condom,” he groaned breathlessly.

  Kate grabbed the foil package from the drawer. Hands shaking, she quickly tore it open and with rough impatience placed the condom on him. She scooted forward and, holding the base of his cock, raised herself up and forced herself down on to him. They groaned in mutual pleasure as her body stretched around his hardness.

  Kate’s need for relief was like a white-hot fire inside of her and, bracing her hands on Edward’s broad shoulders, she rode him hard. He held her around the waist as she rocked and thrust quickly against him. She leaned forward and kissed him, pushing her tongue deep into his mouth as she let her breasts rub gently across his chest. He moaned into her mouth and tightened his hands on her hips as she increased the pace. When her breath was coming in hard gasps, he reached between them and touched her clit with rough fingers. At his touch, Kate cried his name and froze in mid thrust. She shook and trembled around him as her orgasm raced through her and he held her tightly against his hard body as he thrust and withdrew rapidly until his own orgasm washed over him.

  Kate collapsed against Edward, panting heavily. His heart was pounding and he was breathing raggedly and she stroked his chest with her fingers before sitting up.

  “That was good,” she said.

  “Good?” He arched his eyebrow at her before pinching her nipple playfully. “If all I’m getting is a good, I need to try harder.”

  She laughed and rested her forehead against his. “It was magnificent. I’ve never come so hard in my life.”

  He laughed. “Now you’re just mocking me.”

  She climbed off of him and curled up on her side as he disposed of the condom. He shifted down to lie beside her and pulled her against him.

  “Sleepy?” He asked.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Are you – do you want to stay the night?”

  He nodded before cupping one full breast possessively. “If you’re good with that?”

  “Yes,” she said before yawning.

  “Good night, Katie-did.”

  “Good night, Edward,” she whispered as Chicken leaped on to the bed and draped her heavy body across their hips.

  * * *

  “I really have to leave, Katie,” Edward muttered against her lips. “My flight leaves in three hours and I still have to go home and shower and pack.”

  “Right,” Kate said before kissing him again. He groaned and slipped his hand under her tank top to caress her breast. They were standing in the front hallway and as Edward gave her a final squeeze and moved away to put on his shoes, Kate sighed inwardly.

  Edward had woken her at eight with his warm mouth and hands and they’d had another round of sex before she had made them pancakes for breakfast. When they were done eating, she was alarmed to realize that she wanted him again – hell, she could have spent the entire day with him in her bed - but it was time to return to reality. They had said one night and that night was finished.

  “I had a really great time, Katie,” Edward said.

  “I did too,” she replied. “Um, thanks?”

  He
laughed. “You’re welcome?”

  She hesitated before forcing herself to smile cheerfully at him. “Have a safe trip.”

  He stopped with his hand on the doorknob before turning around and pulling her against him. He took her mouth in a hard and demanding kiss and she sucked at his tongue as she clung to him.

  He pulled his mouth away from hers and rasped, “Good-bye, Kate.”

  She smiled shakily as he opened the front door and then leaned down and gave her one final breathtaking kiss. This time he cupped her breast, stroking her nipple with his thumb and she moaned into his mouth.

  “If you don’t stop that, I’m dragging you back to my bed and you’ll miss your plane,” she whispered.

  “I’m tempted,” he muttered.

  She forced herself to take a step away and blushed furiously when she glanced over his shoulder. Olivia was standing in the open doorway, one hand raised to knock and her other holding a tray of two coffees.

  Edward glanced at Kate. Her pale skin was a fiery red and he gave Olivia a rather smug grin. “Hello, Olivia.”

  “Uh - hello, Mr. Turner,” Olivia said as he slipped past her and headed to his car.

  Olivia stared wide-eyed at Kate as she ushered her into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

  “What the fuck, Kate?”

  “What?” Kate said as she took the tray of coffees from her.

  “Don’t you what me, Kate Jones,” Olivia said. “What the hell is going on? I get this weird phone call from Edward last night saying you had a disagreement and asking for your home address and now he’s standing in your damn house and you’re sucking face. Get your ass into the living room and start talking.”

  Kate sat down on the couch and sipped her coffee as Olivia made herself comfortable in the chair across from her. “Give me all the details.”

  Kate laughed. “I’m not giving you all the details.”

  “Fine, but at least tell me how you went from a disagreement to having sex. You did have sex, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And? How was it? At least tell me that,” Olivia said.

  “It was good. Really good.”

  “We talking top five?”

  Kate laughed again. “Yes, definitely.”

  “Nice,” Olivia said before sipping at her coffee. “Now what?”

  “We go back to the way it was before,” Kate said.

  “So you have a night of sex and now you’re just going to act like it never happened?”

  “Of course not. But we’re not going to do it again. We agreed to one night to relieve the, um, tension between us.”

  Olivia just stared at her and Kate gave her a defensive look. “You thought it was a good idea. You told me to do it, remember?”

  “Yeah, but, Katie, I didn’t think you would actually do it. You’re not the type of person to just sleep with someone for the hell of it. Are you telling me that you’re just going to go back to working with him like you’ve never seen him naked?”

  “Yes. That was our agreement.”

  “But how do you really feel about it?” Olivia asked.

  “What does it matter how I feel, Olivia?” Kate snapped. “The situation is what it is. He’s my boss, I’m his assistant. We can’t date and we agreed to one night only and now that night is over. I don’t regret it, I don’t, but there’s nothing more to talk about.”

  At the look on Olivia’s face, Kate was immediately ashamed of herself. She crossed the room and sat on the floor beside her chair, laying her head on Olivia’s knee. “I’m sorry, Olivia.” she said “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

  “It’s fine, Katie. I’m prying too much.”

  “You’re not. It’s just – I feel so stupid. I agreed to one night thinking it would be fine and now I feel awful.”

  “Awful that you had sex with your boss?” Olivia asked.

  “Awful that I don’t get to have sex with him again,” Kate sighed. She sat up and stared at Olivia. “He’s really fucking good in bed.”

  Olivia grinned. “Well, maybe you could do more than one night. I mean, as long as you’re careful, no one at the office will find out.”

  “I hate that idea. Sneaking around - always worried that someone from the office will find out.”

  “It’s not ideal but if the alternative is not getting to ride Edward like a pony whenever you want, maybe it’s worth a try,” Olivia said.

  Kate laughed. “You have such a way with words, Olivia. Even Chicken liked him.”

  “Chicken liked him?” Olivia blinked at her. “You are fucking kidding me.”

  “I’m not. She let him pet her right away and she even stretched out on him and purred,” Kate said as the topic of their conversation wandered into the living room. The cat glared at Olivia before hissing lightly under her breath.

  “You little tart,” Olivia said to the cat. “I’ve known you for three years and still can’t touch you and thirty seconds after you meet Edward, you’re all over him like a shameless hussy.”

  Kate smiled and patted the old cat when she butted her head against her leg. She rested her head on Olivia’s knee again and Olivia stroked her long red hair.

  “You could always quit your job, Katie,” she said quietly.

  “I like my job.”

  “I know, but if you think there could be something with Edward…”

  “I have no idea if there could be. I’m just feeling sad because I had really great sex last night and I won’t get it again.”

  They sat quietly for a few moments before Olivia nudged her. “C’mon, Katie, hop in the shower and then we’re going shopping. There’s no point in you moping around for the day. I need a new dress for Lana and Robert’s wedding and I need someone to tell me how fantastic I look in it.”

  * * *

  Kate added a few more drops of peppermint oil to the steaming water in the tub. She had spent the day with Olivia and for the most part was able to keep thoughts of Edward out of her head but now that she was alone, she could feel the depression creeping in.

  Don’t think about it, Kate. God, just let it go.

  She eased her body into the tub. She was tired and, she thought ruefully, sore. She had used muscles in her body last night that she hadn’t used for a while and the lack of sleep was catching up to her. She made a small hiss of pain as the hot water surrounded her aching body and Chicken looked up at her from her spot on the bathroom rug.

  “My girlie bits are sore, Chicken,” Kate said conversationally.

  The cat growled quietly before she turned her back and lazily cleaned her face with one paw.

  “There’s the Chicken we all know and love.”

  Kate sunk lower into the tub. The hot water felt good and she forced herself to empty her mind and think about nothing. Twenty minutes later she was close to dozing when her cell phone rang. She picked it up from the floor and glanced at it, her heart beginning to pound as she recognized Edward’s number.

  “Hi there.”

  “Did I wake you, Katie-did?” Edward’s slow, deep voice washed over her.

  Kate shifted in the tub, water spilled over the edge and landed on Chicken who made a loud yowl of indignation and fled the room.

  “What was that?” Edward asked.

  “Chicken. She’s mad because I spilled water on her.”

  Edward laughed and warmth flooded through her. “Did I wake you, Katie?”

  “No, I’m not sleeping. I’m in the tub.”

  “You’re in the tub.” Edward said.

  “Yes.”

  “Let me get this straight - you’re naked and wet in the tub at this very moment?”

  All of the muscles in her lower abdomen clenched at the dark lust in his voice.

  “I am very naked and very wet,” she said.

  He groaned softly into the phone. “You’re killing me.”

  “So I shouldn’t be bathing?” She teased.

  “No, but you should answer the phone and tell me
you’re doing something like dusting even though you’re actually naked and wet in the tub, or you should refrain from answering the phone when you’re naked and wet in the tub.”

  “Fine. I’m dusting, Edward.”

  “Liar. You deserve a spanking for that,” he replied softly.

  “Yes, well it’s too bad that you’re all the way in New York and I’m here safe and sound in my nice warm bath water. Did I mention I’m naked and wet?”

  Edward burst out laughing “You win. How was the rest of your day?”

  “It was good,” Kate replied as Chicken crept back into the bathroom to resume her spot on the rug. “I spent the day with Olivia. How about you? How was your flight?”

  “Fine,” he replied. “Have you been to New York City before?”

  “No. Not yet. It’s on the bucket list though. I’d like to see Central Park and Times Square and do all the other totally cliché touristy stuff.”

  “Nothing wrong with doing the tourist thing,” he said.

  “Does your family live in New York?”

  “Yes, my parents are here and my younger brother. I’m having dinner with my mom and dad tomorrow night and then dinner at my brother’s place on Wednesday. I’m heading out with some friends to our favourite pub in about half an hour. I’m trying to squeeze in as much visiting in between work commitments as I can.”

  “That sounds nice,” she replied. She ignored the stab of jealousy at the thought of Edward going for drinks and perhaps meeting another woman.

  “I should probably go. I need a quick nap. Someone kept me up last night with their insatiable appetite,” he said.

  “Me?” Kate said indignantly and Edward laughed.

  “Yes.” He hesitated and then said, “Is it breaking our one-night rule if I asked you to touch yourself?”

  Her cheeks flushed and her nipples hardened almost immediately. She bit her bottom lip as Edward cleared his throat.