Jamie came up and took one of the dishes out of my hand. I didn’t say anything to him, but when I set a dish down by Jerold, it was clear that he wasn’t happy. His mood and face had changed in a matter of moments. My face flushed and again I had to get away from him. When I came back out with the rest of the food, Jerold touched my arm and urged me to sit next to him. The gesture made me think of when he had had me get on his lap. I blanched a little at the thought and sat down before I embarrassed myself.
The dinner was loud and the family was in true form. I wasn’t embarrassed by them, but I could see them as an outsider and I knew they were a lot to take in. My family was big and loud, just like any other Italian family. To me this was normal, but I knew that it was most likely a lot to handle for Jerold. The fact that my family was nosy on top of everything was hard enough. Then my uncle mentioned the failed proposal of the week before and I literally wanted to sink into the chair.
Jerold was quick to pull me aside after dinner, asking me if I wanted to sit out on the porch with him. I knew that he wasn’t happy about Jamie being there, and his eyes had flared when he heard about the proposal. Neither reaction seemed to line up with what he was to me. He looked downright angry, and when I finally did agree to go out with him, I was nervous about what he was going to say.
His hand didn’t leave off gripping my arm. I didn’t pull away until we were outside and I had shut the screen door. Moving away from him, I asked him what his problem was.
“You were engaged to him?”
I knew that he was talking about Jamie, but I didn’t quite get why he was mad about it. “Yes.”
“And he asked you to marry him a couple of days ago?”
I shook my head. For some reason I didn’t want to tell the truth, but there was no way that I could say that he hadn’t. There had been an embarrassing five-minute conversation about it at dinner. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You’re just my boss, sir.”
His jaw tightened and he moved closer. “I am more than your boss, Nicola. You got my note?”
I remembered the folded piece of paper in my pocket and nodded. I hadn’t read it, but I had gotten it.
“Good, then I will see you Monday. Thank you for the invitation.”
He was gone just like that, with a tight jaw and unhappiness in his slate eyes. I wasn’t sure what had happened, and only when his anger dissipated in the air could I really think again. I watched him get into his car and the driver took off. What had just happened?
Chapter 4 – Nicola
“No panties or bra, Nicola. I will be checking.”
When I had gotten home after the dinner at my parents’ house, I had immediately read the note that he had left me. I don’t know why I had forgotten about it before, but I certainly couldn’t when it was the last thing that he had mentioned. Jerold had told me that he was more than just my boss. What more did he mean?
The note helpfully cleared up any misunderstanding that I may have had. I wasn’t really sure what to think. I kept reading it, over and over again, but I still couldn’t believe it. Did he really think that I would just show up to work on Monday with no undergarments on? And what did he mean by checking?
I went to bed that night thinking and then dreaming about what it would entail. I had convinced myself all weekend that there was no way that I was going to do what he asked. He must be mad to think that I would do something like that. I realized Monday morning, though, that I was the one who was mad. I was the one who was going to do exactly what he said. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like the idea of going against his wishes. I didn’t want to disobey him.
It was hard to really concentrate on the drive into work. I had picked a shirt that was thick enough not to show the fact that I didn’t have a bra on, and my skirt was a little longer than before. I had skipped pantyhose as well, and the result was a breeze up my skirt that was driving me crazy. By the time I got to work, I was breathing a little harder. More than anything I was trying to get him out of my head.
When I got out of the elevator, it was clear that I wasn’t going to have much luck with that. He was waiting for me when the steel doors opened. I looked down for a moment. His eyes were all over me and I wondered if he could tell whether I had obeyed or not. I tried to walk slower so that my chest didn’t bounce as much and give me away.
“Good morning, sir. I didn’t think I would see you here this early.”
“I was starving, Nicola. I need your assistance.”
I nodded my head and moved past him to the kitchen. It was going to be a long day. When he followed me, shutting the door behind him, my nerves got the best of me for a moment and I jumped at the sound.
“You seem a little nervous this morning, Nicola. Is something wrong?”
I turned back to him and saw that he was far closer than before. “No, Jerold. Nothing is wrong.”
“Did you do as you were told?”
The last word got me and I finally met his gaze. I didn’t like the word and I was sure that he could have used another term. But he used that one for a reason and I was anxious to know the reason. Did he really think that he had a right to tell me anything?
I was surprised by my indignation, but the reality of it was that I had done exactly what he had told me to do. I wasn’t wearing a bra or panties, and I wanted him to check more than anything. I knew that if he did, he would find me wet and hot. But then what? I was confused how it was supposed to work, and I knew instinctively that Jerold was not like any other man I had ever met before.
I nodded slightly when his brow cocked up with a question. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but when he told me to show him, I was paralyzed with fear. Did he really mean to show him right here and now?
“You can’t be serious.”
He was serious, though, and the closer he got to me, the more serious I knew he was. His eyes were like burning embers that had ignited me. “You can show me or I can find out for myself.”
It wasn’t meant to be taken like a challenge, but that was how I saw it. I didn’t want him thinking that he had some kind of power over me. In a small way, I thought I would merely call his bluff and get him off of the idea that I would do anything he said.
So I didn’t make a move to do as he asked. But I hissed through my teeth when his hand came out and cupped one of my breasts. There was only a small, thin layer of material between me and him. I couldn’t believe he was touching me there. My eyes closed when his deft fingers pulled at my nipple and made me gasp as it turned to a hard pebble.
“Very nice. It seems you did exactly what you were told. Is the rest the same?”
He was asking about my panties. I don’t know what came over me. I wanted him to find out for himself. I wanted to feel the same fingers in between my legs. I wasn’t going to show him, so he was supposed to find out himself.
I kind of shrugged my shoulders and his lips grinned at me. “So you want me to find out for myself?”
I didn’t answer him and I looked away before he could get the answer from my eyes. I felt his hand move up my inner thigh and my legs opened to let him in. I was already too hot to care where we were or who he was. I needed him. I looked back into his face to see the change in his eyes when he finally reached the wet heat that was waiting for him.
He growled at me and quickly pushed a finger inside. My hand went to his shoulder to steady myself and my eyes closed at the pleasure. I couldn’t believe that I was letting him do that, but there was no way that I was going to be able to stop him. There was no way in the world that I wanted to. I wanted more, and when he added a second finger and a thumb to my clit, I jerked against him and grasped his shoulders a little harder.
A cry ripped through my lips as I suddenly felt a flood of pleasure. It had been a long time since I had been able to come and I was no match for him. I was shaking when he released me and I could tell that he wasn’t as nonplussed as before. At least I wasn’t the only one who
was affected. I became even more so when I saw him licking his fingers as he moved away from me.
“Are you leaving?” My voice dripped with disappointment, and I knew it was because I wanted him to stay. I wanted more. “I thought you were hungry?” I really hoped he was, because I felt like I was starving all of a sudden.
His grey eyes turned black and he moved away from the door and back towards me. His hand went to the side of my face and he pulled me in for a kiss. His lips were hard and his tongue insistent. I was lost in the moment, and only when he pulled away to leave did I realize what had just happened.
“I don’t have time to fully appreciate it, but I will for lunch. Make sure you are upstairs around noon so that I can finally get a real taste.”
I shook my head and watched him go. I couldn’t wait for lunch. I had a feeling the menu was going to be a little different than what I was used to.
Chapter 5 – Jerold
Her taste was still in my mouth as I went down to City Hall to talk to the zoning department. I was hoping to get special permission for a project, but I knew that there were already people who were against the idea of a youth group in downtown. It was an upscale neighborhood and it was zoned for residential only. I was going to have to convince them to bend the rules a bit.
It didn’t matter, though. I wasn’t nervous about these kinds of meetings, but I did feel a little more pushed to get it done sooner. I wanted Nicola more than I could even describe, and I knew that I had to get back to her before I went insane.
That meant that the meeting had to go well and it had to go quick. There were only another couple of hours until lunchtime, and what was on my menu made me feel even more rushed. I was starting to think that if I got back early, I’d be happy to go for brunch instead.
“Davy told me to talk to you, Aaron. I was hoping that we could come to some kind of agreement and get it worked out. It is for a good cause, and the amount of money I am willing to pay for you to look the other way is a lot.”
The redheaded man who I’d bargained with before started to look nervous when I started to talk about money. My radar went up a little and I had to wonder what I was going to have to do this time to get my way.
“It’s not that easy this time, Jerold. It’s not like the last project that was on the outskirts of town. The location that you have given me is right downtown. There are gated communities within walking distance, and the last thing that they are going to want is a lot of rough and tumble kids getting bused into their neighborhood.”
Aaron was not seeing my point. I didn’t know if he was trying to squeeze more money out of me or what, but I was getting increasingly aggravated with the whole situation.
“There are several projects that the city needs money for. If I don’t get my zoning for this, I will not be helping out with other things that the board wants. You need to make this work.”
His eyes got a little big. I knew I was being a bit more aggressive than what a man like him was used to. I was usually so calm, but I knew it was the woman at my office that was making me feel more and more on edge. I licked my lips again, hoping that I would get another taste of her sweetness.
Aaron came around pretty quickly. I didn’t need to do anything but wait him out. I had promised a lot of money to the city, and I think he was well aware what would happen to the earmarked money if I didn’t get my way. I hadn’t gotten where I was by being a pushover. After a time, I got the zoning committee to do exactly what I wanted them to do.
Driving back to the office, my spirits were high. I was hoping to catch Nicola in the kitchen. I went to see her before I went up to my own floor, but she was nowhere in sight. I was worried that maybe I had scared her off. What if I was moving too fast? I was trying not to, but I’d had to literally drag myself away from her before. What if she didn’t want me and I had ruined it all? I hadn’t expected her to make me check her, and I certainly hadn’t been expecting her to be so damn wet. Now all I could think about was her. I looked for Connie to see if she knew where our new in-house chef was. I was starving and I knew that she was the only thing that I needed.
It was almost an hour until I gave up looking and went back to my office. My stomach was grumbling and I was in a horrible mood. When I heard the familiar knock at the door and looked up at the clock, it was noon on the dot. All of that time I had spent searching for her, and all I’d needed to do was just wait. She was starting to become very obedient, and it made me realize that I had been right: she was perfect.
“Sir, I was bringing you your lunch. Where would you like me to put it?”
I moved the paperwork to the side and motioned to the place on my desk right in front of me. I saw her questioning look, but I waited for her. It was time to play, and the food she put there was not what I had in mind.
“That is not what I want for lunch, Nicola.”
She blanched a little and moved it away. “What would you like, Jerold? I’ll go whip it up for you if you just tell me.”
Standing up, I told her to put the dishes down on the table. She was slow to do so, hiding behind the glass as if it would keep her safe from me. “I want another taste.”
Her eyes moved down and I reminded her to put the dishes down. They were some kind of shield to her, and I didn’t want anything else in my way. When she finally did as I told her, I could tell she was not sure what would come next. I patted the edge of the desk like I had done to my lap earlier. Once again, there were a few moments where I wasn’t sure if she was going to go along with me. When she finally slid her backside onto the desk, I knew that she was mine.
“Are you still nice and wet for me?”
She didn’t answer, but her thighs moved together to let me pull her skirt up. Her panties were still gone, and I could tell just from the sight that she was dripping wet. Her legs shook as I opened her back up and was then able to see every last bit of her. The smooth skin under my palm was tan. I started kissing her thighs, moving the chair closer to her. I had no intention of being rushed, and when she realized what I was aiming for, the tension underneath my fingertips was palpable.
Taking my first lick of her center, I watched her face. The expression got darker and her eyes were closing, her head falling back in pleasure. The taste was overwhelming to my senses, and before I knew it I had pulled her to me and was feasting on her flesh like it was the last thing in the world. Her noises grew louder and louder, but I only stopped when I finally tasted the first flood of fluid from inside of her. Nicola was writhing underneath me, and watching her was my undoing. Gripping her hips, I pulled her closer and sucked hard on the engorged clit.
Nicola cried out, and it was my name on her lips. The sound made my own need become blinding. I had to pull away from her, gasping for breath and trying to get control over myself. Didn’t she know how sweet she was?
It took her some time to recover. My own need throbbed hard in my pants and I could think of nothing that I wanted more than to slam the rest of me into her. I was so hard it hurt, but I knew that I had to keep part of myself away from her. I was moving too fast, and not just for her. I was moving too fast for me, and I had a feeling that getting lost in her was a real possibility.
Chapter 6 – Nicola
I walked out of there with a little bit of a limp. I had not hurt myself, but my core was so sensitive that each movement rubbed my lips together and caused a jerk of pleasure through my system. The elevator was a welcome sight – until I saw a small blonde woman slide in between the doors at the last minute. I had a feeling that I knew who she was. She was Jerold’s assistant. There was nothing I wanted to say to her, and the one floor down seemed to take forever.
Gathering the extra dishes in order to get off, I saw Connie stop the elevator with the red button. I couldn’t believe it actually worked. I had never seen one pushed before and was more than a little surprised that just anyone could push it and cause such a frightening moment. The elevator stopped and I was face to face with the small woman.
/>
She was older than me and her blue eyes flashed at me. Connie looked at me like she hated me for a moment, and I was left to wonder what it was that she found so offensive about me.
“I know what is going on with the two of you. You need to keep your eyes off of him. Jerold is not going to get wrapped up in something with a little piece of trash like you. I see you guys together again, I will make sure that your career here is very short.”
I was beyond shocked. Was she talking to me? I didn’t know what to say as I watched her pull up the same red button she had pressed down. The door opened after a few seconds.
I was still looking at her as if she was the Antichrist. It was only when she urged me out with a sarcastic remark that I was able to finally move. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. There was no rhyme or reason to what had just happened. Did I really just hear that? Looking back to the cold eyes of the woman still standing in the elevator as the doors closed, I knew that I had. She hated me more than I’d thought anyone could hate a person, and I was lost as to what to do.
My step was not so light. I felt like other people’s eyes were on me. Did everyone know? My face went red with the idea, and I stuck to the small kitchen for the rest of the day. I didn’t want to run into Connie again. She had made me so nervous I actually took the stairs instead of risking another moment alone with the woman. Did the two of them have something that I was intruding upon?
Going out was the only thing that helped me forget the trouble at work and the issues with my family. I was sure that Jamie had made his way back to California, but then he popped up in the bar. I wondered if it was just bad luck or he was following me. Everywhere I turned he was there. I didn’t need the drama, and I told him so.
“I am not trying to stress you out, Nicola. I just want to see you. It has been a long time, and when I got the call from your mom, it was like everything started to make sense. Can you really say that you feel nothing for me?”
The Priceless One: A Billionaire Romance Novel (Contemporary Romance Novels) (Complete Series: Books 1 - 3) Page 21