by Wright,Lulu
Once his suit and tie are crumpled on the floor, he spoons me, wrapping both his strong arms around my body. I lean against him with a satisfied sigh. “You did amazingly today,” he murmurs.
“What, withstanding your riding crop?”
He nibbles at my ear, and I can practically hear him grinning. “With that, yes. But also with Hamilton. I can’t believe how well you handled him. I’ve never seen him praise a department that much.”
I wriggle my butt against his hips, and smirk at the feeling of his cock growing again behind me. “Hmm. You didn’t think I could handle him, huh?”
His tongue circles my earlobe. “I never doubted.”
“Guess you aren’t ashamed of me after all then.” I glance over my shoulder at him with a grin, to show I’m only joking. I get it now. He wasn’t embarrassed by dating me; he just didn’t want the whole world gossiping about us.
But he looks so serious when I catch his eye, that I’m thrown off for a second. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—” I start to say.
He silences me with a deep kiss. “I was never ashamed of you, Lily,” he murmurs. “I’m proud to be with you.”
I wiggle my ass again in response. “I can tell,” I remark, one eyebrow lifted, as his hard cock digs into the back of my thigh.
“You are insatiable,” he whispers. But his hands drift down between my legs, and I know he’s every inch as addicted as I am.
18
Jack
The tender glow of an early dawn lights up my bedroom as Lily sleeps in my arms; her head resting on my chest. Her breath on my skin and her warmth relax me to my core. Right now, in this moment, a sense of satisfaction and peace emanates through me. The world outside with all its responsibilities, all its problems, seems lightyears away. Nothing bothers me, nothing is pressing. Usually, I think ten moves ahead, always plotting and planning in this unending push to move forward, but now I just feel the cool of the room, the comfort of the bed and her warmth in my arms. I’m living in the moment, for once.
I find I enjoy the feeling.
Lily stirs and her eyelids flutter open. When she focuses on my face, she smiles. God, I love the way a smile lights up her face. Her eyes are burning with that look I adore and I feel like the only man in the world right now. “Good morning,” she says. “Looks like someone is up before you.”
My morning wood is pressing into the small of her back, insistent. She dips her head under the covers and strokes my thighs and kisses my stomach. My eyelids flutter closed. I was already reliving last night, hence the wood, but oh god, this is more than I ever thought about.
Oh, yes, yes, yes …
I feel Lily’s fingers stroke my shaft, a light tease that fills me with anticipation. Swirling with no rhythm, I can’t tell where they’re going to land, where the next sensation is coming from. The covers hide her from view, but somehow that makes it hotter, this mystery minx taking advantage of me. Just when I want to shout at her to please release me, she licks the tip of my cock. My whole body responds in anticipation of what’s to come next, my hips arching up off the bed. I grasp the headboard behind me. I might break it, but I don’t care.
Where did her teeth go? Does she have three tongues?
Fucking hell. My eyes squeeze shut as she sucks my cock into her mouth, and keeps her tongue swirling around my base, then tracing the length of my shaft, as she suctions her lips tight around me and starts to slide up and down, taking me deeper into her magical mouth with every pass.
She groans around me, and the vibration nearly makes me lose control already, my dick tensing at the sensation. She moves faster, taking me all the way into her mouth now, the tip of my cock stroking the back of her throat with every pass. At the same time, her hands work the base of my shaft, squeezing just tight enough to restrict my blood flow a little, to make my cock even harder, somehow. Her other hand toys with my balls, gently kneading them, reaching behind them to massage that sweet spot behind them with a fingertip.
I’m totally lost to her, belonging to her completely. I can’t think, can’t concentrate on anything except her mouth, devouring me.
Somewhere in the back of my head, I hear myself groan her name as I climax, and feel that sexy, impossibly strong tongue lapping up every drop of my cum as the full force of my orgasm washes over me.
When I come to my senses again, I’m panting, drenched in sweat.
That’s definitely one way to start the day.
When she finally rolls off of me, I pull her up to my level and kiss her neck, her jawline, her sexy, impossible little mouth.
“Breakfast in bed, my Underwear Queen?”
She grins at me. “I would love that.” She rests her head on my chest, then sighs. “Alas, I’ve already eaten.”
I smirk and smack her ass for good measure as she giggles.
“That, and I can’t stay. Got to get into the store early.” She pouts as she rolls off of me, onto her stomach beside me.
I eye the riding crop stripes on her ass. “Look at you,” I say, gently stroking a stripe with my finger. “You’re going to be thinking about me all day.”
She slaps her own ass and blows me a kiss. “Even without a souvenir, I would be. Now? Definitely.” She winks.
So saucy.
We take a shower and I make sure she is nice and clean for the day; especially her tits, which I take extra care to massage. After I dry her off in my best towel, I rub some more aloe vera onto the red lines across her pale skin. “Spend the night again tonight.” I lean in to claim her mouth in a slow kiss.
“OK,” she breathes. As if she could say anything else to me now.
After Lily leaves, I snatch up my clipboard and check the to-do list. Yesterday’s to-do list was full of items for both the Hamilton walk-through and, of course, my Lily surprise. I add one more to-do item: Tip Doug extra richly this week, since he took care of accepting the several dozen presents I had speedily delivered from online. Not to mention, he let me have his own Scrabble set to plunder for tiles. All without asking any nosy questions.
I add one more item to my clipboard now.
BUY ALOE VERA LOTION
Then I set to work getting ready for the day. I’ve got another long day at the store ahead—but at least I’ll be able to steal grins at Lily in between stocking the place and managing my people. The thought of seeing her again so soon adds a spring to my step, a grin on my face. Everything is coming up Jack today, I think. Not least of which was the extremely successful Hamilton walk-through. I can’t think of anything that would spoil my buzz right now, the kind of happy you only hear about in novels.
I tie my best tie in a Windsor knot, grin at myself in the mirror, and head back out into the world a changed man.
I make the rounds on the floor congratulating everyone I come across. If they find my new attitude weird at all, nobody comments. Perhaps because they’re too pleasantly surprised themselves. The rest of the Hamilton walk-through yesterday went as well as the Flash Fit part – almost like the good look of the Basics department put him in a better mood to study the rest of our store. Everyone is smiles and light today, bouncing on their toes.
I stop by everyone’s post, inviting them out for drinks later tonight. Least I can do, after they gave me a flawless storewide performance. “You guys really pulled things together,” I’m saying to Adriana and Mona once I reach the Basics department. There’s only one person conspicuously missing for my round of congratulations. I glance at Mona, trying to seem casual. “Where’s L – Miss Brook?”
“She’s in the stockroom unpacking a new shipment,” Mona says.
“Beckman asked her to help,” Adriana adds, with a dark glare.
Shit. I only have to take one look at Adriana’s face to guess what this means. Trouble, in all caps.
I make a beeline straight for the stockroom. Before I even reach it, I can hear Beckman’s voice, raised through the half-open door. “Good job with Hamilton,” he’s saying.
I slow my pa
ce. Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions. Maybe I’m being too protective.
“Thanks,” Lily responds.
“I hear he was really impressed with the packages.”
I linger at the doorway. Go inside? Wait here for Beckman to leave, so we can be alone?
“I guess so, yeah.”
“I never knew you had such an eye for the naughty, Brook.”
My blood boils.
There’s a low murmur from Lily, followed by something from Beckman I can’t hear, and then –
“Do not touch me you slimeball.”
I shove through the door. Beckman has Lily cornered, up against a stack of new receipt boxes in the corner.
“Come on; I’ve seen the way you dress. In those tight-ass yoga pants. You can’t deny you want it.” He’s advancing on her, reaching for her again, and she slaps his hand away.
All I see is red.
Next thing I know, I have him by the arm and I’m dragging him backwards across the room. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snarl, and I don’t even recognize my own voice. Lily is shooting me a look of gratitude, but I have eyes only for Beckman.
Right now, he’s just smirking up at me. “Just thanking your star employee for a great job. Very hands on approach to merchandising.”
I want to crush his skull in my hands. I want to rip his arm, which I’m still gripping, from his socket. Instead, I push through my violent urges and find an uneasy calm. “Miss Brook,” I say, level and clear, my eyes still on Beckman. “Mona has requested your assistance out front.”
She hesitates by the doorway, clearly reluctant to leave me here alone. But I shoot her a reassuring glance over my shoulder, one that is equal parts affection for her and hatred for the worthless excuse of a man I’m still gripping by the bicep.
She nods at me and walks out of the office, her lip quivering.
The lip quiver does it. I turn the full force of my glare on Beckman. “You’re fired.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “You can’t touch me, Mr. Stewart. You know I know all about you.”
“Not everything, Mr. Beckman.” With that, I punch him straight in the nose.
19
Lily
I bust a move out the stockroom without looking back.
Jack kept his voice calm, but I could tell he was wicked pissed. I know those green eyes and they weren’t loving and tender. I would love it if Jack decked the perv, but I understand that he can’t. He can’t risk his career over some sleazebag. Not worth it.
In the 3rd floor bathroom mirror, I sit on a toilet and catch my breath. The old perv messed up my hair—not to mention the great mood I had going on until now. As I smooth my hair back into its bun, I take deep, slow breaths to calm myself down because, fuck no, I am not letting that jerk ruin today. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life, between Hamilton’s appreciation and Jack’s surprises. I’m still riding high on those good feelings, and I will not let some creepy pervert take that away from me.
I take my hair out of the bun and shake it out. I reapply my lipstick and undo a couple of buttons of my blouse. Just a few more hours on shift, and then we’re all off to our usual local. I know Jack’s going after he and Tim finish up some manager duties, but I text Jen and Ricky to sync our arrival at the pub. It’s going to be a great night.
A few hours more of checking out sale after sale of Flash Fit, and I finally clock out with Mona and aim directly for the bar. At Ryan’s pub, I weave my way through the triumphant crowd of Hamilton’s managers, sales staff, stock guys and the visual team. Even HR and the dock guys are there. Everyone is smiling like they’re at a wedding. You would have thought WW2 just ended. I get lost in a frenzy of high fives and group hugs, as a group of stock guys huddled near the bar sing “We are the Champions.”
As I make my way to the back, I wonder how they could have gotten this drunk in just half an hour, but the mystery is solved when I see all the empty shot glasses all over the bar. Retail peeps don’t play around when it comes to boozing it up.
I get a Malibu, buy Betty a tumble brimming with whiskey, and sneak half a shot of rum into Mona’s diet coke.
“A toast,” Betty says. “To us.” She takes a Keith Richards size gulp and then another then slams her empty glass down on the table. She points her red polished, crooked finger at me. “My god, Hamilton yesterday? Let me tell you something, girlie. I have never seen that man smile. Not even when his kids were born.”
I can’t help but grin. “How long have you know him?”
Betty looks up at the ceiling. “Let’s see, started out at Hamilton’s the summer of ’67. He was just a kid then out of Yale. He was such a handsome young man. His shoulders, mm, so broad and strong.” Her eyes go a little unfocused as she daydreams about the old guy. Ew. But also, aw? “We worked in swimwear together, you know,” she winks at me. “Back when the department was on 4. Back when we had to wear those damn company-issued maroon
blazers …”
“Wait,” Mona interrupts. “Mr. Hamilton worked on the floor?”
I’ve got to admit, I’m surprised too. It’s difficult to see the rigid, wealthy man I met yesterday morning ringing up sales and hanging bikinis.
Betty pulls a weird face. “Hell, yeah. That’s the Hamilton way. All the Hamilton kids start in sales and work their way up.”
“That’s smart,” I say. “Good way to learn the family biz.”
“Mostly.” Betty takes another slug. “Mostly they are good kids. But Mr. Hamilton #3’s younger brother Barry wasn’t such a good employee. Used to sneak off and nap in stockrooms. They wrote him out of his part ownership in the company after that one.” Betty smirks.
“Oh, wow. That’s fucking hard core.” I think Mona is a little drunk from that thimble of Captain Morgan’s. Her face is flushed red and her eyes are half closed. She puts her head on my shoulder. “I love you, Lily.” I kiss her on top of the forehead and she giggles.
“Damn,” I say to Betty. My Malibu tastes perfect. “That’s some tough love. Losing ownership over something that simple?”
Betty laughs. She sounds like Cruella Deville. “That Barry Hamilton was a no good anyway. Never came around to his senses. I hear he lives in a tent on a beach somewhere. The current generation is decent though. Good kids. Well, the daughter’s a little flakey, but the
son …” Betty stops talking and stares into her empty glass. “They’re good kids,” she finishes, quietly swiveling ice in her glass.
I cock my head at her. “Are we going to see another Hamilton in the department soon? Like in swim or something?”
Rolling her eyes, Betty offers another toast with her empty glass. “Here’s to no more visits until at least springtime!”
I have no time to agree because Ricky arrives waving his hands in excitement. “Oh, my god, you guys …”
“What? Did you finally meet Hugh Jackman or something?”
“Mr. Pervert is no more!” he exclaims.
Betty cracks up and even Mona laughs.
“Mr. Beckman?” I ask. As if he could be talking about anyone else.
“Mr. Hamilton fired his ass this afternoon. Security escorted him from the building and everything.”
“Hot damn,” Betty says.
“That’s not all.” Ricky’s practically rubbing his hands together evil-villain style in his glee. “Someone worked his ass over. He had a bloody nose and a swollen eye.”
I smile to hide my horror, but cold sweat breaks out on my skin. It’s not like the asshole didn’t deserve to get punched, but oh god, what if Jack got in trouble for it? I’ve got no doubt he’s the one who hit Beckman. Probably the one who got him fired, too. But what if Jack gets in trouble as well? He could be let go for violence, or, Jesus, what if he got arrested?
With a shaky hand, I grab my phone. I can feel Mona’s eyes on me, but I don’t care anymore. Everything ok? I type quickly.
Ricky squeezes into our table to retell the full Beckman story
with dramatic replays, but I’m too busy checking my phone to listen to the additional anecdotes.
Finally my phone vibrates in my hand.
Everything is good. I promise. Trust me. See you soon.
I sigh, inhale the last of my Malibu, and order a round for the table.
Everything isn’t good.
It’s perfect.
Jack arrives with Tim and pulls chairs over to our crowded table. Jack sits next to me and we exchange little knowing smirks. His face is relaxed, but I notice a flash in his eyes as he looks at me. I want to be alone with him, now. I want to grab that gorgeous face and pull those sexy lips to mine. I want to run my hands all over him.
“Beckman’s gone,” Ricky says. It’s not a question, really.
Jack nods, and looks down at his drink. I catch the slightest curve of a smile on his lips.
Tim gives Jack a shocked look and elbows him. “Gone? Did you know? What happened?”
“No clue.” Jack grabs my hand under the table and squeezes it. “If you’ll excuse me, everyone, I need to steal Miss Brook for a moment. It’s about Hamilton’s visit.”
“Oh,” I say doing my best to feign surprise, but I’m over-selling it and Ricky cocks his eyebrow at me. He’s suspicious. Crap.
Yet, as I zig-zag through the pub after Jack, I can’t bring myself to care. He leads me to the less populated game room. A couple of guys in frat shirts shoot pool, but they aren’t our people, so we can speak freely.
“What happened with Beckman?”
“Nothing.” Jack runs his hands through his hair and I spy blood on his shirt cuff.
“Doesn’t look like nothing.” I grab his shirt sleeve. “Did you get all Apollo Creed on him or what?”
He gazes into my eyes and strokes my cheek with one finger. “Don’t worry about it,” he repeats.
“Did you hit him?”
He shrugs his shoulders and grins. “A little.”
The mix of emotions in my brain confuses me. I love that a pervert got punched, but violence scares me. It turns me on that Jack protected me but I also feel the tug of panic in my gut. “Are you going to get in trouble?”
“Nope.” He sees that I’m not buying it and sighs. He puts his lips to my ear. “Listen,” he murmurs. “Yes, I hit him. But let’s just say the store is taking care of it. It’s complicated, but