Pretending He's Mine

by Mia Sosa

  Her unconcern helps to push away my doubts. Be more like Ashley. Live in the moment. So I splay my fingers against her jaw and pull her in for a kiss. “Speak for yourself. I very much expect you to sit on my face multiple times.”

  She moans and her eyes flutter closed as she presses into me. “I’ve always liked the way your brain works.”

  Our lips connect, and said brain goes fuzzy for a moment. I’m fully familiar with suppressing my desire for Ashley, but now that we’ve given ourselves permission to simply enjoy each other, I’m still struggling to let go.

  The sweetness of the wedding cake lingers on her tongue, and I should be eager to savor the taste—but I’m not.

  Ashley pulls back and peers at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  She pats my shoulder. “Ah, performance anxiety?” She nods at me gravely. “Understandable. I have high standards.”

  I collapse against the closet door and massage the back of my neck. “Funny. Also, not helping.”

  She spins around and takes stock of her surroundings while I try and fail to get out of my head.

  She regards me with those doe eyes, her lips plump from our kiss. “I think you need visual stimulation. I do, too.” She stalks toward me and tugs on my slacks, unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper, her face raised to watch my reaction. “There, that’s much better.” Her hands slip inside my pants and roam over my hips, her fingers brushing against my underwear. “Boxer briefs. Called it.”

  I’m not sure how she can remain this calm when her touch alone makes me tremble. It’s fire and heat and the promise of much more. If I fuck this up, I’ll never forgive myself.

  She steps back, claps her hands, and toes off her sandals. “Okay, we’ll focus on my needs later. Let’s get you relaxed first.”

  Moving with more grace than I ever expected from her, she climbs on top of the bed and rises to her feet, standing in the center with her arms at her sides.

  She lifts the skirt of her dress to her waist, revealing a scrap of material that’s probably marketed as panties but does nothing more than cover her pussy. I’m glad she unbuttoned my slacks because my dick hardens at the sight of all that supple skin.

  With a wink at me, she lets the skirt drop down. “How are we doing so far?”

  I press a hand to my dick. “It’s working. Why’d you stop?”

  Is that me sounding like a petulant child? What is this woman doing to me?

  “Tsk, tsk,” she says. “Be patient and you will be rewarded.”

  I like the sound of that. And I like how Ashley is taking control, comfortable in her own skin and sweetly seductive now that she knows how she affects me. But I’d like to get to the even better stuff soon. “Be quick about it and you’ll be coming so hard you’ll see the entire Milky Way.”

  She bends, crosses her arms in front of her, and whisks off her dress in seconds.

  My gaze roams over every dip and curve of her body, caressing her with my eyes as I imagine doing with my hands and mouth. God, she’s going to bring me to my knees.

  “Say something,” she says, her voice no longer as assertive as it was moments ago.

  “I don’t think I can,” I say honestly. “Give me a minute.”

  This is surreal. I’ve spent most of my adult years shoring up the gates that would lead to this, but we’ve thrown them open, and I don’t know where to begin. So many mind-blowing possibilities.

  Her hands fly up over the cups of her lace-covered bra, and she steps forward. “Maybe we should forget this.”

  “Don’t move, Ash.”

  She freezes.

  “I’m savoring, not hesitating.” I slide my hand across my stomach and down the front of my pants. “There’s a big difference.”

  Her knees wobble, and she takes in a deep breath.

  “Do you enjoy following instructions, Ash?”

  She juts out her chest and raises her chin. “Depends.” There’s the confidence again.

  “On what?”

  “The person giving them and the potential payoff.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to see how this goes, then.” I lick my lips and rub my hands together. “Let’s start with something simple so we can ease you into this, and if there’s anything you don’t want to do, tell me, okay? I only want what you want.”

  She nods. “Okay.”

  I push off the closet door and run a hand over my abs. “Show me those gorgeous tits.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Ashley

  I’M GOING TO spontaneously combust. With his directive echoing in the room, my body betrays me, and I go weak-kneed. In this instance, doing what he asks gives me pleasure, so I eagerly reach up and unclasp my bra, massaging my breasts out of their cups to show him how much I enjoy following his commands.

  Julian’s dark eyes flash with want, and his lips part. “Arch your back. Present them to me, and don’t be shy.”

  I straighten and thrust my chest forward. I want him to devour me, want to be tangled with him in this bed, overwhelmed by his heat and the strength of his touch. Every second before the moment he enters me registers as a form of exquisite torture, and I can’t help rubbing my thighs together to take the edge off.

  “Are you wet?” he asks.

  His voice is low and sure, a turn-on in and of itself. And he doesn’t wait for me to respond. “Of course you are. I bet if I touched you there you’d soak my fingers.”

  His words force a low moan from me.

  “Now, remove your panties, baby.”

  My hands are at my waist without delay, and I’m sliding the sides of my thong down my hips, but I meet a bit of resistance, and they don’t come off easily.

  His eyes narrow, and his gaze centers on the space between my legs. “Fuck. You’re so wet your panties are sticking to your pussy.” His eyes are squeezed shut when he speaks again. “Lord, I’m a lucky, lucky man.”

  With my underwear finally pooled at my feet, I step out of them and toe them off the bed.

  He walks slowly toward me, and I can no longer stand still. I inch my way to the edge of the mattress, waiting for him to join me. He raises his big hands and palms my breasts, massaging them until my body feels feverish from his ministrations. I fall to my knees, wanting his mouth on me. With a look of reverence on his face, he closes his lips over one breast, his teeth grazing my nipple, and I shudder from the exquisite pleasure.

  “Stand up and turn around,” he whispers.

  When I do, he gives me further instructions. “Bend over.”

  Oh. The thought of bending over for him and exposing myself at his eye level turns me on as much as actually doing it.

  “Can I touch you?” he asks, his voice raw and tight.

  “Yes,” I moan.

  Then he slides a finger along my folds, and I cry out, desperate to have him inside me. “Julian, please. Hurry.”

  “Lie down on the bed, Ash.”

  I drop to my hands and knees and slowly lower myself on the bed. Behind me, I hear the rustle of his pants. Dispensing with the need for a command, I roll over and sit up on my elbows.

  I’m truly unprepared for him. Standing with his feet hip-width apart, he steals my breath away. His chest and shoulders have been on my watch list for years, but Julian’s naked form in its entirety is a sight to behold. Beautiful brown skin and strong thighs. His cock, long and thick, stands at attention as though it’s waiting for orders from its captain. A small tattoo of an anchor covers the area where his left hip and thigh meet.

  I spread my legs wide and raise my knees, beckoning him with my body’s position.

  He takes his cock in his hand and strokes it, readying himself for me. “Condoms,” he chokes out. “Before we go any further, tell me you have one, because I know I don’t.”

  I bite on my bottom lip suggestively before answering. “More than one.”

  His gaze is feverish as he surveys the room. “Where?”

  “In my clut
ch.”

  He stalks to the dresser, opens my clutch, and pulls out the strip. “Do you want to put it on?”

  I scramble to a kneeling position. “Please.”

  He inches forward and hands me the condoms. I break off and rip open a packet, pull out the protection, and stroke him before rolling the condom on.

  He hisses and grabs at the air for purchase.

  I scoot forward and offer him my body for support. “Shhh, I’ve got you.”

  His hands curl around my shoulders, and his hips jerk in response to my touch. Then, using both hands, I slide the protection over his cock, inch by delicious inch. Satisfied with my work, I fall back against the mattress, returning to my original position. With one hand on his erection, he climbs onto the bed and fits his body against me.

  His weight presses me into the mattress, the heat generated between our joined bodies finally matching the warmth between my legs.

  The air is heavy, thick from the humidity outside and the smell of our arousal in here. It surrounds us like a bubble, making me incapable of thinking beyond what’s happening in this room. When he kisses me deeply, it’s both too much and not enough. I want him inside me, and my stomach clenches in anticipation—and frustration.

  His soft lips graze my ear. “Are you ready for me, baby?”

  “Yes, Julian, yes.”

  He slides the tip of his cock against my entrance and waits. “You can’t begin to imagine how much I want this, Ash. I’m burning up at the thought of being inside you. Is this what you want?”

  “Please. Give me everything you have. I want it all.”

  He groans and nips at my neck. Then he centers himself and presses forward. As he works his way in, I thrust my pelvis up and rock into him. When he’s filled me to the hilt, we both let out a long, ragged fuuuuck.

  “Damn,” he says on a long groan. “You’re tight. And wet. And you feel so good I could stay here forever.”

  He raises his torso off the bed and rests his forearms on the mattress, never ceasing to grind against me.

  I undulate my hips in a circular motion, meeting his thrusts each time. “Julian, yes, that’s . . .” I’m not sure I have enough brain cells to finish my thought. My body is a live wire, an unending circuit of sensations cycling through me.

  “Yeah, baby, I feel it, too,” he says, his voice gentle with awe.

  I reach around and grab his ass for leverage, pulling him closer each time he plunges inside. His gaze is unfocused, and then he squeezes his eyes shut and increases his rhythm.

  He’s controlling his movements, going slow for my benefit, but that’s not what either of us needs. “You want to pound into me, don’t you?”

  His pupils flare before he centers his gaze on mine. “I won’t last if I do.”

  “We have all night. I’m fully expecting a round two.”

  Without a word, he pushes himself up, and I settle my legs over his shoulders. The shift causes him to sink farther into me, and we both moan at the fullness from this new angle.

  “Fuck me, Julian. Don’t hold back.”

  He moves tentatively, testing his balance, and once he finds the right position, he pulls out and plunges back in.

  “Oh God,” I shout. “Again, please. Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”

  He sets a torturous rhythm, and I answer it each time, tightening around his cock and spurring him on. Meanwhile, my hands are everywhere, reveling in the smoothness of his skin and the hardness of the muscles underneath. I’m trying to hold onto something real so I don’t float away. Within minutes, my body is flushed and trembling and the tingle between my legs intensifies. “Julian, I’m close. So close.”

  “Let go, baby. I’ll be there with you.”

  He thrusts and thrusts and thrusts, his pace unrelenting. I chase after the orgasm, searching for the explosion of sensation that remains just out of reach. Then he circles his hips, a tiny swivel with a massive impact. With that one move, the tingling in my body gathers in my center and rushes out, a wave of heat washing over me. “Julian, I’m coming.”

  He doesn’t stop, and soon he’s shaking, too, roaring as he finds his own release and eventually collapses against me.

  I’m spent and breathless, achy and warm. My hands roam over his back and shoulders as he catches his breath. Then he pulls back and peers at me, his eyes still flashing with desire. “Round two might break me, but I’m up for the challenge.”

  Round two.

  What the. . .?

  Now?

  Oh God.

  Chapter Thirty

  Julian

  I HAVE ENOUGH morning wood to populate a forest.

  Not a surprise with Ashley’s ass snuggled up against me. For a minute, I do nothing but take in the feeling of waking up next to her. I can’t see her face, but if she enjoyed last night as much as I did, her lips should be curved into a satisfied smile even in sleep.

  I’m not going to start something I can’t finish, though, so I slip out of bed and dip into the restroom. A few minutes later, I return to the bedroom and find Ashley stretching on the bed.

  Perfect timing.

  She gives me that satisfied smile I was hoping for, and then she stretches her mouth wide and yawns. “What time is it?”

  I pick up my phone from the nightstand. “Just after nine.”

  She bolts upright and slaps her hands against her cheeks. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  “What is it?”

  She rolls out of the bed with a sigh, and I take a moment to appreciate the roundness of her firm ass.

  Still naked, she flits around the room gathering stuff. “I need to be at the airport in an hour. Can you take Melanie back with you?”

  “Of course.”

  She pouts at me. “I’ll be gone a few days. And now there’s not enough time to enjoy the afterglow.”

  “Is that what we’re doing?”

  She studies me warily. “Regrets so soon?”

  How can I regret the best sex of my life with a woman I care about? “Hell to the no. Zero regrets.”

  She grins from ear to ear and steps into my embrace. “Good. Then we’ll spend a few days apart and unload on each other when I get back. The good kind of unloading, I mean.”

  I waggle my eyebrows at her. “That’ll be a lot of unloading.”

  She draws back and lifts a finger in warning. “So long as it’s not unloaded in my hair, we’re good.”

  I bark out a laugh. “No worries. My aim is impeccable. I’m talking sniper-level accuracy.”

  She pushes me away. “You’re such a boy.”

  I take her hand and help her stroke my dick. “This is all man, baby.”

  Her lids grow heavy. “Yes, yes, it is, but we don’t have time.”

  Dammit. Not what I want to hear. “A quickie?”

  She jumps up and wraps her legs around my waist so quickly I scramble to grab her.

  But a knock on the cottage door causes me to lose my grip, and she falls to the floor.

  “Oh shit, Ash,” I say as I pull her up.

  She snorts and rubs her ass with one hand while placing a finger over her mouth to shush me. “That could be my dad.”

  I grab my sweats off the armchair and put them on at turbo speed. “You answer it. I’ll get dressed and rustle up the sheets in the other room.”

  Taking my T-shirt with me, I sprint to the room Eva stayed in. I’ve got my head through the collar when I hear Susan talking to Ashley in the common room. “You asked me to be sure you were up. And now I see that you are. Did you have a good time last night?”

  Ashley groans. “Don’t do this, Mom. I can’t with you.”

  I can imagine Susan’s facial expression. To say she’s no prude would be an understatement.

  Susan laughs. “All right, all right. Just be glad it’s not your father. He thinks Julian left last night and wondered why you wanted to sleep here alone.”

  “Bless you for covering for me.”

  “Oh, I didn’t c
over for you. I simply pretended not to hear him when he made that assumption. It’s a handy tactic when you’re married.”

  “I’m grateful.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to get ready.” There’s some shuffling, and then, “Julian, you might want to head out with Ashley. Just a suggestion. I’ll say my good-byes now.”

  I poke my head out, but I don’t look her in the eyes. “Take care. Thanks for your hospitality.”

  “Oh, dear,” she says before she walks out the door. I can hear her cackling outside as she treks back to the house.

  I venture into the common room, and Ashley shakes her head at me. “Thanks for your hospitality?”

  I shrug. “The pressure got to me, okay?”

  “But you thrive under pressure. You’ve said so many times.”

  “Work pressure, sure. But I crumble under I-just-boned-your-daughter-and-now-I-have-to-talk-to-you pressure.”

  “So long as the boning-the-daughter part is on point, I couldn’t care less about anything else.”

  “Happy to give you a demonstration to alleviate any fears you may have.”

  She shakes her head and looks at her watch. “No time. I need to run to the house to say good-bye to everyone. But I’ll take a rain check.”

  I palm her ass and pull her to me. “Fitting. Because when you get back from your trip, you’re going to be drenched.”

  She smirks at me. “Promises, promises.”

  “Facts and more facts,” I counter.

  Now all I need to do is get through the next few nights without her. Should be easy enough, right?

  WHAT SHOULD HAVE been simple turns out to be more difficult than I could have imagined. A mountain of work awaits me when I return to LA—scripts I need to review, contracts I need to negotiate, and asses I need to kick. Barry Sanderson, the eccentric director who’s been making noises about wanting to work with Carter, calls and tells me to expect a hand-delivered script soon. But thoughts of Ashley permeate the frenzy, and coming home to an empty unit no longer calms me. Instead, I’m restless in her absence.

  The first night, I strum on her guitar even though I’ve never touched the instrument in my life. The second night, I text her just to say hello, and when she doesn’t respond, I imagine a thousand scenarios to explain why. When she finally gets back to me, I read her response wearing a goofy grin. The third night, I contemplate sleeping in her bed but eventually conclude I’m being creepy as fuck.