The Most Eligible Bachelor

by Bella Winters

  Worth the shot. Go for it.

  I bit my lip, threw caution to the wind, and made my way downstairs.

  He hadn’t slept yet and was sitting on the couch, clad only in a pair of pants, holding a book in his hands and reading the back. In the dim light of the table lamp, his body seemed to ripple with muscles, and I found myself staring for what seemed like forever. He must have felt my presence, because he quickly turned to where I was standing and frowned.

  “Ashlyn?” he asked, putting the book down on the coffee table. “What’s wrong? Did you hear something?”

  I bit my lip again and shook my head, willing my body to move instead of just standing there like an idiot.

  “What is it?” he asked again, slowly standing up.

  My eyes traced the lines of his muscles, and when I looked into his eyes, the ocean blues were glimmering like a sea under the moonlight. I could have stared at him forever. Instead, I forced myself forward, moving quickly before my mind caught up with my emotions and started screaming about how much of a mistake this would be. He watched me approach, confusion etched all over his face, but he didn’t pull back when I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his.

  He kissed me back. And the way he did removed any doubt in my mind that he didn’t feel the way I did right now. His hands held me by the waist and his lips entangled with mine. I kissed him with urgency, a deep need that I did not know I had, and was rewarded with much of the same.

  “Ashlyn, are you sure you –”

  “Shut up, Chance,” I interrupted, kissing him again, pushing my body closer to his until I felt like I could somehow dissolve inside him. His lips were warm, his hands strong, and I felt like my body would go completely numb against his touch. He found his way under my shirt, wrapping me in his arms as his hands explored my back, the intensity of our kiss magnifying as he touched me. I wanted him to hold me like this forever. I wanted to feel his hands all over my body. I wanted his lips to explore every inch of me.

  My hands explored his naked chest, tracing the lines of his muscles as I sighed into his kiss. I felt my entire body sizzle, an excitement rising inside me that was so overwhelming, it threatened to consume me completely. His hands found their way to the small of my back, and as he pulled me closer to him, deeper into his embrace, I could feel his excitement, too.

  “Upstairs,” I mumbled against his lips.

  He didn’t reply, only looked at me and waited until I grabbed him by the hand and led him up the flight of stairs to my room. As soon as we were past the threshold, he turned me around to face him and picked up where we had left off. His hands ravaged me, feeling their way across every inch of me, his lips devouring me hungrily. And I kissed him back with equal need, equal hunger.

  I didn’t even need to maneuver him towards the bed; we just drifted towards it, like our bodies knew where they were supposed to go. He laid me down softly, tenderly, something I thought would be a problem for him with the way he was shaped. But even with all those muscles, he moved with such agility, such grace, it excited me. My mind instantly drew up images of what he could do to me, even though I knew I only needed to wait a few minutes for the imagination to become a reality.

  He pushed my shirt up, and slowly slid it over my head, his lips immediately kissing my neck and tracing a line down to my chest. His hands held me by the waist, soft yet firm, as he kissed the skin above my breasts and slowly moved downwards. I felt a shudder hit me when his lips brushed against my nipples, and when he took one in his mouth, I softly moaned my approval.

  He squeezed my other breast softly, pinching gently on the nipple while he sucked on the other. He nibbled, traced circles around it with his tongue, flicked at it, and with every new touch, bolts of electricity shot through me. He kissed his way back up and found my lips, his body pressing down on mine. I reveled in the sensation of our skin touching, of his warmth mixing with my own, making me want him even more.

  Sitting up, he met my gaze and slowly pulled my shorts and panties off together, sliding them down my legs and tossing them off the side of the bed. He bent down, kissing my stomach, his lips forming a path to my sides and down to my hips, slowly moving to the inside of my thighs. My hands curled around the sheets in anticipation as I watched him. I could feel his breath across my clit, the light flick of his tongue against my pussy lips. My hips began to grind on their own, like my body was taking control of the situation, ignoring any instructions my brain might have to give.

  But that wouldn’t have mattered anyway. My mind was numb, and all I could think about was how much I wanted, how badly I needed this very moment.

  He looked up at me, gave me a wicked little smile, and buried his face between my legs. I almost lost it right then and there. The touch of his lips against my most sensitive area, the way his tongue hungrily buried itself between my pussy lips, licking in long strides up and down. He found my clit and sucked at it, gently at first, then more hungrily. I closed my legs against the sides of his head and curled my fingers in his hair, my hips bucking, grinding, moving against his face as his tongue explored me. He shifted, and I moaned in pleasure when I felt his fingers slide inside me.

  My pussy instantly clenched down, tightening around his fingers as I felt him fill me up. He rolled them inside me, making sure he touched every part of me, making me squirm as he slid them in and out.

  “Yes,” I moaned, grinding harder against his fingers and face. “Keep doing that.”

  My toes curled, my legs closing tighter, and before I knew what hit me, I shook with an intense orgasm that rocked me to the core. My legs shuddered against him, my hands now clutching his hair and pushing his face against my pussy, wishing I could get him to move deeper inside. He pulled his fingers out of me and replaced them with his tongue, licking until I came again and again.

  I couldn’t hold back anymore. I wanted him inside me, and I wanted him now. I rolled out from under him, pushed him onto his back, and climbed on top of him. He was smiling, and I bit my lip seductively as I shifted my body until my pussy was grinding against him. Even though the pants were between us, I could feel how hard he was, how he pulsed under me as I moved against him. I rested my hands on his chest and leaned down, my breasts inches from his face. He grabbed both in his hands, squeezing gently, sucking on one nipple and then the other as I moved.

  I pulled his pants down quickly, freeing his thick, veiny cock, and straddled him again, enjoying the control I had at the moment, the haziness in his eyes as he watched me. His eyes took me in with such desire, he made me feel like the sexiest woman on earth. No one had looked at me like that, not even Earl. There was always a hunger in his eyes, like he couldn’t wait to ram himself inside me and fuck until he was done. But not Chance. No, he was admiring me, tracing the lines of my body with his eyes, as if he were trying to catch this moment in his mind forever. And it only turned me on even more.

  I continued to grind against his cock, feeling myself getting wetter, wondering if all the orgasms in the world would be enough to satisfy me now. He felt incredible nestled in my warmth, and the way his hands were everywhere at once only added to the sensations that rushed through me.

  I shifted, adjusting myself above him, and sliding him inside me slowly. He closed his eyes as my pussy suctioned around him, and a shiver raced down my spine. Seeing the pleasure on his face was priceless. I moved against him, slowly sliding him out and then in again, with every grind pushing him deeper inside me. I clenched my muscles as I moved, tightening and relaxing, knowing I was driving him crazy by how much stronger his grip on my hips became.

  I picked up the pace, riding him hard, feeling him fill me up. Soon he was bucking his hips against me, meeting my every move. His cock was big and thick and long, much bigger than Earl’s. His thrusts hit parts of me that I didn’t know could be reached, and I was experiencing a whole new level of pleasure. My moans that had started out soft were now echoing across my bedroom, and with his hands on my ass, I rode hi
m even harder. He reached down between my legs, and with his thumb began rubbing m clit, driving me completely insane. Within seconds, I was shaking with an orgasm that left me so lightheaded, I felt like I could not take any more.

  He turned me around on my back, holding my arms down, pushing the entirety of himself inside me. He was so deep inside, I felt like I would explode, and for reasons I could not explain, I only wanted him to go deeper. It was like he was a perfect fit, like he was a part of me that I had been missing all my life, and now that he was here inside me, I didn’t want to ever let him go.

  He moved with such grace, his hips rotating and thrusting, alternating between both as new waves of pleasure washed over me. He pulsed inside me, and if I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he was growing bigger with every thrust. My legs wrapped around his hips, and I pulled his face down to my breasts, begging him to kiss me, to suck on my nipples until they were sore.

  His cock felt incredible inside me, and with every thrust, every movement, I begged for more. He moved faster, harder, deeper, my moans became screams of pleasure, and all I could think about was how I wanted more of him; more of this. I came twice, each orgasm hitting me hard, and he never stopped. It drove me crazy, sent me into a sexual frenzy I had never experienced before, one that I did not want to stop.

  I felt his grip on me tighten, his muscles flexed, and I knew he was close to cumming. I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist to prod him on with my heels. I wanted to feel him cum inside me, his body shuddering against mine, his groans vibrating against my neck. With a few more thrusts, he gave me what I wanted.

  Chance shot his hot seed deep inside me, hard, his muscles flexing and his body freezing in my arms. He pushed that last time as deep as he could, and I let out a long and loud moan as he exploded. I felt his cock pulse inside me, and I clenched down, milking him and making his body shiver. When it was over, he lay on top of me, gasping and spent, his heartbeat like a hammer against my chest.

  He didn’t roll off right away, and instead looked me in the eye and smiled lazily. I giggled, feeling my body relax underneath him. He bent down and kissed me. And it was the gentlest thing in the world. In that precise moment, I felt like I could fall in love with a man like Chance; I felt like I could spend the rest of my life in his arms, safe, loved, cherished.

  He rolled off of me and pulled me into his arms, and before my head could settle against his chest, I fell asleep.

  11

  Chance

  I woke up to the warm rays of sunlight on my naked body and the sweet smell of fresh air. I had a smile on my face, and when I stretched, my groans were met by those of the bedsprings as I lazily waited to be brought back to the land of the living. The open window brought a cool breeze into the room, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I didn’t wake up coughing to the suffocating smell of lingering cigarette smoke or with a bourbon-infused headache.

  Ashlyn lay next to me, one arm flung over my chest, her face buried in my shoulder. Her blonde locks gently wrapped her face the way the blanket wrapped her body, and her eyes shifted underneath closed lids as she dreamed. She was breathing softly, her body barely moving, and only when I shifted did she mumble something incomprehensible and hug me tighter.

  She was absolutely gorgeous, and if it weren’t for my rumbling stomach, I wouldn’t have wanted to leave the bed at all.

  Images of last night replayed in my head, and I couldn’t believe how much I had enjoyed the sex. For once, it had not been all about fucking. It had been passionate, sensual, a mix of touches and emotions that was new and foreign to me. Yet, it had felt right. I never thought that I could feel this way about anyone, but with Ashlyn, all of that seemed to fall into perfect place.

  I gently kissed her forehead, and slowly slipped out from under her arm and the comfort of the covers. I stretched, my body letting out joyous clicks and cracks, and I had to admit that I felt incredible. Like a new born man. As if nothing in the world mattered anymore. There was no company waiting for me back in Austin. There were no women running after my money. There were no late-night parties I was expected to attend. No one wanted anything from me; the world had forgotten I existed.

  And it felt fucking great.

  I washed my face, took a quick shower, and made my way downstairs. I found my pants, pulled them on, and hummed as I strode into the kitchen. It took me a while to find out where she kept everything, but within ten minutes I had the stove ablaze and breakfast in the making.

  There was a small radio by the sink, and I turned it on, dancing to the music as I worked. It was like I couldn’t even recognize myself. The last time I had had the patience to listen to an entire song had been in college. Now I felt like a man with a dozen quarters in his pocket and a jukebox all to himself.

  “Sexy,” I heard Ashlyn say from behind me.

  I turned around and smiled as she leaned against the kitchen door, clad only in my shirt, her hair tied back so that her eyes shone like twin jewels. I could wake up to this every day, I thought.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” I said.

  “You didn’t,” she said. “The radio did. Actually, startled me. I’m not used to someone else in the house.”

  “Breakfast?”

  “Oh God, yes,” she smiled, trudging to a chair by the kitchen table and folding herself in it.

  “I’d like to say that I’m making the Chance Special, but I’d be lying,” I said. “Haven’t made breakfast in a while, so I’m probably going to ruin everything.”

  She nodded and gestured at the stove. “Probably burn down my kitchen while you’re at it.”

  One of the pans was engulfed in flames, and I quickly pulled it away and dropped it into the sink, immediately turning the cold water onto it. “Damn!”

  Ashlyn laughed. “What do you do in the mornings?” she asked. “Pick up a bagel from Starbucks or something?”

  “I usually have Alice get me something,” I said, staring at the mess in the sink.

  “Who?”

  I froze for a beat. “What?” I asked, trying to buy myself some time.

  “You said Alice gets you breakfast?”

  “Yeah,” I smiled. “Alice. My secretary.”

  “I thought Alice was your sister.” She gave me a suspicious eye.

  “No, Pauline is my sister,” I muttered, hoping I was remembering the lie I’d told her correctly. “Alice my secretary.”

  Ashlyn raised her eyebrows at me. “You have a secretary?”

  “Don’t all successful entrepreneurs have secretaries?” I asked.

  “You didn’t strike me as the kind who would need one.”

  “Hey, just because I came into town in a beat-up Chevy doesn’t mean I don’t have money,” I said, pointing an accusing finger at her and hoping I could lie my way out of the corner I’d painted myself into.

  “Whatever you say, Mr. Sabbatical,” she said. “And wouldn’t your sister and your secretary be wondering where you are? I mean, they’d be expecting you in Houston by now, right?”

  “She’s my sister, not my mother,” I said, suddenly remembering that I had switched my phone off after calling my mother on my first day in Ludwig, and hadn’t checked it since. “Come to think of it, I haven’t checked in with her in a couple of days. Maybe I should.

  “Maybe you should.” Ashlyn got up and tapped me on the chest, pushing onto her toes to kiss me. “Go check in, and I’ll make us breakfast,” she said. “I really hope you’re better at business than you are at cooking.”

  I stepped out onto the porch, waiting for my phone to start up while Ashlyn took over in the kitchen. I sat down on the porch swing, kicked my legs up and enjoyed the fresh air and silence around me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had never felt this relaxed in my life.

  The doctor’s voice came to mind.

  Learn to enjoy life, Mr. Ridder. Before your bad habits kill you.

  My phone came to life, and almost immediately the notifi
cations went crazy. I frowned, lifting the screen up higher to avoid the glare, and watched in horror as my instant messaging notifications rose to almost one hundred missed messages. I groaned, cursing myself silently for even turning the damn thing on. I could almost feel the onset of a headache. I could feel my heart catching in my chest.

  I swiped and unlocked the screen, bringing up the messaging app. I braced my elbows on my knees and bent over the phone, frowning as I read the first few messages. Some were from board members, some from shareholders, and others from acquaintances I had made from random social circles. But there was one thing in common; everyone was wishing me a speedy recovery.

  From what?

  Before I could scroll through the rest, the phone vibrated and began to ring. Alice’s number flashed on my screen, and I quickly answered.

  “Where the fuck are you?” she almost yelled. “I’ve been calling you for two days!”

  “I had my phone off,” I replied, standing up and beginning to pace across the porch.

  “No, shit!” Alice countered. “I could tell. I called your mother, and she said you hadn’t arrived yet.”

  “You called my mother?”

  “I needed to reach you,” Alice explained.

  “The point of me leaving was that I couldn’t be reached,” I said. “That’s why I turned off the phone.” I stopped. “Wait, what’s so urgent that you had to call my mother? And why is everybody wishing me a speedy recovery?”

  “We’ve got a big problem, Chance,” Alice said. “I have no idea where you are right now, but you need to haul ass back here.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Dennis!” Alice hissed.