by Dae, Natalie
Come Find Me
Natalie Dae
Kat Simmons takes a vacation to explore her feelings for her sex-on-legs coworker Dan. She’s had the hots for him for the past two years, but isn’t sure if he feels the same way. She knows she needs to return home and confess how she feels—that she hungers for him, has sexy dreams about him…wants him in her bed.
When a room service waiter brings her a note, Kat follows the directions to a mountain cabin. Dan is there—and he wants her naked and in his arms. Together they explore their shared desire for BDSM. A dungeon provides them with the ideal place to act out their fantasies and Kat realizes sex can be hotter than she ever dreamed with a little spanking added to the mix.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Come Find Me
ISBN 9781419929991
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Come Find Me Copyright © 2011 Natalie Dae
Edited by Jillian Bell
Cover art by Valerie Tibbs
Electronic book publication February 2011
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Come Find Me
Natalie Dae
Chapter One
Lying in bed, the sheet bunched between her legs and draped over her breasts, Kat Simmons stared across the hotel room and out the window. The early Virginia morning sun peeked between two distant mountains and a gauzy mist hovered over the crests. Though beautiful, the scenery did nothing for her, failing to bring the peace she needed. Why had she thought solitude would help? How had she been so stupid as to imagine a little time away from the city would give her a chance to sift through her problems—a boring life and love unrequited—then banish them for good?
She needed Dan, missed him, and she’d only been here since last night. Seeing him every weekday gave her reason to get up and go to work. Even if they were too busy to talk much, they always spent lunchtimes together, grumbling about their day or rejoicing at gaining new clients for the accounting firm. Her life outside of work was full of nothing but waiting for the hours to pass until she saw him again. God, she had it bad. Had since the day he breezed into the office, wide smile in place, his cologne scenting the air and sending every woman into dreamland.
Why had he chosen her as his only work friend? She didn’t consider herself anything much to shout about. Hell, she didn’t do anything exciting and her tales of what book she’d read the previous night must have bored him stupid. Yet he met her for lunch every day and listened, really listened to what she had to say. For the past two years, she had shied away from relationships, having found no man who stirred her in the way she knew they should, the way Dan stirred her just by a look or brief touch. If she was honest, she’d stopped dating the day she’d met him, and abstinence was driving her crazy.
Kat sighed, dying for his company, wishing she’d accepted his offer to join her on this break. As a friend, he’d said. No strings attached. She’d wanted him to come—god, how she’d longed for that—but it was him she had to get away from. A distraction, that’s what he was, a beautiful distraction who fueled her desires and confused her thoughts. Should she be thinking of her coworker the way she did? Imagining them fucking in the storage cupboard, knowing any minute someone could happen by?
She blushed, her cunt beginning that familiar ache whenever she thought of him—of his black hair, a stark contrast to her blonde, and his sweet brown eyes. He stared at her with such intensity she was hard-pressed not to kiss him, to ask him to fuck her senseless, making her forget everything but him and what they were doing. But he didn’t feel the same, she was sure of it. Nothing in his manner or words gave any indication he’d also enjoy screwing during the lunch break.
Was that all she wanted?
No. I want him. As my lover.
Kat squeezed her legs together, the sheet abrading her clit and a spike of desire flaring in her cunt. Her face grew hotter and she closed her eyes, seeing herself in her work cubicle, hunched over her desk, fingertips tapping the keyboard.
She smelled him, that distinct, spicy aroma that always alerted her he was near, and turned. Dan filled the space between the walls, his broad shoulders almost touching them, his dark gray suit and white shirt begging to be ripped off. He stepped closer, hand reaching out to touch her hair, smoothing it between finger and thumb. A lazy smile tweaked his lips and he cocked his head, a silent question she’d wanted to hear for so long. Kat rose and faced him, nipples hard and ready, juices moistening her folds and a wave of lust consuming her.
Dan drew her toward him, their chests meeting, his body heat seeping through her cream blouse. All thoughts of where they were vanished and she lifted her face to his, waiting for his lips to brush hers. He inclined his head, tongue tracing her lower lip, and kissed her, the action soft and so damn erotic the spiral of a building orgasm burned. He clasped her shoulder blades, pulled her closer and pressed his hard cock against her mound. Snaking one hand between them, Dan inched up her skirt, his touch trailing toward her cunt. Fingers easing her panties aside, he rubbed her clit, his kiss growing insistent, demanding.
Kat allowed the fantasy to progress, accepting the inevitable—her hand searching between her legs. She dipped her fingers inside her cunt, coating them with her juices, then slid them over her clit. Her hips jolted, her bud sensitive, and she pleasured herself, imagining Dan’s fingers in place of her own. Nipples aching, she took one between finger and thumb, rolling it, pinching it until shocks of pleasure-pain radiated from there. Working faster on her clit, she reached for the peak, letting the heady sensations wash over her. She cried out, eyes bunched tight, and bit her lip.
As her orgasm receded, tears of frustration burned her eyes. Dan wasn’t here. He hadn’t made her come and, damn it, she wanted him so badly. Her cunt still ached, her satisfaction incomplete. Kat lightly swirled her fingertip over her clit, testing whether she could bring herself to a second shot of pleasure, toying with her other nipple to spur it on. Her breathing quickened and she rubbed hard and fast, seeing Dan in her mind’s eye, smelling him, needing him.
A loud rap at the door had her springing upright, hand stilled on her clit, chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The sheet fell to her waist and she scrambled off the bed, grabbing her dressing gown and slipping into it. At the door she hesitated, calming herself, exhaling through pursed lips and fanning her face with her hand.
“Who is it?”
“Room service, ma’am.”
Room service? “But I didn’t order any.”
“Whether you did or didn’t, I had orders to bring this up, ma’am. I’ll just check I have the right room.”
Ka
t frowned while she waited, but when he came back saying the order was for her, she unlocked the door and eased it ajar to peek through the gap. A young guy in hotel uniform, brown hair slicked back with gel, stood behind a food trolley. Two silver domes, a pot of coffee, a cup, creamer and a sugar bowl rested on top. He smiled and nodded, cocking his head as though to ask for her permission to enter the room. Kat stepped back and swung the door wide, conscious he might smell the scent of her juices on the air. Her blush stung her cheeks and she lowered her gaze while he pushed the trolley inside.
Winking, he said, “There you go, ma’am.”
She glanced at his name tag. “Thank you, Jack.” What else could she say? It was obvious he didn’t know where the order had come from, and if a breakfast she fancied filled the plates under those domes, who was she to argue?
Jack gave a slight bow and left the room, closing the door behind him. Kat pushed the trolley to the bed and sat on the edge, lifting one of the domes. Crispy bacon rashers and scrambled eggs on toast lay beneath. Her stomach growled at the smell of the food and she unrolled a knife and fork from their napkin encasement. Hungry now, she cleared the plate then poured a coffee, the rich aroma bringing memories of Dan and work as they chatted on their breaks.
What was he doing now? He’d told her once he spent Saturdays working at his father’s carpentry shop, a profession he’d toyed with but didn’t have the passion for. Numbers had been his thing, hence his being one of the top accountants at work. And god was she glad making furniture didn’t appeal. She’d never have met him otherwise. Or would she? Didn’t fate have a hand in life? Didn’t it direct people where to go?
Kat sipped the brew, once again staring out the window. If she’d allowed Dan to join her they could have walked to those mountains. Maybe climbed one and stared back at this majestic hotel with its Tudor-style façade and luscious grounds. But she hadn’t and she’d just have to deal with it—a week away from him that promised to drag on like a month.
She shifted her gaze from the outside scene to the trolley and lifted the second dome. A yellow rose lay on top of a plain white envelope. Kat smiled. The insane thought that Dan had somehow gotten hold of the hotel staff and ordered her breakfast swept through her mind, but she dismissed it for the pathetic hope it was. Yes, she’d told him she loved yellow roses, but it was just a coincidence, wasn’t it?
But if it wasn’t Dan who sent it, who did?
Her nerves jangled and she thought back to the previous evening. She’d visited the hotel bar, seating herself in a corner booth, watching everyone else have a good time. No one had approached her, had even looked her way, and she’d felt invisible. Lost and lonely. No, nobody here had sent her breakfast. Sent a rose that brought back memories of childhood, when her nanna had handed her one in full bloom and urged her to sniff it. Kat had brought the flower to her nose and inhaled, the petals tickling her skin. From then on the smell had reminded her of Nanna, that vibrant woman who’d said, “Press it, Kat. Place it between two books and press it. Then you’ll always have something from me.”
Even as young as she’d been, Kat had sensed a hint of despondency in the old woman’s voice. Tears had pooled in eyes that had witnessed events over seventy-two years, eyes that still remained young despite the wrinkled skin surrounding them. Eyes that closed for the last time a week later, Nanna taken by the angels and spirited off to a better place. Nanna had kept her illness to herself—typical of her to not want anyone to worry—but the cancer had claimed her, snatching her away too soon.
Tears burned Kat’s eyes now and she blinked them away, inhaling deeply to combat the emotions spreading through her and threatening to take hold until they swamped her. She picked up the rose, holding the stem between thorns, and lifted it to her nose. Wistfully, she placed the flower on the trolley and opened the envelope, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. The familiar handwriting set her stomach to bunching and she shook her head, reading the words aloud.
“I know you said not to come, but I couldn’t resist. Go into the lobby at eleven o’clock. The receptionist will have an envelope for you. Inside are instructions on where I am. Come find me. Dan.”
Kat smiled so wide it hurt her cheeks. Dare she hope he felt the same as she did? Doubt crept in. No, he’d made it quite clear he’d join her as a friend. Still, it didn’t matter. If it meant he was here and she would get to see him, it would have to be enough. Energized, she glanced at the bedside clock. With an hour until eleven, she had plenty of time to shower and get ready. What should she wear? Anything more than casual and she’d look obvious and also out of place. This wasn’t the kind of town that required dressing up during the day. She walked to the wardrobe, rifling through the clothes she’d brought, searching for something appropriate. Dan had only ever seen her in blouses and knee-length skirts, slacks when the weather turned cold, and pumps a footwear fanatic would smirk at.
Selecting jeans and a plain black sweater, she laid them on the bed and hopped in the shower. What did he have planned? Would they get along outside the work environment? What if they didn’t—would that sour their relationship when they returned home?
God, I hope not. She sighed and rinsed the lather from her hair. Just meet him, see how it goes. Take it as it comes.
Giddy with bubbling excitement, Kat dressed and dried her hair, leaving it wavy and loose about her shoulders. No time for the flat iron today. She pulled on her black boots and glanced at the clock. Half an hour to kill. Applying subtle makeup wasted a few minutes and, unable to dawdle any longer, she put on her black down-filled jacket, grabbed her bag and left the room.
The elevator took an age, the green lights indicating the floor levels lighting up with too many seconds in between. She tapped her foot on the patterned carpet, looking down at the interlocking burgundy-and-beige octagons, anything to calm her pinging nerves. A soft whoosh sounded and she lifted her head. The elevator doors slid open, revealing no one inside, and she stepped aboard, jabbing the ground floor button. Her stomach lurched as the descent began and she tapped her hand against her thigh. No one else boarded and when she reached the foyer, she walked across, alert and studying everyone there. Was Dan here, watching, making sure she followed his instructions?
At the desk, Kat received the promised envelope and glanced around before ripping it open. Another folded sheet was inside and she took it out, murmuring the words as she read them.
“Walk down the hill toward town. At the bottom, wait for the tour bus. Travel to the last stop. Once there, get off and head for the tree-lined mountain trail. You’ll get another note at the third trunk on that path. Come find me!”
Laughter burbled out of her and she looked around, conscious that someone may think her odd. Fuck it. If they do I don’t care! She ran to the double doors and burst through, the brisk spring wind whipping her face and hair. Walking along the path toward the main road, she eyed the pebbled gardens. Shrubs and small flowers dotted the areas on either side, and trees in huge pots, their leaves pruned, shaded the grounds. Everything looked so pretty and her mood lightened further, a big improvement to how she’d felt upon waking.
On the path that led down the hill, she halted and stared ahead at the mountains she had to reach. Dan was there, waiting for her. She walked quickly down the hill, taking in the sights below. The buildings of the town center appeared—a cluster of browns, grays and whites. Houses tapered from dense to sparse, creating a circle, giving way to countryside. What she surmised were cows grazed in a couple of fields, horses cantering in another, and she breathed in the crisp air, so glad she’d taken this trip.
At the bottom of the hill, she waited only moments for the bus, which trundled toward her, an old-fashioned silver beast from the fifties. Once aboard, she sat close to a window and willed the other passengers to hurry up and get on. The bus sighed as the doors closed and the engine clattered before settling into a loud hum. Kat stared out the window but didn’t fully appreciate the scenery. Visions of Dan filled he
r mind and warmed her cunt. She squirmed in her seat, giving the other passengers sidelong glances, telling herself there was no way they knew what she was thinking. God, just to have him touch her, even if he only held her hand…
“Last stop!” the driver called out. “Pick-up is at five.”
Kat sprang out of her seat and moved to the aisle. Other passengers dragged their heels as they disembarked and impatience nipped at her. She fought the urge to push into the aisle and race off the bus, wanting nothing more than to reach that damn tree! At last a space between people presented itself and she lunged into it, antsy to be on her way. A woman stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to the driver, striking up a conversation about which trail was best to take.
Come on, come on!
Her smile rigid, her mind screaming, Kat took a brochure from a transparent holder attached to the dash and handed it to the woman, who nodded her thanks and stepped off the bus. Relief spread through Kat and she jumped the last two steps, landing on the path with a thud. Moving away from the bus, she spotted the tree-lined trail and sped across the road. As she neared the third tree, disappointment soughed through her. No envelope flapped in the breeze. She rushed on, overtaking others on the trail. Had someone else found it, discarded it?
At the tree she rounded the trunk, tripping on an exposed root in her haste. She stumbled, hands splayed out in front of her as she readied herself for a fall. The ground rose to meet her, but strong hands gripped her upper arms from behind, hauling her upright. Annoyed with herself for almost falling, Kat shrugged off the hands and turned to face whoever had rescued her, hoping it was Dan.
It wasn’t.
Despondent, she stared at the man, his weathered skin adding years to his face. Wispy white hair like cotton wool was jostled in the gentle wind and eyes crinkled as he smiled.