by Fiona Miers
“Let’s go.” He reached out for her hand, enjoying the heat and sensations moving up his arm in reaction to her touch. The darkness of the room worked perfectly. Hot and intimate.
Samara was the perfect size for him, he realized as she moved close. She came up to his chin and he would be able to tuck her into his lap and keep her beneath him all night.
A growl rumbled from his throat at the thought and she pulled away, stepping down into the water again with hasty movements. “You ok?”
He nodded as most of her body disappeared beneath the water. He surveyed the pool, which looked like it had been rendered with sand. He gestured to the water as he took one step into the pool, which had five descending steps at the shallow end. Bath temperature heat swirled around his calves.
“What’s with the sand? And you’re right. It is too hot.” Something he would have surely missed if he hadn’t taken her advice and used the hotel as any normal guest would.
He continued to wade in, Samara’s eyes on him as they surfed through the water to the deep end, the steam from the water rising around them. Cloaking them, embracing them.
“This is an unusual place to hold a meeting.” Samara’s voice trembled a little as they continued to move in the hot water. Their bodies reminded him of two magnets of opposing forces. Untouching and yet, mirroring each other’s movements.
Samara bit her lip and her eyes skittered away. She was nervous and he liked that. He wanted her to be so aware of what was between them that she wanted to run. She’d conducted herself far too professionally so far, he needed her to act on the connection between them.
“It is. Give me an update on your side of things.”
He swam closer, waving his arms under the water and sending ripples her way. She shivered, despite the heat, and he crept closer, wanting those legs wrapped around him.
“Ah… I’m quite happy with the progress so far. I hired eleven new cleaners, full time. They’ve stripped and cleaned all the suites we’re renovating now and I’ve put them to work on the rest of the hotel. Even if we aren’t re-vamping everything, they all need thorough cleaning. Those bathrooms are disgusting.”
“Well done.” She’d followed his instructions and stayed within the guidelines of what they’d discussed.
“I’ve also hired five new bell boys, restaurant staff and a proper concierge. They need some more training, but I’ll make sure that’s all done before I leave. The welcome to this hotel when I arrived was well below par and I feel that with that small improvement, it will make a massive difference.”
She was swimming away from him now, backward, her voice getting stronger as she focused on her work.
“Have you organized an employee manual for them?”
She swallowed as she moved further away, her back finally hitting the edge of the pool and her eyes going wide. “Ah… No, I’ve done some basic training with them, but I will be doing an official launch of the new employee work book next week.”
Good. He hated those sorts of things. “Great.”
“The rooms have been freshly painted, as has the restaurant…and ah…”
He moved closer until they were inches apart and stared into her eyes, placing both hands either side of her shoulders, the sandy concrete beneath his palms.
“Julian…um, what are you doing?” Her voice trembled as she spoke and her pupils were so dilated he could barely see the green colored iris.
“I’m testing out a theory I have.” He moved the lower part of his body closer, pressing his pelvis against her belly while still maintaining some distance.
Samara licked her lips, her pink tongue darting out as her hands floated up to press against his chest. “What theory, Julian?”
Whether this was lunacy or not, he didn’t know. And in this moment, he didn’t care. As a contractor, Samara was free to fraternize with whomever she chose, as was he.
“Whether you want me as much as I want you.”
His heart was pounding in his chest like a drum. Her closeness affected him like an aphrodisiac, all by itself. He needed to know if she tasted as sweet as she looked. If her spirit in the bedroom matched the spirit she had for her work.
When the hands she had against his chest didn’t move to push him away, instead, they tightened in his chest hair, curling and holding tight, he lowered his mouth, pausing as their lips were a hair apart. Her breath blew hot and fast against his mouth.
“That’s a very interesting theory.”
Her eyes opened even wider and she lifted her chin, pressing her lips against his and uttering the softest of moans. As though, she too, had been waiting for this moment.
He groaned and grabbed her lush arse with his hands, the same curvy bottom he’d been fantasizing over for days. He lifted her in the warm water, her legs drifting up in the weight less pool and wrapping around his waist.
Samara’s arms went around his neck as she opened her mouth to him. He speared her lips apart with his tongue, a shudder passing through his body as her taste spread through his senses. Honey and sex. Perfect.
Her gasp sounded as he pushed back against her and she threw back her head. The long expanse on her neck was as tempting as anything he’d ever seen. He pressed his lips to her, tasting the sweetness of her skin and feeling the erratic bounce of her pulse against his lips.
“Julian…” Her moan was so sensual his whole body vibrated. So hot, so beautiful.
Her whole body moved against him and as he slid his fingers between them, his heart pounded harder. He pushed aside her bathing suit and found her swollen clit nestled in the hidden folds between her legs.
She groaned and dug her nails into his shoulders, pressing against him as though she were starving for his touch. How long had it been for her?
Too long, obviously.
He found her lips again, kissing her deeply as he slid his long middle finger into her core. Her body slick and warm, gripping him like a greedy mouth.
“Ah… Julian.” Samara panted against his mouth, her hips thrusting against his hand.
His cock throbbed inside his shorts, his belly tight and his breath coming in pants as sweat beaded his forehead. He wanted to be inside her now. He withdrew his fingers and lifted her with one hand as he pushed down his shorts with the other. His length bounced up against her open thighs and she lifted herself to gaze into his eyes. Her look pleading, desperate.
This wasn’t how he’d wanted it to happen. He’d planned hours of foreplay, chocolate mousse, and music loud enough to mask her orgasms.
“Please hurry.” Samara’s voice broke through the feelings of inadequacy and guilt.
“You want this?” he asked, grabbing a hold of her tiny waist and pulling down on his body until the head of his shaft pressed against her soft, hot entrance.
She bit her lip again and he waited, his balls pulsing with need.
“I want you to say it.”
He wasn’t budging until she begged for it. He needed them both to know later that this was totally consensual.
“Yes. Please.”
He groaned and took her lips in a deep kiss, pulling her down, hard. An explosion of sensation ricocheted through his gut, rippling out into the very far reaches of his soul.
She felt like home.
He shook his head and tried to throw away such a ridiculous notion, instead focusing on the physical sensations wrapping around him.
Samara was a writhing mass of femininity, need, and desire. Every noise she made sounded like bliss to his ears and echoed in the room around them. She bit into his shoulder, her hands holding him as tight as possible as she gasped and moaned in his ear.
He gripped her hips, wishing she was totally naked and swearing to himself that he’d take his time next time. He thrust against her, and used his hands to push her up and then pulled her down to impale her again. Then again and again until her channel squeezed him as tightly as a glove and he could barely hold on to his own control.
The heat built in his b
ody, tingles of his impending orgasms rippling along his spine.
“Julian! I’m…going to…” Samara’s body gripped him as her spine arched and he cried out as she called on his orgasm. It ripped through his core with an intensity that made lights explode inside his head.
Samara screamed as he poured himself into her pulsating body.
Too late, he realized his mistake and pulled out, holding tight to him the woman who’d blown apart his brain and body.
Samara clung to him like she’d never let him go, her lips finding his in a kiss so sweet it made parts of his heart he’d believed dead, ache with wanting.
He righted their swimming suits and carried her in his arms to the edge of the pool. The world shifting on its axis like it never had before.
Chapter Four
Her belly was still convulsing with unending orgasmic shudders. When she’d first come, it had been mind-blowingly intense. And then Julian had come inside her and her body shattered into singing raptures. Her first simultaneous orgasm, and it had been utterly incredible. The tingles still vibrating along every nerve fiber in her body.
“That was just incredible.”
Julian nodded at her and deposited her onto the concrete steps. He stepped back and a cold wave washed over her. “Is there something wrong?”
He frowned, the lines between his eyes becoming marked. “I didn’t use any protection.”
She shrugged the worry away. “I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen. I have severe endometriosis and it’s the only thing that keeps the pain manageable.”
His shoulders seemed to drop about a foot. “Oh, good. But either way, we should be more careful next time.”
“Next time?” Her heart lifted, as did his lips.
“I don’t see why we can’t enjoy the time we have together. Working during the day, and…”
“Working out our stress through the night?”
He grinned now, the expression taking years off his somber face. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
She wrapped her arms around her body, chilled despite the heat of the water. “I think I need to get out and get dry.” A warm bed and a nap was actually what she wanted. That orgasm had totally wiped her energy.
“Let’s get out then.”
He led her from the water, directing her towards the showers she’d been in when he’d arrived.
He turned the hot water on, then pulled her under the spray with him. The touch of his skin on hers was heaven, and she shivered.
“You’re cold. Stay here while I get dry.”
He stripped off his underwear quickly and grabbed a nearby towel. Samara gaped at his naked body. He wasn’t just muscled and well proportioned. His arse was so rounded and strong it could have been carved out of marble.
Her eyes strayed to his privates, a blush flooding her face as she realized that part of him had just been deep inside of her. Once a strong pillar to penetrate her, it now lay relaxed and harmless.
Julian was soon dressed again in his suit pants and shirt. A civilized outfit for a not so civilized man.
Wow. What incredible passion they’d shared. She’d never experienced anything like it. Even with men she’d dated for years and shared intimacy with over and over again, had never reached the level of connection she’d felt with Julian. And it had only been their first time. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel in another week or two.
“Here you go.” Julian brought over a fluffy, dry towel for her and she struggled to pull herself back into work mode.
“I don’t want to go back to work now. You’ve made me all blissy and sleepy.” She smiled up at him as she dried her body and pulled her dress back on over her swim suit. She’d have to go get changed.
Julian glanced at his watch. “Well, it is five o’clock. You could probably fit in a sleep before dinner with me at seven.”
She’d worked her butt off all day, and if the night held what she thought it would, she needed a rest. “Don’t go giving me an easy go now, Julian.” She wobbled sideways, giggling at her own silliness.
He gripped her elbow and helped her move toward the door. “Honestly Samara, you’ve worked like a Trojan since you got here. Have a break, and if it makes you feel any better, dinner can be a work meeting and you can redecorate the restaurant while we’re there if you like.”
She stared up into his blue eyes, the strange vulnerability she saw there making her heart skip a beat. She opened her mouth to ask him if he was ok, then shut it again. If he was feeling half the euphoria she was, he could be as odd as he liked.
“All right. I’ll go have a quick rest and get changed for dinner. Meet you back in the restaurant at seven, okay?”
He nodded and stepped away from her as they moved back into the foyer. Her legs wobbled as she walked away from him. She reached out, blindly pressing the elevator button and humming to herself.
She’d never been stupid enough to do this before. Sleep with her boss, a colleague, no-one close to her professional life. She’d worked alone for so long, and had been so strict with who she’d dated. Never before had she stepped over such a big line.
The elevator dinged open and she noted with relief that the carriage arrived with no grinding or squeaking. The mechanic they’d brought out yesterday did a great job servicing the old girl.
Her wobbly legs managed to get her onto the elevator and she twisted around, clinging to the gold hand rail for help. Her eyes clashed with sky blue moments before the doors dinged shut.
A smile sung in her heart. A giggle of laughter caught in her throat. She should feel guilty, stupid, something. But there was nothing she could conjure up that would compete with the feelings of satisfaction humming through her veins.
She was a contractor. He was on the board of directors who had hired her to complete a job. Their relationship wouldn’t affect how hard she worked. Quite the opposite. Julian was right. There was absolutely no reason they couldn’t enjoy each other for the time they had together.
***
Two hours later she was rushing to get dressed after over sleeping. She had passed out the moment her head hit her pillow, and she’d barely surface to the alarm she’d luckily remembered to put on.
She brushed out her mane of thick hair and tied it up in a quick bun. Lateness was a pet hate of hers. Some perfume and moisturizer barely managed to dry before she threw on the only semi-formal dress she’d brought with her. A red, clingy, knee length outfit that dipped low in the front to reveal her abundant cleavage.
Perfect for the start to, hopefully, a great night.
Five minutes later she was walking back into the same restaurant that sat empty only days before. Tonight there were five new staff members, and a maitre’d to take her to her table.
She gave Fabrizio a huge smile as she drew closer. He was one of several staff members she’d hired and trained in the past few days.
“Good evening, Miss Jenkins. This way.” He lifted his chin in a posh way that made her laugh and showed her to a table at the back of the restaurant where Julian sat with a glass of red wine, waiting for her.
Fabrizio pulled out her chair for her and she sat. “Well done, Fabrizio.”
He bowed for her. “Can I get you a drink, madam?”
“Water please.”
He walked away and she turned to her date. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I overslept.”
“Great orgasms will do that to you.”
“Shhh!” She looked around to make sure no one had heard him while flames licked at her neck and face. “Does that mean that yours wasn’t any good? Because you don’t look like you’ve had a nap.”
When he didn’t answer straight away, her belly dropped. Was that the problem? The sex that had been so amazing for her, had not been so for him.
He leaned in closer, placing his glass down onto the table. “If I’d lay down after that, I would have slept for a week. I didn’t trust myself.”
Relief flowed over her like a cooling rain. “Oh, goo
d.” She picked up the menus and gave them a good look over. “What do you think of the new design? They’re only mock ups. I wanted your opinion before I went and launched an updated look. But the old one needed a desperate upgrade.” She’d had a local designer put together a new logo for the restaurant and menus. “The new head chef is starting tonight and I’ve asked him to make us all the specials if that’s all right?”
She looked up at him, but his eyes were far from interested in what she said. They were downright lust full.
“It looks great.”
She wanted to stamp her foot, but instead playfully glared at him. “You didn’t even look at it.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Au contrare. I’ve been here for over half an hour, meeting the chef who is by far the most enthusiastic person I have met since arriving here, and studying your new menus. I like the logo, although a slightly less confusing font might be better.”
“I agree.”
She grinned and swallowed the hysterical noise rising up from her throat. He liked what she’d done!
Stop over reacting. Since when is a client’s approval so important to you?
“I like the way the tables have been positioned too. Less cluttered.”
She glanced around at the new table cloths, cleaned walls, and freshly steam cleaned carpets. “Yes, it’s all come together beautifully. But I did have a great building to work with.”
Their entrées had arrived….
“I’ve given the chef some leeway and have asked him to prepare some meals that he thinks will work. I’ll give him three days and then I’ll readjust everything to suit.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Give him a little rope and hope he doesn’t hang himself.”
She knew that old saying from her father and it was a strange comfort hearing it so far away from home. A smile spread across her face as the warmth around her heart turned her into a puddle.
“Is that what you did with me, Julian? Because I must admit you’ve been a lot easier to work with than I first thought.”
He took a drink of his red wine and picked up his fork. “I wasn’t impressed that my parents hired you without consulting me, but you’ve been a real asset to the company and it was stupid of me to let my pride get in the way of getting my hotel back on its feet.”