Her First Choice

by Lynda Chance

  He felt it when she relaxed against him and moisture rained from her core. Picking her up by the hips, he maneuvered her to the head of his penis, standing ready to impale her.

  Her eyes flew to his and she shook her head slowly. “David, I—”

  He slowly began to push into her, the force of his hands on her hips and the trembling in her thighs aiding him. “Shh, shh.”

  He pressed two fingers against her clit with ruthless intent and she panted softly, made a tiny, ragged sound as she flooded with moisture and sank all the way down on him.

  She fell against his chest and shuddered visibly.

  David felt the tight clasp of her body and the sweet electric heat of her hot, wet skin clamping down on him made him shake. She was warm and soft in his arms, and for now, just the intense relief of being inside her was enough. His brain took a walk, and his body and emotions took over. He lifted her hips and forcibly made her take a stroke on him. And then another.

  By the fourth stroke, she took over and his hands left her hips and sank into her hair, pulling her face to his, his mouth finding hers. He kissed her softly, trying to give her the same kind of gentle movements she was taking with her hips.

  Lifting his mouth, his eyes were on hers when she slowly opened them. He watched her intently and held her face in his palms. “You’re mine. Nobody can have you but me.”

  Jenna’s mind and body splintered at the possessive tone. His eyes held hers, and it was enough to push her over the edge into oblivion. Her body tightened on his, her muscles clamping down and contracting on him, and all she remembered when she collapsed against him was the primal sound that vibrated from his chest as he spilled into her.

  ****

  Late the next morning, Jenna came from the bedroom, showered and dressed. She felt slightly more human after a good night’s rest. She was surprised she had gotten any sleep at all, but didn’t waste time thinking of her good fortune. Her nerves were a mess. She had to talk to him.

  She found him in his study, through an open door that led from the living area. He was concentrating on the laptop in front of him, a cup of coffee by his side.

  She stood in the doorway a moment until he looked up. A subtle difference changed his features when he saw her. A small coil of helplessness ran through her system. A feeling of not being in control of her person, her body or her own free will.

  “Good, you’re up. You must be hungry.” He stood and walked toward her, stopping in front of her and sinking his hand into her scalp. A quiver of heat ran through her. He lifted her face and put a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “You smell good.” His voice was deep as his mouth moved to her ear and she could feel him breathing in her scent. Serious doubt took hold of her. She could try, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to fight against his possession. She would be fighting herself. His power over her was insidious, already addicting.

  A soft sigh escaped her.

  “Why the sigh, baby?”

  She looked up into his strong, dominating face. The truth came from her lips. “Because I know you’re going to win this fight. You’re not going to let me out of this, no matter how much I argue.” She watched as her words hit him. “Even though I made a stupid, foolish mistake, you think you own me already.”

  His hand in her scalp clenched tight around her skull and his other hand captured hers and lifted it high above her head, pressing it against the doorframe, trapping her. His eyes devoured hers. “You got the first part right. You’re not going to win, so there won’t be a fight. You’re my wife,” he declared in a hiss of possession, his erection pushing into her stomach. “But haven’t you figured it out yet? You’ve owned me since the first day you walked into the office.”

  She couldn’t control the small gasp that escaped her. Her lashes flew up and her eyes opened wide, knowing her face was flushing pink, her heart hammering from his disclosure.

  He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue penetrating her lips and swirling around hers. He lifted his head, studied her trembling lips and slowly released her from his death grip. Retaining one hand in his, he led her from the room. “Let’s get you some food so we can get you moved in here.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jenna sank back on her heels as she knelt in the huge, walk-in closet in the master bedroom. It had been a long, tedious day. She put the last pair of her shoes on the shelf and slowly looked around. His clothes were all around her. Suits, dress shirts, jeans. All lined up and in precise order. There was nothing out of place. By comparison, her clothes now hung in one small area of the closet, taking up a tenth of the space of his. Her apparel was here now, in his closet, by his command.

  The day was almost over. Everything she owned was in his house now, moved from the basement of the brownstone where she had been living. Her stomach tightened.

  She had made another attempt at breakfast to tell him she thought that they had made a hasty mistake. He had squashed her attempt at communicating and hustled her out the door and into his vehicle within the blink of an eye.

  Jenna heard a noise at the door leading into the bedroom and looked up from the incongruous sight of her shoes lined up next to his.

  David stood in the doorway watching her. He casually lifted his hand and motioned for her. “You finished here, baby? I want to talk to you.”

  Jenna lifted herself from the floor with an unconsciously graceful movement and turned toward him. He was watching her with a penetrating stare and her footsteps stalled. He reached out, took her hand, and led her into the bedroom where he motioned for her to sit in one of two armchairs that sat in an alcove of the room.

  She quietly sat and tried to control the turmoil racing through her. Her outward appearance was calm, demure even, but inwardly, she was a mess. She folded her hands in her lap and raised her eyes to his.

  “I don’t want you to go to work tomorrow. Your job is finished.”

  Jenna continued to sit silently and watch him. So this was it. She hadn’t expected it quite this soon. She knew he was going to make her quit, but to not even let her go in another day and say goodbye…

  He continued, “I don’t want you put in a position where you have to answer questions. You’d get a million of them, and it would be constant. I’m trying to protect you, baby. You’re so sweet and honest.” Jenna felt an arrow of guilt slide through her as she listened to his speech. “I can tell you have a problem with lying, and that’s as it should be, but in this instance a small amount of fabrication can’t be helped. I’ll be better at it than you. I’ll handle it.”

  Jenna waited for the pulse of three heartbeats. “I’m not taking the money.”

  There was a silence in the room and then he spoke, scowling. “Jenna—”

  She cut him off. “No. I’m not taking the money. I made a mistake and now I have to live with it.” She paused. “For awhile. I married you. I get that. Stupid of me, I know. I’ll stay and live up to my side of the agreement about making this look like a real marriage. But I do not have to and I will not take your money.” Her heart hammered and her body trembled as she waited for his reaction.

  David stood over her, watching the mutinous lines of her body. For awhile? She wanted to throw that in his face again? Not even two days married, and she couldn’t wait to get away from him. Bullshit. She wanted to issue him fucking ultimatums? He had one for her. “If you don’t take the money, you negate the two year clause in the contract. That’s fine with me. But you won’t get a quick divorce, Jenna. I’ll contest it and you’ll be stuck with me for a long, long time. Your choice.”

  “Why?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “Why do you think?” he volleyed back, punching the words out.

  “I don’t know.”

  He didn’t answer her. He didn’t respond in any way, only continued to watch her.

  Jenna felt his burning look boring into her. His scowl deepened and his shoulders squared as sexual heat and aggression radiated from him. His hands clenched into fists
as he tried to maintain control.

  Jenna bit her lip and tried again. “Are you saying you want the marriage to last longer?”

  “That’s fine,” he snapped succinctly.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I’m sick of you saying that you’re ready to leave. To quit before we even get started. I’m tired of hearing you say you want out, that you don’t want to stay married.”

  “David, we don’t even know each other. I’m only trying to be sensible. How can this work?”

  “How can it work when we’re already planning a divorce?”

  “Are you saying you want to make it work? Like forever?”

  “I’m saying I don’t want to keep hearing you throw it in my face every two seconds that it’s short-term. That all you want to do is get out of it and go find some fucker to sleep with.”

  Shock hit her full in the face. “I didn’t say that. I’m not—I’m not even thinking of sleeping with anyone else—”

  “That’s good. Because you’re not.”

  He held himself rigidly, braced for more confrontation.

  “Then you’re talking about monogamy?”

  “I told you that before this started, Jenna. You knew that’s what I had in mind.”

  She shook her head, clearly trying to understand. “I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You’re okay with me not taking the payment as long as I agree to longer terms?”

  He slashed his hand through his hair in aggravation. “No fucking terms!”

  Jenna sucked in a breath, shock coursing through her. “David, we spoke for the first time not even a week ago. You bribed me into a marriage for your convenience, a short-term deal, and now you’re saying all bets are off?” She came to her feet on legs that trembled. “What’s changed?”

  “Nothing’s changed.” His eyes ran over her length. “It’s the same fucking way it’s been for the last six months, only worse.”

  Jenna slowly scooted around him toward the door. “You want a real marriage,” she tossed out, her words a softly spoken accusation.

  He glared at her as she sidled toward the door. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Nowhere far, so calm down. I’m going to have a bath and think.” They stared at each other, electric currents passing between them. He took a step toward her.

  “Jenna, I—”

  “Later, David. We’ll talk later.” She fled the room.

  ****

  Jenna came down the steps an hour later half expecting him to be in the chair waiting for her, but he wasn’t. It was late, they had eaten supper long before. All she wanted was to curl up in bed and go to sleep. She wanted a bed to herself, but she knew that wouldn’t be acceptable to him. Besides, don’t lie to yourself, she really wanted to sleep in his arms.

  She saw a soft light glowing from his office and decided to try to get to sleep before he came to bed. She walked through to the master bedroom. She was already in her nightgown, and she slipped into bed. The sheets were cool to the touch as she laid her head down on the pillow, wrapping her arms around it.

  Her thoughts raced. He wanted a real marriage. Why?

  The bathroom light clicked on and the shower started running. Ten minutes later, he dropped the towel from his hips and let it fall to the floor. Her stomach muscles clenched in anticipation, and he crawled into the big bed and took her in his arms. Holding her in the circle of his embrace, his chest cradling her back, she felt him softly kiss her hair in the darkness.

  “You awake?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He kissed her hair again and took a deep breath, as if he were about to admit his deepest secret. “I want you without a contract. I want you without an exchange of money, without a deadline on the marriage. I want you to want that, too.”

  She turned over in his arms to face him. Emotion pulsed from his body into hers. The look on his face was conflicted and tenderness coursed through her from his vulnerability. “Okay, I’ll give it a try,” she answered simply.

  His grip tightened. “Thank you.”

  “David?” she started, needing to know. “Was it—was it all subterfuge? Is there really a reason you need a wife for office politics?”

  He sighed. His fingers slid from her back and lifted her nightgown to her waist and caressed her hip. “I’ll tell you, but first I want to know something. Are you my wife? Or are you the girl from the accounting department?”

  His touch was doing crazy things to her heart rate. “I’m your wife.”

  His hand stilled a moment and then clenched even tighter. “Craig thought a wife would help me attain the presidency when my uncle steps down. It was his idea and I was humoring him. I’m not worried about it. When the time comes, the job will be mine, wife or no wife.”

  She wiggled against him as his hand swirled to her upper thigh and back over her hip. “But you told me—”

  “It was an excuse, baby.” He lifted her thigh and draped it over his waist, running his hand up and over the silk of her panties. She sucked in a breath as he continued, “He was arguing with me about it, and suddenly there you were, popping up and offering to make my wet dreams come true.”

  Her heart beating wildly, he slid her panties off her hips and pushed them down her legs and off completely.

  David slid his finger slid to her sweet spot and pressed softly against her, teasing her, wanting her so fucking bad he thought he might go insane with it. Clearing his throat, his voice dropped an octave. “By that time I’d have done anything to get in your pants.” His finger moved down to her opening and her wet heat almost unmanned him. He slipped his finger inside. “Seeing you, day after day, and not being able to touch you, or talk to you.” He manipulated his finger inside her, rubbing the top wall of her vagina, swirling in a pattern that had her undulating against him. “You were driving me crazy, baby. I couldn’t date you, couldn’t ask you out, couldn’t fucking touch you.” His head reached down and he put his mouth on her nipple through her nightgown. The fabric became wet immediately where he tried to get to her naked skin.

  He lifted his head and pressed his lips to her ear. “I wanted you so fucking bad and every time I saw you there was fear in your eyes. I scared you shitless and there was no damn way I could make a move on you.”

  He rolled to his back and lifted her over him, held himself poised at the cusp of her wet, silky opening. “No more talk. You’re mine. You’re staying mine.” He pushed up into her as she slid down and met him. He groaned and sucked in a shuddering breath. “I’ll go fucking crazy if I have to think about giving this up.” His slid her up and down with his hands grasping her hips. “Don’t make me give this up, Jenna.”

  “No, I won’t.” Her eyes closed as a look of pleasure spread across her features, filling him with satisfaction.

  Chapter Ten

  Four weeks later, Jenna sat in the study, screwing up her courage, waiting for David to get home from work. She had to tell him about the education she already had. The spring semester would be here soon, and he was expecting her to begin college. She wanted to get a job, and couldn’t continue to hide this from him. Her debt was only growing, and she needed to find a way to pay it off.

  His uncle hadn’t retired yet, but it was coming up soon. She had met the man several times, entertained him and his wife in David’s home, acting as his hostess exactly as everyone expected of her. His uncle and aunt liked her and she liked them, and David assured her they had nothing to worry about in regards to the future of the presidency.

  David had introduced her to his entire family, and the story he spilled out for their benefit was swallowed completely. Everyone believed it had been a secret love affair. She knew better, though. Certainly she had fallen in love with him in the days and weeks that had passed, how could she not? He was everything she had ever dreamed of in a husband. He was sexy, kind, considerate, and for whatever reason, she could do no wrong with him.

  Ever since the night she had agreed t
o try a real marriage, his attitude had changed, the ferocious intensity of his lovemaking had calmed and he was more gentle with her, careful, worshipping her body slowly instead of devouring her whole. It completely enthralled her, and she was, for want of a better term, a smitten kitten.

  She chewed on her nail and nervously waited for the moment he walked in the door. How mad would he be? Truly, she didn’t think what she had done was so bad, except for the fact that she had lied to him by omission. And of course, the small fact that she had married him with a hundred and twenty thousand dollars worth of debt. Her distress grew.

  His car pulled in the garage and her stomach clenched with nerves. Her thumbnail was ragged where she had been biting it for the last half hour.

  She heard the door slam and as usual, he called out her name, “Jenna.”

  She took a deep breath and stood to her feet. “I’m in here.”

  He stood in the doorway to the study, his eyes lighting with fire when he spotted her. He watched her for a moment. “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, his tone anxious.

  “Nothing,” she answered, her voice holding no strength at all.

  He looked her up and down, a scowl washing over his features. “Don’t lie to me.”

  Jenna stood in silence, her teeth tearing up her bottom lip. She dropped her eyes from his and looked down at her hands.

  David felt a crushing blow to his solar plexus when her eyes dropped from his. Guilt and shame were written all over her, and fury and fear in equal measure took hold of him. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Jenna. Spit it out. Now.”

  Jenna took a shaky breath and raised her eyes to his. He was watching her with an intensity that was chilling. “I’m so sorry, but I’ve lied to you.”

  David felt the punch to his gut and almost doubled over. He took several deep breaths, and when he thought he could manage it, walked over to the drawer in his desk where he kept a bottle of bourbon. He poured two inches of the amber liquid in a glass and knocked it back. Just when he thought his world was perfect. His hand shook as he set the glass down and turned back to her. He would control himself, even if he was dying on the inside. But he would fucking kill the other guy.