She left the door wide open and went back in.
Ok, then.
He let himself in, looking left – to a wide, open space kitchen – then right, towards the lounge.
As the statuesque beauty had disappeared, he made his way right, hesitantly.
Good call.
Colt did his best to keep a straight face. Alice was laid out on a white sofa, surrounded by a pile of used tissue. Her adorable little turned up nose was kinda rivaling Rudolf’s, and her eyes had definitely gone on the puffy side of things.
“You!” she pointed an accusing finger, but the whole effect was completely spoilt by the smile which was matching his.
“I am bearing gifts,” he announced, holding the huge basket out.
He’d stopped at the pharmacy first, for allergy pills, tissues, pain killers and whatever else the sale attendant had managed to throw in his basket. Then, he’d gone to a deli, a chocolatier, the bakery. Finally, he’d stopped by Saks; if all else failed, he had a dark silken scarf which cost more than some people’s rent.
“Look where your gifts got me.”
She nonetheless poked her head up to check out some of the goods.
“Is that parma ham?”
“With cheese and bread.”
“Oh. And… chocolate truffle.”
He nodded solemnly.
“Mh. Umm… Cheesecake?”
“Oh yes.”
She bit her lip. Next, her hand went to the artfully wrapped black box, and reverently opened on the dark green fabric. She gasped.
“Ok, if you don’t want him, I’ll marry him,” the woman who’d introduced herself as Emma offered.
There was nothing friendly or joking about the look Alice sent her. It was cautioning, threatening, and it went straight to Colt’s crotch.
God knew why: he hated jealous women. Unfunded jealousy was one of the most selfish emotions, and he’d always thought it denoted a complete lack of trust.
Every pretty speech asides, it was nice to see her giving a damn. He was constantly on his toes with her, because he really couldn’t tell if she gave a fuck. It had never been part of the equation.
“You like?”
“I’ve drooled over that one for weeks. Did anyone tell you?”
He shook his head; if he’d asked someone about her taste, he might not have turned her face red and blotched.
“I just thought it would suit you. So, you’ll accept it?”
He was used to women saying oh no, I couldn’t, it’s too much, without a care about how hurtful it was to spend a lot of time choosing a gift, only to have it thrown at his face because it wasn’t a cheap trinket.
Colt didn’t do cheap; he hadn’t had when he’d been on a budget, either. He’d bought one pair of good quality jeans, rather than five crap ones. He wasn’t about to start changing that policy now.
Besides, he’d learnt that when a three digit price tag was an issue, there was no hope to build any sort of relationship. He needed his partners to wear suitable attires for functions, to be seen giving generously – in tips, to charity. They were reflective on him and he was reflective on Colburn Global. He didn’t expect them to flaunt their money, it wouldn’t be fair: he was more than happy for them to use his. It was entirely for his benefit. But they had to do it, or there was no future.
So, he was paying a lot of attention to her expression over the next few seconds.
Alice shrugged.
“Yeah. I mean, you’ve decided to give it to me, I haven’t forced your hand. So, thank you very much. I appreciate it.”
She punctuated that with an adorable little sniff. Damn, even her fucking allergies were cute.
“I’m heading out,” Emma announced, muttering something about all that sweetness making her feel sick.
He thought she was referring to the chocolate at first, but then, he considered the way he’d sat down on the floor, at Alice’s feet, looking up towards her as she gazed down with a smile.
Ok, if he’d been a detached witness to that scene? He’d be throwing up in his mouth a little. They were sweet.
Things got a bit awkward as soon as she left, because now they were alone, which catapulted his brain straight to the gutter.
It was fucked up, she looked quite unwell, sniffing away. There was nothing sexy about the large PJ she’d wrapped herself under, either. But he soon started rubbing her leg, all the way from the feet up to her hips, and back down again, becoming hungrier each time he reached the waistband.
He’d managed to hold a conversation through this ordeal. Alice talked about the movie premiere she’d attended before meeting him the previous night; On Top was still small, so she wrote one or two articles per edition, in addition to her usual page.
Coming up with that article had been a pain, because the movie had been crap. She’d had to turn the piece on the premiere itself, to ensure she wasn’t pissing off anyone she might need later on.
“It’s strange; our jobs couldn’t be more different, but I have to think about the exact same thing everyday,” he confessed.
Colburn Global wasn’t focused on one aspect, unlike Colburn Finance, ran by Kane. Kane specialized in helping out start up companies; he had his plate full, as he took them all the way, assisting their marketing, their product manufacturing and everything else in between, but Colt’s job was harder yet. He oversaw it all: Kane’s side of things, but also Xander’s – he’d branched out, but his company was still under the umbrella of the family business – and countless other fields. Colburn Media, Colburn Press, Colburn Sport, Colburn Insurances.
So, in short, Colburn Global was about keeping everyone happy. Smile, joke, kiss a baby.
“Do you like it?” she asked with a frown, hearing the little note he thought he’d effectively hidden.
Colt opened his mouth, ready to lie as he usually did, but then, he closed it again, shaking his head.
“Not really. It’s not challenging the way Kane’s job is. Sure, there’s a lot of work, and not everything goes according to plan, but when something is wrong, I’m not supposed to find a way to fix it. My job is to ask someone else to.”
“Why are you doing it, then? Nevermind, I know why.”
He quirked an ironic eyebrow, amused at the assumption. They’d known each other for less than a season, it was hilarious to think she might have a clue about things he never admitted to anyone out loud.
“Enlighten me?”
He thought she might say something about his mother, or maybe the insane salary he earned; or perhaps, the fact that it had been professionally challenging, to rise from the bottom to the top. All of the above were perfectly valid guesses; and they also were true, to an extent. None was the reason, though.
“Well, it was to take the pressure off your brothers, right? I mean, yeah they are doing their things, now, but if you hadn’t stepped into the Global seat, they would have done it for your parents.”
A beat passed; while he wasn’t actually thinking straight, his mind went back to theories about UFOs and aliens; mind-reading ones, this time.
Then, he climbed up on the sofa and attacked Alice’s lips.
Chapter 9
She’d felt the shift as though someone had turned on a light switch – one minute, he was kissing her demandingly, but also softly, exploring her mouth, the next he was diving into her, molding them into one. She was on fire, molten under his masterful mouth; her entire body curved upwards, trying to bend against his.
Taking that like the invitation it was, his hand cupped her between her legs, through her flannel pants; these pink unicorns had never seen as much action in their entire existence.
She moaned in his mouth and his response was to slide his hand under the fabric, finding her wet folds.
Fuck, these fingers knew what to do.
But just as suddenly as it had all started, Colt stopped it, moving away from her, to the other side of the sofa.
Really?
Stunned, mouth hanging
open, she sat up, shooting him a look of puzzlement.
However, that look changed in a heartbeat.
He’d unzipped his pants and was currently pumping his hard, thick cock.
Fuck, that was major hot.
“I seem to recall something about watching you masturbate on that list of yours.”
That woke her from her funk; somewhere between the chocolate and the scarf, she’d forgotten what it had been about – a temporary arrangement. It had seemed real, for a moment.
Then, she recalled that the arrangement was a great idea – and her idea, too. Colt wasn’t the kind to settle down, so the mutually agreed expiry date made sense.
She smiled, slid the unicorns down her legs, before spreading them and working her thumb on her clit.
Colt’s eyes never left her, while he wanked along with her. She’d put a couple of fingers inside, and her other hand was rubbing her breast, but the friction wasn’t enough for her; she needed BOB to make it better. However, she had to admit she liked giving a show; this was much better than the pleasure her fingers normally managed to give her.
Colt shifted on the sofa, got on his knees and nestled between her legs; her eyes went wild –that was it, he was going to fuck her, now…
But he didn’t.
He put his dick between her legs, against her clit, and closed her thighs, clasping himself inside. Fuck.
She placed both hands on her breast, leaving her pussy’s care to him – god knew he knew what to do with it. He thrust up, rubbing her wet lips and her clit better than any fingers ever had. Shit. Masturbation by live dick. That was the bomb.
“There’s some condoms in your basket, sweetheart,” he told her, his voice rough, filled with lust.
She twisted as much as possible to reach inside the box of presents, desperately ruffling until her hands clasped around a XL Magnum pack of cocktail flavored condom. At last. Her hands were trembling when she fumbled to open it, but there it was.
She sat up and put the head of the gross latex layer on him, rolled it down, and directed him inside her.
•
For one moment, he thought there couldn’t possibly be anything hotter than having a woman rolling a condom on him; then, she pulled his dick against her eager, glistening pussy, sat back, and crocked her finger at him, beckoning him.
She was gonna kill him.
One hard thrust, and he was in.
Shiiiiiit. Tight. Molten. So fucking good. He had to stay in place, until he was certain he wouldn’t just come here and there.
Then, he pulled his hips out and back in. Fuck. Another halt necessary. He felt his balls tighten, all but ready to blow.
He looked up from her ridiculously gorgeous pussy to her face, and he was done for.
Her head was thrown back, her eyes were close, her mouth slightly open and pleasure was written all over her features. He wanted it. Now. Tomorrow. The day after.
He didn’t – couldn’t – stop looking at her, taking in every change of expression as he rocked back and forth, slow and deep first. A whimper escaped her, and he lost it.
He shifted above her, pushing her thighs onto his shoulders, got in a crouch and pounded her into ecstasy. He knew he couldn’t last long; but he’d last long enough for her to come, too – his body wouldn’t allow otherwise.
Her cheeks flushed, and she fidgeted, yet again trying to stop the motion when it got too intense. No wonder she’d never come before: she didn’t let it happen, grabbing control just as she was about to fly.
Not with him.
Colt bound both of her hands, holding them by the wrist above her head in one hand, while his other one rubbed her clit. He felt his own body craving the release, his dick was engorged and hitting her in a way that made her yell his name, begging. Oh, fuck. His heartbeat had become uncontrollable, his breathing labored, he couldn’t see clearly; but he couldn’t stop, even if he got a heart attack in the process.
Colt dived for her nipple, sucking one between his lips and that was it. She came around him, immediately triggering his release.
He didn’t stop sucking her tits, rubbing her clit, or pushing his dick inside her, for that matter; he wasn’t able to. He just wanted to worship her, and that felt like a good way to do so.
Eventually, he could breathe normally; he just laughed, and she giggled in response.
“Well, if I didn’t know better, I’d think someone is getting hard again,” Alice pointed out when his shallow thrusts got more purposeful.
And damn if she wasn’t right; shit, he hadn’t recovered so quickly since high school.
“We need to change that condom.”
Right again; but that meant actually withdrawing from her heat and everything in him rebelled against it.
It was major stupidity. The condom basically was a bomb of sperm waiting to explode right now.
But then she tightened around him and her hips went up, lifting to meet him.
She pushed against him so hard he fell back and then, landed sitting on his knees, smiling away at her ninja trick.
The vixen got up from him, removed the used condom and replaced it, before sitting back on his cock and riding him.
Her hips were out of this fucking worlds – she did a funny “8” thing, swaying them from side to side, diagonally, before going up and down, and back, changing, switching the rhythm to drive him absolutely mad.
He understood about the two stalkers, now. There was no way any sane guy would ever let her go. What completely baffled him was the cheating – why the hell would anyone ever need anything else?
It was then, while Alice was riding him, flushed, her mouth licking his neck, that he came up with the plan.
The plan was straightforward.
She was after a little break from relationships – she wanted something simple, fun, that wouldn’t hurt her.
He’d give her that. He’d also give her the rest – the texts and phone calls his previous girlfriends had always cried about. The time he could spare. So, when he’d ask for more at the end of all this, she wouldn’t have any reason to say no.
•
Shower sex was uncomfortable as fuck. Yeah, it had been fun, but she’d screamed when he lifted her legs, believing that she was going to slip and fall. Then, there had been the angle where water just wouldn’t stop getting in her nostrils.
That was brilliant. Exactly the kinda stuff she needed to write about.
After finally managing to get relatively clean and dry, Colt and Alice made it to her bedroom; Colt all but collapsed on her bed and she would have loved to join him for a well deserved nap, but there was no point.
She knew without the shadow of a teeny, tiny little doubt that she wouldn’t manage to drift off, not even for one second. Such was the curse of writers, and most creative professionals, really. It was in her mind: she needed it on paper.
By seven, when Colt woke up, she had six thousand words and a pizza in the oven. Six thousand was way too long, probably twice the length of the entire article, but she’d written all of the ideas about the office cunnilingual experience, the first encounter and the shower sex – when it was time to draft the article, she could pick the relevant parts.
She was alerted of his presence by a series of soft, teasing kisses along the back of her neck. God. Talk about a zero to one-thirty in point one of a second. Ferraris had nothing on her: here, just like that, she was ready to go.
Chapter 10
She was genuinely desperate by Wednesday. There was no way in hell she was going to survive Christmas at home, but her mom had been pretty damn crafty this year.
Alice had served her the usual “I might need to work” thing for the third year in a row, so Mara Vaughan had taken things in her own hands.
“I called On Top the other day, dear, and I spoke to the sweetest man… What was his name?”
“Tony?” Alice hazarded; there weren’t that many guys in the office – especially if she’d rang through to her floor: Tony was th
e only reporter man enough to dare work in such an estrogen powered environment within twenty miles of the city.
“That’s it. Tony. Is he single?”
Oh for Christ’s sake, she was twenty-five! She should at least get half a decade before her mom attempted to pair her up with any eligible guy she spoke to for five minutes.
“No mom. He’s still with his high school sweetheart.”
She didn’t add anything about the fact that the relationship was a couple of hysterical phone calls away from going down the drain; no need to encourage the shameless matchmaker.
“Mh. Anyhow, we got talking; you know Tony is from Chicago? He was asking my opinion on what present he should buy his mother for Christmas. We’re the same age, you know.”
Tony was dead. She was going to gut him slowly, feed him his intestine and then, burry him alive.
“He’s so lucky he gets to go home for Christmas every year. Have you got any news about your request for the holidays, yet?”
Actually, as she’d volunteered – or begged – to work on the previous two Christmases, Linda had all but booted her out, ordering her to forget about work and have a good time.
Alice’s idea of a good time had been getting very berry drunk with her roommates, prank calling people and fucking her way through a box of condoms whenever Colt was available.
Now though, she didn’t have a choice; because people were right about her, at least, as far as her mother was concerned. She was a good girl. There was no way in hell she could just open her mouth and openly lie. Might and could were ok, while she wasn’t certain of things herself, but she knew she was off in two days.
Damn it. No one was going to find the body after she was done with Tony.
“I’m off Mama,” she admitted guiltily.
Needless to say, the response on the other end was scary. She said something about jumpers, neighbors, pies and… wait a minute.
“Mama, I’ll only make it on Christmas eve,” she cut in when she started going on about a week with her three children.
Pretty Young Thing: a new adult romance box set Page 21