The scant weight of her rounded breasts seemed to fascinate him. He cupped each with his large hand then circled each nipple with his palms, causing her to gasp. He leaned in, opened his mouth and slowly, sensually licked the hardened bud. Her body shuddered and quaked. He kissed and sucked her, pulling her deep into the warmth of his mouth. He continued the torturous ecstasy as his other hand gently massaged and caressed the other breast.
Jo’s head rolled back, arching her body forward giving him more access to his ravaged treasure. She held tight to his shoulders as her hips began to search for his erection. She pulled back, sat up and came down quickly, impaling her body onto his hardness. She began to gyrate slow and easy, as if she were riding a mechanical bull in slow motion.
Pulsating in pleasure, he held her waist and watched as her body moved in slow erotic pleasure. She held his neck loosely as her rounded breasts teased his chest. She sat up high, maneuvering her breast just inches away from his mouth. When he opened to take her in, she moved away smiling. He allowed her to continue the teasing, knowing that this was only the beginning.
They watched each other as her motion increased. She moved faster and faster, inching seconds away from her climax. It came and overtook her. She grimaced and muffled a scream. Then surprisingly he stood. Still connected, she held tight as he began to walk. Suddenly her back was pressed against a wall. He kissed her as he began to thrust into her. Her precarious position didn’t allow her to reciprocate. Within moments he came, bursting everything he had into her.
She held tight pressed between him and the wall. After a few moments he released her. She slid until her foot touched the soft carpet. Before the other foot came down, he picked her up and took her back to the bed. They lay together wrapped in each other’s arms. There were no words. The room was still dark so she closed her eyes to sleep again. What seemed like only moments later she heard him speak one word. “Dawn,” he whispered.
“It’s almost daybreak already,” she said sleepily. “I don’t think I slept ten minutes straight all night.”
“Regrets already?” he asked.
“Hardly,” she said, “I’m just not going to be at my best for work today.”
“We’ll spend most of the day in Juneau.”
“I still have to get my work done or is that the plan.” She went still, closed her eyes and shook her head.
“What plan?” he asked.
“Distract me from working?”
“Make love all night, most definitely, a plan to distract you from working, not exactly my style.”
She sat up and looked into his eyes. He looked sincere, but she wasn’t sure. “How do I trust you?”
He smiled mischievously. “Trust me now.”
“And what about when dawn breaks?” she asked, lying back down on his chest. She closed her eyes, smiled and drifted off to sleep once more.
“Dawn’s a different story,” he said before dozing off himself.
Chapter 12
Tomorrow came too quickly. Andre sat in Jacob’s home office working or doing a lousy job of trying to work. It was impossible. In the middle of a conference call with his staff he canceled it for no reason other than his thoughts wandered constantly. All he kept thinking about was Jo upstairs in his bed.
He awoke after dawn and lay watching her sleep. She was perfect. He resisted waking her and making love again. That wasn’t the bargain. So all he could do now was savor the memories.
She was adventurous, he’d give her that. She’d accepted his proposal almost immediately. The result was a night of passion that he’d remember for a long while to come. It was a shame it was only one night.
He considered the prospect of more nights with her. The possibilities of what they could do were endless. One in particular made him smile. His thoughts, centered on the fantasy, lasted much longer that he expected. He definitely needed to consider installing a ceiling mirror in one of his bedrooms.
Earlier, while dressing, he mentally reviewed everything they did, reliving the best parts with a broad smile on his face. Actually, they were all the best parts. She was amazing. Playful just enough, sexy just enough and heaven knows brazen just enough. She’d surprised him to say the least. And what was even more surprising was his reaction to her.
Somewhere during the night he found himself breaking his own rule. At one point he looked into her eyes and imagined more. He backed off of course, but it was the idea that he even went there that disturbed him. She had an intoxicating power over him. Maybe it was because she was so different than the women he usually associated with.
They’d chatted at times, argued at others. He smiled and chuckled even now. About football of all things, she was a huge football fan. The season was already in play and they’d each speculated as to what teams would be in the Super Bowl and why. He shook his head in wonderment. She was amazing, too amazing. The smiled faded, just as it did earlier. He still questioned everything. Trust never was his strong suit.
Joanna’s senses gradually came to life. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the window on the opposite wall. Heavy drapes covered the window except of a thin sliver of sunshine beaming through. Not only was it dawn, it was day. She sat up and looked around. The room was different, darker, more masculine. She knew instantly that she was no longer in the guest bedroom.
She got up too quickly and her body objected. She was sore and stiff. Apparently one night with Andre had completely worn her down. She couldn’t imagine being with him night after night. Then she smiled and began to wonder what it would be like. Having him at her beck and call to do with as she pleased would be any woman’s fantasy. He was the total package, sexy, smart and rich. But he wasn’t for her. As they’d promised each other, until dawn and that was it.
She gathered the sheet around her body and looked around seeing that apparently he had kept his word. Dawn had come and gone and he was nowhere in sight. She walked to the window and peeked outside. The sight was breathtaking. She was completely enthralled by the splendor. The landscaped, lush greenery of the front lawn was perfectly tended. Flowering shrubs accentuated the curved drive leading to the pristine home raised slightly above the knoll.
Jacob’s house stood atop a hill looking down at total beauty. Across was a misty fog, but still showed evidence of a city, she presumed was Juneau. It was a panoramic pictorial of splendor. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. For real, who lives like this?”
She turned back to the bedroom, obviously Andre’s bedroom, and wondered how she got here. As far as she could remember they had been in the same room all night. He’d picked her up, but only twice, once during the first time and once during the last time. She opened the door and peeked out. To her relief her bedroom was directly across the hall.
She looked up and down the hall, held her breath and dashed across to the guest bedroom. Once inside she leaned back against the closed door and exhaled. She quickly rummaged through her suitcases finding wool pants, a thick turtleneck sweater and a fleece-lined windbreaker. She quickly chose her outfit, jumped in the shower and got dressed.
On her way downstairs she considered again what it would be like to make love to Andre every night. The man was insatiable. She definitely wouldn’t mind another one-night stand, but she knew she’d be pressing her luck. She didn’t want to make the relationship more complicated than it already was.
There was a nice guy somewhere in all that macho swagger and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt him. So, one night will just have to be enough.
She looked around in the living room, dining room and kitchen. There was a pot of coffee with cups but no one in sight. She opened the sliding door and stepped out on the veranda. The air was chilled and the sky sparkled and just as before, the view was breathtaking. She stood for a moment to clear her thoughts. She needed to put last night behind her and continue what she started. She needed to talk to Andre.
She went back inside and found Andre in Jacob’s office. He sat at the huge powe
r desk looking like the only bad boy. She couldn’t help but want him all over again. There wasn’t a woman alive who probably didn’t. But wanting another night in his bed was way too much to consider, even for her. “Good morning,” she said.
Andre looked up and saw Jo standing in the doorway to the office. He leaned back in his chair, smiling automatically. “Good morning, barely,” he nodded at the wall clock, seeing that it was closer to noon.
“Yeah, I guess I slept in a bit.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell the boss.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“I aim to please. But I hope you have a good excuse,” he teased. She almost blushed at the quick memory of his very capable hands all over her naked body all night long. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Tired, sore, very sore. You?” she asked.
“Not sore, not tired.”
“Show off,” she said playfully.
“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” he asked.
“Yes I did, very much, and you?”
He smirked, raising his brow to make his point, “You know I did,” he said softly.
“May I?” she asked before entering his office.
“By all means, come in, have a seat.”
“Nice office, nice power desk. He who sits at the power desk has the power, right?”
“Not necessarily.”
Their eyes connected. She took a deep breath and decided to just dive right into the conversation. “About last night, I think we need to clear the air.”
“Fine, what part did you want to clear up?”
“I’m not promiscuous by nature. I don’t just sleep with perfect strangers. What happened between us last night was a new experience for me. I keep my personal life and my professional life very separate.”
“I see.”
“Just so that we understand each other,” she offered.
“We do,” he said smiling.
“I have a question…” she began.
“Is this part of an interview?” he asked.
“No, it’s a question about last night.” He nodded and motioned for her to continue. “How and when did I get into your bedroom? Oh, and why?”
“You don’t remember?” he asked, surprised by the query.
“Believe me, I remember absolutely everything that happened. I just don’t remember walking to your room, how did…”
“You didn’t walk, I carried you. The when would be shortly after you grabbed the condoms from the drawer in the guest room. I don’t have or keep condoms in my bedroom here.”
“Okay, so why your bedroom?”
“Contrary to what you might have read about me, or think you know about me, I’m not the player or womanizer everyone seems to think I am. I’m not a saint either, but it is a title I use when needed. This is my grandfather’s home, you are his guest. I didn’t want housekeeping walking in on us, me naked in your bed. They know not to go into my bedroom unless specifically requested.”
“So you were protecting my honor?” she questioned.
“Is that so hard to believe?” he asked earnestly.
She paused to consider. “No, I guess not. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
They sat smiling at each other then Jo suddenly began chuckling. “I can’t believe I did that last night.”
“Which part?” he asked.
“Any of it, all of it,” she said.
“It was something we both needed and wanted,” he said as he walked around the desk and sat on the edge in front of her. He picked up an envelope and handed it to her. She nodded. “And when dawn came it was over,” he added.
“Right, no strings, one night until dawn.” She opened the envelope and began looking through the pages. As she suspected, it was from Jacob.
“Actually, I was just thinking about our little bargain last night,” Andre began. “It’s a shame we didn’t leave room for possible amendments.”
She looked up from the pages. The look on his face was pure seduction. “Amendments such as what?” she asked with interest.
“I don’t know,” he said casually, as if the thought just occurred to him, “perhaps a more open-ended arrangement.”
“You mean another night together?” she asked boldly.
“You’re right, perhaps that would be asking for trouble. We did say no emotional ties.”
“Well,” she considered as she stood and leaned back against the desk beside him. “I’m not exactly the kind of woman who needs or even wants attachments. I’m a loner, remember. I don’t like to be tied down.”
He smiled. “Actually we didn’t get around to the tied down part last night, but, uh, if you’re game…” he joked.
She leaned her shoulder into him and bumped his arm. “Cute. You know what I mean,” Jo said as she stood and walked around to the side of his desk. She picked up a magazine with Daniel Buchanan on the cover. She opened it and flipped through.
“Yes, I do, and I’m not exactly known for my steadfast attachments either.” He mimicked her action, standing at the opposite side of the desk watching her.
“Are you suggesting we modify our original arrangement?” she asked nonchalantly without looking up.
He smiled. “But of course we should think about it, and if either of us decides it’s not a viable option, then one night will have to be enough,” Andre suggested.
She stopped flipping and looked at him, nodding slowly. “You mentioned open-ended, for how long exactly?”
He shrugged with ease. “Any suggestions?” he asked.
“How about only until Jacob returns,” Jo said, replacing the magazine then walking to sit behind the large desk. He nodded his agreement.
“Ready?”
“What, you mean right now?” she asked, not sure she was up to more sex with him after last night.
“Ready for another day in Juneau?”
“Actually yes and no, I need to hit the city archives and main library. It’s all boring research, verification and corroboration stuff, a lot of books and documents to examine. You don’t have to come.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, it’ll take most of the day, so maybe we can continue the tour tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“One more thing,” she said. “I need to borrow a car.”
“Sure, I’ll get the keys.”
She nodded, sitting comfortably behind the power desk wondering what had just happened. Did they just negotiate more nights together at least until Jacob’s return? But nothing was final. They had the opportunity to think about it. But really, what was there to think about? There’s no way she could repeat what happened last night. It would be madness, not to mention career suicide.
A moment of weakness was all she could fathom as an excuse. Lust, desire, loneliness, temptation, curiosity, the feel of a man holding and caressing her, there was no rational justification for jeopardizing a job. She knew all Andre had to do was expose their night and it would be all over for her professionally. She knew he wanted to stop the bio and get rid of her and she’d given him the ammunition to do it. But for some reason she trusted him. She didn’t know why, she just did.
An hour later she sat in Juneau’s archive library with her laptop. Oddly enough she focused and got a lot done, working all afternoon and into the early evening. She drove back to the cabin. Andre wasn’t there. She went to her bedroom and worked late into the night, trying desperately to keep her mind on her job and avoiding doing anything stupid like going across the hall and jumping into bed with him.
Chapter 13
The second tour of Juneau was just as amazing as the first. As Andre promised, the tour lasted all morning and into late afternoon. They moved quickly, setting a swift pace which, thankfully for Jo because of a sleepless night, kept personal conversation to a minimum.
By the time they were ready to leave Juneau, Jo was completely exhausted. They did
everything he said they’d do, plus they’d stopped at Gold Creek and a brewery. The afternoon ended with shopping. Andre insisted on purchasing a replacement outfit for her since her outfit had been ruined in a sudden downpour that caught them by surprise.
“Do you mind if we make one last stop before heading back to the cabin?”
“No, not at all,” she said, admiring the scenic view along the coastal Glacier Highway as they drove away from suburban Mendenhall Valley toward downtown Juneau. They drove across the Juneau-Douglas Bridge and turned right as usual, but drove past Jacob’s turnoff and headed farther down along the coast. Jo dozed off as they arrived at a dirt road at the base of a mountain.
Andre made a few turns then continued down a newly paved road until they came to a two-story chalet much smaller than Jacob’s. He parked along the side of the building. When Jo woke up they were parked alongside a house she didn’t recognize. “Where are we?” she asked. They got out and walked up the path to the front door. “Who lives here?”
Andre opened door then stepped aside allowing her to enter. “I do,” he said, closing the door behind them. “Make yourself at home. I need to take care of some business. Look around, I’ll be right back,” Andre said.
Jo looked around and was impressed by everything she saw. Although much smaller then Jacob’s cabin, Andre’s home was every bit as impressive. She stepped down into the sunken living room, walked over and stood at the mantel above the fireplace then turned and looked around. The place seemed to be designed precisely with Andre in mind. With clean lines, everything was masculinely tasteful, yet eclectically styled. She could definitely see his influence here.
Jo continued into the dining room and paused at the wall of windows with a glass door. With curtains drawn back, the view was spectacular. Juneau was laid out before her. She walked over and opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside onto the deck. She walked to the rail and looked back up at the side of the mountain. The view as the sun set was sensational. It was as if everything was suspended in time. The sun enhanced the scenery, with its lush greens, piercing blues and fiery reds. The world around her was ablaze with vibrancy. She couldn’t help but be awed by the spectacle.
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