She spread her legs for him as his hand dipped further, but she was momentarily distracted by his mouth on her breast where his tongue was toying with the stiffened peak of one of her nipples. He sucked on one then the other, switching back and forth, making her arch her back in pleasure.
Lauren could feel the pressure building deep inside her, a need so intense it took her breath away. She was close to begging him for more when his fingers found her clit and began to stroke her, sending waves of pleasure crashing through her. With each stroke she found herself getting closer and closer to climax, her breath coming out in short little gasps.
Cole plunged his finger deep inside her and Lauren was lost as wave after wave of sensation washed over her, her body trembling with the force of her orgasm. Cole gave her only seconds to recover before he settled himself between her legs and entered her in one hard stroke. Her body reacted to his by clamping tightly around his hard penis almost making him lose all control.
After only a few seconds of trying to fight his climax, Cole gave up the fight and with several hard thrusts brought them both over the crest, his orgasm shocking him with its intensity and hers sending her flying higher than ever before. Panting, Cole collapsed on top of her, almost unable to believe what had just passed between them.
Never had a woman made him feel the way Lauren did, the intensity of their love making only verifying what he’d already known to be true. Lauren was stunned, she had always liked sex, but had never experienced anything like this with anyone else. Part of her was scared of what it meant, but the other part of her was strangely proud that she could elicit such a response from him.
Cole knew he was probably crushing Lauren under his weight but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Finally he gathered his strength and rolled off of her, then pulled her close to him so her head was resting on his chest.
Lauren listened to Cole’s heart beating and wondered if she’d lost her mind, she’d just slept with her boss. But the thought barely had time to solidify in her mind before it was replaced with the knowledge that given the opportunity she’d do it again. As if reading her thoughts Cole pulled her onto his chest and settled her there.
“As wonderful as that was, I don’t think we got it quite right. I think we had better try again and see if we can do better.” He said, his eyes shining with desire once again.
“Oh, you think we can do better than that, do you?” She said, taking the lead and kissing him, teasing him with her tongue until he was rock hard again.
“You know what they say, practice makes perfect.”
Those were the last words they spoke until much later that night.
*****
Late the next morning they finally managed to pull themselves from the bed and into the shower which took much longer than it should have. Lauren’s head was spinning from all the emotion she was feeling, a mix of fear and pleasure, emotions that were at war with one another. She also had a sinking feeling that they’d started something that would have a dramatic impact on the rest of her life.
Pushing the worry from her mind, she decided to just go with the flow. She’d always been able to handle her emotions and this affair shouldn’t be any different. Like the rest of her relationships, if they could be called that, this would end when she left for her climb, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted.
Cole was a great guy and they definitely shared a connection unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, but as with all the relationships in her life, she’d keep a tight rein on her emotions. It would be easy enough to do, all it took was reminding herself that love no matter how real it appeared, left one vulnerable to being hurt and she had no intention of being hurt ever again.
If Cole was aware of her dark thoughts, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed blissfully unaware of Lauren’s internal battle. He’d been in the little kitchen making them some breakfast when she found him after getting dressed.
“I think we should talk about last night.” She said, taking the cup of coffee he offered her and sitting down at the little table.
He brought his cup to the table and joined her, waiting for her to speak. She hadn’t expected him to give her his full attention so easily and was suddenly at a loss for words.
“I just don’t know if this is a good idea. You’re my boss.”
“Not really. Beth is actually your boss.”
“Cole you know that I’m only in Prospect for a short time. In six months I’m planning on being at the base of Mt. Everest getting ready for my climb. I don’t want you thinking this is any kind of a permanent situation.”
“I know that. You’ve made that clear enough, but I’m willing to risk it. I’ve never met anyone like you before and I’ll take whatever time you’re willing to give me.” He said, smiling that adorable smile she was beginning to love so much.
“Cole, that’s just not right. How can you be so casual about this whole thing?”
“Well, if what you say is true and you’ll only be here for a short time, then I plan to make the most of that time.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.
What Lauren couldn’t know was that inside he was in turmoil, the perfect woman was telling him that she’d be walking out of his life in only a few short months. But one thing he already knew about Lauren was that relationships scared her, he’d play it casual until it wasn’t anymore then she’d be his.
Lauren had gotten the answer she’d been hoping for, their relationship would last only as long as she was in town. But somehow she didn’t feel all that happy about his answer and she wasn’t sure why. Her goals had always sustained her before, but suddenly that climb didn’t seem as important as it had before. But that was stupid, she’d promised herself that she’d never let love control her life and she wasn’t going to break that promise to herself now.
Shrugging off her negative feelings, she decided it really was for the best, the last thing she needed was a relationship that might force her to question everything she’d believed for so long. “Good, I’m glad we’ve got that straightened out. How about a trip to the mall after breakfast. I still need a lot of stuff for the apartment and a big box store is just what I need.”
“Sounds good, but tonight we’re having dinner at Le Mason. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while and I managed to get a reservation for tonight. I don’t always like having so much money, but sometimes it comes in handy. You’ll need something fancy to wear and I’m sure we can find that at the mall.”
“I don’t do fancy very well. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I wore a dress let alone a pair of heels.”
“Look at it as an adventure, a look at the other side of life. It can actually be very entertaining to watch people trying to outdo one another. But if you don’t want to go I can cancel the reservation.”
“No, I’ll be fine. You let me have my pizza last night, it’s your turn to pick.” She said, actually finding herself becoming excited about dressing up and going to a fancy restaurant. “But you’re not going clothes shopping with me so put that though out of your head right now.”
“That’s fine with me, it’s really not my idea of fun to follow a woman around the mall while she shops for clothes.” He said, making a face. “I’ll find something to keep myself busy for a couple of hours while you shop.”
“How many clothes do you think I’ll be buying?” She asked laughing. “I could probably buy a whole new wardrobe in that amount of time.”
Cole got up from the table and took their cups to the sink. “That’s what I love about you.” He said, kissing her on top of the head on his way out of the kitchen.
Lauren sat at the table stunned by Cole’s use of the word love. She knew that a lot of people used the word casually but there had been nothing casual about the way he’d said it. The worst part was that she’d liked hearing him say it.
Chapter 7
They spent the rest of the morning tromping through all the department stores in the
mall. Lauren bought linens, bedding, dishes and cookware, and even some wonderful paintings and photos for the walls. Cole watched her, amused at the distress spending all that money seemed to be causing her.
“You need to stop worrying about the money, remember your apartment is the scene of the blog. It needs to look nice, make people feel like it’s a home and not a set.”
“I know, but do I really need three sets of kitchen towels? It just seems like a lot of stuff for one little apartment.” Lauren said, looking at the large pile of stuff they’d accumulated.
“I haven’t seen you buy anything extravagant, just relax and enjoy yourself.” Cole said, adding a couple of big pillows to the pile. “Besides, you saved a bunch of money on the furniture for the living room.”
“Well, that may not be true, it may cost a small fortune to get it fixed. I can do some of the work myself, but I can’t make the cushions, I’m going to have to find someone to do that and I promise you it’s going to be expensive.”
“Yeah, but if what you say is true, once they’re fixed they’ll be very valuable. So it seems like you’re spending money to make money, always a good plan if you ask me.”
“I didn’t think of it that way.” She said, knowing that the set would be worth some serious money once she was finished with it.
Lauren didn’t feel so bad after that, they finished her shopping and arranged to have everything shipped back to Prospect since there was no way it would all fit in the car. She had to admit that it had been kind of fun to be able to buy what she wanted without thinking about the price, but it had also been stressful.
They decided to have lunch then go their separate ways for a few hours so Lauren could get a new outfit for dinner that night. Cole headed off to find a coffee shop where he could spend a few hours working and Lauren headed back to one of the department stores they’d already visited.
She had no idea how to go about finding something to wear to an upscale restaurant so the minute she walked into the store she called Sadie. “Help.” She said, when Sadie answered her phone.
“What’s wrong?” Sadie said, concern in her voice.
“Cole’s taking me to someplace called Le Mason for dinner tonight and I have no idea what to wear. I’m standing in the middle of the store and everything looks like something my grandmother would wear.”
“If you’re in one of the department stores at the mall then you’re in the wrong place. Give me a few minutes to make a phone call and I’ll get you hooked up with someone that can help. What’s your budget?”
“Cole said that I should put it on the card, he said it was an investment in the future.” Lauren said, a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach when she thought about the future.
“That’s an interesting thing for him to say. What’s going on between you two?”
Lauren was silent for so long, Sadie said, “You slept with him didn’t you?”
“Well....” Lauren started to tell Sadie about all that had happened, but didn’t want to do it over the phone. “Let’s talk about it when I get home.”
“Oh, I knew it. You and Cole are perfect for each other.”
“I don’t know about that. We’re so different, he’s rich and I’m not. He’s white and I’m black. Besides I’m not going to be here that long. What’s going to happen when I leave? I don’t want to get my heart broken.”
“For someone who didn’t want to talk about it, that was a lot of talk. Lauren stop worrying about what might happen and just enjoy yourself. Now get out of that store and give me a few minutes to get something set up. Trust me, I’ve got your back.”
Lauren knew that Sadie wouldn’t let her down, so she ended the call and went out to the mall and found a bench to sit on while she waited. While she was waiting, she watched the people passing, the couples holding hands, the mother’s with their children, and the elderly couples still clearly in love after years of marriage.
Watching them, she felt a pang of longing and realized for the first time in her life, she wanted what other people had. A real home and someone to share it with. It was a shocking realization that represented a complete change from what she’d though she’d always wanted. She was just beginning to panic, when Sadie’s call interrupted her thoughts.
“You’re all set. I called a friend of mine who works in the mall. She’s going to meet you at the fountain and help you find the perfect outfit.”
“Thank you Sadie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d be showing up to the hottest restaurant in town looking like a grandma.” Sadie said, laughing. “I’m going to send you a picture of my friend so you’ll recognize her. Happy shopping, call me tomorrow.”
Sadie’s friend Melissa was just as helpful as Sadie had promised. In a few short hours she had the perfect dress and a pair of heels she could handle. She even gave Lauren a lesson on how to walk in them, making her feel much more confident that she wouldn’t trip and embarrass herself.
She wasn’t as confident about the dress which they’d found in a little boutique in a back corner of the mall. It was a silky creation that left her back exposed and so much skin showing in the front she was afraid she might fall out of it. The only problem was that she couldn’t wear anything under it except a pair of thong underwear, something she’d never imagined wearing.
“You look incredible in that dress, that man of yours is going to fall right to the floor when he sees you. If you have time we should hit the salon for a mini makeover, Sadie said you never treat yourself and I should make you.”
Lauren wasn’t sure about a makeover, but since she was feeling brave she decided to take Melissa’s advice. An hour later she’d been waxed, rubbed, and polished to a shine, an experience that she found was actually kind of pleasant, well except the waxing part which wasn’t very fun.
When she met back up with Cole, she found she was excited for the night to come. Cole had been making plans while she’d been shopping and one of those was to get them a room downtown even though they had a perfectly good cabin. He wanted tonight to be special, to show Lauren a different side of life. Now that he knew money wasn’t all that important to her, he could spend what he wanted without worry.
“I’ve booked us a room downtown for tonight. We’ll pack a few things and get ready there.”
“We have a perfectly good place to stay already.” Lauren said, confused.
“I wanted to do something extravagant tonight.” He said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her right there in the mall.
She should have been embarrassed by the public display, but found that she liked it. The kiss was long and sensual, holding a promise of more to come. It should have assuaged some of the desire she’d been feeling all day, but instead it only intensified her longing. A longing that had been building all day, fueled by the most simple of things. His hand on her back as he guided her though a store or the simple act of holding her hand as they walked, but most of all it was simply being close to him that caused her to long for something more.
When they walked into the room he’d gotten them for the night, Lauren was speechless. It was more than just a room, it was a suite complete with a huge balcony that gave them a beautiful view of the mountains to the east. She walked around the suite enjoying the novelty of the plush furnishings and extras that she found.
The bedroom was luxurious, there was no other word to describe it. The bed was huge and covered with a silk bed spread and so many pillows that she knew she’d just sink into it. Thinking about the bed made her feel a little nervous, clearly Cole planned for them to share it since it was the only one in the room. Last night had been wonderful and she wanted to share tonight with him as well, but part of her was afraid that she was quickly becoming too involved with Cole.
The feelings she was having were becoming much too intense. How would she ever separate herself from him if she let them grow further? She walked to the window and pulled the curtains back, giving herself a second to get
control of her feelings, but Cole had followed her and wasn’t about to let her sink into one of her silences.
Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Just wait until tonight, the moon is full and the weather is clear, it will be a perfect night for sitting on the balcony.”
Lauren had been thinking about later that night as well, but her thoughts didn’t involve sitting on the balcony. She blushed, glad that Cole didn’t know what she was thinking. But something in her body language must have tipped him off, because he bent his head down and kissed her neck, sending wonderful ripples of desire flowing through her body.
“We have hours yet before we have to go to dinner, maybe we should try out that bed, make sure it’s comfortable.” He whispered in her ear.
“Hmm, it looks good to me.” She said, goosebumps erupting on her arms as Cole continued to nuzzle her neck.
Cole’s hands, which had been wrapped around her waist, slid up and found her breasts. One hand on each, he began to gently massage them turning Lauren into putty, every muscle relaxing as pleasure rushed through her to her core. When his thumbs grazed across her nipples, they hardened and a hot spiral of desire rushed through her body. She knew then that she was lost, even if she wanted to, there was no stopping what was about to happen.
Instead of taking her to the bed, Cole reached down and unzipped her pants, then pushed them and her panties to the floor, nuzzling her neck the entire time. She stepped out of them, then pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. When she tried to turn in his arms, Cole stopped her, grabbed her hand and placed them on the window in front of them.
“Don’t move.” He said, then quickly removed his clothes.
Lauren was beginning to feel silly standing there leaning on the window naked, her legs were spread a bit because she had to lean forward over the window sill. But Cole was suddenly back, his warm skin pressed against hers. She shivered at the feel, then gasped when Cole slid his hard penis between her folds, brushing the wet tip across her clit.
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