Taming Eric

by J. a Melville

  * * *

  It was the sound of Natasha’s voice and her shaking him that finally dragged him out of a deep sleep. He groaned rolling onto his stomach but the sound of her gasping was enough to get his eyes open. Her blue green gaze was focused on him with what looked like horror on her face. “What is it baby?” He struggled to clear the sleep fog from his brain.

  “Your shoulders. God, did I do that? Of course I did that. How else would it have happened? Oh god how could I do that?” The words tumbled from her lips and he stared at her in confusion for a moment until her words finally registered.

  Before he could take a look at what had her in such a state, she reached down and touched his shoulder gently and that’s when the pain hit and he flinched away from her wandering fingers. He looked over at his shoulders seeing the deep furrows in his skin, with congealed blood running the length of each furrow. They actually hurt like hell now she’d drawn attention to them but a part of him didn’t mind seeing the evidence of Natasha’s passion for him marking him like a brand, or in this case 8 nicely lined up brands.

  He grinned at her wanting to ease that look of guilt and horror he saw in her eyes. “You just can’t get enough of my body.” He joked as he stared at her, his eyes moving over her until it finally registered that she was dressed. She looked beautiful of course in her floral sundress, but he didn’t want her standing by the bed dressed, he wanted her naked and in the bed and preferably under him, although he’d be happy with having her on top of him too. “Why are you dressed?”

  “I woke early and couldn’t get back to sleep.” Her eyes moved to his shoulders again and she cringed. “I’m sorry Eric, I still can’t believe I did that.”

  He rolled onto his back to hide the damage from her in an effort to ease her guilt. He reached out, grabbing her arm, pulling her down on top of him. “Never apologise for losing control baby. If you can do that, then I must have done something right.”

  She smacked him on the chest. “Oh get over yourself.”

  He rubbed at himself, acting like he’d been seriously harmed. “Oh baby, such violence. You’re a cruel woman hitting an injured man. Pick on me while I’m down.” He teased her. It was so much fun to do because she would bite so well, unfortunately not in the cheeky, sexy way though. He wouldn’t mind her adding a few teeth marks to his skin, the more he thought about it.

  She struggled to get up but he held her against him. “I think you’ll live. You don’t feel like you’re suffering too much.”

  He had to concede that fact as his cock strained up hard under the blankets. She would feel it, there was no way she couldn’t when she was lying over him the way she was. He rolled her over, pinning her beneath him and dropped a kiss on her parted lips, thrusting his hips against her. It was nothing more than dry humping since the blankets and her clothing between them provided more of a physical barrier than he liked. He wanted her and somehow he had to free himself from the bedding and remove her clothes to reach his goal.

  Unfortunately Natasha wasn’t as keen to get naked as he’d hoped, in fact she pushed against his shoulders in an effort to get up and he heard her tell him she needed to do some washing and she needed him to tell her where to find washing powder. He frowned at her words since they weren’t exactly what he had in mind. If she worried about being cold, he could come up with plenty of ways to keep her warm.

  “I wouldn’t let you freeze baby.” He thrust against her again. “I know how to keep you warm, don’t you worry.”

  She groaned at his words. “We can’t have sex all the time so I stay warm.”

  “Yeah? We can give it a fucking good go though sweetheart.” He bent to kiss her again.

  Obviously his charms were falling flat this morning because she shoved hard and managed to pull herself out of his arms, climbing off the bed and moving back so he couldn’t grab her again. She looked at his face and burst out laughing. “Don’t pout. It’s not very manly when you pout.”

  Reluctantly he realised there was no way he was getting lucky this morning and he fell back on the bed to watch as Natasha started rummaging through her bags. “Why don’t you put your clothes in the walk through robe baby? Save all that going through your bags each time.”

  “We’re staying here long enough for that?” She asked.

  Eric tensed up. Was she wanting to go back home? “Why, do you want to go home yet?”

  “No I don’t but aren’t you worried about work?”

  “No I’m not baby. I pay my employees good money to take care of things while I’m not there. If there’s something really wrong that needs my attention, trust me, I would have been told by now. Even the boss is entitled to a holiday.”

  He dropped back down on the bed and left Natasha to the sorting of her clothes. Suddenly his eyes fell on one particular item in her hands. Holy fuck! What the hell was that? “What the fuck is that?” He watched colour flood her cheeks as she reluctantly held it up for him to see.

  Damn! It was some satin number in red. There didn’t appear to be much to it and what there was looked sexy as all hell. There were narrow straps running from hip to neck on it and some fabric looked like it would cover her breasts, just, but there wasn’t much to the back from what he could see. She must have bought it the day she’d gone to the beach but why he was only just learning of its existence he didn’t know.

  “Why haven’t I seen you in that?” He frowned at her. “Fuck, I’m not sure I want to actually.” Well that wasn’t quite true. He’d love to see her in that, but he already knew the sight of her in that barely there outfit was going to put his blood pressure in serious danger of running sky high.

  “Why don’t you like it?” She asked.

  “Like it?” She even had to ask? “That’s the problem right there. I think I’m going to like it too damned much. There’s only so much a man can handle.”

  Natasha laughed. “It’s just a piece of lingerie.”

  “That’s not just a piece of lingerie baby. That’s a weapon of destruction. You’re gonna destroy me if you wear it.”

  “Stop being so melodramatic Eric.” She laughed at him again.

  He collapsed back on the bed grumbling to himself. “Damned health insurance had better be up to date. Wonder if it’s possible to have a heart attack from seeing a sexy woman dressed in lingerie that should come with a health warning?”

  Eric went back to watching Natasha as she went through the contents of her bags. When she pulled out some more of her clothing, a small box fell free from the garments and hit the floor with a dull thud. It immediately got his attention as he wondered what it was. “What’s that?”

  He was surprised when she blushed, a dark red flooding her face. He went from surprised to curious when she grabbed it and hastily tried to stuff it back into her bag. “What is it baby?” Now he really wanted to know. What the hell had her acting the way she was and why was she so determined that he not find out?

  “It’s nothing.” She told him but he wasn’t listening to her anymore. His curiosity was well and truly piqued and he needed to know.

  He threw back the blankets, climbed out of bed and padded over to her naked. He squatted down and reached for the bag she’d dropped the box into but she swatted at him, trying to stop him. She obviously didn’t know what she was up against when his mind was set on something and finding out what she was hiding was all he could focus on. He grabbed the bag from her despite her protests and held it out of her reach.

  “Dammit Eric, give it back.” She tried again to get it back from him but he stood up pulling the box free from the bag. He could see it looked like a jewellery box and carefully he opened it revealing a heavy link silver bracelet.

  “This doesn’t look like something you would wear baby.” His eyes were still on the shining silver. It was obviously a man’s bracelet but who had she bought it for?

  She was quiet
for a few moments before she finally said quietly. “It’s not for me.”

  “Who’s it for? This looks like a man’s bracelet. What man would you buy a bracelet for?” Suddenly his stomach tightened, a mixture of anger and fear flooding him. Fuck no. She wouldn’t have bought this for him would she? “This had better not be for that bronzed idiot on the beach.” Jealousy wormed its way through him as he thought of that Brodie receiving this bracelet. Natasha had said she wasn’t interested in him like that, but who could be sure, maybe she did like him more than she was letting on?

  Natasha’s angry tone dragged his focus back to her. “Don’t be such a damned fool Eric. Why would I buy him something and he’s not a bronzed idiot, his name is Brodie. You’re the idiot.” She snapped.

  Instantly he found himself bristling with anger. A simple yes or no would have sufficed she didn’t have to call him a fool or an idiot. He didn’t handle insults well given he’d grown up with just about every insult, every hurtful remark thrown his way.

  “Don’t call me an idiot.” He yelled, his anger rising. He knew, down deep inside, his anger was fuelled by more than Natasha calling him an idiot, it was fuelled by memories from his past that he didn’t want resurrected and sure as hell not now.

  Natasha wasn’t finished with him yet obviously when she yelled back at him, telling him not to act like one. They glared at each other, tension radiating off both of them until suddenly her shoulders dropped her head bowing. “I bought it for you.” Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear. “The day you had to meet up with Carmichael and I went to the beach. I stopped at the shops too and had a look around. I saw it and I thought it would be nice for you, but maybe you don’t wear jewellery or something like that. I would have given it to you that day but…” Her eyes rose to his. “You know what happened when I got back.”

  Yeah he knew what had happened when she got back. He’d acted like a rampaging bull, trampling her down practically and took out his insecurities on her by losing his head and having unprotected sex. He stared down at the bracelet as it gleamed in the red velvet jeweller’s box. Her words still resonated through his head. She’d bought it for him. Why? No one ever bought him anything. Hell not even his own Mother had bought him anything beyond what he had to have like clothes and even then they’d been second hand. Sure he got small gifts from work associates, but nothing like this, nothing personal. Natasha had gone out of her way to buy him this, she’d made the conscious decision to buy it and as he continued to stare at it, half expecting to wake up and find he was dreaming the entire thing, he felt emotions flooding him that he would never have expected. His throat tightened and he was shocked to feel tears burning at the back of his eyes.

  Natasha’s voice cut through the silence and she sounded almost nervous. “I was going to give it to you when we went home. To thank you for this time away, but, if you don’t want it, or like it, it’s ok, I can take it back.”

  From her hesitant words he suddenly realised he’d been silent for too long. Finally with a voice that was husky from the emotions threatening to overwhelm him he managed to whisper. “No one’s ever given me a gift before.” He looked up at her briefly before his eyes shifted back to the box.

  “You can’t be serious Eric. Your Mother would have bought you things, people from work.”

  “Sure my Mother bought me what she could afford, but only things I needed like clothes and food. Not toys or anything like that and I get things from employees sometimes and gifts from companies, but not like this. No personal gifts.”

  Almost reverently he reached out to run his fingers over the gleaming chunky silver and was surprised to see his hand was shaking. Fuck but he was struggling to deal with how this one simple gift was affecting him. He was on emotional overload right now and not sure how to deal with it. He had to keep what he was feeling from Natasha though but it was getting so hard. The tears were burning at the back of his eyes and he blinked rapidly trying to keep them at bay, but he couldn’t and the bracelet blurred as tears filled his eyes. “Fuck man, get a hold of yourself. She’s going to think you’re a real pussy crying like this.” He told himself.

  “Do you like it?” Natasha’s voice was tentative and he nodded. He wasn’t game to speak because she would hear his voice cracking as he knew it would. He was just moments off the tears rolling despite desperately trying to hold them back. He could feel her eyes on him but he kept his head lowered, not wanting her to see his expression. “Eric.” She said softly and he felt her hand cup his cheek.

  That was it for him. Her gentle touch brought him completely undone and before he could stop it a tear escaped and tracked its way slowly down his face. She’d seen it too because her thumb swept across his cheek, brushing it away. With his emotions running high, tear after tear began to fall and he squeezed his eyes shut tight in an effort to stop the flood gates that had opened for him. He was out of control, unable to stop the tears and he felt so embarrassed despite the gentle touch of Natasha’s hands on his face.

  “Eric, oh god Eric, what’s wrong?”

  He sniffed, swiping at his tears, cursing his weakness when it came to this woman and how one gesture from her had turned him into a weeping mess. “Fuck it.” He cursed. “Dammit woman, you’re making me soft. One fucking gift and I’m crying like a bloody baby.” He raised his eyes briefly to hers before embarrassment made him lower them again. God what would she be thinking of him right now?

  She surprised him when she reached up and kissed him. Her lips a feather light touch on his. “It doesn’t make you soft just because you cry Eric. I don’t get this need for men to try and act all big and tough. It doesn’t make you less of a man. My guess is this gift has triggered something from your past, more than likely your childhood. Do you think that’s what it is?” She kissed him again. “Your secret’s safe with me.” She smiled up at him, her expression so soft and sweet and there was a gentleness in her eyes that pulled at his heart. It scared him a little that she would refer to his childhood. She only knew what he’d told her and he’d lied or chosen to leave out the worst of it at least. Still, it did embarrass him that she was seeing him with his defences down, he worried that she might think he was weak although nothing in her behaviour indicated that. Maybe he was just being paranoid but the one thing he was sure of, he loved her more than he thought it was ever possible for him to love someone. The words hovered on his lips, but he couldn’t speak them. He just didn’t have the balls for that and his heart couldn’t take it if her look turned to pity. She was sweet and kind, beautiful and caring, but he didn’t even entertain the idea that she could come to love him.

  “I still don’t know if you like it though Eric. You might have shed a tear because you hate it and don’t know how to break it to me.” She gave him a mischievous smile.

  “I don’t hate it baby. I can’t believe you bought it for me. I’m just sorry that I acted like such a bastard that day. No wonder you never gave it to me. Would you have given it to me at all?”

  “I’m not sure Eric. I probably would but not until we were going home.” At her words another wave of guilt washed over him at his treatment of her the day she’d gone to the beach. He’d been out of control. He’d gone at her like an animal because he’d given in to his own insecurities, thinking she had gone and left him.

  Carefully he removed the bracelet from the box. “Put it on me baby, please.” He held it out to her.

  “You want to wear it now?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “Yes baby, I do. Have you got a problem with that?” She shook her head, taking the bracelet from him to carefully do up around the wrist he held out to her.

  Once she’d fastened it, Eric turned his hand, watching as the light hit the silver making it gleam. He was still in shock that she’d bought him a gift. None of his ex girlfriends had ever bought him anything. They only ever had their hands out for what he could buy for them. This was an
alien feeling for him and he couldn’t take his eyes off the bracelet for a few minutes. He still kept expecting to wake and find it was all a dream.

  He could feel his emotions rising again and before he could give in to them and let the tears that were burning at the back of his eyes fall he reached out and pulled Natasha into his arms, his lips closing over hers as he kissed her with all the emotion that surged through him.

  As the kiss deepened and he felt her responding, her tongue sliding into his mouth he felt his cock stirring to life between them. Damn but he’d forgotten during the height of his emotional loss of control that he was naked. Well she was going to feel how much he wanted her with little barriers between their bodies besides her dress. He cupped her ass pulling her even closer. He needed her, suddenly he knew he had to have her and have her now. He needed that intimate connection with her so desperately, to be as close to her as he possibly could if not necessarily by mind, but certainly by body and with growing urgency he pushed his hard cock against her.

  “Eric.” She moaned. “I need to get some washing done.” She tried to push him away.

  He wouldn’t let her go. He needed her too much. His body was aching for her. “Natasha baby, I need you. Fuck it sweetheart, I want you. Fuck the washing, I’ll damned well help you with it but I need to be inside you.” He thrust against her and he could tell her resolve was weakening when he saw her nipples harden, pushing against the fabric of her dress.

  He knew he had her when her hands moved down his chest, over his stomach before she curled her fingers around his straining cock. He pushed her hand aside and reached down to grab the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head before easing a couple of fingers past her panties and slipping them into her pussy. God, but she was wet. With growing urgency he dragged the scrap of lace down her legs until she could step out of them and his lips crushed hers, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth while his hands cupped her breasts, grazing over the nipples until they had hardened.