by Anne Conley
Of course, the faster she worked, the quicker her day went, and by the time the lights were dimmed in the office space, Mae still had a stack of files to get through before she felt comfortable leaving. She’d been so lost in her own head during the day, she hadn’t registered everyone saying goodnight to her, until she heard the squeak of the desk in the row behind her.
Her skin prickled with fear as she realized she was alone up here for the first time since the incident. Exactly where she didn’t want to be. The groan of the fake wood of the desk echoed in her ear, broadcasting someone else’s presence behind her.
Who would watch her and not say anything? Without moving her head, her eyes darted around for a weapon and landed on her stapler. It was an old one—used to be her dad’s, from the sixties, all metal and heavy as fuck. Grasping it in one hand and her stack of papers in the other, she composed herself, then acted.
In one smooth movement, Mae spun around and stood, launching the stapler at the face of the man standing behind her. As soon as she registered who he was, he caught the stapler with lightning-fast reflexes in one hand.
Her legs turned to jelly and her grip loosened on the files as she sank into the chair, relief flooding her veins. A sigh filled the air, and she realized it was hers. Sheepishly, Mae looked at Jason, standing there with a smirk on his face.
“I’m sorry to sneak up on you, but you were busy, and I just enjoyed watching you.”
She bent down to pick up all the papers she’d dropped, still not trusting her knees. Jason looked hot in jeans and a t-shirt instead of the coveralls he usually wore. She’d only seen him in his casual wear once, at the bar, but it still took her breath away.
“It’s okay. I’m on edge up here by myself.” Her hands were shaking as she picked up folders and papers, sucking air between her teeth at the mess she’d made and all the new work she’d created for herself. Jason’s large hands joined hers, his scent overwhelming her as he helped her straighten the papers.
“I hate that,” he said, his low voice a murmur in her ear. “That’s my new job, to make you feel safer here.”
Mae risked a glance up at him, and those sparkling, green eyes bored into her, seeing her fears, her flaws, and softening in their presence.
Suddenly, the fact they were utterly alone sank into her, and not in a scary way. It was as if he realized it, too. The glittering eyes that had just a moment ago been so soft and caring were now a smoldering fire on her skin. Jason took the folders out of her hand and stacked them on top of his, setting them aside, never breaking his gaze.
Mae was on fire. Lust shot through her veins at his look, pooling in her panties. A whimper came from her throat, unbidden, and the next thing she knew, Jason’s massive hands were on her face, and his mouth was on hers as he brought her to her feet.
He kissed her like he was a man in the desert and she was his water. He pressed her against the desk like he needed to touch every inch of her.
And Mae loved every bit of it.
His lips nipped and sucked, and she gave back everything she could. It was as if they were the last two people on the planet and now was the only time for them. Jason held her face and angled it where he could get at her lips the best, even as she clutched his shirt in her hands and tugged him closer. Wrapping her hands around his neck as he pushed her against her desk, she tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging. He groaned. She groaned.
Jason’s hands gripped her ass and squeezed before lifting her to her desk and sliding his fingers up her thighs. His fingers traveled between her knees, and she knew what was next but couldn’t stop it if she wanted to. Jason’s kisses branded her collar bone as one of his hands went under her skirt. He plumped up her breast with the other so he could kiss the top of it.
“Lean back, Mae,” he husked out in a growl.
She complied automatically, unable to do any different. Leaning back on her hands, Mae watched and squirmed as he feasted on her cleavage, one of his hands still hidden underneath her skirt. She could feel it trembling as it trailed around the elastic edge of her panties, and she couldn’t help but raise her hips. He tugged down her top, freeing a nipple, looking at it for a second like it was a prime rib before sucking it into his mouth.
The warm wetness of his mouth sent a shock of sensations straight to her pussy, and she leaned on her elbows, arching her back and gyrating her hips against him.
Jason was worshiping her body as if he’d never seen a woman before. She felt the thrill of decadence straight to her toes as she wrapped her legs around his lean hips. A strand of hair fell over his forehead as he nibbled and sucked on her breast, moaning as he did. When his fingers found her opening and sank inside her, he opened his mouth and groaned, the heat of his breath fluttering across her skin.
Mae’s sensations were on overload. She could feel Jason everywhere, inside and out. She heard him as he hissed and grunted while he plundered her body, playing it like a sensual instrument. She heard her desire as it gushed between her legs with every pump of his hand. But she was too busy feeling to care. Everything inside was tight, like strings being plucked to make the most beautiful music right before they broke.
She felt the impending orgasm as Jason found her spot and concentrated on it, his thumb making light circles on her clit. When he started sucking her breast in earnest, he pushed on the spot, his forearm muscles bunching with the effort.
Mae couldn’t remember her name or where they were; all she could do was feel all the sensations he was laying on her. She arched further into his body, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer while his finger pulsated inside her.
Mae fell apart, wracking with convulsions of ecstasy while Jason held her and brought her down from the cliff she’d just jumped off of.
“I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you,” Jason breathed into her mouth before kissing her senseless. It was insanity. She felt the same way, but his tongue took over her mouth while she heard the jangle of his belt as he began to release the erection she’d been grinding into.
She had to stop him. It wasn’t fair to not tell him he would be her first. It seemed to make a difference to guys.
Mae reluctantly broke the kiss, putting one hand on Jason’s chest and stilling his hand with the other.
“Wait,” she whispered, unable to find her voice. The disappointment etched on his face as he looked into her eyes made her want to weep. She almost took it back. But if he found out after the fact, it could be bad. “I’m a virgin.”
Confusion marred his features as he looked down at her skirt, at his hand, then back up at her.
She rolled her eyes, laughing. “Virgin. Not dead. I’ve never been with a man before.” Just her vibrator, really, but he didn’t need to know everything. He was surely wondering why he hadn’t run into a hymen on his finger expedition.
The confusion and disappointment morphed into something else, and she rushed to reassure him. “I want this, though. I’ve been trying to lose my V-card for years, but at this point, it’s more of a hindrance than anything. I just didn’t want you to be surprised, or whatever.” Now she was babbling, not sure what he would say.
Jason gripped her hips almost painfully as he leaned his forehead against hers, taking deep breaths.
“Dinner? You ready?”
Disappointment flooded her. He was going to be like all the others and drop her. He’d already committed to taking her to dinner, and now he was just fulfilling his promise as quickly as he could.
“Yeah,” she croaked.
**
Jason followed her to the Vietnamese place she’d picked for dinner. He’d never had this pho stuff she’d said was so amazing but was game to try it if it made her happy. He fretted the entire drive about Mae. He hadn’t thought it was possible for his feelings for her to gain intensity, but they had.
She was such a breath of fresh air. She wasn’t like any other woman, ever, in the history of women. She was pure and innocent, yet responsible and
independent. She knew what she wanted and went after it, even though she was shy enough to not be brazen about it.
Jason couldn’t fucking believe she was a virgin. She was gorgeous. Surely, she’d had men follow her around like puppy dogs, willing to relieve her of the pesky virginity thing. He couldn’t understand why she’d called it a hindrance.
At the restaurant, which was a hole in the wall nestled into a strip mall not too far away, he found out pho was noodle soup. Tasty noodle soup, but still, just noodle soup. He watched as she filled her bowl of broth and noodles with all sorts of herbs and vegetables before slurping a big bite with her chopsticks.
They ate in silence, mostly because he didn’t want to interrupt her obvious enjoyment of the meal. Mae was careful to put a little bit of everything on each bite, almost obsessive about it, and he thought it was precious.
And the way her lips worked around the food was damn mesmerizing.
Mae swallowed, her long, elegant throat working like a masterpiece. Pulling Jason from his fantasy of nibbling on her neck and leaving a rash from his beard stubble all over her pale skin, she broke the silence.
“Tell me about your new job?”
“Uh, like I said, it’s head security specialist. I’m going to be setting up a new security system at the company, installing cameras, hiring guards, stuff like that. It’s a serious pay raise and better hours, so I’m happy with it.”
Her eyebrows scrunched on her forehead. “Does it go along with what you wanted to be doing?” Her eyes dropped to her lap. “Sorry. I assumed you were the custodian because you were in school for something else. But I could be totally wrong about that. I didn’t mean to be presumptuous.”
“No, it’s okay.” He took a bite of noodle and chewed slowly, putting off this part of the conversation. She was a good girl and probably didn’t want to have anything to do with a guy who had no intrinsic drive. “I hadn’t figured out yet what I wanted to do. I got off my last tour and knew I was done with the Marines but didn’t know what was next. I’ve been floating for a while, and then I got the janitorial job for something to do.” He worked his chopsticks, pulling more of the long noodles out of his bowl. “But the security gig sounds fun. I’m qualified for it, and it’s more than sweeping trash. I think I’m going to enjoy it. It will certainly put some of my skills to use, but I really hope I’m finished with the bomb stuff.”
“Is that what you did in the Marines?”
He nodded while he chewed but didn’t really want to talk about himself anymore. “What about you?” he prompted, changing the subject. “Do you want to be here forever?”
Mae shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a great job, and up until last week, not too stressful. But I’m good at it, and there’s room for growth and advancement. The benefits are great. I don’t have a reason not to work there.”
“Is there anything you’d rather do?”
“At some point, far off in my future, I’d like to be a stay-at-home mom and just take care of my kids. But that is sooo far away. I’m fine right now.” Mae shrugged, even though her eyes lit up at the mention of kids.
Jason could see it—her tiny body big and round with some man’s baby in there. Of course, that thought brought something weird bubbling up in his gut, something he didn’t understand. He’d never once thought about having kids of his own, but the idea of Mae having someone else’s kids brought an insane, red jealousy streaking through his head, and he shook it to clear it out.
For fuck’s sake, what was this girl doing to him?
Mae had finished her noodles and had the giant bowl in front of her face, drinking the rich, anise-flavored broth from it. When she lowered it, she wiped her face with her forearm and continued the conversation.
“What are your parents like?”
“Never really knew my dad. Mom always said he was bad news, and I figured she was right since he never once tried to take care of us or even check in. So it’s just been me and Mom. Honestly, part of the reason I went into the service was so I could give her a break.” He chuckled. “I think I gave her more than her share of gray hairs.”
“I bet you did. Lots of trouble?”
“Not really. She just worried about me too much. Still does.” He picked up his bowl, following Mae’s example. “You?”
“My parents moved to Michigan for my dad’s job. I haven’t seen them much since then, but we talk on the phone a lot.”
Jason noticed her bowl was empty and Mae was fidgeting in her seat. With her earlier words ringing in his head, his arousal had been dancing around in his peripheral brain throughout dinner. He’d done the gentlemanly thing and taken her out.
Now, his thoughts were anything but gentlemanly.
“You have any dessert at your place?” His voice came out lower and more seductive than he’d intended, but her reaction made his cock spring to life.
Mae’s eyes lit up, and she smiled so brightly he couldn’t help but smile back.
“I thought I’d turned you off with that.”
“Sweetheart, I have no idea what sort of guys you’ve gone out with in the past, but your words did nothing of the sort with me.” He reached for her hand, the dainty appendage curling into his much larger one as he smoothed his thumb over her wrist. “I’ve never heard anything so sexy in my life,” he whispered. “And just so you know, if we do this, I’m it. I don’t share. Just because you lose your cherry with me doesn’t mean you get to sample others. You’re mine. Got it?”
Goose bumps rose on her neck as a flush stole up her cheeks and her eyes brightened at his words.
Hell yes.
“Got it,” she choked out on a whisper.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Five
In his truck on the way to her apartment, Jason’s mind was flowing with images of Mae coming apart beneath him. He wondered what she would look like but never, in his wildest dreams, had he imagined she would she be as beautiful as the reality had been—sprawled across her desk, laid out underneath him while he played her beautiful body. Jason remembered it all in vivid detail while he resisted the urge to imagine what would happen tonight. He knew if he did that, the anticipation would be too much for his poor, tortured libido. Jason had wanted Mae since the first moment he’d seen her.
Tonight had blown him away in so many ways. To think she trusted him with her virginity, wanted him to be her first, was unbelievable. She may have tried to give it away before, but the fact she was pure for him was a heady feeling. He wouldn’t break the trust she was giving him so freely.
He would be her first.
And if things went the way he wanted them to, Jason would be her only.
Yep. He’d gone there. Truth was, it didn’t even hurt to think it. Jason hadn’t been able to get little Mae out of his mind since the moment he’d shoved her under her cubicle and she’d looked back at him with giant, scared, trusting eyes.
She’d put her life in his hands. He’d seen her face when he pulled the charger out of the plastique explosives. He’d seen her face when he’d taken down the guys who had put it there. He’d been seeing her face in his dreams.
She was it for him.
And tonight, he would show her.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Mae’s voice was hesitant, as if she were second-guessing herself. He offered her a smile, which she returned.
“I’m just grateful. This is going to be a great night, and I’m trying to figure out how to do this so I don’t scare you or hurt you.”
Her eyes widened, but not with fear. It was more of a curiosity. They darted down to the bulge in his pants, then back up to his face. He would satisfy her curiosity soon enough. First, he had to get them safely to her apartment.
Jason drove up to her house and got her out of the truck, holding her hand. They raced to her door, and she let them in before he pushed her up against the door for a thorough kiss.
“At any time, if you change your mind, stop this. I swear I’ll do what
you want.” Jason was kissing her neck and, as if in response, she tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head.
Her nimble fingers went to his belt buckle, but he stilled her. “Hang on, sweetheart. This is you. I want to see you. Take me to the bedroom.” Then, a thought hit him. “You got any candles you can light?” If she were moving around, doing stuff, maybe he could get his mind off how badly he wanted her. Jason was in danger of busting a nut in his jeans and didn’t want that shit to happen.
She nodded and led him to her bedroom, a comfortable place filled with pillows and soft textures. Images of the two of them sinking into decadence, wrapped in comfort, naked skin sliding against naked skin, made him lightheaded. Mae moved gracefully around the room lighting tapered candles she found in drawers, and he flipped the switch, filling the room with a warm glow.
He moved to her, and slowly, in an effort to control his randiness, unbuttoned her shirt, reveling in the erotic display of creamy skin, inch by inch.
Her pink lace bra showcased her breasts perfectly, her nipples protruding, erect and proud. Jason grasped them, squeezing gently with a small hiss. He watched eagerly as Mae slipped her hands in the waist of her skirt and lowered it, showing off a matching pair of panties.
“Fucking beautiful,” he murmured as he kissed her shoulder, pushing her to the bed.
He couldn’t wait to taste her. Jason, still dressed, lowered himself over her warm body, not wanting to rush things. The scent of her overwhelmed him, a musky sweetness he couldn’t get enough of. He kissed her legs, anxious to get to her center but forcing himself to take it slowly. For her sake.
The backs of her knees were ticklish and tasted a little salty from the sweat of the day. Mae let him maneuver her body, trusted him to show her pleasure, and for that, he very nearly came undone.
When Jason reached her apex, she hissed and arched off the bed at his inhale. Burying his nose in her sweet sex, he couldn’t get enough of her. Swiping his tongue up her folds, he explored the pink delight while she writhed and clutched his hair in her hands, pulling him closer. Mae tasted like honey, sweet and earthy, and he couldn’t get enough. He purposely didn’t hit the places that would make her scream because he wanted to prolong this, feel her squirm.