Having You

by A. C. Arthur

  “I—” she began but stopped when his finger stroked along her lower lip.

  It was fuller than the top one, devoid of the gloss he’d seen on them when she’d first walked in. Her brows were perfectly arched, lashes long and feathery.

  “Mr. Carrington,” she began. “This is not going to work.”

  “Oh it is, Hailey. It definitely is,” he said and instead of waiting for her to respond dipped his head low enough to run his tongue along the rise of cleavage she displayed.

  She gasped, her chest rising higher as if she were attempting to feed him more. Jerald took that offer, going further until his tongue was pressing into the crevice that divided her breasts. He moved further until his face was practically buried between her soft mounds.

  Hailey clasped the back of his head then and Jerald felt his carefully maintained control shake. It was a mild reaction, but one nonetheless. Moving a knee he pushed her legs apart. She immediately thrust herself upward, like she was more than ready to ride him. Her pussy rubbed seductively along his knee and Jerald lifted it higher, let her press into him further. She was aching, he knew, because that feeling had been with him every second of every day since the night at the beach. Magnified by the number of times he’d watched their video.

  “You have to tell me this time,” he said, lifting a hand to reach down the front of her dress gripping her plump breast.

  Pushing the material down simultaneously Jerald pulled the mound free, instantly flicking his tongue over the puckered nipple.

  “You have to say you want me to take you. I need your permission,” he told her. “Fuck! I need you to say the words.”

  Or he was sure he would die, right here, right now, with his dick harder than it had ever been in his life, and certainly harder than he’d ever imagined it would be again after the accident.

  Her response was a gasp, her body shivering as he continued to suckle on her breast. He cupped the other breast, squeezing hard as her turgid nipple rolled over the flat of his tongue. Her hands gripped the back of his head tighter, her hips jutting forward. She was losing the battle and he was damned glad.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes!”

  It took every ounce of strength Jerald possessed to pull his mouth away from her tender flesh, but he did. He cupped his arms beneath her bottom once more and loved how instantly her legs went around his waist. Taking the steps two at a time he had them upstairs and entering his bedroom in seconds. There was only a moment’s hesitation as he stood next to his bed.

  There had never been a woman here.

  He’d never wanted one to be.

  Pushing that thought from his mind he released his hold on Hailey, loving the feel of her body sliding down his until she was now on her feet. When she looked up at him Jerald felt unsteady. It was a quick feeling, just as he’d experienced moments before. A jolt of something strange that he refused to waste time trying to figure out.

  He reached for her dress then, gathering the material in his hands and lifting it up over her head. She’d carried a purse when she came in but he couldn’t remember now where it was, not when her breasts were bare and hanging heavily scant inches away from him. He cupped them once more, could not resist palming them and feeling their weight. The action made his body heat and his throat tighten. He yanked his hands away, pushing her panties down past her hips, waiting while she stepped out of them. The sandals she wore were a shade of green he hadn’t seen often, the same shade of green as the belt at the waist of her dress. His fingers traced along the straps that wound their way up past her ankles, creating an alluring crisscrossing design along the bronzed tone of her skin. His teeth clenched, mouthwatering as he stared from one foot to the other, aroused in a way that he’d never been before by something as simple as a woman wearing shoes. He continued to touch her, moving down to circle her ankles, down further to brush lightly over the painted tips of her toes. It was then that he saw it, his fingers shaking.

  He was nervous.

  Again.

  Yanking his hands away Jerald moved quickly placing Hailey on the bed—shoes included—before moving to his nightstand. Retrieving a condom he handed the packet to her before stripping his own clothes off tossing them onto the floor instead of putting them into the clothes hamper or the dry cleaners bag as he normally did when he undressed. At this moment, a habit that had come to be more like a ritual for him, became additional seconds that he could not afford to lose with her.

  Jerald climbed onto the bed, spreading her legs similar to the way he had that night on the island, but this time he looked down at her, saw the wet folds of her pussy and shook all over. He remembered touching her here, could still hear the sound of her juices stirring at the touch of his fingers. He loved that sound, loved the enticing scent she carried when she was aroused and thought about touching her again. But no, not this time.

  This time, Jerald wanted to taste her. He wanted his tongue licking over those plump folds of her flesh, tasting the glistening honey that coated her there. He wanted to delve deep into that oozing center, to feel the tightness that would soon surround his dick gripping his tongue. He wanted to feast on her as if she were a delicacy more distinct than caviar and better tasting than the most famed dessert.

  Something else he’d never wanted before.

  Another anomaly that he wouldn’t waste time trying to consider.

  “Put it on,” he said in a gruff, impatient voice. “Put it on now.”

  When Jerald looked to her face he realized that she’d been staring quizzically at him while he’d been contemplating what he knew was an impossibility. He rubbed the inside of her thighs then, massaging them until she was once again sighing, lifting up from the bed to roll the condom down his length. When she pulled her hands away from his thick length Jerald was more than ready to sink inside of her.

  But this time, she had other plans.

  #

  Hailey remembered their night on the beach as if it were yesterday. She recalled the way he’d looked at her and touched her until she’d shivered, her teeth chattering with her urgent need. She also recollected how he’d taken her so masterfully, so matter-of-factly, being sure to prove what he’d said to her on the beach, that she would enjoy having sex with him.

  She had.

  And she intended to again, one last time.

  But on her own terms.

  Flattening her palms on his chest Hailey pushed him back on the bed until the top of his head reached the bed’s edge. His body was hard and perfectly sculpted, muscles bulging as if he might have endeavored to be a bodybuilder instead of a businessman. He was glorious, she thought as she straddled him, her legs spreading wider than they ever had before to accomplish this feat.

  He stared up at her in question but did not speak, only let his hands fall to her thighs, grasping her skin until she shook. The nipples of his pectorals were dark and flat, slightly puckered and alluring. She wanted to lick him there and along the unmistakably defined board of his abs, but instead she grabbed his thick length once more, loving how it filled her one hand while she aimed it at her waiting center. On a deep inhale she settled herself over him, lowering slowly while her body once again opened and clenched around him.

  She sighed. She couldn’t help it. Not once since that night at the beach had she felt this aroused and this close to getting the release she so desired. For the last month she’d purchased not one, but two new vibrators. She had plugs and clamps, beads and even floggers in an attempt to bring herself at least a fraction of the intensity she’d felt at his hand. It had all been for nothing as there was just no comparison.

  When he thrust upward quickly implanting himself deep inside of her Hailey screamed, then moaned. Steadying herself over him she refocused her mind on taking at least some of the control this time around. She circled her hips, letting him settle inside of her as she stared down into his eyes.

  They were hooded, as if he were hiding even though they were as intimately exposed as any tw
o people could be. He was a classically handsome man with intense and attractive eyes. He had a strong jaw and medium thick lips. Hailey also figured, he was also a man that appreciated good sex, expected it. And she was going to give it to him.

  Rising up until he was almost completely out of her she had the distinct pleasure of watching his eyes darken, and a muscle in his jaw twitch before she lowered down on him once more. Then she began to pump in earnest, leaning into him while she drove her hips up and down his shaft.

  By way of reaction his hands had grasped her hips, fingers digging deep into her side as he matched her up and down thrusts. With a groan he moved a hand upward pressing her back so that she fell farther forward, her breasts hanging between them. He dipped his head then, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking deep. She felt like she was being milked and loved every second of it as she continued to slam her pussy down onto him with every bit of strength she had.

  She heard herself gasping for air, moaning and whispering how good it felt. Her body trembled over his, eyes closing then struggling to open again. All the while his facial features remained strained, as if he were holding back any more of a reaction than the hardness of his cock slamming into her.

  Hailey was not pleased and she pulled up and off him quickly, thinking maybe this had been a mistake after all. Sex had not been her original purpose for coming here tonight.

  But the minute she’d arrived he’d touched her and kissed her and…she’d lost all that conviction. She’d decided on one more time and then that would be it. Only now, she was realizing that may have been a mistake. Jerald hadn’t been at all concerned with what she’d had to say. And even now as they were having sex—what she’d thought he’d wanted all along—he was still acting as if there were something else he’d rather be doing.

  Maybe he was one of those guys that could only get off on control. She’d read about them in the sexy books she borrowed from the library when she grew tired of studying. He was always giving her commands instead of asking if she’d like to do anything, always assuming that what he needed and wanted was the only thing that mattered.

  Hailey was positive that wasn’t a situation she could deal with. No matter how good the end result was. She wanted that blissful orgasm, wanted it enough to put aside her real reason for coming here to get it. But in the end, she figured it wasn’t worth his lack of interest and the looming possibility that this night might end just as embarrassingly for her as it had on that island.

  Hailey was on her knees about to climb off the bed when he moved quickly, grabbing her by the waist as he came up behind her. His dick was slipping down the crevice of her ass, easing ever so easily into her pussy once more. And then it really began.

  The pounding of her heart as his dick moved in and out of her with speed and succinct aim, rubbing against every erogenous spot she figured she possessed. He held her hips still as he moved, his breath coming in steady pants. Her fingers clenched the sheets as she bit into her bottom lip, his pumping felt so damned good. He was so deep inside of her she felt like they may now be connected on more than just a physical level—like he was actually a part of her. And all thoughts of leaving vanished from her mind.

  “Jerald,” she whispered, trying it out. It sounded right echoing throughout the room and Hailey said it again and again.

  “Yes,” he replied to her surprise. “It’s me, Hailey. It’s all me.”

  And that was no lie, Hailey thought as he slammed into her one more time and the damn finally broke. Her body shook, her arms almost giving out on her. She closed her eyes as her release rippled through her like a torrential storm. Gritting her teeth was the only thing that kept her from yelling out with the immense pleasure she felt. He pulled out of her then, even as her body continued to convulse, flipping her over and onto her back.

  Jerald lifted her legs up onto his shoulders, then thrust into her again. He cupped her breasts this time as he worked himself in and out of her with quick deep thrusts. Through the haze of euphoria she was feeling Hailey managed to look up at him, to see how intently he stared down at her. His brow was furrowed, his lips drawn in a straight line almost as if he were somehow angry. But his moans told another story. Was he actually enjoying this?

  At that moment he tensed and she could feel his dick pulsating inside of her, his release emptying into the condom while his hands still gripped her tightly.

  Hailey reached up then, rubbing her hands along his chest, touching his pectorals and then his biceps. She sighed his name again, only to have him stiffen. He let her legs down gently and slipped from the bed, just like he’d done that night on the island.

  Only this time, Hailey was faster.

  “Is this your MO?” she asked, now mildly annoyed at the moist remnants of her release along her inner thighs.

  She crossed her legs then reached for the sheet, pulling it around her body.

  “You can’t keep your hands off a woman, bringing her to the brink of coming as she stands in front of you. Then you get her into bed, screw her brains out and walk away? Is that what Jerald Carrington does on a regular basis?”

  Her words stopped him cold, his broad back and deliciously taut ass on full display.

  “You wanted me too,” he said tightly. “You told me so.”

  “I won’t deny that,” Hailey admitted. “But I didn’t ask for the cold shoulder afterwards.”

  “There is nothing else to give,” he told her, still without turning to face her.

  Hailey knew he was right. Controlled and distant. That was the type of man he was. She didn’t think she liked it, then realized that it really didn’t matter.

  “You’re absolutely correct, there is nothing else,” she said with resignation. “But this time I’m showering first and then I’m leaving.”

  She was off the bed then, circling around the spot where he stood still as a statue until she was right in his face. She grasped the sheet even tighter because dammit, his dick was still hard and her nipples had immediately reacted to the sight.

  “I’m leaving and we’re never doing this again. I won’t let you mess up my future, regardless of how good the sex is.” She hadn’t meant to say that last part but since she hadn’t managed to do or say anything the way she’d planned tonight, Hailey simply shrugged and let the statement go.

  He didn’t say anything, just gave her that same serious, here-but-not-really-giving-a-damn look. It was the perfect look for him, matching seamlessly with the man she’d seen earlier, the aloof and arrogant businessman not at all used to losing. He was a shark, a predator, always going in for the kill. As for her, Hailey knew there was no competition here. She was not on Jerald Carrington’s level and a big part of her was glad for that fact. Her goals in life were to help people, to travel the world and see and enjoy as much as she could while learning even more about her trade.

  Getting involved with Jerald Carrington—or rather sleeping with him—was not in the plan.

  With that thought, Hailey turned from him and headed for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. There was a lock on the door for which she would be forever grateful and she slipped it into place, leaning aback against it to let out the deep breath she’d just taken.

  She was the stranger here, she reminded herself. The fish out of water, might be a more accurate description. And if Jerald were the predator she was in danger the longer she stayed. Be that as it may, there was a distant part of her that wanted to sob with sadness that this really gorgeous guy who seemed so in tuned to her every physical need was not “The One”, the way her grandmother had sworn her grandfather had been “The One” for her. No, Hailey thought with a quick shake of her head. This was the real world and she was dealing with real life obstacles—financial ones that haunted her each time she closed her eyes. There was no room for fantasies or hopelessly romantic premonitions. None whatsoever and the more she kept that fact in mind, the better off she would be.

  THE ONE

  He insisted on followi
ng her home. His tone unyielding no matter how much she argued. And she did argue, back and forth, for several minutes, telling him it was unnecessary.

  I agreed.

  But he didn’t.

  And so Jerald followed Hailey home. The engine in the Agate Pearl colored Lexus Fire that he drove quietly starting, as he pulled out of the parking garage right behind the Mercedes SUV she was driving.

  I pulled out behind him, following at a safe distance as they drove through the city and out toward the cliffs. The sound of my voice counting to twenty, pausing and then starting over again echoed throughout the interior of my vehicle. I didn’t want music right now. There was no song, no lyrics, and no instruments that could calm me. Only simple breathing could tackle that task. And so I breathed and counted and counted and breathed, and drove behind those two like some fanatical stalker in the middle of the night.

  This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. It’s not what I had planned. And yet, here I was, doing the unthinkable and hating every fucking minute of it.

  When Jerald stopped at the bottom of the hill and got out, I let my car idle just at the turn in case he looked back. He wouldn’t see me. I doubted he’d even be looking at anyone but her. That’s how it appeared earlier tonight at Perch. He’d been talking business, but he’d been watching her.

  He went to her car, leaned down to the window. They exchanged words that I couldn’t hear. Words I didn’t want to hear.

  She pulled off quickly, leaving him standing there to stare after her car. Then he finally walked back to his vehicle, climbing in the driver’s side and turning around. I got out quickly, popping my hood and began looking under it wondering if he’d stop to help.

  He did not and I smiled, knowing that one day…one day very soon, I wouldn’t be the one that needed help.

  They would.

  CHAPTER 4

  “You need a woman,” Lydia Carrington spoke candidly to her middle son. “Someone to show you that there is more to this life than just working all the time. I’d think you never left this office if I didn’t see you at the house for Sunday brunch every week.”