by Louisa Bacio
Dry Heat
Louisa Bacio
In Palm Springs for a conference, James expects little more than long meetings, hot days and lonely nights. He’s prepared to get through the boredom one day at a time—right up until the moment he runs in to Sofia, a former flame he’s never been able to forget. Hot to rekindle the physical side of their relationship and enthusiastically okay with some no-strings-attached sex, Sofia joins James during his off time—in his hotel room, between meetings, for sexy dinners and even on the sky tram. With every illicit whisper and each delicious encounter hotter than the last, James finds himself wishing this business trip would never end.
An EC for Men erotica story from Ellora’s Cave
Dry Heat
Louisa Bacio
Chapter One
Attending a business conference in Palm Springs during the heat of the summer didn’t thrill James. The offseason meant some hotel amenities would be closed, and restaurants featured the equivalent of “winter” hours. Regular people flocked to the desert during the cold, not the sweltering season.
At twenty-eight, James had done his fair share of dating but hadn’t committed to one woman for a while. His longest relationship to date had been nine months—a sexy Latina woman, Sofia, with dark, wavy hair and curves in all the right places. They’d spent one spring break in the desert, getting sticky with suntan lotion. He still jerked off to those memories. She’d broken up with him after he’d ignored the hints to “take it to the next level”.
Since he hadn’t been back to the resort town since that trip, he naturally thought of her and the wild time they’d shared. He doubted the conference would offer any adventures as entertaining.
The moment he stepped out of the car his suspicions about the heat were confirmed. Stifling. His shirt clung to his body. He handed the keys over to a valet and grabbed his laptop and suitcase. Inside the hotel lobby he was assaulted by the air-conditioning. Hot. Cold. The contrast could kill a weaker person.
Plush white leather sofas filled the lobby and a few people sat scattered, chatting, sipping drinks and escaping the heat. The moment he saw her—the profile of full red lips hidden behind her long hair—his stomach flipped. It couldn’t be, could it? He’d been thinking of Sofia moments earlier, and now she sat before him.
The country song “Outta My Head” by Craig Campbell ran through his head. Over the past few years he’d caught glimpses of her in the shape of a woman standing in front of him at the movie theater or eating on the other side of a crowded restaurant. It never proved to be she.
What would be the odds?
He readjusted his computer bag and hit the check-in counter, trying his best to avoid openly gawking at the woman.
“How many keys would you like, sir?”
“Just one.” Saying that usually didn’t feel so lonely. He needed to get out and get out of this funk. He’d been putting in too many hours of overtime working on an upcoming merger, and unlike the guys in the company who were married, he didn’t have a reason to go home early.
“Jamie White. Is that really you?”
The sound of her voice sent shivers up his back, and his cock twitched as the memories of having her naked in bed flooded him.
He turned, taking in her wide bedroom eyes that promised a soulful fuck, plump lips that had sucked his cock dry on many occasions, and then bonanza…a rack worthy of coming in the cleavage. After making the quick physical rounds, he met her gaze again.
Her eyes widened and her lips turned up in a smile. His appraisal had obviously been noticed.
“Sofia, what a pleasure. What brings you out to Palm Springs?”
“A friend of mine is getting married. We’re here for her bachelorette party. You remember Laura, right?”
She waved—a noticeable, exaggerated wiggle of her fingers—to her friends who were all watching their exchange, and he took the opportunity to check out her ass in tight turquoise jeans. The past few years had been quite nice to her. He leaned around her and tootled his fingers too.
“Oh, quite well.” The bitch used to talk trash behind his back and he blamed her for Sofia ditching him, telling her that she could do better.
“What about you? If I remember correctly you didn’t like the heat much. Here with friends?” She was suddenly close and played with the hem of his shirt, her index finger slipping beneath the material and sliding across his bare, flat stomach. He sucked it in but didn’t move away. Instead he took a step even closer.
“No friends. No girlfriend. I’m here all by myself. It’s a work conference.”
“Shame.” She met his eyes, lingering in the visual connection. “Well, if you get lonely here’s my card with my number.” She paused. “I may be able to help you out.”
She pushed the card into the front pocket of his pants, brushing her fingertips against his bulge, and this time he jumped backward. The combination of her words and actions made him think “booty call” but she couldn’t mean that, could she? She’d dumped him for keeping it superficial.
With a slight smile Sofia sashayed away. Tongue-tied, he didn’t say anything. The clerk cleared his throat and slid the room key across the counter. “If you don’t tap that, man, can I have her number?”
James couldn’t be absolutely sure but he thought he might have growled at the guy.
When the bellman escorted Jamie to his room Sofia and her friends were gone. If it wasn’t for her business card cutting into his thigh, he’d have thought he had imagined the entire encounter.
Funny, at the moment he couldn’t think of any of the things that had pushed them apart or made him lose interest. All he could remember was her creamy caramel thighs, how her calves curved up when she hooked them around his shoulders, and the neat trim she kept on her snatch.
Damn. He knew what he’d want to be doing in his free time. Hopefully she was as readily available.
* * * * *
The presentations the next day droned on and James checked the time on his cell frequently. He zoned out. On the yellow, lined paper in front of him, he doodled while images of Sofia nude flashed through his thoughts.
The curve of her calf as she stretched to reach something on a high shelf.
Glimpses of bare body parts made him disinterested in the proceedings. He’d glance at the time and minutes later forget what he’d seen. He scribbled in the corner of the notepad, drawing her name with a big loopy S and a swirl on the top of the f.
Fuck, he was pining as hard as a sophomore in high school over his first crush. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Her plump lips.
He shifted uncomfortably in the stiff seat and attempted to adjust himself without anyone noticing. He pushed the Power button of his phone—almost lunchtime, and maybe he could duck out during the afternoon session. Most of it was marketing and his accounting brain didn’t have much to add to the proceedings. Not that he’d contributed anything noteworthy this morning.
The speaker blabbed on about projection numbers of a prospective line, and market share. They constantly updated the company’s software in order to meet nonexistent demands. It wasn’t as though the customer asked for more functionality. Sometimes they liked the same-old, same-old, and not learning a new interface every year. But if the systems didn’t upgrade, then the technicians would be out of work and marketing’s job could get even harder. They’d have to bring in new customers rather than resell to existing ones. Or sometimes the updates of other software or equipment forced them to evolve. The proposed merger would bring an infusion of money but also might make them branch out too much and too fast.
A new flashy operating system on the latest phone created a ripple effect. When an updated software released, all the app creators were forced to update too. What was the use of a t
ablet taking photographs if none of the apps had that capability? And the customers who refused to update? They got left behind on the shore.
The way her eyes widened when she came.
That’s it. He hit the crescendo of his patience. As the applause in the room quieted James scraped back his chair and looked around. His buddy Scott made eye contact and raised his eyebrows. James motioned his head toward the door and made his exit.
The moment he stepped out of the room a vibration from a text message erupted from his pocket. He pulled it out and the screen lit up. A picture of Sofia burned on the screen. Although it had been five years since they’d been together, her image had survived through all the transfer of data.
What are you up to?
Couldn’t be more perfect timing. A thrill spiked through his system.
Thinking of you. The truth was easy.
Good thoughts, I hope.
Could only be better if you were here. Naked. At this point James figured he had nothing to lose. He wasn’t interested in hanging out and catching up on old times. He truly wanted to rekindle the physical aspects of their relationship.
That can be arranged, Sofia replied.
Damn, she was as ready to rumble as he was. This little business trip might prove to be even hotter than expected.
“Hey, buddy, what’s up?” Scott approached him, eyeing James and his love affair with his cell.
He realized he was dancing a little jig, shifting from foot to foot. “I’ve got something going on I need to handle. Cover for me this afternoon if anyone notices I’m gone.”
“Sure thing.” Scott slapped him on the back. “Let me know if ‘something’ has a friend.”
Shit. Was he that transparent? “Will do.”
James angled toward the elevators. He had to get out of his business khakis and texted along the way.
Plans for the afternoon?
I’m as free as you want me to be, she replied.
Smooth, shaved calves looped around his shoulders and him plowing deep. He sure as hell was ready to set her free.
Back in his room he yanked on jeans and a t-shirt. Since he already had an existing relationship with Sofia and he knew her pretty well, he wasn’t all that concerned with impressing her. Right off the bat she seemed to get that getting together meant hooking up.
The sexual tension pumping through his body and keeping him on edge all-fucking-day wasn’t because they were going to chitchat about the good old days and how her Grandma Marla was doing. Yes, he remembered her grandma’s name. Hell no.
When he went out with someone new he worried about how his actions were going to come off. That first kiss could be so awkward.
With Sofia they’d been there, done that. If—when—they hooked up they’d bypass all the awkward shit and get to the good stuff.
His cock pressed hard into the seam of his jeans. James knew a good lay would be there for the taking. He knew her body. Knew how she liked to be kissed. Damn, he hoped she still made those mewing sounds before coming. The hairs on his arms stood up in anticipation.
He straightened the room the slightest bit and stashed his overflowing suitcase in the closet. Good thing housekeeping had already come. As much as he wanted to drag her into bed and have his way with her, he had plans for a more enticing rendezvous, one that knocked an item off his sexual bucket list.
The aerial tram heading up the mountain offered spectacular views. Forget joining the mile-high club on an airplane, how about suspended from the air in a rocking compartment? His teenaged fantasy of doing it in a Ferris wheel came back to him. Being on top of the world, the stars shining bright, and rocking the cab. He couldn’t guarantee that Sofia would be up for some PDF—public display of fucking—but he certainly could help set up that mood.
Chapter Two
A rhythmic knock—shave-and-a-haircut—broke the silence. He squinted through the peephole, zooming in on a set of full breasts, all the way down to long, shapely legs.
He opened the door. “That didn’t take long.”
“Why wait around when we both know what we want? No use wasting time.”
He stepped back, letting her in and she brushed past him, her chest rubbing against his bare arm. First, he better establish some ground rules and make sure she didn’t think the hook-up meant something more.
“Are you seeing anyone right now?”
“You mean like someone who would keep me from having sex with you?” She leaned in close, brushing her lips against his. The tips of her fingers lightly touched his balls. They tightened and his ache grew.
“Something like that,” he said. He tried to keep his cool when all he really wanted to do was strip her bare, stroke his tongue over her body and fuck her through the night.
“Nope. I’m free and clear. And you?”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t be here if I was. Remind me again why we broke up?” Jamie slid his hand around her waist, drawing her body against his. She sucked in a breath and her eyes grew wider as he ground his already hard cock against her pelvis.
“Something to do with me getting a job back East and you not being able to commit,” she whispered.
“Oh yeah, about that, before we do anything I want to make sure…”
She pushed him back and held her hands palms-out in a “stop” motion. “You don’t need to say it. I know. No strings attached, right?”
“Am I that predictable?”
“Unfortunately, but luckily that’s a good and bad thing. You won’t disappoint me in bed. We’re good together. I know what to expect from you and it’s not a commitment.” She moved closer, rubbing her breasts against him and letting him feel all of her curves. “And yet, I still want you.”
What more could a guy ask for?
“Any interest in going on a little adventure this afternoon?”
“I’m here, aren’t I? What did you have in mind?”
“There’s a tram that goes up the mountainside. At the right time you get an amazing view of the city, the sunset and all the lights. We can grab something to eat at the restaurant up top and—you know—get reacquainted with each other.”
“Ah, Jamie,” she sighed, her breath soft like a caress across his soul. “You think I could ever forget you?”
“I always did my best to make our time together memorable.” He flashed to weekend-long sex marathons where her roommates took to vacating the apartment altogether instead of banging on the walls for them to knock it off. “Do you remember me going down on you the entire time you were talking about a final presentation on the phone with your friend?” He chuckled at the memory.
“Oh, yes. I had the little love bite you left on my inner thigh for a good week afterward. Try hiding that one in swim class.”
“Well, that might have been the point. You couldn’t hide it and you were mine.”
“Marking me like a dog pees all over its territory?”
“Something like that.”
“How much time do we have before we need to leave?” she asked, backing him to the bed until he sat down. She knelt between his legs, unbuttoning his pants and cramming her hand inside.
“Enough.”
She brushed the underside of his cock, tentative, as if she were reacquainting herself with the feel of him. He gritted his teeth, sucking in air.
“Harder.” He dropped his pants and underwear down to his ankles and kicked them off.
Her fingers tightened, flexing, massaging, finding the rhythm. As the pace increased he dug into the sheets and his hips jerked upward, meeting stroke for stroke.
Pre-come seeped from the tip and she smeared it over the head and along the edge. Her nails drew light scratches in his sensitive skin, adding another level of touch.
He watched her lips. The tiny pink tip of her tongue worried the curve at the top of her mouth. She licked her full bottom lip and it glistened. He craved that wet heat and the silky, velvety sensation of the head of his cock hitting the inside of her cheek. He couldn’t
very well run his fingers through her hair and yank her mouth onto his cock. No, that wouldn’t be nice. But once he thought about it, about her sucking him off and shooting deep in her throat, he couldn’t turn back. Couldn’t un-brand those images from his mind.
“Gonna put that sexy mouth of yours to good use?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, you naughty boy.” She smacked the side of his cock, the slap not hard enough to hurt, only sting. With pride his erection roared back, rock-hard right away. “You never did have much patience did you?”
“Not when it came to fucking your mouth, I didn’t.”
He thrust up, brushing her plump lips. She darted her tongue out, lashing the head of his cock and he moaned. “Don’t tease me.”
She leaned over, breathing hot and heavy down the length of him and rolled his balls within her hand. “You know you love it. Makes you want me even more. Tell you what…”
Sitting up, she released him, making James ache with need and then yanked off her shirt. Her lush breasts overflowed from a deep-blue bra. A nipple poked out of one side and he remembered the light-tan color—like a caramel macchiato. Wait, since when did he compare the tone of a woman’s nipple to a froufrou coffee drink?
Since now.
Sofia arched backward, reaching to unhook her bra and she spilled free. With a careless toss the offending lingerie hit the floor. She lay back against the pillows, bringing her hands to the sides of her breasts and creating a channel, perfect for screwing.
“Come here.” She beckoned. He didn’t need to be asked more than once.
He straddled her body over her taut stomach, reaching down to massage her beautiful breasts. He ran his tongue over the tip of one nipple, drawing out the sensations with a nip at the end. Now it was her turn to squirm beneath him and moan. He licked a path down her cleavage, slicking her up, and then fit his cock right between her breasts. Ah, oh lord, nothing like a boob job.
She scooted up against the headboard and he fucked her tits, sliding in and out, and watching her gorgeous face at the same time. On the upswing she stuck her tongue out and licked his cock. The combination cranked up his passion and he pumped faster with longer strokes. Every time he reached her mouth she opened for him, until he slid farther up and concentrated on her mouth, pounding her. She puckered in an O, taking him in. He rested one arm on the pillow for leverage. The muscles on his ass twinged and a burning sensation settled in his lower back. He was close to coming but nowhere close to finishing up with her for the night.