Good Karma

by Donya Lynne

  It wasn’t until about a minute later that she stopped twitching and finally opened her eyes. Echoes of her orgasm still hummed through her muscles, but at least she had regained control.

  The expression on Mark’s face was one of awe. “My God, that was…breathtaking.” In an instant, his mouth was on hers, his tongue seeking to connect. Still breathless, she breathed him in drunken gasps. She was totally open, as if the intense intimacy of such a powerful release had shattered all inhibition, as well as the walls that normally concealed her. Gratitude beamed from her soul, uniting them.

  “I’ve never seen a more beautiful orgasm,” he said against her mouth. His hand was still in place, his finger still inside.

  “I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she whispered back.

  He grinned, and his teeth pressed against her top lip as his eyes searched hers in the growing shadows. “Now that was a chocolate chunk brownie,” he said.

  His finger began rocking inside her. Slowly. Very slowly. Waves of warmth blasted through her, mere ghosts of what she had just experienced, but pleasurable nonetheless.

  “I’m beginning to understand.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, finding comfort under his body in the dark room. The brownie, the Kegels, the Ben Wa balls, the reading, all the preparation. Mark’s methods clearly held merit. He really did know what he was doing. As if she had ever doubted.

  “I told you you’d thank me later.”

  “Yes, you did.” She sighed as his finger continued to coax pleasant sensations from her body.

  “Shall I try for a double serving?” He nudged his forehead against her temple, his eyes closed.

  Just the thought made her insides turn to mush.

  “Yes, please. I’m still hungry.” As his finger stroked that special place inside her, she could already feel another orgasm building.

  “Mmm. Me, too.”

  Thank God for stuck Ben Wa balls and chocolate chunk brownies.

  And G-spots. She couldn’t forget those.

  Chapter 27

  Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

  -Maori Proverb

  Karma awoke the next morning with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. A deep ache that had nothing to do with too much Pilates core work pulsed in her belly.

  The things Mark had done to her last night! With just his hand. There had to be laws against experiencing that much pleasure.

  As she got ready for work, an odd sensation pulsed between her legs, making her breathless. It sort of felt like driving really fast over a small dip in the road, making her stomach flutter for an exhilarating split second. Only, in this case, it wasn’t her stomach that fluttered. It was her girl parts. And the quivering, blossoming feeling didn’t diminish. It simmered and rolled constantly, stealing her breath, and she could barely think of anything other than Mark. His hand. His fingers touching her, probing, stimulating her G-spot. And—oh!—there she went again, her body flying as butterflies took flight in her core.

  She had never experienced such acute erotic awareness. She felt like a sexual Christopher Columbus, discovering her body and the pleasure it could give.

  Stepping onto the stoop outside her apartment building, she took a moment to stop, close her eyes, listen to the morning birdsong, and absorb the first rays of sun on her face. When she opened her eyes again, the sky seemed brighter, the grass greener, the air more crisp. And she had yet to stop smiling.

  She’d had her first official orgasm…with a man.

  Maybe she was silly for getting so excited about what had happened last night, but she didn’t care. To her, this was huge. Her first touchdown, her first home run, her first half-court buzzer beater. A major achievement in not only her sexual growth, but also in her growth as a woman. She felt like even though she had lost her virginity six years ago, she had still been a virgin last night, and now Mark had taken her flower, even though he had yet to pluck her petals with more than just his fingers.

  But that day would come, and when it did, what came before would be nothing. After last night, she was convinced Mark would deliver in spades on all his promises.

  Her phone dinged inside her purse and she pulled it out. She smiled more brightly when she saw Mark’s text.

  Truth or truth?

  She giggled and replied, Um, let me think. Truth.

  He replied a few moments later. If you had to choose between $10,000 and being able to easily have multiple orgasms for the rest of your life, which would you pick?

  Karma laughed. After last night, I think I’m sold on multiple orgasms.

  Me, too. Last night WAS rather impressive. I can still feel you quivering against me.

  So can I. Now stop talking like that. I have to be at work soon, and you’re turning me on.

  She got inside her car just as her phone dinged again.

  See you at work. PS You’re turning me on, too.

  How was she going to make it through her day with him just a glance away? It was only seven thirty, and she was already aroused.

  Once at work, she practically skipped up the stairs then nonchalantly peeked into the conference room.

  Disappointment deflated her. Mark wasn’t in, yet. That was a first. He was almost always there before her. She assumed he had texted from the office.

  She set about logging in to her computer and checking her e-mail, but her mind remained distracted, and she squirmed against the ache between her legs.

  This was going to be a long day.

  “Good morning.”

  Karma spun around to see the Adonis named Mark Strong stroll up the hall. He was dressed in charcoal grey slacks and a sleek, burgundy pullover. His hair was still damp. The beguiled smirk on his face told her he was still thinking about last night.

  “Good morning.” She pulled herself together.

  He stopped at her desk. “Nice blouse.” His chin dipped as he dropped his gaze to her navy blue top.

  “Thank you. It’s new.”

  Heat passed between them.

  “You had a pleasant evening, I assume?” He made no motion to depart.

  Her cheeks flushed. “Yes. Very. You?” These platonic games they played were so fun.

  Mark’s grin widened. One thick, dark brow lifted, and he lowered his voice. “I’m never late for work, Miss Mason. Never. But for some reason, I just couldn’t seem to get out of bed this morning.”

  She checked the clock on her computer. It was ten minutes after eight. She glanced at him. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

  He leaned closer. “I had a very good night.” His voice lowered further. “And a very good morning, as well.”

  Could the heat around her desk have been any more tropical? Lust burned her, and she wanted to follow him into the conference room and climb onto his lap.

  Good thing no one was around to see them, because they would have witnessed sparks flying in all directions. If Mark wasn’t careful, she would throw aside propriety, shove him into the conference room, lock the door, and ride him like a cowgirl for the next hour.

  Yeah, right. In her fantasies maybe. Brazenly having sex in the office was not something she could do. Not even close. She was too conservative. Maybe she had entered the land of the sexually affluent last night, but that didn’t mean she was totally reformed.

  “Would you mind getting my coffee, Miss Mason?” Mark said, standing up straight. “I’ve got to make up some time this morning. Besides, it always tastes just a little bit better when you add the sugar.” With a wink, he spun on his heel and walked to the conference room.

  The rest of the day was pure torture. Karma could barely concentrate, and more than once she found herself staring off in a daze, her thoughts replaying last night over and over. His talented finger, finding her G-spot, the way he effortlessly unfurled its power, the way his tongue danced over her nipples, and the press of his body in the darkness.

  Mark had her downright hypnotized. Entranced. Mentally enc
hanted and so heavily aroused that she had to slip away midmorning for a quick release in the ladies room. And then again in the afternoon. She had never pleasured herself at work before, but in one day, Mark had so enraptured her that once wasn’t enough.

  She was turning into a damn nympho. And you know what? Fine with her.

  Chapter 28

  Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our needs.

  -George Eliot

  Mark ended up going out of town with Don Tuesday afternoon to visit the company’s subsidiary offices, and the two didn’t return until late Friday night. Mark had called her a couple of times from the road, but the conversations had been short because he and Don were entertaining vendors, customers, or potential business partners well into the evening.

  Apparently, that was the life of a business consultant. At least, that’s what it seemed like from Karma’s perspective. How did he maintain such a high level of social buzz? Karma would have been exhausted.

  On Friday night, after going to yoga with Lisa and Daniel, Karma returned home late with takeout from Greek Tony’s.

  She ate, changed into a pair of peach Capris and a white graphic tee, and crashed on the couch around eight o’clock to watch a movie.

  When her phone rang a few minutes later, she was disappointed when the caller ID said it was her dad.

  “Hi, Dad. What’s up?”

  “Hi, honey. I wanted to make sure you’re still coming over on Monday.”

  Where had the time gone. Was it Memorial Day already?

  “Absolutely. Are you grilling Cuban-glazed chicken?” Her favorite.

  “You know it.”

  “Then count me in for a couple pieces and leftovers.”

  “I’m making extra just for you.”

  Her dad knew her too well. She would end up munching on leftover chicken for days.

  “Johnny and Estelle won’t be there, will they?” Those two ruined every event they attended at her parents’ house. Johnny argued incessantly with Dad when he wasn’t hassling her, and Estelle played Johnny’s cheerleader.

  “No. Not this year,” Dad said. “Your brother said he and Estelle are having a small gathering at his place.”

  “Good.”

  Dad laughed. He knew the score between her and Johnny. And he related. Johnny bugged the crap out of him, too, with his pompous, holier-than-thou attitude.

  “How’s everything else?” her dad said.

  She wanted to tell him she had met someone, but she didn’t think her dad would understand that she was involved in a relationship that was going nowhere but promised to turn her into an orgasmic dynamo.

  “I’m good, Dad. How about you and Mom?”

  “Your mom and I are going to see the latest Marvel movie tonight. You want to come?”

  Spending the evening with her parents was tempting, but all she really wanted to do was chill out at home. It had been a long, busy week at work, even without Mark there. “I’d love to, but I’m already down for the night. Thanks for asking, though. But…Marvel? Really? Mom wants to see that?”

  Dad made a breathy, impatient noise. “It has that guy, what’s his name? The guy who played Thor.”

  “Chris Hemsworth,” her mom yelled from the background, as if she was impatiently standing by the door.

  “Right, Chris Hemsworth,” Dad said. “So, of course your mom wants to see it. It was her idea.”

  “I see.” Her mom had fallen in lust with Chris Hemsworth after seeing Thor and had since bought every movie he’d been in, even the ones in which he’d played only minor roles.

  “Should I be jealous?” Dad said.

  In the background, her mom laughed. “Don’t be silly. You’re the one who benefits from my Thor addiction, anyway.”

  Karma cringed. “Okay, I sooo didn’t need to hear that.” The thought of her parents making out like horny teenagers in the backseat of their car in the movie theater parking lot was like acid on her brain.

  Her dad laughed. “I’ve still got it, honey.”

  “Dad!”

  “Don’t ‘Dad!’ me, Karma.” He chuckled. “How do you think you were made?”

  She slammed her eyes shut. “Okay, I’m hanging up now.”

  More laughter from Dad. “One of these days, you’ll find a good, strong boy who will show you what I’m talking about.”

  “DAD!” What would he say if he knew she already had a “good, strong boy”? Right now. Who wanted to show her all of what her dad was talking about…and that he had already given her a taste…and would probably give her a whole lot more before summer was over?

  “Bye, honey. See you Monday. Your mom is pulling me out the door.”

  “Ugh. Whatever. Bye. Have fun at the movies.”

  “Oh, I will.”

  In the background, her mom squealed. “JOHN!”

  Karma grimaced. “Get a room. Bye.”

  Her dad was still laughing as she hung up. Her parents were something else. Still together after, what was it now? Over thirty years? They had waited a long time after getting married to have her and Johnny, so they were older than the parents of most people Karma’s age.

  Johnny was already married with child number one on the way, and he was only twenty-two. But then, Johnny had always known he would marry Estelle, even when they were kids, and he already earned six figures a year as the founder of a social media marketing company. Two years at technical college, and he already had his life neatly put together and figured out. Lucky him. And he didn’t let anyone forget it, either. He was ultra-competitive, just like Dad, which was probably why they didn’t get along. Not the way Dad got along with her. She was Daddy’s girl. Johnny was his son. The differentiation didn’t sound like much, but she and Johnny were fully aware what the distinction meant in her family.

  Get-togethers usually turned into contests, and sometimes Johnny threw her in the middle as bait to lure Dad into a game of verbal sparring, pointing out her flaws. Of course, Dad always stepped in to defend her.

  This year’s favorite taunt was how, at twenty-four, Karma still had no prospects of getting married, and that if she waited much longer, her biological clock would expire and she would pass her prime to have kids. Johnny could be such an ass. He had been one when they were kids, and he was still one now. But he was her brother, and occasionally—rarely—he was a good guy. But the constant nit-picking and jeers that had gone on since they were kids were getting old. If he wasn’t careful, he could be next on Karma’s hit list now that she’d already given Jolene a serious kick in the ass.

  All the more reason why it was best that Johnny skip the cookout at their parents’ house.

  A few minutes later, her phone rang again. If this was her dad, she was not going to answer. Not after the image of him and mom getting it on had scorched her brain.

  She checked the caller ID and smiled. Mark.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey you.” It sounded like he was driving.

  “Where are you?”

  “On my way back to Chicago.”

  Karma’s heart fell. He hadn’t even stopped by to say good-bye. She had hoped against hope to see him before he left, because he was out all next week on vacation.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “No, just…” She forced herself to sound more cheerful. “I’m just tired. But I’m glad you called.”

  At least that much was true. She shouldn’t have been so disappointed that he had left without stopping by first. After all, he had made it clear right from the beginning what this was between them and what it wasn’t. And what they weren’t was boyfriend-girlfriend.

  “I’ve got something I want you to work on next week,” he said.

  “An assignment?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Do I need to write this down?”

  He laughed. “Only if you want to, but it’s pretty simple.”

  “Okay, shoot. What would the teacher l
ike his student to do while he’s out of town?”

  “Well, besides the obvious training that he is very eager for you to complete, he would like for you to start talking to men. You know, flirting with them. That sort of thing.”

  She stiffened. “I thought you said you didn’t want me to see other men while we’re together.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He made a quiet noise like a soft laugh. “I just want you to talk to them, not go out with them.”

  Okay, she could see the difference, but she was still confused. “Why?”

  “Because you need to learn how to talk to men…and preferably not tell them you’re a model.”

  She covered her face with her free hand and forced herself not to laugh. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay, so I’m supposed to flirt with men for the next week. You do know what you’re asking, right?” Of course he did. Hadn’t Mark proven time and again that he knew her better than she knew herself?

  “I most certainly do.”

  “So you know how hard it is for me to talk to men and not stick my foot in my mouth, the night we met notwithstanding.”

  “Yes, which is precisely why I want you to do it.”

  She sighed, not feeling comfortable with this assignment. She knew how to talk to men when she was just hanging out with them, but she hadn’t the first idea how to actually flirt. In the past, her meager attempts at flirting had been geek-worthy disasters. She had come off more like Rain Man than an intelligent, fully functioning adult.

  “Karma? You’ve gotten quiet on me.”

  “Yes. I’m just…”

  “This assignment bothers you, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes.” She bowed her head.

  “Why?”

  “I’ve just never been good at talking to men.”

  “You talk to me just fine.”