by Erika Rose
“No, only once when I was sixteen.”
“You mean you’ve only had sex once?” Jason asked a little too loud, when she flinched, he knew he had reacted wrong. He slowly lowered his lips to hers before whispering, “Then make sure it’s been worth the wait.” His thoughts travelled back to her statement about his size, she wasn’t complimenting him, she was scared. He pulled back and met her gaze before saying softly, “We’ll take it slow, and it’ll be a perfect fit.” Feeling honored, he wanted to cherish every moment.
Mia doubted it’ll fit at all, but she wanted him nestled deep inside her, and at least now he knew. She smiled at him and trailed her fingers down his chest and hesitated when she reached the coarse curls surrounding his groin. Jason laughed, “It won’t bite, Mia.”
“I’m not afraid,” she retorted. Jason smiled and cocked a brow.
Mia slowly trailed a finger from the base of length to the tip, familiarizing herself before closing her hand around him.
Even though he was wearing protection, Mia’s hesitant touch nearly had him exploding. He bent down and kissed her as she slowly turned her onto her back. Resting on top of her he nudged her entrance, watching her face for any sign of pain. If she asked he would stop, it would be hell, but he would stop.
Mia softly settled her hands on the taut muscles of his rear and pulled him deeper.
Jason lowered into her slowly, she was tight and wet and he knew he was in for one hell of a ride. He felt her expanding to accommodate him; her breaths came in short pants. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Mia gasped as he reached his hilt. “Move!”
Jason started pulling back, when she dug her nails into his ass, “Not stop, move!”
Catching the meaning of her words, Jason slowly started to thrust.
Mia was flooded with sensations. His weight settled deliciously on her, the scent of her own arousal mingled with the damp earth drifting through the window, his strong muscles pressed against her soft flesh, she could already feel a wave start to build. Jason started moving faster. Mia felt instinct take over. When he thrusted she bucked, their mouths fueled the flame by nipping and kissing, his hands braced by her sides, her heels dug into the bed as she felt her orgasm build along with the storm thundering outside.
Wanting to make it last he slowed down and swept into her mouth with his tongue, his manhood settled deep inside her. Mia ran her nails along his back and moaned into his mouth, nearly making him come apart. He braced himself on his arms, and saw Mia close her eyes. He stilled. “Open your eyes.”
Her eyes slowly drifted open, dark from passion, hungry with desire. Jason started thrusting, “This time I want to watch you come.”
His words sent another wave of passion assaulting her body, she felt herself tighten around him, as her world went dark lightning flashed outside. As her release washed over her again and again, she was only aware of Jason moving inside of her. She knew she might get hurt by falling in love with him, but she would never regret tonight. Nothing had ever felt more right, more sacred. She clung to him as his release pumped into her, knowing she had gone and fell in love with her boss.
Jason’s weight settled onto her. “Mia.”
Mia couldn’t help the self satisfied grin that spread from ear to ear. As Jason moved next to her, he was wearing a pretty cocky grin himself. “Told you it would be a perfect fit.”
Mia giggled self-consciously and pulled the end of the covers over her to hide her nudity. Jason brushed it off, “Don’t, I want to see you.”
“You’ve seen a lot tonight…” Her voice trailed off as she dared looking lower. Feeling a blush creeping up on her, she looked away.
“Fuck, you’re cute when you’re all shy and innocent.”
Mia pursed her lips, “I wouldn’t say what we just did was innocent.”
Jason started playing with her nipple before saying a low voice, “It was naughty as fuck and I’d like to try it again in about five minutes.”
Mia had barely ever heard him curse, but something about him cursing after giving her multiple orgasms was already turning her on again.
“Just give me a minute,” Jason said as got up and started walking towards the bathroom.
As the door closed behind him, Mia could imagine herself in his bed every night. The heavy weight of regret and shame settled on her shoulders, she had just made love with an engaged man. There was no future for them. He would have another woman in his bed as soon as he left in a few weeks. She sobered instantly at the thought, all tingles, flushes and aftershocks evaporated as she thought of Angelique draping her perfect figure around Jason in this very bed. When the first tear fell she had already closed the door behind her.
Chapter 9
Mia took the stairs two at a time, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t care if Jason heard her running. She needed to get away from him, from all the wonderful things he had done to her body and in a few months’ time he would do to another woman.
She had never been in this situation: falling in love with a taken man, and yet unable to stop her heart from wanting more.
She felt the cold floor under her bare feet as she ran through the living room and out onto the terrace. The ground was wet from the thunder shower that had now seemed to subside; the fresh scent of damp earth met her as she ran into the night. The sound of the waves crashing nearby washed over her. When she finally closed the cottage door behind her, she let the tears come. They racked her whole body with sobs as she collapsed against the door. Her skin was still tingling from his stubble, her centre still swollen and yet shame and regret flooded her. Flashes of his touch, his ice blue eyes focused on hers heavy with desire came back to her as lightning flashed outside and another downpour started. The memory of his lips still imprinted on hers, the feel of his fingers still lingering on her skin. She pushed the thoughts aside as she brushed away the tears. She knew walking into that bedroom there was no future for them; he was in love with another woman. She knew he wouldn’t sacrifice the life he had ahead of him for her. She stayed nonetheless.
She had convinced herself one night would be enough, one night she wouldn’t regret. One night to learn about the power a woman had when she held a man’s desire hostage. The choice hers to either reciprocate or deny. And she had felt the power, she had felt the desire and she had felt release. For a long time she doubted her decision to remain celibate, but a night with Jason had been worth the wait. Now she just had to make sure it didn’t happen again. She thought when she walked into his bedroom that she could leave her heart outside the door, but it had snuck in and reveled in Jason’s touch and his words, now it was already too involved. When the sobs had subsided she walked into the bathroom and found the reflection of a changed woman looking back at her from the mirror. A woman with lips swollen from kissing, eyes heavy with passion and thick with tears, a woman who had fell in love and learned about heartbreak in less than a day.
She turned away from her reflection and switched on the shower faucet with a flick of her wrist. She set it to scalding. As much as she wanted to cherish his touch, his scent and his taste, she needed to wash all memory of tonight from her body, cleanse herself from the intense emotion she felt for a man that had promised himself to another woman.
Jason heard the door slam. He heard the pounding on the stairs. He felt blood rush to his head and his heart beating in his chest at the feel of loss that settled heavy on his shoulder. You can’t lose what you never had, he tried to placate himself. He rested his hands on the cold ceramic basin, hanging his head and wondered if he could bring himself to regret what had just happened.
Although he was getting married in a few months, he had found something irresistible in Mia. A woman with smart mouth, who didn’t take herself too seriously. One who didn’t care about his money or the number of businesses he owned. A woman who gave herself to him freely because of the man he was. He had hoped that one night with Mia would cleanse him of the constant desire he felt for her. And yet
, she was so responsive to touch, so uninhibited with her reactions, his desire for her had just multiplied. He could spend his life watching her succumb to passion. He wouldn’t. He was going to spend his life with Angelique. As the heavy weight of guilt settled on his shoulders, he searched for shame, regret, repentance, and yet he couldn’t regret feeling Mia writhe beneath him. He couldn’t regret a single moment they had shared. Even if he was going to be married to Angelique, he would spend the rest of his life cherishing the memories he made tonight. The only regret he found was that he didn’t meet Mia first.
He tried to push the thoughts of Mia aside, and walked over to where his phone was on the chest of drawers.
He scrolled through his call log finding Angelique’s number and pressed dial.
He sat down on the bed, the scent of sex still hanging in the air and phoned his fiancée.
“Jason, honey. How are you?” Angelique answered on the first ring.
Jason cleared his throat, he wanted to say fantastic, guilty, happy; but none of those were a good idea, he settled for honesty instead. “Confused, amongst other things.”
“Why are you confused?” She purred.
“Why am I in Hawaii and you’re on the other side of the world?” He knew he sound agitated but couldn’t help it. Maybe if she had come with him he would never have noticed Mia, even thinking it he knew it was a lie.
“Oh baby, I miss you too. Although I’ve been having such a wonderful time here.”
“I’m glad. Are you taking a break sometime soon?”
“Yes, we are. I have to be in Los Angeles next week for some studio shoots, so I thought I could pop over to Hawaii for the weekend, and then I can make up lost time with you….” Her voice was teasing, the intention clear as she trailed off.
Jason wanted to say no, not knowing how he was going to have both women under one roof but maybe it was better if Angelique came. He could see for himself why he had gotten engaged to the blonde beauty in the first place. Maybe reconnect. “That would be great. Email me the details and I’ll pick you up from the airport.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Send the staff to pick me up.”
“I don’t have staff here. Besides, I enjoy the drive south.”
“What about the care taker. Can’t she drive?” Angelique sounded impatient.
“That’s not part of her duties, Angelique. Besides, I’ll said I’ll fetch you.”
“All right, just make sure it something worth taking pictures of. You do know how the press follows me.”
The rest of the conversation was mostly one sided with demands for when Angelique arrived. Jason knew he was wrong to be irritable, especially considering his sheets were still warm from another woman. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if Mia was all right. Should he check on her? Apologize? Or just leave her be?
By the time Angelique had hung up, Jason held no recollection of any of the requests she had made. He smiled to himself. Maybe this was good, he could see if she was as spontaneous and easy going as she always insisted she was.
He laid back on the bed and thought about getting up and grabbing a shower, but as his thoughts travelled back to earlier that evening, the shower was long forgotten. He fell asleep dreaming about Mia in his arms, and his ring on her finger.
The following morning brought a fresh start for Mia. The earth was washed clean, and she had convinced herself that she had rid herself of any feelings for Jason. She made her way to the kitchen, knowing the cleaning crew would be arriving soon. She switched on the kettle and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, to make the chore list for the cleaning crew.
Just as she finished pouring the coffee, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to face Jason. She wanted to avoid him, but knew that wouldn’t be possible. Instead she had decided to face him early morning before the construction and cleaning crews arrived. She took another cup from the cupboard and poured a second cup for him. By the time she turned around Jason was standing by the counter. She felt desire shoot through her system like a lightning bolt. He was wearing his swimming trunks and his chest was bare. Her eyes instinctively trailed over his body to all the places she had touched and kissed him last night. Taking a deep breath she forced the memories from her mind and walked over to him.
“Coffee?” She set it down in front of him before he could answer.
“Actually, I wanted to swim first,” Jason saw a determined look in Mia’s eyes and had a feeling the pool was going to have to wait.
“I don’t want to make a scene or put either of us in an uncomfortable situation, but I think we should talk about last night.”
Jason’s brows drew together; of all the things he had expected from Mia, this wasn’t one of them. “Okay, talk away.” He said unsure if he was ready for whatever came next.
Mia squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, “We both probably drank too much at the Luau, and flirtation went too far. I think it is best if we put it behind us and never talk about it again.”
Jason saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes as she finished the last part. He could see this wasn’t easy for her, and the fact that she had just taken the bull by the horns made him respect her even more. He nodded in agreement.
Mia sat down at the counter by the pen and paper pad and started her chore list. Jason couldn’t help but notice the now familiar honeysuckle scent enveloping him.
“Even if I never talk about it again, doesn’t mean I have to forget it.”
“Excuse me?” Mia’s eyes held his, her temper flaring.
“What?” Jason frowned and rubbed his hand over his forehead, “Did I just say that out loud?”
Mia kept glaring at him.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to….make things uncomfortable.”
“Fine.” She bit back as she focused on her list again.
Jason watched her wondering if now was a good time to mention Angelique was coming for a visit. He could see her face still flushed from temper or desire, her eyes were too dark to read, and thought it was better left unsaid for now.
He wanted to apologize about last night, tell her how wonderful it was, but kept quiet instead. She had actually done him a favor by handling the whole situation so simply. She was a smart woman after all.
Mia walked into the living room with a freshly made flower arrangement. She congratulated herself on her efforts as she set it down on a corner table, when she heard Jason screaming and cursing from the study. She craned her neck to look out front if he had company, but there were no other cars in the driveway. Then it dawned on her, there were no other cars in the driveway. Where was the contractor? She slowly approached the study as Jason left out a steady stream of curses. Knocking briefly she stepped inside only to find Jason screaming into a phone. As soon as he spotted her, he put the phone down.
“What’s wrong?” Mia asked tentatively. She remained on the threshold. Ever since their conversation almost ten days ago, she always kept a few feet between Jason and herself at all times. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Jason; she didn’t trust herself around him. Even though she had talked to him about their night being a mistake, deep down she missed him. She missed his mouth, his firm but gentle hands, and the way he looked at her that felt as if he was looking into her soul.
Jason shook his head. “You won’t fucking believe it.”
“What?”
“The contractor? He’s disappeared.” He looked at her with a wry expression.
“What do you mean he disappeared?” Mia asked confused. “You must have an address or phone number for him at least.”
“Yes I do, although apparently the street does exist the house number doesn’t. The phone number he gave me doesn’t exist anymore, and I never thought of getting the number plates of his vehicle.”
Mia frowned, “Did you give him money?”
“Yes, of course I gave him money. I paid him every week. And then yesterday morning he told me he needs a down payment for the entire
kitchen remodeling before they could start with that. I believed him since I know wood is expensive, and now he’s gone.”
“Oh Jason I’m so sorry.” Mia walked over to him, placing her hand on his forearm. As the desire shot through her system, she pulled her hand back as if she had burned. Jason’s eyes met hers, his breath coming in short pants. Mia could feel heat pool in her groin as his ice blue eyes turned darker with want. She forced herself to take a few steps back. “What are you going to do now?” Mia asked her voice thick with need.
“I need to find another contractor. I just can’t believe the timing of that guy. Now really wasn’t the time to up and disappear.”
“What’s wrong with the timing? There isn’t a good time for your contractor to disappear with a load of cash.”
“You’re right, but Angelique is coming tomorrow. She is going to freak if she sees the state of the fireplaces and the kitchen and finds out I don’t have a contractor anymore.”
Mia took a deep breath, and pushed the thought of Angelique coming to visit aside. Right now Jason needed her help and she knew just the guy. “Let me make a few calls.”
Jason watched Mia walk out of the study pulling her phone from her back pocket. She was barely around the corner when he heard her talking on it already.
A short while later Mia walked into the study wearing a large smile, with an even larger man next to her. “Jason, you remember Miku?”
Jason looked from Mia to the large tattooed man from the Luau, “Yes?”
“Miku does construction and remodeling on the side. His work might not be finished as fast as the other guys, but the quality is better and so is his price.”
Jason looked at Mia perplexed. He had just told her his fiancée was coming for a visit and instead of shouting and threatening to oust him, she bought him a solution to his biggest problem. Would she ever stop to surprise him?
Mia looked from Jason to Miku, “I’ll leave you boys to talk business. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
Chapter 10