Right now, all he wanted to do was win.
Alright, so Joel Mallory was…delicious, Nan, four Appletinis on an empty stomach, decided. True, her head was a little woozy but God, the man, could bring the funny, the handsome and the drop dead sexy.
‘How come you’re not married?’ Oh hell. Blabbermouth.
Joel didn’t seem to mind. ‘Just didn’t happen. Skandar’s mom skedaddled pretty soon after he was born, more fool her. Then I just got busy. Now and again, I would go on dates but not for a while. But then, was never interested in anybody until now.’
Nan flushed pink and couldn’t hide her smile. ‘Okay.’ Deep breaths, deep, deep.
‘Nan?’ Joel’s mouth curved up in the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. ‘Are you free tomorrow?’
Saturday. Nan ran through her day in her head.
‘I think so…why?’
Joel took a sip of his soda – he’d had one beer, she noticed, and stopped. ‘Oh just to go through some college applications.’
Her face fell, and he laughed. ‘I’m kidding. I’d like to…oh er, I hadn’t thought what, but I’d like to take you out again.’
‘Love to,’ she braved a grin. ‘How about you give me a tennis lesson?’
Joel looked relieved. ‘Good thinking. Note to self, always plan what you’re going to ask a woman to do.’
Nan grinned wickedly. ‘Sometimes…other times, you can wait until the moment is right, like…’
She was hushed by his lips on hers, tender, hesitant and then when she responded, his hands slid around her waist. When they broke apart, she laughed.
‘Just like that. Yes, very well done illustrating my point.’
Joel grinned. ‘Glad you think so.’ He drew a fingertip down her cheek. ‘Nan….is it short for Nancy?’
She shook her head. ‘No, just Nan.’
‘Nan…this is going to sound like such a line, but would you like to come back to my place?’
Yes, hell yes. But Nan wasn’t drunk enough to be reckless. She hesitated and he saw the doubt on her face.
‘Hey, look, I’m not expecting anything. Just drink and talk, is all, I swear.’ He gave a rueful grin. ‘Seriously, I have no game. I think Kit stole of all mine when we were in the womb.’
Nan laughed. ‘That scoundrel.’
‘He is a cad and a bounder.’
Nan chuckled then sighed. ‘Look, I’ll be honest….I want to. I want to like you wouldn’t believe. But the Mary Sue in me is going ‘on the first date, you harlot?’ Even if it is just drinks and talk.’
Joel nodded. ‘Understood. Can I at least give you a ride home?’
‘That you can do.’
She smiled as they walked, hand-in-hand, to his truck. ‘1963 Chevy C-10 pickup,’ she said, running her hand over the hood. ‘Gorgeous. You refurb this?’
Joel smiled. ‘I wish. I’m afraid this is one of the perks of being a Mallory. I couldn’t resist.’
Nan hugged the hood. ‘It’s not a luxury but a very expensive necessity.’ She sighed and stood, getting into the passenger seat. Joel was laughing at her appreciation of the vehicle.
‘I never took you for a petrol head,’ he said, getting into the driver’s seat and re-fastening her seat belt for her.
‘My dad loved cars,’ she said, ‘Hayley and I used to help him…well, I did, Hayley was too young.’
‘Your parents still with you?’
Her face clouded a little. ‘Mom is. Or rather she’s remarried and has a new family now. She lives in Florida.
Joel nodded, understanding, and changed the subject. ‘Now, at the risk of ending up in Tijuana, I’m putting navigation in your hands. Point the way.’
Hayley had left her bedroom door open a crack before she went to bed and was even now watching videos on her iPad as Nan opened the door. Hayley slid out of bed and over to the door, but she couldn’t hear anything. She opened the door wide, flooding the hallway with light – to see her sister, sitting on the floor, a huge stupid smile on her face.
‘Hi,’ was all she managed before dissolving into giggles.
Hayley crossed her arms. ‘And yet they put the children of our future in your hands.’
Nan put her hand up for silence and Hayley tried not to laugh. ‘I might be drunk.’
‘Disgraceful.’
‘I know.’
‘I’m judging you.’
‘Julie no-shed.’
‘Is that your new name?’ Confused, Hayley eventually figured out she meant ‘duly noted.'
Nan tried to focus on her sister. ‘Can you lift me up?’
Somehow, Hayley managed to wrangle her sister into bed. ‘I’ll put a bowl next to your bed if you need to hurl.’
Nan grunted and let out such a long moan that Hayley was alarmed, shooting up from the bed to avoid anything projectile coming her way. ‘What? What is it? Don’t you dare hurl until I get a bowl…’
‘No,’ Nan rolled onto her back and opened her eyes, ‘It’s not that…oh, god, this is why I shouldn’t drink.’
Hayley’s interest was piqued now, and she sat back down on the edge of the bed – out of the splash zone, of course. ‘What? Did you screw him in the bathroom of the club?’
‘Eww, no…’ Nan did look like she was going to hurl then. She struggled into a sitting position. ‘I hugged his truck.’
Hayley looked blank. ‘Is that some weird Kama Su…?’
‘We didn’t have sex!’ Nan yelled then winced. ‘I mean, he had a great ’63 Chevy truck and I hugged it. Like a lunatic.’
Hayley’s interest faded. ‘Seriously, that’s it? You got the most action from a truck?’
Nan shook her head. ‘We’re supposed to be going out tomorrow…what’s the betting he gets home tonight and thinks ‘Jeez, she’s kinda weird, maybe this isn’t the best idea’?’
Hayley sighed. ‘Well, if he does, then he’s not worthy of you.’
‘And if he doesn’t?’ Nan asked in a small but hopeful voice. Hayley smiled.
‘Then next time,’ she got up and pulled Nan’s shoes off and tucked her into bed, ‘fuck him, instead of molesting his motor vehicle.’
Nan was already asleep by the time Hayley closed her bedroom door.
Quilla crawled across the gigantic bed to where Jakob was typing on his laptop. He looked up…and saw she was completely naked. Damn. His cock responded immediately but he still shook his head at her, with a smile.
She sighed. ‘Two days,’ she grumbled, ‘two freaking days before our six weeks is up and still you make like a Mary Knoll nun.’
Jakob laughed and then relented. ‘Come here.’ He pushed the laptop aside and drew her to him, stroking her body. The scar on her belly was healing; the stitches had come out weeks before. He stroked the soft skin. ‘Tell me honestly, does it hurt at all, ever? Even a twinge?’
She took his face in her hands. ‘Not at all, I promise.’
He searched her eyes for a long moment then with a swift move, laid her back on the bed, covering her body with his. ‘Even a twinge and you tell me, swear?’
‘I swear.’
Jakob kissed her mouth then moved down to her throat then took her nipple into his mouth. God. He had missed this. Quilla hooked a leg over his back and tilted her hips to grind against his thigh. He could feel how warm her sex was and his cock thickened and lengthened, desperate to be inside her. He kissed her stomach, her belly, circling her navel with his tongue, running the tip against her scar then down to the mound above her sex, shaved and smooth. He grinned up at her as he moved still lower and caught the sensitive clit between his teeth, biting down gently, feeling it twitch and swell at his touch. His tongue lashed around it, probing and teasing and he felt her become wet and swollen. He brought her to orgasm with his tongue and then moved up to kiss her.
‘No pain?’
Her skin was damp, her hair sticking to her face as she panted but her eyes shone. ‘No pain.’
He nuzzled her nose with his, fixing his eyes
on her. ‘Spread your legs for me, my beautiful Quilla….wider….as wide as they will go….that’s it…’
Her breathing quickened under his will. Jakob sat up and peeled his t-shirt from his chest, all the time gazing down at her. He pulled his belt from his pants and bent down, twisting the leather around her small wrists and lashing her to the bed frame.
‘Are you mine, Quilla?’
Breathless, she nodded, and he smiled, his eyes sleepy with desire. ‘Are you hot, my love?’
Another nod. He picked up the glass of champagne he had on the nightstand, fisting the root of his cock as he did, and poured some wine into the hollow of her belly, catching the liquid with his tongue as it dripped down her side. Quilla wriggled with pleasure then moaned, as, taking a mouthful of champagne, Jakob went down on her again, letting the bubbles fizz against her clit as he slid a long finger into her cunt, and pressed upwards to massage her G-spot. Quilla bucked, her body taking over as Jakob unrelentingly took her with his hands and mouth. He spread the swollen lips of her sex and slid his tongue up and down the slick cleft, moving between her clit and her cunt. He felt her body tense; nearly at orgasm and with lightning speed he drew himself up and entered her, his cock almost desperate to be inside her. He gazed down at her, her arms either side of her head, her hands gripping the bed frame they were lashed to, her eyes shining up at him.
‘Remember when we were in Venice, my love? That night we fucked so hard, we thought we’d wake the neighbors?’
Quilla smiled, laughed a little. ‘How could I forget?’
‘Remember we watched ourselves in the mirror, my cock sliding in...' he thrust hard, and she moaned, ‘and out of your perfect cunt?’
‘I do…god…’
Jakob smiled, quickening his rhythm. ‘Remember that night we talked about fucking on the balcony, about how I wanted everyone to see how beautiful you when you come?’
‘God, yes, yes…’ Quilla arched her back, pressing her sex onto him as he thrust harder and harder and deeper and deeper…
‘Ans we did did that, didn’t we, Quilla?’
She nodded her head, now panting so hard she was unable to speak. Jakob drove her on and on until she moaned and came, her body vibrating as Jakob grinned in satisfaction. He pulled out just as he reached his own climax, and came on her belly, shooting milky white fluid onto her skin. She smiled up at him as he massaged it into her skin.
‘I love you so much, Jakob Mallory…’
‘As I love you, my darling, darling Quilla…’
He released her hands, and she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. ‘I have missed that so much….that was incredible.’
Jakob gathered her to him. ‘Quilla…would you like to go back to Venice, to our little apartment, for a time?’
She looked surprised. ‘I’d love to but…’
‘You have work.’
‘I do, and I love you for asking, but I can’t let them down, especially now I’ve been…sick.’
Jakob nodded and then gave her a guilty smile. ‘Sweetheart, the thing is, I kind of talked to them already.’
Quilla drew back and looked at him. ‘What?’
Jakob nodded. ‘I’m sorry…it happened when you were still in the hospital, I was crazy scared and angry…I went to your boss and told him that…’
‘What?’ Quilla sat up in bed, ‘You told him that I couldn’t make my own decisions anymore?’
Jakob rocked back from the anger in her voice. ‘Honey, I was acting crazy, I know, and I overstepped the mark. But the only thing I care about is you and trying to make up for what Gregor did to you because of me.’
Quilla contemplated for a moment then sighed. ‘Jakob, what Gregor did…it wasn’t your fault. He’s a psychopath; I knew it the first day I met him. A sociopath. Do you know one of the first things he said to me? He said ‘I know you’re fucking Jakob.’ This is a man who’d known me all of five seconds.’
Jakob watched her in silence. She pulled her knees up to her chest unconsciously. ‘But that doesn’t mean you get to organize my life for me. And why the hell didn’t my boss – or you – mention this before? God…look, I’ll let this one go because of the circumstances, and I love you for wanting to make me happy but please…’
‘I understand, and I’m sorry.’ Jakob sighed. ‘Look, I’ve been messing up my whole life, the drugs. And I haven’t had a real relationship in a long time, so I’m relearning some of this stuff. Forgive me?’
Quilla smiled. ‘This time, Mallory. Now, show me again how much you love me…’
‘Seriously, dude, give it up. We’ve been doing this for a month, and I haven’t got any better.’ Nan twirled her tennis racquet at Joel who grinned back. He held his hands up.
‘You’re right. Man, you suck at this.’
She hit a tennis ball at him which he dodged, laughing. ‘Come on, Martina, let’s get some lunch.’
At the little lunch place he took her to (which, she noticed had no prices on the menu), they ordered then as they waited for their drinks; Joel laced his fingers in hers. The last month had been blissful, fun, exhilarating – and chaste. What she’d found in Joel Mallory was a best friend, a confident, a soulmate. He got along with Hayley, he talked to Nan about her work - he had fit so easily into their lives, and she couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t around.
Now, as they ate their crab salads, she was nervous. Because today, she was going to his place for the first time…overnight. And God, she desperately wanted to sleep with him but the whole idea of being naked with this man was terrifying her and she didn’t know why.
She told him that, and he frowned. ‘Why?’
Because look at us, look where we’re both from. Different worlds. I’m a schoolteacher; I live in a two bedroom chalet. But she didn’t say any of that to him. ‘Maybe it’s just first night nerves,’ she joked awkwardly. He squeezed her fingers.
‘You’re thinking about it too much,’ he moved his chair, so he was next to hers, looping his arm along the back of her chair. His fingers slid along the exposed skin under her arm, drifted up and down slowly. Nan shivered, the feeling was blissful. Joel calmly continued to fork his food into his mouth with his free hand, but now the other hand had moved down to cup her buttock, his large thumb stroking the curve of it. Nan smiled at him. His hand moved to hold her thigh, and his fingertips traced a pattern sending her blood racing, her breath quickening.
Joel put his fork down and nuzzled her ear. ‘Nan? Would you like something more to eat?’
She shook her head, concentrating on the furious pulse beating between her legs, his fingers so tantalizingly close to her sex, she wanted to scream.
‘Nan…’ God, his voice, so low, so melodic. ‘Shall we go back to my place?’
She turned her head then and pressed her lips to his. ‘Yes. Yes.’
The next twenty minutes were a blur of cabs and streets and elevators and now, in his bedroom – his surprisingly modest bedroom – Joel slid his hands to the nape of her neck and untied her halter, letting her dress slither to the floor. With her small, perky breasts, she hadn’t bothered to wear a bra, and he cupped them in his big hands, kissing them as if he were worshipping them. Nan ran her hand through his hair and pulled out the band holding it back. It was silky, and she let the blonde strands fall through her fingers as Joel took her nipple into his mouth. She wavered slightly, and he gathered her into his arms. ‘Lay back on the bed for me, sweetheart.’
She did so and watched him as he stripped off his t-shirt and jeans. Undressed he was even more unbelievable, taut chest, broad shoulders, thickly muscled arms. She could see his cock, outlined in his underwear, already hard and long. She sat up as he moved to strip his underwear off.
‘Wait…’ she said, her nerves gone, ‘I want to do it.’
Joel let go of the waistband with a smile and she slid her fingers over the top of them and slowly peeled them from him. She gave a sigh as his cock, ramrod hard and erect against hi
s belly, swelled and quivered. She stroked her fingers up and down it, feeling the silky smooth skin move under her touch. She smiled up at him then took the sensitive tip into her mouth. She could already taste the pre-cum, salty and rich and as her tongue flicked around it, she heard Joel suck in a deep breath.
After a few moments, he moved her head away and laid her back on the bed, hitching his fingers around her panties and freeing her from them. He pushed her legs up to her chest and buried his face in her sex, teasing and tasting until her labia swelled and pulsed with desire. Then he took her, sliding in so gently, so slowly, she cried out as he filled her and began to move.
‘Joel…oh god, Joel…’
They moved together, skin-on-skin, finding their rhythm easily and rock their hips in unison. Joel kissed her, his tongue massaging hers, exploring her mouth. Nan clung to him, her legs wrapped around his hips, moving up to his waist as she tilted her sex to meet him, allow him to drive himself deeper into her. God, yes, this was what she had been missing, the connection, the human touch, and the passion. Joel looked at her as if she was the most beautiful creature ever to walk the Earth and at this moment, this wonderful, sensual moment, she believed she was.
Her climax, building, building, building, slammed through her, and she let out a cry of ‘Oh!’ and felt as if she were flying as Joel came, his groan like music to her.
Afterward, they lay side by side, facing each other and talking. She grinned at him.
‘Why was I so nervous?’
Joel laughed. ‘Can I tell you a secret? I was scared to death.’
‘No way.’
‘Way.’
Nan sighed. ‘My whole body feels like it’s been rehabilitated. I wasn’t even aware of the some of the sensations you brought out in me.’
‘Right back at ya,’ he said and kissed her. ‘Hey, I do have something to talk to you about. An idea I’ve been kicking around for a couple of weeks.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Remember we had that conversation where you told me teaching Phys. Ed. was a bad fit?’
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