“Nothing,” Emily said.
“Her panties,” Maude said, whacking James on the back as she moved past them.
Alone, James lifted a brow as he brought his steaming drink to his lips. “Wet panties, huh?”
“Shut up,” she growled, walking off toward the staircase. She let herself into the room, grabbing the extra change of clothes and locking herself into the bathroom. She needed some time to prepare herself for being alone in a room with him. Hell, maybe she could lay down and get a nap while he explored the rest of what the lodge had to offer. Then she could just... skip sleeping in the same bed altogether. She could survive on three or so hours of sleep if she needed to.
She filled up the tub with scolding water and sank down into it until it got cold. She could do it. Get dressed. Go into the room. Pass out. Pretend he wasn't even there. She dried, slathered on the crazy expensive lotion on the sink counter, and slipped into her warm gray sweatpants and white sweatshirt. She hadn't even heard the door open. Maybe he got waylaid by Maude or the promise of food in the dining room.
But the hope quickly vanished when she walked into the room and James was already on the bed, changed, on his side with his eyes closed. Well, that worked out too. She could just climb in really carefully and he would never even know she was there.
The memory foam mattress gave way under her weight, absorbing the movement as she laid down at the very edge of the bed, turning on her side away from him. She had barely gotten settled when his arm was suddenly across her belly, pulling her backward to rest against his body.
“Three weeks and two days,” he said, his warm breath on her ear making her shiver.
“What?” she asked, trying to focus on breathing. On counting the number of wooden planks in the wall. Anything but how his hips were cradling her ass. Or how her head was tucked underneath his chin.
“Three weeks and two days,” he repeated. “is a long time to lay awake at night thinking about someone who is hundreds of miles away.”
Laying awake thinking about her? No way. She couldn't picture James Michaels thinking about someone other than himself. Besides, there had to be eligible women wherever the hell he was. He certainly wouldn't waste his nights thinking about sex when he could actually be having it.
At her silence, his hand slipped under the hem of her sweatshirt to toy with the skin of her stomach. “Don't even try to tell me you didn't think about me.”
Only every other minute. “Nope, not at all,” she lied, trying to will the goosebumps back into her skin. Then his hands were out of her shirt and on her legs, her hips, her butt... patting rapidly. “What the hell are you doing?”
He leaned over her, smiling a little. “Nothing... your pants were on fire.”
“Christ you're a child,” she said, looking up at him, shaking her head.
“Maybe. Let's try that again with you looking at me. You cant lie. Not with those eyes of yours,” he said, winking. “Tell me you didn't think about me.”
“I didn't think about you.”
“No?” he asked and she felt completely on-guard with the strange, anticipatory look he was giving her. “You didn't think about me doing this?” he asked, ducking his head and sinking his lips into her neck, right on the sensitive spot underneath her ear.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned her face to the side. “Nope,” she said, knowing she sounded weak already.
His head lifted, his eyes a little heavy. “Hmm,” he said, looking at her lips. “What about this?” he asked, leaning toward her again and pressing his lips to hers, quickly slipping his tongue between her lips to tease hers. He pressed the kiss deeper until her hand reached for the back of his head to hold him there, then pulled away, eyebrow raised in expectation.
“Definitely not,” she said, only opening her eyes halfway.
This was not a game she was going to win and she knew it. He had barely even touched her and she was a puddle of need beneath him. But that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying the teasing, playful power struggle.
James shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Really? Wow. So you didn't think about me doing this either?” he asked, his hand moving quickly downward, slipping between her thighs, and pressing against her heat.
“Oh my god,” she groaned, arching slightly off the mattress. She hadn't been expecting that. She thought there would be more kissing, or biting, some flirtatious caressing. But nope, the man went right for the goods. She had to respect that. His hand was still against her, applying pressure but not relieving any of the aching desire she was feeling.
There was a look of victory on his face as he smiled down at her. She was too far gone to want to play the game anymore. “Tell me you want me,” he demanded. Beneath him, she nodded her head, her mouth slightly parted, so close to begging she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself. “No,” he said, lowering until his lips were barely a whisper from hers. “you need to say it.”
Emily felt a flutter in her stomach, looking up into his heavy lidded eyes. Did she want him? Hell yeah. “I want you,” she murmured, the sound coming out almost shy.
“Good girl,” he said, crushing his lips to hers as the pad of his thumb stroked over her clit.
Emily's thighs pushed toward each other, her hips arching off the mattress, trying to get closer. Trying to get more contact. But his fingers pulled backward, continuing an achingly frustratingly gentle brush over the material of her sweatpants.
Her hands slipped up underneath his shirt, feeling for the muscles of his shoulder and sinking her fingers in. Her teeth sank into his lower lip, pulling, drawing a growl out of James.
He lifted his head, looking down at her for a moment before pushing himself up to straddle her waist. He grabbed the front of her sweatshirt, pulling her up and off of the mattress by it. Her face was level with his chest as he pulled the material of her shirt up and over her head.
The cool air hit her overheated skin and she sighed, leaning forward and resting her cheek against his chest. His hands went around her, stroking slowly up and down her spine. Then his hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her slowly back down on the mattress.
Above her, he sat back down on his heels, his eyes moving over her face, then down to her breasts, over her stomach. He slipped downward toward her, his breath on her neck, planting a kiss in the dip before moving to trail kisses between her breasts.
Emily closed her eyes, sighing as she felt his lips teasing the sensitive undersides of her breasts. One of his hands came up, squeezing the slightly rounded breast, lightly pinching the pink peak between his fingers as his mouth came down on her other breast, sucking, making her hands grab the sheets of the bed. His teeth nipped into her nipple and she bucked beneath him, grabbing the bottom of his sweatshirt and pulling it upward.
She needed him. Right then. Right that moment, buried deep inside her or she was sure she was going to shatter into a million pieces.
James sat up for long enough to remove his shirt before dipping down to take her other nipple into his mouth. She was wild beneath him, her fingers raking up his back, her hips grinding up into his. He could just slip both of their pants off and be inside her in a matter of seconds. She was just as hot as he was, but he wanted to drag it out. He wanted to put every moment of frustrated desire he had felt since the moment he met her into it. He wanted her screaming, begging, out of her mind with need.
He wanted her past the point of ever being able to deny her desire for him again.
He moved toward the center of her chest, kissing down her belly, stopping at the waistband of her pants and running his tongue across her hips. His hands slipped slightly under the material, pulling it down slowly, exposing her pale, perfect skin. He scooted off the edge of the bed, pulling the material free from her feet until she was gloriously naked below him.
She didn't tense up under his inspection, she didn't try to discreetly pull an arm across her chest to conceal her breasts.
He liked her comfort with her body. Her complete lack of self-consciousness.
Emily sat up slowly, dangling her legs off the end of the bed where he stood. Her face was level with his stomach as she reached up and grabbed the waist of his pants, quickly pushing them down off of his hips, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. His cock sprang out, hard, thick, as full of need as she was feeling inside. She tilted her head upward to look into his eyes, hearing his breath hiss out of his mouth, and feeling a rush of feminine power.
She reached out, grabbing the base of his cock and guiding to her mouth. Her tongue teased the sensitive skin of the head, working in slow circles until his hand came down and fisted in her hair. She sucked air in through her nose and quickly took his cock into her mouth to the base, taking pleasure in the animalistic groan she heard above her.
The hand in her hair twisted and pulled, forcing her to slowly move backward. She opened her eyes, tilting her head up to watch his face as he watched his cock slowly slide out of her mouth.
“Jesus Christ,” he said, shaking his head as his cock finally slipped out of her mouth and she slowly licked her lips.
He leaned forward, grabbing her by her ribs and lifting her slightly, throwing her back further onto the bed. He climbed slowly toward her, grabbing her ankles, pulling them apart and pinning them to the bed.
She had a momentary feeling of embarrassment as he just sat there, staring at her. The time seemed to be passing slowly and he made no move to do anything but hold her there, completely exposed to him.
The pressure inside was becoming unbearable. Emily ran a hand down her body, hesitating for a moment before reaching down to stroke her clit. James made a growling sound deep in his throat, watching her touch herself. Her head angled upward, the middle of her back coming slightly off the bed. He watched her for a minute, her legs straining against his hold, her breath coming out fast and shallow. “Is that what you want me to do?” he asked. Her eyes opened slowly, hazy like she forgot he was even there.
“Yeah,” she said, pulling her hand away.
He let go of her ankles, one hand reaching out to grab hers as she moved it away from her heat. He leaned forward, taking her finger into his mouth and sucking slightly, before letting it fall back onto the mattress.
James moved to lay beside her, his chest covering hers. One of his hands slid to her side, stroking down her ribs, over her hipbone, sliding down to her knee and then stroking upward, teasing the soft skin of her inner thigh.
His finger stroked upward between her delicate folds, leisurely making his way up toward her clit. The second his finger slid over the sensitive spot, her hips sprang upward, thrusting against his painfully gentle finger. She turned her face toward his, reaching up and grabbing the back of his head. Pulling his face down to hers, she leaned upward and kissed him with every bit of unfulfilled need.
His hand slowly slid lower, stopping right at the entrance, pulsing his finger against it, making her thighs tense, anticipating... over and over. His teeth sank into her lower lips as his finger thrust forward, twisting and bending upward to stroke against the spot near the top of her pussy.
A strangled cry wretched its way out of Emily's mouth. Her hands slid down his back, grabbing his hips and trying to pull him fully on top of her. She needed him. Right then. Buried deep inside her. Stroking fast and deep. Giving her the release her body was aching for.
James chuckled against her lips, shifting slightly upward onto his knees and reaching for his wallet on the nightstand. His finger kept its soft but quick exploration of her g-spot as he pulled the condom out of his wallet.
Beneath him, she was panting, moaning as her hands grabbed for whatever part of him she could reach. Then, his thighs. He pulled his finger out slowly, Emily groaning a “No,” as he did.
He slipped the condom on quickly. “What would you prefer?” he asked, coming down on her chest. “my finger or... this?” he asked, rubbing his cock against her sensitive clit.
Emily's hands slapped down on his shoulders. Her hips arched upward, trying to situate him where she needed him most. She looked up to see his face. His eyes were heavy with desire, his lips set in a firm line of control. But one of his eyebrows were raised as if waiting for her answer. As if he had all the time in the world.
She felt herself smile slightly, shaking her head. Could he be any more impossible? “Just shut up and fuck me,” she said, rolling her eyes.
James let out a surprised laugh, coming out something between a snort and a hiccup. His cock moved down toward her threshold, pausing for the barest of seconds, before thrusting fully inside.
Emily's moan got caught in her throat, her fingernails biting into his shoulders and her thighs grabbing at his hips as she felt his cock push forward, slamming up against her back wall. Her muscles grabbed at him as he filled her, her hips rocking upward automatically, so far beyond shameless in her need for fulfillment.
But he wasn't moving. Above her, inside her, he was completely still. Her eyes opened slowly, finding him looking down at her, the slightest smirk toying at his lips. “So you're telling me,” he said, his voice sounding deeper than usual. “that you didn't lay awake thinking about me inside you like this?” he asked.
She wanted to laugh, but it came out as a hybrid sound somewhere between a laugh and cry. Inside her, his cock twitched once and she felt her insides grab at him, greedy for the movement. “Fine,” she ground out, taking a breath. “I thought about this.”
“A lot?” he asked, smiling, rocking his hips into her slightly.
Her chest arched into his, her legs wrapping around his hips. “You have no idea,” she admitted.
“Oh, I think I do,” he said, his cock retreating and them slamming forward again.
Emily wrapped her arms around him, holding on, raising her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. It wasn't going to be the kind of session that would last all night, twisting themselves into different positions, feeling completely drained and dehydrated afterward. They were both too needy, too worked up from denying themselves what they had been wanting for so long. Each time his cock slammed inward, she pushed her hips down, taking him as deeply as possible, feeling every thick, hard inch of him, driving her closer to the edge.
She moaned out his name, oblivious to anything but the orgasm edging closer. James' hands grabbed at her shoulders, gripping them tightly enough to be painful if she were even paying attention. His breath hissed out on her cheek, uncontrolled, wild. “Cum for me baby,” he demanded, the strain heavy in his voice.
Emily pushed her hips up one more time, feeling her muscles tighten and hold once before spasming through her orgasm. “James,” she screamed, feeling the orgasm start as something white and blinding, something that had her holding onto him as if afraid she would disappear into the oblivion if she didn't grab tight.
Above her, James' head fell to her neck, thrusting wildly into her a few more times before she felt his body jump once, then go rigid, grinding out her name between clenched teeth as he came.
Thirteen
A few minutes later, James was beside her on his side, an arm draped across her stomach. Judging by his slow, steady breathing, he was already drifting off to sleep. She took a deep breath, bringing an arm up to cover her breasts, staring at the ceiling, trying not to freak out.
It was useless to freak out. What was done was done.
But, Jesus Christ, what the fuck was she thinking?
The casual sex thing wasn't the problem. She was fine with casual sex. She had enjoyed her fair share of flings and friends with benefits and whatever the hell else people like to call it when you shared your naughty bits with another person who wasn't a significant other. The difference was, she knew how to navigate those. She was the one who decided when it started. How often they would meet up. When. Where. For how long. She was always the one to get up and leave after. She was ultimately the one who put and end to it.
This was comp
licated. He was her boss, technically. And she knew herself. She knew she would resent him all the more when he tried to assert his power now that they had screwed around.
Sex makes everything messy.
She slowly inched her way out of the bed, grabbing her sweatpants and sweatshirt and slipping into them silently. She grabbed her key card, slipping it into her pocket and quietly stepped out into the hallway.
The lodge was bustling with activity as people came in from their fun out in the snow to get warmed up, changed, prepared for dinner. Emily walked down into the great room, waving at the employees she knew. She grabbed a cup of too-strong coffee off the hot chocolate cart and sat down at the only abandoned table.
She pulled out her phone and dialed. “Hello?” Hannah's voice said into the phone, sounding tired.
“Hey, Han,” Emily said, looking out at the snow, now falling in soft tufts. “How are you?”
“Fat,” Hannah said, laughing. “This baby needs to get out of me. I'm huge and hungry and moody. Elliott claims he has a lot of work to do, but I know he's just trying to stay out of my warpath.”
“Oh, that man loves you,” Emily said, hearing the wistful sadness in her own voice and cringing at it.
“What's wrong?” Hannah said, a sudden silence on the other end of the phone as she muted whatever she was watching on TV.
“Nothing,” Emily said, wondering what had possessed her to call the only person in the world who would know something was up.
“Don't you lie to me,” Hannah said and Emily smiled at her predictable haughty tone. “The only other time I heard your voice sound like that was when you first found out that Marion was sick. So what is going on?”
“Really. Nothing. I'm stranded at the lodge,” she paused, not sure she wanted to spill the whole truth. “with James. He has great timing. We hit a huge snowstorm on the way here this morning.” There was silence on Hannah's end and Emily knew she was just waiting for the whole story to unravel. “Aria told me that she got a strange call from town this morning, requesting the last room with two beds...”
What The Heart Knows Page 10