by Ali Parker
"Taste every inch of you, hold your hair so I can control you while I fuck your pretty mouth and then-"
"Oh God," she panted softly.
I slid my hand down the front of her skirt into her panties. I'd come into the room to make sure she was all right, and by the looks of things... she was perfectly fine. It didn't dent my fury much, but it was quickly changing the anger into lust.
"Work myself into every place you'll let me." I opened her up and pressed my middle finger against her opening.
Another knock at the door.
"Matt. Stop," she panted as I pressed my finger deeper inside of her.
"No. Tell them to go away. Now." I rolled my palm against her clit and gripped her pussy with my other fingers. "I wanna feel you come."
"No. Seriously." She shifted her hips forward, fucking herself against my hand. "We'll do this tonight."
"Tell them to go. Now, Erica. I'm not asking again."
She nodded as her body tightened around mine. "I'm in the middle of a conversation. Come back in ten minutes or don't come back at all." Her voice was low, commanding, fucking hot.
I sat down in her comfy chair and pulled her down with me as I pulled my hand from the front of her skirt and tugged it up her thighs.
"We really shouldn't-" She glanced back at me, and I gripped her chin with my free hand and leaned in to kiss her as I slipped my fingers back under her scrap of panties and played with her soft swollen skin until she cried out and wet my hand.
"More." I licked at her mouth. "I want more."
"Tonight."
"Now." I drilled her for a few more minutes as she writhed and panted in my lap. Her cries were beautiful, her need beyond tantalizing.
My body ached for so much more than I was going to take, but the moment was about reminding her who she had in me. I wanted to be everything she needed me to be as her man, but more than that, I wanted her to seek pleasure in every means necessary - from only me.
Chapter 18
Erica
It took me the rest of the day to get over how well he played my body that morning. Maybe I should get mugged and thrown around more often. My insides were liquid heat every time I thought about him and how good it was going to feel to get the rest of our shit out of the way and dive into a relationship we both wanted and needed.
"You want me to take you over to your place to get Zek?" Matt's voice surprised me as I tried to finish up a report I was working on.
I glanced down at the clock to see that it was already seven. I was supposed to have dinner with Lanie. Shit. I'd totally forgotten. I couldn't turn away my best friend because I was starting to date Matt. That wasn't fair.
"You know what?" I stood and let out a long sigh. "I totally forgot about having dinner with Lanie. It's our Thursday night thing."
"So invite her over to my place." He walked into the office and brushed his hand down his face, smiling naughtily.
"What’s that look for?"
"I can smell you on my fingers." He licked at them.
"Who is the wicked man in front of me? My Matthew is sweet and sensitive. Funny and so very loving."
"Oh, I'm still him, but there are many sides to all of us, right?" He moved around to my side of the desk and reached out to tug me toward him.
I pressed my hands to his chest and ran them up to cup his neck. "I'll see if Lanie wants to come over. She might actually like to see your painting up close."
"Then I'll follow you back to your place. Call Lanie on the way over, and we'll get you a bag and pick up Zek and his stuff for the night." He leaned down and kissed me.
Mitch's voice sounded by the door, startling me. "Erica. Could you- Oh. Shit. I'm sorry."
"No. I'm sorry." My heart almost stopped as heat raced up to coat my cheeks. "I didn't even think about closing the door."
Mitch glanced from Matt to me and back to Matt as a smile formed on his handsome face. "That's why you were so worried this morning. You're Erica's new beau."
"Yeah. I am." Matt wrapped his arm around my shoulders from the side.
"We've been toying with the idea for two years; since I came to work at McKenzie and Bryant." I glanced up at Matt. "Right?"
"Yeah." He smiled down at me. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."
Mitch chuckled, but it was a friendly sound. "I agree with that completely."
"Thanks. Did you need something?" I turned back to face Mitch.
"No. Nothing that can't wait. I'll find you tomorrow." He took a few steps back as his eyebrow lifted. "Are we telling people about this or..."
"No," I responded at the same time as Matt told him, "Yes."
I smirked up at Matt. "We'll tell them soon. Let's figure everything out together first."
"Whatever you want. I'll meet you downstairs." He kissed the tip of my nose and released me to walk out of the office. "See you tomorrow, Mitch."
"All right, buddy." Mitch turned to watch him go and let out a low huff before turning back to me. "Matt? Really?"
My smile faded. It was never that easy. "Yeah. He's a great guy."
"He's a kid, Erica. He's not at all the type of man that deserves a woman like you."
"Here's the line," I drew a line in the air and lifted my other hand above it, "and here's you. Back up..."
He chuckled and lifted his hand. "No, I get it. It's none of my business, but I'm just concerned."
"No, you're interested, which is completely different."
"I am definitely interested, which might make me a little bit bias, but you're jumping into something before really thinking it through." He lifted his other hand. "You know what... it's none of my concern. I'm just saying that he's a wayward kid stuck in the body of a young man. He doesn't have stability to plan for the future or any focus on taking care of a beautiful woman like yourself."
"And you do?" I hated to attack him at all. Just knowing that he lost his wife three years before and that he's been beyond good to me since we met a few weeks back stalled my anger.
"I'm not sure anyone could fully satisfy a gem like you, but I'd be willing to bend over backward to make sure you knew you were adored, kept, loved." He tilted his head and studied me. "Anyway. Good luck, and I'm sorry for overstepping. Honestly. See you tomorrow."
He walked out and left me standing in silence. I love Matt. He would grow up and be all the things Mitch claimed he wasn't. Hell, he was already starting to do all of those things. Sort of.
*
"So? How was your trip to Dallas?" Lanie leaned against the counter in Matt's kitchen later that night as I chopped up veggies for a stir fry. I was glad that she decided to still come even though we were adding Matt to the mix.
"It was good. Like I said, I fit in with Matt's family so well. Not that I didn't know that. I mean, hell, I just got back from Jamaica as the only non-family member to attend Kent's wedding." I picked up a bell pepper and handed it to her.
She leaned in and bit it. "What's going on? You're tense."
"No, I'm not." I popped the rest into my mouth.
"Lies." She moved to the sink and washed her hands.
Matt was in a room down the hall, working furiously on adding the accents to the portrait before he would let me or Lanie see it.
"I'm good." I shrugged and tossed the veggies in our stir fry pan. "It's just that Mitch came in today when Matt and I were kissing, which was a little awkward."
"The new director at the firm?"
"Yeah." I glanced over at her. "I thought he might be interested in me, but after our conversation over Matt today, I know he is."
"Uh oh. What did he say?"
"What didn't he say?" I pushed the veggies around and checked on the pot of rice we had going. "He just thinks that Matt's an immature child and that I deserve better."
"He's jealous, old and full of shit." She moved around the bar and started to work on tearing lettuce for our salad.
"Oh, I agree, but I really like him from a professional-stance."
"Good. Then ke
ep things that way. You and Matt have something really cool starting, Erica. Give him a chance. He'll keep you young and you'll grow him up. It's perfect. Seriously."
"And what about you?" I forced myself to relax. She was right. Why was I even questioning anything? I barely knew Mitch, wasn't attracted to him, which was slightly absurd, and was completely in love with Matt.
"What about me?" She nibbled on a piece of lettuce like a rabbit.
I chuckled as I knew she wanted me to. "What about your love life? You had a date last week, right? Someone you met online?"
"Horrible." She dropped her head back and groaned dramatically. "It was so fucking horrible."
Matt turned the corner, black paint on his cheek, his eyes wild. "You girls okay? What's up?"
I smiled at him, unable to help myself. "Lanie was telling me about her last blind date. Seems it didn't go too well."
Lanie rolled her head to rest her cheek on her shoulder. "Didn't go very well? It was fucking horrible."
Matt moved over to stand behind me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders before kissing the side of my head. I extended a piece of bell pepper over my shoulder toward him.
"Eww... gross." He nipped at my ear before turning back toward Lanie. "So tell us what happened. I'm thinking this is going to be hilarious."
"I'm your number one supporter in this thing with Erica." Lanie lifted her eyebrow and leaned toward us. "Don't mess it up, Matthew Bryant."
"Ohhhh... The last name?" He smiled and released me. "I'll try not to, but spill. What happened?"
"He's a psychologist and spent the whole damn dinner trying to analyze why my life wasn't where I wanted it to be."
"It isn't?" I asked.
"No. Not as far as he was concerned. I mean, I'm twenty-eight and not married, I don't have kids or a house. Now, never mind you that he's thirty-five and still single too. I wanted to tell him to stop trying to fix everyone and learn to breathe a little." She shook her head.
"Wait. I'm twenty-eight and I don't have any of those things."
"Not yet. Soon." Matt glanced my way and winked. "We could work on the kid thing tonight if you're up for it. They say practice makes perfect."
Lanie giggled as I growled and gave her a look. "Don't encourage him, please."
"Anyway... he was really cute, and I thought maybe I might end up with a second date, but I can't handle someone tearing apart my life to find the issue, when to me, there is no issue. I love my life. I wish I had someone to hold me at night and stuff, but the other parts are really great. I adore my job and you guys." She glanced down toward her hands and sighed, breaking my heart with her loneliness. "You sure your brother isn't free?"
"Damon?" Matt glanced back at me. "Didn't we tell her he was engaged?"
"No. We just made fun of him." I put the spoon down and moved over to pull my best friend in a tight hug. I kissed the side of her head. "How about this... We're all going to De Luge tomorrow night with fifty really rich people that live here in Washington. Why don't we have a little bit of fun and try and find you one of them to take home? Could be interesting?"
She perked up a little. "I love that, but you know I'm really picky about the men I take home."
"I know." I released her and glanced over at Matt. "Lanie makes her dates show their cocks before they get to come into her apartment. Too small? No deal."
"What?" Her eyes lit up and her cheeks burned pink. "You're horrible. I don't do that." She glanced toward my handsome lover. "I don't, Matt. Don't believe a word she says."
"She needs a spanking." He shrugged, winked at me and walked toward the bedrooms. "So rich, pushy, a little old and a huge monster cock. Got it."
"Oh my God," Lanie whispered and covered her face with her hands. "Did he just really say that?"
I laughed until my sides hurt at the look on her face and the willingness of him to play along. I loved them both. Life was complete with them on either side of me. Now we just needed to work through our differences and find Lanie a man that we all could appreciate, or at worst... tolerate.
*
"Wow." I stood in front of the portrait and tears filled my eyes. "I've never seen anything so beautiful." I wanted to reach out and touch it, but I knew better. "It's magnificent, Matt. Surely you don't really see me like that."
The woman staring back at us from over her shoulder was a goddess. She was borrowing my face, but she was far more intriguing and enticing than I would ever be.
"It's exactly the way I see you, baby." He moved in front of me and leaned down to kiss me softly, slowly. It was a good thing that Lanie was already gone and it was just the two of us. I wanted him. Badly.
"I love it so much. It makes me feel alive. Like you see me... I mean, really see me."
His strong hands ran down my back and over my rear, squeezing softly as he ground against me. "Good. I want you to feel all of that and so much more."
"Make love to me." I ran my foot up the outside of his leg and hooked my knee over his hip.
"Where do you want me?"
I wasn't sure of the true meaning of the question. "In the bedroom?"
"How about the kitchen?" He smiled and picked me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his taut waist.
"Do you have condoms?" I kissed at his lips before moving down and sucking his ear into my mouth.
He groaned and pulled my skirt up over my ass, slipping his fingers into my panties and petting me as he walked us to the kitchen. "Yeah, I do."
"Good." I rolled against his touch, finding something far beyond pleasure. Acceptance. Love. Belonging. All of those belonged to me when he held me close. I didn't want to miss a minute of it. Mitch was wrong. So wrong.
He set me down on the edge of the counter and pressed his hand between my breasts. "Lean back and rest on your elbows."
His dark gaze said that his words weren't a request, but a command. I loved this side of him as much as all of the others.
"Like this?" I moved back and arched my back as he gripped my ankles and rested them on his chest.
"Exactly." He licked his lips and let his eyes run over me.
"You want me naked?" My heart began to hammer inside my chest.
"No. I like this. There's something so naughty about fucking with your clothes on... you know?"
"Absolutely." I tensed as he worked himself out of his jeans and pulled a condom from his pocket. "You know how much I want you beside me?"
"As much as I want to be beside you?" He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and gripped his cock, pulling at my legs as he pushed.
"And inside of me," I groaned as his hips bumped against the back of my legs.
"I'm all the way in. You realize I'm not going to let a night go by without us making love, right?"
"Mhhmm..." I tried to keep myself in the moment, but the pleasure of him between my legs was almost too good. "Can we fuck in my office soon?"
"Shit, woman. You're going to be the death of me."
"I hope not." I let my head drop back as Matt unleashed on me, rocking his body against mine until both of us were panting, exhausted and covered in sweat.
He picked me up and toted us to the bedroom to start another round of love-making that lasted through the rest of the night.
Making love every night sounded like bliss, but I was going to have to start cutting him off around ten or eleven if I was going to function the next day... much less walk.
Chapter 19
Matt
Erica left early the next morning, and I faintly remember her leaving, but I was too out of it after our all-night fuck fest. I was a lucky bastard, and I knew it. The alarm went off around seven, and I rolled on my side and groaned. Someone knocked on the door.
"Jonathan's people are right on time," I mumbled and got up. The hope had been that I would get to sleep until noon, but no... I just had to have the guys come pick up the painting early on the morning before the showing. Ridiculous last minute shit. So typical me.
They knoc
ked again and Zek went nuts barking at the door, the little guy no bigger than my foot.
"Come here, buddy." I scooped him up and opened the door before rubbing at my eyes.
"Mr. Bryant?" Two burley guys stood in the hallway.
"Hey guys. You with De Luge?"
"Yeah. Mr. Luntz said that you had an important piece that he wanted wrapped and hand delivered to the gallery."
"Perfect." I moved back as Zek wiggled in my arms. "It's in the first bedroom on the left. Let me know if you need anything."
"We'll need you to sign the papers on the piece, but that's it." One of the guys smiled over at me as the other headed back down the hall. "He's a cute little guy."
"My girlfriend’s." I glanced down at the mutt and realized how much I enjoyed thinking of Erica as my girlfriend. It was silly, but I loved it... I loved her.
I put Zek in his crate and made myself a few pieces of toast and two eggs before they left. I offered them breakfast, but they declined and headed out.
It took me a minute to realize why my heart was racing all of a sudden. I was nervous. Insanely nervous. My work would be on full display for a handful of really important, wealthy people later that night. It could change everything.
I grabbed my phone and called Sophie without checking to see what time it was. I tried not to bother her too often, but I couldn't help it.
"Hey you. I got five minutes, so talk fast," she barked into the phone. It sounded like she was running around.
"Just wanted to see how you were doing. I came to Dallas and didn't even stop by. What a dick." I ran my hand down my face realizing that firstly, I hadn't called her when I was in town and secondly, I shouldn't have called her to calm me down and reassure me. I should have called Erica.
"You are a dick then." She chuckled. "I'm good, just running out to capture a new story. I'll call you tonight."
"All right. See you later, alligator."
"After a while, crocodile."
I dropped the call and dialed Erica's number at the office. Joan answered after the second ring. "Erica Hall’s office. How can I help you?"