by M. Malone
After everything, I’m not really sure what to make of it. Other than that scorching kiss this morning, he’s been sweet but distant. Not that I can blame him after last night. I was a hot mess. I cringe.
“I do know that. You’re a good friend to me, Milo. I’m ashamed to say that I wouldn’t have thought you would be. But obviously I’m a terrible judge of character. The man I thought would always be there for me, left without a backward glance. And the guy I thought I hated, well, he’s turned out to be the one I can count on.”
He’s still watching me with that intense gaze, then his eyes lower to my lips. “You deserve a man who’ll do those things, Mya. Isn’t that what I promised to show you?”
My mouth goes dry. “You promised to teach me a lot of things. But I’m not really sure I got the lesson the first time.”
His eyes heat at my words. “Is that right? Maybe you need some reinforcement? Another lesson. Or two? Hell, I still feel like I need to get you to three or four. Multiples should be a given.” Then he picks me up and carries me back down the hall toward the bedroom.
Oh my.
I gulp when Milo places me gently on his massive king-sized bed amidst the jumbled bed linen. Holy mother. Suddenly things are happening so fast and Milo is looking at me strangely, with a tender expression that makes me wish this was more than just two people with a killer case of lust. It makes me wish I was the woman he loved.
“If you’ve changed your mind I won’t hold it against you. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do.” Milo peers down at me, his eyes narrowed with concern, obviously interpreting my silence as second thoughts.
I trail my fingers over the hard muscles of his chest, counting the freckles scattered across his collarbone. I lean over to press a kiss against the taut skin of his lower belly and he gasps, the sound loud in the quiet room.
“I haven’t changed my mind. Have you?” I yank the sweatshirt I borrowed over my head.
He locks his hand in my hair and tugs firmly until I look up at him. “Sometimes I think you have no idea just what you do to me.”
Before I have the chance to process his words, his mouth is on mine, hot and insistent. He keeps the contact even as he stretches out on the bed beside me, as if unwilling to separate for even that short length of time. He kisses the same way he does everything, with intensity. His hands skim over my curves, before they stop on my ass.
He makes his way down my neck, gently sucking the soft skin where my throat meets my collarbone as he rotates his hips in a slow, grinding rhythm.
My hands slip over the damp skin of his back as I rock my hips to help him hit just the right spot.
“Milo, please. Please help me.”
I push at the waistband of his boxers, trying to force the material over his hips. Milo sits back just long enough to take them off. His cock stands away from his body, long and thick, the head so engorged with blood it looks red.
My pussy clenches remembering the last time I was stretched full of that. Damn.
He reaches for me but I shake my head and push him on his back. His cock bobs between us as if begging for attention. Attention I’m more than happy to provide.
“What’s the matter?” He raises his eyebrows when I hold up a hand to cut him off.
“A view like this requires some reflection.” I lean down until his thick flesh is so close it touches my nose. “I need a moment of silence.” I wrap my hand around his cock and he sucks in a sudden breath.
“By all means, pay your respects.” He watches intently as I brush my lips lightly over the whole length. His skin is soft, like silk over steel. When I reach the mushroom shaped tip, I circle the head with my tongue, reveling in the musky flavor. Sucking his cock factored heavily in my sweaty, forbidden dreams of him. So I close my eyes and do what I’ve been imagining for so long.
Swallow the whole length.
“Holy fuck! Mya, goddamn.” His voice is an awed whisper as he watches me take his cock all the way to the back of my throat.
I take my time, drawing him between my lips slowly, testing his control. His breath falters when I tug lightly at the tip which heightens my own arousal. I love that I can bring him to this state, sweating and groaning until he’s hoarse.
When I hollow my cheeks and suck hard, he barks out a harsh cry and grabs my hair.
“Jesus, woman. The things you can do with that mouth.”
I still with my lips playing over the soft skin of his shaft and look up at him teasingly. He growls in warning, his hands tightening in my hair almost to the point of pain.
“I can’t take any more or things will be over before they start.” He withdraws gently and then leans over and grabs a condom from the nightstand.
Suddenly shy again, I bury my face in the pillow. He brushes my hair back and kisses my forehead, my nose, my cheeks. He continues his erotic journey, his lips skimming over my breastbone and belly. Our eyes meet right before his tongue darts out, lashing my clit. I cry out, unable to hold back.
He takes another taste, a longer, deeper lick I feel clear to my toes. I shudder as he delves deeper, the slight stubble on his face adding another dimension to the sensation.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice is rough as he settles on top of me again. Finally. I thought I’d die if he didn’t get inside me.
“Now where were we? Oh yes, working on making you beg.”
He rubs his cock against my slit, my cream coating him with each pass. I arch my back, trying to force him inside but he chuckles as his hips keep working, slowly driving me to insanity.
“Milo, for god’s sake. Please.”
“Say it. I want to hear you say it.” He rests his damp forehead against mine and looks down into my eyes. His pupils have dilated so far his eyes look black. I shiver as he increases the friction. He swallows my gasps of pleasure as he sips at my mouth, his dark gaze locked on mine, begging for words I’m not sure I can say. My senses are on overload from all the different sensations, the tickle of his chest against my nipples, the moisture on our bodies as we writhe against each other.
“I need you inside me.” My voice breaks as he surges inside in a sudden thick thrust. He’s so large I’m stretched almost to the point of pain and the sharp pressure fills me with a dark ache. His eyes are open and locked on mine. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to.
“You’re mine, Mya.” He rides me hard, his hands holding my hips as the tip of his cock drags over my G-spot.
I undulate on the bed, my inner muscles squeezing him involuntarily. He clenches his jaw, his thrusts quickening. I shiver when his forehead drops to my chest and he licks the damp moisture between my breasts away. When he turns his head, the hot wash of his breath heats my skin right before his mouth latches on to my nipple. I squeeze my eyes shut and surrender to the hot, wet pressure.
“You’re so fucking tight, I can’t take it,” he growls, his voice ragged.
The veins in his neck and arms stand out sharply against his olive skin as he lifts my legs up and over his shoulders, the new position forcing him deeper. The base of his cock pounds against my clit with every stroke.
It’s amazingly erotic, the sight of his tight muscles shifting, the wet sound of our skin slapping together, the cries we can’t hold back. It’s all too much and I scream as my orgasm bursts through me in a blinding explosion. My pussy clamps down so hard even Milo jolts at the pleasure-pain. I sob as he continues to move through the clenching spasms, stroking me into a second smaller orgasm.
“You feel so good. You’re so wet.” He moans against my neck as he gives in to his own release.
We stay just like that for a few minutes, both of us too exhausted to move. Finally he throws a heavy arm over my middle and pulls me back until I’m nestled against him. Being so close to him, cuddled together warm under the covers, is somehow more intimate than what we just did.
And it feels just as right.
17
I'm walking back to my room when th
ere's a knock at the door. Assuming Mya left something behind I double back and yank the door open.
“Did you forget–” My voice dies when I see Ethan standing there.
“I didn't forget anything. But I guess this means you forgot that we have a meeting this morning?”
“Fuck.” I walk away leaving the front door open. “Give me ten minutes.”
“Was that Mya I just saw leaving?” Ethan yells at my back.
“If you’re here to give me another lecture about corporate policy or whatever, you can fuck off.”
The sound of his laughter follows me into my room. The front door slams. Apparently giving me a lecture isn't worth losing the opportunity to ride my ass. One of his favorite pastimes.
“I'm not here to give you a lecture. When has speaking sense ever worked with you?”
“Good point. So why are you here? We usually meet at the office.” I grab the first suit my hand lands on. Then I select a tie to match.
Ethan leans against the door jamb. “Call me crazy but I thought you might need a friend. There's been a lot going on lately.”
It's hard to admit but I am glad to see him. Waking up with Mya was intense and not at all what I thought it would be. We're doing this dance but neither of us knows the steps. She's slowly becoming integral to my life but neither of us has put a label on it. Normally that's exactly what I would like. No labels. No strings. No commitment.
But that's not what I want with Mya. I want strings. Hell, I want to tie her up in them so she can never get away. That doesn't sound right but you know what I mean. Tie her up in a loving way. Loving bondage? Jesus, now I even sound creepy in my thoughts.
This whole time Ethan has been watching me. “Damn, you really have it bad, dude.”
Somehow this is more embarrassing than calling him in the middle of the night while watching Mya sleep.
“I didn't say anything,” I protest.
“You didn't have to,” he responds without missing a beat. “It’s written all over your dumb face.”
“Why do I talk to you again?”
“Because you need someone to tell you the truth. So as the resident asshole in your life, I guess it falls to me to tell you you’re fucking up. You work together. What happens when this runs its course?”
I think he expects me to joke back. This is how we relate to each other, jokes and insults, mixed in with useful advice and camaraderie. But this time I don't feel like joking around. This is not a new experience having Ethan come over right after some chick leaves. But watching Mya walk out the door… it was different.
Because she's the only one I've ever wanted to stay.
“I don't think that’s going to happen, E. For the first time, I'm not the one running away.”
His face betrays his surprise. We've been friends ever since I got hired at Mirage. I get the sense that he doesn't let many people in. Neither do I. But he's one of the few people that know about what happened with Tessa. I don't normally like to talk about it but after too many beers one night, the whole story came tumbling out. Surprisingly he's a very good listener. I get the sense that he's been hurt in his past, too.
“Well, hell. You know I think Mya is fantastic.”
“Yeah, she is. Beautiful, smart, and not afraid to hand me my ass.”
Ethan shakes his head. “Never thought I'd see the day. But maybe you’ve done it. Maybe you’ve found the one.”
Somehow hearing him say it out loud makes it sound ridiculous. And that makes me angry. I don't want to fast forward to thinking about when this all ends.
Maybe I just want five fucking seconds to live in a world where a guy like me deserves a girl like her.
As if he knows what I'm thinking, Ethan tugs at his tie. “Not every girl is like Tess. Mya seems genuine. Like the type who’ll stick.”
I want to believe that more than I can express. But wishing for things won't make them real. And putting my feelings out there won't make Mya feel the same.
“Make yourself at home. I just need to jump in the shower.”
Ethan looks like he wants to say something else but just knocks on the wall. “Take your time. I need your pretty mug to convince the client to sign.”
“Is that why you take me to these meetings?”
He points at his scowling expression. “There’s a reason I’m a lawyer. You think this is going to convince anybody to part with their money?”
Now I know he’s joking because he’s a good-looking guy and since he’s a partner in his own law firm, wealthy too. He’s basically where I want to be in life.
“Ethan, do you really think the forever thing is even possible?” Not sure what comes over me but I suddenly want his take on it.
“I thought I’d found it once. I can relate to this situation more than you know. I was her boss. She was the only one who would take my shit and give it back just as good. But in the end, her heart belonged to someone else. And things weren’t the same after she left. That’s part of the reason I left Virginia and opened a new location in D.C. I needed to get away.”
Then he sighs. “I’m the wrong person to ask, man. You should never ask a lawyer to comment on the human condition. We see people at their worst.”
It’s a measured answer and a mature one. But it’s the look on his face that tells me how he really feels. He thinks getting involved is a mistake.
He’s a smart guy, one I respect highly. He’s got his shit together. If a guy like him can’t make a relationship work, then what the fuck am I doing?
The next two weeks are intense. Mya and I focus on the project, holing up in my office to work on the campaigns. Our other clients have been handed off until the Lavin presentation is finished. We don't take off early, we work through lunch and each night we stay longer and longer.
But I didn’t mind the long hours because it gives me an excuse to be with Mya all day.
She’s funny, impatient as hell and loves to play devil’s advocate. We bicker, tease and push each other to discover new strengths while also compensating for each other’s weaknesses. I’m exhausted but I’ve also never had so much fun.
To reduce the chance for leaks, James has asked us not to use any of the interns or junior associates. So Mya and I have done all the research ourselves and created our visual aids and graphics on our own. Not that I mind, it’s actually kind of fun to go back to the grunt work.
In the beginning I thought he was just being paranoid but once the news about Lavin Bridal is announced, the fashion world goes mad. All my industry contacts are salivating for news on who has the account. We’ve made it past the first round but we’re well aware that Andre Lavin has plenty of options when it comes to marketing. We have one chance to impress him. If we screw it up, this chance won't come again.
“I think we finally got it,” Mya says on Friday afternoon.
Making an executive decision, I lean over and save the presentation on her computer and then log off. “Come on. We’re getting out of here.”
“What? No, no. We have so much work to do.”
But I’m already pulling her to her feet. “We’ve done as much as we can do. Both of our campaigns are ready. We’ve practiced how to present them and done several run throughs. Now we need to get out of here because I think this chair is starting to form a permanent mold of my ass.”
Her eyes sparkle as she peers behind me playfully. “Really? Well, it is a pretty spectacular ass, I have to say.”
“Don’t let Ethan hear you say that. Otherwise you’ll be getting the sexual harassment lecture, too.”
She’s laughing at me but at least she’s moving. We’ve put in the work and done our research. I don’t think either of us is really worried about the quality of our work. There’s a certain point where you just have to trust that you’ve done all you can do and then you have to let the work stand for itself.
Mya shrugs into her coat and grabs her bag from the floor by her desk. “Not sure why I feel guilty for leaving at five when we
’ve been practically sleeping here this week.”
“Whenever Mr. Lavin has time in his schedule, we’ll be ready for him. That’s all that anyone can ask of us.”
Anya waves goodbye as we pass her desk and after a short elevator ride, we’ve escaped!
“Fresh air! How long has it been?” Mya spins around in a circle before collapsing against my chest with a giggle.
“Too long. I think we were both starting to get a little punch drunk after being in that building for so many hours each day. Your place?”
We’ve fallen into the routine of spending our evenings together lately too. I have to admit I do prefer my place simply because it’s bigger and I can lay her naked on any surface without worrying about a roommate interrupting or overhearing. Ariana teases us about being loud and makes a show of putting her headphones on whenever I show up now which is funny but I know Mya finds it kind of embarrassing. Her relationship with Ariana seems to be more like that of a sibling than just a roommate. When I heard Ari refer to Mya’s ex-boyfriend as the “bad-sex-ex” I knew we would be friends.
“Yeah. I need to do laundry. But maybe we can go to your place tomorrow. It’s nice to be alone.” She hooks her arm through mine as we walk over to my car.
“You just like my huge bed,” I tease. She likes to take all her clothes off and roll around in my sheets. It smells like her for days. I love it.
Twenty minutes later we’re parked outside her building. It always takes a while to find a space in her neighborhood, one of the reasons Mya doesn’t own a car. Having a car in the city is a pain and expensive but I like having the freedom to go visit my mom and my brother whenever I want. So I pay the exorbitant price for parking in my building.
“You know what, I think I’ll just change my clothes and then we can go to your place after all. After this week, I think we both need some peace and quiet.”
I nod in agreement. As much fun as Ariana can be, quiet she is not.
Mya opens the door and I follow her inside. An older woman looks up from the pot she’s stirring at the stove.