Walking into the bedroom, she began getting dressed by the bed. While putting on her panties, curiosity got the better of her. She pulled back the duvet and ran her hand across the sheets. Pushing her clothes to one side, she lay across it and enjoyed the soft feel of the covers against her skin. By the time she registered the door opening, it was too late.
“Well, this is certainly unexpected after the not so gentle letdown I got earlier.”
“Oh, God!”
Claire bolted from the bed and grabbed her clothes, running into the bathroom and closing the door. “I’m so sorry. Alexandria let her take a bath in here and I… I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I know what I’m thinking.”
If smirks made an actual noise, she was pretty sure she’d be able to hear his through the door. She finished getting dressed, hoping he would be gone when she emerged. No such luck.
“You’re still here.” Claire looked everywhere but directly at him.
“Well, it is my bedroom, after all. Though you seemed pretty at home in here and I can’t deny that you made a great little addition to my bed.”
This had to stop. Once and for all, it had to be dealt with.
“Listen, Taylor. I won’t deny that I find you attractive, but what happened earlier was a mistake. You are a client and we need to keep this professional.”
“Fair enough, Claire. I’ll lay off the attempts to woo you. Now, do you think we can be friends?”
“Yes. I would like that.”
“Good, now if you will excuse me, I need to get ready for the barbecue. Unless, of course, you want to stay and watch me get undressed. I don’t mind.”
“Oh. Of course. Let me get my things.”
Claire retrieved her dirty clothes and made a hasty exit downstairs and out the backdoor to her cottage, where she sat debating whether to attend the barbecue. In the end, she decided to enjoy herself while she was here. After pulling her hair into a low ponytail, she put on a little powder to even out her skin tone and topped it off with a hint of mascara and lip balm before heading outside.
Chapter 16
The barbecue was lively, with lots of folks attending and the sound of country rock filling the air. Men and women in cowboy hats were everywhere, but she didn’t see Taylor or Harper. Claire was caught off-guard when she felt something being placed on her head. Turning, she saw Harper standing there with a huge smile.
“You looked out of place without a hat. I brought you one from the gift shop.”
“Well, thank you. Can I wear it to the office when we get back?”
It was all she managed to say before she was dragged away by Alexandria to eat. After fixing plates from the long buffet style table, the two of them sat across from one another. Claire noted that Taylor had now appeared and was making his rounds among his guests. She also noticed Harper looking at her before getting up from the table to retrieve another drink.
“He’s a good-looking guy, isn’t he?” Alexandria offered, noting the way her eyes followed him as he walked away.
“Yes, he is.” There was no sense lying about it.
“A woman would have to be a fool not to realize what a great catch he is. I’ve noticed the way he looks at you when he thinks you aren’t paying attention.”
“What do you mean? We’re just business associates. He is my boss.”
Were both of us that obvious? Claire wondered.
“I don’t know what kind of associates you are, but I know when a man is smitten with someone and honey, he’s crazy about you.”
“Oh, that’s silly. We hardly know one another.”
It wasn’t silly at all, and Claire knew it. She felt the same for him. It was just odd to admit that considering how little time they had spent together. Even though they had known each other for several weeks now, much of that time had been spent apart in a business setting where they had connected from afar. Still, she always felt a pull toward him and he always flirted or teased her like it was some sort of high school mating ritual.
“Are you ladies talking about me over here?” he asked, popping up behind them unexpectedly as he seemed to have a habit of doing.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We have much better things to discuss than the likes of you,” Alexandria chided, tossing a little wink toward Claire as she got up from the table. “Well, I guess I’ll go mingle elsewhere.”
Claire saw her nudge Harper playfully in the ribs as she walked away. She seemed awfully chummy with him and she found herself wondering if something had happened between them prior to her arrival. To her surprise, she felt more than a few pangs of jealousy.
“I’ve called Marlon. He will pick you up at ten tomorrow to take you back to the city. That should give you ample time to check out the feeding system in action, maybe toss some ideas toward me and get packed for home.”
There was reluctance to his voice, but he had said what he needed to say, she supposed. He had given up on the notion of her heading further out on his trip with it, at least.
“Very good. Thank you, Harper.”
He nodded without so much as a glance sideways. She stood and walked toward the path that led from the open area where everyone was congregated to the guest cottage. Harper followed her, stopping her before she reached the door. They stood in the dim moonlight shining across the front porch facing one another. She contemplated what to say to him next but before she could do so, he spoke first.
“I don’t want you to go, Claire.”
“Harper, I thought we had already talked about this.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“We did, but Claire, I have never met a woman that I felt immediately like I belonged with. From the night I first laid eyes on you in Times Square, there was … something. I don’t know what it is about you. I wanted you so badly and then when I woke up and you made me go, I suddenly felt emptier than I’ve ever felt before. You and I shared so much that night. I felt so open with you.”
“I remember everything up until…well, things get fuzzy after we kissed.”
Claire felt herself blush at the memory of their sexual encounter, but it was coupled with a tingling sensation that ran up her spine at the thought of kissing him. Harper suddenly leaned forward and kissed her again, pulling her tightly against him. His mouth was hungry, and she didn’t push him away this time. Instead, she found herself inching her body toward her doorway, pulling him along with her until she could push open the door. Their tangled bodies stumbled inside, still lost in a heated kiss.
He reached his hand up and pulled away her hat, tossing it aside and then pulling her hair free of the ponytail holder that held it in place at her neckline. Claire shook it down, letting the long tresses fall across her shoulders. It cascaded forward over her full breasts as his rough hands fumbled with the buttons of her shirt. Helping him get it off, she threw it to one side. He cupped her breasts as he probed her mouth with his delicious tongue.
“God, you’re beautiful, Claire.”
He stepped back, never taking his eyes off her as each of us stumbled around trying to get out of their remaining clothes as quickly as possible.
“So are you.” He truly was. Now that she was seeing him without his clothes again, he was even more mouthwatering.
His eyes darkened seductively as he stepped toward her wearing nothing but his boxer briefs and grabbed a handful of the delicate material of her undergarment in his hands. There was a loud ripping sound and then he tossed the small piece of material to one side with a smile.
Picking her up as if she weighed nothing, he carried her to the adjoining bedroom and dropped her on the bed, standing between her spread legs. His hard cock sprang to life as soon as his boxer briefs slid down his legs. Suddenly, his abs weren’t the most impressive thing about him as she admired the enormous erection only inches from her face.
The floodgates opened as all Claire could think about was how much she was going to enjoy whatever he was about to do to her. His hands reached
beneath her ass and cupped it, pulling her crotch upward and pushing her legs further apart as he draped them across his muscular shoulders.
Then he was cupping her breasts again, massaging them as he gently pinched at her nipples. His tongue found its way to her pussy and began suckling at her already overly sensitive nub causing her to moan loudly.
“Oh, God, yes. That feels amazing.”
He continued to lap at her center, pulling her legs tightly around him until his mouth was buried against her throbbing folds. His tongue slid in and out of her dripping hole as he used it to push her closer and closer to the edge, but each time she got close, he backed off, prolonging the agony a little longer.
“Please, please, let me come! My God!”
“Not yet,” he mumbled against her clit, the vibrations of his words only sending more electricity singing along her nerve endings.
His fingers pinched her nipples harder, twisting them until they were hard and felt like they were on fire. It was an odd mixture of pleasure and pain that only added to her desperation for release. Then he was back on her clit, directing all his attention toward alternately lapping at it and rubbing it with his thumb, creating the most delicious friction that she wasn’t going to be able to take much longer.
“Come for me, baby. That’s it, let go.”
He was watching her face as he continued to manipulate her aching clit with his thumb, teasing her until she was writhing beneath him and couldn’t hold back anymore. My entire body spasmed as she let go of a series of cascading orgasms that were only heightened by the return of his mouth sucking hard on her clit. He lapped up every drop of it.
“Aahhhhhhhh!”
It was all the sound Claire could manage as every inch of her flesh shattered into ecstasy and collapse, her legs still draped across his shoulders. He wasn’t done with her. His fingers found their way inside her wet folds, probing her as she cooed beneath him.
Their eyes locked, the intensity between them unmistakable and, even though she had thought she had nothing more to give, she found herself quickly reaching orgasm again. Her legs stiffened as she exploded once again with a loud squeal.
“Good girl,” he told her, pulling her legs free of his shoulders and letting her relax against the bed for a moment. His cock was insanely hard as he climbed in beside her. Claire was already sore from the way he had ravaged her pussy with his mouth and fingers, but she found that she was still ready for more. Pulling her over on top of him, he positioned her still soaked folds above his cock.
“Let’s see what you got, cowgirl.”
She smiled down at him as she slowly dropped onto his waiting cock, letting out a loud, almost unintelligible cry that sounded like something along the lines of “Sweet Jesus.” He was long and thick. It felt like he was hitting bottom as she sank all the way down onto him and ground her hips into his, beginning to rock back and forth while continuing her slow grind.
“Yes, that’s it. Ride me, baby. You’re so fucking tight,” he groaned, his hands finding her hips to guide her in her movements.
Their grunts and groans co-mingled as she rode him like she was on a bucking bronco at the rodeo. He suddenly pulled her off him and flipped her over, putting her on her hands and knees. She gasped loudly as he thrust into her from behind, fucking her like a wild animal in heat.
“Yes, fuck her harder,” Claire squealed, letting out inarticulate screams of pleasure. He seemed more than happy to accommodate her request, holding onto her hips as he slammed into her again and again. One of his rough hands held onto her waist as he began slapping her ass with the other, sending little shocks of stinging pain across her backside.
“Ohhhh, I’m coming again. Harder, harder, make me scream,” she begged. One of her hands shot forward and braced against the headboard as her body inched forward with each thrust. He abandoned the handprints he was leaving on her lily-white backside and reached beneath her, rubbing her clit until she couldn’t take anymore and began squirting violently.
“That’s it. Give it all up,” he told her and she did, feeling as if she was empty as she flooded the duvet beneath her with more come than she had ever imagined herself capable of. He wasn’t far behind as he suddenly pulled free of her.
“Turn around.”
His voice was low and rough as he barked his final order at her. Claire complied. His warm jizz flooded down her chest as he came what seemed like a bucket and then collapsed back on his knees.
“That was fucking fantastic,” was all she could manage to say. He nodded silently and climbed off the bed, holding his hand out to her.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
After a quick shower in which he insisted on washing every inch of her body and her hair, they threw the duvet off the bed and climbed beneath just the sheet and blanket, drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 17
The crowing of a rooster the next morning was a bit of a shock. Her thoughts were hazy as she awoke in Harper’s arms. She slowly realized where she was and that she was still beside him. It took a moment for either of them to comprehend that the crowing sound was coming from within the room rather than outside. Looking around, they laughed to discover it was the alarm clock. Claire shut it off and climbed from the bed, stretching. He seemed to be admiring her nude form as he looked back down at her with a soft smile.
“I guess we had better get moving if we are going to watch the first feeding,” he said with a half-yawn.
“I don’t think so. Not yet.”
Harper pulled her back down on the bed and began kissing her again. First her lips and then light, trailing kisses all down her body. He took his time exploring her skin and then moved back up to her lips, simultaneously pushing her legs apart and letting his fingers tease her clit seductively. Claire gasped as he slid inside of her again, making love to her so slowly that she felt close to tears at times as he into her eyes.
“You feel so amazing. So perfect,” she moaned as their bodies slid back and forth again and again.
It couldn’t have been more flawless as they each exploded with all the passion they felt for one another and collapsed into a spent pile. She rested her head in the crook of his arm and dozed back off for a few minutes before he jostled her from her sleep.
“We’re going to have to get going. Grab a shower and meet me at the barn in a half hour. I’m going to head to my cabin and get ready there.”
“Okay.” Her voice was sleepy. This was way too early for humans to be awake. “I’ll miss you.” It felt like an odd thing to say and he laughed a little.
“You’re going to see me in thirty minutes.”
“Yes, and I will miss you for each of those minutes we’re apart.” She smiled at him from where she had sat up on the edge of the bed to get dressed, turning to slip on her shoes and then giving him a soft kiss before he left.
The morning went off without a hitch, though she was sure that anyone of the ranch hands around them could tell they had been knocking boots last night. After the demonstration was over, Claire took her notes and the still shots she had taken for ad mock-ups and returned to the cottage while he stayed behind to speak with Taylor a bit more. By the time he stopped by, she had already crafted several ideas for this campaign.
“I love these, Claire. Now, you are understanding what our ads are all about.”
He smiled down at her as he flipped through the rough sketches she had worked out. “Listen, I’m not ready for you to leave yet. Stay with me the rest of the week and go with me to the next client like we discussed instead of back to New York.”
“I’d love to.”
Harper’s raised eyebrows and hesitation indicated that he seemed surprised that she had agreed so easily after all the time she had spent fighting to keep him at bay. Of course, he had probably spent that same time reminding himself that he shouldn’t be in a relationship with his employee.
“Great. Then I’m going to get some work done now that I know you ar
en’t going to run off on me while my back is turned. You want to grab a bite of lunch in about two hours?”
“Absolutely.”
Claire smiled up at him as he bent down to kiss her on the end of her nose before running off to tend to his own ideas with the sketches she had created. Claire couldn’t see anything but that their working partnership would only achieve an even closer symbiosis along with their personal relationship.
Chapter 18
The next few days turned into another week and that week turned into a second as she traveled with Harper to another client and then another. Finally, it was time for her to go back into the office while he continued to an overseas client before returning home to New York again.
“It’s going to be so hard to see you go. I love you, Claire. I know that may seem a bit soon, but I’m just completely bewitched by everything about you.”
Claire’s heart did somersaults as it absorbed the words he was saying. It felt good to be loved again.
“I love you too, Harper.”
They fell asleep curled together, but when she woke up he was gone. She figured he had gone to take care of things with the current client so that he could see her off and drifted back to sleep, smiling at the memory of having made love to him every night for the past two weeks. When she awoke again, it was daylight and he was lying in bed beside her, watching her sleep.
“Ready for some breakfast, love?” His voice seemed lighter than she had expected this morning.
“Mmmm, that sounds great. I’m starving. We worked up quite an appetite last night.” Claire showered and dressed, getting ready and packing while he got food started for them.
“I’ve decided to drive you back to the city myself and then just fly out from there,” Harper told her.
“What? You don’t have to do that.” Secretly, she was thrilled he was coming back with her, even if it was just to drop her off at home.
The Dragon's Gold (Exiled Dragons Book 12) Page 5