by J. S. Scott
His fingers slid into the smooth twist of her hair, anchoring her head in place so he could plunder her mouth while his other hand roamed over the curve and swell of her hips. Even in her heels, he had to bend to reach her, but she strained up to meet him, as eager for the kiss as he was. He slid a hand over her butt and down her thigh, barely managing to catch himself before he snagged her behind the knee and lifted her leg to wrap around his waist. He had to get them to a bed before he took Julie up against a wall in a restaurant he wasn’t even sure was completely empty.
“Let me make sure everyone is gone and lock up,” he said, breaking the kiss without loosening his hold on her. “And then I’ll take you upstairs to my place.”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking vulnerable and a little overwhelmed. He wanted to see that look on her face when it was from pleasure and not uncertainty. Bending, he claimed her mouth again, kissing her until he felt her pulse racing under his thumb at her throat. This time when he pulled away, she leaned into him, following him. “I…”
“It’s okay.” He stared down into her eyes, sparkling with reflected light from the tree. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to. I have a spare bedroom.” It would kill him to have her in his home and not make love to her, but watching her walk away would likely destroy him. He’d do whatever he had to do to get her to stay. “I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is spend the holiday with me.”
He watched emotions war across her face and smiled. She’d never been able to hide what she was feeling, not until the very end. She wore her heart out where everyone could see it. It was part of what made her disappearance so hard to take. He really hadn’t seen it coming, but he wasn’t dwelling on the past tonight. Not when he had Julie in his arms again.
“Okay,” she said with a nod.
*****
Julie watched Eric walk away and wondered if she’d lost her mind. With his arms around her, she hadn’t been able to think about anything but him. Without him touching her, she could picture the last train out of the city and all the reasons she should be on it. She opened her mouth to say something – anything – to stop things before she got in too deep. Eric turned and strode back to her, wrapping her in his arms and claiming her mouth with his. She let out a breath, sighing into him and letting go, at least for now, of her reservations. There were plenty of reasons to go, but in his kiss, she found the only reason she needed to stay.
“Wait for me,” he said when he pulled away, leaving her breathless. “And stop thinking Julie. This is the right thing to do.”
She smiled and nodded. He always had been able to tell exactly what she was thinking. Up until he left for Paris, he was the one person who could read her like a book.
“Go on. Lock up. I’ll be here when you finish.” She was still smiling, her lips tingling from his kiss when she sat down in the chair to wait.
Her phone buzzed in her bag, and she debated letting it go to voicemail. There wasn’t anyone she wanted to talk to. It was only the thought that something might have happened to her dad that got her digging through the bag. She pushed the button to answer without looking at the screen.
“Give me some good news.”
Crap, as hard as her brother pushed for the meeting she should have known he wouldn’t wait for her to call him.
“Merry Christmas to you too, Caleb.”
“Aw, don’t be a bitch, Julie. I just want to know how things went with Smithfield this afternoon. You can’t blame me for being anxious.” She heard the cajoling tone in his voice and pictured him leaning against the wall, the same expression on his face that he used when he was kid trying to get out of trouble for something. “Tell me you closed the deal.”
“Smithfield isn’t going to work out. You’re going to have to find something else.”
“God damn it, Julie. I needed that money. We needed it.” He corrected, changing his tactic. Always the politician.
“It’s not going to happen. The only way Brad was going to sign with Blake Enterprises was if I was part of the deal.” Julie ran her hand through her hair, working free the few remaining pins. “Their rep couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Let it go.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean? Jesus, Julie, just because some guy made a pass at you doesn’t mean you have to throw the entire deal.” Caleb shouted through the phone and Julie pulled it away from her ear to save her eardrum. She was tempted to hang up on him, but he’d just call back and she wanted to have this over now.
“It wasn’t a pass, you asshole. More like fuck me if you want the account.” She heard him suck in a breath and was glad she’s managed to shock him.
“Shit, I’m sorry. Come on home. We’ll figure something out.”
The fact that his apology surprised her showed exactly how far their relationship had devolved.
“It’s okay. I think I’m going to spend the night in the city.”
“But why? It’s Christmas.”
“I ran into an old friend.” She glanced up in time to see Eric walking toward her, looking at her like she was the center of the universe. He must have left his chef’s coat in the kitchen and his heather gray T-shirt showed off his broad shoulders and defined arms. She licked her lips in anticipation. He’d been handsome and strong the summer they’d spent together, but the man walking towards her was so much more. More masculine, more intense, more powerful. A thick ribbon of desire wove through her, stealing her breath. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Have a merry Christmas.”
“Wait, what am I supposed to do with Dad?”
So much for wanting to spend time together as a family. Her brother only wanted her home to make things easier for him.
“You’ll figure it out,” she said, hanging up the phone as Eric wrapped his arms around her from behind. She’d sort things out later with what she had that passed for family. The phone call left her more determined than ever to enjoy her time with Eric and make sure her money-grubbing, self-centered asshole of a brother never got near him.
Chapter Three
Eric led Julie onto his private elevator and waited for the door to close before drawing her back into his arms. He didn’t know who she’d been talking to on the phone, but whoever it was had upset her. He was determined to replace her frustrated look with one of pleasure. When she was relaxed, he’d find out what was wrong because there was definitely something bothering her. Even after all these years he still knew her well enough to read that much.
He ran his hand up her back, relishing the feel of her curves through the silk. Cupping the back of her neck he bent to brush a kiss over her lips. He’d been prepared to go slow, to take his time and seduce her into letting him have her. He hadn’t counted on her launching herself at him.
Their lips barely met before she’d fisted her hands in his T-shirt, dragging him to her. Her tongue met his, teasing, tangling, forcing him to meet her thrust for thrust. He was more than happy to oblige. Her touch was hot, demanding, and he gave the briefest thought to what had set her off. What made her angry enough to burn away her inhibitions? Then he was lost – lost in the feel of her body pressed against his.
She wrapped her leg around him, angling to press the long thick length of his cock into her hot core. He captured her leg behind the knee and held it tight against him. With his other hand, he grabbed her hair, anchoring her in place, taking control of the kiss. She cried out, and he caught the sound with his mouth. Tugging on his bottom lip, she scraped his tender flesh with her teeth, still demanding and not willing to simply melt into the kiss.
The elevator door opened behind them, and he came to his senses long enough to steer her out of the car and into the entryway of his penthouse. He broke the kiss to key the code into the panel beside the front door, but as soon as her mouth was free, she went to work on his neck, nipping and licking the sensitive skin. He messed up the code twice before he managed to get the damn door open.
Their lovemaking years ago had been playful and swee
t. He was her first, and she’d almost been his. They’d shared the tenderness of first love. But this woman in his arms was no virgin. She was fierce, angry. Hungry. And she seemed intent on taking it out on her body and his. With the small part of his brain still functioning, he vowed to figure out what was going on later, but for now he planned to give her exactly what she needed.
He pushed open the door and backed her inside, one hand on her back and his lips at her throat. She reached for his belt, and he caught her hands, cuffing her wrists. If he didn’t get control of things, it would be over much too soon.
“Not yet, baby,” he said, laying a trail of kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He bit gently at the pulse point at the base of her throat and felt her suck in her breath.
“Yes. Now,” she said as she struggled against his hands holding her.
He had to work to keep his grip. He’d happily fuck her as hard and for as long as she wanted, but they were going to do it his way.
“Damn it, Jules.” He cursed when she managed to get her hand free and reach for his belt. He pushed her hand away, grabbed the belt and pulled it from the loops with a snap. “Be still or I swear to God, I’ll tie you up.”
Her eyes went wide, but she stood on her toes, pulling him down for a kiss. As he started to relax into the kiss and loosen his grip on her, she nipped his bottom lip hard enough that he tasted blood. “Not this time, chef,” she said, popping the button on his pants and sliding her hand inside. She wrapped her slender fingers around him and his already hard cock throbbed at her touch.
Enough. He caught her wrist and extricated her hand before he lost what was left of his mind. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her, walking the few steps to the kitchen table with her in his arms. She opened for him, pulling him into her body with her legs around his hips. Thank God she was wearing one of those shirt dress things that wrapped around her body. He didn’t have the patience for buttons and zippers. If he didn’t get his hands on her, he was going to go crazy.
He didn’t bother unfastening her dress. He yanked the front open and groaned in relief when he saw the front catch on her bra. In one quick movement he had her breasts bared and his hands on her soft firm flesh, thumbs brushing the tight points of her nipples. She arched into his touch, breaking the kiss and urging his head to her breast.
He didn’t think it was possible to want her more, but knowing that she wanted him just as much was intoxicating. He cupped her breast with his hand and suckled her, pulling the rigid peak deep into his mouth. Her breath went out on a needy sigh, and her hands gripped his shoulders, nails digging into his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. He wanted her hands on his bare skin. Before he turned his attention to her other nipple, he shucked off his shirt, groaning with pleasure as her hands clutched his shoulders.
“Now please, Eric. I need you inside me now.” She was breathless, her face flushed and lips parted. He reached for the zipper on his pants before he remembered the condom. He started to untangle himself from her hands, but she gripped him harder. “I mean it, chef. Don’t tease me, not this time.”
“Condom, baby. Let me grab one, and I’ll fuck you exactly the way you want me to. The way we both want.”
Julie bit her bottom lip and nodded, relaxing her grip on his shoulders. “There’s one in my bag. On the floor by the door.”
Eric arched his eyebrow. No, definitely not a virgin anymore.
“Don’t judge, chef. Move.”
Grinning, he gave her nipple a long hard suck, bowing her back and stealing her words before he took the few steps to the door to grab her bag. When he turned back, holding the bag in his hands, he had to pause. Stretched out on his counter, legs parted, breasts bare, and lips swollen from his kisses, she was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen, and he was no virgin either. He’d been with dozens of women over the years, but none of them had done to him what Julie did.
“You are so incredibly beautiful,” he said and she blushed deeper.
She took the bag from him with shaking hands. While she dug inside for a condom, he went to work on the tie on her dress, desperate to have her totally bare for him. Under his determined fingers, the knot gave way and he spread the dress open, sliding it and the bra from her shoulders.
“Are these important to you?” he asked, his fingers hooked in the waistband of her plain black panties.
Before she finished shaking her head, he ripped the thin fabric, pulling it out of the way of his greedy hands. She perched on the edge of the counter naked except for stockings and heels. He watched the way her lips opened and her skin flushed as he ran his hands over the lace tops of her stockings, moving closer to her core. Using his thumbs, he parted the folds of her sex, groaning when he felt how wet she was. He found her swollen clit with one hand and slid two fingers from the other into her tight channel. Her answering cries shot straight to his cock and he drew in a deep breath determined to make her come before he let himself take her.
“Please Eric please. Don’t make me wait. Ready now. I’m ready now.” She reached for him, tugging at his zipper, and he had to shift his hips to avoid her hands. If she wrapped her fingers around him again, he’d never be able to hold back.
“As soon as you come for me, baby. I’ll fuck you as soon as you come.” He set up a steady rhythm with his hands, rubbing circles over her clit while his fingers thrust inside her with long steady strokes. Her channel tightened around him, and he could tell she was close. He bent to suckle her, and her back bowed, her sex convulsing around him. She held onto him, her fingers digging into his biceps, rocking as the orgasm rolled through her. He stroked and teased, drawing out the last bit of her climax before reaching for the condom.
*****
Her body was still pulsing from the orgasm when Eric finally rolled the condom down his long thick cock and rubbed himself against her sex. She’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted him. The asshole client, the call from her brother, he’d blown through all of them with his touch. She knew as soon as he started to move, she could let go of everything and give herself over to the feeling of him driving her on, taking her higher. Contrary to what he probably thought about the condoms in her purse, she didn’t have one night stands, but she knew she could trust him. She could let go with him and he’d help her fly away from everything trying to pull her under.
He started to push into her swollen opening and she spread her legs wide, wanting him as deep as he could go. His cock was a thick as she’d remembered, and she was tight from her climax. He had to work for every inch, his face a steely mask of control. She wanted him as unmoored and off balance as she was. No way would she let him stay aloof. Stay in charge.
Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tipped her hips and thrust up to meet him. Her breath went out in a whoosh and together they froze, caught in the perfect sensation of having him seated deep inside her. She leaned back on her arms and rocked into him, nudging him against her womb. She could tell he planned to take things slow, but she had no intention of letting him. She wanted him hard and fast, needed him hard and fast so she could let go of everything but the feel of him. And even after all these years, there was no one else she’d trusted like that.
“Don’t hold back, Eric. Please.” She dug her heels into his butt, urging him on.
He looked down at her with something like awe, and then he hooked his arms under her knees, lifting her to him, and she lost her breath. He was so deep she felt him everywhere. Every inch of her body inside and out was hot and tight and aching for him. Keeping his gaze on her face, he slid her legs to his shoulders and moved further inside her. Her body started to tighten and her legs trembled as he thrust. His cock bumped her womb, so deep she rode the line between pain and a pleasure so fierce it overwhelmed her.
She reached for his arms, determined to let go and take him with her. Her hands gripped his biceps, feeling the muscles bunch and flex as he thrust inside her.
“Fuck, Julie.” He groaned, and his thru
sts became erratic. He cradled her head to his chest, bending her in half as he drove into her. She was completely open to him, at his mercy. She couldn’t do anything but take what he gave her. She felt the stretch along the back of her legs and the sweet security of her head against his chest before the pleasure started again, winding tighter and tighter, whipping through her like a ribbon, waking sensations she thought were gone.
The orgasm shook her, her feelings familiar and at the same time so much more than anything she’d ever felt. She remembered him. Things had changed. His body was different – stronger, more masculine – and her thirty some year-old lover knew more than the twenty-year-old one had, but all the feelings were still there lying buried just under the surface, waiting for him to unwrap them.
“Why did you have to leave?” she asked, angry, shaken and breathless with pleasure.
He curled around her as his climax rocked them both. “Why didn’t you stay?”
Chapter Four
Well, where the hell had that come from, Julie thought as she watched the flames dance in the fireplace. She meant to have sex with him not bare her soul, but apparently, they were the same thing where Eric was concerned. Neither of them answered the question. Maybe there wasn’t a good answer. She knew she didn’t have one, so for now she watched the flames move and shift across the round pebbles in the gas fireplace on the wall.
She’d been skeptical when Eric had clicked a remote and the fire sprang to life, but now that it was going, it was just as mesmerizing as one made with wood. Perhaps more so because part of her mind knew that pebbles shouldn’t burn. She smoothed out the T-shirt he’d given her to wear and tucked her feet underneath her, leaning back into his arms. The sofa was more than long enough for the both of them but even though she wasn’t sure she was ready to talk, she wanted to be close to him.