by Sam Crescent
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Cassie. I always know I can depend on you to give it to me straight.” Chris rubbed his palms down his pant leg. The more time he spent with his family, the more he felt like he’d made a mistake with trying a second time at love.
“Someone has to keep you in line, Chris. No one has a clue what you’d do otherwise.”
Blaze came out with his son in tow. “Uncle Chris.”
He smiled down at his nephew before glaring at the adults. They all looked at him as if he was going to fuck this up. He’d fucked up in the past. This wasn’t like that. He wasn’t wowed by models, or the high life, or money. Over the years without Erica, he’d mellowed out. The playboy was not the bloody matchmaker. His reputation was mocked everywhere. Instead of wanting to change back from the man he’d become, he relished the change inside him. Chris had anticipated seeing Erica again. He’d hoped to be the better man. But with the way he reacted the day before, all of his effort was a waste. The moment they were together he acted like a total asshole.
“I think it is a good thing you’re giving love a second chance. I blew it the first time, and Cassie forgave me. Maybe Erica can forgive you,” Blaze said. Chris watched his brother hug Cassie to him. The love between his brother and friend was so clearly visible to everyone who looked. He envied them. He knew if given the chance he and Erica could have the same. Chris wanted the same.
“Leave your brother alone,” Molly said as she came out of the kitchen. She brushed his brothers aside, smoothed out his tie, and tapped him on the chest. “Go and show her what a great man you’ve become.”
“Thanks, mum,” he said. Her eyes widened, and he saw the unmistakable sign of tears. He laughed, looking past her shoulder to see his father staring at her with longing. Chris knew he needed to fix his parents’ problems. But first, he needed to fix his own problems.
“Right, I don’t want any of you staying up. I’m going to take Erica out, and I don’t want any of you up when I get back.”
They all muttered. He shut the door behind him. Getting into his car, he drove the short distance to the beach house where she was staying. A few of her friends were scattered out the front. He noticed Ben swigging beer. Chris felt an instant dislike to the guy who was trying to keep Erica for his own.
Erica was his woman, even if he had fucked up years ago. Did she allow this man to make love to her until the early hours of the morning? Had she opened up her heart and soul to him as he was deep inside her body?
So many questions swirled around his head, threatening to unleash the ugly, jealous beast inside him. Chris got out of his car and waited. Her friends stared at him a few minutes before Erica walked out. Ben grabbed her arm, twirling her around to face him. Fisting his hand at his side, Chris watched the other man talk to her. He wished he could hear what the other guy was saying.
Folding his arms over his chest he observed them. She nodded her head but ducked away when he went to kiss her. Chris couldn’t contain the smirk that came from him.
Fuck you. Erica is mine.
She walked over to him with her head bowed down. He opened the door, helping her inside.
“Can we leave, please?” she said. He shut the door, going round to his own side. The desire to give Ben the finger was strong, but he kept the desire down.
“Doesn’t your boyfriend like you going on a dinner date?” he asked.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She stared out of the window.
“That was fast. In the space of a day he’s gone from being your boyfriend to not being.” Happiness sprang up inside him.
“I lied. I didn’t want you thinking I was pining after you. You’ve already got the world’s biggest ego. I’m not going to add to it.”
Chris had nothing to say in response. He probably would have felt she hadn’t gotten over him.
She looked sensational with her blonde hair curled around her shoulders. The length was something he always enjoyed gazing at. She wore a plain white summer dress that emphasised her large breasts and full hips. Her waist looked small but evenly proportioned with the rest of her body. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as the urge to touch her grew inside him.
Erica never knew the power she held over him. When he had first taken her, the power of her virginity had brought him to his knees. After they’d made love, she’d fallen asleep, and he’d been in a state of panic.
She stayed silent in the car, and Chris allowed his mind to drift to the hotel room four years ago.
****
She looked gorgeous. Her blonde hair was pulled into a pony tail, so all he thought about was pulling that band out of her hair and tearing the clothes from her body. The need to be inside her filled his every waking moment.
Chris Sinclair dated any woman, fucked hard, and played constantly. No woman kept his attention for longer than a night. Erica Black had turned into a challenge. Her being a work colleague hadn’t bothered him, but her being much younger than he had bothered him. She came out of nowhere and struck him everywhere he turned. The fullness of her body was so different from all the super slim models he’d fucked over the years. Her innocence surrounded her like a cape protecting her from evil.
Their meeting had gone perfectly. They were seated in the main sitting room of his suite. A bottle of white wine was half finished, and the music playing in the background provided the perfect setting for seduction. They sat close together, the heat of her body rolling off her in waves. He reached across, placing his hand on her knee. When she didn’t move his hand away, he moved under her skirt. She looked flushed as she stared back at him. No protest came out from between her lips.
“You’d better tell me to stop, Erica. I want you,” he said.
“I want you, too.” She leaned over and kissed him. The press of her lips was inexperienced. He cupped her cheek, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. Chris took control and showed her what he wanted from the loving of her lips. She gave her everything to him, responding to his touch.
He ran his hand up her leg until he pressed against her panty-covered mound.
“Let us take this into the bedroom,” Chris said. He walked through to the bedroom, ridding himself of his jacket and tie.
Erica followed behind him. She stayed in the centre of the room without looking at the bed. Chris pulled her into his arms, unbuttoning her blouse as he kissed her lips. She was so submissive and responsive. The two contrasting acts excited him. Her blouse fell to the floor, followed by her bra, skirt, and panties. She stood before him naked. He gazed at her full body and marvelled at what he could do to her.
She wouldn’t break. He grabbed her ass and thrust his pelvis against her.
The moment he rid himself of his own clothes, he carried her to the bed. He held her hands above her head, pressing kisses along her neck. Chris let go as he moved down her body to her glorious, full tits. They were pert with lovely red-tipped nipples. He sucked on one before moving onto the next. She cried out, her fingers tightening in his hair before he went farther down. Her tummy quivered under his touch. Spreading her legs open, he licked her slit. He circled her clit then down to the entrance of her pussy before licking back up and circling her juicy, swollen clit. She tasted tangy and sweet all at the same time.
Her cries of pleasure filled his head as he sucked her clit into his mouth, teasing her. She thrust up to meet him with every touch. There was nothing fake about her response to him. Her climax rushed through her. He replaced his tongue with his fingers, moving back up to kiss her lips. Everything about her was addictive to him. Her body was his to play with. The possessive feeling that overcame him shocked him to the core. No woman had ever left him feeling as if she was all his. He never thought of women as property, but Erica felt like his woman for the taking. Erica was becoming his woman with every passing minute.
Chris couldn’t wait any longer. He fisted his cock, sliding the tip along her juice-soaked slit before pushing inside her in one smooth, hard thrust. Sh
e screamed, her nails clawing at his back.
“Stop. It hurts,” she said. He paused, feeling the tightness of her cunt around his cock. He frowned seeing the tears in her eyes.
“You’ve done this before with a man, haven’t you?” he asked. The anger inside him threatened to tear him apart. Anger mixed with shock and another emotion he wasn’t used to, fear. The pain on her face scared him. She made him feel so much at once. No woman had made him feel so conflicted before in his life. “Answer me.”
“Why are you angry with me?” The tears fell from her eyes.
Grabbing hold of his feelings, he dropped his head into the curve of her neck trying to gain control.
“Am I your first?”
She didn’t speak but nodded her head.
“Why me?” he asked.
“Why not you?”
His heart swelled at her words. A woman’s virginity was precious and not to be thrown away to someone who wouldn’t cherish the moment.
He took her and made the moment memorable. Her body became attuned to his, from the pulse of her pussy around his cock to the heat of her release as it surrounded him.
****
Chris came out of his flashback. He didn’t want to go deeper into the pain of the past. That night meant more to him than anything else. She still smelt the same, of sunshine and honey. At least, sunshine and honey were the scents he associated with her.
After that day, the weekend that followed had been the most memorable of all of his years. He refused to spoil this night with her by the sins he’d committed in the past. What he’d done and said back then had been foolish, stupid, and he’d paid every day since.
He slowed the car down for a sharp corner. The restaurant was a gorgeous little place situated in a secluded street. He parked the car before getting ‘round to her side of the car. Opening the door for her, Chris helped her out. Her hand inside his sent a bolt of electricity through his body.
She went to pull her hand away, but he stopped her, keeping a firm hold on her.
Chris opened the door. The maitre d’ stood waiting at the front and showed them to their seat in the back. Chris helped her into her chair, accepting the menu from the waiter.
He noticed his hands were shaking. Holding the menu firmly disguised any visible shaking. Being around the love of his life made him nervous. He always made a nasty comment or did something to make her upset.
“Do you have anything in mind that you want for dinner or to drink?” He added the last when he realised he was holding the wine menu.
“A milkshake and a burger,” she said with sarcasm. Her arms were folded over her chest. The defensive way she was staring at him let Chris know she was expecting an argument from him. Licking his lips behind the menu, he gained control of himself before putting it down.
“You don’t need to be difficult.”
“I’m not being difficult. I’m waiting for the Christopher Sinclair who I know to come shining through. I know you’ve fooled everyone else, but not me. I know firsthand what you’re like.”
Chris knew he would have to show Erica he was a changed man. The man she knew had learnt his lesson and paid for it dearly. He wasn’t giving her up, and he wouldn’t let go of her again.
Erica Black was going to be his.
Chapter Three
Erica stared at the man she’d been in love with for the past four years. The man who’d taken her virginity with such love and tenderness. The same man who’d squashed her young heart and shattered her to pieces.
“And you don’t think I’ve changed?” he asked.
In her heart she hoped he’d changed. The desire inside her to be with him was strong. She wanted to see the man he’d been on the weekend she had spent with him. Chris was different. She knew he was older. The small grey hairs at his temples were proof of the years he had passed. His dark hair still made him look incredibly handsome. His piercing brown eyes held an air of mystery around him. Erica always saw more to him than others, even when he had crushed her heart. She was twenty-four years old with one sexual experience under her belt. Her whole love life had lived and died with the man right in front of her.
“I think people can change if they want to.”
“You just don’t think I can change?” He looked sad, and her heart went out to him.
“I don’t know. I’d like to think you can, but you hurt me, Chris. You hurt me more than anyone else.”
He reached over the table, taking hold of her hand. She gazed at his much larger hand against her smaller one. He squeezed her hand before pulling away. She missed his touch instantly.
“I’m going to prove to you that I’ve changed. I know I hurt you, and I can’t change that, but I’ll show you the man I am now. All I ask is that you give me time.”
She knew she was being a fool for even considering his words. He’d hurt her once, and that had been enough to steer her clear from men for three years.
Erica nodded her head, staring down at her hands in front of her. He signalled the waiter and ordered her a chocolate milkshake and himself a cold beer.
He smiled at her when the waiter left with their drink orders. “Did you really think I’d bring you to a place you couldn’t stand? I know you hated the posh, upscale restaurants we used to go to for work meetings.”
“I thought you’d forgotten.”
The man was back once again, handing her a frosted glass with a straw.
“Try it. I guarantee you it will taste lovely,” Chris said. She sucked up the frothy liquid and gave a moan of appreciation. The velvety chocolate taste hit her tongue and made her want more. The milkshake was cold but not bitterly so.
“It is gorgeous,” she said.
“I knew you’d love the milkshakes here. If you remember the hotel never could get them right.”
The memory of their stay at the hotel where she’d given herself to him made her blush. She had loved and hated her time in their room. They’d sent down a request for several milkshakes, and when they came to the room, she and Chris had proceeded to get messy and lick the drink from their bodies.
She smiled and drank some more.
“What do you want to eat?” he asked, picking up another menu. “A burger?”
“I don’t suppose fried chicken and salad are on the menu?”
“They are.” He signalled the waiter. “We’ll have five fried chicken breasts with salad and dressing. I’ll have steak with chips and all the side orders.”
Erica waited until he disappeared before talking. “Five pieces of fried chicken? That guy is going to think I’m a cow.”
“No, he won’t. I ordered some for myself, and if anything you’ve lost some weight rather than put any on.”
She blushed and took some more of her milkshake.
“So, Ben is not your boyfriend?” he asked.
“He wanted to be. I think for a little while we were dating, but it didn’t work out.” She twirled her fingers together. “He asked me to marry him.”
The glass of beer Chris was holding shattered. Erica jumped, and the waiters surrounded him with clothes.
“I’m all right.” She saw the blood drip from a few cuts.
“Do we need to take you to the hospital?” she asked.
“Hand me that bloody towel.” Chris moved away from the table while the waiters cleaned away all the mess. In no time at all they were seated again, and a first aider was checking his hand. “I’m fine.”
“Sir, we would prefer for you to go to the hospital.” Chris shot the man a glare, and soon they were left alone. The towel was wrapped around his hand.
“Chris, if you need to go to the hospital then we need to go,” she said.
“I haven’t waited the last three years to get you alone on a date for it to go to waste in a hospital.” He sounded angry.
She raised her hands in surrender. “Three years to get me on a date and if you get gangrene and die on me, three years would seem like a waste of time.”
; He stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. “I’m not ending our night like this.”
“Who says it has to end? We’ll get the food to go and then on to the hospital to make sure. Depending on what they say we can eat anywhere.” Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? Chris must be some kind of magician with the power he held over her.
“You promise to stay with me at the hospital? Not leave me hanging around?” he asked.
“I promise. You’re paying for dinner, so the least I can do is stick around.” She smiled at him, feeling a happiness building inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Give me a second,” he said.
Erica watched him walk away from the table and approach the bar where the waiter stood. She admired Chris’s fine ass from where she sat. Chris might be a bastard on a lot of scales, but at least his body was something to look at. Feeling the heat of her blush staining her cheeks, she gazed down at her hands. Ben never made her feel like this, wild and uninhibited, free for the whole world to see. Ben gave her the safety net that she’d worked so hard to achieve. He left her feeling secure whereas Chris was the total opposite. Could she live a life always feeling safe? The feelings evoked by Ben were mediocre. How could she force Ben into a relationship where she would feel no passion or love?
Since Chris had walked back into her life, her whole world had become nothing but confusion. Her thoughts and feelings were all over the place. The levelheadedness was gone.
He came back minutes later looking pretty happy with himself. “They’re going to wrap our food up. I’ve gone for a couple of burgers instead of the steak.”
“How are you going to drive?” she asked, seeing his hand wrapped in the towel.
“No worries. It only hurts a little. I’m still good to drive.”
“What if they give you drugs or something to help with the pain?”
Chris reached over, touching her hand. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got this.”
She didn’t bother to question him. The waiter came out with their order wrapped in some fancy tubs. Erica carried them out to the car while he fired everything up. His hand looked fine. There was no blood seeping out of the towel.