by Emily Bishop
“Call it instinct,” he said, watching me carefully.
“You’ve got good instincts then, but yes, I was raised with money,” I admitted, as much as I didn’t want to. I generally kept my past to myself, but I didn’t want to flat out lie to him. It just felt wrong.
I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as we walked along the edge of the trees. The cool night air smelled of the ocean, one of my favorite things about being by the water. But right now, it did nothing to soothe the nervous feelings surging inside me.
The conversation had taken a turn for the worse, as far as I was concerned. The life I used to live was full of unpleasant memories. There was a reason I’d left it all behind, after all. I didn’t want to talk about any of it, especially now, when I was having so much fun having Barrett all to myself.
My salvation came in the form of a tree that was made for climbing. An idea started taking shape in my mind to get us back to fun. “Have you ever climbed that tree?”
“What?” he asked.
I pointed at the large oak tree, its branches extending in every direction—every child’s dream. “Wanna see who can get the highest?”
“Are you serious right now?” he asked, disbelief ringing in his tone.
“As a heart attack,” I told him and stopped at the lowest branch, wrapping my arms around it and pulling myself up. “You coming?”
“No,” he said, looking up at me as if I’d grown a second head.
“Come on. What, are you scared?” I teased, lifting myself to the second branch.
“I’m not scared,” he scoffed. Then he rolled up his sleeves as a mischievous glint crept into his eyes. “Fine, but I want a reward when we’re done.”
My sex clenched, but I very much doubted it would be that kind of reward. “You’re on.”
Barrett caught up to me in no time, planting his feet on one wide branch and placing his hands on either side of my hips on the one that I was sitting on. We were eye-to-eye, his lips inches away from mine.
“I haven’t done anything like this in god only knows how long,” he said.
“Invigorating, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is,” he breathed, his eyes burning into mine.
Bringing a hand to my cheek, he leaned forward and closed the distance between our mouths, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that made every other kiss I’d ever had pale in comparison.
The biggest surprise to me of all? I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back with everything that I had in me.
Chapter 9
Barrett
Demi made me feel wilder and freer than I ever had. Making out in a tree was insanity, but we weren’t very high up, and now that I had her soft lips under mine, I wasn’t letting her go. Well, maybe I would, but only to fuck her up against the base of that tree.
Her lips moved with mine, parting when I slid my tongue along her seam. She tasted like the mint she’d popped into her mouth and like the freedom that came with letting go of all the little things that I was always trying to control.
Demi’s hands were warm on my neck, tightening at the base of my skull as she wove them into my hair, holding me close to her. I kissed her with every ounce of passion I had, wanting—needing—her to feel the wild abandon she was stirring up in me.
I’d wanted this from the moment I’d pulled a random waitress into my lap in a blind panic. I had no idea what an amazing woman had just tumbled into my life in that diner. I’d wanted her instantly, and as we spent more time together, my desire ran hotter and deeper. Finally, tonight, the dam was about to burst, and I didn’t have to hold back any longer.
I concentrated on the tiny gasps she made as I kissed her deeply, licking every line inside of her mouth, marking all of the recesses and curves. She shifted forward, leaning into me. I braced one arm on the wide branch she was sitting on and used the other to guide her closer to me.
Demi nipped at my lower lip, and a groan rumbled through my chest.
“We have to get out of this fucking tree,” I growled.
“Agreed,” she said, her voice raspy.
It took us no longer than a minute to hop from the low branches. Once we reached the ground, she shot me a wicked smile and gave me her mouth. I took it. Caging her against the rough bark of the tree with my elbows, I lost myself in her taste and the feel of her perfect mouth.
My dick was as hard as the tree behind her, and it strained against my zipper painfully, begging to be unleashed. Demi moaned and arched her hips against mine. Pleasure ripped through me at the delicious friction sparking between our bodies. I was in serious danger of coming in my pants like a damn high school kid.
I had never gotten so worked up from a kiss before. Every stroke of her tongue drove me crazier, and every time she moaned it was like a fist around my cock, stroking me to madness. My hands fell to her waist, then her ass, loving the way she filled my hands.
We were both breathing hard when I broke the kiss. I needed her naked and underneath me. Now.
“Wanna take this inside?” I asked.
Demi’s pupils were dilated, her lips were slightly swollen from our passionate kisses, her chest was rising and falling fast, but she was still capable of catching me completely off guard.
“Why?”
She flashed me a sexy smile, then reached for the hem of her sundress and pulled it right off. She stood in front of me in a white lacy bra and panties that were an equal mix of innocent and sexy. The overall effect had my mouth watering and my cock screaming.
She arched a brow at me. “Your move.”
My mind raced at her challenge. There was no way having sex in my backyard was a good idea, but then again, why not?
I wanted this. I wanted her.
Fuck it all. If we were doing this, I was all in. I smirked and stripped all the way down. Her breath caught when she openly stared at my body in a way that made me feel like a god. She drank in the sight of me in the moonlight, and her gaze lingered on my hard, throbbing cock for a long time. Her whole body shivered with anticipation as she looked at it.
Demi’s eyes traveled back to mine, and her lips parted. She held my gaze as she reached behind her, unhooked her bra, and let the straps slide down her arms. I nearly swallowed my tongue when her bra fell to the ground.
I knew the shape of her breasts, of course. I’d looked at them way too often to be considered a good guy, but seeing them bare like this, they were perfection. Full and real, with hardened nipples that I needed to have in my mouth.
She sashayed over to me, then pointed at the pile of clothes at my feet. “Sit.”
Spreading out my shirt, I sat my ass down and motioned to her. She obeyed my silent command and came to stand in front of me. I rolled her panties from her hips and groaned when the scent of her arousal hit me. I breathed in deeply, knowing beyond a doubt that I was in the middle of the most erotic moment of my admittedly oversexed life. Then I reached for her ass to bring her glistening center to my hungry mouth.
Her musky scent filled my brain with an intoxicating fog, and I buried my face between her legs to take it all in. She moaned loudly as I licked her from top to bottom, sucking her hard little clit into my mouth on each upstroke.
My tongue parted her lips, and the taste of her made me groan with excitement. The vibrations rippled through her sensitive flesh. She gasped and rocked her hips forward, like she was begging for more.
She tangled her fingers in my hair and pulled me closer to her. I could barely breathe, but I could drown happily between her legs as long as I made her come first.
I wrapped one arm around her thighs and sucked on her clit like a ripe piece of fruit. With my free hand, I plunged a thick finger between her swollen lips and stroked her in rhythm with my tongue. Her breathing turned into quick, ragged gasps with every caress of my mouth, and her hands clenched to fists in my hair.
Her legs started quivering, and I tightened my grip around her hips. I wasn’t going to let anythin
g stop me from taking this all the way. I wanted Demi to come so hard she’d never forget it for the rest of her life.
I increased my efforts, and her moans started running together. Demi was shaking like a leaf, her whole body clenching. I gazed up at her without letting up for a second. Her eyes were closed, and her breasts heaved hypnotically with every panting breath. She looked so fucking beautiful in that moment. I never wanted it to end.
Demi’s body tightened and jerked like she’d just been struck by lightning. She bucked wildly against me, and she released in my mouth. I held her firmly as she rode out her orgasm, and I kept my eyes on her gorgeous face as pleasure surged through her.
She slumped forward and placed her hands on my shoulders to steady herself. Her breathing slowed, and she fixed me with a darkened gaze. I saw a mixture of satisfaction and desire. She just came but I could tell that she wanted more. God, she was fucking amazing.
“Your turn,” she said breathlessly. “Do you have a condom?”
Thank god my wallet was still in my pants. I yanked it out and sheathed myself comically fast. Demi’s breathing quickened again as she watched me intently.
She lowered herself to her knees and shoved me hard to the ground. I laid down willingly, eager to see where she was going with this. I never thought Demi was some innocent virgin but I’d never expected the raw sensuality lurking just beneath her graceful, refined surface. It was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
Demi slung a leg over my hips and straddled me on the ground. Her warm, wet pussy was so close to my desperate cock, and I groaned impatiently and bucked my hips. Demi moaned as I grazed her, a soft sound of pure want. She didn’t waste any more time, lowering herself onto me excruciatingly slowly.
She was so warm, so wet, so tight. “Fuck.”
“You’re telling me,” she breathed, meeting every thrust of my hips.
I lost myself in her blazing pussy, her moans of pleasure, and her sweet, sweet smell but I kept reminding myself not to let go too soon. Her first orgasm had been so goddamn sexy that I had to feel her come with my cock inside her. I needed to feel her muscles rippling around me, milking me until I couldn’t stand it any longer.
She rocked her hips down onto my cock, and I thrusted up to meet her with every stroke. Our bodies crashed together, and I buried my hard length into her deeper every time.
Demi threw her head back and moaned wildly into the night sky. The movement pushed her ripe breasts forward, just begging me to grab them. So, I did. Her skin was on fire. I brushed my rough palms over her pert nipples, and she hissed at the feeling. Her hips moved faster, stroking me with her glorious pussy. She felt so good that I knew I couldn’t last much longer.
I moved my hand down to rub her clit while I fucked her. Her pussy clenched around me immediately, overwhelming me. She wailed as her orgasm swept over her, through her body and into mine. I jerked my cock into her one more time and released deep inside of her with a primal growl.
Demi collapsed on my chest. Our bodies were still connected at the hips. Once we caught our breath, Demi flashed me a smile, pressed a soft kiss to my lips, and reached for her panties.
“Leave them,” I told her, running my eyes over her exquisite body. “We need to get cleaned up anyway.”
“Race you to the shower?” Demi asked, giggling.
“Seems like I have an advantage since I know where it is.” I smirked, gathering my clothes as she did the same.
“Even so, you’re on.” She laughed, then took off running back to the house.
I stood frozen for a moment, just watching her beautiful body streak through the moonlight. As she ran, her gorgeous breasts bounced, and her round ass jiggled. It was an absolutely mesmerizing sight, and even though I’d just drained myself into her, blood rushed to my cock again. What the hell was this woman doing to me?
I sprinted after her and wrapped my arms around her when I caught up. I threw her over my shoulder, caveman style, and she let out a hoot of laughter.
Giggling like kids, muddy and naked with leaves in our hair, I carried her to my bathroom.
“You know, that means you forfeited the race,” she told me as I set her back on her feet.
“In your dreams,” I said.
“You have no idea what happens in my dreams,” she said, her lips turning up into a sexy smile.
“Want me to give you an idea of mine in the shower?” I offered.
“Nope,” she said, claiming the shower first and squealing when the first jet of cold water hit her.
Steam started rising soon, hiding her delicious body from view. “Care for some company in there?” I asked.
There was more than enough space for both of us. My shower was the size of my childhood bedroom. I cracked open the door and slid in behind her. She spun around to face me, her eyes wide and happy.
“I’m just about done,” she said.
“Already?”
“Yup,” she said, rinsing her hair and rubbing at the last spot of mud on her arm.
Getting out of the shower, she reached for one of my fluffy white towels and closed the shower door as she wrapped it around her body. I washed fast, pulling twigs out my hair and watching as the muddy water pooling at the drain became clear.
By the time I was done, though, the room was empty. I checked through the rest of the house, thinking maybe she was being playful again, but I didn’t find her.
Demi was gone.
Her sudden departure bothered me all weekend, though I was trying my best not to let it. Even so, I had a hard time concentrating on anything else the next day. In hit-and-run sex, I was usually the one who ran afterward. It was disconcerting being on the receiving end for once.
By Sunday afternoon, I still couldn’t get her out of my head. I was sitting in my office, staring at my computer screen blankly. There were hundreds of emails to answer but I kept finding myself staring off into the distance and wondering why she’d left.
My phone rang, pulling my attention back to the present. My financial advisor Steven gave me his trademark smirk from my screen.
“Please tell me you’re calling to tell me you closed the deal?” I asked.
“The owner of Athena’s is still holding off on the purchase, but I’m willing to bet we’ll get it done within the month,” he replied curtly.
Athena’s was the latest company I was trying to acquire. It was a jewelry store, unlike any other in the city or the fifteen other locations it had. Its name was synonymous with luxury. If you wanted to get engaged in this city and you had any money at all, you were doing it with a ring from Athena’s.
“Good,” I said. The place had been a gold mine once, one I wanted in on. It needed a cashflow injection that the owner didn’t have to restore it to its former glory, but I did. “Keep me updated.”
“Will do,” he assured me, never one to mince his words.
After we ended the call, the impending purchase occupied my thoughts for a while, but they were soon drifting back to Demi and wondering why she left. I’d pegged her early on as the skittish type but I was beginning to wonder if it was evidence of the fact that she had to play things carefully because of her wealth growing up. Maybe she just wasn’t used to letting her guard down.
I wondered if Nancie would have to be the same eventually. She was going to be the heiress to a much greater fortune than I imagined Demi’s family had, after all. I’d had to learn quickly, once the agency took off, to keep my guard up and my circle of trusted people small. But unlike Demi and Nancie, I remembered a time before people had started sizing me up according to the size of my bank account.
I’d grown up in a solidly middle-class family, with a sister who kept me on the straight and narrow and parents who kept their noses to the grindstone until their dying day. My sister had always been a good student and started tutoring in her senior year. She’d been tutoring another boy in her class who had taken advantage of her sweet and caring nature, and when she told him she was pregnan
t, he split.
As a result, I’d always had a hand in raising Nancie, and I’d promised myself that I would never let anyone take advantage of her that way. Nor would a woman take advantage of me, just because I now had money.
Demi wouldn’t do that, though, because she had no reason to do so. It was a comforting thought. Things between us could be amazing, if only I could figure out why the hell she’d run away from me.
Chapter 10
Demi
As I was waking up on Sunday morning, I still had only one thought echoing in my mind.
Oh. My. God.
I’d slept with my damn boss. And try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. It was wild, crazy, impulsive, and amazing. Barrett was sexy, super attentive, hung like a horse, and knew what he was doing down there.
My brain kept telling me that I should regret what happened, but my heart and my body wouldn’t let me. My heart told me that I liked him, which I had to admit to myself. My body adored him, remembering the way he played it like an instrument specially designed for him. But my mind was still torn because of his damn money.
Barrett’s house betrayed the fact that he was way richer than my parents. That level of wealth troubled me. It did bad things to people, and I had no interest in being around any part of that life.
Still, I liked him. All I had to give was my heart. If I willingly gave it to him and he lost interest, I would be devastated all over again.
My parents’ marriage had taught me tons about being married to a guy like Barrett. You were nothing more than arm candy. My mother was smart, witty, and independent before she met my dad, but years of having him ignore her had turned her into someone I didn’t recognize. I doubt she did, either.
For just a second, I imagined being married to Barrett, and those same images of my mom clenching her jaw and rallying came to mind.
No thanks.
I wasn’t strong enough to have that happen to me. To have the man that I loved just ignore me. There was no way. I’d left Barrett’s house on a whim on Friday, suddenly freaking out about what getting involved with him would mean.