by Leslie North
Probably not backed up against the penthouse elevator wall.
Mitch pressed his groin against hers, his cock finding the damp crease of her panties. He sucked at his teeth, the surge of pleasure nearly toppling him. Jules moaned low.
“Please,” she breathed, her eyes fluttering shut. “I need it, Mitch.”
He tugged aside her panties, his cockhead immediately sliding into place. He could feel how wet she was. How hungry for it she was. He grunted, easing himself inside her just an inch.
“Oooooh.” Her head dropped to his shoulder, her moan reflecting the same tension inside him. She was hot velvet around his cock, and he gritted his teeth as he sank into her. She threw back her head and it thudded against the wall, her mouth agape.
“Fuuuuck,” Jules said, but all he could manage was a groan in response.
He sank further, until he could claim no more space inside her, and then he eased back out. All the air in his lungs disappeared in a whoosh. His mind blank and buzzing, pinpricks already crowded together along his arms and legs. Sure, it had been a minute since he’d gotten laid. But Jules had something else.
Their connection sent him into the stratosphere.
“You feel too…fucking good,” he breathed as he eased himself inside of her again. She pinched her eyes shut and nodded hard.
“I can’t…I can’t even…”
He wet his bottom lip, lassoing enough attention to bring his mouth to her hers. She tightened her thighs around him, which increased the pressure around his cock. He grunted, stilling for a moment. He needed to get his head in the right place, or else this would be over before it even began.
“Jules,” he growled, gripping the curvy mounds of her ass. He smashed his lips against hers in a sloppy kiss, easing back out. “How am I supposed to last when you feel like this?”
She giggled lazily. “I already came three times.”
He pressed his tongue into her mouth, which sent another jolt of pleasure through him. When the kiss broke, he asked, “Really?”
“No, but fuck, I’m close.” She bucked against him, and he sank into her again. He steeled himself against another wash of pleasure, pushing him toward the edge. Mitch ran his teeth along the line of her jaw as he worked himself in and out, in and out. Her breath came out in soft gasps at his ear as he drilled into her, all of his muscles tense from the strain of beating back his orgasm.
Her pussy clenched around him. A warning sign. He buried his lips in the hollow of her neck, his breath making the dip between neck and collarbone damp.
“I’m close too.” He grunted, burying himself inside of her again. His vision went spotty, the precursor to the orgasm threatening at the edges of his composure.
Jules released a gritty moan, something halfway between feminine and animalistic, and the noise undid him. When he thrust inside her again, the rushing and brightness of his orgasm flooded him. Bowled him over and drowned him. He gave his own guttural cry and stilled, his abs going rock hard as he filled the condom with his release.
His hips jerked as the residual pleasure drifted through his limbs. His lips found Jules’s in a sloppy, sated kiss.
“Mmmm.” She was grinning through the kiss, and she was damn near dead weight in his arms.
“Yeah. Exactly.” He slipped himself out of her but didn’t hurry to lower her to her own two feet. He liked the weight of her in his arms. Liked this messy spread in the elevator.
“One down,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
“Speak for yourself,” she said, her words slow like she was drunk. “I really did come twice.”
“Am I that good?” He’d felt the powerful clench of her pussy around him as he came. But he wouldn’t have suspected that she’d come twice.
“Mm-hmm.” Her eyes drifted shut, the smile on her face a perma-grin. “First time was when you buried yourself inside me. Second time was when you came.”
He swirled his tongue over the ridge of her collarbone, his cock already pricking to life again. “Well. Why don’t we get upstairs and make it three, four, and five?”
Her eyes snapped open, and the sexy glint he found there was the only answer he needed.
13
Mitch had meetings most of the day the next day, which meant that Jules had the penthouse to herself.
She hummed as she drifted through the living room, headed for the little desk facing the floor-to-ceiling window. This was her work nook—she’d christened it as such on day one—and whenever this holiday reverie ended, she’d be extra sad to give this aspect up.
Although now, there were a few more aspects she was hesitant to give up.
Mitch’s gravely moans in her ear being one of the major ones.
A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled their epic fuck-a-thon from the night before. What had started in the elevator progressed to the penthouse, then—once the nanny was dismissed and the baby quietly asleep in her crib—made a quick tour from living room to kitchen to workout room to Mitch’s bedroom.
And that dinner the night before? She’d never felt so doted on.
So she wanted to surprise him. Like a thank you gift, except nothing handwritten or involving a registry.
Jules planned on thanking him the only way she knew how—through cozy Christmas decorating and cooking.
Since she’d taken up residence in the penthouse, it wasn’t hard to use free moments in her event planning to turn her attention toward the apartment. With Christmas two weeks away, Mitch showed a startling lack of decoration. For that matter, so did she in her own home. But that wasn’t the issue here. A place this big and amazing deserved to look spectacular. And with so many resources at his disposal, Mitch had no excuse not to dive headfirst into the Christmas spirit.
So Jules did some investigating, made some calls to different assistants in the hotel, and got the gears in motion. First up: a real tree. Rose had mentioned that a few extra trees had been left from the lobby displays. Then? Ornaments of all shapes and sizes, the leftovers from the lobby decorations. Once the tree was up, dressed, and lit, the place still didn’t seem quite finished.
She arranged for any and all extra statues and garland to be sent up the service elevator as well. And sure, maybe her workday had been primarily spent tracking down these decorations and finding appropriate places for all of them. But it was a worthwhile surprise, one that would pair very well with the chicken roasting in the oven alongside a full tray of vegetables.
Jules knew how to make a home even homier. And that was the best gift she could give to Mitch right now.
Noelle arrived home first in the arms of the nanny. Jules received the yawning, sleepy-eyed girl with a big grin. “How was she today?”
“A breeze, as usual. She’s been up for a while, so I’m sure she’s ready for a nap.”
Jules thanked the nanny, heading to the couch to give Noelle her bottle and hum her a song. Once she’d been burped and her diaper changed, Noelle’s eyes drifted closed. Just as Jules was swaying her to sleep, the front door opened.
A moment later, Mitch came into the living room with wide eyes, looking around like he’d stepped into the wrong house altogether.
“What—”
“Shhh.” Jules grinned, jerking her chin toward Noelle. “She’s about to fall asleep.”
Mitch clamped his mouth shut, setting his briefcase on the couch before heading their way. Something warm shone in his eyes, and he didn’t take his gaze off her. Not for a second.
“What is all this?” he asked in a softer voice.
Her grin spread so wide her cheeks hurt. “What is what?”
“Don’t play coy. My penthouse looks like a magazine ad for Christmas itself.”
“Good. Then my work here is done.” She swayed away from him, flirtation bursting to life between them. He tilted his head, wetting his bottom lip as he looked her up and down.
“You’re cooking something.”
“Correct.” Now her ears hurt from smiling so hard. She ha
dn’t known it was possible.
“What are you making?”
“I have a sleepy baby to tend to,” she said, turning away from him slightly. “You’re just going to have to wait and find out.”
She sashayed away from him, feeling his questions and amusement burning in the air behind her. The walk to the bedroom had allowed Noelle to drift off to sleep, so Jules set the sleeping girl in her crib and came back to the living room. Mitch had removed his tie and undone the first few buttons of his shirt. He was pouring a tumbler of whiskey just as she entered.
“Wow. So early?”
Mitch sighed, bringing the glass up to his lips. “Sometimes, you just need something to mark the transition into the evening.”
“Seems like you had a rough day.” She came up to him, overcome by the urge to care for him. To erase the stress showing in his face and the weariness that clung to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, shocked by how natural the gesture felt.
Sure, they’d had plenty of sex the night before. But was this sort of intimacy welcome, or even allowed? This type of intimacy had them moving from sex-with-abandon into tell-me-all-your-woes territory.
Mitch downed the whiskey, then sighed through a grimace as he set the glass down. His big hands smoothed over her shoulders and then ran down her back. A shiver raced through her.
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
Not the reaction she’d been expecting. She couldn’t tell if he was touched by her insight or just politely sidestepping her interest.
“Want to talk about it?”
His jaw worked back and forth, his gaze distracted but bright as he searched her face. “Just Denton Hotels bullshit.”
She snickered. “So my surprises are well-timed.”
Something in his features softened, and that smile returned, the one that made the dimple flash. “Yeah. More well-timed than you could have realized.”
“Come here. Let me show you around.” She took his hand in hers and started a slow walk around the penthouse, showing off all the different touches and accoutrements that she’d added. They stood for a long time at the tree, admiring the different ornaments: the bloated golden baubles, the dangling, icicle-like tendrils, the sparkly tinsel draped over the evergreen limbs.
“Everything looks so beautiful,” Mitch said, sliding his hand over the small of her back.
“Well, Christmas is something of my specialty. And I can’t believe you didn’t have this done already! Christmas is coming up soon.”
Mitch’s smile slowly faded, his brows drawing together. “But you didn’t have it done either.”
Her mouth parted. “Right. But you have this place. This place deserves to be decorated.”
“And yours doesn’t?”
His question made her think. Her house had always been her safe haven, until her most recent move to a smaller, more affordable apartment just made her uninterested in unpacking and really inhabiting the place.
“I’m not there much,” she said.
“I’m not here a ton either.”
Jules nibbled at her lip, thinking about what else she could say.
“The place looks great. You’ve clearly got a knack for this sort of thing.”
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him, but something in her chest hurt. His words had cracked something open. She just wasn’t sure yet what it was. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Great. Let me feed you now.” She squeezed his hand and led him into the dining room. After a stern command for him to sit his butt down, she got the plates and silverware out, and then loaded up a fancy white serving platter with the roasted chicken and vegetables.
Mitch’s gaze didn’t leave the food as she brought everything over. “Wow. It smells divine, but it looks even better.”
She tutted, swatting at his arm once the dish was on the table. “You’re just saying that. I haven’t forgotten about last night’s dinner, by the way.”
“That reminds me.” Mitch set aside his napkin and went to the wine rack in the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a bottle and a corkscrew. “A 2008 Malbec from Argentina. What do you think?”
“I think you should open that immediately.” She slid into her seat, trying to fight the same perma-grin that had strained her cheeks earlier. Holy hell, this was a lifestyle she could get used to. Easygoing evenings after a workday, punctuated with surprises and warm embraces and fine wine.
Even though she loved Christmas, this was one time she wished it would never arrive. So she could extend this sweet little…romance? Fling? Something more, or something less? It was hard to know. Noelle made things muddy, but the passion between her and Mitch made things clear at the same time.
There was something real between them. But Jules just couldn’t tell if it was real in the way that lasted.
Once she’d filled their plates with food and he’d poured the richly dark wine, they clinked glasses and took appreciative sips. A moan escaped her.
“It’s so good!”
“Sounds like you’re on the elevator again,” Mitch remarked.
She snickered, heat creeping up her neck. “I guess the sensations are similar. Enjoying excellent wine and being…ravaged.”
“Ravaged.” A cool smirk crossed his laps. “You make it sound like a romance novel.”
“It sorta was,” she said.
“Perhaps. Though it’s good to have an outlet like that.” His smirk turned mischievous.
“I agree.” She sipped at her wine again, already feeling drunk, though it was impossible after only a sip and a half. Really, she suspected it had more to do with the man in front of her than anything else. “Even I need an outlet like that, and I don’t run a hotel empire.”
He cut into the roasted chicken, his gaze flicking between her and his plate. “Yeah. I don’t technically run it, though.”
“But you will.”
“Yes. I will.” But his words didn’t sound confident. He stuffed a forkful of chicken into his mouth, his gaze growing cloudy. He looked out over the city as he chewed.
“You sound like you doubt it.”
He swallowed, gaze returning to the plate. “This is excellent.”
“Thanks. Did you hear me?”
“Yes. I’m just ignoring you.” He reached for his wine.
“Sorry. If you’d rather not go there, we don’t have to. I can talk instead about the roasting technique I used or the exact number of ornaments on the tree.”
“How many?” His sharp gaze cut up to her, and she sucked in a quick breath. She might never not be affected by those eyes.
“Forty-two.”
He nodded sagely. “Good number.”
“So why do you doubt your future running the hotel?”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “So you don’t take a hint.”
She chewed on a potato wedge, grinning over at him. “Not always.”
“I won’t be confident my father will hand the reins over until he actually does.” Mitch shrugged. “That’s all.”
“But why wouldn’t he?”
Mitch crumpled a little, but he straightened quickly. “My father is…enigmatic. To say the least. He’s always put a lot of pressure on me as the first child, pressure my brother never got.”
“What sort of pressure?”
“To act a certain way…to be seen a certain way.” Mitch shook his head, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin. “It was a lot growing up. I never understood why he tried to control my life so much. I hated it so much that I even vandalized one of his properties when I was sixteen. He told me I couldn’t date the girl in my music class, so I lashed out.”
Jules blinked. “Wow. Did he ever find out?”
Mitch shook his head. “And I’ve never told anyone. So…congratulations. You’ve got information for blackmail.”
“I solemnly swear I will not share this tantalizing vandalism tidbit.”
“Good.” Mitch stuffed anothe
r forkful of chicken in his mouth. After he chewed, he said, “Now you have to give me some blackmail tidbit.”
“Do I?”
He nodded. “It’s the rules of the penthouse.”
She hummed as she thought, tipping her head back and forth. She didn’t quite have anything as illegal or urchin-like as vandalism. But she did have something that called her whole stint as Noelle caregiver into question. “Fine. I’m not as capable of a caretaker as I probably seem.” She folded up her napkin, surprised by the way her chest tightened as she readied to spill the beans. “I used to be a nanny, and one of the kids I was watching fell and broke his leg on my watch.”
Mitch blinked. “And?”
“He went to the hospital, and I quit being a nanny.” She reached for her wine.
“That’s not blackmail worthy.”
“It is. Because I made it seem like it was his fault. But if I had been watching more closely—if I had been closer to him…”
He smirked, shaking his head. “No way. That stuff happens. Kids fall. It’s part of life.”
She sighed. “Well, you weren’t there. And honestly, the stress was too much. I spend pretty much every thirty seconds wondering if I’m going to hurt Noelle somehow.”
Mitch tutted. “You are wonderful with her. Trust me—you are a hundred times better with her than I am.”
His words were sweet, but she still waved them off.
He was undeterred. “Have you ever noticed how fast she falls asleep in your arms compared to mine?”
“Yeah, but that’s different,” Jules said.
She had nothing to follow it with when Mitch asked her “How?” He smiled. “Just admit it. You’re great with her, and one child falling off a jungle gym does not make you incapable.”
Jules fought a grin as she forked some more vegetables into her mouth. He had a point. But more than that, she was touched by how deftly he’d fought to lift her spirits.
It had worked. And that sort of investment in her wellbeing was almost sexier than anything else about him.
14
Once dinner was cleared away and Noelle was up for another feeding and some playtime, Jules was buzzing with warmth and happiness. She hadn’t counted on loving these moments so much. The routine of waking up with Noelle, coming home to her after a day of work, and spending the evening in…a family.
