by Cleary James
‘Right,’ he nodded. ‘Clean break.’ He had suspected as much. When he’d tried texting or calling her after her last message to him, her phone always seemed to be out of service.
‘But hang on.’ She went back into the room and picked up her phone from the coffee table. ‘Give it to me now.’
She handed him the phone and he keyed in his number. He noted she wasn’t volunteering to give him hers, so he didn’t ask. He would just have to hope that some day she would choose to call him.
‘Well, thanks for a great game,’ he said as she took the phone back from him. ‘I really enjoyed it.’ He lingered still, reluctant to leave. He couldn’t bear the thought that he wasn’t going to see her again and he just wanted to stretch out this last moment for as long as he could. ‘And thank you for a lovely dinner.’
‘Sorry it wasn’t anything more exciting.’
‘It was perfect.’ He hovered uncertainly in the doorway. Every fibre of his being strained towards her, and his feet remained firmly planted on the threshold, unwilling to move away from her.
‘Goodbye, Lisa,’ he said finally. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. ‘It was really good to see you again.’
She tilted her face to his so their lips were almost touching and he felt her soft breath on his skin. For a moment her lips hovered so close to his he could almost taste their sweetness. Kiss me, he begged silently, willing her to close the infinitesimal distance between them. He was almost shaking with the effort it took not to reach out and touch her.
‘Goodbye, Grayson,’ she said softly, breaking the spell. She blinked rapidly as she pulled away.
‘Take care of yourself,’ he said. Then he left and he heard the soft click as she closed the door behind him.
Lisa willed herself not to run after Grayson as soon as the door closed behind him. She put her phone on the coffee table, determined not to call his number straight away, and returned to the kitchen, busying herself with clearing up after dinner. The time seemed endless as she stacked the dishwasher and wiped down the worktops, half expecting Grayson to come back at any moment and beg her to change her mind about seeing him again. She knew he wanted her. She’d seen it in his eyes. She’d felt it in the way he’d hovered hopefully in the doorway. He hadn’t wanted to leave. If she’d kissed him, he’d have pulled her into his arms and kissed her back. If she’d made the smallest move towards him, he wouldn’t have hesitated. It had taken all her willpower to resist touching her lips to his, taking that last tiny step that would bring her into the warmth of his body and would inevitably lead to the two of them wrapped around each other in her bed. But she had left it up to him to make the first move, and he hadn’t kissed her or touched her; he hadn’t tried to seduce her or pleaded with her to go to bed with him. He had simply walked away. Still, she was on alert, listening for the sound of the door buzzer as she worked. But it never came.
When she had finished clearing up, she went back to the living room and sat on the sofa, staring at her mobile on the coffee table in front of her. She listened to the seconds ticking away on the wall clock, forcing herself to wait it out a little longer. When fifteen minutes had passed and he still hadn’t returned, she relaxed a little. There had been something final about the way he’d said goodbye to her. He’d seemed so sad, but resigned. He wasn’t going to come back, she thought, smiling. If she didn’t call him, she would never see him again. She waited another five minutes before she picked up the phone and texted him.
Could you please come back? Now?
She put the phone back on the table and stared at it, her heart sinking as no answering text appeared. It didn’t seem possible that she’d been mistaken about how much he wanted her. The heat between them was palpable. Then it occurred to her that he wouldn’t recognise her number. She was just picking up the phone to text him again when the doorbell rang. Her heart raced as she ran downstairs. She opened the door to find Grayson on the step, looking flushed and a little concerned. He was breathing heavily and had obviously rushed back.
‘Is everything okay?’ he asked urgently, concern etched in his features.
‘Yes.’ She smiled at him as she took his hand and pulled him inside. She was so happy to see him. ‘Everything’s fine. More than fine. Come in.’ She stood aside and he stepped into the little hallway. He looked at her questioningly as she closed the door behind him.
She took a deep breath. ‘I wanted to ask you if you’d like to stay,’ she said, touching his arm. ‘Here. With me,’ she added, just to be clear. She blushed shyly as she looked up at him from under her lashes.
He frowned. ‘You mean, you want—’
‘You.’ She leaned in and kissed his lips softly, tentatively. ‘I want you.’
He smiled. ‘You’ve changed your mind?’
‘No. I never really wanted you to leave,’ she admitted.
‘But you said—’
She shook her head. ‘Forget what I said. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you today at the cafe. It’s pretty much all I’ve thought about all evening.’ She laughed softly. ‘I couldn’t even play chess properly.’
‘You still won,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘But then I couldn’t concentrate either. All I could think about was how much I wanted you.’
She kissed him again and his arms came around her as their lips clung together.
‘But why did you tell me to go?’ he asked, frowning down at her in bemusement as he pulled back.
She sighed and bit her lip. It was so hard to explain. ‘I wanted to know that you’d walk away,’ she said. ‘That you’d take no for an answer.’
‘Of course I would.’
‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to play games. I just—I needed to be sure.’ With a sudden flash of insight, she realised she had been testing herself as much as him. She not only needed to know that he would leave, but that she would let him, despite wanting him with every fibre of her being. She couldn’t risk letting her heart rule her head.
‘I get it,’ he said, stroking her arm. ‘If you want me to leave, just say the word. I promise I’ll walk away right now if that’s what you want, Lisa.’
‘It’s not.’ She took his hand, curling her fingers around his and looking into his eyes. ‘I want you to stay.’ She tugged on his hand. ‘I want you,’ she finished simply.
She heard Grayson’s sharp intake of breath, his eyes searching her face. Whatever he saw there, he needed no further urging.
‘God, I want you too,’ he said, wrapping his arms around her. ‘So much.’ Then he was pushing her against the wall, his mouth descending on hers. Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss, tentative and exploring. ‘I’ve missed you so much,’ Grayson breathed against her mouth between kisses.
‘Come upstairs,’ Lisa said, taking his hand.
Chapter Eight
They stumbled across the threshold of her bedroom as they kissed frantically, all the pent-up desire of the last hours finally unleashed. They nibbled and bit at each other’s lips while their hands roamed restlessly. All Lisa’s senses leapt to life at the touch of Grayson’s warm, firm lips on hers, the rasp of his stubble against her skin and the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. She breathed in his warm male scent as he turned his head this way and that, seeking the perfect angle, while her hands roved frenziedly over his body, impatient for more. His darting tongue sent delicious shivers down her spine and she pressed herself closer, loving the feel of his erection against her stomach, thrilled by the evidence that he was as excited as she was.
He broke the kiss briefly to remove her shirt, then he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again as he unfastened her pants, his hands urgent as he pushed them off and they slid to her feet. She shivered as his lips moved to her neck and up to her ear, sucking on the lobe as he slid her bra straps off her shoulders. But when his hands slid around to the fastening at her back, she froze.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, lifting his head to look at her
, his brow furrowed with concern. She’d forgotten how perceptive he was. He had always been able to pick up on how she was feeling, and he had obviously sensed her hesitance.
‘Nothing.’ She shook her head, stifling the momentary panic she had felt, and tilted her face up for his kiss.
As his mouth slanted over hers, hot and demanding, his hands went again to the fastening of her bra. Instinctively, before she could stop herself, she pulled away slightly.
‘Lisa?’ he asked hoarsely. ‘What’s wrong? It’s something.’
She blushed as his eyes searched her face, acutely aware that she was framed by the moonlight pouring in the window. She suddenly felt shy to be standing before him in her underwear, feeling his heated gaze on her body. She felt a sudden stab of anxiety at the thought of Grayson seeing her naked and finding her lacking. He had seen her naked before, of course – plenty of times – and he had always wanted her. But she had changed since then; her body had altered. She no longer spent hours working out every day, and though she was by no means fat, neither was she as toned and taut as she used to be. Her stomach was soft and rounded, her breasts fuller, her thighs and hips fleshed out and curvy. She didn’t spend her days getting pampered and polished at the beauty salon, and she no longer waxed herself bare. She wasn’t Mark’s perfect sex doll anymore – he would be disgusted if he saw her now. She shuddered as the shadow of her dream flickered across her brain. This isn't the body I paid for. What if Grayson didn’t want her like this?
He was watching her closely. ‘You’ve changed your mind?’ he asked softly, sliding her bra straps back into place.
She felt the tension in his body, his fingers trembling against her skin. His features were taut and strained, his erection plainly visible through his jeans, standing stiff against his stomach. Every muscle in his body was rigid with the effort it took to tamp down his excitement.
Lisa shook her head, unable to meet his eyes.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, taking her chin between his fingers and tilting her face up. ‘You don’t want this?’
She gasped. How could he think that? She wanted so badly for him to touch her. She had never craved anything so desperately in her life.
‘I do,’ she whispered. ‘I want you so much.’
She saw the answering need in his eyes, dark with hunger.
‘It’s just that ... it’s been a long time.’
Grayson nodded understandingly. ‘I know. But it’s always been good between us, hasn’t it?’
Lisa nodded.
‘You have nothing to be shy about with me, Lisa.’ His thumb stroked along her lips seductively while his heavy-lidded eyes followed the movement. ‘You’re so beautiful and sexy, and I want you so much it hurts,’ he said, leaning in to nuzzle her face. ‘I’ve dreamt of being like this with you again so often. I know it’s been a while, but we want each other as much as ever. Nothing’s changed.’
‘But I’ve changed,’ Lisa said, pulling away, panicked. She knew his words were meant to reassure, but they had the opposite effect on her.
Grayson gave her a puzzled frown.
‘You haven’t seen me in a while, and I’m ... different to how I was then. I’ve put on a bit of weight, and I’m not as toned as I used to be—’
‘Ssh.’ Grayson frowned, putting a finger to her lips. ‘I want you, Lisa. I want to touch you and kiss you, and make love to you – and I want to look at you. Trust me?’ His eyes burned into hers as his fingers went to her bra straps.
She took a deep breath and nodded. This was Grayson, she reminded herself as he slid the straps down her arms and began to kiss her again. She did trust him. His mouth was soft and wet on hers, and their kisses quickly became heated and hungry, their breathing heavy and jagged. Lisa had forgotten herself again by the time Grayson slid his hands around her back and opened the clasp of her bra. Lost in the kiss, her body strained towards him. He lifted his head as he pulled off her bra and tossed it aside, his heavy-lidded eyes darkening as they dropped to her naked breasts.
‘So beautiful,’ he murmured, cupping their swollen fullness in his hands. Lisa gasped softly as his thumbs stroked over her nipples, excitement spiking deep in her belly.
He bent his head to her again, kissing his way along her throat and down to one breast, his tongue flicking lightly across her nipple before he took it into his mouth. He sucked hard on the tight, swollen nub, while his fingers gently caressed the other one.
Lisa gasped at the sensation of cool air against her wet, heated skin as he lifted his head and kissed his way down her body, sinking slowly to the floor until he was kneeling in front of her. She was grateful for his hands gripping her waist, steadying her as his lips trailed across her stomach from hipbone to hipbone, and then moved down to her abdomen and along the edge of her underwear. She trembled as his head dipped between her legs and she felt the heat of his mouth through the thin fabric of her panties, while his hands stroked along her thighs. Her legs started to shake as heat built inside her. He looked up at her as he hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and slowly slid them down her legs, the light touch of his hands against her skin sending shivers down her spine. He leaned forward, nudging her legs apart and kissed her soft, heated flesh.
‘You’re so sweet,’ he murmured huskily as he licked gently along her folds. She gasped as he parted her flesh with his fingers. As his tongue slipped inside her, she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.
She cried out as his mouth found her clit, clutching his shoulders tightly. She felt the little spasms building inside her, growing stronger as he sucked and licked, his little groans of pleasure vibrating against her feverish skin. It was almost unbearably intense, and her body instinctively recoiled, but he clasped her thighs firmly, holding her still against his unrelenting mouth until she screamed her release as her orgasm took hold, the delicious waves of pleasure racking her body.
‘Lisa,’ he whispered her name against her sensitive skin as she trembled, little fluttering pulses of pleasure sending shivers through her. He pressed soft butterfly kisses across her thighs as the spasms subsided, and her body relaxed, spent. He stood, and she collapsed into his arms, feeling boneless.
‘You’re more gorgeous than ever,’ he murmured, watching his hand as it trailed across the slight mound of her stomach and stroked over the soft curve of her hip. ‘I like the way you’ve changed.’
‘You like me fatter?’ She smiled up at him.
He laughed softly. ‘I like you happier.’ Their eyes caught and held, and she saw his smile fade to be replaced by an intent, hungry look as he bent his head to hers.
She tasted herself on his lips when he kissed her again, the musky tang of her arousal mingling with the scent of his body wash and his own distinctive taste to became a flavour that was uniquely them. As their kisses deepened, Grayson pulled her closer and her senses leapt as she felt the hardness of his erection pressing into her stomach. She slid her hand between them, stroking him over his jeans, impatient to take his cock in her hand, to feel him moving inside her.
She broke the kiss. ‘Come to bed,’ she murmured huskily against his lips.
Grayson nodded, and she took his hand and led him to the bed. She sat on the edge and watched as he quickly removed the rest of his clothes, openly gazing at his body, drinking in the beauty of his broad shoulders and wide, muscled chest, the sprinkling of dark hair on his flat stomach leading her gaze downwards. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he stripped, and she saw how much he wanted her in the heat of his eyes and the urgency of his movements. When he pulled off his boxers, the sight of his hard cock stiff against his stomach sent a little shiver of excitement though her. She felt a strange burst of pride at the effect she had on him.
He joined her on the bed, pushing her back onto the mattress as he crawled over her. His mouth opened against hers, his tongue slipping inside as he nudged her thighs apart. Lisa spread her legs wide, pumping her hips up to meet his, urging him on. He pushe
d inside her slowly, and she cried out in ecstasy at the feeling of fullness, the weight of his body on hers, the thickness of his cock, and the power of his thrusts inside her. It felt so right to be joined like this with him again, as if she’d finally found what she hadn’t realised she’d been missing all these months. She felt complete. The intensity in Grayson’s gaze told her it was the same for him. He looked into her eyes and held her hand as he thrust deeper and harder, driving them both to an earth-shattering climax.
Chapter Nine
Lisa woke to the weight of an arm draped across her waist, a warm hand cupping her breast possessively. No. Adrenalin shot through her body, and she wrenched away, jolting upright and throwing off the restraining arm. She whimpered as she scrambled to the edge of the bed, her heart thudding. Still barely conscious, she felt the warm body behind her stir. A hand touched the bare skin of her back and she gave a panicked cry, jerking away from it.
‘Lisa?’ The husky voice was croaky with sleep, but there was something about it that had an instant calming effect. She blinked hard as her pulse slowed, trying to wake herself up properly.
‘What’s happening?’ She felt the light touch of a hand on her shoulder. ‘Are you okay?’
Grayson. She let out a breath, relief flooding through her. It was Grayson. She relaxed as her sleep-fogged brain cleared. Trying to shake off the jittery feeling, she mustered a reassuring smile. It obviously wasn’t very convincing, because his eyes widened in alarm as she turned to face him.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ He frowned in concern, reaching out with one finger to stroke her face lightly.
Her skin felt clammy, and her breathing was short. ‘Nothing.’ She shook her head. ‘Sorry, I just—I was half asleep and I freaked out when I woke up and there was someone else in the bed.’ She gave a wry laugh. ‘I guess I’m just not used to having company.’ She gave him a shaky smile.
He sat up, still looking worried. ‘Do you want me to go?’ he asked, studying her face intently.
