Could Have Been Us

by Corinne Michaels

  I jump, turning as my fight or flight spikes my adrenaline.

  “Stella.”

  “I missed you,” she says softly, moving her hand on my chest. “I need you.”

  “God, baby.” I groan and pull her to me. “I always need you.”

  The water comes down around us, and she’s so gorgeous I can’t breathe. She robs me of air and the only thing that will give me life is her.

  My lips are against hers as I tighten her naked, wet body against mine and swallow her sounds. Her finger moves up my chest and into my hair, gripping the strands and holding me where she needs me.

  I challenge her as we battle for control. I can feel her pain, her hurt, and there is a primitive urge to take it all from her. She is always so strong, and with me, Stella can let it go.

  “Baby,” I say as I move my mouth down her neck. “Tell me. Tell me what you need.”

  She sighs deeply as my hands move down her back to cup her ass. “You, I need you.”

  “What do you need me to do?”

  “Take it away.”

  Those three words break my heart. “Always. I’ll take it all, give it to me, Stella. Let me carry it for you.”

  Her head falls back as my tongue licks her nipple. I push her back against the wall, arms caging her in. Our breathing is labored, but I want her to see that, right now, I’m in control.

  “Lift your arms.” She does. I use one hand to hold them above her head. “You’re so gorgeous. So strong and beautiful,” I assure her. “I’m going to kiss every inch of you and then make love to you until you can’t think of anything else but me.”

  She whimpers softly as my teeth bite down on her neck. “Jack.” Stella’s arms twitch, but I hold her in place and slide my other hand down to her clit.

  Gently, I rub, making my circles slow and deliberate. “Today, as I was walking back, I thought about how much I wanted to touch you. For the last two days, you’ve been the only thing I’ve cared about. Not food, water, sleep, or the peace around me.” I push against her body, my cock sliding against her heat.

  I want to sink into her. To take her over and over until she’s screaming my name, but first, I want to make her as crazy as I’ve been.

  “I’ve wanted you too.”

  “Good.” I reward her by increasing the pressure. “Keep your arms up, Stella. If you move them, I’ll stop. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  I kiss her, wanting to feel her tongue against mine because it’s a gift I don’t deserve. She was made for me.

  I move down her body, sucking on each nipple and then moving lower. I lift her leg, pulling it to the side as she looks down at me, keeping her arms up. My position has never been more fitting. I’m on my knees before a woman I plan to worship.

  My tongue slides up her pussy and around her clit. Her hips move, but she keeps her arms up. “Jack, I can’t.”

  “You have to,” I tell her before my tongue pushes against her clit.

  I hold her thighs open and devour her. Every scream, cry, and plea makes me go harder. I want her incoherent, falling in my arms from the intense pleasure.

  “God. I’m so close,” she says over and over. “Jack, please!”

  I flick her clit faster, harder, and I don’t care when I feel her hands in my hair, holding me as she grinds her hips in the rhythm she needs. Stella rides my face, and it’s fucking heaven.

  She screams as her legs give out, but I catch her and lift her. With her back against the wall and the hot water falling over us, I thrust once, filling her while the very last pulses of her orgasm squeeze me.

  “Yes!” Stella’s cries echo as I pump harder.

  We are past talking. All I want is her. I need to fall apart inside her, to have her climax again as I give her everything I am.

  She takes my face in her hands, pushing her mouth to mine. I kiss her as I take her over and over.

  “I’m close,” I warn her.

  “Me too.”

  We both climb, and I know I’m going to lose it. I hold on, wanting her to go before or with me.

  “Jack. Yes. Jack.”

  “I can’t . . . I need to . . .” I try to speak, but she clamps her legs tighter around me. “Stella, inside.” It’s all I can say, and I pray she understands. “Time. Now.”

  Her eyes lock onto mine. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I want you to come inside me.”

  I don’t have another second. I thrust once more, a groan escaping me, and we sink to the floor. “I love you.”

  She sighs. “I love you. Never leave me.”

  I kiss her forehead. “Never.” Stella giggles, and I stare down at her. “What?”

  “Nothing, just that you may regret saying that after you hear about our plans for this weekend.”

  “Plans?”

  “Most definitely. See, you owe me for that camping crap.”

  I have a feeling I’m about to pay for it greatly. “What exactly are you planning?”

  She touches her finger to my lips. “It’s nothing bad. I have to check out something for the resort plans before I meet with the contractors.”

  That doesn’t sound too bad. Then I remember that Stella, when mischievous, can be a handful.

  I narrow my eyes slightly. “Why do I not trust this?”

  She grins. “Because you’re a smart man, Jack O’Donnell. A very smart man.”

  Chapter 22

  Stella

  The last five days have passed like a whirlwind. I’ve been meeting with all kinds of designers and contractors and people who I had no idea existed but all needed a meeting.

  It’s crazy how much shit my father went through to get each inn up and running. Now it’s our turn, which means it’s mostly me doing it because my brothers are handling other things, like talking to possible buyers in case my father doesn’t come up with the money. Jacob Arrowood agreed to invest if we needed him to, but my brothers and I decided he would be our last resort.

  Today, though, is partial research and partial retribution for Jack dragging me camping.

  Jack’s car pulls into my driveway, and I grab my things to meet him out front. If he comes inside, chances are we’ll end up naked and miss the appointment.

  When in the car, leaning over to kiss him, his eyes sparkle with curiosity. “Where are we going?”

  I could tell him, but turnabout is fair play. I grab his phone and punch in the address. “Follow the GPS.”

  “I really don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  I grin, leaning my head back. “Trust me.”

  “Oh, I trust that I’m going to be in big trouble.”

  “You’re being a baby.”

  He tilts his head, giving me a warning glance. “A baby?”

  “I didn’t know where we were going on my date, and I didn’t cry about it. Hell, I hiked! I slept in the damn woods, for Christ’s sake.”

  Jack lets out a low groan and puts the car in reverse.

  The drive isn’t long, and we chat about the last few days and what’s going on with his end of the Firefly Resort. We all felt it was best to use the same contractors to do all aspects of the property, so Jack is working on his requests for his space. Joshua believes the larger bid will keep the contractors incentivized to finish the work on time and I think he’s right.

  When the directions tell him to turn right, I have to work hard to hide my glee.

  He is going to kill me, and I can’t wait.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “It’s a spa.”

  “A spa?”

  “Yes.”

  Jack glances at me with horror clear on his face. “You’re taking me to a spa? Do I look like I do spa things?”

  I look him over, pretending to ponder the question. “You look like you need to do spa things. What is with those eyebrows? There should be two.”

  His fingers grip the wheel, and I grin. “I knew better than to trust you.”

  I roll my eyes. “You made me pee outside . .
. where I could’ve died . . . from a bear attack. Each time you want to gripe about a spa, let’s remember that, shall we?”

  Jack grumbles under his breath about women and love.

  I take this as a win and exit the car. When we meet in the front, I grab his hands. “I love you, and this will be fun. We’re going to get pampered and scrubbed. Plus, this is research.”

  He huffs. “Research for what? How to lose your man card?”

  “You have one? Can I see it?”

  “Stella.” Jack groans around my name, and it’s adorable.

  “Oh, stop being such a turd. I didn’t complain this much when you made me hike in heels.”

  His head falls back. “I carried you, so you didn’t hike much. Plus, you’re the one who bought hiking heels. I didn’t even know they made that shit!”

  “A woman must always be cute,” I retort.

  “Is that so? Even when the man wants that woman so much that he couldn’t care less if she was wearing a sack?”

  I step closer, lifting onto my tiptoes and pressing my lips to his. Such a sweet man he is. “What if I was wearing nothing?”

  “Then I definitely wouldn’t care.”

  I play with the neckline of his shirt. “Did you know that, when you get a massage, you don’t wear any clothes?”

  “Really?”

  I nod. “And we are scheduled to have one . . . together.”

  He grins and wiggles his brows. “Let’s go get naked then.”

  Oh, if he only knew what I planned to make him suffer through first.

  Chapter 23

  Jack

  I’m in a room, separate from Stella, wearing some flip-flop things that don’t fit and a robe that leaves very little to the imagination.

  The host? Worker? Spa person? Whatever we call her, led me here and gave me a glass of champagne while I waited for my first service.

  I’m a little scared because, when I asked exactly how many services I was due to have, she grinned and told me to take a seat.

  The room is nice, a little cold for my liking, but I’m not wearing shit under this robe because I thought we were going to get naked and rub each other down.

  That sounded like a good time.

  Sitting on this weird chair that is deep in the bottom, my legs feel like they’re in the air, making it impossible to be comfortable with my bare ass practically hanging out. There are two doors, one that says ‘Men’ and the other ‘Women’. I keep staring, waiting for my woman to show herself and explain why people think water with cucumber in it is appealing.

  Stella comes out wearing her robe that fully covers her chest and ass, and a smile on her lips.

  “Hi, honey. You look comfy.”

  I raise one brow. “Far from it.”

  She grins. “Imagine what it’s like to hike in heels and then sleep in a tent.”

  Oh, I see where this is going. “So, this is payback?”

  Stella’s eyes widen, and she gasps. “Never. This is research.”

  “And you needed me?”

  “I need a man’s perspective on what things we should offer at the spa. It’s important that we have every angle covered.”

  “And your brothers, who are also owners, aren’t inclined to help?”

  Stella walks toward me, a slow smile spreading as she moves. “I knew my amazing boyfriend would be the best at this.”

  “I see.”

  She laughs. “Oh, Jack, stop. I promise it will be great, and you’ll still be brimming with testosterone at the end.”

  I grab her by the waist, pulling her onto my lap. My hand moves to her thigh, sliding up. “And naked?”

  “If you behave.” Her voice gives her away at the end. She wants me, us, just as much as I do. “Jack,” she warns as I inch higher.

  “Hmm?”

  “You can’t . . . not . . . this is a real spa, and I don’t want to get kicked out. Wait, are you naked now?”

  I laugh and stop my ascent to where I really want to touch her. “Yes. You said not to wear clothes for a massage.”

  “Oh, but . . .”

  “But?”

  She bites her lower lip. “Nothing.”

  “Uh-huh. But can we be clear that, after this, we’re even. Right?”

  Her lips touch mine briefly. “Okay. If you say so.”

  We sit like this for a little longer as she takes in the room. Stella’s head tilts as she stares at something in particular.

  “What is it?”

  “Oh? Nothing. I’m just curious as to why they set this room up this way. If this were our space, I would want the wall of windows to be the focal point so I would have chairs over there instead of here.”

  I turn because I am seated facing away, which at the time seemed fine because I didn’t care about the view. I wanted to look at Stella. Also, I never put my back to a door, but most women don’t think about that.

  “Maybe people want to talk?”

  “Maybe. Just something to think about. Also, I like the color palette they used, but I think there is a more soothing color than this green. Green is so much of the mountains, so I’d like to have the contrast be a little stronger.”

  “No idea what that means.”

  She turns to me, brown eyes bright, and I see how much she really loves doing this. “What about you? Do you like this room?”

  “Umm, it’s fine. If you are a chick.”

  “Yeah, that’s a great endorsement. I think we need to consider all our guests at our resort. If we’re to be a destination for weddings, we need to have an area where guys can chill while they wait or have their own things done.”

  “Sweetheart, I can promise this will be the first and only time you have my ass in a spa.”

  She shifts, nudging me. “Want to bet on that?”

  I chuckle and move her over on my lap more. “Maybe I should make that declaration after we’re done.”

  Stella’s smile is as bright as the sun. “You may like this pampered life instead of the dirt and sweat outside.”

  “Remember I had a cushy office life once.”

  “And you gave it all up to be eaten by a bear. Listen, I love you and all, so I’m thinking maybe I should warn you . . .”

  “Warn me about what?”

  “Just that maybe you should go put something on under that robe.”

  Before I can say anything else, the spa person walks in. “Hi, I’m Kami, and I’m going to be your nail technician.”

  I look to Stella as I help her up. “Have fun. I’ll wait here until it’s our time.”

  My girlfriend doesn’t hesitate. “Oh, no, my love, she’s your technician.”

  My smile falters. “Mine?”

  Kami watches us as if this isn’t the first time she’s witnessed this conversation. “I have you down for a manicure and a pedicure. Come right this way, Mr. O’Donnell.”

  Stella is trying to hold back her laughter. “Is this what your warning was for?”

  She doesn’t say anything as she grins.

  “You’re going to owe me, sweetheart. So much.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “So do I.” I lean into her, pulling her body against mine, and then kiss her passionately. Her fingers grip my hair as she returns the kiss. Kami clears her throat, and I pull back. Stella’s eyes wild and breath ragged. “So do I.”

  “We will never speak about this again. Ever.” I am fucking horrified.

  As is Kami.

  I think she’s probably far more scarred than I am.

  “Please, tell me what happened,” Stella says with a smirk.

  “You already know. Look at your face! You are fucking giddy.”

  She laughs. “I mean, I only heard what was said as we passed by. I figured you went back and put your boxers on before the pedicure.”

  I turn to her as she sits at the foot of the chair. “You failed to stress that was necessary, Stella. Instead, I was naked.”

  I didn’t really know what the hell a pedi
cure was until I was being escorted over to a chair. Poor Kami and I shared a look as I pulled that robe a bit tighter when I had to sit down.

  “We are only naked for the massages.”

  “I thought that’s what this whole day was supposed to be!”

  Stella can no longer control herself. A laugh so deep and loud practically explodes from her. She clutches her stomach. “You really flashed her?”

  “She touched my foot!”

  “So you showed her your dick?”

  I groan, dropping my head back. “Not on purpose!”

  “You shouldn’t be embarrassed, you have a very nice dick.”

  If this situation were less humiliating, I would be happy she thinks that. However, poor Kami couldn’t look at me after the unintended peep show.

  “Can we go now? I think you’ve had your revenge.”

  Stella snorts. “Not a chance in hell. We have a lot more research to do.”

  “You can do it, I’ll wait in the car.”

  I start to get up, and she rushes in front of me. “Jack, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. I didn’t know which order we were doing things or I would’ve warned you—more emphatically. Just think,” she says with a soft lift in her voice, “you probably made her day with her surprise.”

  Stella’s arms rest on my shoulders, fingers toying with the hair on the back of my neck. “I’m pretty sure Kami turned purple.”

  She smiles awkwardly, obviously trying to stop herself from laughing again. “I really did want this to be fun for us. I love coming to the spa and wanted us to relax and be lost together. Please don’t go. Not before we have our couple’s massage. I swear it’ll be amazing and relaxing with no horrifying surprises.”

  I sigh deeply. This woman has me whipped already. I can’t and don’t want to say no to her. Seeing her like this, after years of imagining this as a reality, has me tied up. For her.

  Always her.

  If she asked me to walk across hot coals, I would. Asking me to do this is nothing.

  Even if Kami got a peep show she didn’t ask for.

  “Only a massage,” I warn.

  “Okay,” she agrees far too quickly.