Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection

by Sofia T Summers

  I couldn’t resist. I laughed. It was insane that she was talking that way since it was clear to me how attached Lincoln already was to her. I wasn’t sure he could possibly get even more attached, but I didn’t tell her that. I didn’t want to make her feel any worse than she already did.

  “Okay, sure,” I ended up saying with as much confidence as I could fake. “It was just a one-time thing then.”

  “I’m glad we’re in agreement, Quentin. I’ll see you on Monday?”

  “See you Monday, Billie.” I listened to her hang up the phone before I slumped down onto my bed with a frown. It was the best thing to do given the complicated circumstances – the bad definitely outweighed the good here – but that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it.

  I returned to Lincoln’s side to find him asleep with the tablet laying forgotten in his lap. It was such a cute sight that it almost erased the awful feeling deep inside me from Billie’s phone call—almost. The call had been like a punch in the gut and it just reminded me once more that I wasn’t destined for a lifetime of love like my parents and my grandparents had. Love wasn’t in the cards for me, it seemed, and as I sat down next to my wonderful child, I wondered what was so wrong with me that no woman ever wanted to stay.

  19

  Billie

  Overwhelmed by regret, I ended up spending the majority of my weekend moping in bed. By Sunday afternoon, I was so angry with myself for doing the one thing I’d always promised myself that I would never do. I glanced over at the picture of my mom and me that I kept on my nightstand and groaned. Lucky stirred beside me and nosed at my hand, looking for attention. I smiled down at my beautiful dog and pet her head before scratching behind her scruffy ears.

  “Oh, Lucky, what have I gotten myself into?” I asked my dog rhetorically before sighing once more and falling back onto the bed.

  I told myself that it didn’t matter if he was my boss. That wasn’t why I was attracted to him. It was because he was a nice and generous guy with an amazing son. It was because he hadn’t once made me feel bad about my curves or the fact that I’m overweight. Him being my boss had nothing to do with my attraction and I couldn’t help but wish that he had been anyone else in my life instead.

  Tomorrow, I’d have to face the consequences of my actions and I wasn’t sure I could face it unless I talked the whole thing out with someone. But who? I still hadn’t mentioned anything about Quentin to Tracy, plus, she was practically a coworker. I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk the word getting out about us. If I couldn’t speak to Tracy then Carla was always an option, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure she was a reliable source of advice. Every time the subject of Quentin had been brought up in the past, Carla had just told me to sleep with him and well, I’d already accomplished that mission.

  With a sigh, I reached for my phone and opened my contacts. I knew the one person I could talk to who would understand completely what I was going through, but at the same time, she was the person I wanted to hide this from the most. Before I could chicken out, I bit the bullet and tapped ‘Mom’.

  As the phone rang, I bit my lip nervously and twisted my hair around with my finger. Eventually, she answered. “Hey, Billie!”

  “Hey, Mom,” I replied weakly.

  “It’s so good to hear from you. How have you been?” she said cheerily. I couldn’t summon the same enthusiasm after the miserable day I’d had.

  “Not good, Mom,” I told her.

  “Oh? Billie, what’s wrong?” she asked and I could hear the concern in her voice.

  “I… I…” I began, but the words wouldn’t come.

  “You what, honey?” she pushed.

  “I did the thing, Mom,” I explained in a thick voice. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan for this, it just happened…”

  I heard her sigh and I could feel her disappointment through the phone. “Oh, baby girl, didn’t you learn anything from me?”

  Tears pricked at my eyes and I had to choke back a sob that was threatening to spill past my lips. I hated that I’d messed up so badly and now my mom was going to know just how weak I was. When I didn’t answer for a few seconds, I heard my mom take a deep breath and speak again.

  “Listen, Billie,” she began in an authoritative voice. “You’re a grown woman and you can make your own decisions, but I want you to really think about what you’re getting yourself into, okay? My life has been nothing but difficult because I got myself into a silly situation when I was young, carefree, and in love.”

  “I know,” Billie replied. “I’ve heard the story before, Ma.”

  “Well, maybe you need to hear it again because clearly it’s not getting through to you,” she replied. “You know that I was forced out of my job and away from my hometown all because I got mixed up with your father – my boss – who didn’t want anything to do with me or you because he already had a family of his own.”

  “I know, Mom, but the situation isn’t the same. Maybe this time it’ll be different. First off, I don’t think he’s married—”

  Mom gasped. “You don’t think he’s married? Billie, if you’ve gotten involved with that man then you need to find out one way or the other. I don’t want you to end up having to scrape by for eighteen-years to try and provide for your child.”

  “I’m not going to get pregnant,” I argued.

  “That’s what everyone says right before they get pregnant,” Mom pointed out. “Look, Billie, accidents happen all the time, okay? I just want you to be prepared. I’ve always taught you that messing around with the people you work with – especially those with the power to fire you – is a terrible idea. Please, don’t let yourself fall any deeper into his trap, okay?”

  I nodded. “I already told him it was just a one-time thing,” I confessed. “I won’t go near him again.”

  “Good. I hope you won’t be so silly again,” she said with a sigh.

  “I know, me too, Mom. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry, honey. Just be safe, okay?” Mom ordered me.

  “I’ll try.”

  After I hung up the phone, I realized that I didn’t feel any better. If anything, knowing that I’d disappointed my mom just made my chest feel heavier. I crawled back under my blankets on the bed and cuddled up to Lucky, seeking out her warmth to comfort me.

  “What do I do, Lucky?” I asked. “I know it’s bad, but I can’t stop wanting to be near him.” Even now, I was wishing it was Quentin I was snuggled up to and not my dog. Mom asked me not to get involved any deeper, but I was afraid it was already too late.

  20

  Quentin

  By the time Monday morning had arrived, I’d already done my best to squash down any feelings I had for Billie. It was more difficult now that I had the memory of holding her in my arms, of tasting her soft skin, and of inhaling her sweet scent. Difficult, but not impossible.

  I followed my morning routine like usual and tried my best not to let my weekend romp with Billie affect me. I’d had a lot of practice. I’d been pushing down my feelings for so many years now that it was any wonder they ever came bubbling up to the surface. Thankfully, neither Lincoln or Mandy seemed to notice anything was different about me.

  When I finally turned up at work, I even started believing nothing had changed myself. I strode inside my office and sat down, dumping my briefcase on the floor beside me. A post-it note from Peter was left on my keyboard. ‘Supplier issue taken care of. Hope you had a good weekend. – P’ it read.

  The reminder of the weekend only encouraged thoughts of Billie to come racing back to the surface of my mind. I could feel my blood beginning to boil as I sat at my desk. My heart was pounding as I looked at my desk and imagined what Billie would like spread out on it for me, naked and wanting.

  “Stop it!” I hissed at myself and shook my head in disgust.

  It was bad enough that I’d slept with an employee, but to actually think about it during working hours… What had gotten into me? My pants felt incredibly tight
from the strain of my manhood against them and I did my best to slide my chair further under the desk in order to hide my shameful secret. With uncertain hands, I began to type in my password and username for my work computer. By the time I’d finished and taken a few deep breaths, my blood was rushing back north again and I could think a little more clearly.

  My schedule for the day was jam-packed and I was grateful for it. I met with our glass supplier who had flown in for an emergency meeting after a batch of the bottles we ordered had arrived out of specification. We were one of their biggest clients and so, they had rushed to correct the issue over the weekend which both Peter and I were grateful for. After that, I attended a meeting with the field supervisors to discuss scheduling for the next quarter.

  It was safe to say that by the time lunch rolled around, I was blissfully ignorant of all things Billie. I sat down at my desk with a sigh and began to dig into the lunch I’d brought from home. Unable to switch off, I was still checking my e-mails and my calendar as I worked when something completely derailed me.

  I had an e-mail from our external auditing company. It stood out to me right away since we only speak to them when we have one of our bi-annual audits due. Since the message was flagged as ‘High Importance’ I knew it was bad. I clicked on it and read it right away. The news wasn’t good.

  “We missed an audit?” I whispered to myself.

  It didn’t seem possible. We were always so on top of these things, but then again, the accountant position had just changed hands. I sighed and slumped down in my chair. In order to find out what was going on, I’d need to check our financial audit records. Those records were available on our in-house accounting system and I could look at them myself, but I had so much to do myself, I couldn’t waste time sifting through online files. No, I needed to talk to Billie.

  Billie would need to be updated about the situation as soon as possible anyway. It was only a matter of time before I’d need to talk to her about the audit. The longer I put it off, the worse the company would look and that was more important than my personal feelings.

  So, I bit the bullet, swallowed my pride, and crossed the building until I reached Billie’s office. As I stood outside, I could feel my whole body begin to resonate with excited energy. I tensed my fingers and curled them into a fist before banging on the office door. It was a little harder than I had intended, but that was just how pent up I was feeling.

  There was no answer and I wondered if she had left the building. I wanted to turn back, but I knew that was cowardly. No. It was now or never. I had to face her again. If I could look into her beautiful brown eyes and resist the urge to pounce on her, I knew I could get over her once and for all. I turned the handle and pushed my way inside.

  There she was. Billie was sat in her office chair dancing along to whatever music she was listening to. She had her earbuds firmly pressed into her ears and her eyes were intent on the notepad she was writing in as she swayed from side to side. Every now and then her lips would move soundlessly, shaping the lyrics to the song she was listening to. It was such a heartwarming picture that it felt like a punch to the gut. Her charm was once again enthralling me, squeezing my heart in a vice as I found myself unable to resist the temptation of her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. There was no doubt in my mind in that moment that I wanted her. I needed her.

  After a moment of admiring her, I finally waved my hand in front of her, alerting her to my presence. Instantly, her head shot up and she gasped at the sight of me before pulling her headphones out with wide eyes.

  “Oh my God, Quentin, I didn’t hear you come in,” she began in her sweet, melodic voice. “Is everything okay?”

  I was about to respond when I watched her eyes fixate on me. They moved down my body and she licked her lips like she was pleased by the sight of me. I knew she was feeling the same way I was. Friday night hadn’t been enough. We both wanted more.

  My breath grew ragged as my arousal grew and before I even knew what I was doing, I pushed the door closed behind me with my foot. Billie’s mouth dropped open a little as I turned and locked the door before beginning to close the gap between us. I must have been out of my mind to do it, but that’s just how much Billie drove me crazy.

  It seemed I wasn’t the only one either.

  Before I could get to her, Billie had stood up and sprinted toward me. We met in the middle of the room in a crash of passion. My arms wound around her waist while her hands clasped at the back of my head. Her lips were soft as they moved against my own, but I was too far gone to appreciate it. Instead, I was already gripping her hips and lifting her up, pushing her back until she was seated on top of her own desk.

  When we finally stopping kissing for breath, my hands wasted no time. They gripped at her shirt and pulled the material apart, buttons flinging off and flying everywhere. She gasped again and watched me with her lust-filled gaze. I couldn’t resist now that her breasts were laid bare to me. They were cupped in a lacy pink bra and felt soft to the touch. Every swipe of my fingers against her sensitive skin had Billie moaning and begging for more.

  I couldn’t resist.

  I pulled the cups of her bra down and exposed her perky, pink nipples to the air before descending on them. With every kiss to her tender nubs, Billie was writhing and moaning and it only spurred me on. I couldn’t waste too long teasing, however. My hands wandered along her sides until I found the waistband of her skirt. I tugged it roughly down and off her legs alongside her panties. Billie was now just in her bra and stocking, looking deliciously disheveled and my mouth watered at the sight.

  “I need you, Billie,” I whispered in her ear as I kissed her neck.

  “I need you too,” she moaned and that was it. I was a goner.

  My hands pushed apart her chunky thighs and I pulled down the zipper on my slacks. Once I’d pulled my underwear down a little, I could finally release my aching cock. I groaned as the cold air hit it and I began tugging on it a few times to make sure it was ready for her, but there was no doubting it. I was harder than I’d ever been before – maybe even harder than I’d been on Friday.

  Already having wasted enough time, I closed the gap between our bodies and grabbed hold of Billie’s thick hips before finally plunging my cock into her warm, wet depths. It was heaven. I could feel my entire body humming with fulfilment as I began to fuck her hard and fast on the desk. The sound of her moans filled the air around us and they only turned me on more. It was obvious she was really enjoying being pounded by me and I watched her blissful expression as she fluttered her eyelashes and took short breaths.

  Billie was absolutely gorgeous in the throes of passion and I never wanted to let her go.

  All too soon, however, the two of us climaxed together. My cock was brushing deep inside her while my fingers danced over the sensitive nerve bundle of her clit. I could feel her spasm around me as she came and it made my orgasm all the more intense. When it was over, we collapsed together on the desk, our hot, sweaty bodies sticking to one another a little as we desperately attempted to catch our breath.

  Once the fog of lust had lifted, however, I realized what I’d done and, more importantly, where I had done it. I pulled apart from her in shock, rushing to straighten out my clothes and zip my pants back up. I turned away from her as I did it and I could hear her redressing behind me. The atmosphere was awkward and I could feel tension in the air, but this time it wasn’t the good kind.

  As soon as I was presentable again, I turned to her. We both looked at each other for a long moment, but neither of us spoke a word. Since Billie was dressed again, I turned on my heels, unlocked the door, and left. It was only when I stepped foot back in my office that I realized I hadn’t even mentioned the goddamn e-mail to her.

  With a sheepish look on my face, I crossed the floor once more back to her office and held up the printed piece of paper with the auditor’s e-mail on it. Billie looked up at me confused for a moment before her face broke out into a smile. She started to
laugh as she took the paper from me and I thought for a moment that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay between us.

  21

  Billie

  I barely slept. All night I’d been tossing and turning with thoughts of my sexy encounter with Quentin in the office. Under the blankets, I felt hot and bothered. My hands kept wandering down my body, wanting to bring myself to the peak of pleasure once more as I thought about how incredible Quentin felt inside me. I remembered how his body felt as he pushed between my thighs and I was growing dizzy with desire.

  After a few more climaxes, I eventually succumbed to sleep.

  The next day, I woke up feeling conflicted. The battle waging inside my head made me feel heavy. I was so tired I could hardly get out of bed. In the end, I had to make a decision. I reached for my phone and scrolled through the contacts until I found the person I wanted.

  After a few rings, he picked up. “Hello?”

  “Sorry to call you so early, Peter,” I began with a sigh. “I didn’t sleep very well last night, so I was just calling to say I’ll be coming in a bit late today if that’s okay? I promise, I’ll make up the hours.”

  “Oh, sure, Billie,” Peter replied. “I know you’re good for it. You’re one of the hardest working people I know! I hope you feel better soon and I’ll see you when you get here.”

  “Thanks, Peter.”

  I hung up the phone feeling a little better that I’d given myself some time to deal with all the thoughts racing around in my head. After all, what happened yesterday wasn’t good. I’d told my mom I wouldn’t get involved with Quentin anymore, but it had all gone out the window as soon as I’d seen that predatory look in his eyes. I knew what he wanted and deep down, I’d wanted it too. But that was the problem: it was wrong. Both of us shouldn’t be feeling that way. But what could we do to change it?