by Ami Snow
I wandered through the aisles for a few minutes before settling on a $10 bottle I’d had before—nothing fancy, but tasty enough. To my surprise, as I approached the checkout counter, I saw Brian standing there. Without thinking, I blurted out: “Hi!”
He turned, startled. He looked more handsome than I remembered. He’d trimmed his beard, so it was shorter, and he was wearing dark jeans and a plaid flannel button-down with a heavy leather aviator jacket over it. “Hi,” he said, and I could tell he was struggling for my name.
“Elizabeth,” I said, laughing. “The bar that night? You were there with Eddie and Tom.”
“Oh! Yes, of course. I’m sorry I didn’t remember your name.”
I shrugged, setting my wine down on the counter. “It’s okay. I kind of ditched you guys that night. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”
He laughed. “No worries. Was it worth it?”
The carpet rough on my knees as I sank down on them in front of Ethan, taking him into my mouth, hearing him groan with pleasure above me.
His teeth in my shoulder as he came, the hot water pounding down on my back, my whole body convulsing as I came too…
I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t.”
I paid for my wine and stepped back while he swiped his card for his six-pack of beer. I’m not sure why I didn’t just head outside and back to my house. We hadn’t been having much of a conversation. But we stepped outside together, and he seemed to be walking in the same direction I was. We chatted amicably the four blocks that it took us to get to my house, and we stopped in front of the steps.
“Well, this is me,” I said. “It was nice to see you.”
To my utter shock and amazement, Brian took a step forward, put his hand on my waist, and kissed me.
It was nothing like Ethan’s kiss. Every time Ethan had kissed me, it had felt desperate and passionate, as if it might be the only time we kissed. Brian’s lips were soft and unassuming, gentle against mine. I found myself responding, leaning into the kiss. My lips stayed closed, and he didn’t press the point. I could feel the hunger beneath the kiss though, the sense of restraint that he had. I found myself wondering what it would be like if he let it go.
He pulled away after a moment. “I wanted to do that the first night I met you,” he confessed.
I had a sudden thought. Maybe it wasn’t wine that I needed to get my feet back on solid ground. Maybe it was something else altogether.
“Do you want to come upstairs?” I asked.
He looked surprised, but he wasn’t about to turn down the invitation. He nodded.
I smiled and fished in my pocket for my key, walking up the stairs. I set my bottle of wine on the counter in the kitchen, and Brian set down his six-pack. He followed me into the bedroom without a word, and I shut the door firmly behind us.
He might not be as wildly passionate as Ethan, but I could tell he wanted me. His hands were firm on my waist as he pulled me towards him, and he kissed me again, more eagerly this time. I leaned into him, feeling my skin heat as his hands slid up my sides, his fingers curving around my back. I gasped softly as his fingers skirted up the back of my neck, sliding into my hair, and his tongue slipped into my mouth.
He was a good kisser, gentle and slow. The kisses built in intensity, until suddenly I was pressed up against him, and I could feel him hard against my thigh as his mouth moved against mine, his breath coming faster. We stumbled backwards into my bed, tumbling onto the mattress as my fingers went to the buttons of his shirt, undoing them as he slid my sweater over my head. He was undoing my bra as I slipped his shirt off of his shoulders, my hands gripping his arms.
He was different from Ethan in every way. Ethan was lean, elegant and refined, every bit the polished gentleman. Brian was earthier, somehow, grittier. His arms bulged with muscle, his shoulders broad and thick. There was a smattering of hair across his chest, dark and curly, and I tangled my fingers through it. He breathed in sharply, his mouth coming away from mine for a moment. “That feels good,” he muttered, and his voice was deeper than it had been before.
I moved back on the mattress then, and he kneeled above me, reaching for the fly of his jeans. I reached for my own, pushing down the zipper and wiggling out of them as he tossed his aside, along with his boxers. He was naked, his broad, muscular chest narrowing down to tapered hips and strong thighs, and between them, his thick cock jutting out proudly. I reached for it without thinking, my fingers curling around the shaft, and his eyes fluttered closed as I stroked my hand over him, my thumb skimming over the tip.
I rose up then, my hands on his chest, pushing him down onto his back on the mattress. I kissed him, kneeling between his legs, feeling the tip of his cock brush my stomach as I kissed his neck, my tongue flicking out over his collarbone, my lips brushing over the thicket of hair on his chest, tracing the trail of it on his abdomen. He was panting already, his eyes closed as my lips swept over the ridge of one hipbone, and then I grasped him firmly in my hand and slid my mouth over the tip of his cock.
His hips arched up, and my mouth slid down. He moaned as I went all the way down his cock, my tongue running down the underside of it and then I came back up. I liked the feel of him in my mouth, and I wondered why I had always disliked it before. Maybe it was because all the other men I had slept with had almost demanded I do it. I liked the power of choosing to do it, of watching the man I was in bed with shudder as I treated him to the pleasure of it.
I slid my hand between his legs, ran my fingers over his balls as I bobbed my head up and down slowly, exploring the texture and taste of him. I went on like this for a few moments, and then I moved up, straddling him, balancing just over him. I could feel him brushing between my legs, and I ached to slide down and envelop him, but I was enjoying the sense of power.
“Don’t you want me to…?” Brian started to say, but I shook my head.
I didn’t. As much as I was trying to forget about Ethan, I didn’t want Brian to go down on me. The memory of Ethan’s mouth between my thighs, his hands pinning me down as he made me writhe and moan on the carpet was too strong. I couldn’t bring myself to replace it.
So instead I sank down on Brian, inch by inch, sighing with pleasure as I felt him slide into me. I rocked my hips gently, rolling my pelvis against his, feeling my clit grind against the bone. The sensation was exquisite, and I gasped, leaning forward, my breasts brushing against his chest.
His hands came up, molding my breasts, his fingers sliding over the nipples and squeezing them, and my breath came faster. He leaned up, his lips on mine, and I plunged my tongue into his mouth, my hips grinding into him faster now. I could feel my orgasm coming, and I arched my back, pressing my breasts into his hands. His hips were arching up, rolling with mine, and suddenly I felt it hit me and I ground down onto him hard, my hands clutching his shoulders as I came, my body quivering and shaking with the force of it, my hips bucking against him.
The moment he felt it recede, he leaned up, turning me onto my back in one effortless motion and pinning me on the mattress, my legs splayed apart for him as he plunged into me. His mouth was on mine, his hands locked with my hands, and I met each of his thrusts as he picked up speed, harder and harder. My legs wrapped around his waist, and one of his hands slid down to my hip. I grabbed his ass, fingers sinking into the flexing muscle, pulling him more deeply into me. I was going to come again, I could feel it, and I tried to hold off, tried to wait for him.
I couldn’t. His mouth moved from my lips to my neck, caressing the skin there, and I was lost. I cried out, panting as my back arched, pressing me tightly against him as I came, muscles clenching around him as he thrust.
It was too much for him. He groaned and thrust once more, hard, and then he was shuddering, his face in my neck as he let go, and we were both quivering against each other, breathing hard as the pleasure ran its course.
When we were both still, he rolled to the side, his head on my other pillow, his arm across my stomach. I could tel
l he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, and if I was being honest, I was sleepy, too. I’d forgotten all about the wine in the kitchen. The mattress felt soft and warm, Brian’s body a veritable furnace next to mine. I felt his lips on my shoulder, and he murmured softly: “Would it bother you if I stayed?”
I was shocked, but I tried not to show it. I couldn’t remember any man ever suggesting that he stay the night. I’d asked a friend of mine that I’d slept with my freshman year to stay once, but he’d made up an excuse as to why he had to leave. I’d never asked anyone again. I shook my head. “It wouldn’t bother me at all.”
“Good,” he said. “It’s cold outside.” He laughed softly, and I laughed too.
I woke sometime in the night and realized that he’d rolled away, and I’d rolled with him, spooning against him with my arm thrown over his side. His hand was curled softly around mine. I thought about moving away, putting some space between us. I didn’t.
I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
My alarm went off far too early the next morning. I heard Brian groan as I hit the snooze, and I had a sudden flash of what it might be like to be in a relationship. Waking up every morning in a warm, cozy bed with the solid presence of a man next to me, getting ready side by side. It didn’t sound so terrible. I relished the warmth for a few more minutes until my alarm went off again, and I reluctantly pushed back the covers, heading into the bathroom to shower and start getting ready.
As I was putting on my makeup, Brian knocked gently on the half-open door. He was dressed, and he planted a light kiss on my cheek. “I’m heading back to my place to get ready,” he said. “I’ll call you.”
“If you want to,” I said, and then I smiled. “It would be nice to hear from you.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured me. “I’ll call.”
I felt much brighter as I finished getting ready and headed off to work. Maybe this was a new corner I’d turned. I wouldn’t need to think about Ethan. I could attend our mentoring sessions without being distracted. Everything would be fine.
I got to my desk, and my boss popped out of her office almost immediately. “Elizabeth, Mr. Sharpe wants to see you.”
I blinked. “Alright.” I bit my lip as I turned away and headed to the elevator. I couldn’t think of what he might need to talk to me about. I hoped it had nothing to do with our “business dinner” a few nights before.
To my surprise, when I reached his office, his secretary was nowhere to be seen. Unsure, I knocked on the door, and heard him call: “Come in.”
***
Chapter 4
Ethan
I glanced up at the sound of the door opening, and saw her walk in and sit down. “Mr. Sharpe? What did you need from me?”
“Mr. Sharpe again? Haven’t we been over this?”
She sighed, sounding irritated. “Ethan.”
I gestured towards the door. “As you saw coming in, I am now short a personal assistant. I saw no reason why I should wait for someone new to go through the hiring process when I knew of someone perfectly capable here already. I’ve already informed your supervisor. You start now.”
She blinked. “What? What on earth are you talking about?”
I gave her a long look. “I’ve hired you as my personal assistant.”
“You can’t do that, I’m an intern for accounting!”
“I’m the CEO. I can do whatever I want.”
“I’m interning to be an accountant, not an assistant!” Her voice rose to a nearly painful pitch, and I raised an eyebrow. Surely she wasn’t going to be so difficult over this.
“You’ll learn more assisting me in my office than you would downstairs in the intern pool, and you know it. What’s the real problem here, Elizabeth?”
“The problem, Mr. Sharpe, is that you have taken me out of the position that I applied for and earned, and thrust me haphazardly into a new one that has nothing to do with what I am here for.”
“Elizabeth, I have every intention of making sure that you learn as much as possible in this position. The difference now is that you can put on your resume that you were hired less than halfway into your internship in a temporary, salaried position. It will be a valuable asset…assuming, of course, that you work anywhere other than here after you graduate.”
She sighed audibly.
“You’ll make more money, too.”
“You don’t need to pay me more.”
“You will have more responsibilities, so yes, I do.” I gritted my teeth with frustration. “You can be very difficult, Elizabeth. You’re lucky that you’re both capable and intelligent.”
She laughed a little at that. “Thank you…I suppose?”
I gestured towards a stack of files. “Let’s get started.”
She stood, her expression still huffy, and grabbed the files. “I’ll work on them at my desk. Thank you, Mr. Sharpe.”
I could not understand why she had to be so difficult. There was nothing wrong with what I was doing. I was giving her a salaried position, experience on her resume, and more money. If I was being entirely honest with myself, she had come to my mind first because I wanted her closer to me. I wanted to spend more time with her. There had never been a woman in my life before whose company I craved, but she was very well shaping up to be the first.
And, naturally, she wanted nothing to do with me that wasn’t strictly professional.
***
Elizabeth
Although I never would have wanted to admit it to him, he turned out to be right. My education at the firm was accelerated by my new position. I was in close proximity to the most powerful man in the company, and he made sure to explain the tasks he set me to do, ensuring that I understood the process. I knew, deep down, that I should appreciate what he was doing. It was unprecedented. But part of me knew that if not for our indiscretions, this would never be happening. I was glad for the experience, but hated the way it had come about. It made me feel cheap, as if I hadn’t earned my place at the table. I saw the expressions on the other interns’ faces too, and heard a few whispers here and there. There wasn’t outright suspicion, yet, but they certainly wondered how I had jumped so high, so fast. I tried to mention it to Ethan, but he brushed it aside. I thought privately that he just didn’t want to face it.
In the meantime, I was slowly starting to grow to like Brian more and more. He called, just as he said he would, and in the middle of the week, I agreed to meet him for lunch. I explained to Ethan I was meeting a friend and would need to take my full break—being in a salaried position for him often meant taking a short break or eating at my desk. He agreed, and I breathed in the fresh, cold air as I left the building. I was excited to see Brian, and I reveled in the feeling, the sheer normalcy of it all.
We met at a little deli a few blocks from the firm, and talked about my new position, and his work at the brewing company. To my relief, he didn’t find my position suspicious or odd at all, he was only excited for me. It made me feel a little guilty, knowing that I didn’t get it entirely on my own merit, and cognizant as I was that I still wanted Ethan.
I left feeling happy, though. Brian had asked me to meet him Friday night for dinner and drinks, and I had taken him up on it. It was my first real date in a very long time—I didn’t count the nights out with Ethan—and I felt giddy with excitement. He’d kissed me goodbye when we parted after lunch, and I nearly skipped back to the office. I couldn’t wait to tell Catherine and Billie. Catherine would go nuts trying to help me pick what I should wear.
I pushed open the door to Ethan’s office, ready to dive back into work. He was facing the bay window, and he turned when I walked in. I stopped dead. His face was thunderous.
The door shut heavily behind me. He stalked towards me, and I froze. “Ethan, what’s wrong?”
“Who was that man?”
I blinked. “Brian?”
“I don’t know his fucking name!” he nearly shouted. I flinched. “The one you were at the deli with.�
��
“Brian.” I repeated. “He’s just someone I’ve been seeing off and on.” I shook my head. “Why are you so upset? Surely my private life has nothing to do with my job.”
His face was pale, flushed on his cheekbones. He looked furious. “I don’t want you seeing him again!”
Now I was angry. “It’s none of your business if I’m dating someone, Ethan! You are my boss. I am your employee. You have no stake in my personal life!”
“Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Dating him!”
“Not yet!” My voice was raised now too. We’d gotten closer as we’d argued, and I was leaning up on my toes, straining to be as tall as he was. His face was inches from mine.
“Good,” he growled, and he grabbed my waist, his mouth landing on mine with a force unmatched by his previous kisses.
I hated myself in that instant. I hated the way I melted into him, my lips opening under his. My whole body felt flushed with desire the second his hands were on me, my skin welcoming his touch. I couldn’t help how much I wanted him. The tension was always there when I was near him, and I’d gotten good at ignoring it…until he was this close. Until he was touching me.
He backed me up against his desk, the edge pressing into my ass as his fingers dug into my waist, his mouth still pressed against mine. I moaned as one hand slid up to cup my breast, his thumb rubbing over the nipple through the silk of my blouse. I was wearing a lacy, unlined bra beneath, and it sprang up, hard and firm under his touch. I gasped as he squeezed it, his hips rocking forward against mine. He was hard as rock, I could feel the heat of him through the fabric of his pants. My legs opened a fraction without thinking, my knees sliding apart as he pressed forward.
He groaned and grabbed me by the hips, setting me atop the desk. I’d picked today, of all days, to wear a skirt, and it rucked up my thighs, the material betraying me. His hands slid beneath it, his mouth on my neck as his fingers skirted up my inner thighs, found the silky material of my panties. His fingers dipped beneath the edge, the pad of his index finger stroking over my clit. I moaned aloud, my hand going to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair as he nibbled at the curve of my throat, his other hand going to my breast.
