First Love (Love Collection)

by Natalie Ann

***

  Jace knew he was taking a risk booking this place and the spa package with it, but it was what he’d said to Lauren. He really did want to make this special for her and he wanted her to know he put a lot of thought into it.

  He needed this weekend away as much as he felt she did. And that they could spend it together and not have to worry about anyone seeing them together was the icing on the cake.

  He led her to the bedroom and put their bags on the bed, then pulled her toward the balcony. “What do you think of the view?”

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never been on the water before. I mean on a boat. Look at the sailboats out there.”

  “Then I think we should get on one tomorrow afternoon. Or maybe a dinner one for part of the night.”

  “You don’t have to,” she argued again. All she did was argue with him when he was trying to be nice. Trying to be accommodating. “I was talking, nothing more. I want us to relax and just be two people in a relationship this weekend. Let’s do some fun things.”

  She smiled at him. One that was a mixture of arousal and sweetness. “Okay. We can start with something fun now.”

  Her arms went up and around his neck, her lips on his, and he was slowly losing a part of himself in the kiss that he’d been dying to give her since he’d seen her waiting for him outside of the elevator this morning when he showed up at work.

  He nudged her mouth open, slid his tongue in, and her body pressed against his even more, her hands gripping his hair, and he was pretty sure if they didn’t stop soon he’d be walking down the hall with a limp on their way to dinner.

  “Lauren,” he said against her lips, nibbling a bit more. There was something about her that made him want to push the rest of the world away. “We should probably go get some dinner.”

  “Or we could stay in and have fun first. Maybe even order room service instead of going out for dinner.”

  He liked her thinking. “Are you sure?”

  “Very. I’m not positive I could keep food down right now anyway.”

  He pushed her back fast. “What does that mean?”

  She grimaced. “Sorry. I’ve got a ton of butterflies in my belly and they kind of want to calm down. Food isn’t going to do it.”

  “What is?” he asked.

  “You. Your hands on me. Your mouth on mine.”

  That was clear enough. He lowered his mouth again and kissed her with everything he was feeling that had been pent up for weeks. Then he leaned down and swung her in his arms and laid her on the bed, coming down on top of her.

  His hands slid under her light sweater, glad that she’d ditched the blazer before the meeting even started earlier. Fewer clothes he’d have to work his way through now.

  Her skin was soft and silky and when he moved his palm over her breast he felt the hardened nipple poking at him.

  “Jace,” she said, her voice almost a gasp.

  “Yes.”

  “That feels really good. Can we get some of these clothes off? It’d be easier to feel more of each other and I’d really like to touch you too.”

  “I like your practical thinking.” He stood up and started to disrobe and she sat up to do the same. “I wanted to help you with that.”

  “It will be faster if we just do it at the same time.”

  So much for romance, but he knew he could give it to her another time. She seemed to hesitate when she got to her bra and panties, so he reached forward and undid the clasp himself, then brushed it off her shoulders.

  Her head fell back and his mouth had to move down and take a taste. “So much sweeter than I thought you’d be.”

  “Just keep doing that. It’s been way too long.”

  There was no way he was going to ask how long was way too long. He really didn’t want to know. Instead, he showed her how eager he was to please her by moving his mouth from one breast to the other. One nipple to the other. Sucking, licking, and nipping at her.

  The sounds coming from her mouth were just fueling him to move faster, though he really wanted to slam on the brakes.

  He’d yet to remove his boxers and was glad as it was keeping the beast in his pants at bay for the moment. Barely, but enough.

  Moving his lips down her ribs, he brought them to the edge of her cotton panties. Nothing fancy or frivolous, but simple and innocent, almost.

  Innocence was something he didn’t often experience but was glad that he was now. That instead of running from it, he was racing toward it.

  He nudged her panties down. She was neat and trim, matching the naturalness of the rest of her body. Nothing on her was fake, only real. He found he liked that a lot.

  He glanced up and noticed her eyes still closed and her lips parted, her tongue coming out and running across her lips. He figured she wasn’t even aware she was doing that. Wasn’t aware that her response was enough to send him right over the edge.

  With nothing else holding him back, he slid his hands on her inner thighs and parted her, then lowered his mouth and took a taste. He thought her nipples were sweet, but this was like a freshly picked peach. Soft and juicy and making him want to go in for another bite.

  “Jace,” she said, her voice rising.

  “Just hang on,” he said and was done talking. He was about to gorge himself and nothing was going to stop him.

  Closing his lips over her swollen bud, he felt himself twitching even more in his boxers, but he had to get her there first. He desperately wanted to send her over and then slide right into her while she was pulsing so he could feel her surrounding him. Feel her squeezing and taking hold, making him hers.

  He eased back and slid his boxers off, then found a condom in his wallet. She’d leaned up and was watching him now, then spread her legs even more like an invitation to move right in.

  He didn’t though. He slid back down on his stomach and sampled her some more. Placed his fingers on her folds and moved in a motion that had her hips rising and falling. He never pushed a finger in, he didn’t want to know how tight she’d be. He wanted to experience that one way and one way only that first time.

  When her breathing picked up and her nails started to mark his back, he brought his teeth into play and sent her into orbit spinning and circling around while she chanted out his name.

  He wasn’t about to lose that momentum and moved up and entered her swiftly. Her back arched, her nails dug into his sides as her legs went up and around his hips.

  “Oh God,” she said. “Keep doing that. Harder though.”

  She was so freaking tight and snug. She was throbbing around him and the more he moved the more she squeezed him. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up, but the other part of him didn’t want it to ever end.

  He slid his hands under her hips and held her suspended up while he slammed into her again and again. Her wet swollen tightness taking ahold of him and not wanting to let go. She screamed out his name while he emptied everything he had into her.

  When he had nothing else left to give, he collapsed down on her, his heart racing, his breath coming out in deep pants and he swore he saw stars at one point.

  “Jace,” she said softly.

  “Yeah,” he whispered back.

  “You killed my butterflies.”

  He burst out laughing.

  Amount of Freedom

  The next morning Lauren rolled over and saw Jace sound asleep on his stomach, his face turned away from her.

  What a wonderful fabulous night. The best of her life.

  It wasn’t just the elegant room or the room service.

  Not even the time spent together in the big Jacuzzi located in the bathroom.

  Nor was it sitting on the balcony wearing Jace’s shirt while sipping a glass of wine.

  It was him. It was spending time with Jace and knowing no one would see them and talk. There was an incredible amount of freedom in that.

  Anyone who saw them wouldn’t even know that she was his employee. They’d see a couple that was together and enjoyi
ng a weekend away.

  A romantic weekend away.

  She’d never had a vacation a day in her life. This probably couldn’t even be considered one, but it sure the heck felt like it and she was going to enjoy as much of it as she could. Take all these memories and store them away for a lifetime of good vibes.

  She threw the covers back and got out of bed. She’d let him sleep in a bit more.

  When she was rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, she felt cold air on her backside and assumed Jace was slipping in behind her.

  His large hands wrapped her up and pulled her back, letting her feel what was pressing against her rear so blatantly.

  He had some moves on him. She’d never had so much sex in one night before and was actually looking forward to another night just like it.

  “You should have waited for me,” he said in her ear, his lips traveling down her neck.

  “No need to wait when you found your way here.”

  “I did.” His hands moved around to the front of her, cupping and squeezing her breasts. “Did I tell you what a magnificent body you have on you last night?”

  “No, you didn’t. But you did show me, so that’s just as good.”

  “I plan on showing you a lot more before we go home tomorrow,” he said.

  “Don’t ruin the day by talking about returning home.” Reality could stay away for another twenty-four hours.

  “We can do this again next weekend if you want,” he said.

  “That’s a complete waste of money.”

  He laughed. “Getting a hot chick naked is never a waste of money.”

  She knew he was joking, but was still wondering how often he’d done that. Wined and dined a woman for a nice weekend getaway.

  She pushed the thought from her brain though. No reason to be jealous of women she knew nothing about.

  “What do you have planned for the day?” she asked instead of focusing on things she had no control over.

  “After breakfast we’re going to get a couples massage.”

  “I’ve never had a massage before,” she said. She’d moved back to let him start to wash up. Guess they were done playing in the shower and she was thinking it was probably for the best. She was just fine watching him though.

  “I figured. You’ll enjoy it. Trust me.”

  “Will you be in the same room as me?” she asked.

  “Yep. We’ll both be naked under a sheet while we’re worked over.”

  “What?” Seriously, she was going to get naked with other people in the room. No way. Not happening.

  “You can keep your underwear on if you want.”

  “You’re going to too,” she said firmly.

  He laughed. “If you insist.”

  “I do.”

  “I like this possessive side of you. I like it a lot.”

  “I’m not used to feeling it.”

  She wasn’t about to say any more to him. It was her problem and she was glad he didn’t take offense when she’d said it. She imagined he wasn’t the type to like a jealous girlfriend. Didn’t he say he was annoyed over Katy’s attitude just yesterday? And that was an employee, not a girlfriend.

  “Don’t worry about it.” He shut the water off and pushed the curtain aside, then grabbed a towel for each of them. “I like it. If I didn’t, I’d tell you.”

  “So what is on the agenda after the massages?” She wanted to change the subject now. She’d felt enough insecurity in her life and didn’t need to, or want to think about it now.

  “We’ll grab some lunch and maybe go shopping to get you some clothes for tomorrow. I’m going to look around to see if we can get on a charter boat for dinner tonight.”

  “You don’t need to do that, Jace.”

  “I want to. You’ll enjoy it. We won’t be alone. It will be with others, but I think you’d get a kick out of it. I’m not sure when we could get a weekend like this again, so let’s take advantage of it.”

  Guess he was just kidding when he said they could do this again. She should have realized that.

  “I should argue and say it’s too much.”

  “But you’re not going to. I get it. You feel uncomfortable. You’re not used to all of this. You’ve made your point. I know you aren’t with me for my money. Every time I want to do something for you, you argue.”

  She didn’t think she did, but she realized now it was true. “I’m sorry. I hope it’s not insulting you.”

  “It’s not,” he said, standing there with a towel around his waist, water glistening on his bare chest. They were going to have to get dressed soon or she’d lose her train of thought. He had a pretty spectacular body himself too. “It’s nice to know that you’re with me for me. At least I think you are.”

  He was grinning, but she saw in his eyes that he had his own share of doubts and she wanted to do her best to squash them.

  “I am. I don’t like you for anything other than you. That you thought of giving me this weekend, knowing it was something I’ve never experienced before. I don’t expect more of it. I’d just like to spend more time with you.”

  She was praying that didn’t come out as being clingy or needy. After he’d said they could do this again next weekend and then changed his mind, she was wondering what was going on in his head.

  “I’d like to spend as much time with you as I can. Next weekend, I’m hoping you can stay at my place if you’re comfortable enough doing it. We’ll figure out the details as we go, but I want you to know it’s not me that is trying to hide anything.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll respect your decision to do it for now,” he said, but she knew it might not be something he’d do for too long.

  “I appreciate it. You’ve got nothing to lose and I’ve got everything.”

  He stared at her hard and she expected him to argue that point, but he didn’t say a word. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad and decided she just needed to stop focusing on it for now.

  Negative Thoughts

  Jace was trying to hide his annoyance from when Lauren had said he had nothing to lose a few days ago, but he still couldn’t get it out of his head.

  No one got him. No one understood that he had just as much on the line sometimes, if not more.

  His reputation was what guided him. That was why he stayed clear of any work relationships.

  That was why he tried to be someone so different than his father all the time.

  It didn’t seem to matter though. He was still looked at like the golden boy that had it all and could do what he wanted.

  It had never been that way once in his life though. His father controlled everything. Everyone he was friends with. Every person that was hired to make sure he stayed in line.

  Everyone he even wanted to date in school had been checked out thoroughly and no one ever got his father’s approval. He stopped worrying or asking after a few years.

  Going away for college had been the best thing ever. He knew deep down his father still had eyes on him, but at that point he didn’t care enough.

  Had he gotten around in college with the ladies? Yep, he had. He knew it was getting back to his father too.

  Maybe if his father didn’t spend so much time controlling everything and everyone, his heart wouldn’t have decided to betray him.

  When he heard his cell phone ring, he picked it up to see it was the person taking up too much of his negative thoughts this morning.

  “Hey, Dad. Everything okay?”

  “Of course it is. I’m sitting out in the garden trying to figure out what I want to do next.”

  It just was not possible this was the same person who’d raised him. Or better yet, who hired person after person to raise him and grilled them to make sure they met the standards that Jason Stratton strove for in every aspect of his life.

  “What can I do for you then?” he asked.

  “I haven’t seen you in a few weeks. I thought we could go over some things.”

  “You handed
it all over to me,” he reminded his father. They’d argued about this last year when Jace wasn’t ready to take over the empire and his father was ready to retire. He should have known his father wouldn’t back away completely.

  “I did. But I’m still on the board.”

  “Then you can wait for the next board meeting,” he said, laughing.

  “Or you can come and have lunch with your old man and talk to me about your latest venture.”

  Jace wanted to say he was busy. Which he was.

  He wanted to tell his father he didn’t need his help and had it covered. Which he did.

  Instead he said, “What time?”

  “How about one? I’ll have lunch ready when you get here.”

  “That sounds good.” He hung the phone up and went back to a report he was looking at.

  There was a knock at his door and he saw one of his regional managers standing there. “Do you have a few minutes or should I schedule a time?”

  “Come on in, Judy.”

  “Sorry to bother you this way, but Katy wasn’t at her desk and I heard you on the phone so I knew you were in.”

  “Never a problem.” He wasn’t quite as formal as his father that he wouldn’t take a meeting from someone if he had time. Since he rarely saw Judy, nor was she in this office much, there had to be a reason she was stopping here. She ran the Western region and was stationed out there. “Are you here for a meeting today?”

  “Yeah. I figured I’d take a chance and pop in before it started.”

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked when she shut the door.

  “I hate to bother you with this. I should handle it on my own, but I just came from HR and I didn’t really like the answer they gave me.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. “Go on,” he said, gesturing with his hand for her to take a seat.

  “I’ve got a store manager who is in a relationship with her assistant manager. It’s a new relationship. They are both going through divorces.”

  “Did this relationship cause those divorces?” he asked, thinking that was probably the case.

  “There is speculation, but I didn’t ask. They’re both really good employees. I know it’s our policy to rotate managers around every few years and that those in a relationship shouldn’t be in the same store, or one can’t be supervising the other.”