by Kira Blakely
****
“So, you were on your way to the gallery when you saw your parents here in town, and you found out they were selling your brother’s old pick-up truck?” Nathan asks as he takes a sip from his glass of wine.
“In a nutshell, that’s it.” I pop a morsel of grilled shrimp inside my mouth. “I was just so upset. I couldn’t believe they’d do that. And they were even trying to do it behind my back.”
“If no one knows, no one can protest. It’s smart, actually.”
I’ve forgotten I’m talking to a businessman. For sure, he didn’t get this successful by playing nice.
“It hurts,” I tell him in a no-nonsense tone. “I feel so betrayed.”
“I can imagine.” He eats a piece of roast beef.
“It’s no excuse for me to just leave you hanging, though. I’m really sorry. How did you find me again?”
“I asked around.”
Of course, he did.
“I actually thought you’d gone and called up one of the women in your phone book.”
“There are no other women in my phone book.”
Really?
“Even if there were, none of them can hold a candle to you.”
My breath catches.
“I mean, none of them would have looked as good in a torn dress as you did.”
My eyebrows furrow.
“And none of them would still look as good with puffy eyes.”
I pout and cross my arms over my chest. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“How would you feel if I said you still looked good with something stuck between your teeth?”
Nathan gives a puzzled look as he curls his lips. “Is something stuck between my teeth?”
I laugh as I grab my glass of wine. “I’m not telling.”
“Meanie.”
I’m still not telling.
“Though I’m glad to hear you laugh. Earlier, you looked…well, dejected.”
I set down my glass. “Like I said, it hurt to find out they were getting rid of Jack’s truck.”
“You must have loved your brother so much.”
“Just as much as every little girl loves her big brother. Do you have a younger sister?”
“No. I was an only child.”
“If you had a younger sister, though, I bet you’d be spoiling her rotten by now. I bet she’d just say ‘please’ once and you’d do whatever she asked.”
He frowns. “Do I look like I can be easily made to do a girl’s bidding?”
“Not a girl. Your little sister.”
He shrugs. “Maybe she’ll be the one at my beck and call instead.”
I can imagine that. A little girl running to fulfill her brother’s every whim, eager to please him.
“Then I’m glad I’m not your little sister.”
“So am I. If you were my little sister, I wouldn’t have been able to kiss you like I did last night. And the night before.”
I blush at the memories.
“Anyway, my older brother was the sweetest. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for me, from finishing my vegetables even though he hated them more than I did to dressing up like a girl just so I could have another princess to play with. But my favorite part is when he’d tell me all about the different animals. He knew so much about them. Sometimes, he’d make up stories about them. Even when he went to Africa, he’d still write and tell me about the animals he’d see. He sent me pictures, too, which is what made me even more determined to become a wildlife photographer. I couldn’t wait to get his letters, and whenever I did, I’d light up like a kid on Christmas morning.”
“I’m jealous.”
The confession takes me by surprise.
And when I see the look in his eyes, I swallow.
Heat. Hunger. Desire.
I look down at my plate, finishing the last of my grilled shrimps. “There’s no need to be jealous, you know. He’s gone now. Besides, he was my brother.”
“Don’t brothers compete over mates in the animal world?”
Mates. The word sends heat rushing to my cheeks.
“But you’re not an animal,” I tell him.
“I can be. Would you like to see how wild I can be?”
A serious question. No. Not a question. An invitation.
To fun. To fantasy. To freedom.
Dare I accept it?
I want to. But I’m scared.
And Nathan notices it.
“I’m scaring you, aren’t I?” He gulps down the last of his wine. “Just forget about it.”
What? He isn’t serious?
No. He is. He’s just being patient.
I, too, finish my wine.
“Are you done? If you want, we can stroll for a bit. They have lovely gardens here.”
“Sure.”
I get the feeling we both need some fresh, cool air.
****
“So every time you cover a party, you imagine the guests are animals?” Nathan chuckles. “I’ve heard of some people pretending everyone in the conference room are potatoes so they don’t get so nervous giving their sales pitch, but a photographer imagining people as animals?”
“What? It makes it more interesting.”
“Okay. So, what exactly is Helena Goodwin?”
I grin. “Do you want to guess?”
Nathan touches his chin. “A camel?”
“A camel?”
“Because she’s got fake eyelashes.”
“How would you know that?”
“Let’s just say female anatomy is one of my many areas of expertise.”
Okay. And why did I just get an image of him with a naked woman when he said that?
“Plus, she drinks a lot.”
“That she does,” I agree. “I think a camel describes her well, though I initially thought of her as a hyena.”
“A hyena. Why?”
“You know. She’s always looking for the weakest member of the herd, someone to pick on. Plus she has a loud, annoying laugh.”
“Ah, yes. A camel and a hyena.”
I try to imagine the two animals combined but can’t, ending up laughing.
“What about me?” Nathan asks. “What animal do you think best describes me?”
I pause.
“Come on. You must have already thought of something.”
“Nothing particular, actually,” I tell him. “A lion. A wolf. A tiger. A bear.”
“Let me guess. A lion because I’m a womanizer.”
“No.”
He ignores me. “A wolf because I’m somewhat of a loner. I don’t really socialize, especially with other men. A tiger because I always wear sleek suits. Either that or because I have pointy fangs.”
He shows them.
“I never even noticed until now.”
“And a bear because I’m scary when I lack sleep?”
I chuckle. “I swear I didn’t know that.”
“Why then?”
“Not telling.”
“Is that so? Well, if I was going to describe you as an animal, I’d say you’re a–” He pauses. “A giraffe.”
A giraffe? “Because I have long legs?”
“Because you stand out even when you don’t want to.”
That’s a surprising answer. And flattering.
“I actually thought of myself as a squirrel.”
“Because you like nuts?”
I’m about to say yes but I realize he has a different look on his face, one that implies he means something else by ‘nuts’.
“Because I keep forgetting where I put things,” I answer.
“I thought it’s because you scurry off at the slightest sign of danger.”
“I don’t,” I argue.
“So, you’re saying you’re not going to scurry off now?”
He backs me up against the nearest tree, his arm above me.
I swallow. “Am I in danger?”
“Very.”
He doesn’t need to say it, though. It’s clear from the cloud of lust in his eyes that his patience has ran out.
Once more, I can feel the desire rolling off him in waves, waking mine. It’s stirring the flames inside me, bringing the heat out to my skin and my breasts.
Shit.
“Well?”
What am I afraid of? Of being hurt? Of falling short of his expectations? Or is it the consequences? The possibility that he might discard me afterward? That other people might find out and change their opinion of me?
“If you’re going to run, you better run now.”
I don’t answer. I’m cornered prey, and everything is at a standstill. One move could change everything.
How should I move? Flee? Fight? Or stay and allow myself to be captured?
He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But if you don’t, I promise I’ll be gentle.”
And I know he can be gentle.
Oh, to hell with the consequences.
I surrender, closing my eyes. The moment I do, his mouth claims mine, robbing me of breath.
Damn. He really is a good kisser.
It’s just our lips and tongues touching and yet, I can feel the heat all the way to my toes.
That’s how amazing he is.
Just when I feel my lungs can’t take it any longer, he pulls away, and as our gazes meet, I can see the lust in his eyes burning stronger, his pupils dilated under half-closed eyelids.
I wonder if he can see the same in mine.
He grabs my hand. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Claimed
Somewhere else turns out to be his apartment.
I don’t know where it is. Throughout the trip, my mind’s a blur, my body eagerly anticipating what’s to come.
It seems like an eternity before the car finally stops.
He leads me across the lobby to the elevator.
The doors close and for the first time, I’m not afraid. He’s kissing me, after all, the feel of his mouth on mine drowning every other sensation.
When the doors open again, we stumble out. Lips locked and arms around each other, we manage to get to his apartment, and as soon as we’re inside, he takes off my clothes.
First, my sweater.
Then my dress.
Then my bra, each piece falling to the floor.
Then he slows down.
He stands there, staring at me through half-lidded eyes. His gaze travels down from my face to my breasts.
They swell in response.
It goes further down past the curve of my belly to the only piece of clothing I have left on.
And the part it’s concealing responds as well, the cotton growing damp.
I’m ready.
“Are you just going to stare at me all evening?”
He grins. “I’m just savoring my meal before I dig in.”
“Well, this meal will get cold if you keep it waiting too long.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure I can warm it right back up.”
In his strong arms, he carries me to the bed, setting me down on it.
Then he kisses me all over.
And everywhere his mouth claims leaves a lingering effect.
My lips are swollen.
My breasts are full, my nipples hard as pebbles.
My sex tingles beneath the soaked cotton.
And everywhere else, my skin burns. Electrified. Alive.
Every part of my body says the same thing.
“More.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, tugging a pert nipple between his teeth.
I gasp. “Yes.”
Nathan pulls down my underwear, leaving me completely naked and conscious of it.
I try to cover myself. I haven’t shaved, after all. I never have. And I’m suddenly afraid it might bother Nathan.
He doesn’t seem to mind, though, swatting my arms away and pinning my wrists to my sides.
“Mine.”
The next thing I know his mouth is there, his tongue delivering caresses that make me tremble before it slips in.
Shit.
I throw my head back, freeing my wrists from his grip so that my fingers can entwine with strands of brown hair.
They push at first, resisting the pleasure and then pull, asking for more and begging for release.
When it comes, my whole body shatters into pieces, my mind blown away.
I lie still, breathless and eyes sealed shut.
When I open them again, Nathan is standing over me, peeling his clothes off.
Just like that, the haze fades. I sit up, staring at him.
It’s my turn to savor him.
And I do, my gaze burning into every inch of skin revealed.
Shoulders.
Chest.
Stomach.
And the eight inches curving up from between his legs.
The thickest, longest and hardest erection I have ever seen.
Shit.
My eyes grow wide. My mouth drools.
If only I had a camera right now to capture that perfect body, though something tells me I don’t need a camera to remember it.
It’s embedded in my memory.
Magnificent.
At the same time, though, I feel a pang of worry.
Can my body take it?
Sensing my worry, Nathan touches my cheek. “Shh. It will be fine. You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”
I want to tell him that I’ve never had anyone this big before. Not even close. There have only been a few, after all.
But I just nod. “Yes.”
“Just open up to me. You want me, don’t you, Sam?”
In answer, I reach out to him, placing one hand behind his neck and wrapping the fingers of the other around his cock.
It quivers, sending a ripple through me.
“Sam, if you do that–”
He doesn’t finish. He doesn’t have to. I know what he’s trying to say.
Reluctantly, I let my captive go, gripping his shoulders as he kisses me.
While his mouth keeps mine busy, his finger slips inside me.
I squeeze it, wanting it deeper.
He pushes in.
I gasp.
He pulls away, grinning. “Now, I’ve got you wrapped around my finger.”
I can’t bring myself to laugh at the pun, my mind turning to mush along with my body.
He slips another finger in and I lose all control.
I fist the sheets, writhing in delight as his fingers – those wicked fingers – plunge in and out of my core, making me wetter.
Hotter.
“Nathan.”
His name escapes my lips as a hoarse whisper.
Like a command, it spurs him into action. His fingers leave me, reaching for the rubber on the nightstand and hastily rolling it on before biting into my thighs.
He lifts them, the tip of his cock nudging the hole he has prepared.
“Let me in, Sam.”
And he pushes in slowly.
I gasp. I cry. I cling to him.
He begins to move. Even through the rubber barrier, I can feel his heat and his thrusts.
My heart races.
The pleasure climbs.
“Shit.”
The curse is the only word I can manage, my mind growing blank as he moves faster.
Deeper.
Harder.
I come, my nails digging into his back as my body arches beneath his and trembles around him, shattering into even smaller fragments than before.
Vaguely, I feel him still moving but suddenly, he stops, burying himself deep inside me as he lets out a groan.
And just like that, the pieces of me that are being put back together scatter again, his orgasm causing me to have one more, like an earthquake causing another.
After, I lie still, gasping for air, waiting for my body to feel again, for my mind to start thinking again.
By then,
Nathan already has his pants on. He has his back turned to me, and I frown as I see the fresh scars.
I summon enough energy to get out of bed so I can kiss them.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
“The squirrel has claws,” he says.
I notice something else on his back. A tattoo.
I run my fingers over the black ink. “What’s this?”
“Just a souvenir from my time in the Army.”
I blink. “You were in the Army?”
“Just for a year. My Dad was in the Army before and I wanted to experience it for myself. But it’s not for me.”
“Where is he now?” I ask bravely.
Blame the courage on the afterglow.
“He died when I was still a teenager,” Nathan answers. “My Mom’s gone now, too. She died before she could see me become successful.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
For some reason, I suddenly remember my own parents.
Will we ever be okay again?
“What’s wrong?” he asks, turning around.
“Nothing,” I lie. “Just tired.”
“Go to sleep.” The words sound more like an order than a request. “I still have some things to do.”
I want to ask him what, but I yawn instead.
Being tired isn’t a lie, after all. All the exhaustion from the arguing, crying and the sex are sinking in and I suddenly feel exhausted.
I crawl back into bed, pulling the blanket up to my shoulders. “Good night.”
“Night.”
Curiosity and the Cat
In the morning, Nathan is gone.
No note on the pillow.
No note on the nightstand.
No breakfast in the kitchen.
Nothing.
And absolutely no sign of him.
It’s almost as if last night never happened, except that the soreness between my legs is proof it did.
Have I just been discarded?
He’ll woo you and seduce you, take you to bed, give you the most amazing night of your life, and then leave you lying in the dust.
I frown at the replay of Pam’s words. Surely, it can’t be true.
Or maybe it was true before with other women but not in my case.
Are you sure?
There’s that annoying voice again. It didn’t get the chance to speak up last night so now, it’s rearing its head and giving me a lecture.
And it’s even worse than Mom’s lecture.
Because try as I might, I can’t seem to ignore it.
