by Susan Hayes
She was his, and Nick was suddenly struck with the primal urge to mark her beautiful skin. He wanted the world to know she was off limits. That no one else would ever get to see the sensual goddess she could be when she let herself go. He buried his face into the rounded softness of her stomach, nibbling and kissing his way around her navel. Her hips rocked against his thrusting fingers, and the low moan that flowed from her lips was the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. Lia traced the lines of his tattoos over his shoulders and upper arms. Her hands on his skin were a taste of heaven, and Nick couldn’t wait until they were naked and tangled up together so he could feel her wrapped around him.
He started working his fingers faster, rubbing her clit with one hand while he fucked her with the other. Lia moaned a single word, his name, drawn out and low.
“That’s right. I’m the one making you feel good right now. Say my name again, tell me how good you’re feeling.”
Her pussy walls clamped around his fingers and a fresh flood of cream flowed over his hand in response to his words. She was so fucking responsive, so eager and honest in her reactions, he had to wonder how stupid her other lovers had been to have rushed straight to the final act? He was going to show her everything that she’d been missing.
“Nick, please,” she whispered, arching into his touch.
“Fuck, yeah. I love the way you say my name. Tell me what you need, Lia.”
“Harder. Make me come.”
“Your wish is my command. Hang on to me,” he warned, leaning in and pressing her against the wall as he gave her exactly what she’d asked for. He worked her pussy hard, and when he couldn’t resist the temptation any longer he buried his face between her trembling thighs. Her cream coated his tongue as he drew the swollen pearl of her clit into his mouth, devouring her like the most succulent of fruits.
“Yes, yes, yes!” She chanted as he pushed her higher. When she came, her entire body shuddered, her knees buckling at the force of her pleasure. Nick managed to catch her as she slid down the wall, drawing her against him until she was draped across his thighs, her head on his chest.
His goddess in repose.
When she lifted her face to smile up at him, the dazed look in her eyes gave him a sense of smug satisfaction. “Ready for round two?”
“I don’t think my legs work,” she replied, her smile widening.
“For what I’m planning you don’t need them anyway. Hold on, gorgeous, it’s time I got you up off the floor.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he gathered her against his bare chest, loving the way her soft curves brushed against his skin. He carried her over to his desk, setting her on the edge before clearing everything off of it with a sweep of his hand. Pens, pencils, notepads and other items hit the floor with a clatter, but he ignored it. Nothing was taking his focus off of Lia.
“You’re making a mess,” she pointed out with some amusement.
“I really don’t care right now. My entire focus is on getting you completely naked and then doing unspeakable things to you. Nothing else matters.”
“What if I want to do some of those unspeakable things to you too?” she asked.
“Then I will consider myself the luckiest man on the fucking planet. Are you particularly fond of these panties?”
“No, why?”
“Good.” Nick fished his pen knife out of his back pocket and flipped open the blade. When her eyes widened in protest he laid a finger to her lips, silencing her. “Hold still and trust me.”
“Says the man holding a knife. Cut me and I swear, I’ll shoot you.”
He chuckled as he slid the blade between lace and the skin of her hip, parting the delicate fabric with a flick of his wrist. He repeated the move on her other side, watching as the last shreds of clothing fell away, leaving every inch of her on display for his hungry gaze. “Damn. If I had known what you were hiding under that dress, I would have never let you out of my sight that night. You are sinspirational.”
“Sin-what now?”
“An inspiration to sin. Hot. Fuckable. Delectable.” Nick stepped between her thighs and kissed her hard, one hand splayed out over her back, the other cupping the warm weight of her breast. She laughed into the depth of his mouth, her mirth sending vibrations rolling across his tongue. Her hands traced around the waistband of his jeans until they found the button holding them closed. She had it undone in seconds and he had to bite back a groan when she unzipped his fly, brushing her fingertips down the length of his cock as she did so.
Lia stroked him through the warm silk of his briefs, every touch making his balls ache and his heart pound a little faster. “I fucking love having your hands on me. Don’t stop.”
More laughter was all he got in response, and he kissed her again, tongues chasing each other through the sweet warmth of her mouth as she tugged his jeans down lower. When she reached inside his briefs and wrapped her fingers around his dick, he nearly lost his mind. He was as eager as a horny teenager, and when she tentatively pumped his cock a surge of raw lust flowed through him. He needed to be inside her soon, before he lost what was left of his control.
He managed to work his jeans down his legs without letting go of the goddess in his arms. The second he had his shoes and pants off, he started kissing his way down her body, eager to get his mouth on the dusky skin of her nipples. He latched onto one and Lia leaned back on the desk, bracing herself with one hand as she arched her back and offered herself to him. “Lie back,” he told her, his mouth still full of succulent flesh.
When she didn’t move right away, he released her nipple and lifted his head to stare into her eyes. “Don’t start second guessing things now. Just trust me and lie down. I have something I need to do.”
“You don’t have to do that…” she said, and he could actually watch as her skin darkened in embarrassment.
“Have to, no. Want to? Hell yes.” Nick watched her expression a few seconds longer, seeing her doubts and finally understood. “You’ve never had someone do this for you before, have you?”
Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth and she shook her head. “No.”
Nick couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “Then I am your first. Lie back. Now. I’ve got more I want to show you.”
When she closed her eyes and lowered herself to his desk without a word, it was all he could do not to cheer. He was going to make this good for her. Hell, he was going to try and ruin her for any other man, ever. When she was stretched out in front of him, eyes closed and fists clenched at her sides, Nick saw another side to Lia. She looked uncertain, vulnerable. It twisted his gut into knots and made him want to protect her. Instead, he moved around to her side, took one of her hands in his and leaned down to brush a tender kiss to the line that furrowed her brow.
“What are you doing?” She asked, her eyes fluttering open to stare up at him in confusion.
“Enjoying the moment,” he said and dropped his lips to hers. He kissed her until he felt her tension ease and she threaded her fingers through his short hair, pulling him closer. Closer was exactly what he wanted. Skin on skin, no space between them. When her nails scraped the nape of his neck, he knew she was back to herself again. With a smile he broke their kiss and started working his way down her body, taking the time to explore every curve and indent along the way. By the time he reached her navel, she was panting softly, and when he blew a stream of air across her pussy she moaned.
Nick moved between her legs again, lifting her feet and placing them on his shoulders so that she was spread open to his gaze. Her feet slid down his back as he leaned down and stroked a finger over her glistening folds. “Open your eyes and look at me, Lia.”
When she did, he lifted his finger to his mouth and licked her cream from it, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. “You’re delicious. Sexy, and all mine.”
Fire danced in the green depths of her eyes as she met his gaze. “I don’t belong to anyone, Nick.”
“There’s a first time for eve
rything.” Before she could argue, Nick dropped his head and showed her everything that she’d been missing. He licked and suckled, never focusing his attention in one place for too long. He spread her dark pink folds with his fingers, exposing her swollen clit to his tongue. Soon Lia was trembling beneath him, her legs tightening around his shoulders as she ground her pussy against his face. When he latched onto her clit and sucked hard she came up off the desk with a cry. He slid his hands under her, cupping her ass and lifting her higher. He pushed her hard, wanting to see her orgasm. Hell, he’d promised her he wouldn’t fuck her until she screamed his name, and he was a man of his word.
Her cries grew louder with every lap of his tongue, and he knew she was on the brink. He held her there, just on the edge of orgasm until at last he heard what he’d been waiting for. “Nick! Oh God, I…I…please!”
He sucked her pearl into his mouth and when he bit down lightly she came apart in his arms. He lowered her back to the desktop with care, his cock already leaking pre-cum at the idea of finally getting inside her. That’s when it finally hit him. Condoms.
Fuck.
Half a second later he was laughing like a lunatic, tugging open the drawers of his desk until he found what he was looking for. When Lia saw what he was holding, her eyes narrowed in distrust. “Do I want to know why you keep a box of condoms at your desk?”
“I don’t usually. These were a gift from my brother and Jo…it was their way of announcing her pregnancy. They handed me these and told me they didn’t need them anymore.”
She laughed at that and the shadows faded from her eyes. “Then let’s put them to good use.”
“Believe me, I intend to.” He got the condom on in record time and returned to the end of the desk before taking her hands and drawing her back up to a sitting position. Lia’s long legs wrapped around his hips and she molded herself to him, bringing them together in a moment of pure need that stopped his breath. God above, she was beautiful. He took her mouth a bare instant before his cock found its way into her channel, and then he was inside her. The walls of her cunt were so tight he could barely move, and he slowed his thrust, not wanting to hurt her. The, slow, delicious slide into her body seemed to last an eternity, but finally he was seated to the hilt, every inch of him buried deep.
Lia’s arms locked around his neck and she rose up off the desk, driving his dick even deeper.
“Fuck me,” she whispered into his mouth, and Nick’s control snapped. He gripped her ass and started moving, legs spread and hips pounding as hard and fast as the beating of his heart. The wet slap of flesh, the low moans of need, hot breath and the nearly insane need to go deeper, drove Nick on. He wanted to lay claim to every part of her body so that she’d never forget his touch. Her nails raked his back and he nipped her throat in response.
She was as wild and fierce as he, matching him thrust for thrust as they chased each other through a place of primal passions and all-consuming need. Every good intention turned to ash in the fire that raged between them. Nick had finally found the passionate woman he was certain lurked beneath the icy armor Lia wore, and he wanted nothing more than to bask in the glory of her flames.
He felt the tightening coils of need in his groin and started fucking her harder. He lowered her back to the desk and she leaned back, the change in angles squeezing his cock even tighter in the slick heat of her pussy.
He reached between them to finger her clit, hoping to bring her over one last time before the end. Her wild moans filled the air and the scent of their lovemaking perfumed every breath he took.
“You’re mine, Lia,” he barely heard a word he said, but Lia did.
“Maybe I am.”
It was enough to send him hurtling into orgasm, taking her with him as he lost himself in the pleasures of her body.
It was Lia who moved first, nuzzling her face to the side of his neck. “I hate to ask, but how many health code violations did we just break?”
He chuckled. “Too many to count. Come on, gorgeous. I’m taking you upstairs, and then I’m going to feed you.”
She settled into his arms, warm, sated and completely trusting. It was the best feeling he’d ever known.
Chapter Seven
Lia briefly considered asking Nick to put her down, but the words never left her mouth. She’d forfeited control of the situation the moment she’d asked him to kiss her, so why try to take it back now? Besides, being in his arms felt right, and it gave her yet another opportunity to look at his tattoos up close. There was an elaborate rose over his bicep, just below a tribal band that circled his upper arm. The rose looked almost like a pencilled sketch, all in gray. “Somehow I didn’t expect a tough guy like you to have a flower tattoo.”
He paused on his way up stairs to glance down at his arm. “That one’s for my mom. The thorns along the stem are my pain in the ass brothers, and my dad. That’s pretty much my family summed up in one image, a beautiful flower and five thorns in my side.”
“They can’t be that bad. David’s been a good boss so far…but he did mention that the two of you aren’t exactly close.”
Nick’s head snapped up. “When were you talking to him about me?”
“When he saw the stuff on my desk and figured out you must have sent it. He called me into his office.”
“Shit. I didn’t think he’d do that. Sorry.”
“I didn’t think you’d call him to ask if it was okay to date someone in his office. That was…surprising.”
“I told you I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. That includes your career. If Dave had told me there’d be a problem, I would have backed off. Not happily, but I would have.”
There he went, surprising her again. “You’re not what you seem to be, are you?”
He flashed her a cocksure grin and lifted her higher in his arms as he climbed the rest of the way to the second floor. “I think that really depends on what kind of person you think I am.”
“I thought—wow.” Lia interrupted herself to take in the room they’d just entered. She hadn’t been sure where Nick was taking her, but she would never have imagined the space she found herself in. Sketches and drawings filled every inch of wall space, some framed, some simply tacked into place. There wasn’t much furniture. An old wooden desk and equally aged chair, a small table pulled up close to a day bed and a few assorted chairs and side tables. There was a laptop, powered down and closed, on the largest table. Everything else was dedicated to Nick’s passion. Art.
“If you want to know who I am, Cin, all you have to do is look around you. This is me.”
“Before I do that, do you think maybe we should get dressed?”
Nick sighed heavily and stuck out his lower lip. “Nope. Don’t wanna. How about we compromise and wrap up in a quilt instead?”
His woebegone expression made her burst out laughing and she raised her hand in surrender. “All right. Quilts it is.”
“Perfect. Did I mention there’s only one? We’ll have to share.” He waggled his brows at her.
“Scoundrel.”
“You have no idea.” He carried her over to the day bed and set her down in the center of it before reaching back and drawing a large, handmade quilt around her shoulders. Still completely naked himself, he tucked her in with care. “I need to call in our order. There’s beer and soda in the fridge. And if you’re good, I might consider bringing your clothes up with me.”
“And if I’m not?”
“Then I’ll toss your clothes into a snow bank, ensuring you’re stuck here with me all night, naked. Frankly, I’m tempted to do that anyway.”
“If you did that, I’d have some serious trouble getting home. Though I think I’m going to need to borrow a shirt or something, you tore mine to ribbons. Besides, I already said I’d stay with you tonight.”
“You did. And I’m holding you to it.” His blue eyes darkened with desire as he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “In fact, I plan on holding you in my arms all night, just to make
sure you don’t get away. Sound good?” His soft words made her pulse race, and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She’d never spent a night with any of her lovers. They hadn’t tried to keep her, and she’d never wanted to stay.
Yet somehow, here she was.
He straightened up and then paused just as he started to move away. “And before you start wondering about it while I’m downstairs, the answer is no.”
“No?” she repeated, not sure what he meant.
“No, I don’t make a habit of this. The only other women to set foot up here either work for me or they’re family. I just thought you should know that.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. My phone is somewhere in that pile of clothes we left on the floor.” Nick turned and left, giving her ample time to admire the toned lines of his very naked body. Even in the dim lighting, she was mesmerized by the intricate lines of the wings that covered his back. Once he was gone, she left the daybed, braving the chill of the hardwood floor to go exploring.
She found the light switches and nearly blinded herself when she turned all of them on at once. White lights danced behind her eyelids and she fumbled at the switches again until most of them were turned off again. Better.
Now she could see more of the art on the walls, and as she took it all in she quickly realized that despite the different techniques and subjects, the underlying style was the same. She walked up to one large piece and located the artist’s signature, a raven’s wing with Nick’s initials scrawled below it. She checked another piece, and then another. All of them were Nick’s. He had created every image she was looking at, and in doing so he’d given her a chance to see the world through his eyes, to know what he valued. It was almost overwhelming.
Not sure where to start, Lia made her way to his desk, where various sketches and half done pieces were spread out across the surface. She picked up one at random, and found herself staring at a familiar face. Her own. She picked out another one, and then another, only to find that all of them were of her. She traced the outline of her features across the page. Nick had captured her image quite well, but it wasn’t just her face and form she was looking at, he’d somehow managed to convey a piece of her soul, as well. It left her feeling exposed.
