by Chloe Maddox
She slammed the phone on the table, and her hands went white as she gripped the table forcing herself to breathe deeply.
“I’m really sorry.”
Laurel screamed as she spun around, her hand on her chest, and her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Collin stood there looking uncomfortable and contrite.
“How much of that did you hear?”
“I came in just as you called Faith.”
Laurel shook her head. “You shouldn’t have eavesdropped. That was a private conversation. They both were.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. I was looking for you since I finished work early, I figured you might want to watch a movie or something.”
Laurel let her anger fuel her. “Well, then. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I don’t even get a say in my privacy given our circumstances.”
Collin flinched. “It’s not like that. You know it isn’t. It’s just that you don’t share things with me at all. I talk to you about my childhood, and how my father used to beat me when I was a kid, but you just express your sorrow, and keep your mouth shut.”
“And you thought that the way to fix that was by listening in?”
“No, of course not. I’m sorry, Laurel. What you went through is horrible. My cad might’ve been a mean drunk, but he never sold me into prostitution.”
Laurel tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. “And your point is?”
Collin held up his hand up to calm her, and took a wary step forward, his eyes never once leaving her face. “My point is, it isn’t your fault. What your mother did was horrible, but no one judges you for it.”
Laurel let out a bitter laugh. “Yes, they do. Maybe not that thing in particular, but they do judge me for it. You saw the proof first hand. How can you doubt that?”
Collin’s lips pursed into a frown. “That incident at the mall. Laurel, love, you need to let go of that. Those women were just gossiping. You are better than that, stronger than that, and definitely worth so much more than that.”
Laurel anxiously bit her lower lip. “No, I’m not, and I’m usually fine with it. You can’t change how people perceive you, and I was put into a bad situation, so I’m trying to do the best I can.”
Collin’s gaze softened. “I know you are. I can tell how hard you work, and how dedicated you are. Laurel, you are one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. You are a hard worker, fiercely loyal, dedicated, funny, and kind. You are already so much more than those women could ever hope to be. That’s why they were gossiping about you.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
Collin took a step, so he was standing directly in front of her. He titled her head up using her thumb and index finger. “You know what I see?”
“What?” She breathed as she stared into his eyes.
“I see a strong, smart and a beautiful, independent young woman.” Collin began to stroke her cheek with the pad of his thumb causing Laurel to lean into his touch. “And you know what else? Sexy as hell.”
Laurel couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “Is that so? Now, I know you’re being biased.”
Collin’s hands trailed all over her face until they paused at her lips, and he began to trace them. “I’m simply stating how I’m feeling. They’re my facts.”
His other hand snaked around her waist and wrapped it around her lower back. He pulled her up, so she was pressed up against him, and he smiled as he gazed down at her. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, and Laurel’s arms came up to wrap themselves around his shoulder as she tried to deepen the kiss.
Collin pulled back and gazed at her questioningly.
“I think you’re great too.” Laurel began. “You’re so much more than I thought you were, Collin. You are witty, compassionate and well spoken. I love the way that you think, and the way that you perceive things, and I’m sorry your parents aren’t accepting the choices you have made in your life.”
Collin shrugged. “It’s okay.”
Laurel grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked so that his lips were mere centimeters from her own. She pressed her lips to his and immediately deepened the kiss. This time, his mouth opened with very little resistance, and they began to duel for dominance. His tongue explored every inch of her mouth, and she loved how it felt.
She could feel the contours of his body tighten and flex against her, so she brought up one hand and laid flat against his chest. She began to caress him on top of the clothes till she felt like he might’ve had enough. Her hands went up and down discovering the rise and fall of the curves of his body.
Once she was finished, her hands came back up and snaked underneath his shirt until he quivered beneath her touch. He wrenched his lips away, removed his shirt and tossed it across the room. Laurel smiled against his lips as she bit down on his bottom lip hard. She sucked on it for a bit then released it.
Laurel pulled back, stared him in the eye, and slowly began to remove her shirt. She tossed it on top of his shirt before she resumed her kisses. At this point, they were all hands, kisses and noises. Not a single word was spoken. It was as if they both understood what the other person needed.
They both wanted to forget.
Collin began to push her backwards until the back of her knees hit the couch. She fell backwards, and he began to lay down on top of her. Laurel began to tug on his jeans until he got the hint. He pulled back, she helped him push his jeans to his ankles, and he barely managed to kick it away before she pulled him down again.
Laurel felt like she was on fire.
Every inch of her burned for his touch.
She began to press herself even closer to him as she ran her fingernails across the smooth plans of his back. She pushed herself forward, so that she was straddling Collin. She reached down, and without breaking the kiss, managed to shimmy out of her sweatpants. She stopped kissing him for a second, as she felt him fumble behind her for something. Next thing she knew, her arms were bound in front of her, and he had spread her legs open and settled in between them.
“God, I want you so much right now, Collin. Please.” She began to squirm beneath him, eager for some friction. He obliged by rubbing himself against her before he shifted and placed his mouth directly in front of her center.
Red hot desire pumped through her veins as Collin wrapped his mouth around her underwear and tugged until he removed it. After that, he wasted no time in beginning to lick her center. He blew gently until Laurel began muttering nonsense underneath her breath.
He pressed his lips to her clit and began to blow and suck until Laurel was writhing beneath him, begging him not to stop. She came a moment later, and white spots danced in her field of vision as she stretched beneath him.
Her vision cleared, and she found Collin staring at her with a very tender look on his face. “You’ve been very naughty, Laurel.”
Her stomach dipped. “Really?”
Collin nodded very seriously. “Yes, I’m afraid I’m going to have to punish you.”
Laurel pretended to low her head demurely as a playful smirk graced her features. “What are you going to do to me, sir?”
He reached on top of her head and tightened the scarf he tied around her arms a bit. “I’m going to have to spank you.”
A little thrill of delight coursed through her.
Collin stood up and hoisted her up, so they were both facing each other. He reached around behind her and undid the clasp of her bra. He began to twist and pinch her nipples until they were rock hard. He then reached behind her and slapped her ass. Laurel jumped at the sting.
He rubbed her ass gently then slapped it again. “Are you a bad girl?”
“I’m very bad, sir.”
“And how do you wish to be punished?”
Laurel leaned forward, wrapped her bound arms around his neck and nibbled on his earlobe. “I want to ride you fast and hard.”
She saw his Adam’s apple bob up a
nd down. “Are you sure about that? That could put you in a very precarious position at work.”
In a second, Laurel understood which fantasy they were carrying out. He was her boss, and she was his secretary. It was actually one of her favorite fantasies.
“I don’t care, sir. I just want you, only you buried deep inside of me.”
He squeezed her ass once, firmly before he removed her arms and stepped back. The bulge in his pants looked like it was about to rip his boxers off, but he remained calm and in control. He circled Laurel around so that he stood directly behind her. He pushed her hair in front, so it lay across her chest and leaned into her ear. “Bend over for me.”
Laurel immediately obliged.
Collin grabbed her hips and positioned himself, so he was pressed into her from behind, causing her to become more wet instantly. He began to rotate his hips against her back, and Laurel pushed into him from the front. He reached forward and bit her neck before he continued grinding into her.
Laurel began to moan and pant. “Sir, I don’t want to get in trouble if I do this.”
Collin paused as he whispered. “Oh, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble, Laurel. Just not that kind of trouble.”
Laurel whimpered as his hand reached forward and began to play with her while grinding into her from behind. Laurel’s body couldn’t keep still, torn between wanting to push backwards or grind forward. The orgasm built up inside of her, and she came with a loud cry.
Collin helped her stand up, spun her around and kissed her quickly. He lowered his boxers and pushed her back, so she was pressed into the couch. Collin climbed on top of her, and braced himself on his arms as he gazed down at her.
He gently brushed her hair behind her ear as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Laurel smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. They lay there for a moment, not doing anything; the only sound heard was that of their heavy breathing.
Once Laurel caught her breath, she began to wriggle underneath him until he allowed her enough room to spread her legs open and wrap them around his waist.
Collin stilled as he entered her gently, and his eyes sought out hers. He interlocked his hands with hers until her hands were pinned on top of her. He undid the scarf he tied, and Laurel was quick to plunge her hands into his hair as she yanked his face closer.
She meshed her lips with his and began to move against him. They both groaned as he began to thrust into her. He was slow at first, gentle, but then his pace began to quicken, and they broke away.
Laurel dug her teeth into his shoulder. “Harder,” she whispered as she began clawing at his back. “Oh, God. Yes! Faster, please.”
His fingers were all over her, leaving scorching heat in their wake as he ploughed into her, and their bodies were slapping against each other. Laurel felt the orgasm build within her. “I’m close.”
“Yes, baby. Oh, yes!” He grunted as he began to move even faster, and Laurel matched each thrust with one of her own. She finally toppled over the edge a while later, her own orgasm spurring his on.
They began to draw ragged breaths as beads of sweat rolled down their backs, and Collin remained inside of her. He kissed her forehead and pulled back slowly. He reached for the blanket draped across the edge of the couch, and used it to cover both of them.
He drew her to him, so her head was laying on his chest, and his arm was laying around her. Laurel closed her eyes, and counted the number of heartbeats he had. She smiled to herself as her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at him. “Collin?”
He kissed her cheek. “Hmm?”
“I like you, a lot,” she confessed, suddenly feeling very shy.
Collin titled her chin up. “I like you too, Laurel.”
“What happens next?”
“Let’s just figure it out together, one day at a time, okay?”
“Just don’t leave, ok?”
Collin’s grip tightened for a second as if he couldn’t bear the thought.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Go to sleep now, Laurel, you must be very tired.”
Before she could even protest, she had drifted off into a peaceful and fitful sleep.
Chapter 7
For the next few weeks, Collin began to act very strange. It wasn’t that he was less affectionate; on the contrary, he was very affectionate, and Laurel even dared hope, loving as well.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on why he was acting so weird. He began to ask her a lot of questions about her personal life like the name of her mother, what happened to her father, and other very personal things that very few people knew about her.
Whenever she’d talk about her old life, he’d get this quiet and pensive look on his face, and he’d just look at her very intently as if his life depended on what she was saying. She kept asking him about it, but he’d just give her a coy smile and shrug.
She hoped that whatever it was, it was good because she was finally starting to feel safe and secure for the first time in a long time. The house up on the hill was finally starting to feel like home, their home.
She didn’t dare ask Collin what would happen after her three months were up, but she hoped he’d ask her to stay. It was highly uncommon, but it wasn’t unheard of. It was two weeks away, but she didn’t want to bring it up just yet.
If now was all they had together, then she intended on enjoying every single minute even if the inevitable question of what were they going to do loomed over the horizon. She began to discover the true depths of her feelings for Collin as the still hours of the morning ushered in a new day, and she found herself lying on her side next to him, staring at his sleeping form.
He looked so peaceful when he slept.
She liked watching him and tracing his features, so softly so as not to wake him. Sometimes, she’d catch him staring at her the same way she imagined she stared at him, but neither of them dared breathe a word of what they felt. The night he eavesdropped on her conversation was the closest they’d ever come to a confession regarding how they truly felt.
Other than that, they circled around the topic, just narrowly avoiding it whenever it came up.
Laurel knew the reason why she avoided saying it. She couldn’t bear the thought of uttering it, and having him regard her with pity because of her true profession. After all, neither of them could forget the circumstances that bought them here.
He never treated her differently because of what she did, but she wondered if that would change if he began to think of it as her overstaying her welcome, or if he began to think of her as unwanted.
Laurel shuddered at the thought as she paced in the library, unable to sit still and read like she usually did. She had just finished her usual conversation with Faith, and Faith’s advice kept echoing in her brain. Faith kept encouraging her to tell him how she felt. Faith was convinced that he felt the same when Laurel told her about all that had transpired.
A soft smile played on her lips as she recalled how the other day he had surprised her with a bouquet of flowers for no particular reason. He also got her this beautiful silver necklace with a flower on it.
It wasn’t the flowers and the gift that had touched her. Although they were lovely, it was the thought that warmed her heart. The thought that he was thinking of her, and wanted to do something for her.
Laurel went to her room to change into her swimsuit, thinking that maybe a little exercise would tire her out enough that her brain would switch off. She slipped into her monokini, tied her hair up in a ponytail, and padded down to the pool.
She felt the sun beat on her back, and took a deep breath allowing the fresh air, and the sounds of the birds chirping to clear her head and fill her soul with a sense of peace and wonder.
She padded to the edge of the pool, and dove in. The water was cold at first, and she let out a slight shudder as it washed over her body, causing little goosebumps to rise across her flesh. Once she resurfaced, she brushed her hair
out of her face and opened up her arms and swung around. She let her body float on the water as she lay on her back letting the sounds of the water soothe her.
She floated there for a while, not really keeping track of the time as she let the whole world fade into background noise around her.
“That’s something I could get used to seeing.”
She toppled forward as she opened her eyes and stared around. Her face lit up into a grin as she took in the sight of Collin standing there in a well pressed suit, his briefcase in hand, his hair a disheveled mess, and a small smile playing on his lips.
“You could see it better up close,” she teased as she swam towards him, her head bobbing atop the water, and her eyes never once breaking eye contact.
Collin dropped his suitcase and sat down on the edge of the chaise lounge. Laurel frowned as she pulled herself out of the water. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing, love. Just a long day at the office.”
Laurel walked towards him and carefully wrapped herself around him to give a warm hug. “I’m sorry I’m getting you wet.”
Collin smiled at her as he brushed her hair out of her eyes. “There’s other parts I love to see wet, but I have to say this look suits you.”
Laurel blushed as she had an idea. He watched her in confusion as she climbed on top of the chaise lounge, and opened her legs, so one was laying on either side of him. She sat down, pressed herself to his back, and began to massage his shoulders and back.
“As long as you don’t mind getting a little wet, let me see if I can help you with some of that tension.”
He made a noise of concurrence in the back of his throat as he leaned into her touch. She began to knead his shoulders with her fingers, and then she began to press her elbows into his back, working on all of his sensitive spots.
She leaned over and pulled his shirt out of his pants as she loosened his tie. She tossed his tie to the side and unbuttoned the first few buttons as she splayed her arms across his chest. She began to play with his chest hair as he made humming noises, his arms reaching behind to touch her.
