Fiery Ember

by Celia Kyle

  “Yeah, well, the beer shower was a bit of a surprise to me as well.” He laughed, deep and hearty, as he wiped away the rest of her “beer shower.”

  The rising tension in Ember’s shoulders eased. He didn’t seem mad. Mad people didn’t laugh, so she was probably safe for the time being. She shook her head. Why were her thoughts constantly flowing in that direction? Ember always seemed to expect the worst in people, and other than Claudette and her two daughters, Clementine and Constance, most people failed to meet those horrid expectations. Perhaps it was time to raise the bar a bit and hope for behavior better than that of her stepmother and stepsisters.

  “No? It wasn’t a surprise to you? So you planned to spit beer on me?”

  She stopped shaking her head and caught his smile. “That’s not why I was shaking my head. I really am sorry about that, though. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She almost said she hadn’t expected to see him ever again, but caught herself.

  Anna returned and saved her from making a bigger fool out of herself in front of Paul. She toyed with her beer bottle while he placed his order. She was amazed by all the food he ordered. The man had to be starved.

  “Well, I was expecting to see you here.”

  Ember snapped her head up and tipped over her beer bottle at the same time, effectively spilling the remainder of her drink all over the table. Once again, she snatched napkins from the dispenser and mopped at the mess she’d made. At least this time the drink didn’t end up all over him.

  Paul slid his hands over hers, stopping her frantic cleaning. His breath fanned over her ear and blew her hair as he spoke. “Calm down. No need to be so jumpy. I just wanted to have dinner with you and you disappeared. Marnie told me where to find you.”

  She swallowed hard and relinquished her hold on the soaked napkins. Noticing Anna’s approach, she slumped into the booth seat and smiled at the waitress as she placed their drinks and an appetizer in front of them.

  The silence dragged on and on. Ember hated long silences. When her father had grown ill, they tended to signal further deterioration of his health. “So, Marnie spilled the beans on the location of the bat cave? I’m going to have to find a new sidekick.” Humor. Lighten the mood. Hottie came looking for me for a reason.

  “It is awfully dark. What did you do, loosen one of the bulbs?”

  Damn him. Ernest had never caught her at her game in years, yet Paul caught her within minutes. She couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, the ambiance it lends the table is amazing, right?” She waved her arm, gesturing to her darkened corner.

  “It is. But it seems darker on your side of the table…” His words trailed off and she was struck mute as he rose from his side and scooted into the booth next to her. He had to physically shift her over with his hip as he settled into the seat, his arm slung across the back and fingertips nearly touching her shoulder. Then, he gifted her with another of his deep whispers that only she could hear. “It’s just dinner. Nothing that happens tonight, or any other night, changes what happened in the conference room today, and nothing that does or doesn’t happen will change the fact that the contract is signed.”

  She didn’t know if he’d felt or seen her unease, but his few whispered words smoothed her rattled nerves like a soft caress. “You signed the contract already?”

  “Yep, that’s what took a bit longer. Your assistant, Jacob, had legal draw it up and I signed while I was at your office.” His fingertips tickled the bare skin just below her shoulder. “I didn’t want there to be anything misconstrued about me showing up here. Since I’d already decided that your proposal was amazing, as are you, I wanted everything wrapped up before I came after you.”

  “Is that what this is? You’re ‘coming after’ me?” She raised an eyebrow at him and wasn’t sure if the shadows would allow him to see her expression.

  “How about wooing? Does that sound better? ‘Cause I’d already decided after I’d stared at you and listened to that sweet voice of yours that I wanted to get to know you better. No strings, just two people having dinner to see where it leads. What do you say?”

  She’d never been wooed before. Men had taken her out on dates, but since she didn’t see herself as someone worth wooing, they hadn’t ever put too much effort into the act either. Yet, here sat the most gorgeous man Ember had ever laid eyes on and he wanted to woo and see where it led.

  “Why not?”

  Chapter Three

  It led to the bedroom. Okay, several drinks, hours of conversation, and being too drunk to drive herself home led them to his bedroom.

  Damn, even that wasn’t exactly the truth.

  There were quite a few soft, sensuous kisses, which attributed to their arrival at his home. Some of them as she laid her head on his shoulder in the booth and he brushed his lips across her forehead, whispering naughty words which made her blush. Another when she turned her head, emboldened by his sensual promises, and captured his lips for their first, searing kiss. At the first touch of her lips to his, she knew there would be no going back.

  She’d already made the promise to herself that she’d be giving notice at Ellason Advertising, so there truly was nothing holding her back from spending one wild night with Paul. A tiny niggling strain of guilt twisted in the back of her mind over telling Paul her true identity, but she brushed it aside. One night of passion and then she’d start a new life with a new job and never look back. If their one night shared meant a few uncomfortable moments when Paul and Clementine actually met, too bad.

  Ember leaned against the doorjamb, running her fingers lightly over Paul’s jaw as he fought with the locks on his front door. His whiskers prickled her skin, sending shivers and goose bumps along her arm. She wanted to feel his five o’clock shadow anywhere and everywhere.

  Finally, after a long minute of man against steel, Paul shoved the door open with a growl before snatching her hand in his and tugging her through the doorway. He paused long enough to kick the door closed, then scooped her into his arms and strode deeper into the darkened house.

  For a moment she strained her eyes to see through the darkness, but quickly gave up. Seeing what his house looked like could wait, stripping Paul naked couldn’t.

  She wound her arms around his neck, nuzzling the prickly skin. She couldn’t help herself. The masculine scent of musk surrounded her, infusing into her very soul with each breath. She flicked her tongue out, tasting him for the first time, and wasn’t disappointed. Salt and man exploded on her taste buds and his moan transferred from his body to hers, zinging straight to her core.

  “Em…” She sucked a bit of his flesh into her mouth, nipping him with care before releasing it. “Dammit, Em…”

  Guilt tweaked her, but she shoved it away. He probably called her “Em” because Jacob did, and she assumed he was under the impression that “Em” was short for Clementine. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth, but his heavy breathing changed her mind.

  She buried her face against his shoulder, smiling over the affect she had on him. So many times she’d wondered if the men she dated wanted to be with her, or closer to those that controlled Ellason Advertising. For once, she knew without a doubt that Paul wanted her.

  “Right here,” she whispered against his neck, seconds before nibbling his shoulder through the expensive dress shirt he wore.

  Ember didn’t have time to say much else as he released her and she flopped onto his bed. The large king-sized bed dominated the room. She took a second to scan her surroundings before returning her attention to Paul.

  He wrenched his tie from around his neck and began working at releasing the buttons of his shirt. The entire time, his gaze remained focused on her.

  She didn’t know what to do. Every other time she’d been with a man, he’d been the one to take charge and undress her while she undressed him in return. This man seemed happy with allowing her to be a spectator. Of course, that didn’t last long.

  Paul gave up on the buttons of his shirt, choosing
instead to simply rip the material from his chest, sending the buttons and shirt flying. Bare from the waist up, chiseled muscles flexed and strained with each of his breaths. His broad shoulders gave way to a solid chest and carefully crafted abs. A sprinkling of hair dusted his lower abdomen and disappeared beneath the waistband of his slacks. She let her eyes wander lower, imagining the dark brown curls framing his hard cock as it strained toward her. The bulge in his pants proved that he wanted her, badly.

  Pussy throbbing in time with her own heartbeat, she pushed off her shoes and they landed on the carpeted floor with a soft thump. She fumbled with the waist of her skirt, hands trembling as she fought with the elastic and prayed he wouldn’t turn away from her after seeing her nude. She didn’t think he would, but insecurities reared their ugly head.

  His soft one word order didn’t help matters. “Stop.” Ember froze, unsure how to proceed. “Let me.”

  There was the answer to her question. Ember eased back down onto the bed and remained passive as Paul joined her. Instead of remaining standing and divesting her of her clothes, he edged between her thighs, straining the fabric of her skirt. He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, his tongue teasing her.

  Gentle swipes of his nubile, warm flesh taunted her until she sucked his tongue into her mouth, taking hold and refusing to relinquish her possession. He moaned in response, which only served to drive her arousal higher. She rotated her hips against his, cupping his hardening cock with her now-wet pussy.

  Lord, the man had gotten to her. In one night of shared secrets and schnapps she’d begun using words like “cock” and “pussy.”

  Her tongue tangled with his, fighting for dominance and mimicking the motion of her hips. Stroke, slide, flick, lick. She tasted every inch of his mouth, reveling in the heat and moisture he shared as his taste exploded on her tongue. Dark. Primitive. Male.

  He rocked his hips against her and she whined low in her throat, frustrated with the layers of cloth separating them. One of his hands shifted from its position near her head to slide down her side and she jumped, unaccustomed to the contact. “Shhh… Just… Just let me.”

  She’d let him do anything, everything right now. She didn’t flinch when he grasped the material of her skirt. Nor did she protest when he eased it up along her thighs, only pausing when the bulk of the material pooled at her waist.

  “Want to…” His mouth had left hers for a split second, but it was too long. She arched and captured his lips again. “Let me, Em,” he panted against her lips.

  Then his mouth disappeared while he leaned back to kneel between her legs. Suddenly, she realized her position: Half-dressed, with her skirt hiked around her waist and pale thighs spread wide. She couldn’t imagine the picture she painted.

  “Beautiful.” Starting at her knees, he skimmed the sensitive skin with his palms, stopping a mere inch from her panty-clad pussy.

  Pussy. He’d said the word often enough in the booth at the bar as their topics of discussion roamed from business to pleasure. She’d been shocked at first over his frank language, unaccustomed to those words being used outside of porn movies. But every time he uttered the word, her pussy clenched in response, tightening without her conscious thought.

  “So beautiful.”

  Ember felt heat building in her abdomen and spreading outward. She still couldn’t manage to accept a compliment. Especially when the man giving her the compliment was staring at her there.

  She tensed her muscles, intent on closing her legs and blocking his view, but he wouldn’t have it. “Nu uh, Em.” He hooked his fingers beneath the elastic of her panties and before she could blink, he pulled them free of her legs. “You’re mine.”

  Frozen in shock, she didn’t move, didn’t even breathe while he looked his fill. The cool air from the air conditioner collided with her slick heat and made her even more conscious of the state of her body. Her own juices covered her labia in moisture that had actually soaked through her panties.

  She whimpered and pleaded for him to end her torment. “Please…”

  It seemed her gentle urging was all he needed. Spreading her legs wider and opening her even more, he stroked her inner thighs from knee to hip and back again. Over and over, his palms glided over her hot skin while his gaze remained intent on the juncture of her thighs.

  Why won’t he do something?

  Ember wanted to cry and scream in frustration. The whisper-like strokes of his skin against hers did nothing to assuage her arousal. In contrast, it made her burn hotter; made the ache in her pussy grow stronger.

  “Tell me what you want, Em.” He focused his attention on her face, then stared into her eyes. “Say it.”

  “I want you to touch me… there.” It had been a topic of his teasing at the bar, her inability to curse or say lewd words. They’d laughed and joked and she blushed with every new attempt. It appeared his teasing had turned into more once they crossed the threshold of his bedroom.

  “Where?” He slid his palms to her knees. “Here?”

  She shook her head. He knew where. She just needed to gather the balls to tell him. Preferably before she burst into flames from his touch.

  “How about here?” He kneaded the tops of her thighs, thumbs getting precariously close to her mound, but not quite.

  She shook her head again. “No. My…” She licked her lips. “My pussy. Please, Paul, touch my pussy.”

  “Just touch?” He eased over her, bracing his weight on his hands on either side of her head and she ached to kiss him again. “Or do you want more?”

  Paul pressed his covered, hard cock against her wet folds, rubbing his length against her as his breath mingled with hers.

  “More. I want it all, Paul.”

  He didn’t react to her declaration at first. Instead he rocked his hips against her, driving his shaft along her slit. He didn’t appear to care that her juices were soaking into his expensive suit pants. If he wasn’t going to bat a lash at ruining thousand dollar pants, she wouldn’t either. She arched against him, begging for more friction with each pass.

  “Want my fingers in your pussy, Em? I’m going to slide them into your sopping pussy and suck on your clit until you come in my mouth. Your cream will cover my hand as I finger fuck you. Then, when I’m done, I’m going to slide my cock into you. Slowly at first, and then I’ll fuck you like you’re begging for it. Is that what you want? Want me to taste that sweet pussy before I make love to you?” He whispered his words, softly, between pants and moans as they writhed together. She didn’t understand how he could bother with asking questions at a time like this. Didn’t he see her straining and aching for release?

  “Yes. God, yes. Just… please.”

  Suddenly, his weight was gone, as was the glorious cloth-covered shaft she’d had between her legs. Paul lay on his stomach between her legs and sheer embarrassment wouldn’t allow her to watch him any longer. He’d seen the lower half of her naked and now he was getting up close and personal with her pussy. Hell in a hand basket—that’s where she was headed.

  Those same strong hands that had teased and tormented her all night eased along her inner thighs, stroking and kneading the flesh of her legs. She held her breath as he inched closer to her pussy, heart pounding a staccato beat in her chest. Anticipation curled in her belly and spread through her body as she waited to see if he would fulfill the sensual promises he’d been telling her about all night.

  Finally, finally his smooth fingertips grazed her outer lips and her back arched from the bed. Tickles of pleasure radiated from the juncture of her thighs as he stroked her labia. Up and down. Up and down.

  Then, when she didn’t think she could take any more of his teasing, he slipped a finger between her labia, stroking the super-sensitive inner lips of her pussy. This time, she could not hold back the moans and groans of pleasure when that fingertip grazed her clit.

  “Yes… please.”

  Hot breath fanned over her and she shivered. “Like that, baby?�
� He whispered against her heated, moist skin. “Like me stroking that little clitty?”

  She couldn’t think, couldn’t speak. Not when his fingers danced along her slit, tormenting her with his heated touch and even hotter words. Instead, she rocked against his hand, begging for more without words.

  Paul didn’t disappoint.

  He brought his other hand into play. In a slow, grinding thrust, he buried two fingers in her pussy and immediately her muscles clenched around the erotic invasion. Full, just how she liked. Her orgasm approached.

  His fingers slid in and out of her cunt easily, her natural lubrication easing the way for him. While his fingers stroked her, his thumb circled her clit, playing ring around the rosy; she couldn’t wait to fall down.

  Round and round he circled her tiny nubbin. With each circle of his thumb, his fingers gestured in a “come here” motion deep within her pussy.

  Circle.

  Come here.

  Circle.

  Come here.

  Circle.

  Come.

  Damn she wanted to come.

  He repeated the gestures and with each repetition, unimaginable pleasure slithered through her body.

  Her cunt clenched and spasmed around his invading fingers. With each tightening of her inner walls, tremors shot through her from head to toe. Toes. Fuck, her toes curled and gripped the blanket beneath her. Breath panting, heart near to bursting, she ached and throbbed like never before. Closer and closer the prize she’d been chasing from the first moment Paul uttered the word “pussy” neared.

  She wanted to shatter in his arms and let him put her back together like a finely crafted glass slipper.

  So close. So close and so far and somewhere in between, her orgasm danced out of reach. She whined and pleaded, begging for Paul to do something, anything and more.

  “Come for me Em. Come on my fingers like you’ll come on my cock, baby.”

  She shook her head.