by Lara Norman
Instead of answering, she worked on unbuttoning his shirt. She wanted him naked. She had the privilege of a second first time of undressing him completely. She could hardly remember what it’d been like the first time, something that would have shamed her if it had been anyone else. With Davis, she was just glad the alcohol had given her the courage to be with him in the first place.
She tugged off his shirt and tossed it near hers, then moved on to his belt. His button and zipper were next, and she let him remove his shoes and socks and pull his pants off. He stood in his boxer briefs and she caught herself before she drooled. Davis enjoyed playing sports, one of the things she loved about him, and it showed in his physique. She’d seen him shirtless a time or two a few years ago, but somewhere along the way he’d stopped taking them off in front of her. She saw the change in him, the maturing of long lines and sculpting of muscles.
The bulge couldn’t be denied. Luna wanted to touch him more than anything, so she dropped to her knees in front of him and reached out. The guttural sound Davis made told her she’d found the right track. She stroked over his underwear and watched as his cock twitched in response. She worried that she would be terrible at giving head, but she was going to do it, anyway.
He tangled his hand in her hair when she pulled his waistband out from his skin and drew his underwear down. She swallowed the saliva that suddenly pooled in her mouth and leaned forward. He gasped as she ran her tongue over the head, finding him salty and smooth. Luna experimented with her strokes, moving her hands around to cup his balls and rotate them in her palm. She hovered over his cock and finally sank down, almost gagging when she went too far. He pulled her back up with his hand in her hair until she could be sure she wouldn’t embarrass herself.
She found a rhythm as long as she kept it shallow. By the sounds he made, she didn’t think he minded. After a while, Davis pushed her away, and she released him with disappointment. Maybe she hadn’t done it right.
But he urged her to stand and then he kissed her. When she was in high school, the boys talked about getting girls to suck them off, and they were always very crude about it. They expected to be finished off and for the girl to swallow, and they sure as hell didn’t kiss them after they were done. But Davis held her tight to his chest and kissed her thoroughly, his tongue in her mouth and his palms on her ass.
“I have a bed,” he muttered. “Let’s use it.”
She nearly laughed, except she wanted that, too. “Okay.”
Luna walked toward his bedroom, feeling Davis close behind her. She made it as far as the bed before he was on her, tugging her skirt off and bending her over the end of the bed. His hands covered her ass momentarily until his tongue found her sensitive flesh. He ran it up the base of her spine to the nape of her neck and bit her shoulder. He disappeared for a second, Luna assumed to get another condom, and then he was there again. His body surrounded hers, inside and out. All she felt was Davis.
She wouldn’t be able to give him up now. She’d cemented their relationship by admitting she loved him the same way he loved her. She’d promised him to try, to let him have her. She’d promised herself she would talk to him when she had fears. She didn’t even know how much she’d screwed them both over with the simple act of accepting they were meant for each other.
Chapter 11
Davis knocked on his boss’s door and waited for the invitation to come in before opening it. “Tony, I have your coffee and bagel.”
“You can leave it on my desk. Do you have the specs on the Waverly property?” he demanded.
“Emailed them last night, sir.” Davis set the cardboard cup and paper bag on the edge of Tony’s desk. Tony never looked up.
“What about the—”
“Done and emailed.”
Finally, he picked up his head. “How can you be so sure you know what I was going to say?”
Davis gripped his hands together and prayed for patience. “Because the Tomlinson bid is due, and I knew you would ask me about it. I finished what you requested last night.”
“Fine.” He looked back down. “You can leave.”
Davis headed back to his office and closed the door gently. Then he kicked his trash can so hard it bounced off the wall.
He sat at his desk and ran his hands through his hair. He turned his computer on and checked his email on his phone while he waited for the boot up.
Davis took a sip of his coffee as his thoughts drifted to Luna’s pale skin against his dark sheets. She was so beautiful his balls ached. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky last night, but he wasn’t ever going to let her go now that he had her.
His screen came on and he settled in with everything he had to do for the day. Tony was not the nicest boss, and Davis spent more time fetching things like he was the guy’s assistant than he should, but he wasn’t going to falter. He’d made a promise to his father and he intended to keep it, no matter what it took. If he had to shine Tony’s shoes or pick up his dry cleaning, that’s what he would do.
His phone chirped with a text; he glanced down at it with his fingers poised over his computer keyboard. It was Luna wishing him a good day at work. She’d had to leave early so she could change and get ready for school, so he’d barely seen her. He’d had Sorensen drive her since she left her car in the garage at his office, then he’d waited for her to be done so he could bring her by to retrieve it and drive herself to work. Luna wasn’t accustomed to having someone wait on her hand and foot, but Davis didn’t mind sharing his personal driver. He’d considered hiring a personal assistant for himself but he hadn’t reached that point yet.
He sent off a quick response and turned his attention back to his screen. He had to write up two comparisons regarding properties they were looking to acquire because Tony wanted to weigh his options. Most likely, he wanted to make things harder on Davis. Then he had to write a proposal for the property they were bidding on and hope he chose the right price. He had so much work to get done, but he was determined to finish and not be at the office too late. If he couldn’t make the dinner reservations he’d made—okay, Sorensen had made them—then he had a backup plan. He would cook for her.
He didn’t even realize he’d worked through lunch until he finished the comparisons and stopped to glance at the clock. Cussing as he stood, he grabbed his phone and wallet and headed out the door. The best he could hope for was to bring lunch back to his desk.
He hit the sandwich cart down the street from the building and hurried back. Tony was pacing outside Davis’s office when he got there.
“Healy,” he barked. “Where is the comparison report for Nichols and Campbell?”
“I just finished the preliminary before I went downstairs.” Davis walked past his boss and set his food down on the small table in the corner. “I need to give it a once-over before I send it to you.”
Tony followed him into the cramped office. “I need it now.”
Davis turned. “Sir, you said it wasn’t due until Monday morning.”
“Things change. You feel the need to cry about it?” Tony crossed his arms, the expression on his face a challenge. Davis wouldn’t fall for the bait, just as he hadn’t every other time Tony tried to screw him over.
“Of course not.” He walked behind his desk and drew in a deep breath, letting it out to visions of strangling his boss. “I need fifteen minutes to double check my figures before I send it.”
“You have five.”
Tony left the room and Davis sat. If it was wrong, he’d be blamed. If he hurried and missed a calculation, he would never hear the end of it. Fuck five minutes, he was going to go through it as thoroughly as he could.
By the time he’d done his double checking and sent it off, his hot sandwich was cold. He hated to waste food, so he sat hunched over at his pathetically tiny table and ate soggy bread.
He hated his job.
He was finished at seven, which was better than he’d expected. He’d asked Luna what she preferred, so Sore
nsen was picking her up and meeting him at the office. They were going to make their dinner reservations after all.
He jogged out the front doors and felt the first hint of fall. The air had turned just chilly enough that he noticed it, but not enough to need a jacket. He put aside the events of the day as he strode toward the sleek car with deeply tinted windows. He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was in there. He jerked the back door open and dropped onto the seat.
“Luna.” It was a gush of relief, her name. Everything became right again.
“Davis,” she said in return, shifting to kiss him on the cheek as he sat next to her. “You got out late,” she observed as the car began to move.
“Don’t get me started. How was your day?” He couldn’t stop touching her; his fingertips swept over her cheekbone, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and ran down her arm to link their hands.
“It was interesting.” She dropped her forehead to his shoulder and sighed before straightening. “Luther was cold.”
“Cold?”
“There’s no other word for it. I said hello when I spotted him in the hall and he ignored me. I had bus duty with him this afternoon, so I asked him about it. He claimed he didn’t hear me this morning.” She rolled her eyes. “If that’s all he’s going to do, then I got lucky, but I suspect there’s more to come.”
“I hope he’s smart enough not to rock the boat.”
The car pulled smoothly to the curb and Davis waited for the driver to come around and open the door. After he climbed out, Davis held his hand out for Luna. She accepted the help out of the car but dropped his hand as they headed inside. He frowned down at her.
“Reservation for Healy,” he told the host.
The man ushered them straight to a table in the back, whisking a reserved sign away as he left them alone.
“Did you pack a bag?” Davis asked.
Luna spent too much time smoothing the napkin in her lap. “Yes.”
“Fantastic.” Davis grinned, but she still stared at the tablecloth. “What do you want to do this weekend? Sky’s the limit.”
“Can we just stay in?” she asked with a glance at his face before focusing on her menu.
“Luna, honey, talk to me.” He reached for her hand, but she slid it into her lap.
“I do want to talk about it, but not here.”
He leaned in with a low voice. “Would you look me in the eyes and tell me what’s the matter?”
Luna met his unwavering gaze. “I want to keep this between us.”
He blinked. The waitress came by with introductions and water, asking after their drink orders. Davis merely gaped at Luna.
“Sir?”
He glanced at the woman. “Scotch neat.”
“Dammit,” Luna muttered.
He only drank scotch when he needed to calm his nerves, or if he was pissed off. The waitress retreated.
Davis modulated the irritation out of his voice. “What, exactly, are we keeping between us, love?”
Luna inhaled and exhaled deeply. “This relationship. I want it to be special, without the intrusion of the paparazzi.”
Davis took a visual tour of the quiet restaurant. “My, they are swarming us, aren’t they?” He focused back on Luna. “Is there a photographer hiding behind the ficus?”
“You appear in the society pages all the time,” she bit out. “Without going to a fancy gala and having red carpet pictures splashed everywhere, you’re still in the papers often enough. I don’t want to be in them with you.”
Fuck, but that stung. “You don’t want to be seen with me? Precisely how are we in a committed relationship now but unable to be seen in public together?”
“Do you realize that your Georgetown Prep accent comes out when you’re angry with me?” Luna murmured.
Davis sat back, deflated. “What are you asking of me, Luna?”
She picked up his closest hand. “I want to be with you, I promise, I just want to be discreet, that’s all. I want to make sure we work together as a couple and that we can be ourselves without any outside pressure.”
It didn’t sound as bad when she put it that way. His scotch arrived at his elbow and he thanked the waitress as she set Luna’s wine glass down. He gave her a minute to taste the wine and approve it, pleased that she’d chosen something without relying on his input.
“Okay, but we are constantly in public together as it is.”
“There was speculation years ago that I was a gold digger, if I remember correctly.” She raised a brow. “I want to avoid that happening again.”
“I set them straight, Luna. The press that does bother with me knows you’re my dearest friend.” He struggled with her need for anonymity. It was years too late for what she suggested.
“And we’re going to leave it at that, at least for now.”
“Why?”
“I told you already—”
“No,” he interrupted. “You’re going to have to give me more than that. You’ve been photographed by my side for years.”
Tears formed in her eyes and she swallowed. “If we can just keep down any public displays of affection, and not make any huge announcement, I’d feel more comfortable.”
“That’s what you need to be with me?” He would give her anything, she had to know that by now, but pictures of the two of them seemed so . . . innocuous.
“Yes.” She gripped his hand so hard he winced. “Please. I don’t want anything else but you and me.”
Davis leaned in and kissed her temple, pleased that she didn’t pull back. “Baby, I’ll give you this on the condition that it’s not for long. You have until Christmas to come to terms with the fact that we’re together. Whatever else is going on inside your mind has that long to settle in, and then we’re telling everyone.”
“I know you waited so long for me, and I can only say thank you for not running far and fast when you had the chance.”
“I’ve already told you there’s no way you could lose me.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
He gave her a wolfish grin. “That you do.”
It was enough for the moment that she was with him, that she had agreed to spend the weekend with him. She had strange conditions, but they were minor. She had until Christmas, and then he would shout it from the rooftops. Luna Moss would be his wife soon after the new year.
Chapter 12
The fact that Luna went home with him kept Davis calm. If she’d shown any indication that she was ready to run, he would have been worried. Luna liked to tell him that he was too good for her, but he didn’t agree. He was just used to loving her while she was used to running from her feelings. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her; now that they were together, he knew she would treat him the same. If she wanted their relationship to be a secret for the time being, he would accommodate her.
He loved his apartment. It was in a good location near the office and had a spectacular view. It was all the better once Luna was in it at the end of their dinner date.
“So, do you want me to cook breakfast for us in the morning?”
She turned from admiring the city and wrapped her arms around his waist. “There’s no need for that. We can have cereal or whatever you might have.”
“I’m not sure if I have anything worthwhile.” He kissed the top of her head. “I could run down for bagels once we wake up.”
“If you’re determined to spoil me, I guess I can live with that.”
“Feeding you isn’t spoiling you,” he said on a chuckle.
Luna lifted her head. “Maybe not, but cooking for me would be.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“You know what my pleasure would be?”
He did, especially considering that her hand cupped his cock. “What is that?”
She didn’t answer, not out loud at least. He tilted her face up to kiss her and she let a raspy moan escape into his mouth.
Luna broke away and sucked in air. “I think we can
make it to the bed this time.”
“You do, do you?” Davis loved that she was less adventurous than he was; he would be happy to teach her. She wanted the simplicity of a bed for sex, but he always had other ideas. “Why do we have to go all the way to the bed? It’s so very far.”
She giggled as he said it, but her breath caught once again as he ran his thumbs over her nipples. They pebbled under her dress shirt and he debated if he should take it nice and slow, or strip her and get right to it.
“Davis,” she moaned.
“Yes?” He’d decided it would be quick, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a moment to draw it out first.
