by Lucy Lambert
All she could feel were her walls squeezing him over and over, and the way his fingers dug into her bottom.
Then his mouth opened, and he shuddered. She felt him flex inside her, felt the warmth of his seed as it filled her. She kept her sex moving up and down him, squeezing every last drop out that he could give her. Each time he flexed, he seemed to enjoy it so much it almost hurt. He called her name and she kissed him, feeling his hot breath rush down into her lungs.
She held him close until he finished. His heart pounded through his chest, and she loved the strength of it.
It had suddenly gotten very hot in the car. Beads of sweat glistened on Landon’s forehead, and she could feel some on hers as well.
When his eyes finally opened again, she kissed him. His lips trembled against her. She kept him inside her until she felt him begin to soften. She got off him, going back to her own seat. Her body felt sore and exhausted.
It didn’t feel right for her to speak first, so she waited.
“Well, now that you’ve saved my life, I don’t think it would be right to fire you anymore,” he said, “I think you need to stay by me. In fact, I’m going to hire you a bodyguard. Whoever sent that assassin will probably be after you now, too.”
A jolt of adrenaline shocked her heart as the car pulled up in front of her office tower. The driver got out and opened their door.
Charlotte was the first to see and recognize her. There was a pretty woman waiting on the bench by the front door. She had on large sunglasses.
“Mindy?” Charlotte said.
Landon frowned, turning to look.
“Bastard!” Mindy screamed, “I thought they wouldn’t be able to handle it. Though I see I now get two prizes instead of one.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a pistol. Its silver finish glinted in the sunlight. Charlotte screamed as Mindy pointed the gun at her.
“No!” Landon yelled.
She felt him push her as Mindy fired. Landon screamed in pain. Mindy stood, ready to finish the job.
Security rushed from the building. One man built like a linebacker tackled Mindy from behind. She screamed in rage as the gun flew from her hands.
Charlotte, who’d fallen to the ground after Landon had shoved her, turned over.
“Landon?” She asked.
She gasped. Landon lay in a pool of blood, his eyes closed.
Medics ran out of the building as well, then. They crouched by Landon, looking down at him.
“Is he alive?” Mindy asked. They didn’t answer, so she screamed, “Is he alive?”
Kept by Him
Charlotte slowly unrolled the rim of the paper cup she held. At some point, the cup held water. It was all she could stomach at that moment.
The water came from a cooler in the corner of the hospital waiting room. It was a place filled with frayed chairs. An old, boxy television hung from the ceiling in one corner. Charlotte did her best to ignore it.
“Billionaire CEO Landon Pierce shot in front of his own building...” A newscaster said.
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on the sound of the blood pumping past her ears. The paper cup tore in her fingers. The sound wasn’t enough to block out the next thing from the news.
“...Taken to hospital. Pierce’s condition is unknown at this time. Pierce is the CEO behind tech giant Pierce Technologies, which provides high end security hardware and software to governments and militaries around the world...”
Grabbing a tissue from the box on the table covered with old magazines, Charlotte dabbed at her eyes. She looked at the clock. It had been hours since she’d watched Mindy shoot her boss.
The doctors and nurses wouldn’t let her into the room with him. She wasn’t family. Even showing them her ID badge wouldn’t budge them/
A sympathetic nurse had come in and told her about an hour ago that Pierce was, in fact, still alive. That was all she’d been able to say. Before the nurse had left, she’d given Charlotte a look. Charlotte knew it well; it was the look that said, “Why is a woman like you working for a man like him?”
It was a look she’d known in various forms for most of her life. Most people expected a woman working in the corporate life to be a thin supermodel, not a curvy, real girl like Charlotte was. They judged her. She thought she could brush it off.
At that moment, those looks weighed heavily on her in her vulnerability.
A shadow of the feeling Charlotte had felt when she saw him lying on the ground passed over her. The paper cup crumpled in her fist. She needed so badly to go and see him.
“Why does everything always have to go so wrong?”
An old man, sitting in the chair opposite her and resting his hands on the top of his cane, gave her a quizzical look. Charlotte shook her head apologetically.
Opening her hand, she looked at the ruin she’d made of the paper cup. It seemed like a good metaphor for her life at that moment; capable, but delicate. Able to be destroyed in a moment should someone try to tighten their grip around it too much.
Charlotte tried to concentrate on the good. She thought of being alone with Landon in the car after the mysterious underground meeting. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. She remembered his hot breath across her bare skin as both of them had given into the needs of their bodies.
His hands had felt so strong as they squeezed her, held her close. She thought of how he’d felt inside her. That familiar warmth seeped back into her body. Forgotten, the crumpled cup fell from her fingers as she grasped the armrests of the chair.
She’d felt something for him at that moment, something she thought she’d never feel for a man. Something she thought no man would ever feel for her, let alone a man the calibre of Landon Pierce.
A small smile crossed her face as she recalled their first meeting, and the way she’d hated him. It was funny, how your feelings about a person could change so quickly. She’d judged him by what she saw, which was exactly what she hated when other people did the same to her.
“Miss Montgomery?”
Charlotte’s eyelids snapped open. A nurse wearing pink scrubs and holding a clipboard looked down at her.
Straightening in her chair, tension cramping the muscles around her heart, Charlotte said, “Yes? Is it Landon... Is he okay?”
“Mister Pierce is doing well. It’s normally against hospital policy, but seeing as he provides a generous donation, he managed to convince administration that this was okay. He is to be discharged shortly. He wanted you to know that his injury was a flesh wound only.”
The nurse paused. When she saw that Charlotte was in a bit of a shock, she continued, “Your... boss is going to be just fine.”
After a moment, the nurse patted Charlotte on the shoulder. She left the waiting room.
The old man across from her gave a reassuring smile. Charlotte began to shake, a cold sweat suddenly breaking out on her forehead. She felt the sudden urge to cry, though she couldn’t explain why. It was as if her mind and body couldn’t take the cool relief flooding it.
Then there were the sounds of commotion in the hall. Panic seeped in with the relief for a moment. Images of the assassin, of the chaos in the underground meeting came unbidden to her.
A group of black-suited men in sunglasses pushed into the waiting room. A nurse squawked at them, protesting. Charlotte stood, her knees stiff from sitting so long. She’d caught a glimpse of something, someone, in that press of threatening men.
They came to stand in front of her. The lead man looked down at her and she could see her reflection in his sunglasses. He stepped aside.
It was Landon. He was in a new suit, since the old one had been ruined by blood. His face was a little pale, his shoulders a little slumped, but he was alive.
“Landon!” Charlotte said.
She reached for him. Half a dozen hands grabbed her by the arms and shoulders, holding her back. The bodyguards held her away from him.
“It’s okay, b
oys. Let her through.”
She could feel all their stares on her back as she grabbed him in an embrace. She eased her grip when she saw how he gritted his teeth. She frowned. He was clearly in more pain than he was letting on.
As they parted, his hand slid down her arm and he grabbed her fingers. He squeezed with a surprising amount of strength. It was as if he was trying to say, “See? I’m fine,” with that grip. She squeezed back, smiling.
The movement felt strange, and she realized she hadn’t smiled since they’d gotten out of the limo before he’d been shot.
“Mister Pierce, hospital policy is to deliver all patients to the doors via wheelchair,” a nurse said, stepping in front of them as the group turned to leave the waiting room.
Swallowing, Landon let go of Charlotte’s hand. He stood up straight and tall, pulling at the knot of his tie. Only Charlotte saw the slight shaking in his knees.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve had enough of hospital life. Do you know how much money I gave this place in the last year alone?”
That seemed to shake the nurse’s resolve. Her mouth in a thin, frustrated line, she stepped aside to let them pass by.
The bodyguards kept a close eye on her as the group moved to the door. It was clear they were taking no chances. Charlotte felt at once safe and threatened. It was nice to have them around, but they represented danger. She never would have expected Landon’s former assistant and secretary, Mindy, to be the kind of person to point a gun at another human.
Anyone could be the next assassin.
A black limo waited for them as they stepped through the sliding glass doors. The air felt cool and slightly damp against Charlotte’s face.
“Thanks,” Landon said as the driver opened the back door.
The driver offered a hand as Landon winced, lowering himself. Landon shook his head. Charlotte moved to get in as well, but the driver started closing the door.
“Let her in,” Landon said.
The door swung open, and Charlotte got in across from Landon. Soon, the car rolled out of the hospital lot.
For the first ten minutes or so, they were quiet. The only sounds were muffled road and engine noises. Charlotte had her hands folded in her lap. Her palms felt clammy, and she couldn’t stop her fingers from weaving around each other, tightening painfully every time the car hit a small bump.
It felt like something in her stomach was boiling.
Finally, she couldn’t take the silence any longer.
“I thought you were dead. You weren’t conscious,” Charlotte said.
Landon nodded as though he understood her feelings. Charlotte had to resist the urge to yell at him.
“I fell over and hit my head on the pavement. The doctor says I don’t have a concussion. It was just enough to knock me out cold. The ground usually wins in a fight between concrete and cranium.” He smiled, laughing a little at his own joke.
Charlotte couldn’t believe it. How could he make light of a situation like that?
“You were almost killed. You don’t understand. I thought you were gone. I thought I’d lost you. It was like someone had yanked my heart out of my chest.”
The smile faded from Landon’s lips. He put on the mask of the cool, hard businessman.
“You stopped her from shooting me. You took a bullet for me. Why?” Charlotte said.
It was Landon’s turn to seem uncomfortable. He pulled at his tie again, clearing his throat. He looked everywhere but at Charlotte.
“I... I didn’t want to see you get hurt...”
“Why?” Charlotte pushed.
A bead of sweat formed on Landon’s forehead. It trickled partway down his cheek before he wiped it away. Finally, he looked at her. There was a softness around his eyes, cracking the mask he’d put on. She could see a deep longing in those eyes, and a deep sadness.
“When we get back to the office, there’s paperwork for you to sign. Non-disclosure agreements and whatnot. Please see to it that they’re all taken care of.”
She could feel him slipping away from her, trying to disentangle himself. A surge of adrenaline left her wide-eyed and shaken. The man who’d saved her life seemed to be pushing her away, and she didn’t know why.
“Careful!” Landon said.
Charlotte lunged across to him, sitting on his lap. Grabbing his head with both hands, she angled his face up. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. She felt herself being drawn deeper into his eyes as he let his guard down.
“Gentle, now...” Landon said.
Charlotte smiled, feeling suddenly mischievous. “So... You’re at my mercy now, aren’t you?”
He blinked. The corners of his mouth curved in the smallest of smiles.
“You’re too weak to stop me, aren’t you?” Charlotte said. Her face slowly lowered toward his.
Landon’s eyes flicked down to her lips for a moment. He shifted under her, and she felt a sudden hardening from him that made her breath catch in her throat.
“Yes... But who says I want to stop you?” Landon said, “Maybe this is what I wanted all along. Maybe you’re doing exactly what I want...”
“Sure, keep thinking that,” Charlotte said, feeling a wryness in herself that she thought had been lost with a gunshot.”
Landon’s hand encircled her body. He squeezed her. Charlotte sucked in a breath as she felt his member flex against her. She still had her dress on, the tight and sexy one she’d chosen to challenge him with when she’d planned on quitting. At the moment, its shortness served to let him reach under and grab her bottom.
Pulling her face to his, she kissed him deeply. Their lips writhed together, then parted so that their tongues could touch. He felt so hot against her then.
Charlotte felt herself losing control. She kept thinking about how close she’d been to losing him.
But he was alive, and he seemed to be experiencing the same thing. He ground his member against her. Wetness flooded her sex, running out into her pink folds. The only thing her body needed or wanted at that moment was to be with him, to be one with him, if only for a short time.
“Landon...” She breathed, pulling back breathless from their kiss.
His fingers squeezed her harder and harder, kneading her flesh and leaving a deep ache. He winced as Charlotte ground her hips against him. He hurt, but he made no move, said no word to get her to stop.
Pain wasn’t going to get in the way.
Charlotte tugged his tie loose, then undid half the buttons on his shirt. He was sweating underneath. Charlotte put his hands under his shirt, feeling the muscles of his chest. His flesh was hot. Her breath caught as she felt his heart beat under her fingers. His heart slammed against his chest so hard she could see it.
“Don’t stop...” He said.
His hands slipped lower down her buttocks. Charlotte threw her head back as he found what he was looking for. One fingertip poked into her wetness. She tightened around him, desperate for the sensations he sent shooting through her nerves with every touch and stroke.
He pulled her lower lips apart, stroking at the sensitive skin. Charlotte bit down on her lip as he found her little love button and flicked it lightly with one finger. All the muscles in her body went rigid, and she yelped.
Her own fingers found his nipples. She pinched at them, feeling a tingle in her pussy as they puckered at her touch.
“I need you...” Charlotte said.
Landon pushed his finger deeper into her. Her juices soaked it as he rubbed against her walls.
It wasn’t enough. She craved that feeling of oneness, of togetherness, that came with having him sheathed in her. She pulled her hands out of his shirt so fast that one of the buttons still done up popped off.
Charlotte lifted herself slightly, reaching down. Her body trembled as she found his hardness. It was still trapped in his pants. Her fingers shook as she undid his pants.
Landon hissed as she touched his bare shaft. He put another finger into her, rubbing harde
r.
He pulled his dripping fingers out of her. Grabbing his shaft, he rubbed that wetness all over himself. She could feel the heat coming off him. She needed him in her so badly. Even the short wait he made her go through as he readied himself for her was too long. Her body burned for him. She could feel the beads of sweat running down her back, under her dress.
Grabbing his face again, she pushed his head back against the headrest. He looked into her eyes as he grabbed her bottom again.
“I can feel the heat coming off you...” he said.
She kissed his neck. He had some stubble that stung her lips, but she didn’t care. His hips jerked up beneath her, and the head of his member ran along her slit for a moment.
Charlotte worked her lips up his chin. He opened his mouth. She ran her lips along his, brushing them together as she began lowering herself onto him. Her breath caught again as she felt her opening stretch around the hard thickness of his cock.
She kissed him hard enough for their teeth to clash together as she lowered herself down onto him. Her walls parted around him, soaking him in her juices as he plunged deeper into her. Her nerves seemed to light up with electricity, and her toes curled as she continued stretching around him.
It was just as she’d hoped. Their heat mingled together, setting a fire within them both, as she setting down onto his hips. He shook beneath her, his shaft flexing, swelling even larger within her. Charlotte sucked in a breath, feeling her soft walls close in to grip his hard cock.
The skin on his member glistening with her juices as she lifted herself up along it. His fingers gripped her bottom hard enough to leave white circles in her flesh as he helped lift her. She could feel her tightness pulling at him, not wanting him to leave.
As soon as she felt nothing but the head of him in her, she let herself fall back down. Their flesh slapped together.
He lifted her again like that. On the way up, they went nice and slow, luxuriating in the feeling of their bare flesh rubbing together. She kept wincing as he urged more and more of her juices out. It trickled down his shaft, leaving him totally soaked in her wetness.
Every time she sank back down onto him, she felt him against the very back of her. When that happened, she couldn’t help but to clench up around him. Both of them snarled in pleasure.
