by Ava Hayworth
“Don’t stop,” I gasp. James moves his hand again and lavishes attention on my other breast with his mouth. Just when I am about to explode, he stops again. Breathing hard, I look at him and notice a calculating look in his eyes. “You’re doing this on purpose. Why won’t you let me come?”
He moves over me and pushes my legs wider apart with his knee before sliding his hard cock inside me. I can’t withhold my sigh of pleasure. Looking up at him, I see a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. “Now, we are as close as two human beings can get.” I forget his abrupt starts and stops as uncontrollable need takes over. He drives into me over and over, once again taking me right to the edge before stopping. A sheen of sweat covers our skin and we are both breathing hard.
I don’t have to press him for why he has stopped. “I know something upset you today. Tell me what happened.” I stare up at him in shock, and he starts moving again. This is the ultimate manipulation. He starts moving faster, and I am longing to reach that pinnacle of pleasure, but it remains just out of my reach.
“Please,” I beg.
“I can keep this up all night, especially since you so kindly took the edge off earlier.”
“James, please…just let me come. No strings attached.” I don’t know how I feel about this method of extracting information from me. There is something about it that I don’t like. “I promise, I’ll tell you, but not because you let me come.”
James gazes down at me for a long moment, “You’ll tell me? No holding back?”
“Yes, I swear it. Now just please, please fuck me.”
“Alright, baby.” He thrusts into me once, twice, and then he is pulling himself out of me. Before I can protest, he has turned me over and is plowing into me from behind using his fingers to manipulate my clit. I shriek as my orgasm hits me, and I convulse around him.
We are both panting from the exertion, but as the sweat evaporates from my body, I start to feel a chill. Locating a short, silk robe, I put it on before going into the bathroom. I cringe inwardly with embarrassment as I remember that we were not exactly quiet. After using the bathroom, I return to bed and lie down on top of James resting my head on his chest. He wraps his strong arms around me. I am wondering if he has fallen to sleep when I hear his voice rumble. “Tell me.”
I roll off of him on to my back, and resignedly pull myself up into a sitting position. James scoots back and leans against the headboard. “It’s not that big a deal… really it’s not. I didn’t want to tell you because… well, because it's embarrassing.” I distractedly play with the ends of the sheet in front of me.
“Lainey…” James says ominously.
“Alright, alright, hold on to your britches.” I tell him irritably dropping the sheet. “Mills brought me into his office to warn me off of you. Basically, he said that I would fall in love with you because all women do. That you wouldn’t be interested in me at all so I might as well forget about it… It’s silly… right?”
At James’s continued silence, I look up and am surprised to see him tight lipped with anger. I jump a little at the sight, and I stare round eyed as he slams his hand down on the bed and explodes. “What a moron. He should mind his own Goddamn business.”
He must have seen my alarmed expression because he leans over me and continues in a softer voice. “Baby, please don’t listen to him. He doesn’t have a clue about what is going on in my head.”
“Okay, I know I shouldn’t let it get to me. I guess it is just difficult sometimes... especially when I hear everyone talking about you like you are some kind of unattainable god.”
“Unattainable god, huh?”
I roll my eyes and throw my pillow at him. “I should have known that would go straight to your head. As if your ego needs any more boosting…”
“You can boost my… ego anytime.” James says waggling his eyebrows at me.
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
James levels a serious look at me. “Lainey, I think we should acknowledge our relationship.”
“You mean like come out as a couple at the office?”
“Yes.”
I must have wrinkled my brow in consternation because James reaches out his hand and smooths my forehead. “I don’t know… I’ll have to think about it… It’s late. I have that presentation tomorrow…” I trail off.
“Okay, but think about it. Let’s get some sleep.” James moves down so that he is spooning me from behind. I drift off before I can give his suggestion any serious thought.
CHAPTER 9
I awake to James nuzzling me just under my ear. “Hmm, what time is it?” I ask, reaching my hand up and running it through his soft hair.
“Early, you can go back to sleep. I am going to the gym before work. I’ll see you at the office,” he says before kissing my cheek and leaving. I snuggle back down under the covers for some much needed sleep.
When my alarm goes off a little while later, I get up feeling refreshed. With the presentation in mind, I choose my outfit with extra care. After trying a few things, I settle on a tan pencil skirt with a black fitted top. The three quarter length sleeves of the top are a sheer black material with darker black polka dots. I consider wearing some peep toe red stilettos, but decide to go a more conservative route. Instead, I step into tan stilettos the same color as my skirt. I fix my hair with loose curls hanging down my back and apply a little makeup. Feeling confident that I look as good as possible, I head out to the kitchen. Sam is already there in shorts pajamas eating a yogurt. I feel her eyes track me around the kitchen, and I try to act as nonchalantly as possible.
“So,” she begins drawing out the word. “You look particularly good this morning… All that mind blowing sex must agree with you.”
I have to admit she has me there. I decide there is no point in being coy. “What can I say?” I give a slight shrug. “He brings out my inner tramp.” When my eyes meet Sam’s, we both burst out laughing.
“It’s about time.”
“What? I’ve had sex before.” I say defensively.
“Oh, yea?“ Sam raises her eyebrow at me, giving me a knowing grin.
“Okay, maybe not wild, uninhibited monkey sex.”
“Monkey sex, huh? You’re making my imagination run wild. Care to share a few details?”
I look pointedly at my watch. “It’s getting late. Don’t you need to get ready?”
Looking down at the phone in her hand, Sam jumps up. “Oh shit, I’ve got to hurry.”
Embarrassing discussion diverted, I make a beeline for the door.
I eat a bagel at my desk for breakfast as I tweak the presentation until I am satisfied that I have done my best. I spend the rest of the morning reviewing what I am going to say. The time rolls by very fast, and before I know it the meeting time has arrived. I give myself a little pep talk before heading off to Washington, where the meeting will take place.
I am the first one there. I spend the time before the others arrive hooking up my laptop and making sure that I am on the correct PowerPoint slide. The other meeting participants arrive, and James chooses the chair closest to mine at the head of the table. I try not to look at him. Inwardly rolling my eyes, I note that Elizabeth has sat down next to him. Alex is also a part of the team. I smile at him when he comes in, and he gives me a wink before sitting down next to Elizabeth. Next, Raj Sharma and Dennis Belinsky, two senior associates, file in and sit next to Alex. Andrew Mills arrives last. Elizabeth and I are the only women. Thinking back to our conversation the day before, I wonder if Mills has done this intentionally.
After saying a few words of introduction, Mills turns the meeting over to me. I stand up and nervously look around the table until my eyes land on James. He is looking me up and down, and it is as if I can read his mind. He is sitting there thinking about how he would like to get me out of my skirt and fuck me against the table. It almost makes me laugh, and for some reason it also settles my nerves. The next forty-five minutes pass in a blur, and I finish knowing that I have done well.
As I sit back down in my seat, I feel James’s warm hand land on my thigh, and he gives a gentle squeeze. I look over at him, and he gifts me with a smile filled with promise. His whispered, “Later,” is barely audible. I smirk at him before looking around at the others who seem to have missed this brief exchange. I don’t know what exactly he means by “Later.” Does he mean we will talk later or that he will fuck me against the table later? I am hoping for the latter. The meeting ends with the client lunch next on the agenda, which is scheduled for Friday.
As a result of the meeting, I will be working with Elizabeth again. I almost feel like I have come full circle. We will be working on a counterclaim against one of the Rothschild executives. I expect the case to take up most of my time. Alex walks me back to my office, and I realize how glad I am that we will be working together more. I feel my phone vibrate with an incoming text just as Alex leaves me. The text is from James.
Congrats on a job well done. I’m proud of you baby.
His text makes me smile, and I type back a quick reply.
Thanks. Want to celebrate later?
Your place or mine?
Yours. No roommate to disturb.
Good point. Finished by 6. You?
Same
I had a late night. I’m going to get some coffee.
Funny thing, I also had a late night. I need coffee too.
See you in 5.
I hurry to the kitchenette to find James already there. We stand in front of the coffee machine with our empty cups, and I tease him about not having enough work to do. He retaliates by bending down and whispering in my ear the things he wants to do to me later, making me blush and giggle. I know I should make him stop, but sexy, playful James is hard to resist. My attention is so fixed on James that I almost don’t hear Becca enter the kitchenette. I barely stop myself from guiltily jumping away from James. Instead, I calmly wait for my cup to fill with coffee as James stands silently beside me. I know that if I look at him I will be tempted to laugh due to nerves so I resolutely keep my attention on my cup. As subtly as possible, I shift away from James so that our shoulders are no longer touching. When my coffee is finished, I am reluctant to leave James behind alone with Becca. I turn to Becca who is regarding me with a speculative look in her eye. Great, now she probably thinks I was coming on to James. I strive to make mundane chitchat with Becca. When I see that James has finished making his coffee, I make my excuses and return to my office. My phone vibrates with one last text from James.
Don’t forget what you promised to think about…
My heart sinks as I remember my promise to give some thought to making our relationship known at the office. I can’t help feeling a strong sense of reluctance, but I don’t have time to dwell on the reasons now. The work in front of me is not going to do itself. I will just have to think about it later.
True to his promise, James takes me out to dinner. He has made reservations at the Gotham Bar and Grill. Although it is a popular restaurant in New York City, I have never been. The waiter takes us to our seats immediately. I watch as James orders a bottle from the wine list, and he seems to know what he is doing. “I didn’t realize that you are a wine connoisseur.”
James folds the menu and hands it back to the waiter. “I know a thing or two about it, but I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur. I’m not obsessed with it like some people.”
“You seem pretty knowledgeable.”
James shrugs as if it is nothing. “A little knowledge goes a long way.”
“That could be true of most things.”
“Touché.” A broad grin spreads across James’s face, and I am left momentarily speechless. He is so handsome it sometimes takes my breath away. It also makes me wonder what he could possibly see in me. I struggle against my insecurities. Where is your self-confidence Lainey Hart? You are a smart, capable person and beauty is only skin deep.
The restaurant’s reputation is well earned. Each course is more delicious than the last. James is making me laugh at some of the past antics at Houghton Mills when I notice a woman approaching our table. She is a tall blond and looks like she could be a runway model. I feel gauche and unsophisticated in comparison.
She greets James with a cool smile and ignores me completely. “Hello James. I haven’t seen you for a while.”
I inspect James carefully for a reaction, but he remains at ease. “Jenna, how are you?”
“Oh, you know…”
I don’t know what to make of this strange response. Silence descends over the table. Jenna breaks the awkward moment. “If you’re interested in a rematch, I’ll be in the Hamptons this weekend.” Her eyes land on me momentarily before returning to James. “When you get tired of playing around, call me.”
With that she turns and walks away without sparing me another glance. I look at James for an explanation. When he continues calmly with his meal, I realize that he has no intention of giving me one. “Who was that?”
“That was a mistake, also known as Jenna Reardon.”
“So she’s an ex?”
“Let’s just say that she is into kinky sex, and I decided it wasn’t my scene.”
Great, another sexual nemesis that I will have to measure up to. “What kind of kinky sex?”
“A couple of years ago I was a little bored, so I experimented a bit in the sex club scene. That’s where I met Jenna.”
“Is she a dominatrix?”
James lets out a bark of laughter. “Where do you get these ideas?”
Heat floods my cheeks. I toy with my fork and look down at my plate. “I feel very inexperienced.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you.” James reaches over and pulls up my chin so that I am looking into his eyes. His thumb brushes my cheek. “You are so sexy, and you don’t even know it. Baby, that is the biggest turn on there is.”
Reassured, I turn my face into his hand and nuzzle the inside of his palm. “So, sex clubs?”
“Maybe I’ll take you some time, and you can see for yourself. It’s mainly a lot of dancing and nudity.”
“And Jenna? She seemed a little…” strange, rude? I debate for a moment before settling on an acceptable adjective: “…self-absorbed.”
“I hooked up with Jenna a couple of times, and I cut her loose when she started wanting more. That’s all there is to it.”
“I don’t think she’s over you.”
James shrugs nonchalantly. “That’s her problem. I never promised her anything.”
His behavior seems so heartless. His coldness alarms me. Is this how I can expect to be treated? As if reading my thoughts, James continues, “That has nothing to do with us. What we have is completely different.”
“How is it different?”
“First of all, I am sitting with you at the Gotham Bar and Grill on a dinner date.”
“You never took Jenna out to dinner?”
“No, baby. I never took Jenna out to dinner. We would meet at the clubs, and then we would have meaningless sex.”
“Meaningless or mind blowing?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. It doesn’t suit you.”
I resist the impulse to stick my tongue out at him. Replaying the encounter with Jenna in my mind, I wonder what rematch she could be referring to. A memory of James in his tennis whites from our weekend in the Hamptons flashes through my mind. That had been a client meeting I remind myself. Surely, I must be mistaken that there is some kind of correlation. Uncertainty rips through me.
James seems to sense my growing unease. “Lainey, what is it?”
“What did she mean by a rematch?”
My apprehension increases when I see a flash of something that I can only classify as guilt cross James’s face. It is gone so quickly that I can’t be certain of what I saw. “She was a guest of my clients. I played her in a round of tennis.”
“The weekend you took me to the Hamptons?”
“Yes.”
So while I had been spending a solitary morning on the beac
h, he had been out playing tennis with his ex. “Is your client a man or a woman?”
“Why does that matter?”
“I don’t know. It just does.”
“Listen, I don’t know why you are getting so upset about this. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“A woman then. Does she also want to sleep with you?” The utter lack of expression on his face gives him away. “Oh wait, let me guess. She already has. I guess your policy against fucking anyone from HM did not extend to your clients.”
“It was many years ago before she became my client, and as a matter of fact, I think someone else would be a better fit for her. The problem is that she threatens to leave the firm entirely unless I agree to remain her attorney.”
“Gee, it must be tough being you.” I instantly regret having spoken my thought out loud.
James leans back in his chair and drums his fingers across the table twice while quietly contemplating me. I have to strain to hear his next words. “If we weren’t in such a public place, I’d find another use for that smart mouth of yours.
Sparks fly as a silent battle of wills rages across the table. I am the first to give in. “You’re right. That was uncalled for, and I shouldn’t have said that.”
James dips his head in acknowledgement.
I decide I have pushed him enough for one evening. It is going to take some effort on my part to accept his past which is littered with beautiful, desirable women. I recognize that it is more my problem than his and resolve to not let jealousy get the better of me the next time I find myself in a similar situation. I am also sure that it will be more the norm than the exception. The conversation turns to less controversial topics and I am relieved when our earlier rapport is restored. I am also hoping that after dinner, James will take me back to his apartment where he can show me the difference between meaningless and mind blowing.
