I can’t tear my gaze from him.
We’ve slipped into a wordless world. At this moment, even if I tried to form a sentence, I could not.
His fingertips feel so good against my skin. He brushes his fingers over my cheek, jaw, throat. His hands move to my collar bones and out to my shoulders. All the while, our bodies move. I can feel his tip, sliding against my entrance. I feel so wet, so ready for him. Every time we kiss, I become wetter, more ready.
Soon I can’t bear it any longer. I search blindly along the surface of the nightstand, trying to find the box of condoms that has served us well already on this trip.
I find it and pull one free. Hunter and I stop kissing long enough for me to roll the rubber over him, and then, still wordlessly, we resume right where we left off.
This time, he doesn’t hold back. He kisses me, and as our tongues meet, I feel his hardness probe my lower lips. The tip enters me, and he doesn’t stop there. He keeps pressing himself into me as we kiss until I feel his fullness between my legs.
Oh, God. It feels so good.
We both still for an instant.
I feel myself contracting around him wildly as my body rejoices. Our lips have parted, and Hunter leans his forehead down against mine. His eyes are closed; mine are barely open.
Neither one of us moves.
It’s too good, just like this. It’s precious—the feeling of him inside of me. I feel so close to orgasming, just like this. Still. My body spasms around him wildly. How is this happening? Where is this coming from?
Minutes pass. I don’t know how long. And then, we begin to move. Slowly at first. One millimeter at a time.
He thrusts into me; I accept him and then lift my hips against his. Our movements are so fluid, so in synch. Without words, we move as one. I seem to know everything that he’s thinking. As he speeds up, so do I. When he begins to roll onto his back, I hold onto him, and we move in tandem. And then I’m on top, and I close my eyes.
I’m lost, completely lost, in the bliss of this moment.
I rock my hips back and forth, and then in little circles, feeling my excitement swell to unimaginable proportions. I’ve learned that I can hold much more pleasure than I once thought was possible, and I’ve stopped trying to hold myself back.
Time ceases to make any sense to me. I become lost in the pleasure that has taken over my body. He feels so good inside of me. His dick is long, hard, hitting exactly the right spot inside of me.
I lean down over him and kiss him again. Our tongues mingle. The kiss is rough, wet, as though each of us wants to consume the other.
Then, we’re coming, at the same time. My orgasm shatters me to the core. I feel Hunter quake and shudder beneath me. Our lips still. Our kiss subsides. When I pull my lips away, it’s all I can do to catch my breath.
I’m sure tomorrow I’ll realize just what I’ve signed up for.
It’s not going to be easy to be Hunter Larson’s girlfriend. Tomorrow, I’ll have to face the question. Am I going to be able to handle being with a man as intense and complex as he is?
But for tonight, I don’t want to think. I just want to feel his strong arms around me as we snuggle into the covers.
Tonight, I want to enjoy seeing color.
My definition of perfect has expanded. I thought “perfect” was watching the sunset from a little green sailboat, listening to Hunter laugh and sipping red wine. Now, I know that definition was insufficient. “Perfect” is falling asleep in Hunter’s embrace, feeling his heart beating next to mine.
Chapter 18
Hunter
“Shit,” I mutter as I hang up the phone.
I’m sitting on the edge of the bed. I feel the mattress move under me as Maria shifts and wraps her arms around me.
“What is it?” she asks. Her voice is groggy with sleep.
“That was my head of client relations, calling from Japan. One of our biggest investors is threatening to leave us.”
“And that’s bad?” she asks.
“Very,” I say.
Fuck. If we lose this guy, he’s going to trigger a chain reaction. I run my hand through my hair, trying to mentally prioritize my plan of attack.
First order of business, I have to get a meeting with our Japanese client. That means I have to get my ass to Japan. I put my weight onto my feet, readying myself to stand. I feel Maria’s arms tighten around my waist.
“Don’t get out of bed,” she says.
I can feel her bare breasts pressing against my back. It’s hard to tell where her body ends and mine begins.
The feeling is terrifying.
I experienced it first last night when we climaxed together. I’ve never come at the same time as my partner. Usually, I’m in control, so I stagger our orgasms. Last night was entirely new to me. I felt…lost. I felt out of control. Somehow, as we made love, my body seemed to disappear. I seemed to disappear.
I rake my hand through my hair again and strain my muscles, pulling away from Maria.
“Baby, I have to get up. This is serious,” I say. Once I’m standing, I look down at her.
“It can’t be that serious,” she says, her lip poking out in a pout. She’s lying naked over the sheets, and goddam, she looks beautiful.
I look away. “Other investors look up to this guy,” I say. “If he pulls out, we’re going to see a domino effect. I need to be on the first plane to Japan.” I start thinking aloud now; my thoughts hit me fast, one after another. “I’ll have to call off the meeting with Clint this afternoon. Maybe I can reschedule, have him meet with the lawyers without me… Marty could handle this one virtually.” I walk briskly to the bathroom, still talking.
It’s comforting to think about business again. Things got out of control so quickly last night. I’m used to calling the shots.
As I crank the shower nozzle around forcefully, I hear Maria call out, “What about me? Will I go to Japan with you?” She sounds hopeful.
“Not this time, baby,” I shout above the stream of water that’s now jetting out.
“Okay!” she says. She sounds so…happy.
What have I done? What have I committed to?
What was I thinking?
And most of all, what the fuck happened last night?
I recall again the sense of losing all control. Surrender—that must have been surrender. And then there was the total loss of a sense of identity. How did it happen?
I don’t have any answers. I step under the hot water. It scalds my skin, but I don’t care. The burning sensation brings me back to the present moment, away from my panicked thoughts.
The truth is, I’m going to be glad to get on a plane, heading for Japan. It will give me time to think.
Am I hiding from my emotions behind the front of my business again? Couldn’t someone else put out this fire and talk to the unhappy investor?
I reach for the body wash and squirt some out onto my palm.
Maybe I am hiding. But that’s better than completely losing my fucking mind over this girl, isn’t it?
I see her form in the bathroom. Then the glass shower door slides open, and Maria, still naked, steps in to join me.
My body responds before my mind can; my dick starts hardening the instant I see her. Her warm hands wrap around my package, and I close my eyes as she starts to stroke me.
“Maybe you don’t have time to stay in bed,” she says, running her hand up and down along my shaft. “But at least we can take a shower together.”
“Mmm…” I groan. It comes from somewhere deep inside of me. Damn it. Her touch feels good.
Next, I feel her wet body rub up next to mine. Her nipples are hard; I feel them graze my chest.
“I guess our announcement will have to wait,” she says. “Do you want me to stay in Brazil or go back to California?”
“You can go home,” I say. It’s hard to focus on words while she’s jerking me off, but I keep trying. “We’ll have to… Fuck…” I groan as her hand tightens around
me, begins to move faster. “We’ll have to wait a few days.”
“Okay,” she says. “Does that feel good?”
“Very,” I say.
“Good.” She moves to her knees in front of me. Her mouth circles my erection, and I feel her tongue swirl around my tip.
Very, very good.
Too good.
Chapter 19
Maria
“Where have you been?” Jemma shrieks into the phone.
I’ve called her immediately upon landing at LAX. It’s now Saturday, and I’ve been gone for four days. Besides an email to Camila with the trip’s itinerary, I didn’t give anyone the details.
I wasn’t sure how to put it.
Oh, yeah, Jemma, did I mention that the guy who hired me to have sex with him is taking me abroad?
She might have called the cops. That would not have been good.
“A business trip,” I say. The man in the seat next to me stands. There’s so much room up here in first class. I don’t have that cattle-being-herded kind of feeling that I usually get in coach.
At a leisurely pace, I stand as well and then reach for my overhead bag.
“What kind of business trip?” Jemma demands. “I thought you were unemployed?”
It takes me a moment to realize that the last time I saw Jemma, I said nothing of my employment at Larson Global. I was still trying to wrap my head around it for myself.
“Oh…yeah. It’s this crazy gig I got through the guy I told you about,” I say vaguely.
“You mean the great-sex, BDSM guy?” Jemma says.
My cheeks blush, and I glance at the businessman next to me. We’ve made our way off of the plane and are now walking down the long jetway toward the airport. He’s oblivious to my conversation; I’m satisfied that he hasn’t overheard my friend. Regardless, due to an ingrained sense of embarrassment, I lower my voice. “Yes, that guy,” I say.
“Wow! You guys are moving fast. Did you, like, stay in the same hotel room with him on this business trip? Where did you go?”
“Brazil,” I say. “Rio de Janeiro.”
“No way!”
“And yes, we did stay in the same room.” My blush deepens as I think of all of the sexual adventures Hunter and I had in that hotel room, over those three short days. The balcony, the kitchen, the hot tub, the shower… we managed to make love in every area of the suite.
“When can I meet him?” Jemma asks. “Maybe you and Keegan and I could all go out to—”
“Keegan?” I ask, interrupting her. “Who’s Keegan? And what happened to Jackson?”
“Oh, I’m not really working with Jackson anymore,” Jemma says as if it’s no big deal. “The sex was great, but we’ve both moved on. I think that had a lot to do with the thrill of the chase. Keegan is amazing though… Oh, Maria, you met him! Remember that night we went to the Sunshine Cafe to see Sanjay’s band?”
“Our waiter?” I guess, remembering the guy with the man-bun.
“Yes!” Jemma laughs. “He’s an artist, Maria. He works there to pay rent, but his real passion is painting. He has a gallery opening this Wednesday! You and your kinky mystery man should come.”
“He’s out of the country,” I say, trying to work out the dates in my head.
I’ve emerged out into the airport, and the crowds make it harder to hear my friend. I need to wrap this up. Besides the noise levels, I also want to get off the phone so that I can call and check up on Camila. I’ve been texting her while in Brazil, so I know nothing bad has happened to her, but it will still be good to hear her voice.
Jemma chatters on. “When is he back? By Wednesday night? It’s really going to be fun,” she says. “And anyway, even if your kinky dude can’t come, you should join us. I want you to meet Keegan.” She’s never been one to take no for an answer.
“Don’t call him that,” I say. “Also, I’ve already met Keegan, remember? I don’t think I can go to his gallery opening. I’ve been so busy.”
Jemma’s not happy about this, and she lets me know. “Come on, Maria! You haven’t done anything fun in ages. And I want to meet your guy. He’ll probably be back, right? You could—”
I interrupt her. “Yes, he’s getting back Wednesday morning. But I don’t know if he’s going to want to go. He’s super busy with work.”
“Well, what about you?” Jemma asks, ever persistent. “Can you make it?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “My schedule’s been so up in the air. I’ve been putting in a lot of hours at his offices lately.”
“Is it a temp position?” Jemma asks, voicing a question I’ve also been wondering.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “He initially hired me for two weeks, which would mean my last day is Wednesday. But it’s been going so well, I think it might last a lot longer. Hey, I’m just making my way through the airport now, and it’s super loud in here.” I raise my voice as I walk past a wailing toddler, flailing around in her mother’s arms. “I also need to give Camila a call,” I add.
Jemma’s not offended. I promise to call her when I get home, and we sign off.
Next, I call Camila.
“Mi media naranja!” she answers immediately. “I’ve missed you. Tell me all about this trip! Does this have something to do with the paycheck you’ve been promised?”
I’ve given Camila several updates on my upcoming pay date. Again, I’m reminded that Wednesday marks the end of the agreement between Hunter and me. Yet things have changed so much since we made that initial arrangement. What will happen at the end of these two weeks? Will I keep working at Larson Global? Will our sexy arrangement continue?
I hope that it does.
I want to tell my sister that I’m now dating Hunter, but something inside of me holds back.
“Yes,” I say, remaining vague. Soon, I’ll spill all—well, at least most—of the details to Jemma and Camila. For right now, I have to hold back. “Everything’s looking good! The work is going well. I had a great time in Brazil. We’re going to have to go someday!”
“What do you think, we’re rich or something?” Camila says with a laugh.
Now that I’m dating a billionaire, I might be closer to rich than my sister has ever dreamed of. I smile into the phone. “A girl can dream, right mi media naranja?” I say.
* * *
I spend the weekend recovering, reminiscing, and fantasizing.
Brazil was so much fun, and I feel so excited about future adventures with Hunter. The possibilities seem endless.
By the time Monday arrives, I feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. It’s strange to be back in the office without Hunter around. I notice people whispering whenever I venture out of my office on the top floor.
On Monday morning, the attendant who first brought me up to my office, all those days ago, approaches while I wait for the elevator.
“Did you really go abroad with the boss?” she asks.
I nod.
“I’ve never been invited abroad, and I’ve been working here for five years,” she says snidely, before swiveling on her heel and marching away from me.
Over the next two days, as I anxiously await Wednesday’s arrival, I receive plenty more snide looks and comments.
The funny thing is, they don’t bother me at all. I’ve never felt this self-confident, sexy, and satisfied in my entire life. It’s like nothing they do or say can phase me in the least. I’m untouchable. Except by Hunter, that is. When he returns, he can touch me all he wants.
For the first time ever, I feel like my life is going right, and I deserve all the good things that are happening to me.
On top of my new-found confidence and self-love, I also notice that I’m super relaxed. There’s not one drop of anxiety or stress inside my body. For once I’m completely sexually fulfilled, and it makes a massive difference in the way I feel.
Wednesday arrives, and I’m in a good mood as soon as my eyes pop open. I’m humming to myself, pouring coffee into a travel mug that I ca
n take with me into the office when my phone rings.
“This is Maria,” I practically sing into the receiver.
“Maria Michaels? This is Candice with Larson Global Human Resources.”
I open the refrigerator and reach for the creamer. “Great! Good morning Candice,” I say happily. “I was going to call you today, so now I don’t even have to. I think my short-term position is ending today, and I’m fairly certain that Mr. Larson will extend my employment. He’s in Japan right now, but—”
“Your services are no longer needed at Larson Global, Ms. Michaels,” the HR woman says, interrupting me mid-sentence.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve been told to inform you that your employment has been terminated. You don’t need to come into the offices today or at any point in the future.”
“That can’t be right.” I frown and set the creamer on the counter without pouring any into my waiting cup. “Mr. Larson is in Japan. There’s been some kind of miscommunication.”
“I have the order right here,” Candice says. “It’s from Mr. Larson himself. Termination is effective today. If you have any further questions, feel free to call our Human Resources support line. I hope you have a wonderful day, Ms. Michaels.”
“Wonderful day?” I say. “How could I have a wonderful day when you’ve just told me that—” I stop shouting as I realize that the phone has gone dead. She hung up on me.
A direct order, from Hunter himself? How could this be?
I wander out of my little kitchen in a daze, my coffee and the creamer sitting forgotten on the countertop. I sink into my couch and place my head into my hands. This is impossible.
Impossible!
Today is Wednesday, yes, and our original agreement is technically over. But after our conversation in Rio, I was sure that the original agreement no longer mattered.
We’d moved past it. We’d sailed right into “relationship” waters, where two-week contracts were made obsolete. He’s my boyfriend. I’m his girlfriend. He said that he wanted to be with me.
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