by Leanne Davis
“Why should I trust you?”
“I think my history of sleeping with my assistants and not letting it affect my work here should answer any doubts you might have.”
“You’re a real asshole with women.”
“Yes.”
“But not with Julia. And you’re not an asshole with me. At least, not yet.”
Lloyd put his hands up. “I won’t be. Not here.”
Chris slowly rose to his feet and Lloyd put his hand out. “Deal?”
“All right. Deal. But only if Julia agrees. On her own. Without any pressure from me or you.”
“All right. Depending on that, I’d like us to get started on Monday. Can you come here about one o’clock? You’ll have time to work the site and start reviewing the project with me.”
“And Julia?”
“Yep. Nature of the beast. As my direct assistant in the office, but you are the closest thing I have to an assistant in the field. I could change that. Or we all could learn to live with it.”
Chris left with Lloyd’s words ringing in his ears. The man was good. Chris was expecting a macho, man-to-man, blustering, pissing contest, but instead he was offered a promotion. The only prerequisite was that he be willing to work with his present girlfriend’s ex. The real kicker of the whole thing, and he was sure Lloyd secretly loved this part, was he could watch the two of them interacting, working and collaborating together. A lot. And if Chris said no? He would look like the dick.
Chris won the girl. The contest. Lloyd lost. So if Chris acted jealous or unprofessional about any of it, he would be the asshole and make Lloyd look good. If he objected to Julia and Lloyd working together, he was again the asshole. A chauvinist. If Lloyd could tolerate Chris, he would have to tolerate them.
Brilliant. What a punishment. Yet he would go along with it and work. He would also learn from the man who once competed for the woman he wanted. He would let Lloyd mentor him. It was still confusing and not what Chris expected. Yet there they were.
He went to the job site, hunkering down to work when he already spotted a delivery and a mound of paperwork to tackle. Julia was expected to be there at three. When she showed up, she and Chris hung back from the others, not touching, and awkwardly looking at each other and then quickly away. He cleared his throat. “You talk with Lloyd?”
“Yes.”
“Did you accept his terms?” asked Chris. He felt odd, like he was asking whether she agreed to an indecent proposal from an older man. It wasn’t that way. Not at all. But crazily enough, the circumstances made it feel like that.
“Yes. Did you? He wouldn’t say what your answer was.”
“I did.”
They fidgeted, both of them as awkward as the silence between them. He cleared his throat. “It’s a good opportunity for both of us. And for Lloyd. And I don’t want anyone to lose their job. Not because of something unforeseen that wasn’t meant to happen. We didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did Lloyd and you… so…”
“Are you okay with this? I mean, us working so closely with him? Do you trust me?”
“I trust you.”
“Do you trust Lloyd?”
Chris sighed, rubbing his neck. That was the one thing he didn’t know. “I don’t know. But I know I have to. If I quit, you’ll feel bad. If you quit, I’ll feel bad. So there’s no perfect solution, so we have to try our best. Like he said, be professional, which means you and me. We keep ‘us’ out of this.” He swept his hand around to encompass the jobsite.
She nodded, biting her lower lip. “Okay. Yes. I think I can do that.”
“And for the record, I don’t actually trust Lloyd. I think if you gave him the signal, he’d be right back with you in a heartbeat. So I have to invest all of my trust in you.”
“He’s doing this on purpose, you know. Putting us in this unique situation. Trying to make you jealous. Making you deal with him and me right in your face.”
“Yes. I’m sure he is. But he also has a library that needs to be built and I know I can do it. I could learn a lot too and he’s offering me a chance no one else will give me.”
“Or me,” she said glumly.
“So it’s a yes? From both of us?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He lifted his lips into a crooked smile. “I’d kiss you right now, but…”
She straightened up. “But we have a three-man audience right over there.”
“Exactly.”
They shared a tentative, nervous smile before quickly proceeding to their work. None of this was what Chris expected or wanted but he had to trust that it would work out. It was like an ultimatum: get over yourself and slay the green-eyed jealous monster, right here and now, or else. He hoped he was up to the test, and the job, and the girl. Of course, he wanted the last two items equally as much.
Chapter Fourteen
THEY PROCEEDED SLOWLY. DATING turned out to be something Julia enjoyed. Chris took her out to all kinds of places, from intimate dinners to music concerts to watching the latest movie releases to spending the day at the zoo. It was always unexpected and delightful for Julia. Comfortable and easy, she had no trouble getting used to it, something that was previously exclusively reserved for her family.
One Saturday night after a long, cozy dinner, Chris asked, “Do you want to come over to my apartment? For the night?”
Julia’s heart instantly began to beat faster. Go over to his place? For sex? She was following his cue and so far, his moves were slow and steady. Her heart pounded while her body filled with warmth and exciting sensations as she found herself wanting, or even just thinking, about sex with Chris.
She nodded, and her nerves jangled when she replied coyly, “Sure, I’d like to meet Simba.”
He laughed, breaking the tension and they left the restaurant and went to his rather generic apartment building. The one-bedroom had a typical layout and the kitchen had a small bar that separated it from the living room. A couch and a TV, along with some baskets of magazines and a Nerf basketball hoop in the corner with balls scattered everywhere made up the furnishings.
He threw his keys and wallet on a small console table. “So, this is where I live. Not much to look at.”
“Much more than my apartment,” she smiled.
“Why is that, I wonder? Why do you still live at home?”
“You can’t imagine how much this job has done for me. I wasn’t, I don’t know, normal…” She paused to look into his eyes. “I was an oddball. As a kid and a teen. I didn’t grow up or act my age, not until fairly recently. I had stupid amounts of anxiety. I wish now that I could have realized…”
“I’m glad you chose to come here now.”
Suddenly, a huge, orange cat appeared from the bedroom and meowed loudly. Simba started purring and his meows sounded much happier when he stalked over to Chris’s leg, which he repetitively rubbed up against. Chris leaned down and petted the cat’s arched back, provoking him to stretch his entire rump up in the air. His giant hands made the cat, which probably weighed more than twenty pounds, seem no larger than a cute, little, stuffed toy. Julia observed the gentle manner in which Chris petted the cat, saying, “Hey, guy… Good kitty-kitty.” She had to compress her lips but she still couldn’t restrain her smile. Even the cat benefited from Chris’s kindness.
Spotting Julia, the cat meowed and turned, approaching her for the same treatment. Julia reached down and rubbed his purring neck. He purred even louder and meowed some more. Sitting down, he stretched his neck higher to rub it against her fingers. “He’s beautiful. And sweet. And big.” She lifted her gaze to Chris’s. They stared at each other as her hand kept rubbing under the purring cat’s chin. “And I was ready to meet him. But mostly… I’m ready to be here, right now, with him.”
She straightened up and so did Chris. She swallowed hard and added, “Him being you… I hope you get what I was saying.” She felt unsure of herself, whereas with Lloyd, she possessed all the power in the relationship. Whenever sh
e clicked her fingers, he jumped up to do whatever she wanted. She never blushed with Lloyd, nor did she simper or even respond very much. She hardly cared if he touched her or not, either way didn’t matter to her. But with Chris? Her heart was thudding and her palms were clammy. Yet she believed he truly wanted her.
He stared at her for a long while, and suddenly lurched forward, scooping her up in his arms. Holding her under her armpits, he pressed her against his chest. When he picked her up so effortlessly, she did not fail to compare it to how easily he lifted the cat. In his arms, she felt as if she weighed nothing. It was rather erotic and definitely a surprise. Mostly, however, it was hot. So hot. Backing up, he sat down and set her on his lap. She faced him, her legs straddling his. His hands massaged her back, running up and down gently, coaxing her, with the same tenderness and affection he showed to his cat. His huge hands were twice the size of hers and he had no trouble covering her entire lower back. His fingertips found the hem of her shirt before slipping up her bare back with his hand under her shirt. He cupped her neck and head, bringing her face towards his until their lips touched.
This time, there was no slow warm-up with him. His mouth practically devoured hers in seconds, opening up to his tongue, which seemed bigger and thicker, and mashing it into hers. Aroused by his sudden act of aggression and boldness, she reciprocated and then some. Her head tilted and their lips, tongues, teeth and hands engaged as the kiss continued on and on and on. It had her blood boiling and she felt the hot moisture pooling between her legs. She moved forward and found some relief rubbing against the hard bulge that was now in his lap. She groaned, feeling the heat of him through her underwear and the leggings she wore. The thin material of her clothes let her virtually sit on his erection and her need for relief was making it frustrating.
Her hands felt his shoulders, and she began rubbing the muscles under her fingertips. She kneaded his skin, moving toward his neck and slipping her hands around it. She had to hold on when their kissing suddenly increased at a furious pace. Turning their heads and twisting their bodies, they rocked together, trying to unite as intimately as their mouths were. It was wet and hot but also gentle when his fingers trailed up along her neck, fluttering in soft, butterfly-light strokes. There was an underlying sense of unmasked strength in everything Chris did, but he kept it safely encased, restrained by his gentleness. His kindness. And tenderness. Combined with so much brawny heat. She didn’t know the two could exist in one man so harmoniously.
She was fairly inexperienced at this. Her previous sexual encounters, even those with Lloyd, felt clinical to Julia. It was pleasant at times. Kissing always stirred up her appetite and made petting and foreplay feel nicer. When that became more aggressive, she eagerly welcomed it. The act of sex usually capped it all off into a pleasant experience. Once or twice, she even managed to simmer into a boil, which later resulted in a gentle orgasm. Julia liked sex. She really did. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered with Lloyd. It could be fun and sometimes worth all the time and trouble it took.
But sex never had the power to move her insides. Not like this. She was as hot inside as molten lava and every time Chris touched her, she felt sparks. His fingertips lightly found the back of her bra, sending a pulse of shivers down her spine. His touch was so soft in contrast to the rough kissing. He released the hooks on her bra and put his hands over each shoulder before sliding the delicate straps between his thumbs and index fingers. He dexterously slid them down each arm, keeping her shirt on.
Letting go, his hands came back to cup her small breasts, holding one in each hand. She sighed as he rubbed his warm palms over them, flicking her pointed, hard nipples with his thumbnails. She jolted at all the fabulous sensations. Swirling through her mind, everything he did felt so different that her brain didn’t know what to focus on or how to process it. The heat of his wet mouth, and his hot tongue against hers delighted her. He softly nibbled her lips before unexpectedly opening up wider, and giving her open-mouthed kisses that devoured her and gave her an unparalleled thrill. Her insides felt so hot, she feared she could spontaneously combust. Everything overwhelmed her and she felt more turned on, and more crazy heat and emotion than she ever imagined could exist.
She suddenly ripped her mouth from his and her breathing was ragged, as if she were gasping for breath after a long sprint. His hands immediately released her and he jerked back. He seemed ready to put his hands up as if he were under arrest. “I’ll stop,” he said immediately. “I’m sorry.”
She smiled, cupping his face and leaning forward until her forehead touched his. “No. No, it’s not that. It’s not you. I’m, well, I mean, not usually… so into it. And it surprised me. Made me… have to pause.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “So into what?”
“You know, being so turned on. Over sex. It overwhelmed me for a moment. I’m sorry. I don’t want to stop at all. I want us to continue. I was just surprised by how good it felt. I know I try to seem sophisticated and worldly, but I’m not that experienced. There were only three guys… total. And sex with them only occurred a handful of times.”
He smiled. “It’s just you and me, Julia. Here in the present. Remember? The past doesn’t matter, or how often or seldom you’ve done this. It’s all new, because it’s strictly between us. For me too.”
“Chris…” she gulped hard, staring into his eyes. He wasn’t the kind of guy she ever pictured having such overwhelming emotional angst about. Not like this. She wanted to cup his face and memorize every dear, precious detail about his face. His beautiful eyes. The way his mouth curled up in a sweet, encouraging smile. She never foresaw this giant as the one person who could make her feel understood and comfortable enough to be herself. She wasn’t afraid of appearing vulnerable anymore and Chris understood that about her. He didn’t use it against her or try to manipulate or control her. No, Chris supported her, and cared for her and only wanted to build up her self-esteem. She didn’t see it at first, not from him, and never imagined it would be like this with him. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
His face melted before glowing, and his twinkling, warm eyes and smile were comparable to a sixteen-year-old driver getting a brand new car for his birthday or a three-year-old child receiving his first tricycle. He looked so happy. He was touched and embarrassed because it seemed incomprehensible to him. It was unbelievable. Astonished at her honesty and sincerity, his expression suddenly grew fierce and he tugged her closer. Pressing her chest right against his, he almost squeezed the air out of her lungs he hugged her so tightly.
Both arms encircled her back and she tucked herself up under his chin. She couldn’t move or even wiggle her head so she started to giggle. She didn’t expect to have that reaction. She wasn’t a giggler. She wasn’t that kind of girl. Yet, there she was, giggling in his tight embrace. He loosened his arms so she could slide her head up high enough to catch his gaze. His face was close to hers and his expression was as tender as a father seeing his newborn when he stared down at her. It stole her breath away. She reached up and touched the side of his face.
“I love you too, Julia. I have for a while now. I just didn’t dare to hope you felt the same way.”
“I wanted you to know that before we went any further. Being with you, Chris, isn’t like being with anyone else for me.”
He shook his head. “Then you should know I feel the same way. Being with you is not like being with anyone else for me either.”
“Then let’s not stop.” She smiled, feeling strength and confidence from his adoring gaze and smile as he peppered kisses all over her face.
She relished his adoring hands and kisses, demonstrating his affection with soft ministrations but forcibly extracted herself suddenly. It surprised him so he jerked back. Straightening up, she whipped her shirt off, taking her bra with it. His gaze went from being gentle, loving and tender to sparking with visible heat. He swallowed hard, staring down at her naked breasts with unbridled lust before he glanced back up a
t her.
“You don’t have to be gentle,” she said softly, reaching out to stroke his cheek. “I trust you.”
He instantly tugged off his own shirt and disposed of it. Her breath caught as she beheld his wide, massive, ripped wall of a chest, along with his shoulders, biceps, and abdomen. She reached out to stroke him, following all the different lines of muscles she could find. He was so big, she compared the exploration of his body to an undiscovered island in the sea.
“You are so strong.”
“Only muscles, honey. They’re not meant to hurt anyone.” She melted at his soft words, realizing the irony of Chris. He was first a gentle, kind, wonderful man and his macho side, as a tough, strong man was secondary. He was so much stronger than his muscles. But damn. He had no shortage of those.
He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as Julia continued to feel him, leaning forward to kiss him, and tasting his skin and nipples as she licked along his neck. She ground her bottom half over him and he held his hands loosely on her thighs. Responding all at once, his pulse skipped, and his eyes briefly opened as a look of pleasure shone on his face.
She snuggled against his crotch and he groaned when her arms encircled his neck. She pressed her bare breasts against his chest and moved them up and down, letting his coarse chest hair abrade her sensitized nipples. She matched his groan with her own.
His hands circled her waist before slipping down the back side of her pants. They felt smooth against her bare butt cheeks as he squeezed and kneaded them, pressing her ever closer to his erection. She gasped as their lips met in another kiss and rose up on her knees. Leaning over him, she stuck her tongue deeper into his mouth and his head tilted up to meet hers. He swiftly took the hint as she gently wiggled against his hands. Her body pooled with molten liquid. He pushed his hands deeper into her pants and felt the wet, hot moisture of her panties. She rocked shamelessly against his hand and gasped. “Oh, God, Chris. Please. Touch me.”
Then her mouth captured his, and his fingertips plunged inside her panties until they found her wet, slippery core. She gasped when he started a gentle massage, rubbing, and swirling around her clit. She moved her hips faster, grabbing his smooth, bald head and pulling his mouth forcibly against her chest. She ached to push her nipple into his mouth while her entire body started to grow white-hot, burning with desire, and ready to explode.
