by C. A. Harms
“Will you stop being such a pussy?” Harper said as she placed her hand on her hip. “He won’t hurt you. In fact, he’s scared of his own shadow on a good day.”
She opened the door, and I took a step inside, still leery of the dog that could stand on his hind legs and be taller than me. She led me toward the couch and directed me to have a seat.
“I just need five minutes.” She rushed off before I could say another word.
I was scared to move as Brutus watched me from the left end of the couch. I continued to stare straight ahead, thinking if I avoided eye contact, maybe he would walk away.
My actions had the opposite effect. I felt his head nudge my knee, and I stiffened. This shit was messed up. Dogs were supposed to be small and cute. They should never be larger than their owners…never.
Another strong nudge against my leg made me sweat a little. Then Brutus went one step further and placed his paw on my thigh and laid his head next to it, letting out a loud humph.
“H-hey there, big guy.” My voice vibrated with tension. What the fuck? Harper was right, I was acting like a damn pussy.
I lifted my hand and began petting the top of Brutus’s head. “You’re not that scary, are ya?” It was definitely more of a question than a reassuring statement. I still wasn’t completely convinced that he wasn’t going to eat me before Harper finished getting ready.
“Okay, this isn’t so bad, is it?” I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding since Harper left me alone with the grizzly. His big puppy-dog eyes looked up at me and sagged in awe. Apparently he liked being scratched behind his ears.
So for the next…what felt like ten minutes, I continued to pet him in the place he enjoyed the most. Yes, I still silently prayed that I’d make it out of here with all my limbs intact, but I may have been able to relax, just a little.
Chapter Seventeen
Harper
I stood in the doorway of the living room, watching Easton pet Brutus. I could tell he was tense; his back was stiff and his shoulders squared. I fought against laughing at him.
Most people freaked out at the sight of Brutus, but he truly was an amazing, loving dog. The only person I think I have ever witnessed him not warm up to was Ian. That should have been the first sign that Ian was a mistake.
After watching Easton interact with Brutus for about five minutes, I decided to rescue him, so to speak. “So are you ready?” I asked as I stepped into the living room.
He twisted around just enough to take in my appearance, and a grin curved the corner of his delectable mouth. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
He led me to his car, opened the passenger door, and helped me inside.
“What is it that you have planned for tonight?” I asked when he was in the driver’s seat. Please say making out, I thought as I let my eyes roam over his jaw and mouth.
“I actually have dinner waiting for us at my place. I didn’t want the distraction of others tonight.” He reached across the center console, took my hand, and brought it to rest on his thigh. “I hope that’s okay.”
Oh yes, that was more than okay. “Fine with me,” I replied. Inside, I was being such a girl; my heart was racing, and I was mentally fist-pumping the air. A night alone with Easton. No interruptions, nothing holding us back. Oh the possibilities.
We pulled up to his condo on a cul-de-sac, and my eyes grew wide. It was double the size of mine and secluded and distant from the rest of the neighbors. The city lights in the distance highlighted its beauty.
“I’ve never been this far down his road. I always just stopped at Jett’s without going any farther. I hadn’t even realized there were views like this. Your place is amazing.” I looked on in awe as I crawled out of his Jaguar.
He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me toward the front door. “The view is what sold me on the place. And the fact that the neighbors weren’t right on top of me. I like my privacy.”
Once the front door was open, the aroma of a mouthwatering dish hit me. “Something smells great.”
“That would be dinner.” He stepped up behind me and leaned in toward my ear. I heard him breathe in, and chills covered my neck as his breath fanned out over my shoulder. “But honestly the only thing I can smell is you, and you, Harper, smell mouthwatering.”
Suddenly my entire body was very aware of Easton. Aware of the fact that his chest was pressed against my back. Completely aware of his hand that was still resting low on my hip while his other was spread out over my lower stomach. Aware of his warm breath that continued to flow over my neck and shoulder, leaving my body covered with goose bumps.
I turned in his hold and placed my hands on his chest, looking up at him with desire. Easton’s chest gently lifted and fell with each breath, and I slowly slid my hands upward to circle around the back of his neck. I pulled his head down, and our lips met and began to taste and tease.
Once again, the feelings that filled me whenever Easton kissed me took over. Being so in tune with every swipe of his tongue and every movement of his lips was a sensation I had never felt before.
“You taste so good, baby,” he whispered into our kiss. “But if we plan on making it through dinner, we need to slow down.” Easton’s voice came out strained. I knew he was using all his willpower to maintain control, because I was fighting the exact same temptation too.
I wanted to say to hell with dinner and drag him off to the nearest bed, where we could take this to a whole new level, but I pulled back and smiled instead. “Okay,” I replied breathlessly.
Easton took my hand and led me out onto the back patio. My stomach fluttered as I took in my surroundings. He had gone to so much trouble to make his yard romantic and inviting. Each dish on the table was covered with a dome to keep it fresh. A bottle of wine chilled in an ice bucket. Candlelight highlighted the table.
I was in awe. Not much surprised me, and not many people, if anyone, could stun me into silence. Yet in the short time I’d been getting to know him, Easton has managed to do those very things repeatedly.
“It’s beautiful,” I gasped, shaking my head slightly to clear the urge to throw my arms around him once more. I was losing my edge when it came to this man. I had never had a problem with the tough-girl act. It had become natural over the years. But slowly, Mr. Black was crumbling away the exterior I had fought so hard to build.
***
Dinner was amazing, and the company was even better. I had a hard time taking my eyes off him. I had always thought Easton was good-looking, but each moment spent with him made me let go of the reservations I’ve lived with for so long.
“I should have brought my suit,” I said as I stood at the edge of the pool. The yard looked as if it fell away beyond the pool into the lights glistening in the distance.
I could sense him approaching, and his hands slid around me from behind. “We could swim without them,” he whispered against my ear.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Black?” I smiled as his tongue trailed along my neck. “If so,” I breathed, “it’s working.”
His grip on my waist tightened a little more, and he pulled me back against him. The excitement of the moment grew as he pressed his erection harder against my backside.
“I think you should spend the night.” Need was heavy in his words.
“I can’t.” My own words disappointed me. “I have to be home to take care of Brutus. I never asked the neighbor boy to take him out.” I hadn’t prepared for this. I expected he’d take me home after we ate at a restaurant.
“What if I drive you home and then we come back and finish what we started?” he asked.
“Why don’t you just stay with me, then?” I tilted my head back, exposing my neck as I looked up at him.
“Because your dog would probably eat me in my sleep.”
I laughed as I turned farther, getting a better look at him. He was completely serious, and I found his perception of Brutus hysterical.
“He would not, he would just cud
dle you,” I explained.
“Well what if I want to cuddle with you?” He licked his lower lip and kissed me seductively. “What if I want to spend hours upon hours tasting and touching every inch of you?” Once again his detailed words made me ache for more.
“He can sleep in the spare bedroom,” I replied. My body longed for the ability to fast-forward to the moments he was describing. I was more than ready to feel his hands and mouth all over me.
“Let me lock up.” He sounded as if he was thinking the same thing I was.
This was going to happen. Tonight I would allow Easton into my home and into my body, because he was already slithering his way into my heart.
Chapter Eighteen
Easton
Why did I feel like a teenage virgin? Like I was going to combust and lose control? I smiled to myself as she stepped into the bedroom.
That was why…Harper was fucking beautiful.
She was an amazing woman, and I wanted her with everything inside me. I wanted to break her down and build her back up without the damage she was carrying daily. I still had no idea what had torn her down when she was younger, but I could tell it was something serious. Jett had only given me a few vague details, but I could see the pain in his eyes when he remembered that time.
I only hoped that one day she’d trust me enough to share her pain and secrets with me. But until then, I would do everything I could to make her feel beautiful and needed.
I lay on her bed with my arms resting behind my head. I had taken the time to remove my shirt and unfasten the clasp of my jeans. She had told me to get comfortable, so I went full throttle. I even thought about completely removing my pants and crawling beneath the sheets, but that even in my own eyes would have been slightly overboard.
I groaned deeply when she hooked her fingers under the hem of her dress and began to lift it upward. I had to fight not to leap off the bed and devour her. The blue lace of her panties followed by the matching bra made my mouth water. I couldn’t remember a time I had ever been so turned on.
Harper bit her lower lip as she began to crawl toward me from the foot of the bed. When she straddled my waist, I immediately slid my hands up her soft thighs. As I lowered the waistband of her panties, my eye caught the traces of a tattoo peeking out just beneath the edge. “What’s this?” I asked. The word unbreakable jumped out at me, making my throat tighten.
Harper placed her hand over mine. “Not tonight,” she said. “It’s not a story for tonight. Not yet.”
The finality of her statement confirmed that she did, in fact, have a painful past she was hiding from everyone around her. I nodded and forced down the nausea boiling in my stomach.
She lowered her body over me and brought her lips to mine. Within seconds I was once again consumed by Harper and all she was giving me. My brain scrambled from the way her body was grinding against mine, the way she was sucking along my jaw and neck.
I was so damn hard it was on the edge of painful.
As she trailed her lips down my chest to my stomach, I gripped the comforter with one hand and threaded the fingers of my other through her hair. On instinct I lifted my hips off the bed when she began to lower the zipper of my jeans.
“Somebody’s eager,” she spoke against my hip, her breath tickling me.
“You have no idea how many nights I’ve dreamed of this happening. How many things I’ve imagined doing to you.” My body felt like it was on fire.
Harper placed a kiss just above the waistband of my boxers before hooking them and slowly, tauntingly lowering them over my hips. “Well, tonight all those dreams can come true, because we have hours to make sure of it.”
The moment her hand encircled my cock and began to stroke, I lost all words. As if that moment alone wasn’t difficult enough to handle, she just about killed me when she took me deep into her mouth. I reached forward, gathered her hair, and held it back from her face. I didn’t want to miss a moment of what she was doing to me.
“Feels good,” I groaned. “So fucking good.”
She began to work me with her mouth as she continued to stroke. My toes curled as she took me in deep and her throat contracted around me.
“Slow down,” I directed. “I’m gonna lose it.”
She licked the tip before lifting her head, her lust-filled eyes locked on mine. Moving back onto her knees, she slid her panties down her hips and rose up to remove them completely. I watched her every move, completely mesmerized by her beauty and her confidence. I knew she would be a vixen in the bedroom, and I had no doubt she would take control. This time I would allow it, I would give that to her, because I knew she needed it to feel comfortable. But eventually she would have to accept that I, too, needed control. It would be a battle, I was sure, but one I would enjoy winning.
She unclasped her bra, and it fell away. Her breasts were perfect; she was perfect.
She crawled back up my body and straddled my hips once more, and I placed my hands on her upper thighs. I stretched my thumb outward, placed it over her clit, and pressed lightly.
She whimpered and thrust her hips forward as I began to rotate my thumb against her. “Mm,” she moaned.
I slid my thumb downward and felt her slick and ready.
The sound of foil tearing caught my attention. I looked up to find her pulling a condom from the package she dropped onto the comforter beside us earlier. “Who’s eager?” I said as I chuckled at her obvious rush to have me inside her.
“Me.” Harper was breathless. She quickly took my cock into her grasp and began sheathing me with the condom.
I watched her in awe as she positioned herself over me and began lowering her body, taking me inside her. Her warmth overtook me, and my eyes rolled back in pleasure.
She rocked her hips forward, taking me in to the hilt. Our eyes locked, and we were both lost in the depth of the moment.
I traced the tattoo on her hip, telling her in my own way that she was completely safe with me. That seemed to be enough to bring her back to the moment, and she began to rock her hips against me. I watched her move above me, hypnotized by her, captured by the ecstasy of the moment.
Harper’s moans were erotic, and her body was covered in a light layer of sweat. She had her head thrown back as she chased her impending orgasm. I could feel her tightening around me just before she began to thrust harder and faster, only to yell out a yes that felt like it shook the walls.
I was no saint; I was far from it. I have had more one-night stands than I would admit to. I have had fuck buddies and even my fair share of relationships, both short and lasting. But never once had I seen a woman more beautiful than Harper was right when she fell over the edge, losing herself to the pleasure that had engulfed her.
Her movements slowed as she rode out her orgasm, her eyes fluttering open as she looked down at me. A satisfied smile overtook her face, and in that moment I was lost.
I gripped her waist and flipped her onto her back as she gave me a surprised look. Covering her body with mine, I grinned and pushed my hips forward, driving deeper into her. “My turn,” I groaned as I began to thrust.
Her back arched as she dug her heels in to my ass, urging me to move faster. “More. Harder,” she begged.
Giving in to her demands, I slammed into her over and over, my own heightened pleasure only growing more intense. I was losing control, and I knew I was on the verge of plummeting. My mind was boggled and my heart was racing as our bodies pulled every ounce of pleasure we could from one another.
“I’m so close, baby,” I said as she began to contract around me. That was the moment I let go and gave in to the immense gratification of what Harper provided.
Chapter Nineteen
Harper
I wasn’t sure when I had passed out, but after the third round of mind-blowing sex with Easton, I was comatose. My body felt like jelly, and I had no hope of keeping my eyes open.
Waking up wrapped tightly in his arms was fulfilling. He held me tightly against his
chest, his legs pinning mine to the mattress beneath me. A light snore filled the silence, and his breath tickled my neck.
I smiled to myself, remembering what being touched and worshipped by him felt like. He had treated me as if I were fine art that deserved an immense amount of attention.
He made me feel things I had never been given the chance to experience. I had always felt as if all the little things in sex were nothing compared to the grand finale. But Easton made me realize that everything leading up to the moment before he entered me only made the entire experience more pleasurable. I had never been with a man like him.
Still smiling, I burrowed back against him, getting closer to his warmth. It was safe to say that Easton Black had forever changed my outlook on intimacy.
“You awake?” he asked in a husky voice laced with exhaustion.
“Mmhm,” I replied, remaining tucked in close to him.
“Did you sleep okay?”
I laughed. “Well, if you’re referring to the small amount of sleep we allowed ourselves, then yeah.”
“Are you hinting at something, Miss Jameson?” Before I could answer him, his lips skimmed over my neck just behind my ear. “Because I would much rather spend a night doing what we did than waste time sleeping.”
He sucked on my earlobe, and a moan escaped me. “If you plan on round four, I think you better feed me first.” I paused for a moment, arching my neck back farther. “Unless you would rather explain to Jett and my father why I fell over from malnutrition and exhaustion combined.”
He groaned in frustration. “I have one very important rule when I have you naked in bed.”
“Oh yeah.” I wiggled my ass against his hardness. “What would that be?”
“Never, and I do mean never, mention your brother or your father.” I laughed and he kissed my shoulder. “It kills the moment instantly.”
