Annie’s heart thudded against her chest so loud she was certain Jericho could hear it. She wondered what he thought that she still had a nervousness around him, that she still got butterflies and that every hair on her body stood erect whenever he touched her, whether it was with purpose or on accident.
When they got to his room, he gently placed her on the top of the mattress so she was on her stomach. Very slowly, he proceeded to undo each and every button before sliding the sleeves off her shoulders and tugging the gown off of her body. A blue garter wrapped around one thigh, a white matching bra-and-panties set, covered her just barely. She felt so vulnerable that her thighs moistened even more. He could do whatever he wanted to her and she would never know. She would never be able to stop him and didn’t want to.
He sat back down on her right side and undid her bra. Gently, he slid the straps down her shoulders and pushed her back down so he could take hold of the cups and remove them from her breasts. When he did this, he guided her back to the bed and kept her in the same position.
Jericho did the same thing with her underwear.
When she was completely naked, he crawled in next to her and made eye contact with her.
“Sit on my face,” he commanded in a gentle tone.
“What?” she asked.
“Don’t question me,” he said. “Just do it.”
Annie’s breathing hitched in her throat and she took a moment to figure out the best way to do this. She had never sat on somebody’s face before and she wanted to attempt to figure out the mechanics and why someone would want to do that. Facing him, she put both knees on either side of his face and slowly slid down until the back of her thighs hit her calves. There was still some space between her and Jericho’s face so she wasn’t smothering him. Her arms crossed her chest – she wasn’t sure what else to do with them.
“Don’t do that,” he said, reaching up and gently tugging on her arms. “I want to see you.”
Annie let her hands drop to the side. She felt Jericho place his hands on the inside of her thighs and spread her lips so he had better access to her clit.
At that moment, he licked her clit, from her entrance all the way to her front. She squirmed underneath him, her body reacting to how sensitive her body reacted to his ministrations, but his hands tightened on her and prevented her from moving. He gave her a gentle squeeze, indicating that just because she was on top of him did not mean she was in charge.
Stay, he was staying.
So she listened. Because that was what she did.
He started licking her mound back and forth slowly, ensuring that she get used to the sensation of his tongue against her clit. It felt odd, different, but he was patient and continued licking her in a steady, consistent manner until she relaxed on top of him. Her legs spread apart even further as the tension and uncertainty disappeared, and suddenly, she could feel the sensation of him licking her and she began to moan. This compelled him to speed up his licking and she cried out in shock and in pleasure. His grip tightened once more, expecting her to move away, to squirm out from his grasp, but she did not do that. She stayed on top of him, wanting to orgasm against his face.
She started grinding against him, needing to do something. But Jericho squeezed her hips again and she was forced to stay still. Which was disgustingly difficult to do. Her eyes – dark and hooded – caught sight of his body. Bare chest, rigid abdomen, and his cock hard and straining on the inside of his sweatpants. She could not believe that cock belonged to her.
Suddenly, she wanted it in her mouth. She wanted to feel it twitch, she wanted to feel him shudder underneath her, and she wanted to taste his come in her mouth as it spilled into her like a goddamn water spout.
When she started feeling fluttery and out of control and helpless, she reached up and gripped her hair with her fingers, gently tugging at the roots. She needed to hold onto something, needed to transfer her grip to something. She was afraid to touch Jericho because she didn’t want to throw him off, didn’t want to distract him in any way. So she tugged at her own hair as her breathing got heavy and she felt her pelvis’s fuse burn short until she boomed.
“Oh, Jesus Christ, Jericho, I’m going to-“
He didn’t stop.
She couldn’t finish her sentence. She came hard and fast over his face and he didn’t stop, even when she gasped and hitched her breathing and she thought it was too sensitive to her that she was going to scream. Only when she began to come down from this high, only when her body had shuddered its last time, did he finally stop.
“You taste fucking delicious,” he told her.
She didn’t rest for long. Instead of sliding off of him, she reached for the band of his sweatpants and sprung his cock free.
She leaned forward, her knees hitting the bed on either side of his torso, and brought his cock to her mouth. She didn’t even start off by teasing him. She swallowed him as far as she could take him and she felt Jericho twitch underneath her and hiss a tight breath. She smirked as she continued to moisten his cock with her mouth. Now she was the one with the power and all he could do was writhe beneath her.
Once his cock was thoroughly wet with her saliva, she pulled the skin down gently to the base with her right hand and proceeded to jerk his length with her left hand while simultaneously bobbing her head up and down.
“Fuck me,” he breathed out. “Oh, goddammit, where did you learn how to do that? Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Annie kept her mouth shut. She wouldn’t have told him anyway, but she wanted him to know that she was concentrating on her task at hand, and that was her first priority. Not answering nonsensical questions about previous lovers. Just as he was about to shift into the moment where his orgasm started to build, she stopped. Keeping her hands on his cock, she moved her mouth so she could lick his balls easily. He moaned, a sound she had yet to hear from him, and her core twitched at the sound. She wondered if the women who came before played with his balls the way she played with them, and then stopped herself because she didn’t want to think about them because they were insignificant.
After a moment, Annie moved from his balls back to his cock and took him in. He was close, she knew, and she wanted to take full advantage of it. She gently twisted the skin and he cried out. She kept doing it just enough where he hissed and grunted and groaned.
"Annie," he cried out. His hands gripped the curve of her behind. If he hadn't been so focused on what she was doing, she had a feeling he would have spanked her. But he couldn't, not when it felt this good. He was at her complete mercy. His fingers dug into her sides and she knew she would bruise, but she didn't care. How could she care, when she was in complete control of the great Jericho Steel.
"I'm going to-"
He couldn't finish his sentence. She didn't stop as his cock started to twitch in her mouth and he started spilling into her like something sweet and sour and thick. And she kept moving her mouth and her hands until he was finally finished and squeezed her sides to stop.
"Jesus, Annie," he breathed out. "Jesus. How the hell did I get so lucky to have you?"
She felt the same way.
Chapter 11
The honeymoon was in Hawaii. Naturally. Annie had never even been out of Washington so it was a whole new experience for her. She held his hand as he led her through the airport to his private jet. Was it wrong that she didn’t even know he had had a private jet before they went away on their honeymoon together? Possibly. The old Annie would never have entertained the idea of marriage to Jericho – Jericho of all people – much less gone away with him for an entire two weeks, just the two of them.
It was one hell of an experience, however. They decided to go to Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, rather than a typical destination of Maui or Kauai, based on Jericho’s recommendation. The island was quiet and not too busy but with enough activity to keep things interesting. Not that Hawaii could ever not be interesting. If it had been up to her, they would hang
out by the pool and read all day. Instead, Jericho had one thing planned each day. From luau’s to parasailing, from Elvis impersonator dinner shows to swimming with dolphins, from helicopter rides that toured the island to hiking volcanic rock, Jericho had it all planned. However, he never overdid it and every day they were either at the pool – the hotel had three pools; one specifically for children, one for everyone with a water slide, and a third for adults only – or at the hotel’s private beach, reading. Jericho didn’t work at all, even though Annie knew he got tons of emails and phone calls every few minutes.
They also had lots of sex. Sex in the morning, sex at night, sex in the afternoon, just before falling asleep for a nap. Sex in the bathtub – which was not as sexy as it sounded – sex in the shower, sex against the desk, sex in the kitchen, sex on the couch, sex on the floor. Sex everywhere. If she wasn’t pregnant by the end of these two weeks, she had infertility problems.
They weren’t wearing protection. Not that they had before. She was still on birth control, however, so at least there was some protection against unwanted pregnancy. She didn’t think she was quite ready for a baby yet. Maybe Jericho would be happy.
No. Scratch that. He would be over the moon. But truthfully, Annie wanted to enjoy the time they had just the two of them for now. It had only been a couple of months, after all. There was plenty of time for a child.
The honeymoon was the best two weeks of her life. Jericho had somehow turned into her best friend and lover. Exactly the way she thought a husband was supposed to be. They could be reading side by side for hours without saying a word to one another and there would be no uncomfortable tension hanging in the air between them. It made her feel more confident in her decision to marry him. Not only was he well-versed in literature, especially nonfiction books relating to finances and business, but he didn’t need to fill the silence simply so he could hear himself speak. She had dated a guy like that in college and he annoyed the crap out of her.
. When they weren’t eating, they were going on various activities on the island. Jericho had the enthusiasm of a child. His eyes were always grass-green and a boyish smile always tickled his lips even though Annie knew he had experienced all of this before.
“Well, yeah,” he said with a shrug when she pointed it out to him one night at dinner. They were currently eating the freshest sushi she had ever tried and she couldn’t get over how amazing the rolls were. “But I’ve never shared this with someone before. Not even my parents were as enthusiastic for this kind of stuff.”
Annie’s heart warmed at the sentiment and she blushed, looking down at her rolls of such.
Jericho was both fearless and enthusiastic, which made him the perfect travel companion. He was willing to try new things and he always had a positive attitude. Even during their couple’s massage, he was still talkative and romantic. He was… amazing.
Annie knew they would grow comfortable with each other, which meant things wouldn’t be as exciting and they would both calm down a bit, but she hoped that didn’t happen anytime soon. She loved the look currently occupying Jericho’s face – one of complete and utter happiness. In all the pictures and interviews she had seen of Jericho, she had never seen him so deliriously happy. And a lot of that came from her.
It was hard for her to wrap her head around it, but Annie was the reason for this new-found happiness. Besides the fact that he told her this on a constant basis, she felt it, too. At first, she thought this was all bullshit. That Jericho was too nice, too perfect, too sweet, to even be real. But the truth of the matter was she had been conditioned by society where if a guy was nice, he wanted something. That she wasn’t worthy of having a nice guy. That nice guys didn’t exist.
Except they did.
One was standing in front of her, claiming to love her with every fiber of his being.
Her. Annie.
When they finally had to leave Hawaii, Annie felt her heart sink. She had never had two blissful weeks with a guy before. They hadn’t fought, they hadn’t argued, they had simply had fun. They couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. Annie always had her phone on her so she could take as many pictures as she could so she would always remember this.
“Maybe once I retire, we could move to Kona,” he suggested as he hefted one of his suitcases in the overhead bin. “We could even buy a little place for your brother, too.”
Annie threw her head back and laughed. “You know,” she told him as she slid into her window seat. Jericho insisted she sit by the window. He preferred the aisle anyway. “I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland.”
“We should go to Europe in the spring,” Jericho murmured. “Can you take off a few weeks?”
Annie shook her head, laughing. She could not believe he was willing to take her to Europe in the spring. Like this was no big deal. Like they could wait last minute, head to the airport, close their eyes, and pick a destination completely at random.
The flight was long but it didn’t feel that way. Annie and Jericho both read their Kindles and Annie was actually able to nap for some of the flight despite how uncomfortable she was on planes. Jericho’s shoulder was sturdy but it felt like a pillow.
Jericho also insisted that they join the mile-high club before they started to descend into the Seattle Airport. He took her to the bathroom, pulled down her black leggings and fucked her in the tight, cramped room against the plastic wall. It was uncomfortable and sweaty, the mirror fogging up before she realized it, but God, it was fun and amazing. The feel of his cock in her at such an odd angle left her panting and wanting more. She was certain she had left marks on his clothed back from how hard she was clawing at him. He didn’t seem to mind, however.
By the time they touched down, Annie was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than the comfort of her bed. Their bed now.
Holy crap, she was married.
She couldn’t believe that she was actually married. And to Jericho Steel, Seattle’s resident bachelor and wealthiest man in Seattle.
Annie wasn’t quite sure why it hit her now rather than during or even right after her wedding. It hadn’t even hit her on their honeymoon. But as she got into the town car that would drive them back to their place, she caught sight of the princess-cut five-karat diamond ring and her breath caught in her throat. She was married to a wonderful man and they were going to spend their entire life together. People dreamed about things like this their whole life. People killed for this. And somehow, this fell into her lap.
Because of Bruce.
If Bruce hadn’t borrowed money from Jericho, if Jericho hadn’t called an impromptu meeting, if Bruce hadn’t already been taking Annie to dinner, if Bruce hadn’t insisted on meeting with Jericho while Annie was still with him, she never would have met Jericho. Maybe fate really did exist.
“Did you take tomorrow off?” Jericho asked, cocking his head to the side.
Annie nodded through a yawn. “Yeah,” she said with a small smile. “I figured I would just take the day to get back on our time and relax.” She pressed her lips together before asking, “What about you?”
“I have a meeting in the afternoon, but after that, I’m free for the rest of the day,” he told her. “You think that’ll give you enough time to rest up?”
Annie smiled, shaking her head. “Unbelievable,” she said. “You’re not sick of me yet?”
. “That’s a stupid question,” he said with a dry tone and a roll of his eyes. “Be real, Annie. I wouldn’t have married you if I ever thought I’d get sick of you. Why do you think I never settled down with anyone else? The women were pretty, sure, and we had fun. But they couldn’t keep my attention for more than a few days. And you’d be surprised at how awful some of them were.”
Annie clenched her teeth at the mention of his past sexual escapades. She knew about them, sure, and he was entitled to his past. But that didn’t mean she wanted to hear about it. That didn’t mean she wanted to be reminded of it. Her fingers clenched into fists and she tried to thin
k of something to change the subject with, without making it obvious she was upset.
“Are you jealous?” he asked in a low voice.
Annie opened her mouth, ready to defend herself, but stopped. His eyes had gone dark and he was waiting carefully for her reaction.
“Yes,” she told him, her voice quiet, her gaze unflinching.
Without warning, he grabbed the car remote she hadn’t even noticed before and pressed a button. A black divider rose, suddenly giving Annie and Jericho much more privacy than she anticipated they could have. When he finished, he dropped the remote to the floor like it didn’t even matter.
“Why?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Because you’re mine,” she stated. The answer was so simple, so true. “You’re mine. And anyone else who came before me borrowed what was mine. Which I never said they could.”
He clenched his jaw so hard it popped. He continued to look at her with hard eyes, not because he was angry with her response. No. He was hungry.
“Is that so?” he asked, unbuckling his seatbelt so he could scoot closer to her.
She bit her bottom lip – something she knew he liked – and nodded.
He reached out and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“And what about all the men that came before me,” he said slowly, placing his hand on her shoulder and sliding the loose sleeve down so the bare skin touched the cool air. Her eyes went wide and she gasped.
“What about them?” she managed to get out as she watched him lean forward and kiss her shoulder with his lips.
“I should just kill them all,” he murmured against her skin, causing goosebumps to burst out all over her body. “No one who has seen your naked body or felt the inside of your cunt should be allowed to live.”
Annie swallowed. This should be scaring her since Jericho was notorious for following through on these promises. But, if she was being honest, his dirty talk made her soak her panties. The thought of him being this possessive made her pelvis throb and she didn’t realize how badly she wanted him until she felt her nipples harden against her bra.
A Corruption Dark & Deadly (A Dark & Deadly Series Book 3) Page 16
