by Layla Hagen
***
Eric
The fly of my pants is nearly bursting. I need her, right now. Cupping her cheeks, I capture her mouth hungrily. With every inch of her lips I claim, she places more of her trust in me. Gripping her waist, I guide us both backward until we reach the bed. Pippa lowers herself on it, peering up at me.
I put one knee on the bed, then lower myself until my face is level with hers. “You’re the best thing that has happened to me in a long time, Pippa,” I say, and she simply nods, smiling. “I want you naked.”
“Back at you,” she whispers.
I yank away her dress and underwear within seconds, congratulating myself for not ripping apart either. Pippa’s fingers work furiously on the buttons of my shirt. When she’s done undoing them, she pushes it down my arms and away. I kick off my pants and boxers myself, then push Pippa on her back, climbing in bed next to her. Fisting her hair, I tilt her head so I can kiss her jaw, descending to her neck and further down, lingering on her breasts. I knead them with my palm, then swipe my tongue on the underside. I move further south, kissing around her navel. Laughter bubbles out of her. God, I love this sound. I’d do anything to keep this woman happy and make sure no one hurts her again.
Flicking my tongue over one of her delicious nipples, I part her knees with my hands. She lets them fall to the side without inhibition, opening for me. Surrendering to me. Fuck, that’s a turn-on. I drop my hand between her thighs, running my fingers up and down her ripe flesh as Pippa wraps her palm around my erection, moving her hand up, running her thumb over the tip.
I groan loudly, and she bites my shoulder. “You are so beautiful. I want to worship every inch of you.”
But I’m about to lose control. My voice is hoarse as I peer at her. I give her a quick chaste kiss before lowering myself to her thighs, peppering her legs with kisses until I reach her ankles. I observe with satisfaction her toes curling. Pushing myself up on my knees, I take a second to admire her. She’s on her back, spread open, the glistening heat between her thighs signaling she’s ready for me. I grab the pants I discarded next to the bed, looking for my wallet, and take out a condom.
“I had bought some too.”
While I roll the condom on, Pippa pushes her hips forward.
“Not so fast.” I grab her hips with my hands, pinning her to the bed. “I’m not done teasing you, love.”
“Not fair,” she whispers.
“I like seeing you like this. On edge.”
With the last vestiges of self-control, I place the tip of my erection on her clit, circling it while she writhes and moans.
“Eric.” She arches up, closing her eyes. When I slap my tip across her pink flesh, she gasps, and her thighs wobble slightly. Her folds are clenching, and she cradles me between her thighs, unleashing my primal instincts. Unable to resist any longer, I slide over her, prop myself on one forearm, and drive into her warm and welcoming flesh.
“Pippa.” I grit my teeth, the sensation of her tight passage clenching around me undoing me. She grips my arms with her hands as if needing to ground herself. I watch her the entire time; I don’t think I’ll ever tire of watching her. I want to know everything she likes, everything that brings her pleasure, and give that to her.
She throws her head back as I ease in and out of her. Breathing in harshly through my nose, I grasp at my self-control. She comes undone before me, and I want to imprint the sight on my retinas.
Balancing myself on one forearm over her, I level my lips to her breasts, taking one nipple into my mouth and flicking the other one with my fingers. Pippa’s hips buck off the bed, writhing underneath me.
Abruptly, I pull out, grabbing her ankles and placing them on my shoulders. I lift her ass, shoving a pillow under it. Then I enter her to the hilt until my balls slap against her ass.
“Oh, God,” she cries out. “This… Too much.”
“You like it, deep like this?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“I do. I can’t….”
Her words fade into moans as I push my hips into a maddening rhythm. I drag my thumb across her lips, then slide it inside her mouth. She bites it gently, and energy strums through me. Every muscle in my body contorts with effort. When she gasps my name, fisting the sheet, my control snaps. I slam harder into her than before. Her breasts bounce with my thrusts. Christ, what a sight that is. She rocks against me with equal desperation. Slipping a hand between us, I stroke her clit. Pippa rewards me by digging her nails in to the bed and crying out my name. She’s sexy and wanton, and I fucking love it. A red hue spreads on her soft skin, flushing her gorgeous curves as her sex twinges around me. Her puckered nipples beckon to me and, on a groan, I lean forward and twist one between my fingers. I increase my rhythm like a man possessed until Pippa cries out loud, riding her orgasm while I come harder than I ever have.
After discarding the condom, I lie next to her. It takes a few minutes before my breath regains a somewhat normal rhythm. Pippa lies with her eyes closed and a smile playing on her lips. That’s how I like to see my woman, thoroughly satisfied. The smell and feel of her damp skin are beckoning me. She shifts on one side, and when I take her in my arms, she wiggles her sexy ass against my crotch.
“Bonus points for spooning,” she whispers, almost asleep. “Are you staying the night?”
“I’m not going anywhere, Pippa. My place is right here, next to you.”
For now. I watch her fall asleep, unable to do the same. How will I let this woman go?
Chapter Thirteen
Pippa
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” Eric’s voice resounds throughout the room as if he’s using a goddamn megaphone.
“No,” I protest, covering my face with a pillow. I blink my eyes open and then narrow them. Sheets of light flood my bedroom, thanks to the large windows. Once my eyes grow accustomed to the light, I gradually open them wider. “It’s Saturday. I want to sleep in.”
“It’s not Saturday,” he says. “It’s Wednesday, and it’s ten o’clock.”
I bolt upright in the bed, suddenly panicked. “Oh, my God. I made plans with my siblings to watch Dad in shifts. I was supposed to be at the hospital two hours ago and—”
Eric holds up a hand, interrupting me. “I spoke to Alice this morning. Blake and Sebastian are at the hospital, so you can relax for a little longer.”
I push my hair out of my face, feeling bone-tired. Eric stands at the side of the bed, sizing me up with worry.
“Did she tell you how Dad’s doing?”
“He’s out of ICU and doing okay.”
I breathe with relief. “Why aren’t you at work?”
“I wanted to stay with you and make sure you’re okay. You went through a lot yesterday.”
His words reach somewhere deep inside me, in a place I’ve never wanted to let anyone go before. My heart thuds in my chest, and I channel the wave of emotions into a smile. “Thank you. I’m —” I almost say all right, but the truth is different. “I’m happy you’re here with me.”
Sitting at the edge of the bed, I enjoy the feel of polished wood beneath my bare feet. I decorated my bedroom in a rather minimalistic fashion, with a large bed with nightstands and a dresser made of cherry wood.
“Great. You’re about to get a lot happier.”
“Why?” I ask suspiciously, hoping to get another round of mind-blowing sex.
“I bought breakfast.” He announces this proudly, as if he deserves a medal for it.
“Oh, okay.” I try to infuse my voice with enthusiasm, but breakfast is a poor offer when I was looking for an orgasm.
“You were thinking about sex, weren’t you?” He sits on the bed, eying me closely.
“Maybe.”
In a fraction of a second, Eric flattens me on the bed, climbing over me. He pins my hands above my head and positions his knees at my sides, effectively trapping me under him. I’m stark naked while he’s fully clothed.
“Tell the truth,” he bellows, though he smil
es.
I lift my head a few inches until it’s dangerously close to his lips. Looking him straight in the eyes, I say, “I’m taking that secret to the grave.”
“That’s your final stance?”
Challenging him is such a sweet temptation. What will he do? Wrestle me into agreement? Kiss me into oblivion? Make love to me until I spill my deepest secrets? I look forward to every option. Better still, I hope he’ll resort to all three of these techniques.
“Yes, it is.” There’s no hint of hesitation in my voice, but as his smile morphs into a devilish grin, I wonder if I didn’t make a mistake.
“You asked for it,” he announces.
Eric tightens the grip on my wrists with one of his hands, bringing the other to my breasts. Then no kissing or wrestling or lovemaking follows.
He tickles me. The bastard actually tickles me. I erupt in laughter as he tortures my armpits and the sides of my boobs. Damn it. To hell with all of it. Who is ticklish on their boobs?
“Stop,” I shriek between bursts of laughter. Far from obliging me, Eric continues to tickle me.
“Have you changed your mind?”
I barely hear him over my own laughter. I’ll be damned if I don’t hold my ground, even though I might faint from laughter. Is death by laughter even possible?
“No,” I say eventually.
“Then I won’t stop.” His damn fingers continue to torment my armpits, driving me bananas.
My hips buck off the bed and collide with his.
“Fine, fine,” I confess. “I was thinking about sex.”
Instantly, he lets go of my hands, falling beside me on the bed, laughing alongside me.
“You play dirty,” I accuse after regaining my breath.
“If it means I get my way,” he replies. Turning on one side, he props his head on his elbow. “Coercing you into confessing wasn’t the only reason for the tickling session.”
“You had an ulterior motive in that evil mastermind of yours?”
“I like your laugh, so I made you laugh,” he says, dragging the back of his hand up and down my cheek.
His words warm my insides. “That wasn’t laughing. That was shrieking.”
“True,” he admits. “With a few pig-like snorts in between.”
“I do not snort.”
He lifts an eyebrow, and I sigh.
“Okay, I do, but a gentleman wouldn’t bring that up.”
Cupping my jaw, he pulls me close to him until our lips almost touch. “I’m no gentleman.” He touches the hinge of my jaw and then my lower lip with the pad of his thumb.
“So, you woke up with sex on your mind.”
“You know, words spoken under duress shouldn’t count,” I say.
He tugs at my lower lip with his teeth for a brief second, setting all the nerve endings on fire. “So, say you beg me to kiss you the next time I make love to you. Should I discard those words too?”
I blush. “That’s something else.”
“Double standards. I see.” Shifting back, he drags his tongue over the skin between my breasts, then nuzzles one of my nipples. He swirls his tongue exquisitely slow, as if he wants to savor every lick of my skin. I want to do the same to him. I push my hips up, colliding with his hard upper body. He slides a finger inside me, his thumb pressing on my bundle of nerves.
“That feels so good,” I whisper, grinding my hips against him. Eric smiles devilishly at me. Then kissing, wrestling, and lovemaking follow. In that particular order.
Afterward, we shower together and head to the living room. There is coffee, croissants, cookies, and waffles on the table.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why did you only buy sweet stuff?” I inquire while wolfing down a waffle.
“It’s comfort food.”
“I know, but how do you know that?”
“Julie,” he answers simply. “Wait, why are you laughing?”
I bite my lip, evidently unable to hold back my smile.
“Do your workers have any idea the shark is a softie with his daughter?”
“If you ever repeat that in front of my employees…,” he says in a faux menacing tone.
“You’ll do what?” I challenge, holding my chin high.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Tickle you.”
Damn.
We finish breakfast in companionable silence, sitting across from each other. Our feet touch the entire time, and our hands occasionally too, across the table. He can’t stop touching me, and the feeling is mutual.
Midway through breakfast, his phone vibrates. Eric glances at the screen, groaning.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Problems in Boston. I’ll have to have a conference call with the office there when I get to work.”
My throat clogs at the mention of Boston, which is silly. I know the deal.
“How do you like the work you do here?”
Eric sips from his coffee, furrowing his brow. “I like it more than I thought I would. Things in Boston run like a well-oiled machine. There are occasional hiccups, but nothing major.”
“You don’t feel challenged enough.”
“Exactly. Setting things up here is different, more dynamic. I like it.”
I fidget with my fingers in my lap, a question burning on my lips. “Why don’t you move here?”
Eric doesn’t answer, and my heart shrinks to the size of a pebble.
“Forget I asked,” I murmur.
He leans his arm across the table, opening up his palm and gesturing me to place my hand there. I do that, startling when my skin touches his because it feels like I’m placing a piece of my heart in his palm.
“If it were just me, I’d consider it,” he says in a soft voice. “But Julie’s whole life is there. She’s changed four schools in the last five years because she had trouble adjusting. Kids bullied her because of her leg and the inhaler, and things only settled down at her last school. I can’t make her start fresh again.”
“I didn’t know that,” I whisper. “Who would bully her? She’s such a great girl.”
“Yeah, but kids can be downright mean. Also, my mother is there. We’re not very close to her, but Julie needs more family than me. I can’t uproot her.”
Retracting my hand, I lower my gaze to my plate. “Of course. I understand. Family is important.”
He nudges my feet under the table. “Hey. Let’s not think about Boston, okay?”
Nodding, I force myself to smile.
“That’s not a real smile. I have to change that.” Rounding the table, Eric takes my hand, bringing me to my feet. He pulls me in to a quick kiss, and then his fingers caress the side of my boob over my robe.
“Is this also an attempt to make me laugh?” I inquire, now smiling for real.
“Nah, this is me being a pervert, looking for every excuse to feel you up.”
“Mmm… Someone’s naughty,” I murmur.
“Hey, we both still have a lot of sexual tension bottled up inside. It’s for everyone’s benefit if we work it out before we go out into the world again.”
He twirls a strand of my hair around his fingers, his lips brushing my cheek seductively.
“So, this is for the good of everyone else?”
“Exactly,” he answers.
“Liar,” I whisper. “This is very irresponsible of us, you know. You have to be at work, and I have to be at the hospital.”
“Pippa.” His tone changes from playful to serious in a split second, startling me. Licking his lips, Eric cups my face between his hands, watching me straight in the eyes. “You make me want things I shouldn’t want. Things I haven’t allowed myself to want.”
“Like what?” I whisper.
“Like wanting to be irresponsible. If I could, I’d lock myself up with you inside this apartment for days.”
“I’m that irresistible, huh?” I joke.
“You are. You’re warm and funny, and I can’t get enough of you.”
“Let’s be irrespon
sible for one more hour,” I say, giving in to his kiss. His lips are everywhere: on my mouth, my neck, descending further down.
As sensations overcome me, drowning all reason, one thought stands out. This man is worming his way into my heart, one kiss, one touch, and one tickling session at a time.
Chapter Fourteen
Pippa
I was expecting to find Sebastian and Blake sitting in silence outside my dad’s room at the hospital, allowing him to rest. Instead, the entire family is camping inside the room, talking loudly. Christopher is here as well. Right, so much for spending time with him in shifts.
Dad is sitting on his bed with Mom at his side. He looks pale, tired, and very grumpy. Almost everything in the room is white, but the color doesn’t seem as austere as it did yesterday, though the smell still bothers me.
“I won’t stay here for an entire week, no matter what that snotty know-it-all in the white coat says.”
My dad has had a deep distrust of doctors for as long as I can remember. It’s anyone’s guess why, but I have a hunch it’s because he doesn’t like to take orders, and a doctor’s word is law.
“That know-it-all happens to be the best surgeon on this coast,” Sebastian deadpans. “You’re staying whatever time he’s saying plus one day, to be on the safe side.”
“You won’t—” Dad begins, but stops as Sebastian holds his hand up.
“With all due respect, Dad, you scared us, and this is not up for discussion. You’ll stay here for as long as the doctors want you to.”
“I’m strong as a bull,” Dad says.
“And as stubborn,” I say under my breath, then raise my voice so it’s audible above all the chatter. “Hey, why don’t you all go back to your business and leave me with Dad? It’s my shift now.”
Alice gives me a particularly smug look as she ushers everyone out.
“How did your morning shift go?” she whispers knowingly.
“I’ll spill all the details later. Take Mom home. Knowing her, she hasn’t slept a wink the entire time, and she’ll want to stay. It’s my watch for now.”
