She’d also come to the conclusion that her current emotional upheaval was all his fault, because she never expected that beneath that rebel personality of his was a man so tender, sensitive, and intuitive. One who’d genuinely cared about her feelings and insecurities and seemed to cater to them—in bed and out.
He’d been labeled as a bad boy, and rumor around the office had it that he was a known playboy, but she had to wonder how much of all that gossip was true. While she’d been the recipient of Eric’s bad boy image, she’d also seen so many facets to the man over the past week and a half. Intriguing, honorable traits that had managed to penetrate the emotional barriers she’d sworn he’d never touch during their brief affair.
Oh, yeah, she was definitely in over her head with Eric. And she had to find a way to keep herself from completely drowning so she wasn’t a total emotional wreck when their nightly fantasies ended.
“So, tell me, how did the big presentation go today?” her best friend, Renee Brooks, asked from her seat across from Jill at The Daily Grind, a hip coffeehouse in downtown Chicago they frequented, especially when girl talk was in order. Like tonight. “I hope we’re here to celebrate your new success with the cruise line account.”
And to discuss her turbulent love life, she thought silently. She needed to hear a voice of reason, along with a good dose of practical advice and hard-nosed reminders of her past relationship gone bad that would finally put her emotions into better perspective so far as Eric was concerned.
But first, she’d share her good news with Renee. “As a matter of fact, we are celebrating,” Jill said, unable to keep the pride from her voice. “The Enchanted Cruise Line loved the presentation, and other than a few modifications to the marketing plan, they signed on with Massey.”
“That’s fabulous!” Renee said, knowing how much this account meant to Jill, and how far that bonus would go in terms of making her agency solvent. “Congratulations. Here’s a toast to you.”
Jill lifted her iced mocha and clicked her plastic glass to Renee’s. “Here’s to independence and financial freedom. Sort of,” she added with an impish grin.
“Here, here!” Renee agreed, and they both laughed and drank to the big bonus coming Jill’s way.
“So, other than this big account, what’s been going on with you lately?” Renee settled into the comfortable corner and propped her feet up onto the mismatched coffee table that was part of the cafe’s charm and decor. “We haven’t really talked in a couple of weeks.”
Jill grew quiet, trying to figure out the best way to tell her friend the predicament she’d gotten herself into. It was just enough hesitancy for Renee to jump to her own conclusions.
“Ohmigod, you’re seeing someone, aren’t you?” she guessed accurately, having learned long ago to read Jill’s shift in moods. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
An attempt at a casual shrug lifted Jill’s shoulder. “Because it’s just a temporary thing.”
Renee’s brown eyes widened. “Temporary? As in a hot, wild affair for the sake of great sex?”
A warm flush spread across Jill’s face, and she took a sip of her drink to cool off. “Oh, it’s definitely that.”
“Woo-hoo! You go, girl,” Renee cheered enthusiastically. “It’s about time you got back into the sexual swing of things after your relationship with Jeremy.”
Jill inwardly cringed. “It’s a bit more complicated. The guy I’m seeing is essentially my boss at Massey. And if I’m not careful, I could really fall hard for him.” Boy, that certainly was an understatement.
Renee’s excitement visibly dwindled and concern settled in. “All right, spill the details. All of them, and then we’ll assess the situation.”
Jill curled her legs beneath her on the big, overstuffed armchair she was sitting in, immensely grateful to have Renee in her life. The two of them had met during their sophomore year in college, and seven years later they were still the best of friends who confided in each other and shared their deepest secrets. Honesty and trust were the cornerstones of their friendship, and it was times like this that Jill both treasured and appreciated Renee’s presence in her life.
With a deep breath for fortitude, Jill told Renee everything about her proposition with Eric, but left out the more explicit details of their fantasies. She even confided her true feelings for Eric to Renee, and her fears of repeating past mistakes. By the time she was done, Renee was uncharacteristically quiet.
Jill bit her bottom lip uncertainly. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked, certain her friend was about to berate her for being such a fool.
Renee’s expression turned thoughtful. “The relationship could end up really hurting you, if you let it. But I think you can still save yourself.”
Undeniably curious, Jill asked, “How so?”
Renee took a drink of her blended caramel latte. “How many more times do you anticipate being with Eric before the affair ends ?”
Jill considered her friend’s question, realizing with a start just how little time she had left with Eric. Her heart gave a painful twist in her chest she tried to dismiss, and failed. “Well, we won’t be seeing each other tonight, because he’s working late to wrap up the modifications to the marketing plan so accounting can get started on the contract procedures.” She swallowed the unexpected lump that rose in her throat. “Actually, now that the project is completed, I only need to go into the office tomorrow to wrap up any lingering presentation details, so tomorrow night, Thursday, will probably be our last night together.”
Renee’s look turned pointed. “Judging by everything you’ve told me, it sounds as though he’s controlled most of the fantasies, yes?”
Jill replayed those arousing memories in her mind, from her first encounter with Eric up until last night, when he’d instigated a hot, erotic game of hide-and-seek in the darkened shadows of her backyard. He’d stalked her, heightening her awareness and excitement of the forbidden until he’d finally caught her, ripped off her clothes, and had his wicked way with her.
She was surprised to realize that Eric had initiated and dominated all their fantasies in one way or another—not that she’d ever complained about being the recipient of his fierce passion and carnal desires. But it was definitely an eye-opener to see just how much influence this man held over her.
“Yes, I guess he has been the one in control,” she admitted reluctantly. He’d even been the one to instigate their after-sex conversations.
A savvy grin lifted the corners of Renee’s lips. “Then it’s time to turn the tables on him this last time you’re together, and go out with you in control and on top, literally and figuratively.” She bobbed her eyebrows for emphasis.
Jill laughed. Her friend’s idea certainly had merit. If her sole focus was on pleasure and Eric being her love slave, she’d be able to keep her emotions in check. This time, she’d be the seducer, the dominant, aggressive one, and there would be no small talk or shared intimacy after sex. She’d end the affair with dignity, and no regrets.
For her heart’s sake, she prayed she could pull it off.
Something was up with Jill. Throughout the day Eric was aware of the fact that she was deliberately avoiding him, and during the times when they had to discuss final business details on the Enchanted project, she kept her replies direct, curt, and to the point. He hated the fact that she was already withdrawing from him when it was the last thing he wanted from her.
His stomach was in knots, and he felt anxious and edgy, knowing that his time with Jill was limited. Tomorrow, Friday, she was due to come in to collect her bonus check and clear out her office, which meant they only had tonight left together… one last fantasy for Eric to convince Jill that they ought to take a chance and go public with their relationship and see where their attraction and the emotional connection he’d established over the past few nights led them.
Unfortunately, with her past and insecurities standing in their way, he was up against some huge odds. But he’d never been a
quitter, and he loved a challenge, even if it meant putting his own feelings on the line.
Snapping the locks shut on his briefcase, he left the office and rode the elevator down to the parking garage. Jill had snuck out an hour earlier without saying good-bye, but he wasn’t going to let her off so easy. And the last thing he wanted to hear from her lips was a farewell. No, if he had his way, she’d be begging him to stay.
Oh, yeah, what a true fantasy that was, he thought, giving his head a rueful shake.
As he approached his car, a piece of pink paper on his windshield caught his attention. He withdrew the scrap of stationery and read the note, written in Jill’s familiar feminine handwriting: You’re mine tonight. VU be at your place 8 P.M. sharp.
A slow grin curved his lips, and his mood lightened considerably. This unique woman would never cease to amaze and surprise him, which was all part of her allure, he knew. She managed to keep him guessing and anticipating—something no other woman had managed to capture with him.
Over the course of the past two weeks, he’d discovered that Jill was one of a kind, and he was more than willing to be hers tonight, and every night into the future if she’d let him.
Jill approached the front door to Eric’s house and wiped her damp palms down the black cotton stretch pants encasing her thighs and legs. She was dressed all in black, from the long-sleeved turtleneck to her leggings and the enclosed sandals on her feet. Her stomach tumbled nervously, and she felt like a thief sneaking through the night, which added a certain excitement to her fantasy, she had to admit.
Now she knew how Eric had felt moving stealthily through her backyard in the dark of night, but she wasn’t brave enough to scale his fence to find a way into his house. No, her approach tonight was going to be straightforward and fast, a whirlwind of pleasure that would leave her in control and Eric totally wasted and wondering what the hell had happened to him once she was gone. One final fantasy to recall and savor in those lonely nights ahead, when work wasn’t enough to satisfy the emptiness in her heart and soul.
As for tonight, she didn’t want to think. She just wanted to feel, and Eric was certainly great at making her body come alive with just a look, a touch. She might be the one seducing him for this final fantasy, but she knew his excitement would only heighten her own. Already, she was damp and slick with arousal, and tingling with anticipation.
Lifting her hand, she knocked on the front door, and seconds later it opened with Eric filling the threshold. His velvet blue eyes appraised her from head to toe, and a slow, lazy grin curved his lips.
She didn’t wait for a greeting or an invitation. Talk was unnecessary for what she had in mind for tonight. Splaying a hand on his chest, she guided him back into the house, shut the door behind her, and pressed him up against the wall in the darkened entryway—a perfect place to begin her seduction.
His eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned into him, aligning their bodies from her unbound breasts to their thighs. He was already hard, and she gyrated her hips against his erection, loving the way his body responded so eagerly to hers.
He clamped his hands on the curve of her waist, holding her still. “Jill—”
“Don’t say a word,” she breathed into his ear. “Like the note said, you’re mine tonight, and my fantasy is to have hot, mindless sex with you, a man I just met in a bar. I’m not looking for conversation, stranger, just a willing body. If you can’t give me what I need, I’ll leave.”
Eric had no idea what to expect from Jill, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious to see how she played out her erotic fantasy. Yet he wasn’t used to relinquishing control to a woman, especially during sex. Ever. But for as much as his instincts rebelled against being the one to submit, he couldn’t bring himself to balk at her rules and risk her ending the fantasy before it even began.
He loosened his hold on her waist, silently surrendering to her tempting proposition. With a triumphant smile, she skimmed her cool hands under his T-shirt, and he lifted his arms for her to pull it up and over his head. Wanting her just as bare, he reached for the hem of her turtleneck, but she pushed his hands aside, took a step back, and stripped it off herself.
He caught only a quick glimpse of her gorgeous breasts, and then she was back, her ringers exploring the contours of his chest, and her soft, damp lips nuzzling the side of his neck. Her full, lush breasts branded his flesh as she leisurely licked and bit her way down his throat to his nipples. He groaned when her teeth scraped across the erect disks, but her tongue was quick to soothe the sting. That talented mouth of hers traveled lower and she knelt in front of him, scattering moist, openmouthed kisses on his taut belly while her fingers eagerly ripped open the buttons on his fly. His erection sprang free, and hooking her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, she yanked the faded denim down his long legs and off, leaving him completely naked.
She gazed at his jutting penis in rapt fascination, and licked her lips hungrily, causing his insides to coil tight. Dampening the tip of her finger with her tongue, she rubbed the slick wetness over the head of his shaft, then blew a gust of warm breath on the moist spot. Sensation shot through him like a streak of lightning. His stomach muscles bunched, and his cock twitched and thickened, eager for more of her brazen attention.
She merely smiled, then flattened her hands on his hair-roughened thighs and slid her palms upward until her thumbs grazed the heavy sacs between his legs. Soft fingers explored and cupped his testicles, while her other hand wrapped snug around the base of his shaft. With long, wet strokes of her tongue she measured the length of him, and used her hand to pump his solid erection in a slow, squeezing caress that made his eyes roll back in his head and his breath hiss out between his clenched teeth. Leisurely, she licked the sensitive tip of his cock, lapping up the essence she’d drawn from his body, and swirled her tongue over the swollen head in an unbelievably erotic way. Unable to take much more of her sensual, teasing torment, he tangled his hands in her long, silky hair, and muttered a raw, earthly expletive of exactly what he wanted to do with that warm, wet mouth of hers.
She looked up at him, and with her eyes gleaming with sinful intent, she parted her lips and obliged his request, taking him slow and deep, enveloping him in the exquisite sensation of liquid heat and velvet softness. Her moan of genuine pleasure vibrated along his aching shaft, and then she sucked, hard and strong, and he went wild. His fingers fisted tighter in her hair, his head rolled back against the wall, and his hips began to thrust, matching the rhythmic strokes of her mouth. She took him to the brink, and just as his climax beckoned she pulled back, releasing him, leaving him dazed and his body trembling with the need to relieve the pressure she’d so exquisitely built.
She stood up, her breathing as labored as his own. “Take me to your bedroom,” she demanded huskily.
Grabbing her hand, he led the way into his masculine domain, his desire for her so strong he could deny her nothing. She kicked off her shoes and removed a single condom from the waistband of her stretch pants, tossed it on the bed, and shimmied out of her leggings. He recognized the significance of that single foil packet—she only intended for them to have one encounter tonight, a final fantasy between them that she orchestrated from beginning to end.
She stood before him, gloriously naked, and before he could truly appreciate, admire, or caress her sleek curves, she pushed him down onto the center of the mattress and climbed on top of him, the dominant position not escaping his notice. She sheathed his erection, and without further foreplay she straddled his hips and impaled herself to the hilt.
They shuddered simultaneously, and their gazes met ever so briefly in the darkened room. He caught a glimpse of emotion glistening in the depth of her eyes before her lashes fluttered closed and she rocked her pelvis against him. Lifting her hands, she cupped and kneaded her breasts and rolled her tight nipples between her fingers. Her head fell back as she arched, and her fingers fluttered along her belly and dipped between her thighs, right where they wer
e joined.
While his mind screamed at him to thrust and follow her into the sweet oblivion her body promised, something within him rebelled. She was going too fast, her actions too detached, and as ridiculous as it seemed, he felt used, alone, and separate from this woman who was physically a part of him. She was intent on giving herself her own orgasm, the intimate connection he wanted and needed from her was nonexistent, and he knew it was all deliberate on her part.
The fantasy she’d created, of picking up a stranger in a bar, allowed for no sentiments or anything remotely emotional. They hadn’t even kissed, which was one of the most intimate expressions of a physical joining. To her, this was all about sex. Or so she was trying to convince herself in her attempt to take charge of the fantasy, and her response to him.
As she continued to touch herself and ride him in an increasing tempo, he realized exactly what she was doing. Just as he’d always insisted on being in control during sex to maintain an emotional distance during his past affairs, Jill was using the same technique to keep her true feelings from him. The irony of the situation didn’t escape him, and he realized he didn’t like being on the receiving end. Not when Jill had come to mean more to him than a casual, temporary affair.
Refusing to let their relationship end so superficially, he gripped her waist to hold her still so he could redirect the fantasy. But she was so caught up in her own personal pleasure that there was nothing he could do to stop the orgasm rippling through her except hold on to his own restraint for all he was worth and wait for her climax to end, which nearly killed him.
With a sated sigh, she collapsed on top of him, her soft breasts crushing against his chest, and her hot, panting breath fanning his neck. Taking advantage of her pliable state, he wrapped one arm tight around her back, secured another beneath her bottom, and rolled them both so that she was pinned beneath the weight of his body, putting him back in control.
Their bodies were still intimately joined, and he widened her thighs with his own and flexed his hips, lodging his throbbing cock deep inside her. After her self-induced orgasm she was snug, gripping the length of him like a slick fist. He resisted the instinctive urge to drive mindlessly into her.
Wilde Novellas Page 8
