“Me too,” she replied as he gently set her down. She put one hand against the wall to help her keep the balance as her feet touched the slippery bathtub floor.
“Plus I could definitely go for some pancakes right about now,” said Travis as he pulled her into his arms to steady her. Karen leaned against him, her body limp and soft with pleasure.
She gasped as he spoke. “Oh my God! I completely forgot about the pancakes,” she said, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Travis chuckled. “I’m sure they’ll survive. And, if not, this was totally worth it.”
Karen giggled as he turned off the taps and led her out of the shower. “So true,” she said.
***
The pancakes turned out to be delicious despite waiting for Karen and Travis to be finished in the shower. Starving after their early morning workout, they both ate a few too many and had to sit around digesting for a while longer than usual. By the time they made it down to the shop, it was already nearly noon.
They had recently gotten in an order of wreaths, holly, and ivy and Travis wanted to get the shop ready for Christmas by tomorrow. He’d already had a few of their more anxious neighbors asking about decorations for their doors. Travis had decided that he wanted to try to make his own wreaths this year and he’s been practicing different techniques all week – and making a huge mess in their kitchen in the process, much to Karen’s frustration. She’d pulled a few pine needles out of her pancakes this morning with a very pointed look at Travis.
As Travis worked on his wreaths, Karen brought out some essays she needed to mark and set herself up on the far corner of the work counter. Humming along to the carols on the radio, they smiled at each other as they worked. However, before they got very far, there was a knock at the door.
Travis looked up from his wreath expecting to see Miranda with a tray of tea and goodies. Instead what he saw made his eyebrows shoot up: it was Bruce. Hurriedly, Travis set down his tools and went to open the door. “Sir,” he said, a little breathlessly. “I’m glad to see you’re all right.”
Bruce nodded. “Yes, it’s certainly been a while,” the enormous man agreed.
“Come in,” Travis said, holding open the door and gesturing inside. “Do you want coffee or something?”
Bruce shook his head. “I’m not here for long.” He caught sight of Karen working in the back room and it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” he whispered to Travis.
Travis shook his head. “She knows.”
“What?” Bruce frowned. The rules about revealing your true identity to citizens were very strict and very clear: you didn’t.
“She and the other townspeople saved my life,” said Travis with a shrug. “I would have been shot down in the street a few months ago if they hadn’t come to my rescue.”
Bruce pursed his lips. “Yes, I heard about your run in with Nabokov’s hitmen. Glad to see you made it out all right. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to send help. Things have been—”
“I know, sir,” said Travis, brushing aside the apology. “And was it Nabokov in the end? Like you thought?”
“Yes,” Bruce nodded. “That’s why I came by. I wanted to tell you that the danger is over and we’ve got Nabokov and his remaining employees in custody. You can come out of hiding. I wanted to come by in person to make sure you were doing all right after the attack.”
“Travis?” Karen appeared from the back room. “Is everything all right?” she asked, coming up to stand next to him.
Travis slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Everything’s fine,” he said. “Bruce is an old friend of mine. He’s just come by to say hi. He’s on his way back home,” Travis explained vaguely. “He wanted to offer me a job.”
Karen nodded, understanding that this was a man from Travis’s spy past. “Nice to meet you,” she said offering her hand to Bruce. As they shook hands, she asked, “What job?”
“One I won’t be needing,” Travis replied, smiling down at her. “I’ve got everything I want right here, Bruce,” he said, turning back to his former boss. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m happy where I am.”
Bruce nodded. “I understand,” he said, his eyes darting to Karen. “I’m happy to hear you’ve settled down. And, in that case, I suppose I’ll be on my way. If you ever change your mind, Travis, you know where to find me.”
Travis nodded. “I won’t,” he promised, “but thank you.”
“Won’t you stay for a coffee?” Karen offered. “Or some tea?”
Bruce shook his head. “No rest for the wicked, I’m afraid,” he said, smiling at her. “I’ve got to be getting back. Oh, that reminds me,” he chuckled, “Maud sends her love.”
Travis laughed. “Tell her I say hello,” he said.
Bruce nodded, taking one last look at Travis and Karen. “You look well, Travis,” he said at last. “I’m happy to see it. Take care of yourself.”
“You too, Bruce,” said Travis. “And thanks for everything.”
With one last nod, Bruce left the flower shop and Travis’s life forever.
Karen nuzzled in Travis’s side. “So,” she asked, grinning, “who’s this Maud person? Anyone I have to worry about?”
Travis exploded with laughter. “No,” he said, shaking his head emphatically. “No, definitely not.” Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. Then, still laughing, he led her back to the workbench. He had Christmas wreaths to finish. He didn’t want to disappoint his neighbors after all.
THE END
French Kiss
Chapter 1
“Another positive review,” Stacy chirped, flopping down on the couch and turning her phone towards Bryan so he could see. She and her newlywed husband have recently begun using a popular new app called SleepEasy to rent their spare bedroom out to tourists who were visiting their city. It had only been a few weeks, but their popularity as hosts with other app users had already begun to grow—especially considering that the city’s nightlife attracted many young couples keen on experiencing great music, food, and drinks.
From his place next to her, Bryan grinned and moved to wrap his arms around her waist as he read the review that the last visiting couple had just posted to their profile.
“Warm and welcoming, 10/10 would rent again,” he read aloud with a snort, and then he turned to place a kiss on her cheek. “What do you say, that’s it for the month?”
Stacy gave him a warm smile and gently ran her manicured fingers through his dark hair; it was growing long now, and she was relieved that he kept putting off his bi-monthly cut because she had a fondness for the way it grew in thick and wavy. She hummed thoughtfully; their monthly income was already plenty to pay their rent and bills and still live comfortably on. Using SleepEasy was just something they did when they wanted a little extra spending money for fun or to top up their "rainy days" piggy bank.
She glanced back down to the app, her hazel eyes twinkling. “I think we can do one more, don’t you?”
Bryan chuckled indulgently and shrugged, rising from the couch and saying, “Alright.” He leaned down to give Stacy a quick peck on the forehead, keeping his lips close when he murmured, “But this is the last one for the month. I miss being alone with my beautiful wife.”
Stacy giggled, feeling a flush rise high on her cheeks. Elsewhere, another familiar heat began to pool, and her stomach fluttered at the sensual tone that her husband had taken with her. She glanced up at him and smiled, slow and sly, at the way his eyes darkened when he looked at her again. He leaned over her almost like a predator who was eager to corner his prey — only to blink in surprise when Stacy reached up and firmly pushed him back enough so that she could rise from the couch. She took advantage of the moment by giving him a quick peck on the lips and sauntering away, just out of his reach. “You can be alone with me all you like tonight. But first, I need to make dinner.”
Bryan let out a jokingly pitiful whine as his head
drooped and he crashed on the couch with a huff. “But Stace,” he moaned, rolling onto his back. Stacy fought back a vicious grin when she caught sight of the taut crotch of his jeans; she relished the power of knowing just how aroused she could make her husband even now, only months into their marriage but a few years into their relationship. She hoped this spark never faded.
She giggled at the pleading look he gave her and wagged her finger at him before she made her way to the kitchen, calling, “Nuh-uh, mister. You’re just going to have to be patient.” She tossed a sultry glance over her shoulder at him, complete with a wink, and purred, “Like a good boy.”
His head appeared over the top of the couch then, an impish grin spreading across his handsome face. His near-perfect teeth gleamed at her, and he asked coyly, “Do good boys get rewards?”
Stacy let out a soft huff of laughter as she opened their oak cabinets and began pulling down the ingredients for dinner; she had to admit that another benefit of the SleepEasy app was the way it had encouraged her to pick up more than a few cookbooks and lessons to improve her culinary skills—people paid more for home-cooked meals, after all. She had certainly come a long way from midnight microwaved noodles in college.
She let Bryan wriggle in discomfort for a few moments as she practically danced around the kitchen, humming a nameless melody while she waited just long enough for her teasing lack of a response to dangle on the precipice of being torture. When she heard him groan softly, she turned and gave him a mischievous look, eyes sparkling.
“Good boys do get rewards,” she said breezily, darting over towards him for another kiss because he was so cute that she just couldn’t resist. He caught her by surprise, though, wrapping an arm around her back when their lips touched and winding a hand through her hair to tug her close.
Stacy sighed in delight when Bryan’s tongue pushed its way into her mouth and slid deliciously against hers, the hot and wet sensation of their intimacy creating an aching need that flared in her gut and down between her legs. Her thighs trembled at the thought of Bryan’s tongue moving expertly between her other lips, and she couldn’t help the animalistic growl that escaped her as she clutched desperately at his broad shoulders, digging her nails in deep.
Bryan moaned aloud and broke their kiss, then, pressing his forehead against her neck and panting. “God, I love it when you do that,” he murmured.
Stacy bit her lip and placed a decidedly chaste kiss upon the crown of his head, the mood between them softening. She tilted his chin up towards her and smiled. “Consider that motivation to behave, then. Cause bad boys get muzzled.”
“Stace!” Bryan called as she darted away from him, laughing; his own laughter bubbled up from within and burst from his mouth as he shook his head in amusement. His wife was hard to keep up with sometimes, but God, did she make his life the happiest that it had ever been. Every day with her was a new adventure, and he adored it — and her. “Alright, you win,” he drawled, getting off of the couch and adjusting himself. “I’ll be patient — for now.”
Stacy gave him a knowing grin and remarked, “Good things come to those who wait.”
***
Later that night, as the pair of them were sliding into bed, Stacy’s phone chimed with a notification; she glanced at it and tapped Bryan on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s from SleepEasy; somebody wants to rent the room.”
“That was quick,” Bryan remarked, cuddling up beside her. “When do they want to be here?”
“They’re flying in from France tomorrow afternoon,” Stacy said, her eyes skimming over the message from a woman named Audrey detailing the arrangements that she was hoping to make for herself and her husband. “A couple our age, visiting for three nights, and they read our reviews and liked us.” She glanced over at Bryan, a thin brow raised. “Do you think we can do that? It’s really short notice.”
Bryan shrugged and replied, “Eh, it’s alright. Last one of the month, and it’s not as if the place needs a lot of cleaning. I think we’ll be fine.”
Stacy smiled and chirped, “Alright, I’ll let her know right now.” Her fingers flew over the touch screen keyboard, and mere minutes later, their spare room was booked and she was wishing the French couple a safe flight in.
Stacy set the phone down on her nightstand and leaned back against the mountain of pillows she liked to prop herself on for a good night’s rest. She raised her hands high and stretched with a satisfied groan as her back arched and cracked. “That felt good,” she mumbled, giving Bryan a sleepy grin.
He returned the smile, propped up on his elbow by her side. “You know what else would feel good?” he murmured, and she giggled.
“I can think of a few things,” she replied softly, turning towards her husband. Her eyes roved almost hungrily over the smooth planes of his exposed chest, lingering over the light dusting of hair between his pecs and the soft trail that ran just beneath his stomach, disappearing beneath the waistband of his pajamas. She bit her lip at the sight of the steadily stiffening bulge that appeared there.
Bryan gently shifted towards Stacy and placed a hand to her neck, feeling the erratic thrum of her pulse as she hitched a breath in anticipation for where he would touch her next. His dark eyes met hers with an intensity that still got to her, even after all their years together. “So,” he began, delicately trailing his fingers down the line of her throat, into the hollow just between her breasts. “Would you say I was good enough for a reward?”
Beneath her soft chemise, Stacy felt her nipples harden, the material sliding pleasurably against them. She bit back a moan and nodded, not certain that she could manage words at the moment. Bryan made her feel that way every time they got into bed together — a hazy lust blanketed her senses, rendering her nothing but a vessel to the passion that rose within her and took the reins.
Sex had always been the most intense, diverse activity of intimacy for Stacy. She had felt that way in the past with the only other people she’d had intimate relationships with—a boy named David just before high school had ended, and then a girl named Marie at the very start of college. Neither of the two relationships had been anything more than lengthy, fun flings — and it had all occurred before she had met Bryan, so he didn’t know about them.
Her attitude towards sex carried over from her first experience though, and she felt lucky enough to find a kindred spirit regarding bedroom matters in Bryan. From their first night together, their passion had been utterly unbridled. And in all the years since, that flame had never flickered or gone out from the two of them — which Stacy had taken as a sign that she and her husband were truly meant for each other.
She felt that strongly now as her heart hammered wildly against her ribcage as she waited for Bryan’s touch. This was the fun aspect of it; foreplay was similar to a game. Who could entice the other the most? Who could inflict the most exquisite torture? Who would break first, demanding the consummation of their night together until neither of them could stand to be apart for even one more second.
Stacy let a shuddering moan escape her lips when Bryan moved to rest himself half on top of her, the absence of his hand between her aching breasts replaced by the heady sensation of his weight upon her and the feel of his soft mouth against her neck. She brought her hand up to curl it through his hair and tugged just hard enough for him to groan at the bite of pain against his scalp; pressed against her hip, she felt his cock stiffen even further in his pajama pants.
Bryan nipped gently at the curve of Stacy’s throat, sucking against her skin just enough to elicit the sensation that he wanted to create for her while only leaving marks that would fade come the morning. He felt her tremble as her throat vibrated with a low moan, and Bryan’s head felt light on a high that only Stacy could create for him.
Since the moment he’d met her, somehow, he’d known that she was a wildly sensual creature in bed — but that had not been his motivation in getting to know her. It was more akin to the delightful, glistening cherry on top of an amaz
ing sundae, but damned if he didn’t look forward to savoring said cherry every time she teased him with the promise of a night in bed, or an exceptionally short skirt that showed off her long, smooth legs, or a low-cut top that allowed the swell of her breasts to peek through and taunt him…
Oh, damn it. He couldn’t wait any longer; not tonight.
Stacy gasped in surprise as Bryan hauled her up to sit on her knees, her hands flying to cling at his flexing biceps at the sudden movement. “Bryan?” she barely managed to breathe before his hands were at her thighs and he was ripping the chemise off of her in one swift move, leaving her bare before his gaze.
“I can’t wait,” he groaned, pulling her hips to his and huffing an exalted breath at the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers; he pressed his clothed erection against her and ground up.
Stacy let out a soft mewl of pleasure and wrapped her arms around his neck, reveling in the sensation of her nipples sliding against his heated skin. “It was kind of a long time, huh?” she sighed, pressing hot kisses against his neck and the top of his shoulder.
Taming The Billionaire Page 54
