Finally, everyone was gone and so were Nick’s books.
“What a night!” he said, catching my hands in his and whirling me around as if we were on a dance floor.
“You were the star!” I said, relieved that soon I could go home.
“No, it took us both to make this evening a success,” he said dramatically. Then he pulled me so close that our noses were touching, one hand on the small of my back, the other holding mine out straight in front of us. “And we both know it takes two to tango.”
I could feel his heart beating against mine, feel the heat coming from his body as he led me back and forth in the front of my book shop a few times doing an impromptu tango. By the time I managed to stop him, I was breathless and laughing in spite of myself.
“How can I thank you for this evening, Allie! Sales went through the roof.”
I laughed and reluctantly pulled out of his arms. “You have quite a few fans right here in town. Those books would have sold either way. Now, we just have to order more.”
“Still, I had a great time, meeting and talking to everyone,” he confessed and then grinned. “Let me take you out for coffee.”
“Not tonight, Nick…”
“Oh, please. I’m so wired right now there’s no way I can sleep,” he pleaded, still holding my hands. There was that little pout again and I was too tired to resist.
I shook my head. “Let me get my purse and lock up. But I can’t stay out too long, I have to get here early in the morning.”
“I promise,” he said, giving me a little salute.
I locked the door and together we strolled down the street in the darkness to one of the local coffee shops that stayed open late. We talked easily about the evening and laughed at a couple of funny episodes, like the woman who insisted on spelling every word for Nick when he signed her book.
“And when that little old lady planted one on you…” I laughed, unable to finish the sentence.
Nick chuckled. “Oh, it wasn’t so bad. Never hurts to get a kiss from a pretty girl.”
I mentioned teasingly that I thought there were lots of other pretty girls there who would like to have kissed him and more. And that’s when he stopped suddenly pulled me into the doorway of a closed shop and pressed me against the wall. I could feel the full length of his body against mine as he held me in an iron grip.
“How about you, Allie? Would you like to kiss me?”
At first I was so stunned from this turn of events I didn’t respond. And then anger flared through me. “If I wanted to kiss you, I would have done so already,” I snapped and pushed against his chest with both hands, frantically seeking an escape. “Now, get away from me.”
“Would you? Sure you’re not afraid that a little kiss might start something you can’t stop?” he asked, ignoring my struggles.
“I’m not afraid of you or anyone else,” I said, almost sobbing now, shaking with anger. Why had he ruined such a wonderful, peaceful moment. “And I’m not one of your ditzy little fans that you can just sweep off her feet with your charm and good looks.” With that I stomped away from him, back down the street to my car. By the time I reached my apartment, I had calmed down somewhat but was still angry. And I promised myself that when I saw Nick Pearson again, I was going to tell him to take his books, his business and get out of my life for good!
I fell into a fitful sleep, Nick’s arrogance still angering me and, yet I dreamed of him. It began with a long, slow kiss, tender and romantic. When I responded with a soft moan, he cupped my breasts in both hands and tugged playfully at my nipples. In my dream, I wondered why I was naked with him because I could remember being so angry. But in the dream I soon lost all reasoning. His touch, his kiss was so delectable, so enticing, I felt myself growing moist.
“You are all woman, Allie,” he whispered as his hands moved lower, settling on my waist and then my hips.
Nick pulled me against him and I responded, pressing my aching nipples into his chest and sucking on the tongue he offered. And then he was lowering me onto a bed, his big hands sliding up my inner thighs, urging them further apart. Groaning, I thrust myself at him, clinging to him with both hands, pulling him on top of me.
“I need you,” I whimpered, guiding his hand to my moist center and gasping when he slipped a finger inside of me.
Without a word, he lowered his mouth to my stiff nipples and then licked his way downward until his magical tongue was where his fingers had been. Writhing in pleasure, I spread my legs wider, giving myself to him freely. Wet sounds reached my ears and he slid his hands up underneath me, pulling me even further onto his tongue.
“Nick,” I groaned as the first waves of orgasm washed over me. “Nick, please.” And then my body was bucking out of control, wild and uninhibited, shuddering with release from head to toe. An orgasm more intense than any I’d ever experienced…
And then I woke up. Gasping, drenched in sweat I sat up in bed, clutching the covers to my chest. What in the world would make me have a dream like that, I thought, as I lay back down into the soft comfort of my own pillows. Was my subconscious trying to tell me something?.
The next morning, I was still so tired I could hardly move. I put away my pretty, dress up clothes and went back to my regular work uniform. I arrived at the book shop early enough to clean up from the night before and was just finishing up when the bell tinkled over the door. It was the older gentleman who delivered flowers from a local shop down the street and he was carrying a vase of the most beautiful red roses I’d ever seen. The fragrance reached my nose before I even touched them.
“Flowers for you, Miss Allie,” he said with a big smile.
“For me?” I asked, surprised.
He nodded as I took the flowers from him and signed the delivery slip. “Have a good day,” he called out as he left the store.
At that moment, Maggie arrived. “Whoa! Where did those come from?” she asked, inhaling the intoxicating scent that was now wafting through the shop.
“Just about to find out,” I said and opened the little envelope with my name on it.
Allie,
Please forgive me for last night but I could not control myself. I am entranced by your beauty and intelligence and your heart. Please accept these along with my apology. Also, think about my business proposition.
Nick
I didn’t believe a word of it! Nick fancied himself a player, a ladies man and I wasn’t about to fall for his charms just because he sent me a bunch of roses.
I looked up to see Maggie eyeing me questioningly. “Nick,” I answered. “Just thanking us for last night.”
The bell tinkled again and another man stood in my doorway. It was my landlord, Will. He greeted both Maggie and me and then asked if we could talk privately.
“Certainly,” I said. “Maggie, I’ll be right back to help you clean up.”
Will followed me to the back of the store and into my storage room where my little office was tucked away in the corner.
“What’s up?” I asked.
He shifted from one foot to the other nervously and finally said, “Allie, I’m going to have to raise your rent.”
My heart sank. I was barely making ends meet now. If it was too much I’d have to give up my little book store. “How much?” I asked, sinking into my chair.
“Not much. Just $100. I’ve had to do some repairs on the buildings and taxes have gone up. There are lots of reasons and I really hate to do this to you but…” he spread his hands as if asking me to understand.
The amount really wasn’t much but it was going to put a dent in my profits. Already my mind was whirling with ideas about how to increase revenue. Maybe I could put in a coffee bar. I’d run the idea by Maggie to see what she thought.
“I’ll give you an extra month before it goes into effect,” Will bargained, when I didn’t respond right away.
“Okay,” I said. “And thanks for the heads up, Will.”
“Sorry to have to do this to you but t
imes are tough,” he apologized again.
“Tell me about it,” I said and followed him back out into the store.
He exchanged pleasantries with Maggie and then left. I told Maggie what had happened and we kicked around a few ideas to increase sales and traffic. She even offered to work a few less hours which nearly broke my heart.
After that we settled into our normal work day. I went back to my little office, reordered more of Nick’s books and paid a few bills. And then I checked my emails. There was an offer to enlarge my penis, a few credit card applications and then I spotted one from Nick. Conflicted emotions shot through me including anger at his behavior the night before and then embarrassment at how I had reacted to it. And then the remnants of desire stemming from the dream. Just thinking about it made me squirm on my chair and the room was suddenly too warm.
I opened the email and was greeted with yet another apology and some virtual roses and then he mentioned the narration business again. This time he offered to either pay me up front for my work or let me share in the profits from this book which was due to be released within the next few months. And he included an excerpt for me to practice reading. The tinkling of the bell made me realize that Maggie was getting busy out front and I turned away from my computer and headed toward the front. With the sudden turn of events, we couldn’t afford to lose one customer or one sale.
Wednesday is our short day and I was more than ready for five o’clock to arrive. Maggie left about three and business was pretty steady during the last two hours. Finally, I locked the front door, changed the sign to CLOSED and went toward the back to get my purse, put the day’s receipts in the safe and make sure everything was locked up tight back there.
I was at my desk, shutting down the computer when my cell phone rang. Without looking at the Caller ID, I picked it up and hit SEND.
“Hello.”
“Hello, beautiful,” Nick’s deep voice came through the line.
I stiffened immediately. How could just the sound of a man’s voice send such strong, conflicting emotions coursing through me? “Hello, Nick,” I answered, struggling to keep my voice steady and impersonal.
“Did you get my flowers?” he asked.
“I did. Thank you very much,” I answered. “They were beautiful.”
“Good. Did you get my email?”
“Yes, I did.”
“And?”
“And, Nick, I’m too tired to even think about it right now,” I said with a sigh. “Give me another day or two, please.”
“This is just an audition,” he assured me.
“Nick, I haven’t even read it yet.” As a matter of fact, I hadn’t read any of his books at all but I wasn’t about to tell him that. I had read the blurb on the jacket of the most recent one, shelved it under local authors and stacked it out front and that was all.
“Good. Then you’ll be reading it with fresh eyes,” he continued to coax.
I suddenly had the feeling that he was not going to shut up until I gave in. If reading a few paragraphs would get him off the phone and me on my way home, I could do that. And then I remembered the visit from Will earlier that day.
“Okay. Okay. Okay,” I finally gave in.
Clicking on the email to open it, I scrolled down to where the excerpt began and rested my elbow on the desk. Taking a deep breath, I began to read.
"When he entered their room, Zeke found her kneeling in the center on the floor; nakedly perfect, waiting to be punished, just as he had instructed. Without a word he locked the door behind him and crossed the room, his boots moving silently on the thick carpet. He sat down on a chair and simply stared at her in silence.
Pepper did not dare look up at him but she inhaled his scent, spices and woods and leather. She longed to feel his lips on hers, his soft cowboy shirt against her bare nipples, the rough denim of his jeans against the tender flesh of her thighs. The thought of this made her shudder with pleasure but she remained still. She had her instructions and nothing was going to happen until she received her punishment. She sat with her ass resting on her heels, her hands on her thighs inches away from her wet pussy. Moisture ran down her soft inner thighs and dropped onto her calves. She was throbbing. She was waiting.
He sat back in the chair, stretched out one long leg and scratched his chin. Finally, he spoke to her, the sound of his voice sending shivers of desire racing over her.
“Did you shave for me?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, sir,” she answered, still unable to look at him.
“Good. Now, cover your pussy with your open hand, darlin’,” he instructed. When her hand moved he cautioned her. “Be sure not to touch it!”
With her hand half way to her pussy, she froze. “Sir?”
“Do not touch yourself, not quite,” he said and she heard him shift again in the chair. “Place your fingertips on your pretty little ass and arch your hand over your wet cunt, close enough to feel the heat. But do not touch yourself yet!”
She immediately understood two things. He would make her masturbate for him. She would have to please him with this, her personal pleasure reduced to entertainment. She would have to come this way before he would touch her tonight. And he would make her wait to even do that. What torture when all she wanted was to feel his rough, calloused hands and that hot, searching tongue…"
I finished reading, shaking from head to toe. Never had I imagined he would have written something so incredibly hot, so erotic.
“Allie,” Nick’s husky voice saying my name only added to my arousal. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
I swallowed hard and slipped a hand between my legs. My entire body was on fire, trembling, aching, throbbing. “Thank…thank you,” I whispered.
“I knew that once I heard your voice reading my words, I would be lost forever,” he said to me.
“I never dreamed… I never knew you wrote like…like this,” I stammered.
“It’s something new I’m just trying on for size,” he explained quietly. His breath came to me through the phone, a little shaky. “Did you enjoy it as much as I did?” he asked, his voice growing deeper, softer, almost a purr.
“Yes,” I confessed, squeezing the damp crotch of my panties hard. I was as loose and moist and ready for him as any woman could ever be.
“Stay right where you are,” he breathed into the phone. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
And then the line went dead.
For a split second I sat there holding the phone, practically melting into the chair. And then I was jolted into action. I wasn’t going to wait for him to come to me right at that moment. It would be possibly the most incredible sex I’d ever had but he was just playing with me. I would just be another notch on his belt. Grabbing my purse, I headed out the door, practically running to my car.
I was still shaking when I reached my apartment, more turned on than ever. Again, my fingers brought me release but it was the fantasy of Nick’s kisses, his touch and his tongue that filled my mind. I climaxed again and again, writhing in my damp tangled sheets until I fell into an exhausted sleep.
The next morning, I arrived at the book shop determined that I could raise enough money without resorting to working with Nick. There was no way I could keep our relationship on a professional level if we were working that closely together. I would send him an email politely declining his offer and then set about working on some of the options Maggie and I had discussed. I unlocked the door and was just about to step inside when someone pushed me from behind. I stumbled into the shop, the only thing keeping me upright was being held firmly against a man’s body with one arm around my waist.
As I struggled for release, I heard him kick the door closed and then the deadly sound of the lock being clicked into place. Only then did I manage to break free, furious that someone would try to rob or hurt me. Grabbing pepper spray out of my purse, I turned.
“Wait.” It was Nick. And he was holding both hands out in front o
f him.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, even angrier than before. “How dare you come in here…”
“And how dare you do what you did to me last night!” he shouted.
“What? Read some filth to you over the phone. Get you all hot and bothered,” I snapped. “Maybe one of your little groupies…”
“I don’t want groupies,” he said, his voice had grown strangely quiet as he struggled to control his temper. He took a step toward me. “I wanted…I want you.”
“Bullshit!”
“Don’t tell me you weren’t as hot as I was last night,” he continued his approach.
“So what. I’m only human,” I backed away, knowing I was working my way into a corner and unable to stop myself.
And then he was kissing me, his mouth hard on mine, eager and demanding and completely stunning my senses. My back was against the storage room door. Without breaking the kiss, he pushed it open with one hand and maneuvered me inside. In the semi-darkness, his tongue plunged into my mouth, his hands slid down the curve of my back, pulling me tight against him. His erection throbbed between us.
Suddenly tired of fighting, I gave in to the passion surging through me, I slid my arms up over his broad shoulders and tangled my fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck, pressing my aching nipples into his chest and moaning as his hands slid lower, squeezing and kneading my hips.
“God, I knew it would be like this,” he breathed. “I’ve dreamed about it so many times.”
I barely heard him, moaning softly as he kissed my ear and then worked those hot lips down my neck to my collar bone. His kisses continued lower, across my chest and then he eased my breasts out of the cups of my bra. Both of us groaned when he thumbed my dark pink nipples into hard nubs. His mouth covered first one and then the other, licking the sensitive skin in between and leaving a wet trail behind.
Gazing down at his dark head moving back and forth, I caught his face in my hands and kissed him. This time, my tongue was doing the exploring, sliding between his lips tasting coffee and mint. Sparks of pleasure shot through me when he pushed me away long enough to start fumbling with the buttons on my blouse. I watched those big hands caress my flesh and shuddered with pleasure when he unzipped my slacks.
Star-Crossed Curves: BBW Erotic Romance Boxed Set Page 14
