by C. C. Snow
“Damn, baby. That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” He kissed me, tangling our tongues together. His eyes gleamed in the dim light. “I want to take you from behind.”
And just like that, my body was ready again.
He flipped me and raised my hips so that I was kneeling with my torso on the mattress. His hands shaped my ass cheeks and spread my thighs wider. I had a millisecond of worry that my ample behind was in his face, but Jake’s words killed the consternation before it could fully form. “I have a hard-on every time I see your gorgeous ass swaying in front of me, baby.” He brushed his erection against my inner thigh to prove his point. His tip was wet with arousal.
“Jake, I need you.”
“Tell me what you need baby.” Another teasing glance of his cockhead against my labia.
I shuddered and bit my lip. “I need you in me.”
“Say it baby. I need you to tell me in detail what you need.” His hand wrapped around my hip and a finger grazed my clit.
I felt his teeth carefully bite into my right ass cheek and I cried out into the pillow. He laved the sting with the flat of his tongue.
“Tell me, Cora.”
“I… I need your cock. I need you to fuck my pussy.”
“Fuck!” Jake swore and slammed into me.
I almost bit off my tongue. He was so deep at this angle. It was a good thing I was wet from my earlier climax.
He leaned over me and whispered into my ear, “I love it when you talk dirty to me baby. Drive me crazy with words.”
The promise of making him insane with need overcame my shyness. I tried to remember some of the steamier scenes in my romance novels. “You feel so good in me, Jake.”
He moaned and started thrusting into me, his fingers digging into my hipbones.
Gaining confidence, I lowered my voice. “You make me so wet.” It was all true. It felt like I was gushing as he tunneled into me.
“Jesus!” He thrust harder, his balls slapping against the back of my thighs.
My inhibitions burned to an ash in the heat we generated. “Jake, your cock fills my pussy so good.”
He made an animal-like growl. His teeth bit into my shoulder and he started to pummel me mercilessly. My nipples felt like they were on fire as they scraped against the sheets with every stroke. I bit into the pillow as my cries got louder and louder. He circled his middle finger on my clit and I detonated. He shouted into my back and I felt his silky release deep inside me.
We stayed locked together for a while, but it soon became uncomfortable. I tried to wiggle out from under him, but Jake turned us onto our sides and snuggled my back against his front. He was still semi-hard in me.
“Sleep, baby. You’ve worn me out.” Somehow he managed to drag the sheets and blankets over us.
“Jake, I can’t sleep like this,” I whispered. My inner muscles tightened around the hot poker still embedded in me. “And you should go back to your bed.”
He tilted my head back for a deep kiss. “I’ll go in the morning. Now go to sleep.”
That seemed to be the end of the discussion because he stuck his nose into my hair, spread his hand on my belly and was asleep in minutes. I followed with the sound of his even breathing in my ear.
The next morning, Jake woke me up with soft kisses across my shoulder blades. It was still barely dawn and the room was hazily dark. As soon as he knew I was awake, he lowered his hands to where we were joined. I didn’t know if we had stayed that way all night or if he had pushed into me before I woke, but it felt amazing. I moaned as he touched my pussy lips, making me wet and achy.
“You’re a sex fiend,” I muttered. It wasn’t a convincing complaint since I was wriggling my hips against him.
“Only with you. Yesterday, you derailed my plans to go slowly. Not today.” He lifted my right leg over his thigh and fucked me slowly, luxuriously, like we had all the time in the world. No matter how much I begged, he refused to change his pace. And yes, it felt like he was making love to me. Not just with his body, but with his words.
“You feel so good baby. Every time I see you I want to be inside your body. You’re so sexy. You’re mine. Mine.”
With a sharp cry, I fell over the precipice, his possessive words ringing in my ears.
Chapter 19
The Tuesday after we returned from Jake’s parents, I received a letter from the President of the University of Chicago, welcoming me to the fall class. I had to scrub my eyes a few times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
Dear Ms. Branton,
Congratulations! It is my great pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted to the University of Chicago…
Nope. Not dreaming.
I called Jake. He had just left our apartment after eating dinner with Marcus and me. It was becoming a nightly ritual and I loved how normal it felt.
“Hey, baby.”
“Um… I have a letter from the university?”
“Oh, good. I’m glad it finally came. I’ll let my dad know.”
“Jake, I… how…” I inhaled and exhaled. “I thought you were just kidding. I can’t go to school right now. Not that I don’t appreciate what your dad did for me.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I have to work and–”
“Bullshit. We had this discussion already. Or do I need to sic my mom on you?”
“Aha! I knew Susan was in cahoots with you! You’re crazy. I have to pay for the apartment and for food and–”
“No you don’t. I’ll take care of that. You’ll help me train someone for your position and then you can quit in August.”
“Jake, this is crazy!”
“That’s all in your head. You heard my mom. I should be supporting your dreams and I know how much it means to you to go back to school.”
“So…what? You’re going to pay for everything like I’m a kept woman?”
His voice was dangerously soft. “What did you just say?”
A chill slid down my back, but I refused to show that I was intimidated by him. “You heard me.”
“That’s it. I’m done being Mr. Considerate!” He sounded like he was gritting his teeth.
“Ha!”
He hung up on me.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. I reread the letter, my hands shaking. It was so tempting to believe I was so close to getting everything I wanted, but it was also terrifying. If I wanted it, I would have to give up my independence. I slid the letter carefully into the envelope and placed it on my dresser.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Jake didn’t hide that he was pissed off at me. He was professional, but his face was tight and his eyes were hard whenever he looked at me. That aloofness which had been absent for weeks was back.
The truth was, I regretted my words almost as soon as I said them. It cheapened what was happening between us, but my damn pride refused to let me back down.
I was miserable. I had gotten used to his soft looks and affectionate touches. This was the cold man I met during my first day at work and I didn’t like it. A part of me was afraid this would be the end. Was he going to break up with me?
I tried to tell myself this day was inevitable, but it only made me more depressed.
He turned down my invitation to have dinner at my place both nights and I missed him like hell.
On Friday, as I was walking out of the legal department, I bumped into Dale Richards. He was shaking hands with one of the corporate lawyers, Dave Schumer. And unlike the last time I saw him, the stress lines were gone from his face.
“Dale? What in the world?” I stopped in my tracks.
“Cora!” He excused himself from Dave and walked over to me. He couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “It’s wonderful to see you!”
We moved to the side of the hallway so that we didn’t block traffic.
“It’s good to see you too. You look great. But what are you doing here? Do you work for Weston Enterprises now?”
He shook his head. “No! Mr. West
on reached out to my dad a couple of weeks ago and agreed to save DataPoynt. I was just finishing up some paperwork with Dave.”
“What?” Why didn’t Jake tell me? He wasn’t talking to me at the moment, but he could have told me weeks ago.
Dale grinned, his blue eyes bright with happiness. “Yeah. I was shocked when I found out and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Weston came through. Within days of the call, he had bought out enough shares to take over the company. God! I wished I had been there to see the look on Larry Penn’s face when he realized his scheme had failed. Anyway, my dad and I will retain day-to-day control over the company. We have to meet with your boss periodically.” He laughed. “I guess he’s my boss now too. And the most important thing is we don’t have to lay off any of our people.” He touched my elbow. “I want to thank you, Cora.”
“Me? What does this have to do with me?” I blinked in surprise.
“Apparently something you said convinced Mr. Weston to take a chance on us. He didn’t divulge what it was, but he made it clear he was intervening because of you. So thank you.”
“I don’t think I deserve your gratitude, but I’m glad things worked out. Please send my regards to your dad. I’ve got to go. Bye.” Dale looked startled at the abrupt end to the conversation, but I didn’t care. I ran into the stairwell, too impatient to wait for the elevators. Suddenly, I needed to see Jake.
My heart soared.
Jake’s iciness with others had always been disquieting to me. When I learned about Sophia’s betrayal, I understood he was protecting himself and his company, but it was a side of him I hated to see. Maybe I saw it as a sign that he was still influenced by her actions, but I winced every time he retreated behind his chilly mask.
But now maybe Jake was finally thawing. Despite all the logical reasons for not buying the company, he had stepped in to save Datapoynt. Based on my recommendation, he was willing to take a chance on trusting others.
Why couldn’t I take a chance on trusting him?
In that moment, something slotted into place in my heart, like the final piece of the puzzle to make that organ whole again.
I loved Jake Weston. I loved the infuriating man with every fiber of my being.
I had been shying way from the truth, but it finally smacked me in the face. In every instance, Jake had quietly assessed what made me happy– even when I couldn’t see it clearly– and proceeded to take care of it. My brother’s school. My dream of going back to college. A better apartment. He went about it in the most autocratic and infuriating way, but from day one, he had done everything to show me he cared.
He even found a way to overcome my irrational fear of forming lasting relationships– by simply overriding it.
I had been the one sabotaging us. I was so sure we wouldn’t work out that I had one foot out the door. I winced at the hurtful words I said to him about being a kept woman. And he was angry with me right now, not because he was ready to end our relationship, but because I was essentially rejecting him when I rejected his help. I used his money and status as a barrier between us. I was so scared of losing someone else in my life, it was easier for me to view his actions in the worst possible light.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I was out of breath by the time I reached the executive floor.
I rapped my knuckles on Jake’s door.
“Come in.” His face was blank when he looked up.
I didn’t let his coolness deter me as I strode across the office and stood on his side of the desk.
His blue-green eyes warmed as I bent over his chair and placed my hands on the armrests.
“Cora?”
I wanted to laugh at the note of uncertainty in his voice. For once, our roles were reversed.
Injecting my voice with all the love I felt, I said, “I adore you, Jacob Benjamin Weston the Third.”
His whole face lit up and he yanked me into his lap. “Finally,” he grumbled.
Our lips clashed. I held onto the sides of his head and slanted my lips to kiss him deeply. I couldn’t seem to get close enough. I wanted his taste embedded in every pore. His hands ran up the back of my thighs and cupped my backside. I felt his erection grow harder against me. My mouth watered. I wanted to show him how much he meant to me.
I broke our kiss and slowly knelt between his thighs.
“Baby,” he said hoarsely.
The endearment sent relief spearing through me. I had missed him calling me that. Without looking away from his gaze, I unbuckled his belt. The button was stubborn, but I triumphed. His eyes darkened to a mossy green as I lowered his zipper slowly. His shaft was already straining the material of his boxer briefs.
I tugged on his waistband. He raised his hips to let me pull the material past his hips. I looked at him in fascination. Ignoring his raging erection for a moment, I traced his hipbones with my fingers. His skin was soft and sensitive.
“Touch me, Cora.”
I didn’t need to ask where he wanted my touch. I wrapped both hands around his shaft and stroked. I looked up to gauge his reaction. His hands gripped his armrests so hard his knuckles were white. His eyes were wide open, as if he couldn’t bear to look away.
Having never given a blowjob before, I went with my instincts. I licked at his crown, letting my saliva mix with his drop of arousal. Jake’s jaw ticked. I did it again. He moaned. I blew air on his cock and it jerked in my hands.
“Baby, take me in your mouth.” He wrapped my hair around his hand and tugged on my head.
I swallowed his tip and started sucking slowly. Initially I was clumsy and awkward, but Jake’s murmured instructions and moans told me what pleased him. I couldn’t take his full length in my mouth, but I used my hands to stroke the inches I couldn’t reach.
“Jesus Christ. That feels fucking amazing.” He pulled on my hair and I whimpered at how sexy it made me feel.
I didn’t think I would enjoy this, but I loved having Jake in my mouth. I closed my eyes and concentrated on driving him insane. As I gained confidence, Jake’s moans grew louder and his movements less controlled. His pleasure fed mine.
“Baby, I’m going to come. If you don’t pull away…”
I made my intentions clear by increasing my suctioning and with a loud expletive, Jake bucked his hips and exploded. His warm seed hit the back of my throat and I swallowed convulsively. He jerked again in my mouth and I sucked softly, savoring everything about the moment. The slightly salty taste of him on my tongue. The savage way he gripped my head as he came. The husky moans that pushed out of his lips.
My hands continued to work his shaft until he softened and only then did I let him drop out of my mouth.
Jake dragged me into his lap and kissed me softly on my lips. He pushed my hair back so that he could look into my eyes. His eyes were still glazed with satisfaction. “I’m not complaining, but what brought all this on?”
I laid my head on his shoulder. “I saw Dale Richards downstairs.” He stiffened under me and I petted his chest soothingly. “Don’t freak out. You have nothing to be jealous of. He told me what you did for his dad’s company.”
“So you blew me because you’re grateful?” His muscles tightened further.
I smacked his shoulder and sat up to glare at him. “No! Your willingness to trust me opened my eyes to my feelings. It made me realize how much I…” I squeezed my eyes shut, all of a sudden shy.
His hand cupped my face. He leaned his forehead against mine and whispered urgently, “Tell me baby. Please.”
I almost smiled at hearing that please, but the moment was too important. I opened my eyes, needing to see his reaction to my words. “I… I love you.”
He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. “It’s about damn time. Because I’m crazy in love with you, Cora Branton.”
“Really?” I asked, that damn insecurity rearing its head.
His blue-green eyes saw right into my soul. “Yes, baby. I think from the moment I saw you outside the building months ago.”
He described the night that I thought I saw him in the shadows. It was so romantic, I couldn’t resist kissing him until we were panting for breath.
Jake caressed my cheek. “Then you started to work for me. It took a few weeks before I was ready to admit it, but you’ve had my heart from the very beginning. It killed me each time you pushed me away.”
I kissed his chin, feeling the hint of stubble against my lips. “I’m sorry, Jake. I was scared.”
“I know, but it pained me to know you expected me to walk out on you. I saw it in your eyes. You had no faith in me. In our relationship.”
I saw the vulnerability in his eyes and I vowed to never hurt him. “Jake, it was so fast. I had only known you for a few weeks. You have to admit that you had a reputation with women.”
He scowled, but grudgingly said, “Maybe.”
Giggling, I hid my face in his neck. My man was definitely not one for concessions. I felt a little glow. Jake Weston was my man. It sounded primitive, but my feelings were primitive where he was concerned.
“I’ve never told another woman other than my mom that I love her. Do you understand what I’m saying, Cora?”
Scared, but exhilarated, I nodded.
“Good because I expect better from you from now on. You need to know I’d stand by your side no matter what.”
I kissed his neck. “Yes, I know. I love you.”
He turned my head, kissing the tip of my nose and then my lips. “Say it again.”
I never knew what it meant to be bursting with happiness until this moment. “I love you.” I dotted his face with kisses while chanting, “I love you.”
I straddled him and we made love on his chair. Then on his desk.
“Jake, you have a meeting in twenty minutes.” I was cuddled in his lap while he played with my hair. We were both naked.
“Screw the meeting. Let’s go back to my apartment for the rest of the day.”
I hopped off his lap. Even after all the things we did, I still blushed when I felt our wetness on my thighs. “Nope, you have to go. Let’s get cleaned up in your bathroom.” I bent down to pick up his trousers.
