by Lexie Ray
When she was sure he had drifted off to sleep once more, she lifted and pulled the material down. His swollen, reddened cock sprang out. It dropped against his stomach with a soft thud that was oddly satisfying. Once more, Jamie squirmed. This time, one hand dropped down against his stomach, too high up to get in the way of Gwen’s study.
She hesitated until she could reassure herself that there wasn’t any risk of her being discovered. With her heart in her throat, she tucked the elastic band under his balls, allowing her an uninterrupted view. His shaft was thick, solid, and wide enough that her fingers wouldn’t be able to meet if they were to wrap around it. The crown was a perfectly rosy pink, the shaft blossoming into a molten, near angry shade of red. It seemed to beg her for contact, and Gwen lifted her hand to offer some kind of relief.
Using only the tip of one finger, she traced the vein that bulged along the underside of his cock. It was the barest of pressure, but Jamie’s reaction was instantaneous. A long moan pulled from his throat as he pressed his face more firmly against his bicep. It almost sounded like he was in pain. His cock pulsed against Gwen’s fingertip, a bead of pre-cum welling against the crown. It called to her like a siren and shattered the last of her restraint. She swirled her finger over the silken surface, dipping into the slit until coiling her fingers around his shaft and slowly dragging the loose grip all the way down to the base.
Jamie released a staggered gasp as his back arched. Gwen’s skin turned to ice. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”
“That depends,” he groaned happily. “What answer do I need to give for you to do that again?”
For a moment, Gwen struggled to breathe, let alone think. The entire force of her embarrassment hit her all at once. She reeled with the blow and threw herself back off the bed. Apologies trailed from her mouth as she staggered over the floor. Jamie sat up, one hand reaching for her as he tried to coax her back to the bed. She was out of the door before he could reach her, and she fled into the kitchen.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The word slammed against the inside of her skull until her bones rattled with it. How could she let herself do that? Gwen prided herself on her self-control. Her ability to keep herself from any temptation. How could she have let herself fall like that? A groan left her throat when she heard footsteps padding down the hallway. She quickly turned her back to the hallway and gripped the kitchen sink.
“Good morning.” The happiness of his tone made her shoulders clench. “Are you a coffee drinker? I could really go for a cup.”
“How long were you awake?”
“Probably from the beginning.” She cringed as he bit down into an apple, the sound unmistakable even as she refused to look around. “Elastic under your package isn’t exactly comfortable.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asked casually.
She turned around quickly and almost yelped in surprise. “Why are you naked?”
“You’re the one that undressed me.”
“I did not. It would have taken less effort for you just to pull them back up.”
“Yeah,” he mused as he took another bit of the apple, “but it’s really hot in here.”
It was hard to keep her eyes from trailing down to once more take in the glory of him naked. It was a losing battle. His cock jutted out, strong and demanding. It didn’t take long for him to realize that her attention had drifted. With a smirk firmly in place, he leaned back against the kitchen island and licked some apple juice from his thumb. Gwen’s body flushed as her insides turned to liquid.
She tore her eyes away and forced herself to meet his gaze. “You can put on clothes.”
“You could take yours off,” he smiled.
“Look, I am not like the other girls that you do this with.”
He had the audacity to look confused. “Other girls?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Not at all,” he said before taking another bite.
She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her gaze to the side. “I’m not a fool.”
“How many women do you think I’ve slept with?” he chuckled. She squeezed her mouth shut. “Well?”
“I’m doing the math.”
“Make sure to carry the one.” He laughed and placed the remains of the apple on the countertop beside him. “One.”
“One what?”
“I’ve only ever had sex with one woman.”
It took a moment for Gwen’s mind to truly come to terms with that. His naked form was hard to ignore and made thinking difficult.
“One?”
“I’m a one-woman type of guy,” he shrugged.
She tightened her grip on her arms. “You’re really hung up on Cheyanne.”
“I was,” he said carefully. “Was being the important word here.”
“And yet you want me to believe that you’re still only at one.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Look at you,” she snapped. “Who wouldn’t be dying to get their hands on you?”
Fire strengthened Jamie’s gaze, betraying his otherwise calm expression as he stalked closer to her.
“Are you dying to get your hands on me?” he asked sweetly. “Because you can. Whenever you want.”
He took hold of the countertop behind her, his arms bracketing Gwen as he edged closer. The tip of his cock slid against her bare legs, leaving a trail of pre-cum that chilled in the air. She shivered in the wake of the sensation, and his smile grew almost predatory.
“Because I’m dying to get my hands on you,” he whispered. “And for the record, I’m a man of very specific tastes. It makes it hard to find someone.”
“And what is your type?” She hated how her voice came out in a whimper.
“The extraordinary.”
She swallowed thickly as he pressed closer. “And Cheyanne was extraordinary?”
“Turns out not for the tight reasons,” he admitted. He lifted one hand, curling his fingers through the thick, short strands of her hair. “But you. You’re truly remarkable. And I really want to kiss you.”
“Really?”
“May I?”
She licked her lips as she tilted her gaze down to his. He slipped her fingers deeper into her hair and gently began to pull her toward his waiting mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her insides turned into simmering lava. They both cursed loudly when a sharp knock rattled the door.
Chapter Nine
“Ignore that,” Jamie pleaded as he reached once more for Gwen’s lips.
Someone pounded against the door again, harder than before, and he bit back a growl. Gwen straightened at the sound. With her back rigid, her lips were well and truly out of his reach.
“They’ll go away,” he insisted.
That, at least, earned him her attention. Her eyes flicked to meet his and, after a moment of hesitation, lowered to his mouth. Emboldened, Jamie edged closer until she nestled tightly against his engorged cock. The feeling was delightful, and he indulged in a moan a little louder than was warranted.
“I’m really sorry to drop by so early,” Willow’s voice drifted through the door.
Gwen’s attention wavered between Jamie and the door, and that was far less attention than he was happy with.
“It’s not important,” he whispered, a second before Willow knocked again.
“I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t important.”
“Seriously?” he grumbled.
“You better put on some pants,” Gwen said.
“Are you sure? It’s not like it’s an emergency.”
“I’m sorry to rush you, but I think this might be an emergency,” Willow called.
“Has she got this place bugged?” he hissed.
Gwen slid out of his arms and headed toward the door. It left him with the choices of either grabbing his pants or getting comfortable with the idea of Willow seeing everything he had to offer.
He jumped into his pants, listening to the conversat
ion taking place between the two women in the adjoining room. It was easy to pick up certain words, such as ‘Mads,’ ‘trouble,’ and ‘help,’ and it put some speed into his movements.
Jamie was still zipping his pants up when he emerged from the bedroom.
“What’s wrong with Mads?”
Willow’s eyes widened as she looked between him and Gwen. Eventually, she stammered out, “Oh, I didn’t know you were here.”
“Yeah.” He smiled.
Gwen blushed as she avoided all possible eye contact. “Nothing improper happened.”
“Despite my best efforts,” Jamie said quickly as he did up the button at the top of his fly. “Back to Mads. What trouble?”
“It seems a little silly now.”
“Yeah, but you’ve cock-blocked me now, so we’re doing this.”
He could feel Gwen’s attention fix onto the side of his face, but he forced himself not to look at her.
“It’s just,” Willow swallowed, “I think Mads is depressed.”
“Why come to me?” Gwen asked.
“Because I didn’t know where any of the boys were, and I was hoping one of you guys would know how to pull him out of it.”
Jamie put up his hand to cut into the conversation. “What did he do?”
“Maybe nothing, but–”
“Willow, out with it,” he said. “A certain degree of depression is kind of expected, given the current situation, so what did he do that’s got you so worried?”
“He’s sleeping in.”
“And?”
“Okay, it doesn’t sound bad, but I’ve never seen him like this before. He used the blankets to turn himself into a Mads burrito.”
Jamie stood straight, his humor drifting away. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial to conference call. With the phone against his ear, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
“Willow, can you please grab my shirt?”
He managed to get everyone up to date by the time that Willow returned and tossed the shirt toward him. He caught it with one hand and was pulling it on as Gwen asked, “I don’t get it. What’s wrong with someone sleeping in?”
“Mads is the last person you want to lose it,” he said. “He tends to go overboard when he’s upset.”
“What classifies as overboard?”
“I’ve seen him raze a building to the ground.”
Gwen’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
He could barely contain his frantic laugher. “He salted the damn earth. Literally.” Yanking on his parka, he headed to the front door. “Gwen, you’re gorgeous and perfect, and I will totally be hitting on you later. Willow, show me where he is.”
***
Mads tightened his hands in the blankets as he heard the approaching footsteps. He didn’t really think that they would try and forcibly remove him, but he didn’t attempt to stop his body from preparing for it. Apparently, for all their training, none of them realized that they were within earshot as they began to talk in the hallway.
“How long has he been like this?” Jai asked.
“Since we got up, I guess,” Willow replied in a whisper. “Well, I got up. He didn’t.”
Mads stifled a groan. Was he so rigid in his behavior that one slight change, one attempt to actually relax for five minutes, would warrant the attention of his whole team?
“Give me a second,” Daren said, and briskly walked into the room.
Mads listened carefully, his stomach tightening with every step. The mattress dipped as Daren sat down next to him.
“Mads? Ya awake?”
“Yes.”
“Ya good?”
“Yes.”
“Do you promise to talk to us before you do something stupid?”
“Yes.”
“Right.” Daren smacked his hand down on Mads’ knee. “Good talk.”
“That’s it?” Dwayne said, when Daren came back to the doorway.
“He said he’s fine.”
“He’s a grown man making a pillow fort,” Dwayne snapped.
“You do that all the time,” Jai noted.
“Yeah, but when I do it, it’s adorable.”
“Not as much as you think,” Jamie noted.
“Andrea likes it,” he snapped back. “So, I win. Suck it.”
“Well, that’s a great point,” Willow said. “But can we get back to Mads?”
“You can’t force Mads to do anything he doesn’t want to do,” Daren said. “He’ll come out when he’s hungry.”
“He’s not Rebecca,” Dwayne said.
“I get that,” Dwayne dismissed. “But he was her age when he lost his parents. He kind of stopped learning how to deal with his emotions around then. Trust me, when he’s hungry, he’ll come out.”
“Are you sure?” Willow said, concern weaving through her voice.
“The second he has something to do, he’ll snap himself out of it.”
“Relying on work for a sense of self-worth doesn’t sound too healthy,” Dwayne said.
“And Mads is otherwise the poster boy for health,” Daren snorted.
That stung a little bit to hear. Mads couldn’t argue with it, but it still was a little insulting.
“So, who has something he can work on?” Willow asked.
Jamie sighed. “I got something.”
Mads’ attention shifted to Jamie’s footsteps. It felt like being called out, and he was eager to hear what came next.
Jamie sat down on the bed with a sigh. “Mads?”
“Yes, Jamie?”
“Did you know about Gwen?”
“If I had learned about Gwen, I would have learned that she worked for Cheyanne. Do you truly believe I would have let you walk into that situation unprepared?”
“That’s not exactly a no.”
“It’s a very offended no. Is this your proposed plan? To get me up by insulting and infuriating me?”
“Plan?” Jamie laughed uncomfortably.
“I can hear all of you.”
“Well, this got awkward really quickly.”
“For the record, Daren is right. This is a simple case of regression, not an act of crippling depression. I will right myself shortly.”
“Did you talk like this as a child?”
“Yes.” His attention shifted from the boring topic to the thought that had begun to nag at the back of his mind. “Why the curiosity regarding my relationship with Gwen?”
“Just wondering if you’re trying to manipulate me.”
Mads had flipped down the top of the sheets before he thought about it. “You are interested in Gwen? Romantically?”
“Yeah.”
“You have barely known her for 24 hours.”
“I’m not saying it’s love at first sight. Maybe infatuation at first sight.” He chuckled. “But it’s something, I think. Do you think she likes me?”
Mads sat up, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “I can find out.”
Jamie grinned and stood up. “Thanks, man.”
“Once again, I feel like this is unhealthy,” Dwayne said from outside the room.
“Duly noted and acknowledged,” Mads said as he threw the sheets said. “Now, excuse me. I need to shower.”
Chapter Ten
Gwen hurried through the items she was supposed to do today, though all the while her mind was filled with Jamie. His warmth was a lingering memory on her skin, buzzing under the layers of her clothes as a constant presence. She tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on the tasks at hand, but everything reminded her of last night. Even his scent remained, traces of his cologne that caught her off guard each time she smelled it, propelling her deeper into her memories.
Silly girl, she told herself sharply as she helped wrestle another ice sculpture onto the back of the truck. There is no way that he could really be interested. It was probably just a ploy to get a rise out of Cheyanne. And it had certainly worked.
News always spread fast in a small town. And th
e cluster of employees that lived around the staff accommodations were a town all on their own. Gwen shouldn’t have been surprised that someone had spotted Jamie entering her cabin. Less still that Cheyanne had heard about it by the time Gwen made it to work. Of course, Cheyanne wouldn’t lower herself to admit that she was jealous of a subordinate, especially of someone who looked like Gwen. But she wasn’t above showing her displeasure. Gwen’s duties for the day suddenly involved a lot more manual labor that kept her far away from the main property.
Snow piled around her aching legs with every step. They had cleared away the fall from last night, but the snow hadn’t stopped, and it was once again high enough to cause problems. Her feet were like slabs of ice by the time the final shipment was loaded. It took even longer to get the heavy chunks of artwork arranged to Cheyanne’s liking. By the time it had reduced down to mere inches, there was no denying that the task had more to do with Cheyanne’s irritation than anything else.
You should have slept with him, a voice in the back of Gwen’s mind said. At least then the punishment might have been worth it. A second voice quickly countered that she had no way of knowing of his skill, so maybe it was better to keep the fantasy. And so began a battle of wills within her skull until Gwen’s head ached with the noise. The upside was that it was a lovely distraction that allowed her to miss most of Cheyanne’s snide comments.
Eventually, the time came that Cheyanne was no longer able to stall without a mutiny from the other workers, and they were all dismissed for the evening. The second Gwen stopped working them, pain flooded into her hands. While her work gloves had protected her fingers well enough from the bitter cold, they hadn’t done much to prevent the sharp chafing.
“I wanted to thank you for your dedication today, Gwendoline,” Cheyanne said as she came closer.
Gwen jolted at the sound of her full name, her body tensing like she was preparing for a blow. “Not a problem,” she managed to mumble.
