by MK Schiller
“I love it.”
He rewarded me with a mischievous smile, kissing my hand before closing the door.
“I got your gift. Thank you,” I said when we were rolling down the road.
“Did you like it?”
“It was very generous. I don’t know how many men would send a woman the most state of the art speakers in the world.”
He shrugged. “You like music so I thought you’d enjoy them.”
“Damien, I love the gift. I do, but you don’t have to spend so much money on me. The jewellery and first edition books…they are too much. I just like being with you.”
“I can afford it, Jessie.”
“I know, but I’m not with you for those things. It makes me uncomfortable because I can’t reciprocate.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“I understand that, but it makes me feel like I’m a kept woman or something.”
He let out a hearty laugh. “Kept woman. That’s funny. I know you’re not into me for my money, Jessie. That’s very obvious.”
“Good.”
“You want me for my hot body. The same reason I’m with you, babe.”
I laughed this time. He had a cocky, humorous persona and he could always make me laugh, but it felt hollow in my throat tonight.
“Why do you like me?” There it was…the question I’d been avoiding for so long.
“Is that a real question, or a trick girl question?”
“A real question. Come on, we don’t really make sense, do we? We’re kind of weird together.”
He narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Hell yeah, we’re weird. What’s wrong with that? It all comes down to how we make each other feel and fuck the rest of it.”
“I’m not trying to piss you off. It’s a reasonable question.”
I turned to the window and we rode in silence for a while. He took my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist.
“I like you… I like you a lot, not just because of who you are, but cause of the way you make me feel. I knew it that night we danced at the club as much as I know it now. Isn’t that enough?” His voice registered hurt, and I cursed myself for bringing up my own insecurities again.
That was the thing about Damien, he could go from self-assured cockiness to sweet tenderness in a New York minute. I had a feeling that very few saw that side of him, and it made me feel special. At the same time, my inner voice kept warning me not to read into him. It was exactly why I’d kept him at arm’s length for so long.
“Yes, it’s enough. I just never expected to be dating again, let alone an ex-stripper, house-flipper, billionaire, younger man.”
“Same here, especially a Deadhead, vegan librarian with three kids. So which one of us is weirder?”
“Guess we both are pretty untraditional people.”
“That should only support the fact we belong together.”
“You have a reputation for being a playboy, but you don’t seem like that. Why don’t you date?”
“I don’t have time for it. If I want sex, I plan it. The women I was with understood that. You’re different. Just accept that you are. Don’t question away my feelings for you, Jessie. They are real. This is not a fling for me.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, and he put his free arm around me. “It’s not for me either.”
“Good, so I passed the trick question?”
“With flying colours. Where are we going?” I asked, when he hopped on the expressway.
“I’m taking you to a vegan restaurant. I think you’ll like it.”
“Which one?”
“I don’t think you’ve been to this one.”
“I’ve been to every vegan and vegetarian restaurant in this town, Damien.”
“I never said it was in town.”
* * * *
“Did I say you were weird?”
We both sat in plush, oversized seats, staring at each other.
“You mentioned it a few times.”
“You pick me up in a beat up old truck and now we’re riding in a private jet.”
“It’s the company jet, actually. I have some business in Denver, but you said you weren’t working tomorrow so I figured you wouldn’t mind an overnight trip.”
“A woman could get used to this,” I said, sipping on my champagne.
“I want you to.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“What business do you have?”
“Some land I’m interested in, and I’m donating a few houses in the inner city.”
“It’s nice that you do so much charity work.”
“I have to spend this money on something, since my girlfriend has issues with expensive gifts.”
“Well, you are a very generous man, Damien. You spend your time wisely.”
“Speaking of time, we have a little over two hours. To use your term, want to bang?”
“Here?” I gestured to the cabin where two Stepford stewardesses had made constant appearances for the last twenty minutes.
“Somewhere more private, but I think we should initiate our status in the mile-high-club tonight. What do you think?”
“I can be persuaded.”
He stood up and reached for my hand. “Well, let’s use our time wisely then.”
I followed him and paused at the bathroom door.
Damien gripped my arm. “What are you doing?”
“I thought we were going in here.”
He laughed. “Why would we want to do it in there when we have a bedroom?”
He hit a button and a concealed door opened, revealing a spacious bedroom with a king sized bed, a long couch, stuffed chairs and even a desk.
He led me to the bed, and I bounced on it. “This is really something.”
“So is this,” he said, leaning down and kissing me hard.
I was breathless when he backed away. But he wasn’t done yet. He trailed those thick lips down my throat. His deft hands unbuttoned my blouse. I shrugged off my shirt and he started working on my jeans, unbuttoning and pulling them off. I leant back on my elbows.
“Take off your bra for me, Jessie.”
I slipped it off my shoulders. He kissed my foot and began working his way up my legs, rubbing his hands up and down them. He crept over my body, marking each movement with his lips, until he got to my breasts. He took my nipple in his mouth, ravishing it with his tongue. He applied the same method to my other one. My moans increased with every flick of his tongue.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked, not stopping his exploration.
I seized a fistful of his hair, bringing his face away from my breasts. “I’m just wondering if a girl’s gotta make it rain around here for you to take something off.”
He chuckled. “I love that you make me laugh. It’s rare.” The statement surprised me, since he had such a great sense of humour. He lifted off the bed and pulled me up with him. “Should I strip for you?”
“Yes. Now.”
He walked over to a remote and we were surrounded by the sounds of T.I.’s Whatever You Like.
“Should I pick something else, because like the song says, you can have whatever you like?” He slowly undid the knot of his tie.
“I love T.I. and I would just like you,” I said.
“You never do what I expect.” He unbuttoned his shirt with slow precision, and I regretted asking him to strip. This was torture.
His hips moved seductively. There was nothing cheesy about it. Each progression was controlled rhythm.
God help me, I licked my lips when he revealed his ripped muscles. He unbuckled his belt and my eyes widened with excitement getting ready to see that sex vex again.
“Is this really turning you on?” He stepped out of my grasp when I reached out to touch him.
“You’re teasing me.” I pouted.
“It is called a strip tease for a reason.” He crooked his fingers, beckoning me, and I almost stumbled into him. I swung m
y arms over his neck and he encircled my waist, resting his hands on my ass. He moved us around the room, like we were waltzing to Beethoven. It felt so right…it felt like us.
“What would you like?” He tilted my chin up so I was looking into his face. His eyes were burning with green tonight.
“I’d like you naked.”
“Then why don’t you take care of it?”
I fell to my knees and slipped off his belt. I pushed his pants down, staring at the bulge in his boxer briefs. They looked like they might be a size too small, then again, his erection continued to grow. He removed his pants then moved a step closer to me. I knew what he wanted, and I wanted to give it to him. I wasn’t good at this, but I was willing to practice as much as he’d let me.
He clasped my hair as I rolled down his briefs. I relished his moan when I took him in my mouth, trying to fit as much of him in as I could.
“Oh, God, Jessie.” His fingers threaded through my hair, and I felt myself getting wetter with his touch.
I licked his shaft and cupped his balls, enjoying each of his moans.
“Stop,” he said.
“Stop?”
He bent down and pulled me up by the shoulders. “I have an idea.”
“Now?”
“Yes, a competition of sorts, if you’re up for it. As you can see, I’m up for anything,” he said, grinding his rock-hard erection into me.
“Why are you so competitive?”
“Why can’t you back down from a challenge?”
He had a point. “What did you have in mind?”
He pressed me against him, backing us up until he slumped down in an overstuffed chair. He pulled me onto his lap.
“Let’s see who can make whom come first.”
“You’re not serious.” Even as I said it, he was sliding down my panties. I wrapped my arms around his neck, lifting my ass off his lap with my feet flat on the armrest, making it easier for him. He twirled the scrap of silk in his fingers before flinging it across the room.
“I am completely serious. And look at what a nice guy I am. I even gave you a head start.”
I giggled, feeling the blush on my face. “You want to sixty-nine?”
“Unless you think you can’t handle it. I understand. It’s an intimidating proposition.”
I sat up, bringing my face close to his so our lips were almost touching. “Bring it, cowboy.”
“With pleasure.”
I went to stand up. He clasped my arm, keeping me in place. “Where are you going?”
“To the bed,” I replied. “Where else are we going to do it?”
“Right here.” He moved me so swiftly I wasn’t even sure how I got flipped. I found myself facing his strong, hard cock while his tongue delved inside me. I locked my legs around his neck.
“I won’t let you fall, Jessie.”
I felt those words—he whispered them against my pussy.
“I don’t know how to do this,” I said, trying to navigate towards my objective.
He groaned, blowing hot breaths into my sex. “It is more work for you. I didn’t think about that, but you can do pushups right? The girly ones, where you lean your elbows against the floor?”
“Yes.”
“Put your arms on each of my legs, elbows flat against them. I’ll help you so it’s fair.”
Huh? How was he going to help me? I planted my elbows against his thighs and took the head of his stiff erection into my mouth. I got the push up thing right away as I discovered I’d have to lift myself up. His tongue ran along my clit, making it difficult to comprehend what I was supposed to be doing. Then I felt him jerk his legs. I quickened my pace with his help, tightening my lips around his erection. He sped up too, rubbing my hips in the same motion. The more he gave to me, the deeper I went, choking myself in the process.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” he said in a strained voice.
“Don’t stop,” I garbled out, mouth full. He went right back to it, and so did I.
This was a position I would have never contemplated was realistic much less pleasurable, yet it was amazing. The deeper he licked me, the harder I sucked him, taking in more of him than I thought I ever could. He won or maybe I did…I wasn’t sure, but I came first. He didn’t stop though, and I was thankful for that. We weren’t stopping until we both crossed the finish line. I tightened my lips against him, knowing my own moans were reverberating, making him come undone.
“Damn, Jessie, that’s so good,” he said in a muffled voice.
I came again. Then I tasted him inside my mouth, the salty prequel to our conclusion, but he didn’t finish. Instead, he pulled me up and positioned me so I was sliding down his shaft. I leant back against his chest, breathing heavy.
“Not. Done,” he said in a hitched voice.
He jerked into me, and I started slowly moving up and down, aided by his hands on my hips. Damien pulled my hair back, gaining access to my neck where he kissed me. He trailed his mouth down to my shoulder and softly bit into me as I writhed. His chest was slick or maybe it was my back. I wasn’t sure, but if felt good. He pinched my nipples, rolling them between his thumb and index fingers.
I felt myself let go a third time, and thank God, he followed me there. Exhausted, I slumped back. He stroked my hair while we both regained our breath. He wrapped his legs around me then, embracing me while kissing one side of my cheek and running his finger down the other. It was completely tender and unexpected after the crazy sex we’d just had.
“You won,” I gasped.
“I think we both did.”
Chapter Seventeen
I opened the door and almost did a double take at a very sexy Damien Wolfe in a dark grey suit, holding two pizza boxes.
“I thought you were in California until tomorrow?”
“I got done earlier than expected. I brought us dinner.”
“Oh,” I said, frowning at the boxes.
“Jessie, you think I don’t know you by now? Yours has no cheese, just vegetables and sauce. I also verified they don’t use butter or eggs in their whole wheat crust.”
I smiled, wondering if I could bottle up his consideration and share it among all the men in the country.
“Thank you, you think of everything.”
“When it comes to you, I do.”
I stared down at my outfit, a bit self-conscious about my cleaning jeans with holey knees and plaid shirt. I even had a freaking bandana tied over my head.
“You look disappointed to see me. Do you have another man in there?” He smiled, except it was tight as if he might actually be worried.
“Nope, it’s just that I was getting the house ready. The realtor wants to put it on the market next week, and I’ve been procrastinating because a certain someone has been preoccupying me.”
“Should I go?”
Hell no. He’d only been gone a few days, but I’d missed him.
“It just so happens I’m in the mood for some procrastination.” I stepped aside to let him in.
His smile widened. “I guess it’s good I’m here then.”
He walked over to the dining table then set down the food. He nodded at Kate. Damn…I’d forgotten she was here.
“I’m sorry, this is my best friend, neighbour and grandson’s other grandma, Kate.”
“That’s a lot of titles,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Kate stood up from the pile of photo frames we were packing up. She extended her hand to Damien, who shook it firmly.
“My pleasure, Damien,” Kate said with great exaggeration, holding onto his hand a little too long. A scarlet blush filled her cheeks as she fluttered her lashes so fast, I wondered if she had something in her eye. “Well, I think I’ll leave you two kids alone.”
“You don’t have to go,” I said.
“Yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise Emmie had company.” Damien gave her a charming smile, which seemed to put her at ease.
“I actu
ally need to make sure my hubby has done at least one of the ten items on his honey-do list.” Kate walked towards the door, but before leaving she turned back to Damien. “Just let me give you some advice you’ll thank me for, Damien.”
“What’s that, Kate?”
“If she offers you brownies, decline at all costs. She told us she’d stop making them yet she still is.”
“Hey, they’re strictly optional,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Oh?” Damien leaned against the wall, tilting his head. “Is there something magical in those brownies?”
Kate laughed. “Yeah, magic beans.”
“Magic beans? I haven’t heard that term before.”
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” I said, stifling a laugh. “I put actual beans in them.”
Damien’s amused expression turned to horrified, causing Kate to giggle. “That sounds disgusting.”
“They’re healthy brownies.”
“That’s a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one,” he said.
“I think you’ll fit in just fine, Damien…very fine,” Kate said, before waving goodbye.
I closed the door, realising that Damien had never spent time at my house before. His place was palatial and mine was…comfortably shabby. I watched him walk around, looking over the photos and knick-knacks. Surprisingly, the moment didn’t make me uncomfortable. I was very proud of my little house.
He knocked on the plaster walls. “Very sturdy. Well-built for sure.”
“Yes, it was a really good house for us. Would you like some wine?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll warn you, it’s not the good stuff like you have. It’s just cheap swill,” I said, walking to the kitchen.
“That’s my best kind of swill,” he replied. “This is my favourite Rodriguez song.”
Crucify Your Mind had to be the most poetic song I’d ever heard. It was eerie, melancholy and beautiful.
“That’s a coincidence. I just redid my favourite’s playlist. That’s what we’re listening to.”
“Did you make this?” He gestured to the large black and white photograph that hung prominently in the living room. It was the city skyline made up of hundreds of tiny pictures of our family. You could stare at it for hours and still keep finding new things.
