by MacKay, Cali
She looked over her shoulder at him, her brow furrowed. “Don’t say things like that, Marshall.”
He didn’t quite understand what he’d said to upset her, but he suddenly felt like an ass, even if he didn’t know why. “Harper…hey, are you okay?”
“No. But I want you to fuck me anyway.” She shook her head as if to clear it, but he couldn’t bear to continue. Pulling out of her, he pulled her into his arms, even as she fought him. “I need you not to stop. Please…for me.”
Fucking hell…he didn’t know what the hell to do. Whatever he’d said had upset her, yet it was also clear she needed the physical connection. Thoughts of taking her rough and hard disappeared as he gently turned her onto her back, and nestled himself between her legs, burying himself deep inside her once more, though this time they were face to face. “It’s okay, love…I’ve got you.”
Harper sank into Marshall’s arms as he held her tightly to him, her body stretched tight around his cock as he filled her, taking her slow and sweet, hoping to comfort her when she looked so broken. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe, to keep the darkness away, and try to make her happy. And so he kissed her like nothing in the world mattered but the two of them.
She clung to him; his forehead lowered to hers as their pace quickened and he covered her face in his kisses, her legs wrapped around his thighs, pulling him deeper. He tilted his hips so each thrust was intense and with purpose, the energy inside him starting to build once more, as his head spun with heightened emotions, his connection to Harper unlike anything he’d felt before.
Hooking her leg behind the knee, he opened her up to him, so he could bury himself fully with each thrust, filling her completely while pressing against that sweet spot deep inside her, her little moans of pleasure pushing him so he was teetering on the edge of coming again. And then he bit her neck, the flicker of pain enough to set her orgasm free, making her cry out as she clung to him and her body quivered in his arms.
A few more hard thrusts unleashed his own release like lightning in a summer storm, his cock pulsing deep inside her as he came. With their breathing still heavy and his pulse hammering, they lay there, their bodies entwined until he slowly pulled out of her, discarding the condom before he gathered her into his arms.
He was still feeling fiercely protective of her, hating that there were things in her life that could bring her to tears. And it didn’t matter that he’d only known her less than a year and they’d only gotten together recently, or that they weren’t supposed to be taking things seriously.
In that moment, she was all he cared about.
Chapter Twelve
Harper couldn’t believe she’d let such a small thing get to her. She felt like a fool for overreacting, even if Marshall had been incredibly sweet about it all. He’d somehow managed to soothe her jagged nerves and ease the pain in her heart, and she swore, he claimed a little piece of her soul in that moment.
Holding her to him, Marshall swept the hair from her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Harper…I’m here for you if you want to talk.”
She wanted to pull out of his arms and escape so that she wouldn’t have to discuss this, but his hold on her tightened as if he’d read her mind. “There’s nothing to discuss. I’m fine. And that’s not what this relationship is.”
She knew that if she told him, it would change the dynamic of what was between them. If he knew, he’d look at her as if she was broken and fragile, and then he’d handle her with kid gloves. She was having fun for once and the last thing she wanted was for him to start pitying her.
“Maybe not, but I meant it when I said that I wanted to get to know you better—and if there’s something bothering you, then maybe I can help.” He let out a breath ragged with frustration.
“You can’t help. No one can. And getting to know me was not part of our deal. My life is my own, and I’m not saying that to be a bitch. My life is just too screwed up for me to rehash all my issues and not have you look at me differently.” She shifted closer and stole a lingering kiss, feeling some of his frustration with her ease. “I honestly need a bit of a break from my life, and I was hoping this week away in London would give me a few days where I could escape everything that haunts me. Discussing my problems will defeat all of that, which is why I can’t.”
“I get it, Harper…I honestly do. But…just know that if you do feel like you need to talk, I’m here for you.” He ran his hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Believe it or not, I’m a pretty good listener.”
As a doctor, she imagined he’d had an excellent bedside manner, immediately setting his patients and their families at ease. “Your patients must have loved you.”
“They did.” His smile kicked up as he gave her a shrug, still holding her close to him. “And the truth is, I really do miss it, though I love what I’m doing at Clio too.”
“How on earth did you get started with Clio? It just seems so different than being a surgeon.” She couldn’t imagine making such a drastic change to her life.
“When I was in college, I had this girlfriend who was a little bit…adventurous. But one of the things she always complained about was how crappy the sex toys on the market were. I guess that always stuck with me. I like figuring things out and tinkering with things—was actually an engineering student when I first started college. Afterwards, my medical knowledge sort of gave me a different perspective, so when I came up with an idea, I hired an engineer to bring the design to life.” He gave her a smile that lit up his eyes, though after a moment, his smile faded. “I was sort of pursuing both Clio and my practice, but after Claire and what happened, I couldn’t stay at the hospital and my practice. I’d end up fucking murdering the asshole my wife was screwing if I had to see him every day.”
“So you decided to focus on just Clio.” It was more of a conclusion than a question. Clio was still a fairly young company, though it certainly seemed like Marshall’s divorce was getting dragged out.
“It’d be even better if Claire would stop showing up at my office and would just sign the divorce papers, but she wants to make me miserable, and has a knack for doing just that.” He stole a quick kiss and then snuggled her in his arms. “Sleep, sweet girl. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
“I suppose I won’t make you sleep on the sofa after all—as long as you behave yourself.”
His smile kicked up and he stole another kiss, rolling her under him as he nestled himself between her legs once more. “Never, Ms. Jones.”
***
“So, what’s the plan? Do you need me to keep an eye out for anything in particular?” Sitting on the edge of the bed, in nothing but her lingerie, Harper slipped on her silk stockings and stood so she could clip them to her garter, thinking it was a good thing she’d thought to pack something sexy.
“Damn, Harper…maybe we can just stay here instead. You look fucking amazing.” Marshall bit his bottom lip, looking ready to devour her as he closed the distance between them, his body sidling up to hers as his hands grasped her hips and pulled her to him. His cheek was rough against hers as he nipped at her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver of need down her spine, making her want him yet again, even if she was already tender from him taking her through the night.
“Work, Marshall. That’s why we’re here.” Somehow she found the strength to push him away, her hand firm on his muscular chest. “And I’m not guaranteeing that last night’s going to become a regular occurrence.”
He shook his head with a laugh. “Sweet girl…keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel any better. But this week? You’re all mine.”
When his hands tightened on her hips and he caught her mouth in a hard kiss, she fisted the fabric of his shirt, holding onto him as his tongue danced with hers, sending a wave of need straight through her, making her go wet with need. She couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone the way she wanted Marshall—and it was pointless to pretend otherwise
.
Never in a million years had she imagined finding herself in this sort of situation. She couldn’t help but think of Josh and the sort of relationship they had, which had been fantastic, but…nothing this exciting or edgy. And she felt guilty for actually enjoying herself—which she was, even if she had her doubts about what she was doing and how wise it was.
Her breathing was heavy by the time she finally managed to pull away. “Fine…one week. But after that I need my old job back, because there’s no way I’ll be able to work with you and not want you.”
“We’ll start with a week, and once we’re back, we’ll find a way to work together.” Marshall stole another kiss before his lips trailed down her neck, nipping and biting at her shoulder, her needy moans escaping her lips as her body thrummed with desire. “You just love that flicker of pain, don’t you?”
“You know I do.” And if they kept this up, they’d never get to the conference—her point proved when he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his lap, draping her over his muscular thighs with her ass in the air as her heart beat out a staccato.
“And what about this?” He slapped her ass hard enough to have the skin stinging, though only for a second, before it turned into a heat that had her going wet and desperately wanting more. “Do you like that, too?”
She bit her lip as she felt herself go wet, nodding in answer since she knew it’d be easy enough for him to check. “Yeah…I do.”
The next blow fell on the other cheek, harder this time, so she couldn’t keep her needy cry silent, her clit aching for attention as he ran his hand over her warmed skin. “More, Ms. Jones?”
She wanted to groan, despite knowing that she had to give him an answer, especially if she wanted him to continue. “Please.”
“Such a polite little thing.” This time one slap fell right after the other, harder than before, so it took the sting longer to mellow into the pleasure she was craving, though her clit was now throbbing as she squeezed her thighs together, looking for some relief. His hand soothed her ass cheeks before slipping down over her sex, shifting her soaked panties to the side, even though he made no effort to slip his fingers inside her, which only added to how badly she wanted him to do just that. “You’re so wet, love.”
There was no denying it. And when the next few blows landed, each harder than the one before, she swore she’d come simply from him spanking her. She wasn’t only wet, but crazy with desperation, needing him to take her hard and make her come. “Marshall…please…I need you to fuck me.”
Instead, he helped her to her feet, leaving her with her hair disheveled, her cheeks on both her face and ass flaming hot, and her pussy aching so badly with need that it hurt. “Why would I do that when I can have you aching for me all day long? I want you to feel my hand on your ass with each step you take, and each time you sit down. And when I do finally take you, sweet girl, I want you to be crazed with wanting me.”
She knew, without a doubt, that he was right about the effect he’d have on her throughout the day. The mere thought of it was enough to have her begging for him to give her some relief. “That’s just mean, Marshall. Please…just one little orgasm?”
“Now where would the fun in that be?” He stood up, looking so sexy that it made her heart hitch. Tilting her chin up, he stole a chaste kiss and then knelt before her, his large capable hands slipping down her calves as he helped her slide into her heels, before stepping away from her with a satisfied smile, her body reeling from his absence. “Get dressed, Ms. Jones. I do believe we have a conference to attend.”
Chapter Thirteen
With Harper at his side, Marshall slipped his hand down to the small of her back, letting it settle there as they walked around the conference. Even though they were there to work, he found himself needing some sort of physical connection to her, since he was still hard for her from earlier.
He just couldn’t get the vision of her draped over his lap out of his head, the porcelain skin of her plump ass marked red with his handprints. It left him desperate to find an empty room where he could take her hard against the wall, or maybe skip the conference altogether and drag her back up to their room.
“Wow. I had no idea it’d be so busy.” She looked up at him with a smile before taking another look around. He didn’t think Harper had been to many conferences at all, let alone one related to the adult novelty industry. “There are some…interesting things here.”
“That’s a bit of an understatement, Ms. Jones.” There was everything from sex toys to adult entertainment, lingerie to kink and fetish—and everything in between. Many were dressed in casual business attire, but there were far more who were scantily clad at best, especially when dealing with the adult film industry. Though Harper was far less innocent than he’d first thought her to be, he had to wonder how comfortable she was with some of the stuff on display. “We’ll just wander for now. See if anything looks interesting. And if any ideas come to you, make sure you tell me right away so we can jot it down and revisit it later, since it’s too easy for ideas to come and go so quickly that they can be impossible to recall once it slips your mind.”
She grabbed his arm with a huge smile, her grey eyes alight with excitement so they flickered with sparks of blue. “I know exactly what you mean. It seems like I always get ideas while I’m in the shower or just as I’m falling asleep. I have to keep a pad of paper by my bedside. And did you know they make pads of waterproof paper? It’s an absolutely brilliant idea, if you ask me.”
Loving her enthusiasm, he pulled her close and kissed her forehead, not caring if anyone saw them—and someone most certainly did. “Fuck. Claire…what the hell are you doing here?”
His ex swaggered over to them on precariously high heels with daggers in her eyes aimed at Harper, as Marshall stood there with his arm still around her waist. And though Claire looked like she always had with bleached blonde locks, perfectly applied makeup, and a skin-hugging designer dress that showed off far too much of what she had to offer, she suddenly looked fake and overdone, compared to Harper’s natural and easy beauty. “Why wouldn’t I be here, Marshall? After all, you are my husband—and I want to stay on top of things for when Clio’s mine.”
Marshall’s temper had him seeing red. He took a step forward so he towered over her, even as Harper tugged on his arm, begging him to leave it. “That’s never going to happen. I’ll fucking burn Clio to the ground before I ever give any of it over to you.”
“Is that a threat, Marshall?” Claire was forced to take a step back, her eyes going wide for a moment as if she hadn’t expected to piss him off. In truth, he’d never had much of a temper, but she was finding new ways to make him angry.
“Take it any way you want, Claire. But Clio will never end up in your cheating, money-grubbing hands.” He’d had enough, his anger like poison in his veins, every muscle tense. He grabbed Harper’s hand and turned to go, but Claire clearly wasn’t done.
“I can’t believe it. You’re actually with her?” Claire threw her head back and laughed. “Marshall, I’ve got to tell you…you really have hit rock bottom. Not that I’m surprised. After all—I was always the best thing about you. And let’s face it, it’s not like this plain-Jane will be able to satisfy you—not with your edgy tastes.”
Marshall spun around, moving into her space so she was forced to step back, his hands curled into fists as he forced his words past his clenched jaw. “You could only hope to be as amazing as Harper, both in and out of the bedroom—but you’ll never be. Because I know you, Claire, and you’re nothing but a nasty and ugly conniving bitch who only cares about herself. The day I’m rid of you will be the happiest fucking day of my life.”
He left her there stammering for a comeback and stomping her foot, as he walked towards the nearest exit with Harper on his arm, needing to put some distance between himself and Claire before he did something he regretted. When they got to the lobby, he slowed to a stop and pulled Harper into his arms, cupping her
face, worried about her. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Are you kidding? You’re the one who just had to go another round with Medusa.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it from all that’d just happened. “She can say all she wants about me, Marshall. I’m fine with who I am, and know better than to let nasty people drag me down.”
He loved that she wasn’t fazed by Claire’s nastiness—but he was still worried that dealing with his ex would end up being too much crazy for Harper to handle, when it’d just be easier to walk away from him and whatever it was they were doing. And if she did, it wasn’t like he could blame her. He wouldn’t wish Claire on his worst enemy.
“I need some fresh air. Do you mind if we go for a walk?” If not, he supposed dragging her up to their room to burn through some of his frustration might be a good alternative.
She nodded, and then went up onto the tips of her toes to gently kiss his cheek, her soft curves brushing against his body. “I think that’d be lovely.”
It turned out to be a gorgeous spring day. London was bustling with people, but there was a park nearby with gorgeous gardens and plenty of paths and park benches. Flowers of every color lined the walkways as trees stretched their branches overhead. But it was the smell of damp earth that calmed him, reminding him of the woods around his home where he liked to hike.
He twined his fingers with hers as they lazily walked hand in hand down the different paths, his anger a mere shadow of what it’d been with Harper’s calming presence. Steering them towards a park bench, he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist while he took her in, her thick mahogany hair catching the light so it shimmered red in the sunlight, and her grey eyes shifted to blue.
“You’re stunning, you know.” He couldn’t hold back the words.
Her lips quirked into a smile as she slipped her arms around his neck, her skin soft and warm. “I like that you say it as if it’s a fact.”
