by Suzanne Hart
All I had to do was pick up the phone and call the Revenue department. If they launched an investigation on Crowley Holdings right now, the company could be dissolved overnight. There would be police waiting for Alan at his hospital door to wake up from his coma. And the moment he did, they would be dragging him away to court for a hearing.
I felt a little thrilled at the idea of that. After all these years of my grudge festering inside me, just the thought of Alan Crowley facing criminal charges was satisfying.
But then, Lisa’s face floated up in my mind and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pick up the phone. I couldn’t bring myself to do it… even anonymously.
Why was I feeling this way?
She was supposed to be just another woman I’d fucked, but somehow she had turned out to be so much more.
I knew I shouldn’t have invited her back to my penthouse. I shouldn’t even have made the suggestion of sex. Just kissing her was crossing the line.
I knew we were attracted to each other. Despite the age difference, despite our circumstances… I had felt a spark with her, which I knew she felt too.
Was this what I was looking for? I knew I didn’t want women like Lyra anymore. Empty relationships and quick one-night stands were boring me. For a few months, I was searching for more. Was it Lisa who I’d been looking for all along?
I stood up from my chair and paced around in my office frantically. There was no denying the fact that she was beautiful and smart and a genuinely good person… but most importantly, she was also Alan Crowley’s daughter.
How could I be with her? In which Universe was that going to be the right thing to do?
I knew I had to tell her the truth about her father. He had clearly kept it a secret from her, but she had to know now. She deserved to know what kind of man Alan Crowley was. The kind of person she was looking up to.
It would break her heart, I knew it would, but perhaps the biggest revenge I could rain down on him would be to lift the blinds off his daughter’s eyes. Maybe I didn’t have to destroy his company after all. All I had to do was tell Lisa what I’d found out about her father, and that would be enough.
I asked Penny to arrange another meeting with Lisa the next day.
This time I invited her to join me for lunch on my yacht.
I wasn’t going to sleep with her… that wasn’t the purpose of this meeting. My main aim right now was to tell her the truth so that she could hate Alan the way I hated him.
23
Lisa
When Julian invited me to his yacht, I was wary of accepting the offer. I was aware that we needed to discuss his findings of our financial report… but at the same time, I had no idea how my body would react to his physical presence.
I’d spent the previous day thinking about him—feeling guilty one moment and deliciously turned on the next. I was reliving every second of our night together in my mind.
Seeing him again was going to set off sparks, I knew that already.
I drove to the Chelsea Piers and parked my car where he’d instructed me to. I had never been on a yacht before and had no idea what to wear for it. I decided to keep it simple; and chose a bright yellow sundress and leather sandals. It was a lovely sunny day so I tied my hair in a loose messy bun on the side and opted for a colorless gloss for my lips. Minimal makeup, for minimal chances of seduction.
My sandals flopped on the wooden harbor as I walked to the yacht Julian had given me directions for. As I approached it, I saw him working on the deck. The name Aurora was neatly painted in blue on the side of the yacht. It was all white, with blue trimmings and even though I didn’t know much about yachts, I could tell he had one of the best ones parked in the pier.
Julian looked up at me. I couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses he had on. He was wearing a thin blue linen shirt and a pair of fawn colored linen pants. I had never seen him so casually dressed before. The light breeze that was blowing made his shirt billow as he stood up tall. Under his thin shirt, I could see his rugged muscles moving. My body stiffened at the sight of him.
How were we ever going to discuss anything important when I couldn’t stop drooling over him?
Dammit!
I cursed myself as I walked over the unsteady temporary plank. Julian lunged ahead to give me his hand and helped me up on his yacht.
“She’s a beauty,” I remarked with a smile. I was talking about the yacht, but Julian was looking at me.
“Yes, she is,” he said. Even behind those glasses, I could sense his eyes on me.
“I thought we could talk away from both our offices, since what we have to discuss is of a sensitive nature,” he said.
I looked around the pier, at the blue peaceful water glistening in the sun.
“I think we’re far away enough,” I said, still trying to smile.
Julian dragged his glasses off his eyes and folded them, slipping them into his pocket. When I met his eyes again, I felt electric shocks whip up and down my spine. It was all I needed to remind me of everything I had felt with him… and for him.
Julian was peering into my eyes and I stared back at him.
He must have noticed the way the color drained from my face.
“Lisa… I…” he began to say and I stepped closer to him before I could hold myself back.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I whispered.
Our bodies were inches away. We were standing right out there in the open, in the sun, staring at each other… the possibility of anything happening should have been low. Especially after we’d decided that we were going to keep it professional. So, why did he have to look at me like that?
“There are some things we need to discuss,” he said.
Even though his mouth was framing words, I couldn’t hear them. I was completely stunned into silence. It was like the sun had set my body on fire. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach… this uncontrollable urge to kiss him.
“I think maybe it should wait,” I said. My voice was low, I was barely saying anything.
Julian searched my eyes, like he couldn’t believe what I was saying.
“It’s urgent,” he said, but he didn’t step away. We were both trying to fight this, but it was no use. We had already set it in motion, just by seeing each other again.
“All right. Tell me now and get it over with. Then I can leave,” I told him. I was holding his gaze firmly, challenging him to turn me away if he could.
I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist me. I could see it in his eyes.
“Lisa, we decided…” his voice trailed. I gulped nervously.
“Yes, I knew we decided. So, tell me. Let’s talk business,” I snapped.
“Fuck.” I heard him growl under his breath.
He was glaring at me now and I could see that he was mad at himself. Just like me, he had worked hard at trying to be well behaved. But one look at me and his resolve had come crashing down. Neither of us were able to control what we’d started.
“We should have just met at your office,” he said. A sarcastic smile flickered on my face.
“The last time we did, it didn’t stop us from doing what we did,” I replied. Julian smiled too. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
“What are you doing to me, Lisa!” He growled. He wasn’t speaking to me. He was speaking to himself.
“I haven’t done anything. I came here because you asked me to,” I said. He looked up at me again with those blue eyes. They were dark and dangerous. He was imagining me naked again. He was picturing himself inside me.
“And you shouldn’t have been such a good girl,” he hissed.
I stared back at him, holding my head high. I knew what was about to happen. I wanted it to happen. Fuck the business. Fuck the company and what we decided. Right now, my body was hungry for him and he was hungry for me. And Julian Hunt looked like the kind of man who always got what he wanted.
I opened my mouth to say something more, but before I could get a
word out, Julian had grabbed my hand and pulled me to himself.
“This is insane,” I heard him grunt, before he took my mouth in his.
I kissed him ravenously, like I was starving for him since the last time we met. While he kissed me, he lifted me up. I threw my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He was cradling me in his arms.
I clutched his face while he kissed me hard. Our tongues lapped with each other’s, our lips slid and pressed and a moan escaped my mouth.
Within moments, I realized that he was carrying me somewhere. We were going down a flight of steps and then we were inside a cabin.
I pulled my mouth away so I could look. It was a wooden cabin in the lower deck of the yacht. It seem like a temporary accommodation. It had everything—a big screen TV, a huge bed, beautiful curtains, a carpeted floor, and a walk-in closet.
“I can’t stop kissing you,” he breathed roughly and pulled my mouth back in his. This time, he kissed me more gently, carrying me over to the bed.
With my legs stretched out around him, I could feel the throbbing of his cock through our clothes. Julian threw me down and I bounced when my body hit the springy mattress. I couldn’t help but giggle with excitement.
Julian stood over me at the edge of the bed. Within seconds, he was unbuttoning his shirt. I watched him hungrily, with my mouth hanging open. I’d been dreaming about him… I’d fantasized about having him again. And it was happening now. I couldn’t believe it.
Julian’s shirt came off and there was his sexy body again—on full display. He caught my ankles and pulled me closer to the edge of the bed. My legs were dangling over it.
Julian crouched down on the carpeted floor, wedging himself between my legs.
“Everything about you, every inch of you is beautiful,” he murmured and started rolling his tongue up my ankle, my calf and thigh, dragging my dress along with him. His wet tongue sent goosebumps all over me. I arched my back, thrusting my hips up in the air. With every second, I grew more desperate to have him.
By now, Julian had pulled my whole dress up, bunching it around my belly. My wet panties were on display for him and he hooked a finger in them. Our eyes met while he rolled it down my legs. I was breathless, I couldn’t wait.
His touch was rough and gentle at the same time and I thought I would explode. Finally, he threw my panties to the floor and reached for my pussy again. When his fingers touched my clit, I gasped, rolling my hips upwards.
“Steady on, Princess,” he said, smiling at me and I gulped. I couldn’t keep still, I couldn’t wait another moment to have him inside me.
But this time, instead of using his fingers on me, he lowered his face to my pussy. I watched him, holding my breath… till his tongue finally slipped in. The feeling was unimaginably good. No guy had gone down on me before, and I hadn’t expected Julian to, either. So, I wasn’t prepared for these sensations that were erupting in me now.
His tongue slid into my pussy, while he reached for my clit with his fingers. There was no escape. It seemed like Julian was on a mission to make me come in an instant.
“Oh my God!” I cried, crashing down on the bed and staring up at the rocking ceiling of the cabin. I could hear the lapping sounds Julian was making while he licked me. The pleasure that this gave me was like nothing I’d experienced before. Especially with his fingers on my clit, teasing and rubbing it… I knew I was on the edge of an orgasm.
It built up quickly inside me. His tongue sliding in and out of me smoothly, lapping up the trickling juices from my pussy… his fingers gently stroking my swollen clit. Within moments, I was coming.
I cried out his name and begged him to go on. Julian was holding my waist with one hand, keeping me pinned tightly to the bed while he pleasured me with his mouth.
My orgasm came in a sudden burst, overtaking my body. My eyes rolled in my head while he continued to lick my pussy and stroke my clit. I could feel my cum oozing out of me, the stickiness all over Julian’s face. He didn’t stop, he kept going and grunting while I came in his mouth.
By the time he did stop, my orgasm had subsided.
My breasts heaved while I remained lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling. Julian straightened himself up, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You look like you enjoyed that,” he said with a wide smile. I gulped, looking over at him and trying to recover my breath.
“I did… come here…” I whispered and threw my arms out towards him. Julian undid his belt and pulled his pants off before he got into bed with me. He pulled me into his arms and I rested my head on his chest.
What were we doing? Why were we embracing? Why was he naked and why had I just come?
He stroked my hair for a few moments, till he kissed the tip of my nose, then my lips fleetingly. His hands were busy pulling down the straps of my dress and my bra, till my breasts popped out.
Julian peeled me off him, so he could look at my bare body.
“Did you think that was it?” He asked and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. I smiled and bit down on my lip.
“I hoped not,” I replied.
Julian moved over me, and he was big enough to cover me entirely with his body. I was ready for him. My pussy was dripping wet again and I shuddered with delight. He was the hottest guy I had been with, and it was more than just about his unbeatable good looks. It was also the way he touched me.
Julian reached for my breasts first, feeling them in his hands and then running his fingers down my length. His cock swung between his legs while he stretched himself over me. I reached for it. He was big and strong and I dared to stroke him.
Julian parted my legs wider, before he sunk himself into me. It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to think. Unlike the last time when he took me from behind, pinning me to his couch, this time he was gentle.
We had just been holding each other, I had my head on his chest… that tender moment we had shared still lingered in the air.
While he thrust his cock into me, he held my gaze. I thought I would cry if I kept staring at him. There was so much emotion building up inside me. We weren’t supposed to be doing this… worst of all, I wasn’t supposed to develop feelings for him.
But while he pumped himself in and out of me, pushing me closer to the edge of another orgasm, I couldn’t help but stare back at him. Julian searched my eyes as he thrust in and pulled out. Was he trying to tell me something? Was he asking me a question?
I had no idea how to respond except by moving my body to the rhythm of his thrusts.
In and out, his cock slipped into my pussy… to the deepest core of me where I could feel the pleasure. I came slowly this time, not in a burst. My toes curled and I held his shoulders while my orgasm took over me.
With every thrust inside me, Julian let out a low grunt. He waited, he was holding back on his own orgasm… letting me finish.
I tried to keep my eyes open while I came, because I wanted to remember this moment. I wanted to remember exactly how I felt right now. Being under him, surrounded by him… the smell of his cologne on me, his strong jaw and that look of longing in his eyes.
For a moment, I allowed myself to wonder if he had feelings for me too. Did Julian feel for me what I was feeling for him?
That was an insane thought! How could we? We barely knew each other. We could never be together!
When I was done, he allowed himself to explode inside me. He lunged forward, pressing himself to my breasts while his hips moved in quick succession. He was emptying his seed in me. I could feel it shoot into me and fill me up. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close while he came.
His hot breath fell all over me… over my breasts and neck and sent goosebumps quivering on my skin.
We lay like that for a few moments. Neither of us wanted to let go of that moment. Then slowly, he started to roll aside. It was over. I was panicking already. I thought he was going to get up and go. Instead, he settled down beside me on
the bed. Our arms were grazing. We stared up at the ceiling in silence.
The yacht rocked ever so slightly as we remained on his bed. After what felt like hours had passed, I looked at him. Someone had to break the silence at some point!
“So much for professionalism, huh?” I tried to add a smile.
Julian ran a hand through his hair and looked at me. It broke my heart to see that there wasn’t even a hint of a smile on his face.
“This shouldn’t have happened. This is not why I asked you to come here,” he said, in a stiff angry voice.
My smile vanished too and I nodded my head. Feeling self-conscious, I crossed my arms over my naked breasts.
“I’m sorry if you feel like I instigated this. I shouldn’t have…” I said but he interrupted me.
“There’s no need to apologize to me, Lisa. I’m not trying to shift blame here. This was as much my fault as it was yours. I shouldn’t have invited you here. We should have met somewhere more public and open,” Julian said.
I had to look away from him. He was shattering my soul by speaking this way. When he was inside me, while I was coming and watching him come… for those moments I thought that this could actually mean something. He was so tender and gentle with me just some time ago and now he was pushing me away.
“Lisa, I don’t want you to think that I’ve changed my mind about you,” he interrupted my thoughts. I looked at him with crossed brows.
“Changed your mind?”
“About how much I want this… to be with you like this. But you were right, we have to keep it professional. We are in business together,” he explained.
He wanted this? What more did he want? I wanted to ask him but I couldn’t. He had reminded me that I came to this yacht for a particular reason.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and started putting my clothes back on. Julian didn’t make a move for a few moments, just watched me.
