Spice It Up - an erotic novella

by Stoneley, Zara

  She tapped Kate’s arm. ‘I’m going to check up on a few things.’ She was wasting her breath. Kate was already checking up her own things that were far more inviting.

  ‘He’s a handsome man, yes?’

  Ellie spun round at the tap on her shoulder as she made her way across the bar, half expecting a jug of cold water in the face. But it wasn’t the señorita from hell, it was an immaculately turned out, very elegant woman not much older than she was.

  What was it about women like this that made her feel so bloody inferior? She’d spent quite a while getting ready, not overdressing because it wasn’t her style, but she’d done her best to tame the ringlets and pin them up so she looked tidy, except now she felt like a gypsy. And her best summer dress just did not cut it when it was put up against the couture version the other woman wore. She eyed the long, slender fingers and perfect manicure. Her own nails weren’t too bad, but they were unvarnished and cut short so that she could play the guitar and chop veg.

  An unfair battle. The woman half smiled; a full smile would have caused wrinkles, no doubt. She followed the other woman’s gaze across the room – not that she had to, she knew exactly where Lucas was without even trying. In fact, she’d spent the first part of the evening trying not to watch him, then given up. He wasn’t going to be around for much longer, so why not make the most of it and ogle him every second she could? ‘Sure, he’s hot.’ Eye candy of the highest order.

  ‘You do know he is off to España soon? This is just a little game for him to pass the time. I know it is easy to get fond of someone like Lucas, maybe too fond?’

  She could feel the colour seep along her cheekbones; there were times like this when a dark skin and decent tan would have been handy. ‘We’ve been working together, that’s all, and yes, I know he’s going back to Barcelona. He told me.’

  The other woman nodded towards Danielle who was perched on a bar stool, happily chatting to what looked like yet another member of Lucas’ family. ‘He’s a good man, not like his brother. Pah, his brother upsets his wife, the family, the business, everyone.’

  Ellie wished she’d go away; any more of this and she’d be the one doing the upsetting.

  ‘But Lucas is a good man, he has the woman waiting for the baby back in Spain and he will do the right thing.’ She gave Ellie’s upper arm a none-too-gentle squeeze, so that the red talons left an indent, on her arm as well as her thoughts. ‘He will not let a fling mean anything.’

  ‘A fling?’

  The woman shrugged. ‘A fling. He has lots of flings like all red-blooded men do. They say they have needs, so I suppose if a woman is happy to be used …’

  ‘I am not a fricking fling, and I am not being used.’

  ‘Of course not. Ah, I must go and talk to Danielle. I won’t keep you, I am sure you have plates to collect or something.’

  Plates to collect? Was moving from whore to waitress a promotion or demotion? The woman was trying to bloody needle her, and it was working. If the colour in her cheeks had been embarrassment before, it was rapidly heading towards pure crimson rage. OK, she knew he was going back to Spain, but to a pregnant woman? And she’d not even had the shag she’d been so desperate for since that first night; they’d been fannying about like neither of them knew what they were doing. Being left high and dry was bad enough; being left completely unsatisfied was just taking the biscuit. And now it looked like it was never going to happen. Ever.

  ‘Ah, and there is his wonderful new manager. Already he is so good that Lucas is ready to get on the plane tomorrow. Perfect.’

  Ellie glared at the back of the woman, who was already on her way to wind someone else up. Right now, it was probably a good job looks couldn’t kill. She thrust her glass at a passing waiter and set off across the bar. Lucas must have known exactly where she was, because two steps in and his gaze had shifted in her direction, three steps and he’d half turned, five and she had his full-on attention before she reached him.

  ‘We need to talk.’ Imitating an angry snake might not be the way to a man’s heart, but hissing was better than shouting, and right now she didn’t know whether she wanted to do a boa constrictor on him or just bite.

  He half raised an eyebrow. ‘Sure, querida.’

  ‘And don’t fucking querida me.’

  The eyebrow went up a notch further. ‘You want to go somewhere quiet?’

  Oh boy, did she want to go somewhere quiet, and rip his clothes off and do what they’d both been avoiding since the day they set eyes on each other. But she also wanted to clear the air and work out whether a lustful shag was really on the cards, or just an erotic illusion. And here, in the public eye, wasn’t the place for either.

  They threaded their way through the crowded bar and the intermingled words of Spanish and English pulled at something inside her she didn’t want to be messed with. She’d be sorry when this ended, which was any minute now, and it wasn’t just a twinge of loss. It was going to leave a great big chasm called “life without Lucas” and she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to fill it with.

  They’d both done what they needed to. Lucas had resurrected his business and upheld the family name and was heading back to Spain and his …

  The door hadn’t even shut properly behind him as he guided her into the narrow storage area that led to the staff room, but she stopped dead because she couldn’t go another step further, in her head or physically. Which meant he had to stop, because it was more like a cupboard than a corridor, and as she turned he was there, his face inches from her, his body too close to ignore.

  One wall was crammed with shelves, just enough space to squeeze past on the other. Health and safety officials would have had a party, if there’d been room. ‘So you’ve already got a manager in?’

  ‘Sure, I have Roberto, he is good.’ He shrugged, his shoulders and his eyebrows rising together in complete innocence.

  ‘So you’re going?’

  ‘You knew I was going, querida.’ His soft voice stroked over her skin and she closed her eyes, tried to block him out, because if she didn’t she’d give up and never get the answers that suddenly didn’t seem quite as important.

  ‘I knew you were bloody going, but I thought next week, not tomorrow.’

  He sighed and she was sure he’d edged even closer, the warmth from his body seeping into hers and making the tears prick sharp at the back of her eyelids. ‘Maybe not tomorrow, but Eloisa –’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me you had a pregnant woman back home?’

  ‘I what?’ The sharp note in his voice made her open her eyes. His eyebrows were at full mast now and he looked angry. She hadn’t seriously believed the stupid woman, or had she? ‘Who said I had a wife?’ That growl was bad for her, so bad. The soft tone had lulled her, but the rasp made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and it wasn’t with fear.

  ‘Not a wife, a woman. That, that …’

  ‘Luisa?’

  ‘Whatever, the one who’s been hugging your father all night.’

  ‘Luisa.’ He sighed. ‘Go on, tell, what has Luisa been saying now?’

  ‘That you had a woman –’ she paused to remember the words ‘– waiting for the baby?’

  He laughed, but it was more of a dismissive bark than the real sound of humour she had fallen in love with. Yeah, admit it, fallen in love – or lust with strings attached. ‘Lots of women in Spain are waiting for the baby. She’s talking about her niece, who, incidentally, has no plans to have a baby, but her mamá is itching to get the crib ready. For her, family is everything.’

  ‘So, is this Luisa and her baby craving responsible for the jug of water I got over my head?’

  ‘Probably. It was her sister who attacked you.’ Lucas grinned and she suddenly realised just how closely they were sandwiched together. ‘You looked so sexy, you know, so angry and so sexy.’ He reached back, and before she could stop him he’d unclipped her hair, and his hand was still on her neck. Warm, confusing. ‘And you look sex
y now.’

  ‘Shouldn’t they all be in Spain?’

  ‘It would be easier, but for some strange reason my family seem to see the attractions of this place.’ His hand settled on her waist, pulled her tighter against him. ‘Luisa’s sister is married to the Italian who owns the pizza place we were in.’

  ‘Ah.’ He was distracting her, and if she didn’t spit it all out now she might never have the chance again. ‘So you’ve not got a wife?’ He shook his head. ‘Or a pregnant girlfriend?’ Shook again, rubbed his thumb ever so gently up the length off her neck. ‘Or a non-pregnant girlfriend?’ The fingers on her waist were squeezing and sending a message between her thighs that she really should ignore.

  ‘No.’ His fingers played a circle on her scalp.

  ‘Or a significant other?’ Concentrate.

  ‘I have someone significant, yes.’ He was close, too close. She put a hand up to stop his caress of her neck. Did her best to hold his firm, strong hand still.

  ‘Someone significant?’

  ‘Yes, someone I’m close to.’

  ‘How close?’ She could hear the sharp edge to her voice, feel the frown starting up on her brow.

  ‘Very close right now. So close I don’t know how I’ve stopped myself doing this.’

  She was trying her damnedest to push him away, but his mouth came down on hers with the gentlest barely there touch that she never wanted to break. ‘Oh, Eloisa.’ His words were breathed into her mouth as his tongue drifted along her lower lip. ‘I need you, querida, me te gustas mucho.’ Which, she guessed, didn’t just mean he liked her, from the way his voice had dropped an octave and acquired that rough, broken edge that turned her on something rotten.

  ‘That sounds dirty.’

  He tugged with his teeth at her lower lip and sent a sharp message straight to her throbbing clit. ‘It is dirty. Very dirty.’

  ‘We’re in what is practically a cupboard.’

  ‘I don’t care where we are.’ His hand was on her bum and he pulled her abruptly against him so that his hard cock was pressed right where she wanted it – well, almost, maybe as close as she was going to get in a cupboard. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her head back until she hit the wall, but her objection disappeared as his mouth found the delicate skin of her neck and the heat of his tongue sent a rush of juices between her already damp thighs.

  She couldn’t quite say how it got there, but his hand was under her dress, scorching a path straight up her inner thigh and not stopping until his fingers had found a way into her knickers, and her hot, slick pussy. ‘I want to fuck you, now, here.’ He sucked on her neck just as he pushed his finger deep inside her and her legs nearly gave way.

  ‘What if someone sees us?’

  ‘They won’t.’ His finger curled and caressed her deep inside. ‘You want me to stop?’

  ‘Oh shit.’ Fumbling with belts and buckles wasn’t her forte, especially when there was barely an inch to spare between their bodies. But she was damned well going to get this one undone. He slipped a second finger inside her just as the belt parted, curled his fingers as she tugged at the zip and then she had his cock in her hand. Red hot, so big and solid that she wanted to pull away and look, but there wasn’t room and he wasn’t going to give her time.

  ‘Lucas. Lucas, are you there?’

  Shit, the door was just about to open. Lucas grinned, leant over, and turned the key. He moved back closer, his mouth close to her ear. ‘Oh I’m so close to being there.’ She stifled the giggle. ‘Shh.’ He was staring straight into her eyes, and his fingers were doing things she didn’t think were possible inside her. ‘Do you want me?’ She nodded. ‘Say it.’

  ‘I want you. Please.’ The word changed to a squeak as his thumb rubbed a spot on her swollen clit that she didn’t know existed, and she lifted her leg, wrapped it round his waist, and willed him closer.

  ‘How much?’ It was his turn to groan as she rubbed along the length of him, circled around the tip of his cock, rubbed her thumb over the tip, spreading the precome over him.

  ‘Stop talking, Lucas, and fuck me.’

  ‘Please?’

  ‘Just fuck me.’

  His hand was wrapped over hers on his thick cock, squeezing just for a second. ‘You’ll have to let go.’ Then the jokiness had gone from his face as he gripped her thigh up high at his waist and forced himself deep inside her with one hard thrust. She lifted her foot onto one of the shelves behind him so that she could balance and push herself harder against him.

  ‘I’m going to lose it if you do that.’

  ‘I want you to lose it.’ She tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him the way she’d always wanted to, not holding back, tasting every bit of him as his fingers dug into her bum and he slammed inside her.

  ‘Harder, please, harder.’

  He reached between them, his finger finding her clit as he pushed deeper inside her and it started, her whole body opening from the inside out as he gasped and gave one final thrust. There was a tremor in his thighs and he tipped his head back for a second before lifting it and smiling the sweetest of smiles straight at her.

  She swallowed hard as the last of the trembling started to drift out of her body and rocked her hips, milking every last drop.

  ‘Fuck.’ He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose and stared. And he had such a strange look on his face that she started to giggle, which squeezed his cock right out. ‘You know what I’d like to do?’

  She didn’t get to hear because there was another loud rap on the door, and the handle was rattled with force. ‘Lucas.’ She shifted her foot and a can clattered off the shelf onto the floor.

  He grinned and pulled down her dress, zipped up his flies. ‘My mamá, I think, and I’m pretty sure she would have heard that.’ Then he opened the door a few inches, which she wasn’t sure was that good an idea. ‘Mamá, I am busy, work.’

  She could just see over his shoulder and she could have sworn there was more than just his mother looking their way. Shit, well, she’d always wanted to go out with a bang, hadn’t she? Literally, it seemed.

  ‘Work?’ She sounded incredulous. In a cupboard? Lucas, you have guests, remember.’

  ‘I’m having the rest of the night off.’

  ‘You never have a night off.’ She guffawed and said something in Spanish that sounded like it could be rude to the rest of the crowd. Then, mercifully, she shut the door.

  ‘Now what are we going to do? I’m not going out there after what I think she just said.’

  ‘I have a better plan. I’m going to turn you into one sweet, spicy tapas and taste every inch of you.’

  The shiver went straight down her spine. She wanted to be tasted, even if it was the last thing he did before he walked. ‘One last taste before you go?’

  He pushed her through a door at the other end of the corridor that led through to the food prep area, then spun her round to face him. ‘I don’t want it to be the last taste, do you?’ He had a slightly hesitant look on his face, the first time she’d ever seen him look unsure, awkward, and she was glad they’d done this. Even if it was goodbye.

  ‘No, but it’s OK. Honest.’

  ‘Look, I –’ He reached into his pocket and took out his plane ticket.

  ‘Don’t –’ Tearing it up wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t help anything.

  But he didn’t tear it up, he handed it over. ‘It’s for you. I bought you one as well. I want you to come back with me. Just look, see, you don’t have to decide anything.’

  ‘Oh.’ She looked at the bit of paper he’d given her. One small, innocuous bit of paper that had the power to change everything. She hadn’t expected that.

  ‘It’s for a few days’ time, to give you time to think.’

  ‘I don’t need time. I know.’

  Chapter Seven

  ‘Well?’ Patience might be a virtue but Lucas wasn’t bothered about being virtuous. He’d bought the ticket on an impulse the moment he’d got back from
his trip to Barcelona, an impulse that rocketed from his groin to his heart. Just like shagging her in the store cupboard had been an impulse, an opportunity he couldn’t say no to.

  But, suddenly, this was more important. His heart was hammering away and he knew it wasn’t because he’d just had an erection fit to burst and a shag that had left him breathless. It was because he didn’t know. He hadn’t a clue whether he’d just made an idiot of himself.

  ‘I’ll tell you after the tapas thing.’ She had the dirtiest grin on her face he’d ever seen. ‘But first you’ve gotta catch me, big boy.’

  Throwing her over his shoulder hadn’t been in the original plan, but nor was going at high heel speed. Being polite had its limits. She wriggled and he groaned and slipped his hand up under her skirt. ‘Stop that or I’ll sort you out on the stairs.’

  ‘Mmm.’ The giggle turned into a shriek as his hand came down firmly on her bum.

  ‘This time, lady, I’m going to be in charge and you’re going to be begging.’

  ‘You sure about that?’ She squealed as his fingers found the sweet spot between her thighs that he’d been looking for.

  ‘I’m sure. I’m going to tie you to the bed and –’ He reached the top of the stairs, kicked open the door of the flat above the bar, and took the two strides he needed to reach the bed. He’d originally checked out the flat with a view to renting it out to his new manager, then he’d realise that for one night only it could be put to a far better use.

  ‘And?’

  ‘Quiet, woman.’

  ‘You planned this, didn’t you?’

  ‘You didn’t think for one minute I was going to let you get away, did you?’ He dropped her on the bed and was astride her before she had a chance to get up, pulling her arms up above her head so he could slip the tie around them. ‘And I’m going to taste every sweet inch of you.’ His hand found the damp warmth between her thighs, his fingers circling over the wet crotch of her knickers until she moaned and writhed in a way that made his stomach tighten. ‘Slowly.’ Roughly, he pulled his shirt over his head, so that a button popped onto the bed beside her, and her eyes widened.