by Liz Crowe
I held on to the dress and turned to face him. He crouched down in front of me and gently pulled the dress down my legs. I lifted one leg, realizing I still had those wretched heels on. They were lovely, but even after over a week of practice I hated them and wanted to burn them.
I went to lift my other leg out of the dress and lost my balance. He was at a disadvantage, crouched down in front of me. I tumbled forward and took him with me. I found myself lying on top of him, nose to nose, cursing myself and I started to apologize.
He started laughing at me and I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. At least he was lighthearted. “You really are a klutz, aren’t ya? Are you ok?” His hands ran the expanse of my back while holding on to me.
I started laughing, too. “I’ll be fine when these damn shoes are off my feet and out of my life!”
The electricity was building inside me like a dimmer switch being turned to max capacity. Being this close to him was dangerous and we both grew silent. He tucked my hair behind my ear as my heart began hammering against my chest. Just when I thought he would lean in to kiss me, he jumped to his feet, pulling me up with him.
He guided me to the end of the bed and sat me down. “Let’s get these off of you.” He knelt in front of me and removed my heels. Once both shoes were off he started rubbing my feet and I let out a deep sigh. “Feel good?”
“You have no idea.”
His hands worked expertly over the soles of my feet and my Achilles. Abruptly, he jumped up again, walked to the head of the bed and pulled the covers down. He came back to me and held out his hand.
“Give me a minute.” I excused myself to the bathroom, as my bladder was in desperate need of relief. Finishing up, I washed my hands and gazed in the mirror. Looking like I’d been hit by a train, I had raccoon eyes thanks to the mascara, eyeliner and tears. I cleaned it up as best I could and opened the door.
I was breathless.
He had changed his clothes and I missed it. His feet were bare and he’d traded the tuxedo for pajama pants. As I continued to devour him with my eyes I noticed he wore a tank that clung to his well-muscled body. I spotted another tattoo on his upper arm that I couldn’t quite focus on in the low light.
He pulled me toward the bed and had me lie down before turning out the light. I heard some rustling of clothes while I relaxed. Wondering if he was removing his shirt, I grew excited waiting to find out and tried to seek him out, but the darkness was blinding. It was by far the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in; I was sure being exhausted helped. The sheets felt wonderful against my naked legs. His scent blossoming around my head made me feel tipsy.
Sensing the weight of his body as he laid down next to me, I waited for his touch when he said, “Goodnight, Cassidy,” but it never came. The man had mad skills when it came to self-control. If only I had the energy, I would’ve pounced on him, but sleep claimed me before I could.
I came to before the sun made its arrival. Slowly everything from the night before came back to me. His arm was around me as he cradled me to his chest; the warmth was almost insufferable. I turned my head to find he was dead asleep. Suddenly overcome with panic, I decided I had to get out of there. I slipped out of the hold of his stellar body and got off the bed with ease. I didn’t want to risk waking him so I just grabbed my dress and shoes and made my way out of his room and down the stairs. Finding my purse on the kitchen island, I headed for the door.
“Cassidy!”
I nearly screamed I was so startled. Still trying to remain quiet, I tip-toed to the door and slipped through as stealthily as I could, just to have it slam behind me. Wearing nothing but his t-shirt and carrying my dress, shoes and purse, I ran down the hall as fast as I could. It took me a second of fumbling with my keys, but I finally got into my room. My door closed and I swore I heard another, “Cassidy!” booming down the hall.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Why was I running from him?
I threw my dress and shoes to the floor and sank down the door. My knees were pulled to my chest while I rested my head on them and I felt my door shake like there was a gorilla pounding on it. Bang, bang, bang! My entire body vibrated from the force of him hitting the door.
“Cassidy, I know you’re in there. Please open up.”
I pushed myself up the door and sighed. I didn’t know what to say to him. “Go away!”
“Cassidy Charles, open this door! You can’t run from me forever.”
“Yes I can!” This was ridiculous. We were acting like twelve year olds.
“Don’t make me call hotel security! You let me in or I’ll let myself in.”
He wouldn’t dare, would he? I decided to face him. I opened the door yelling at him, “You wouldn’t!”
He was on me instantly. I didn’t even have a moment to take in his appearance. His arms were around my back as he lifted me off the floor. As I clung to him he walked us over to the kitchen before setting me on the island.
“Why did you leave? You scared me.” He was holding my face in his hands. “Cassidy, look at me. You can’t deny the attraction between us. It was there all those months ago and it’s still here right now.”
There was so much emotion surrounding my thoughts and feelings for him. I was drawn to him since the first time I saw him and still was. And then it all went to shit in one night. I looked into his eyes and they were full of concern.
“I’m scared of what I feel when I’m around you. You scare the hell out of me.” He looked stricken and dropped his hands from my face. “Not afraid of you, afraid of this,” I waved my hand between us. “I’ve never been so drawn to someone. And you left me that horrible night without a word. I didn’t know what to think. And then you were arrested and I couldn’t process it.”
He pulled me to him and started talking into my hair. “Baby, I didn’t leave you that night. I never wanted to leave you. I came back with our coffee and I saw you with a cop. He was holding you and I got the wrong impression.”
“Wait, what?! Calvin…you thought I was with…” I was crying and laughing at the same time. “Calvin is my brother.” I pushed away from him just enough to look at him.
He wiped my tears and said, “I know, I found out a few days later when they were questioning me.” He must have felt me stiffen. “Cassidy, the charges were dropped. You know that, right?” I nodded my answer and he embraced me again. “I promise you I had nothing to do with what happened that night.”
“I spent months trying to hate you so I could get over you, but I couldn’t and I never even had you.”
“Baby, you had me, you still have me. Last night was just confirmation, Cassidy.”
“Confirmation? You took me to bed and let me sleep! I thought you had second thoughts after I clobbered you to the floor.”
He looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head. Laughing softly he said, “Is that what this is about, you running out this morning? You think because you’re clumsy I don’t want you?”
“Yes?” I felt like a complete dolt once he said it out loud.
“You’re more genuine than anyone I’ve ever met. You’re a little clumsy, so what? Your feelings are written all over your face and have been since the first time we locked eyes. It took every ounce of control I had not to claim you as my own every time I saw you at the bar. Admittedly, I lost control in the elevator. I had planned to take it slower with you.” He was all smiles and I felt myself melting again. I was transfixed on his face and ran my hands over the stubble on his face then back through his hair. “Besides, I’m fond of the shirt you’re wearing and I need it back.”
I laughed, “Shut up.”
“I can’t believe you ran down the hall in only my t-shirt.”
“I don’t know. I’ve grown attached to the shirt. You may have to fight me for it. And look at you. You ran down the hall in only your sleep pants.”
Holy hell, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Why hadn’t I noticed that before? I’d been itching for months to run my hands over his chest. I pl
aced my hands on his chest and noticed him suck in his breath. I flashed my eyes to his face and realized his eyes were closed. He stood in front of me while I remained sitting on the counter. I took my eyes back to his chest and took in the tattoo covering his right shoulder. It was a dragon that spanned from the top of his shoulder down his whole upper arm. I traced it with my fingers, “This is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Blackbird. You like it?” He was practically panting as my lips kissed his shoulder. I spread my legs and pulled him closer to me. “I’ll take that as a yes.” His hands trailed up and down the tops of my thighs.
“Why do you call me Blackbird?”
“Why do you think?”
I looked into his eyes, not sure what to think. I ignored his question and went back to admiring the dragon, “This must’ve taken hours?”
He chuckled, “Maybe.” He increased the pressure on my thighs and moved a little closer. “Do you have any other tattoos, Cassidy?”
He tasted almost as good as he smelled. I kissed from his tattoo, across his collar bone and licked up his neck to his ear before pulling his lobe into my mouth and breathed heavily, causing him to shudder.
“Maybe.”
He groaned. “Cassidy…”
“I know how you can find out,” I whispered.
Chapter Six
Phoenix
~ CASSIDY ~
I pulled back to look at him and he dove onto my mouth. I moaned out in surprise and wrapped my legs around him, with my heels resting against the curve of his ass. His hands held my face to his and I couldn’t get enough of his tongue. He abandoned my mouth and continued his trek down my jaw to my neck.
I was kneading the massive expanse of his back feeling his arousal bounce on my thigh. I shifted myself, tucking him tightly against the center of my body. He let out a growl that caused my skin to tremble. My breasts were heavy and aching for his touch. Like he could read my mind, he conquered my right breast with his mouth while the other got relief from his hand. My head fell back as I relished his touch through my shirt.
The anticipation was killing me. I wanted him, needed him. I reached down between us and pulled the cord that kept his sleep pants in place. They loosened just enough to grant access to my hands. I seized his cock and he bucked into my hand.
“Dammit Cassidy. Be careful, you’re playing with fire.” He was large—larger than anyone I’d ever been with—but I was up to the task.
“I like fire. Burn me if you must.” I loved how quickly we responded to each other’s little quips. Before I was aware of it, he yanked the shirt off of me and smothered me with the heat of his body.
James ran his hands over my ribcage while asking, “Is it finished? It’s beautiful.”
I raised my head to see what he was referring to. He found one. It was kind of hard to miss with my shirt off. “Only thing left to add is color.”
“Are there any more?”
“Maybe.” I smirked as he growled at my limited response.
His growl was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard. He pulled me back against him as the hard length of his manhood pressed against my panties. I rotated my hips and whimpered when a surge of passion ran through us simultaneously. His hands seized my hips as he thrust against me, causing my insides to churn.
“James, please don’t make me beg.” I was panting like a dog in heat as he licked his way down my abdomen. He circled my navel while his hands traveled down and under my ass and began squeezing. “Oh, God!”
“I thought I told you to call me James?” He lifted his head and I could see the smile in his eyes.
I breathed his name and he smiled, returning to his task. I couldn’t take much more and felt his hand travel up the center of my body as he pushed me down on my back to the cold countertop and I jumped in surprise.
“You’re cold.”
“Only my back. It’s a nice contrast to the heat of…” I didn’t finish my statement because I was fighting off another convulsion.
“The heat of what, Cassidy?”
His tongue was running along the band of my panties. I couldn’t even process coherent words. I’d never been tortured like that and didn’t know how much more I could take. I cried out in expectation and frustration.
“Do you want me?” He asked the question as his teeth tugged on my panties and his hand helped slip them down my hips. I raised my ass to help him with his task. “Let’s see if you’re ready.”
“God, yes I want you. I’m ready, James, please.” I couldn’t stop squirming under his gaze. I tried to pull him closer with my legs and heard him lightly chuckle.
“Patience, Cassidy.”
Every time he said my name like that I swear my clit throbbed a little more. I felt his gaze, down there, examining and my instinct was to close my legs.
“Oh no you don’t. I want to see you. You’re open for me and so beautiful.” He planted a chaste kiss in my well-manicured curls. Before I had a chance to object, his fire-hot tongue pierced my center and did one torturous lick upwards, ending at my clit.
“Ohhhhh!” It was half groan half scream.
“You’re ready.” He was panting as he abruptly stood and pulled me off the counter to meet his face. He threw my arms over his shoulders. “Hang on.”
I bound my legs around his hips eager for him to thrust into me; he didn’t oblige. I cried out in despair as he walked across the suite, toward the bedroom, with me wrapped tightly around him.
“Soon, baby. You deserve a proper fucking in a bed, not on a counter.”
“The counter is fine for fucking.” His hands dug into my ass and yanked me closer as I sucked on his ear. He picked up his pace and I could feel his shaft bounce against my rear with each step he took. “You’re killing me, James.”
“I’m not sure I’m the one doing the killing here, Cassidy.”
Finally in the softly lit bedroom, he walked to the bed and pulled the folded quilt to the floor. Before I could stop him, he peeled me from his body and let me fall to the bed. The satin sheets beneath me were cool and felt wonderful. I stretched out and reveled in the feel of the sheets against my body.
He started a slow crawl up the bed. Kneeling between my legs, he reached down and grabbed my calf. He lifted it up until my foot was in his palm, smiled wickedly at me before sucking my big toe into his mouth.
I wasn’t prepared for this foreign act, but threw my head back enjoying the odd sensation. “Oh God, that feels good.”
His mouth worked up my leg as his hands made their way to my hips. Soon his mouth was kissing my ribcage and breasts while his hands moved to mold the muscles in my neck. His face was above mine and I could feel his steel erection on my thigh. I tried shifting under his weight but he had me pinned to the bed.
“James, if you don’t fuck me soon, so help me!” I didn’t even know what I meant by that statement.
His hands were on each side of my head as he pushed himself up on his arms. He positioned his shaft to lay at my opening, wiggled and then looked at me alarmed. “You cuss like a sailor, you know that?” He was grinding on my pelvis, causing spasms that reached all the way down to my toes. “What will you do if I don’t fuck you, Cassidy?”
I was dying from anticipation and lost for words. “I don’t know what I’ll do. You’re driving me mad.”
“What did you mean then?” He placed tiny kisses all over my face.
“Please, James, I need you inside me, now!” I grabbed his ass and dug my nails in. I got the groan of approval that I was looking for.
He was beaming with pride now while I was blushing. I grabbed his face and pulled his lips to mine. He met my tongue and we were beyond hungry for each other.
He whispered into my mouth, “Do you have any condoms?”
I looked at him startled. “Shit.” I just brought an overnight bag and didn’t plan for that. “Let me check my purse.” He jumped off me and I got up to find my purse. Please let there be a condom in there. I was digging through my pur
se and checked the concealed zipper. SCORE! I’d never been so thankful to find a condom in my life.
“Did you find one?” His arms went around me as he bit my neck. Where the hell did he come from? I didn’t even hear him leave the bed.
I held the condom up in the air between us as he turned me to face him. He attacked my mouth only the way he could. Snatching the foil packet from me, he walked me backward to the bed. We fell back on the bed as he kissed me. Soon, he pulled back and we were both so out of breath we were damn near wheezing.
“James, please.” He got up on his knees in an instant and ripped the condom from the wrapper. “Let me.” I took the condom from him and he tensed in response. I pulled myself up far enough to attend to my duty. He was quite large and I couldn’t wait for him to plummet into me.
I placed the condom on the tip of his damp arousal, wrapped my hand around his shaft and looked up into his eyes. His cheeks were puffing as I slid the condom down in place and then pulled him to me.
He steadied himself over me and I felt him at my entrance, closing my eyes to savor the moment.
“Cassidy, look at me. I want to see your eyes.”
As my eyes opened and focused on his, he pushed the tip of his cock inside me. His eyes fluttered for a moment and I reached up to stroke his chest. He opened his eyes and they were that vibrant green again.
“James, fuck me, now.” He drove all the way into me and I let out a scream. It was both pleasure and a tiny bit of pain as I grew accustomed to his size. My nails gripped his arms, “You feel so good.”
“Are you ok? I’m being careless.” He looked at me concerned.
“I’m perfect. Please don’t stop!”
He pulled out to the tip and slammed back in, barely giving me time to adjust. He did this over and over again; I was nearly in tears because it felt so good. I wrapped my legs around his back as he dropped to his elbows and plunged his tongue into my mouth with the same force his cock was hammering into me.
With his arms underneath me, I felt like I was floating above the bed. I was on a James fuck ride and I loved every second of it. His slick back forced me to tighten my hold. He showed no mercy and I began losing control as he started swiveling his hips. I gasped for breath as we were nose to nose.
