by SJ McCoy
She tried to sit up, but he put a hand to her shoulder. Without a word, he freed his cock from his pants. He was huge and very hard. She could see the veins standing out along the length of him. He took her hand and closed it around him. He felt like silk and steel, radiating heat, she could feel him throb.
“Is this what you want from me?” he asked, thrusting into her hand.
She nodded, biting her bottom lip in anticipation of the way he would feel inside her. He rolled on a condom then spread her legs wide. He stood between them, positioning himself at her opening. He coaxed her clit with his thumb once more. At her first moan, he thrust deep, stretching her even though she was already so wet. He embedded himself deep inside and held still, she could feel him pulsating as he filled her. He stood that way a long moment, breathing hard. She found his eyes, little beads of sweat had formed on his brow.
“Is this what you want from me?” he rasped. He pulled all the way out then thrust deep again.
“Yes, oh God, Pete. Yes!”
He held still, blue eyes boring deep into her. “Is this all you want?” He picked up his pace pounding into her then stopped. “Is this really all you want?” He moved slowly now, filling her, pulling out, tormenting her. “Don't lie to me.”
Tears filled her eyes. Why was he doing this? It was nowhere near all that she wanted, but she knew it was all she could have.
He thrust his hips again, his hot hard cock taking her to the edge, even as a tear threatened to fall.
He pulled her up so she sat facing him and pumped slowly in and out, still holding her captive with his eyes. “I need to know.” He marked each word with a thrust. “Is. This. All. You. Want?”
“Nooo!” It came out as a scream that echoed around the pines and across the lake. She couldn't hide it, couldn't deny it. His eyes softened and his arms closed around her as he moved inside her. Her naked breasts chafed against his shirt as their bodies heaved together. She felt him tense and grow bigger before he exploded, triggering her own climax as they carried each other through wave after wave.
When she returned to earth, he silently offered her his hand and led her inside the cabin where he went into the bathroom while she collapsed onto the bed. When he returned, he wrapped her in a blanket then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he rested his head on her shoulder.
“You are amazing, do you know this?”
Holly said nothing. She was physically and emotionally drained. She didn't know what to say, or even what to think. Why had he done that? Why tear down her defenses? Was it some kind of ego trip for him? She was glad she couldn't see his eyes, or he hers.
He peppered her neck and shoulder with little kisses. “Do you think we need to talk about it?”
She shrugged. Wondering what he might have to say.
He said nothing for a long moment then his hand found its way inside the blanket and stroked down her side till it rested at her waist. She didn't know if she could manage another round. But, instead of making its way southward, that hand surprised the hell out of her by tickling her. And did it ever tickle! She laughed uncontrollably as she tried to wriggle away from him, but he just kept tickling and laughing. She rolled over to face him and tried to tickle him back, but being fully clothed gave him a major advantage. They were laughing like a pair of kids when he caught her hands and drew her to him, the laughter faded into a deep, tender kiss.
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes were that violet color again, gentle, not a trace of hardness left in them.
“There's my proof,” he smiled.
“What proof?”
“A woman would never get into a tickle war, or respond to a kiss the way you just did, if she was only looking to get laid.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “Such a way with words!”
“Don't blame me, they were your ground rules.”
“I suppose.”
He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes. He could be so sweet. She'd be setting herself up for a whole world of hurt if she got too attached to him.
“I'd say it's fairly obvious we need to change those ground rules though. So, we need to talk about it. Agreed?”
“I suppose,” she said again. Why the hell was he doing this? Wasn't the guy supposed to be the one who was happy with just sex? The one who didn't want to talk?
“Come on, Holly. What do you want out of this?”
She pursed her lips. “Nothing I can have, that's for sure!”
“What do you mean?”
“You said yourself, there's no room for someone like me in your life.”
“What? I've said nothing of the sort. And what does 'someone like you' mean, anyway?”
Holly took a deep breath. “Okay, maybe you didn't say it out loud, but you didn't disagree with me when I said there was no room for me in your life. I know I'm not like you. I'm not rich or successful, I'm just plain old Holly Hayes. Someone like you is going to want a woman of similar status, a successful woman, who moves in all the right circles, who goes to your fancy fundraisers,” she let out a bitter little laugh, “Someone who can cook! I am none of those things. I am definitely not girlfriend material. So, I thought it best to keep our arrangement purely physical.”
Pete looked completely baffled. “Why?”
Holly blew out an exasperated sigh. Why was he able to blast through her defenses? And why, oh why, did she always have to blurt out the truth? She planted a kiss on his full, beautiful lips.
“Because you, Mr. Bigshot, would be far too easy for me to get attached to. I am nothing if not practical. I was trying to make it easy on myself.”
Pete nodded.
“Anyway, why couldn't you just take a woman offered on a plate and leave it at that? I would have thought any man would be all over an opportunity for commitment free sex.”
He said nothing, just held her captive with his eyes once more. She could see his mind was working overtime, the little pulse working in his jaw. She waited for the worst. He'd probably tell her they should just forget the whole thing.
**********
Pete's mind was racing; racing to unscramble what she'd just said, the way he felt about her and how he could reconcile any of it with the unfortunate fact that, in one important respect, she was right...
“Okay, first things first. You've got me all wrong if you think status and material success are what matter to me. Think about it, my best friends include a broke single mom and the son of a dirt poor, abusive alcoholic.”
Holly raised an eyebrow.
“I'm talking about Missy and Jack, two of the most important people in my life. So that argument doesn't stand. I don't even believe you think I'm that shallow, it's more about your own hang-ups.”
Holly started to speak, but he silenced her with a kiss. He needed to tell her the rest before they got into discussing it.
“Now, I didn't argue with you about not having room in my life, because it's true, I don't. No, listen,” he said, seeing her face at that. “It's not that I don't have room for YOU, it's that I don't have room for anyone. Phoenix takes up my time and is my number one priority, and it will be for the next four years. That's the plan and I live my life by the plan. It's what got me where I am. I date women, of course I do, but nothing serious, nothing long term, because it's not my time yet.”
He waited. No idea how she would respond. He'd never spelled it out for a woman before, never felt the need. But he wanted, no needed, for some reason, for Holly to understand.
Her question caught him off guard, “So why ask for more than sex? Why not be honest, like I was and admit it's all you want?” Her voice wavered, “Why push it?”
It was a good question. “But you weren't being honest though, were you? You do want more, but you don't think it's wise,” the truth dawned on him as he spoke. “And. I want more too, but I don't think it's wise either.”
“So we're back at square one, aren't we. We can choose just sex or nothing.”
Pet
e hated the way she said it, so matter of fact. He was usually the one to assess the facts of a situation and be realistic about the possibilities it presented, but he wouldn't accept that all he and Holly could share would be just sex or nothing at all.
“No.” He said it so forcefully that she looked up at him, surprised.
“What other choice do we have?”
“I don't know, but I'm not prepared to accept that there isn't something.”
She smiled sadly. “I know you're used to getting your own way, Bigshot, but sometimes you just have to face facts.”
He smiled back. “Or get creative. Let's look at the facts, shall we? And see what we can create from them. Fact one, you don't want to get attached to me. Fact two, I don't have room for anyone in my life right now. Fact three, I don't want to walk away from this. Fact four, I don't want to be just that guy that you sleep with sometimes. Fact five, we're going to be spending some time with each other anyway, until the wedding. Does that cover it all?”
“I think so. But to me it still adds up to just sex, or nothing.”
“I refer you to facts three and four, Sweetheart.” He had to find a way around this. “I will not just walk away from this, and I'm not prepared to keep sneaking around. Nor do I want the others thinking that either of us is just a sex hound.”
She laughed at that. “You really think they'd judge us?”
Pete sighed. “No. If I'm honest, I don't. That's my own hang-up. Call me old fashioned, but I don't approve of people just using each other for sex. That's what I'm uncomfortable with. I don't respect people who do that, but I do respect you and I do respect myself.” As he spoke, he was desperately trying to see how they could get creative. The solution came to him and he grinned. “You don't want to get attached and I can't commit to anything long term. So how about we agree to something short term? How about we date for real? Just until the wedding,” he added quickly. “You were happy to sleep with me until then, why not make the most of it? Let's see each other for real, knowing that it'll end after the wedding. What do you say?”
Her amber eyes stared back up at him while she considered it. He was aware of his fist clenching as he waited.
“Why not? It's not much different than we'd already said is it? There can't be any harm, right?”
“No harm at all.” He pulled her closer to him. “We're going to have fun you and me.” He pressed his forehead to hers and cupped her face between his hands. “So much fun.”
Chapter Nine
Holly smiled as they drove along the lakeshore out toward Four Mile Creek. The lake sparkled to their left and the mountains rose to the right. It was such a beautiful place, and she'd just agreed to spend the next few months coming here with Pete. As his girlfriend! Kind of. No! She couldn't let herself start thinking like that. He reached over and took her hand, smiling warmly.
“You okay, Sweetheart?”
“Wonderful, it's so beautiful here. I imagine a new development will sell really well. What exactly is it you want my advice on?”
“The idea is to have a mixed residential and vacation community. There will be a lodge, but mostly it will be single family homes. A mix of full time residents, second homes, and vacation rentals. I want a shopping center that will serve our demographic; high income, boaters, golfers, their wives. We need to somehow create a balance between serving everyday needs and creating a high end destination shopping experience.”
Holly nodded, intrigued. “So you need everything from a grocery store, to a souvenir and postcard place, to a pro shop, to boating supplies, and fashion, right?”
“You got it.”
“And what's the plan? Are you going to bring in independent retailers, or chains, a mixture of the two, or keep it all in house?”
“That's something I'd like your opinion on. Retail is not my forte. I don't want chains. I thought we could do it in house, so we could set the tone and standard, but Ben thinks that would be too much of a headache. If we go with independents, Laura is interested in setting up another store here for her jewelry. One of the guys Jack worked with in Florida is keen to get back to California and is angling for the golf course and pro shop. But as for the rest, I really don't know. It's early days yet. I'd like to hear your ideas, get a fresh take.” He glanced across at her. “Maybe give you some ideas about thinking bigger, too.”
Holly was thrilled. Although she limited her own business to the one store, she loved to read about new shopping developments and did have her own ideas on what worked well with different demographics. She was eager to see the site, though she knew there was nothing there yet. More than that, she was flattered that Pete, with all the commercial sites he'd developed, valued her opinion.
He pulled the truck off the road and got out to unlock a gate that opened onto a dirt road. They followed it away from the lake as it wound up into the foothills, following a creek bed that held barely a trickle of water.
“All of this area will be part of the development,” said Pete. “There's a strip on the other side of the road. That'll be divided into a few premium lots for lakefront homes with docks and then the restaurant and marina. There will also be a community boat ramp and park. It will pretty much mirror Summer Lake resort in that respect, but this will be a private community.”
Holly nodded, imagining the hillside transformed. The road flattened out onto a bench and Pete pulled over and got out.
“Come see. This is where the community center will be. There will be a club house and the golf course, a community pool, and right about where we're standing will be the main plaza, as Jack insists on calling it. I swear he gets a little obsessive about this stuff. But, see,” he swept his arm out.
Holly turned to take in the view. The lake stretched away into the distance. She could make out the resort, away to her left on the opposite shore. The whole panorama was breath taking.
“Wow! This would be shopping with a view.”
Pete grinned. “I know you didn't need to come up here to get an idea of what kind of stores will work, but I wanted you see. Isn't it amazing?”
“It is, and seeing the place puts it in perspective. I could never have imagined this.”
“So, what do you think? Will you help me with it?”
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “I'd love to, but I'd need more information on your demographics and goals.”
“Great. How about I get the data to you on Monday, and you can tell me all about it over dinner on Wednesday?”
She laughed. “I think I'll need more than a couple of days to go over it. I do have a store of my own to run.”
Pete shrugged. “So at dinner on Wednesday you can tell me how long you'll need.”
He'd changed since she'd agreed to his idea that they should date for real until the wedding. He was more relaxed, openly affectionate, interested in her opinions, and making plans for what they would do together. He was doing everything a girl could want her man to do. It made her a little uneasy, though. He wasn't really her man. She couldn't afford to get too comfortable with it because in a few short months it would all be over.
“Okay, Bigshot. Dinner on Wednesday it is.”
He wrapped her in his arms and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Good deal,” he murmured into her hair.
They spent the next few hours exploring the site. It occupied a couple thousand acres on the Eastern shore of the lake. She listened as Pete explained some of the processes they needed to go through to get all the licenses and permits they would need. It all seemed so complicated, so high stakes with huge amounts of money involved. To Pete, though, it was just another deal, like so many he'd done before. He spoke with such confidence. She realized that she'd been wrong about him. He didn't expect things to fall into his lap or turn out as he wanted them to, he simply had no doubts or fears about being able to handle it when they didn't.
They made their way back down the hillside and out to the main road. Pete got out to lock the gate behind them, then climbed ba
ck into the truck.
“So, since tonight will be our first official date, what would you like to do? From here a right will take us back to Emma's or a left will take us back to my folks' place. They're in Denver this weekend. We could stay in the cabin. What do you think?”
Holly smiled, she liked the idea of both. She didn't really care either way, she'd be alone with Pete on their first real date. “You choose. As long as you don't expect me to cook.”
Pete laughed. “I've been meaning to ask you about that.”
“Emma wasn't joking, my talents do not lie in the kitchen.” She felt the familiar heat spread through her as he held her eyes.
“Sweetheart, your talents lie in a different room, and I'd like to take you there again, soon.”
She leaned across and placed a hand on his muscular thigh. “In that case, Bigshot, which one is closest?” As she spoke, she moved her hand up his leg until it rested on the growing bulge. Pete slammed the truck into gear and took a right, back up toward North Cove.
**********
It didn't take long to get back to Emma's. Pete parked the truck and jumped down, eager to be inside. Holly scrabbled through her purse for the key and let them in. He closed the door behind them and led her through to the suite of rooms where she had slept the night before. He wanted her badly, but he wanted this to be different. This time it was different. It was more than just two people acting on lust, great as that had been. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He traced her cheek with his fingers.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
She smiled at him shyly, the temptress gone. “Thank you.”
“You are, Holly. So. Damned. Beautiful.”
He lowered his lips to hers, hovering an inch away while he looked into the amber of eyes. Her hands came up to his shoulders as he lifted her top up and over her head, then freed her breasts from her bra. She unfastened his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. He stood back to look at her, beautiful!
He held her too him, loving the feel of her soft skin against his naked chest. She moaned as his hand closed around her breast. How he loved that sound. Her hands were on his belt and soon his jeans and boxers lay on the floor where her skirt and panties joined them. He dropped his head to kiss the sweet spot where her neck joined her shoulder. Again, that little moan as she pressed herself against him. The blood boiled in his veins at the feel of her breasts, his hard-on pressed into her belly. He let out a moan himself when she gently dragged her fingernails across his shoulders. He found her mouth in a hungry kiss, tongues mating, hands exploring.
