by Fawkes, Sara
I looked at Cherise, my smile widening. The phone stopped vibrating with a missed call, but
immediately started up again. Sliding the green bar across the screen, I pulled it up to my ear. “Hello,
gorgeous.”
The unusual greeting must have thrown him because he waited a full second before replying. “I’m
at your apartment,” he said in an almost cautious voice.
“I’m driving around the city with Cherise.”
“Where are you now?”
“About a minute from your apartment,” my friend answered, turning down a one-way street. At my
look, she shrugged. “What? I had a feeling you’d change your mind on the whole Borneo thing.”
“Borneo?”
Jeremiah’s dubious tones made me smile even bigger. “Have I told you tonight that I love you?”
He didn’t answer, and something told me that my cheery attitude was not the reaction he was
expecting. That only made me want to laugh. “You ready for dinner?” I asked after a moment of
silence.
“I had something else in mind.”
Of course he did. I shook my head. “I’ll see you in a minute.”
“I’ll be here. Lucy?”
I put the phone back to my head. “Yes?”
“I love you, too.”
“That’s a big smile you’ve got there,” Cherise said as I pocketed the phone. “I take it you’ve
patched up your difference and I lost out on a friend visiting me?”
“I’ll come down and visit you one of these days, I promise.” I laid my head on her shoulder
unexpectedly. “Thanks for letting me rant and rave for a little bit.”
“What are friends for?”
A long SUV limo was parked in front of my apartment building, but there was no sign of Jeremiah.
I got out of Cherise’s rental care and bent down. “Thanks again for the talk, I’ll see you around.”
“Yes, you will,” she said with a smug smile. “Now, go kiss that hunky boy toy of yours.”
The driver stood on the sidewalk beside the SUV, and as I approached he pointed toward the
building. “He said he’s waiting upstairs for you, Ms. Delacourt.”
When I opened my door, the apartment was dark. I was just about to turn on the lights when a hand
grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside, shutting the door behind me. I yelped in surprise as I was spun
around, and then a thick body pressed me up against the wall.
“You didn’t answer your phone.” Jeremiah’s voice flowed over me like a sensual storm, igniting
my body. “How should I punish you for that?”
I gave a little sigh, not answering him but rotating my hips to rub my backside against the growing
bulge I felt. The light stubble of his cheek scraped down the side of my neck as his lips blazed a trail
along my hairline. Resting my head against the wall, I repeated the motion with my hips and was
gratified when he pressed himself against me.
He pushed away from me, running his hands down the arch of my back and cupping my ass
through the jeans. “I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he murmured, moving his hands back up my
body in a caress that left trails of fire in their wake.
“You left me,” I murmured, and then squeaked a laugh as he spun me around and pulled me flush
against his body.
“Not by choice.”
I had no chance to say anything before his lips descended on mine, stealing away any more
protests I might have raised. He swallowed my moan, strong hands gripping my backside and lifting
me off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his hips, twining my arms around his neck as he pressed
me back against the wall. His mouth alternately nibbled and sucked, and I sighed with enjoyment. He
really was the most perfect kisser.
“I thought of a few more uses for that chair of yours,” he murmured against my mouth, and I
grinned into his lips. “But first, we need to get you out of these damned clothes.”
“Anything you want,” I murmured, and heard him chuckle.
He carried me almost effortlessly across the small room as I clung to him, pressed my body
against his hard frame. Settling me into the wide papasan chair, he tugged at my shirt. “Off.”
I hurried to comply, removing the shirt and my jeans quickly. Light from the nearby street lamp
streamed in through the window, outlining Jeremiah’s perfect body as he pulled the button-up shirt
over his head. I paused, enjoying the delicious view, until his hands landed on my bra. “This too.”
With trembling fingers, I unhooked the strap of clothing and removed it from my arms, setting it
beside the chair. I was naked except for my panties, laid out in that chair, and all I could think about
was what we had done earlier with a similar position. Desire rumbled through me, my heart speeding
up as he sank down on his heels.
I wanted to touch him, feel the chiseled planes of his body, but he caught my hands before I could
reach him. Spreading them out, he smoothed my hands over the chair’s metal edges. “Hold onto this,
and don’t let go unless I say.”
My eyes squeezed shut as he leaned over my body, setting his mouth to the hollow between my
breasts. A small moaning sigh escaped my throat, and then another as his lips moved sideways over
my breasts. Teeth scraped the tender skin, but it was his tongue and lips that pulled the loud cry out of
me as they twirled around my nipple. Rough nails scraped down my sides as his mouth dipped lower,
hot breath trailing down my belly.
If he didn’t approve of my underwear still being on, he said nothing as his fingers hooked through
the elastic band. They’d barely left my skin before he set his mouth to my pubic bone, and my back
arched off the chair. I lifted my feet, digging my heels into the frame of the chair, and I heard him
chuckle.
“Good girl,” he murmured, then moved that tiny bit lower, spreading my folds and running his
fingers along my opening. Another groan erupted from my body, my breaths coming in pants now. He
licked and pressed his fingers deep inside, but there was a desperation there that told me this wasn’t
all he wanted this time.
“Get on your knees in front of the chair.”
I hurried to comply, my limbs like jelly from desire. Laying my cheek on the cushion, I reached
out sideways to grab the frame on each side. Jeremiah’s hands moved down my sides as if tracing my
curves, and then I felt his naked member pressed against my butt. Gasping in need, I tilted my hips up
to receive him, but that wasn’t what he had in mind just yet.
Straps were fastened around my wrists, lashing my arms to the chair’s frame. “Your apartment
needs more toys,” Jeremiah murmured in my ear as he tilted his hips, sliding himself between my wet
folds. “Fortunately, I brought a few of my own tonight.”
I heard the cap of a small lube container, and then hands lifted and parted my butt cheeks. The cool
fluid slid across my back opening, fingers teasing the entrance. I knew the taboo aspect of this opening
excited Jeremiah, so it didn’t surprise me when I felt the butt plug slide up slowly inside me.
“For later,” he promised, laying a kiss on the back of my neck. There was the familiar crinkle of
the condom wrapper, and then his hand moved between my shoulder blades, pressing me down onto
the cushion. The blunt tip of his erection probed my entrance, teasing the slick folds. Then, almost
without warning, he jerked his h
ips forward, sheathing himself inside me.
I almost came right then and there. I didn’t realize how worked up I still was from our truncated
tryst earlier, but desire roared through my body at the almost brutal start. The straps on my wrists
pulled tight as he began hammering in and out of my body. His arm wrapped around my belly, pulling
me against his body as he laid his forehead against my shoulder.
This was what I’d been craving, the unforgiving harshness when he lost control. There was power
in knowing that I had caused this, that it was my body, my actions, that took away the walls he always
kept up. I loved it when he was this eager, when he took me as if his sanity depended on it.
Nails scored my sides, digging in to an almost painful degree. The small grunts I heard from him
told me that he was close. My own orgasm was just below the surface, and I tilted my hips up to meet
his thrusts. It only took a couple seconds of him rubbing just the right spot inside me, and then the
pleasure rocketed through my body. I trembled, grabbing the chair frame for support, as behind me
Jeremiah roared his own release.
His thrusts didn’t stop immediately, as if he wanted to continue. Eventually however, they tapered
off, and I smiled against the cushion as he laid a kiss on the back of my head.
I didn’t move as he pulled free and stood up, giving myself a moment to recover. When his hands
finally released the restraints on my wrists, I allowed him to gather me into his arms. My apartment
was tiny, so it was only a few steps to get to the bed at the far end.
“Couldn’t you have at least gotten a queen sized bed?”
I smiled sleepily. The twin bed was a thrift store find, and suited me perfectly. Trying to fit both
Jeremiah and myself on it however was another story entirely. He fixed that however by laying me
atop him so that I was staring down at his face. One hand brushed my damp hair behind my ear, his
thumb caressing my cheek.
I laid a kiss on his palm, leaning into his hand. “You left something behind,” I teased, shaking my
butt that still had the plug inside me.
“I’m quitting Hamilton Enterprises.”
The unexpected confession took my breath away. I stared, wide-eyed, down at his placid
expression. He searched my face and cupped my cheek before continuing. “I’ve been torturing myself
with this company for too long. It’s time I lived my own life outside my father’s shadow.”
My discomfort momentarily forgotten, I levered myself up onto my hands. “You’re really going to
give it all up?”
Beneath me, Jeremiah nodded. “My father’s will at the time of his death was ironclad: if I didn’t
take over, he would liquidate everything. His terms could have put thousands of people out of
business, but it’s been years now.” He rubbed a stray lock of my blonde hair through his fingers. “The
lawyers are working on finding a way to mitigate the losses, but I don’t care anymore.”
The information still had me stunned. “So you won’t be CEO anymore? Or are you giving up the
money?”
Jeremiah shook his head. “The money outside the business is still mine, as is most of the real
estate and items like the jet and cars. Much of my income went back into the business, but even if that
remains tied up I’ll remain wealthy.”
“Are you sure you want this?”
He reached up to hold my head with both hands. “There’s only one thing in this world that I’ve
wanted more.”
The grin that split my face made my cheeks ache, but I didn’t care. Abandoning decorum, I
wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close. “I’m so happy for you!”
He chuckled against my hair. “Life’s about to get more interesting, that’s for sure.”
I beamed down at him. “You’ll do great, whatever you decide.”
“So, tell me: what was this about Borneo?”
It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. “Ah.” Remembering my earlier
outburst made me embarrassed. “Cherise, um, told me that if things didn’t work out with us, I could
help her and David out in their clinic.”
Jeremiah didn’t say anything for a long moment, and I bit my lip. “I was angry at you for walking
away,” I continued, a little desperate for him to understand. “You’ve been tied to your phone almost
nonstop the last few weeks but wouldn’t tell me why. I thought you were pulling away from me,
making work more important.”
“Silly woman.” There was laughter in Jeremiah’s voice as he shook his head. “You know I’d just
follow you down there.”
His words made my heart swell almost painfully, and I hiccupped a happy sob. “I was thinking,
though,” I continued, laying my hand against his chest. “About what you said on starting another
charity. I’m not a doctor or a nurse so I probably couldn’t help much in the field, but I’m really good
at fundraising. I even enjoy doing it.”
“You’d be really good, too.” His fingers wandered over my body, down my thighs that straddled
his hips. Between my legs, I could feel him stirring to life once again. He reached between my legs
and pulled out the plug, but didn’t try anything yet, enjoying our position now as much as I was.
“I love you.” I couldn’t say that enough to him. The words had been abused for him as a child, and
getting him to realize they were more than mere platitudes hadn’t been easy. Ultimately, it was getting
him to realize what they meant to others, not just himself, that had changed his view. Jeremiah
Hamilton loved fiercely, whether he’d known it before or not, and it constantly astonished me that he
was mine.
His hands grasped my hips, pushing me upwards. I sat back, helping him maneuver me over his
hard member pressed against my inner thigh. Leaning back, I placed my hands on his thighs as he
pierced me slowly, pulling me implacably down around him. He stretched the tight muscles but it
didn’t hurt much thanks to his preparation beforehand.
I closed my eyes, allowing him this pleasure. His soft gasps echoed off the walls as I moved
slowly, rolling my hips and pulling him in and out of me. The sensations of him being back there were
enjoyable for me, but it was his pleasure that gave me satisfaction. His fingers dug into the soft flesh
of my thighs as I rode him, and I could tell from the guttural sounds he made that he was close.
Leaning down over him, I laid a kiss on his neck, clenching briefly around him. “Come for me,” I
whispered, and smiled as, with a hoarse cry, he did as I commanded, his body shuddering beneath me.
Satisfied, I laid another soft kiss to his chest. “Are we staying here tonight?” I asked, already
knowing the answer. When he shook his head, unable to speak, I lifted off him and moved to the floor.
“Let me clean up then.”
Fifteen minutes later I was ready to go. Jeremiah had already dressed, and he eyed the small bag in
my hand curiously. “What are you bringing with you?”
“Everything I might need for your place.” It was time for me to say goodbye to the apartment.
Tomorrow morning, I’d give my thirty-day notice to the landlord. Jeremiah had been pressing me to
make the move to his penthouse permanent, and I was finally ready to take that step. For somebody
who always liked having a back-up plan, this was a huge leap of faith.
Something tol
d me, however, that it was the right decision for me.
I hadn’t realized when I’d seen him that Jeremiah was wearing jeans. That came as something of a
shock; I was so used to seeing him in suits, not quite so informal. “A casual night out?” I said to mask
my surprise, putting my arms around his waist and looking up into his face.
He laid a soft kiss on my lips. “Let’s head down to the car.”
My apartment wasn’t too far from Manhattan Island, but traffic usually made it seem so much
farther. We got lucky that night however, and fifteen minutes later pulled into the underground
parking garage. I was laying my head on his shoulder, dozing, when he gently shook me awake.
“We’re here.”
The penthouse floor had its own elevator access, but it still took a while to get upstairs. I stood
next to Jeremiah, leaning against his arm, my fingers entwined with his. I was drowsy, my little
plastic grocery bag of toiletries hanging beside me in my free hand. I’m not sure what I’d been hoping
would happen tonight of all nights, but I was content right where I was at that moment.
The elevator opened into the dark penthouse. I’d barely stepped outside the doors however when
every light in the large apartment flipped on at once.
“SURPRISE!”
Chapter Five
I stared dumbly at the smiling faces before me, my brain not quite understanding their presence. It
wasn’t until they started the familiar refrains of “Happy Birthday” that the whole situation struck me.
Clamping one hand over my mouth, I fought back against tears as everyone sang to me. Scanning the
room, I saw faces that I hadn’t seen in months, some of whom I’d never thought to see again.
“You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep this a secret!” Cherise moved forward and took
my hands, drawing me further into the living room. “It’s been on the tip of my tongue to tell you every
single conversation we’ve had.”
I turned to look at the man beside her. “David?” He gave me a sheepish smile and a wave as I
looked at Cherise. “You told me he didn’t come with you!”
“Correction,” she said, prim as a school teacher. “I said he wanted to come, never that he hadn’t.”
Still too overwhelmed, I just hugged her, and then felt a slight tug on my sleeve. A girl with a dark
