by S. E. Lund
We were just business partners and friends.
I sit, and the waitress comes right over to take my order. I get my usual omelet with bacon and a cup of coffee, then turn back to Jon, who's folded his paper and is waiting, his arms crossed on the table, his expression expectant.
"How are you this morning?"
"In public, fully clothed, surrounded by other people, and unmanipulable." I grin at him.
"You always were," he says, his eyes moving over my face. "No matter what I tried."
"Really?" I say, unable to keep from smiling back at him. "I thought you were just hitting on me the way you do every woman who gets close enough to your orbit."
He smiles and glances down at the table top. When he looks up again, the humor is gone from his eyes, and I think, Uh-oh. This is Jon being serious…
"India, this has been going on between us for five years. For five years, I've tried to indicate that I'm interested in you as more than a business partner, but you've always pushed me away."
"And our business partnership has flourished. Pacifica is very successful."
"It has and it is. But I want you as well." He reaches out to take my hand. "India, I know you. I know what you want. I'll give you what I can give. You have to decide if it's enough."
I just sit there and look at him for a moment, hoping to see something in his eyes that tells me I can trust him.
"India, do you really think I'd do this if I wasn't very serious about us?"
"I hope not, but I've seen you with so many women…"
"None of them were you."
"Why can't you say the word?"
He pulls his hand away. "What word? What word haven't I said that doesn't indicate I want you and that I don't want anyone else?"
"You know," I say, frustrated that he won't say it. Exclusive.
"Take what I can give you or tell me goodbye."
Our food comes, interrupting this very tense moment between us. I sit and glance down at the food and although my stomach was growling on the way over, now, I feel slightly nauseated. I don’t like this tension between us. I don't want the drama.
I realize I do want Jon.
"Okay," I say finally. I look up at Jon. He stops what he's doing, apparently surprised at what I've said.
"Okay what?"
"Okay, I'll take what you can give me."
He reaches across the table and takes my hand. He pulls my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. It's a sweet romantic gesture and it warms my heart a little – well, a lot.
"We only live once, India. Don’t let your fears keep you from really living."
"You're so fearless," I say, my eyes stinging at the corners. I bite the inside of my lip, to stop my over-reaction to him. Why am I being like this?
I want Jon.
Why can't I just let myself enjoy him?
I'm determined to let myself enjoy him – for however long I have him.
"India, neither of us can predict the future. All we have is what's here and now. What I want is you being with me at work and here and in my bed. That's something I can trust – how we feel when we're together. How we want to get back together when we're apart."
"I know you're right," I say and pull my hand away. "I'm just afraid of being hurt." I pick up my knife and fork and dig into my bacon and eggs.
"I don't ever intend to hurt you," Jon says and he's still focused on me.
"Someone else said that to me once," I say, my voice low. "He hurt me."
"I'm not him. Hurting you is the last thing I want. I want us to be happy and enjoy each other. What we have is unique. It's special. It’s not often a man and a woman start a company together and have a relationship that is more than just business. We've always been friends. Now, we'll be more."
I glance up at him.
"For someone who's so dead set against saying the word, you sure say a lot of them."
He cracks a grin. "You're the one who needs words. I thought they'd make you less afraid."
"I like what I heard."
"Good," he says and grabs his piece of toast, using it to spear his egg yolks. "My job here is done."
We finish our meal and after paying the bill, we walk out to our cars, which are parked close to each other.
Jon leans against my car, and pulls me against his body, his arms around my waist. I have no choice but to slip my arms around his neck. We stand there, like that, and press our foreheads together. He's smiling and so am I.
"I'm happy, India," he says. "Finally happy. Let's just be happy together."
We kiss, the kiss tender and sweet, but then he squeezes me more tightly and the kiss goes on and on. A thrill goes through me that we're doing this.
We're really going to give this a try.
"We have a meeting," Jon says when the kiss ends. "And a busy afternoon, but tonight? I want to cook supper for you at your place and I want to drive you crazy with lust and satisfy your needs. I'm going out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Monday. I want to spend the evening with you."
"You and the boys?" I say, remembering his plans to meet up with his buds from the Army and attend some security conference.
"We've been planning all year. I'm flying to Virginia on Saturday morning early and won't be back until Monday night. Until then, I want you. All of you."
"Okay." I smile, glancing in his eyes, which promise so much. "My mom's coming home today and I want to pop by and see her, but afterwards, that sounds perfect."
"It's a date."
I get in my car and he closes the door for me, then he watches as I drive off. I glance in my rear-view mirror and he waves, one hand in his pocket.
We both take our vehicles to the office, arriving within a few minutes of each other. Luckily, we have a lot of work to do and both of us are busy all day, in meetings and on conference calls. I barely have time to even think of Jon and being with him tonight, except when I go to the washroom and can sit for a moment in the silence.
Jon's coming over to cook for me and then we're going to fuck.
A little throb of anticipation tells me how much I'm looking forward to it.
I call it a day around six, and pop my head in to Jon's office. He's got a couple of people in with him and they turn when I open the door.
"I'm taking off now."
"Okay," he says, glancing up from an open file on his desk. "Say hello to your mom for me. Give her my best."
"See you later," I add.
I close the door and wonder if the staff in with Jon will realize that see you later was about tonight, or if they thought it was just me being friendly.
Knowing our staff, I suspect they'll think the former.
I drive to my parent's place and see that my mother has settled in to the house. She's lying on the sofa in the living room and my dad is picking something up from a local Indian Restaurant so he doesn't have to cook supper.
I sit beside my mother and tell her what happened between Jon and me and how I decided to just take a chance and be with him, even if he couldn’t say that word.
"You're not making him bend the knee?" she says jokingly.
I laugh. "No. I'm going to take him for what he is. We'll live dangerously. Whatever happens is whatever happens. I'll try to be brave."
"Good," she says and squeezes my hand. "He's a good boy. You know that."
"He is."
My dad returns and pops his head in the living room. "Am I interrupting?"
"No," I say and wave him in. "Mom and I were just talking about my decision to give Jon the benefit of the doubt."
"That's great," he says and comes over, squeezing my shoulder and kissing the top of my head. "I like him. You two are really good together. I have supper. Are you staying? There's enough for the three of us."
I stand up and grab my bag. "No, I have to go," I say, and go over to the sofa to kiss my mom goodbye. "Jon's coming over to cook me supper. Can you believe it?"
They both smile, and it makes me laugh to
see how happy they are that I have someone.
"I hope his cooking skills are better than mine," my dad says with a grin. "Although I had the leftover chicken parmesan tonight and it was just as good as last night."
"Have fun, sweetheart," my mom says from the sofa.
I say goodbye and leave, but before I can get into the car, I hear my cell ding and check my messages.
Marina.
Damn…
MARINA: Hey, sug, what's up? Feel like me bringing some popcorn over and we can watch the new episode? I missed it last night.
I bite my bottom lip. I have to lie.
INDIA: Sorry. No can do. I have work to do tonight for a big meeting with one of our suppliers next week. Maybe tomorrow?
I wait for her response.
MARINA: K. Talk later. Bye
INDIA: Bye.
I put my cell in my bag and drive off, feeling very guilty that I'm lying to her, but I don't need a lecture, especially after it was so hard for me to finally make a real decision. I don’t want her doubts to start creeping into my mind.
I had enough of them on my own.
I get home and have a quick shower, wanting to be as fresh as I can because I suspect that once Jon arrives, we won't be doing any cooking until we've fucked at least once. Knowing Jon, it'll probably end with me having two orgasms to his one.
After my shower, I check out my closet and select a sexy black sundress with thin straps and a plunging neckline. It has a single zipper in the back and a built-in bra so Jon won’t have to do any fumbling with the catch. I slip on a fresh pair of undies, selecting a lacy black thong. I glance at myself out in the mirror, expecting that Jon will make me stand before him in my heels and thong. I look good.
The doorbell rings and I check my face in the bathroom mirror once before answering it.
There he stands, looking like a million dollars or so, in a fresh white button-down shirt and black chinos. The white shirt highlights his pale blue eyes, and his longish hair is freshly washed. He must have just stepped out of a shower as well, because the ends are still wet.
He leans against the doorjamb, one hand in his pocket, and the other behind his back. He smiles at me in that sexy way, then brings his hand out from behind his back. In it is a bouquet of flowers – white tulips with several large hydrangeas and baby's breath.
"For my lady."
I take them from him and admire the hydrangeas. He knows me so well – purple hydrangeas are my favorite flower.
"Thank you," I say, and stand on my toes to kiss him. "They're beautiful."
He slips his hand around my waist and pulls me against him. I can’t slip away and he kisses me again, deeply this time.
When the kiss ends, he doesn't say a word, just pushes me inside and closes the door.
"At least let me put these in water first," I say in protest when he pushes me up against the wall and kisses me again, his hands already squeezing my butt and one breast.
"Be quick," he says, his voice throaty.
I slip away from him, grinning, and he follows me, watching while I find a vase in the bottom cupboard and fill it with water. I break the tiny packet of flower food open and pour it in, and then I carefully cut each stem on an angle and arrange the flowers. I take my time and I can tell Jon's getting impatient, but when I glance over at him, he's smiling, his arms folded like he's trying to be indulgent.
"You like to make me suffer?" he says when I finish arranging the flowers. I take them into the dining room, placing them in the middle of the table. I stand and admire it while he comes up behind me, his arms slipping around my waist, his face in the crook of my neck. He nibbles at my neck for a moment, and I close my eyes and just let myself enjoy it.
No words are spoken. Instead, we stand like that, his arms around me, his mouth on my neck. He pulls down one strap to expose my shoulder and then cups one breast through the fabric, squeezing gently.
When he pulls me into the bedroom, I can't stop smiling, because I was right that we wouldn’t be making supper right away.
He pushes me down onto the bed and lies over top of me, his hands on either side of me to support his weight.
"What are you smiling about?" he asks, his eyes narrow.
I run my fingers through his still-damp hair.
"I knew when I put this dress on that it wouldn't stay on for very long."
"You know me too well," he murmurs and kisses my neck.
"I do," I say and close my eyes. Then, I let my doubts dissipate, and try to just enjoy him for this moment we have together, taking what he can give me.
Hoping it's enough.
Chapter 18
JON
India's body is so responsive to me that I can’t get enough of her. The sex is great – better than great. It's fucking amazing.
I love the way she looks when she's lying naked beneath me, and how she moans when I'm eating her, how she moves eagerly when I thrust inside her, how she loses control when she comes, her body arcing, her nipples hardening into tight buds.
Seeing her in the throes of pleasure because of what I'm doing to her is everything I imagined it would be. My own pleasure seems all the more intense somehow, knowing that it's been hard for her to just let herself go despite all her fears.
When we're both spent and I'm lying on top of her, I'm reluctant to pull out and end this moment where our bodies are still joined and we're drunk on pleasure.
I kiss her cheeks, her nose, her chin, and then her mouth, trying to soak it up before I have to move, take off the condom, and let the moment pass. I break the kiss and stare into her eyes, looking for a sign that she's finally over her reluctance. Her body is responsive, but it's her mind I want to see respond to me.
"That was so good," she whispers, and runs her fingers through my hair. "You can do that anytime you want."
I smile. "You said that once before, and then you asked Chris how much your stocks would be worth if you cashed them in now."
She glances away, guiltily.
I turn her face back and meet her eyes. "Don't be mad," she says softly. "I wanted to know what they were worth if things didn’t work out between us and I felt I couldn’t stay."
"I'm not mad. I'm surprised and worried. I can’t imagine Pacifica without you at the helm of technology. You're an expert now in this field, you know."
She says nothing for a moment and looks into my eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Good," I say, but there's still this tiny sliver of doubt inside of me that she might just up and leave if she feels unsure of what we have together. I'll have to work hard to prove to her that while I won't say her word, I'll show her its meaning.
I try to put my doubts to the side so I can enjoy her in the current moment.
Reluctantly, I pull out of her body and remove the condom, tying it off and throwing it into the trash can by her bed. Then, I roll back on top of her, taking her hands in mine and pinning her beneath me, not letting her escape the way I know she wants to.
"I really should get up and pee," she says, giggling when I lick her neck and nibble on her earlobe.
"It can wait," I say, refusing to let her up.
"It's for the health of my lady parts," she says, stifling a laugh as I bite her shoulder playfully.
"Well, in that case," I say and roll off, letting go of her hands. "Don't want to threaten the health of your lady parts."
I watch her get up and walk to the bathroom, admiring her curvaceous butt and narrow waist. She disappears behind the bathroom door and I hear her peeing, and smile to myself. Hopping up, I follow her inside. She's sitting on the toilet, crouched over, a wad of tissue in her hand.
"Jon!" she says while I stand in the doorway and watch her.
"India!" I reply. "I just ate you and fucked you. I've seen a woman pee before."
Her eyes widen. "Please, give me a moment!"
She waits until I leave before finishing. I stand outside the door and shake my head at her.
When she's done and I hear the toilet flush, I come back in the bathroom and take my place at the toilet to take a leak. I catch her watching in the vanity mirror. She's not used to the familiarity between us.
"Do you have absolutely no sense of shame?" she asks, and while I can hear humor in her voice, I know she means it.
"None. You'll have to get used to me being here," I say. "Being myself."
I flush and then wash my hands at the dual sink, watching her in the mirror.
"It's just a real change," she says and runs her hands over her hair. "You have to give me time to adjust."
"Immersion therapy works best, I find," I reply and pull her into my arms once my hands are dry. She slips her arms around my neck and smiles up at me.
"Patience works, too."
I bend down and kiss her. "I'm an impatient man, India. I want you now. Fully here and now with me."
"I'm here."
"Good."
We kiss again and then she leaves the bathroom and returns to bedroom.
I smack her butt playfully as I follow her. "Now I have to cook supper for you."
"Hey!" she says with a laugh. "No spanking."
"Aww," I say and grab her, tickling her. "I like the way your butt jiggles when I give you a love tap."
"I'm not a bad girl," she says and tries to squirm out of my arms. "I don’t need a spanking."
"You were a very good girl and deserve an orgasm."
"I already had two," she replies, laughing again when I squeeze her, my fingers at her ribs.
"You'll get a guaranteed two more when I'm finished cooking and we're ready for round two."
We kiss, lingering over it. I could fuck her again right now, the way my body feels.
But then I hear her stomach rumble and feel pity for her.
"Time to eat food." I let her go and together we dress. "I'll eat you again later."
I cook for India, making my signature chicken marsala, with Marsala wine, cremini mushrooms, and fresh fettuccini noodles. I love to cook, and was in charge of chow for my team when I was deployed in Iraq during the last two years of my military service.
