“Your skin is so soft.” He continued to slide his hand over her thigh, slowly getting closer to the juncture between her legs. “Relax,” he whispered when she instinctively kept her thighs together, his hand moving between them. “Bend your knees. Good, now open them.” His mouth dropped to the skin of her inner thigh, his lips running along the same path his hands took moments earlier. “So soft,” he whispered between kisses. “So soft.” His hands slid beneath her, gripping her butt as he tilted her body up, his tongue running over her soft folds.
Lia cried out, her body arching in response. He flicked his tongue over her clit at the same moment he slipped a finger up into her wet channel. She writhed beneath him, her body on fire. “Oh God,” she whispered. “I think I’m going to come.” She shamelessly gripped his hair, her body stiffening as she was consumed by an orgasm. He continued to flick his tongue against her clit as he rubbed his finger against her G-spot, stretching the length of her orgasm. “Wow,” she breathed when she finally got her breath. “Wow.”
He kissed her inner thigh a final time before coming to his feet, and this time when his hands reached for his belt, there was no hesitation. She watched him step out of his pants and then retrieve a condom from the wallet of his discarded jacket. He was wearing black cotton briefs, but there was no masking the size of his penis. It was large like the rest of him, which was proved beyond a doubt when he pushed his briefs down over his hips. He was much larger than Ned or Eric—the extent of her experience—but not in a scary way, more in an awe-inspiring way. He was beautiful.
Without forethought, she was opening her thighs and lying back on the bed, her eyes rising to his, the invitation clear. He sheathed himself in the condom without breaking eye contact, and then he was moving onto the bed, positioning himself between her legs and placing a hand on either side of her to brace himself over her.
She reached up, running her hands over his shoulders. “Please.” She didn’t want to wait another second.
“Is this what you want?” He lowered his hips, his penis sliding against her wet opening, his eyes continuing to meet hers.
“Yes.” She hooked her legs around him, lifting her hips off the bed.
He kissed her softly as he pushed the tip of his penis into her. She rocked her hips up, needing more than he was giving, and then, without warning, he thrust his hips forward, burying himself in her completely. He stayed that way, giving her body time to adjust to him. “You okay?”
“Amazing,” she answered, knowing it was the only word that could adequately convey how she felt. His body had stretched her to her limits, but the fullness she was experiencing, knowing it was his body inside of hers, felt right. It was like he belonged.
He lifted his head, his eyes looking into hers as he pulled completely out and plunged into her again. He may have been a stranger, but an undeniable connection flowed between them. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
He lowered his mouth over hers, their tongues moving together as his body picked up its pace, his hips rocking forward and back as his body possessed hers. Lia stroked her hands down his muscled arms and then over his back, loving the feel of him beneath her fingers. If only for tonight, this perfect man was hers. She let her hands drift lower, holding his butt as he moved in and out of her, his muscles contracting.
He lifted his head so he could witness their pairing, watching his body push in and out of hers. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, and the muscles in his neck and shoulders were straining from holding his weight off her.
“I love this,” she whispered.
He lifted his gaze. “Good, because I’m not close to being done.”
“I need to hear you,” he said deeply as he lay on his back, holding her hips while she straddled him. “I need to hear you come.” He pushed his hips up and she knew he couldn’t get any deeper inside her body.
It was their second session of the night, and she’d already come several times. She’d reach a state of arousal so intense his slightest movement could send her into another wave of orgasms, each more intense than the previous, and he was doing it now. As he stared into her eyes, he began to push himself up into her while he pulled forward on her hips, and within seconds she was crying out as she fell forward onto his chest, the orgasm continuing until she thought she would explode.
“I don’t think I can take any more,” she whispered as she collapsed beside him on the bed.
“Me neither.” He rolled her onto her back and settled between her thighs. “You only have to come one more time,” he said before thrusting into her again. “Wrap your legs around me.”
Lia obeyed, and an orgasm began immediately. As his tempo increased, the intensity of the orgasm increased, and she cried out, her body enveloped in sheer pleasure. Joseph’s movements became quicker and more erratic, and when he was right on the brink, Lia reached out and gripped his butt. He yelled out as he found release, his body collapsing over hers. Several seconds passed before he rolled his weight off of her and laid flat on his back, his breathing still labored. “Jesus.”
Lia curled into his side and slipped her leg between his as she rested her cheek on his chest. She could feel the strong beat of his heart vibrating from his chest. “I don’t think I’ll be able to move tomorrow.”
Several minutes passed before he spoke. “I knew it would be like this between us.”
“You should have told me,” she mumbled, barely awake.
His arms tightened around her. “I may never let you go.”
“Promise?” she whispered before nodding off.
11
Lia turned her face into her pillow and groaned. Her body felt like—flashes from the previous evening stormed her mind. She had picked Joseph Craig up at a bar, brought him home and had sex with him four times. Memories of the multiple orgasms she’d experienced had her cheeks heating. He knew her body better than she did, and certainly better than Ned ever had. Muscles she previously wasn’t aware she had were sore.
The aroma of coffee floated in from the kitchen and her heart did a funny flutter at the realization he was still in the house. She peeked at her alarm clock, which read 11:05 a.m. What time had they fallen asleep? No, “sleep” was too generous a term for the short stretches they took between bouts of sex. He took the phrase “virile male” to a new level.
She pushed herself up on her elbow and took in her room in the harsh morning light. The carpet, once tan, was more of beige color with places worn completely bare. There were two windows overlooking the parking lot and the miniblinds covering them were bent up and in need of replacement. Her bedroom furniture looked relatively new, but that did little to help the overall ambience of the room. What could he be thinking? She was twenty-eight years old and her apartment was in worse shape than her old college dorm. Waves of embarrassment washed through her at the thought of him in her kitchen with the old appliances and worn linoleum floors.
Her gaze focused on his jacket and trousers lying over the arm of the chair in the corner. His suit probably cost more than six months of her rent. Men like Joseph Craig belonged to sophisticated women like Kathy Paige, not single mothers who survived paycheck to paycheck. He was out of her league, and he was probably coming to the same conclusion as he saw how she lived.
She crossed to her bathroom—more a closet with a shower, toilet and tiny sink—and again found herself looking at it more critically, imagining what he saw. It was clean, but that did little to improve the overall appearance. The handle for the faucet was chipped, there was a rust stain in the bottom of the sink and the towel rack had come out from the wall, leaving patches of chipped paint and plaster in its wake. She sat on the closed toilet and dropped her face into her hands. How could she have let this happen when she knew she’d have to see him again? He was her lawyer, for God’s sake. This was going to be ten times worse than Eric Nettles’ rejection, because she still wanted Joseph. She’d have to make it clear that all future dealings would be over the phone. And what was he ev
en still doing in her house? She wasn’t experienced at one-night stands, but was pretty sure the guy didn’t usually bother to spend the night.
When she forced herself back out into the bedroom, Joseph had returned from the kitchen and was sitting on the side of her bed, looking down at his cell phone. He raised his gaze. “Good morning.”
“Hi.” She pulled her robe closer around her.
“I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself to coffee.” In only his boxer briefs, his hair tousled and his eyes puffy from sleep, he looked younger and more vulnerable than the suit-clad lawyer usually on display.
“No, not at all.” Her heart began to pump a little faster in reaction to him.
“I made you some too.” He inclined his head towards a steaming mug of coffee on her dresser.
“Thank you.” She turned, grateful for an excuse to look away from him. She needed him to leave so she could lick her wounds.
“There was powdered creamer and sugar on the counter, so I assumed you took both.”
“I do.” She took a sip of the warm liquid, keeping her back to him “Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I just have a lot to do today and I didn’t intend to sleep in so long.”
“Come here.”
She forced a smile to her face before turning back around. “This isn’t a big deal. I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Closer.” He snagged her free hand and began tugging her towards him.
“What are you doing?”
He took the mug from her other hand before stretching his arm out and setting it on the nightstand. “Saying good morning.” He pulled her between his knees and settled his hands on her hips. “Good morning.” He dropped his head forward and began to kiss her stomach through the material of her robe, his hold on her hips tightening.
She closed her eyes and gave in to the urge to touch him, letting her hands slide over his shoulders. “I’m not cut out for this.”
He pulled back only enough to be able to lift his eyes to hers. “I have news for you, sweetheart. I have no intention of allowing you to crawl back in the shell you’ve been occupying.”
“I don’t want to get hurt.”
“I’m not planning to hurt you.”
“You may not plan it, but that’s how it ends for me. That’s how it always ends.” She felt tears gathering in her eyes.
“It’s never ended with me, Lia. I feel something very real for you—something I want to explore.”
She looked into his eyes and was struck again by their warmth. They weren’t the eyes of a liar. “We barely know each other.”
“That’s not true,” he said deeply. “I’ve known you since the moment I met you.”
Lia’s heart rate accelerated at his words. He felt it too “Why?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked away from him, not wanting him to see how much she already cared. She was afraid. She was so afraid. “How do you know it’s not just an attraction? That you’ll want me for a couple of weeks and then it will be over?”
“I know what it feels like to be attracted to a woman. You’re not the only one vulnerable here. I have been consumed with thoughts of you for months. You’re why I ended it with Kathy.”
“What?” Stunned by his words, she felt her eyes widen.
“And then you rejected me,” he continued. “I know you want me—your eyes have been talking to me since the first time we met. And I knew your wall would eventually come down. I wasn’t in a rush.”
“I need to think,” she whispered.
“No. You need to feel.” He curved his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her towards him.
“I have to go. I have a meeting at two.” Joseph’s deep voice broke into Lia’s semiconscious state as she lay snuggled against his side, her head resting on his chest.
“It’s Saturday.”
“I met you on a Sunday.”
“True.” She sighed. She hated the thought of him leaving, knowing as soon as he was out the door her mind would start doubting everything she felt.
“We don’t have to have another talk, do we?” he asked as if reading her thoughts.
“No, but I need to take this slow. I don’t want to jump into a full-blown relationship.”
“We’ve had sex five times in less than twelve hours. You don’t expect me to go back to holding hands, do you?”
“No, I’m not talking about that. I don’t want this to take over my life. For the first time as an adult, I’m realizing I’m okay alone. I don’t want to lose that. I already feel like I don’t spend enough time with Taylor.”
“Did you skip out on the normal girl training?” he teased. “Don’t you now that you’re supposed to be demanding more than I can give?”
“I’m serious.”
“I work an insane amount of hours—the recurring complaint I’ve received from every woman I’ve ever had a relationship with is I don’t have enough time. We can take this as slow as you like.”
“Are you going to see other women too?”
“And there’s the girl.”
“Are you?” The thought of him touching other women made her stomach clench.
“I wasn’t planning to. Are you going to let me see you more than a couple times a month?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ll be my plus one if the need arises?”
“Yes.” This was really happening. “I know we haven’t even had a real date, but I don’t want to have sex with you if you’re having it with other women too.” She may have sounded like a prude, but she didn’t care.
“You are the only woman I want.” He kissed her softly. “I won’t be with anyone but you.”
Hours later, knowing she’d go crazy if she spent another minute alone in her apartment, Lia drove to her mother’s and joined her in the kitchen, where Elaine was preparing dinner.
“Did I ever show you a picture of Joseph Craig?”
“Joseph Craig?” Elaine frowned. “Why does that sound familiar?”
“He’s my attorney for the Zurtech stuff.”
“Ah.” Elaine nodded. “Why do you have a picture of him?”
“I don’t have a picture, picture. It’s a picture online from a magazine he was on the cover of last year.” She pulled up the image on her phone.
“‘Washington’s most eligible bachelors,’” Elaine read. “I can see why. He is my type of handsome. This is the one Taylor was going on and on about on Christmas? The one that helped you get the job?”
Lia nodded, watching her mother study the picture of Joseph. “He’s even better looking in person.”
“Really?” Elaine handed her back the phone “Have you heard from him lately?”
“I ran into him last night.”
“And?”
“And he’s—he’s very charming.” She dropped her eyes to his picture.
“Well that’s nice, but I was actually asking about your case.”
“Oh, we didn’t discuss it.” She continued to study the picture of Joseph in a custom-tailored suit, standing in the lobby of his law office, his arms crossed over his chest, a look of amusement on his handsome face. A vivid image of what he looked like under the suit flashed through her mind and a sigh escaped her lips.
“Are we developing a bit of a crush on him?”
Lia covered her eyes. “I’m so confused.”
“Lia?” Elaine walked around the counter, stopping beside her chair. “Is something going on between you and your attorney?”
“Yes.”
“Something romantic?” Her eyes narrowed. “Isn’t there an ethical rule against that?”
“I don’t know. There’s this attraction that won’t go away.” She finally met her mother’s eyes. “I’m so scared.” She bit her lower lip and to her horror tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t want to be hurt again and I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
“Is he putting pr
essure on you?”
“No. God, no.” She shook her head. “He isn’t putting any pressure on me. He’s leaving everything up to me.” She ran the back of her hand over her cheek, wiping at the tears. “I’m sorry. I’m such a baby.”
“Have you been dating him or—”
“No. But I want to, Mom. I really do. I’ve never felt this way before, but I don’t know if I trust my own judgment. I mean, I thought Eric was a great guy and look what he turned out to be.” Tears continued to fall from her eyes.
“Honey, are you sure you’re telling me everything?”
“I ran into him at happy hour last night. I was with some girls from work and he joined our table.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “You should have seen him. People are attracted to him. They want to hear what he has to say, and he’s so smart, Mom. I mean, I’ve never met someone so smart.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”
“Because I like him, and I don’t want to! Can’t you understand that after everything I’ve been through?”
“You don’t have to yell, honey. I’m trying to understand.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just so confused. I thought after Eric I wouldn’t even want to date another man. And now I can’t stop thinking about one. I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t know what to say about Joseph Craig, Lia, because I don’t know him. When you told me after Eric you would never date again, I didn’t say anything because you were devastated and I didn’t want to upset you further. But I knew, or at least hoped, you were being rash. You’re too young to never remarry. It’s not natural. We’re made to be part of a couple.”
“I don’t want to be hurt again.”
“There are no guarantees in relationships. There’s always the chance you’ll be hurt. You could fall in love with the nicest man in the world, but if he doesn’t love you back you’re going to be hurt.”
When I Saw You Page 15
