Once he had her pinned, he palmed her sex through her silk panties. “You’re wet.”
“I am not,” she protested.
“You need to be fucked. Hell, you want to be fucked.”
She refused to answer, though she knew it to be true.
“You need a hard cock inside you, ramming hard against that sweet pussy of yours until you come.”
“Fuck you. Get off me.”
His low laughter infuriated and excited her.
“I am going to fuck you.” With a quick jerk, her panties were history.
Oh well. The cool breeze wafted over her naked sex and she longed to spread her legs wide, but this game wasn’t over. She was supposed to fight this for a while longer.
Mike shoved his jeans aside and he was on her again, his hips against hers, his cock sliding along her the top of her pussy.
Oh God, yes. Right where she wanted and needed him. But she fought it, keeping her thighs together. His teeth gleamed as he smiled, his knee insinuating between hers as he dropped down fully on top of her, pushing her thighs apart.
“Open for me, Grace.”
“No,” she said, gritting her teeth, loving this. Her pussy was flooded with moisture now. Excitement pulsed through her bloodstream. She was throbbing, aching, desperate to scream the words, to beg him to fuck her. She was hanging on by a thread and if he didn’t take her soon, she was going to give in.
“This isn’t going to be gentle.”
Good. She hoped not. She wanted it hard, forceful, violent, needed him to plunge inside her with a desperation she couldn’t fathom.
With a final push, he opened her thighs and moved between them, positioning his cock at the entrance to her pussy. He bent his head and took her mouth in a punishing kiss at the same time he drove inside her.
He was right. It wasn’t gentle. She screamed against his mouth as he thrust his cock all the way inside. She was so wet he slid in easily, his balls slapping her ass as he immersed himself to the hilt.
He stilled then, panting against her, and she was afraid he was going to gentle his movements, but he didn’t. He reared up and powered inside her again, this time deeper, harder, this thrust with more force than the first. Her walls closed in around him, gripping him tight and firm. Now that her legs were open, she acquiesced, wrapping them around his waist, lifting her ass to give him more. Anything he wanted was his for the taking.
“Fuck, you’re tight,” he murmured against her mouth, only to slide his tongue inside again, pulling out to nibble at her lips, then her jaw, sliding down to capture her earlobe with his teeth. He bit down on the tender spot between her neck and shoulder as he rocked his shaft against her with punishing thrusts.
She cried out as she tightened around him, spilling her juices as she climaxed. He growled and continued to fuck her, refusing to stop until she was climbing again. She was exhausted from the fight and still he wouldn’t let up, dragging his shaft against her clit. And she was going to go over again. The rush of her orgasm brought tears to her eyes as hot splashes of ecstasy spilled from her. With a harsh oath he went with her this time, grinding against her and then stilling, shuddering, clasping her tight against him and kissing her in the way only Mike could.
He rolled to the side, taking her with him, stroking her hair, her face, pressing light kisses to her bruised lips.
“I hurt you, didn’t I?” he whispered.
“I’m tougher than you think.” She smiled at him, stroked his hair.
“You’re an amazing woman, Grace.”
“You’re an equally amazing man.”
“I hope there were no low-flying aircraft going over when we were having sex.”
She laughed. They cleaned up and Mike rolled the blanket, tucking everything into his saddlebag. Sweetly sore and spent, then rode quietly back to the ranch and turned in the horses.
When they got back home, Mike ordered her to undress. He pushed her onto the bed on her belly, but instead of sex, he grabbed some lotion and rubbed her back, butt and legs, massaging out the kinks from the ride. Then he curled up against her and they napped. Napped! She never napped. But it was so easy to fall asleep in the middle of day, wrapped up in his arms.
She fixed him dinner at her place that night. Steak and potatoes, figuring that was a “real man” kind of meal. They had wine and great conversation, and Grace realized how much she was going to miss having him around.
She hated the idea of missing anyone. For years she’d lived alone and liked it that way. She had friends whom she hung out with when she wanted company. Otherwise, she had always been content with her life, with her solitude.
Mike refilled her wineglass.
“I’ve really enjoyed the time we spent together, Grace.”
Her stomach knotted. She smiled and reached for her glass, taking a long swallow of wine before answering. “I have, too. Thank you again for the ride today.”
“You’re welcome.”
“What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Early. I have to be at work the next day.”
She studied her wineglass, feeling stupid for the tears that stung her eyes.
“I’m going to miss you, Grace.”
Don’t say it. She couldn’t bear the emotion stabbing at her heart. “I’ve…really enjoyed spending time with you.” Didn’t she say that already?
He grinned. “I think we both agreed that we enjoyed our time together.”
Shit.
“It’s okay, Grace. Neither of us is going to handle this very well. It’s not like we’ve had what you would call a relationship. We’ve had fun. Let’s leave it at that.”
Yes. Let’s do that. Before she started feeling any worse than she already did. Her stomach hurt.
He stood and walked around the table, reaching for her hand. “I want to make love to you.”
She laid her glass on the table and slipped her hand in his, letting him lift her. He led her to the bedroom and he undressed her slowly, kissing every inch of her skin that he revealed. She sighed at every touch of his lips, a hot, melting sensation that made her shiver.
“On your knees.”
Her skin broke out in chills. She crawled onto the bed and he got behind her, pressing his lips to her back. He kissed every vertebra, from her neck all the way down to her tailbone and farther, his hands all over her. He parted her legs and licked the length of her pussy, drawing out a long, low moan that she couldn’t hold in. She was already wet, quivering with the need to join with him. She bent forward, her head hitting the mattress, spreading her legs farther to give him better access as his tongue snaked out to flick at her clit. When he parted her buttocks and licked her anus, she cried out at the exquisite sensation of having his mouth there, circling the sensitive nerve endings with his hot tongue.
“I want to fuck your ass, Grace.”
“Yes.” She’d allow him any intimacy, wanting him close to her, inside her in every way possible.
He licked her there again, his tongue probing inside the tight hole. She nearly came off the bed at the hot, stabbing motion of his tongue invading her anus. Dear God, that was erotic as hell. He moved behind her, positioning, then reached around to stroke her clit while he parted her pussy lips and slid inside her cunt, fucking her with long, slow strokes until she was writhing against him, needing the orgasm that was so close.
“Make me come,” she begged, pushing back against his cock, trying to get closer to the hand massaging her clit.
And then she was there, tightening around him as she climaxed in a rush of hot, spiraling pleasure. He wrapped one arm around her middle and pulled her against his cock while she spasmed, rocking back and forth as the sensations rushed along her nerve endings.
Panting, she barely had time to catch her breath before he pulled out and coated her anus with lube. He kept his hand on her clit, massaging gently now but keeping her in a state of heightened arousal. She wanted his cock again, dammit, needed him inside her.
“Mike.”
“Easy, baby,” he said, sliding his finger against her anus. He pushed, entered her, the burning sensation subsiding quickly as he finger-fucked her ass. The pleasure rocketed her. His finger inside her tight hole, his other hand rubbing her swollen clit, and her mind somewhere lost in the stratosphere.
He moved his finger in and out until she grew accustomed to the sensation, then withdrew.
“My dick is going to be a lot bigger, baby. Push out when you feel me enter. That’ll make it easier to take.”
She nodded. He coated her with more lube, then she felt the wide crest of his cock against her anus.
“Push, Grace.”
He was so gentle as he entered her. She relaxed her muscles and pushed and he breached the tight muscle. The burn was intense and she breathed through it. Mike didn’t move, just let her settle into the sensation, her body adjusting to the invasion of his thick cock. It only took a minute, and he slid in farther.
He was so easy with her, stopping when necessary, never ceasing his movements along her clit, making sure she was okay. That alone was such a turn-on—his care of her.
And when she was adjusted to his invasion, it finally started feeling good—oh Lord, was it good. Thick, filling her, sliding in and out of her while his hand drove her insane. He strummed her clit in slow, easy, maddening motions. She was going to come and it was going to happen in a hurry.
“You have the best ass, Grace,” he said, his voice tight with strain.
He wasn’t going to last either. She liked knowing that she could take him to the edge so fast. She moved, fucking back against his cock. His loud groan was incredibly arousing, making her tighten even more around him.
“Goddamn!” He pushed forward, not as easily as he had before.
She was ready for it, pushing back, taking it all in. Her body was on fire, her skin covered in moisture. She grabbed the bed sheets and pushed again, listening to the rasping sound of his breathing, feeling the way his movements along her clit intensified.
Her orgasm rocketed her and she tensed, then screamed. She felt the pulses of her orgasm in her anus, and knew Mike would, too. He groaned and yelled out her name, pushing with relentless force as he came, then becoming still against her while she shuddered out the last ounce of energy she possessed.
Spent, she fell forward on the mattress. Mike retreated, lifting her and carrying her to the shower. He washed them both and dried her off, carrying her back to bed and pulling the covers over them.
She wouldn’t think about this being the last night she’d fall asleep nestled in his arms. She just slumbered while she could, content to have his heartbeat against her.
When he woke her before dawn, she rose and went through the motions, dressing and making coffee. They drank a cup together in silence.
“I need to go,” he said, his voice low, his expression grim.
“I know.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She fought back tears she had no right to shed.
“Thank you, Grace.”
“Good-bye, Mike.”
She walked him to the elevator and kissed him again, smiling at him as the elevator door closed.
When he was gone, she went back to the bedroom, sat on the bed and smoothed her hands over the sheets, touching the pillow where he’d slept. It was still warm.
Only then did she allow herself the luxury of dissolving into the heart-wrenching sobs she’d held back for so long.
ELEVEN
Mike had held it together on the plane ride back, then threw himself into work for the next week. Fortunately, he was busy as hell and didn’t have time to dwell on how much he missed Grace.
Much. Other than every free second he had. He thought he’d done a pretty good job being stoic and acting like he didn’t care. That’s what Grace wanted, right? To keep things between them unemotional and low key. No strings.
That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?
So how come he felt like shit? How come every woman who called, every woman at the country club who’d approached him in the past week and tried to capture his attention, did absolutely nothing for him? Not a spark, not even a twitch of his cock. He was totally and completely uninterested. It was as if he’d come back from Las Vegas a eunuch.
Because those women didn’t have beguiling violet eyes. Those women didn’t have a slender body with small breasts and perky nipples. Those women didn’t have a laugh that made his dick stand up and take notice. Those women didn’t have a pioneering spirit, a feisty independence and the guts to make it on their own with virtually nothing. None of them had a warm vulnerability underneath a tough exterior that had melted the icy wall around his cold heart.
None of those women were Grace.
He’d never missed a woman he’d spent time with. Not once. He fucked them and promptly forgot about them, moved on to the next one.
Now he wasn’t the slightest bit interested in the next one. Or the one after that.
“You sure are moping around a lot this week.”
Mike looked up from his desk at his partner, Seth Jacobs. “I’m busy. And I never mope.”
“Uh-huh.” Seth sat in one of the chairs across from Mike’s desk. “If you say so. But you’ve snapped the head off everyone in here this week. I thought vacation was supposed to relax you.”
“It was relaxing.” He opened the file on his desk and decided to ignore Seth.
“So what happened in Las Vegas?”
“Nothing. The conference was good, then I hung out for a few extra days. Had a great time.”
“You’re full of shit. This is me, remember? I know you better than anyone. Start talking.”
That much was true. He and Seth had been buddies since they were kids. Seth knew him inside and out and Mike could never hope to hide anything from him. He closed the file and dragged his hands through his hair. “I met a woman.”
Seth leaned back in the chair. “Oh, there’s a shocker.”
Mike laughed. “She’s different. There was a…connection.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“So why don’t you do something about it?”
“Like what? She has a life and a career back there. Mine is here. She’s independent. Owns a sex club. She doesn’t want a relationship or any kind of entanglements in her life.”
Seth laughed. “She sounds a lot like you.”
Leave it to Seth to state the obvious. “Yeah, she does. We’re similar in many ways.”
“Which is probably why you’re attracted to her.” Seth shook his head. “So the mighty Nottingham has finally fallen.”
Mike frowned. “This is not funny.”
“I think it is. I think it’s fucking hysterical. Wait ’til I tell Abby.”
Abby was Seth’s fiancée and a fellow veterinarian. She had worked as an intern in their offices last year, and Seth and Mike had actually had a ménage with Abby one weekend. But Abby had chosen Seth over Mike. Smart girl. Mike hadn’t wanted to settle down and Abby had made a strong bond with Seth. They were good together. Seth was a lucky guy. Abby was golden.
“I’m sure Abby will laugh her ass off, too.”
Seth leaned forward. “Abby loves you and you know that. She wants to see you happy. Mike, all kidding aside, if you care about this woman, don’t let her slip out of your hands. Make it work.”
“I don’t see how it can.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Then you’re not looking hard enough. Love doesn’t come around all that often, especially for people like you.”
Mike snorted. “Gee, thanks.”
“You know what I mean. You’ve been playing games your whole life. You’ve closed yourself off to every woman you’ve ever met. Now one has finally reached you. That means something. Don’t let her go.”
He looked at Seth and smiled. “I have a practice here. A life.”
“Man, I love you like a brother. You know that.” He sw
ept his hand around the room. “But you can do this anywhere.”
Mike stared at Seth. He couldn’t believe what Seth had said. But dammit, he was right. “You’re a really good friend.”
Seth grinned. “Yeah, I know. Now put that brilliant brain of yours to work and think with something besides your dick for a change. And go figure out how to make it work with the woman who’s managed to do what no other ever has.”
“What’s that?”
“Make Mike Nottingham fall in love.”
* * *
Grace looked around at the club and frowned. This sucked.
Once again Wild Nights was filled to capacity. Based on preliminary figures, she was probably going to have her best month ever. Liquor sales were up, attendance was up, new membership was up. The club was flying high.
And she was absolutely miserable.
Which was all Mike Nottingham’s fault, because he’d made her fall in love with him. The sneaky bastard. How could he do this to her? She felt sick to her stomach and all she wanted to do was run to her apartment, curl up in a ball and cry her eyes out.
She’d pondered tracking him down in Oklahoma, calling him, seeing if maybe they could get together again. She’d gone as far as looking up his number. And every damn night she’d picked up the phone, her fingers hovering on the buttons, wavering for a few seconds. Then she’d slam the phone down, feeling ridiculous for the attempt.
It was over. They’d agreed. It had been a fling and nothing more, right?
She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Disgusting. She couldn’t stand emotional, weepy women, and she’d become one. A week had gone by already, for the love of God. One would think the aches and pains would be gone by now.
But they weren’t. In fact, they were getting worse. She didn’t think it possible, but she missed Mike more now than she had the day he left. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and it was interfering with her work.
She wasn’t having fun anymore. And she had always had fun at Wild Nights. Coming to work was the high point of her day. But for the last week she’d dreaded it, knowing Mike wouldn’t be here. She’d gone through the motions, played hostess as normal and chatted up her guests, but her heart hadn’t been in it. And still she found herself loitering by the door.