Business as Usual (Off The Subject) (37 page)
Read Business as Usual (Off The Subject) Online
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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“Is Reed okay with this?”
She grins. “He’s getting there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It all happened so fast. I signed the lease yesterday and got the keys today. I decided to surprise you.”
“You definitely did.”
She grabs my hand again. “Come see the bedroom.”
When she pushes the door open, I’m surprised to see her bed, dresser and nightstand. “Did you move this?”
“Caroline and I did most of it this afternoon, but Reed helped with the dresser.”
“I would have helped.” I stare at the bed. “You should have been worrying about the auction.”
“I can think of better uses for your time.” She kisses me, her lips soft on mine.
Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close and deepen the kiss, my tongue searching for hers.
Within a minute, we’re both out of breath. I reach for the zipper on the back of her dress and pull down. Grabbing the fabric at her shoulders, I tug the dress until it falls and puddles at her feet. She’s standing before me in sexy black lingerie.
“This hardly seems fair,” she murmurs before she pulls my shirt over my head. My jeans are next and when I step out of them, she sits on the bed and pulls me down with her.
I wait for her to show me what she wants. Alexa likes to take the lead and I let her do it since it makes her feel in control. But she looks up at me through lowered eyelashes. “You’re in charge tonight.”
I shake my head. “Alexa, no. It’s one of your boundaries, and I’m fine with it.”
She kisses me passionately and my blood rushes to my groin.
“Ben, I want to try it. Please.”
I take a deep breath, then tip her chin up so I can look into her eyes and make sure she’s telling me the truth. “Okay, but if you feel the least bit anxious, you tell me, agreed?”
“Okay.” She lies down on her back, her head on the pillow, staring up at me with so much trust it catches the breath in my chest.
She’s a gift that I will never take for granted. Tonight I want to show her how much I adore her. I lie on my side next to her, then reach around her back and unfasten her bra, tossing it to the floor after I pull it off. I lower my mouth to her breast, making sure to rest my weight on the hand I have propped next to her. Soon she’s squirming and I lift my gaze to check on her. “Are you okay?”
She nods, panting. “Don’t stop now.”
Grinning, I move my mouth lower, lightly skimming the skin of her abdomen until I stop at the edge of her panties. I quickly pull them off and search out the spot between her legs that drives her insane. Watching her writhe and moan from what I’m doing to her turns me on more than I can stand. I lift my head and brace my hands on either side of her waist, making sure no part of my body is resting on top of her.
“Alexa, do you trust me?”
She watches me for several seconds, fear flickering in her eyes, but I know she’s not afraid of me. She’s afraid of how she’ll react. “Yes,” she finally says.
I roll away to put on a condom before returning between her legs, my hands on the mattress. “Wrap your leg around my waist.”
Her fear returns when she realizes she’s staying on her back, but she lifts her leg and hooks it around my hip.
“If you want to change positions at any time, tell me. Don’t feel like you have to do this. Okay? Promise me.”
“I promise.”
I lower my right arm to my elbow, still making sure not to put pressure on her while I lift her hips with my other hand and enter her. “How are you doing?”
She presses into my pubic bone. “Don’t stop.”
I move slow, resting my weight on my arm, but I realize I won’t last long this way. I rise up to my knees, lifting her other leg to wrap around my waist, so her ass is lifted high off the bed.
She looks up at me, her eyes hooded with lust and need and it’s nearly my undoing. But I not only want her to have sex this way without freaking out, I want her to come too. I grab her hips and thrust deep, grinding into her pelvis. She’s always responsive to me, even tonight when she has every right to be anxious, but I can tell she’s not anxious when I look into her face. Far from it. Her eyes are clenched shut and her fingers are grabbing the comforter in two fists. She totally trusts me and I’ll make damn sure never to betray that.
I’m closer to coming that I’d like, but she’s close too and I don’t want to stop or slow down. I grit my teeth as I hold on, awaiting her release. She arches up, gasping and as I feel her tighten around me, and I can’t hold back anymore. I press deep inside of her and come.
When I’m done, it takes all my willpower not to collapse on top of her. Instead, I roll to my side.
“Was that okay?” I ask.
“Okay?” she asks in disbelief. “No.”
My heart sinks.
“Euphoric? Life-changing? Yes. But definitely not
okay
.”
I release a deep breath.
“Thank you for being patient with me,” she whispers.
“How can you even say that?” I ask. “Patience? We’re experimenting with other positions. Do you know how many guys would kill to be in my shoes?”
She rolls to her side so we’re chest to chest, staring into each other’s eyes. “You’re the only one I want.”
“That’s good to know. Because you’re stuck with me, Alexa.”
She gives me a soft kiss. “I’m counting on it.”
Rose Gardner Mysteries
(Humorous Southern mysteries)
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
FALLING TO PIECES
(novella)
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
(June 24, 2014)
Chosen Series
(Paranormal thriller/Urban fantasy)
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult science fiction/romance)
The Curse Keepers
(Adult urban fantasy)
(April 29, 2014)
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Thank you to my assistant Heather Pennington, who helps me somewhat organized. Thank you to my awesome beta readers: Rhonda Cowsert, Anne Childon, Becky Podjenski and Stormy Udell.
BUSINESS AS USUAL wouldn’t be what it is now without the invaluable input from my wonderful editor Angela Polidoro. Thanks to Cynthia L. Moyer and Paola Bell for your proofreading expertise.
And always, thank you to my readers. You read my books and like them then tell your friends. Because of you, I’m doing what I love: writing the stories the pop into my head.
Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at:
or email her at
[email protected]
- Title page
- Prologue
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
- Chapter Twenty-Three
- Chapter Twenty-Four
- Chapter Twenty-Five
- Chapter Twenty-Six
- Chapter Twenty-Seven
- Chapter Twenty-Eight
- Chapter Twenty-Nine
- Chapter Thirty
- Other books by Denise Grover Swank:
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author