Denys, Jennifer - Friendly Seduction [Friends and Acquaintances 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (12 page)

With his next thrust, he felt his balls slap against her buttocks as he arrived inside her to his full length. His moan of delight echoed Lissa’s. Thrusting faster and faster, her cries egging him on as she rocked within the harness, he tightened his hands on her hips. He knew the moment her climax came as her body suddenly went taut, and as she milked his cock, he came, too.

* * * *

When Matt let her out of the harness, Lissa was feeling very wobbly. She was a mass of sensitized nerve endings, and her emotions were off-the-wall. In fact, it would be a miracle if she got out of the apartment without bursting into tears. It had been incredible. Indescribably so.

After he unbound her, he led her back into the lounge to retrieve her clothes. She wanted to study the contraption further, but much to her surprise, he unexpectedly declared that was the end of the story.

She looked at him somewhat stunned, and it had nothing to do with her earlier state. It struck her suddenly that this was it. He didn’t need her help for the book anymore. Her emotions plummeted as he thanked her for all her help and saw her out.

Everything seemed to happen so quickly. One minute he was making unbelievably passionate love to her, and the next she was standing alone outside his apartment. She stood staring at the door, unsure what had happened. Tears rushed to her eyes.

Was this it? Was it all just for the book? Didn’t he feel anything for her?

If so, he might not want to see her anymore. She had hoped it was more than just helping him, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. That he loved her as much as she loved him.

It occurred to her that glaring at the door wasn’t going to make it open. She stamped her foot in annoyance, her emotions turning from uncertainty to anger. It wasn’t fair as she really wanted to spend the rest of her life with him like Felissa got to do with her guys.

Then the anger turned to despair, and turning on her heel in case he suddenly opened the door and saw her crying, she moved swiftly away, ignoring the elevator for the stairs as she made her way out.

Epilogue

Eight weeks later

Lissa climbed the stairs to her apartment sluggishly. She was unhappy. Matt had hardly contacted her in the last few weeks. There were a few phone calls, well, several times a week, but all he seemed to do was query a point or two about the story. He asked if she was well but didn’t refer to the wonderful sex they had had. Yes, he brought some flowers around to say “thank you,” but he hadn’t made any attempt to touch her—maybe because his cousin was present. Then there was one dinner at Christmas that Gina insisted he come to. He came bearing presents including a sexy baby doll nightie which gave her hope and he seemed all sweetness and light, but still no touching.

Not even a kiss.

He’d been working on edits, according to Gina, who was equally annoyed and had gone around there to berate him. All she said when she returned was that he was being his usual distracted writing self. In fact, she was unusually reticent.

She thought she meant more to him than someone who just helped him with his book. Clearly she was wrong. She had helped him finish his damned story, and that was all he needed.
Men!
She wanted nothing more to do with them now.

Another reason she was unhappy was because it was Champagne Friday and the girls were going to be at her apartment. It wasn’t that she didn’t like being with them normally, but she wasn’t good company so had put off returning home.

The third reason she was unhappy was the book they were going to be reading was Matt’s book, just out as an e-book today. She really, really didn’t want to be reminded of the wonderful time she had had with him.

She choked back a sob rising in her throat. She wasn’t going to cry any more over him,
she declared as she steeled herself to meet the girls with a deep breath and gritting of her teeth.

Lethargically opening the door, she was greeted with, “Here she is at last!”

Slightly stunned by the enthusiastic welcome, she came to a halt, eyeing the girls. “Hi there. You should have started without me. Do begin. I won’t be a moment.” She had hoped to slide in unobtrusively, but clearly it wouldn’t work now.

“She doesn’t look excited.”

“I’d have thought she’d be jumping around in delight,” came another comment.

“I have a feeling she hasn’t read it yet,” stated Rebecca, looking around at the others. Despite her sarcastic tone, she was grinning. Lissa started to become suspicious. All the girls were looking thrilled.

“What’s going on? Have I missed someone’s birthday or something? Or have you all been having too much champagne already?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Or something is right.”

She stood in the doorway to the lounge waiting to find out what the “or something” was. Nobody volunteered. “Well, somebody tell me.” They all laughed at the same time. She started to get very annoyed and turned to leave. She’d go to the café on the corner and wait until they all left.

Gina flew to her feet, grabbing hold of her arm before she got to the door. “Oh no you don’t. Stand just there.” She moved Lissa, actually manhandled her, to stand with her back to the bedrooms facing into the lounge. It was an odd position as Kat and Jessie on the sofa had to twist their heads to see her.

“Okay, I am truly concerned about you lot. What’s happening?” She wanted to move away, but Gina wouldn’t let her.

“Something’s happening all right.” That got some more giggles.

“Shh!” That was from Gina to the girls. “Here.” She thrust a printed-off version of Matt’s new book into Lissa’s hands.

She stared at the cover.
Captured
in
Space
by Matt Mitchell. The cover had a beautiful girl with shoulder-length red-blonde hair wearing trousers and a top. The top was torn, revealing a shoulder and upper part of a breast. She was running away from a tall, hunky, dark-haired man, himself just leaving a spaceship, sprinting in her direction, with a fair-haired man in the entrance. Not bad, she thought, although the torn shirt was a bit obvious. If she didn’t know the author or what the story was about, it would attract her interest—and that was the point of Matt asking for her help in the first place.

Continuing to study the front cover, she stood still. She didn’t need to read the last page as she knew the story intimately and didn’t want to see any photo of Matt.

“Oh for God’s sake, Lis—read it.” That came from Ellie.

With a sigh, she flicked through the few pages and started to read it as per their usual style when reading books at their champagne evenings when they would take turns reading selected scenes.

“Garin leaned negligently against the white-washed wall, studying the beautiful blonde girl coming out of the shop opposite. He was sure this was the person he sought—the person he had been paid to recover. Bounty-hunting was his profession. He suddenly stood upright, his body tensing as a man came up and talked to the girl. This was his woman, and he didn’t want another person taking what was his…”

“
No
!” all women shouted at her simultaneously.

Lissa staggered back a step at the wall of sound. “I thought you wanted me to read it? That’s why you gave it to me,” she declared angrily. She was irate too at herself for having given in and returned home when she really didn’t want to be there.

Gina stood up and went over to her. “No, you goose. We mean read this bit.” She took the manuscript from Lissa’s stiff hands and turned back a couple of pages and returned it to her hands.

She didn’t look down yet. Instead, she frowned at the sea of expectant faces all regarding her with extreme interest. “What
is
going on? I don’t trust you lot anymore. You’re all in cahoots about something.”

“You’d be right there!”

“Read it.”

“I’m going to die before she gets to it,” cried Kat in mock despair.

“Read what exactly?” Lissa responded in frustration.

“The page in your hands!”

She looked down finally. It was the dedication page.

To Lissa. My Love, My Life, My Friend, My Partner. You have provided me with friendship, love, and support in equal measures. You challenge me and inspire me. Without you this book wouldn’t exist. Without you I am nothing. Marry me?

Lissa screamed—loudly and lastingly—the manuscript falling from her hands. When she finally finished, she took a deep breath and looked up. The girls were all hugging or jumping up and down. She went to say something but couldn’t. Not only was her mouth dry, her brain was a muddle of incoherent thoughts.

A door opened behind her. She swung round. It was Matt. He looked pensive. “I heard the scream.” He looked pointedly down at the pages littering the carpet. “I take it from the pile on the floor that you’ve read the dedication.”

She nodded as she felt her eyes misting over. Her gorgeous Matt was standing in front of her, nervously wiping his hands down his trousers.

“So how about it? Will you marry me? Please. I can’t write without you. I can’t live without you.” He went down on one knee.

Looking at his intent expression, tears started to fall down her face. There were more screams—this time from the women. Lissa studied the face of the man she adored, who was looking very anxious indeed.

Wiping a hand over her wet face, she smiled slowly, looking back over her shoulder at the excited girls. Her voice was husky with emotion. “What do you reckon? Shall I accept him?”

“
Yes,
” came the immediate answer loudly—very loudly.

When she looked back, he grinned. “Of course, I could kidnap you like Garin did and make mad, passionate love to you until you agree,” he suggested.

“
Do
that
.” That was the girls again.

Lissa’s smile got even broader. “I rather like the sound of that,” she teased. Then she squealed when Matt suddenly stood up, put his shoulder to her waist, and hoisted her up, patting her behind as he stood. The girls erupted with laughter and yells.

“Oh my God, I am so phoning Sam,” cried Jessie, rummaging urgently in her bag for her phone.

Matt moved toward the front door. “Since I don’t have a fellow bounty hunter to help me, this will have to do. Ladies, I bid you farewell. I repair to my trusty spaceship with my captive to chain her to my bed forever.”

As he started to leave the room, Lissa looked up, grinned broadly, and waved good-bye to the giggling women. She was a very happy bunny. Her man really did love her, and she could spend all her life helping him create his stories. As they left she wondered what his next book was going to be about…

THE END

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