HIS By Design -Coveting Claire

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2015 by Lily Publishing and Helen
Karol

Cover Design by Rachel A Olson

www.nosweatgraphics.weebly.com

This is a work of fiction. 
Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are
either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a
fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living
or dead, or actual events is purely
coincidental. 
 
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED:
 
This
literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, or than small extracts for review and promotion,
including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in
part, without express written permission.

When they reached his car, she turned to face
him. She leaned against the solid metal for support, suddenly
cautious of where they might be headed. In her confusion, she
grasped at a safe way out.  "I could always stay at a hotel if
it's too much trouble."

He looked down at her and she heard him let
out a long breath. He emanated a low passion – a passion she wasn’t
sure she should attribute to annoyance or desire. Taking her by the
shoulders, he turned her swiftly so she was facing the car, her
back to him. Unsure of his intentions, she gasped in shock when he
applied a couple of swift, sharp swats to her backside. One to each
vulnerable buttock. The short spanking was so close to her earlier
thoughts, she clutched her rear in a mixture of indignation and hot
desire.

Leaning the front of her body against the car
for support, she wondered how he expected her to respond to his
spanking of her. No doubt it was feminist etiquette to object
haughtily, but her desire won out. Rubbing her bottom, she turned
her head to look at him. To her mortification she was unable to
keep the revealing, breathy huskiness out of her voice. “What was
that for?”

Leaning in with his hand on the car roof, he
seemed to tower over her. She felt his ragged breath hot on her
neck. The disciplinary tone in his voice aroused her even more as
he chided her in a sensual reprimand. “Hmm. Let’s see. Where should
I start? How about not telling me you were arriving a day early
when you have nowhere to stay. I might have been out of town.”

“Oh.” The sense in his observation made her
blush.

“Not to mention insulting my hospitality.” He
moved closer to her so she was only just aware of his hard arousal.
She heard his low growl in her ear. “Move your hands.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Gulping, Claire dropped her hands
obediently.

Crack
. This time the smack was harder.
Claire found herself whimpering a little as he punctuated each word
of his reprimand with a hot blow of his palm to her heated flesh.
“You…
Smack
…hate…
Smack
…hotels.”
Smack
. In
contrast to the punishment, his next words were offered in a
soothing, intimate tone that caressed her ear. “Don’t you.
Claire?”

She emitted a little sob in agreement.
“Yes”

“Alright, so no more foolishness about
staying in one.”

Opening the car door, he helped her into the
vehicle. Claire attempted to offer a dignified response, but could
only summon up a petulant harrumphing sound mixed with a
treacherous moan as she sunk into the leather of the car seat. She
felt her pelvis clench and a warm glow pulse through her as contact
with the supple seat caused the heat of his smacks to flow
insidiously across her tender flesh.

As Julian entered on his side of the car, she
rallied enough to throw him a quelling look. Tossing her head in a
very feminine gesture, she told him saucily. “I’ll thank you to
treat me with a little more respect.  You might've known me
since I was practically a teenager, but that doesn’t mean you can
treat me like a kid. I am now a sophisticated, mature woman, in
case you hadn't noticed."

Julian laughed richly. Why had she never
noticed the sensual sound of his laughter before? He looked across
at her deliberately, a smile flitting across his lips, an
unmistakable inflection in his voice.  "Oh, I noticed."

Claire nuzzled deeper into her lover’s hard,
masculine chest. She was just drifting into sleep when she felt his
touch on her shoulder. She shifted slightly onto her back murmuring
sensuously, inviting him to explore further.

Instead, he seemed preoccupied with shaking
her.

She murmured her protest, but he just kept
shaking. Okay, his forcefulness in bed was usually pretty hot, but
- hell - this was just annoying.

"Claire." He shook her harder. "Claire! The
food’s coming round."

"What! Oh!" Claire sat up, suddenly aware of
her surroundings.

Rather than the searing sapphire blue eyes of
Richard, she looked dazedly into the thick glasses of her
colleague, Aidan Carmichael. The expression on his face told her
that she’d been far from discreet in her sleep and she cursed the
previously unforeseen erotic depths her lover - correction - her
ex-lover had unleashed in her.

"Sorry," she mumbled embarrassedly. Damn why
couldn't she have been sitting next to a stranger? It would still
be embarrassing, but not nearly as bad as looking at the pitying
eyes of one of the firm's auditors who was well aware of the
history of her past relationship.

"No worries, these seats are pretty comfy.
Easy to get into a deep sleep in them."

Claire smiled gratefully at the agreeable guy
she knew from a few work outings and a couple of mutual friends.
When they found out they were both booked in Business Class on
their flight to Los Angeles, it seemed rude not to sit
together.

She accepted the tray handed to her, grateful
that the process of eating occupied them both. This was one fallout
from her break-up with Richard she didn’t expect. Although, it
wasn’t surprising given the tempestuous nature of their
relationship. It had been fireworks from start to finish. The
finish still upset her. No matter how often she went over it in her
head, she hated the way they parted. Maybe if she’d put things
differently. Made some concessions? Her mind was still plagued by
that last confrontation. It was the only way to describe it.

“I can’t believe it! You’re really taking the
job? Running on home, playing it safe with the firm instead of
moving in with me and taking a chance on our own magazine?”

“Richard, it’s not that simple. I’m not
ruling it out. It’s just that it’s too much too soon. I need space.
Time to think. This new job will give us that.”

“
Us
? It won’t give
us
anything.
You take that job and they’ll be no us. I mean it Claire!”

So far, she’d every indication to believe he
did mean it. Almost a week later and he hadn’t even texted her. He
changed his photo assignments to other writers and he made no
attempt to even say goodbye. Claire had spent the nights since in
tears plagued with erotic dreams. It took all her willpower not to
call him. She was too wary of being swayed if she saw him again.
She had to stand by her decision not to give into emotional
blackmail.

Aidan’s cheery tone broke into her reverie.
“So L.A.’s the final stop for you. Another twelve hours for
me."

"Yuck." Claire sympathized. "Where are you
going, again?"

"Brazil. The firm is thinking of acquiring a
radio station down there and wants me to check out the
finances."

"Really - a radio station - makes sense. I'm
so print centric, I forget the magazine is only a small part of the
Choices
Conglomerate.”

"Yeah! But the most profitable part. That's
why they're branching out to
Choices LA.
Capitalizing on the
brand."

"Mmm." Claire agreed.

"Looking forward to going home?"

Claire turned enthusiastically towards him,
her embarrassment and misery temporarily forgotten in the prospect
of home and her new future. "You know what? I am! I love New York
but I miss L.A. I miss my friends, my apartment, the ocean. I'm up
for the new challenge. Just think - me - the senior writer at
Choices LA
.! 'Course, they’re only three of us altogether,
but still."

"Ah, but you mustn't forget the frosty
Stella. Now that’s a challenge I don't envy!"

"God, yes. But, still, she is pretty good at
her job. She’s one of the best editors at
Choices
."

“Is someone meeting you at the airport?”

"No. I did have a friend coming to meet my
original flight tomorrow, but I decided not to tell him so I can
surprise him."

“Hope he likes surprises.”

Claire suddenly felt a bit apprehensive at
Aidan’s tone. She hadn’t really thought about it clearly, just
decided on the spur of the moment to take the earlier flight. After
her call to Julian, the need to be back in L.A. with him, her best
friend, had overwhelmed her. The sound of his voice just seemed to
steady her and she was suddenly sure being with him would make
everything right. Now it seemed faintly foolish. No. He always made
her feel better. She was sure this time would be no exception.

“I’m sure he’ll just be glad to see me.”
Claire wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince, Aidan or
herself.

The seat belt sign went on and neither spoke
further, focusing instead on the process of landing and
disembarking. Both seasoned business travelers, they only had hand
luggage and were soon out in the arrivals terminal dodging the
crowds.

Claire looked around for the cab exits. She
wanted to try and catch Julian at the studio before he left for
dinner. Grimacing at the paparazzi crushing around some unfortunate
celebrity, she was doubly glad she’d decided to come a day early
and surprise Julian. The media still pursued him from time to time
because of Susanna. She was such a megastar and their union had so
captured the public’s romantic imagination that even seven years
after her death it was still of interest. Fighting a crowd was not
the setting she envisioned for their reunion. She wanted him to
herself.

"Right! Let's get you a cab."

With Aidan’s help she pushed her way through
the crowded airport and clambered into the vehicle.  Thanking
him, she waved as he weaved his way back into the airport. After
informing the driver of her Santa Monica destination, she leaned
back gazing out into the fast dimming light.

***

A few miles away, in a Santa Monica office
building, Julian West looked up from his sketches to gaze
unseeingly into that same dimming light.  Sighing, he passed a
hand through his dark, unruly waves that even the most geometric of
hairstyles failed to control.  He leaned back and squinted at
one of the drawings and then held it up to the overhead light. He
tossed it down, shaking his head. It didn't look any better from
either perspective. Pushing back his chair, he rose and began
wandering aimlessly around the room.  He caressed a few of the
fabrics lying in bales on one of the worktables and circled the
headless mannequin draped with one of his designs, pretending he
was searching for a way to improve it.

Three years. Was it really that long?

He felt again the churning in his gut when,
from the safe distance of his cell, he’d listened to her animated
voice as she informed him excitedly that she’d be arriving March
31st.  

Distance. From the first moment the
knowledge of his growing love emerged, distance became his ally.
 But today was March 30
^th
. Tomorrow the distance
would close in on him and he was no longer sure if it was friend or
foe. Tomorrow she would be here expecting to fall back into the
intimacy and security of the close friendship they’d built over the
years. Back to the easy camaraderie of shared meals, movie nights,
walks on the beach. To slip back into the easy attendance of the
galas, charity events and benefits that their mutual, undemanding
escort made so easy.