Taming Blake (A New Adult Romance): The Complete Trilogy (32 page)

“How do you mean?” he asked, puzzled.

“Well,” I continued, aware of just how corny what I was about to say next was, “I guess I was always more what you might call ‘studious’ rather than popular, and I didn’t really mess around that much with boys before I went to college … Well, all the popular girls, they’d always be talking in the locker room of nights when they’d been taken up to the bleachers by guys after school. And … I never had that experience.”

“I don’t believe it,” he grinned back. “You’re telling me you weren’t Queen Bee of this place?!”

I laughed and shook my head.

“No, but I’m guessing things were very different for you, right?” I said.

“Actually,” Blake said, his face falling serious for a moment, “you might be surprised.”

I wanted to ask him more — I realized that I still knew
so
little about his past, about how and where he’d grown up, what kind of a boy he’d been — but there was something about the intensity of his silence that kind of scared me a little, and I found myself unable to find the words.

“Well, I’m glad I can finally help make your fantasy a reality,” Blake continued after a pause, a playful new look in his eyes. “So what do you think they did when they got up here, those high school girls and boys? Did they fool around perhaps?”

I felt my pulse quicken, those grey eyes piercing me right to my center, that sensual mouth I’d kissed a thousand times curling into a suggestive smile, and even so, I felt as nervous and skittish as if I’d never been kissed.

“Maybe,” I whispered, closing my eyes, waiting expectantly.

And when I felt his lips touch softly against my own, I shivered — not from the cold but from how
right
this moment felt.

Oh Blake, I’ve missed you so much.

He pulled away and held my face in his hands for a moment, his eyes boring into mine as if to communicate just how much he’d missed me, too.

We smiled at each other.

“You know what?” he said. “I could kinda get used to small town life, if this is what it’s like.”

“Well,” I joked, “
I’m
not going anywhere. And the way you’ve worked your magic on them, I’m sure Mom would be over the moon if you decided to move into the spare room! In fact, I’m sure they’d even give up
their
bedroom for you, the way you charmed them both ...”

At this his smile grew wider and his eyebrows raised, as if he knew something I didn’t.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“When was the last time you checked your emails?”

“I don’t know …” I sighed, knowing that the truth of it was that I’d been completely avoiding my ‘real life’ — the life I’d left behind in New York — ever since I’d returned here. I’d not even turned my iPhone on. But why was he bringing that up
now
? Couldn’t we just have this perfect moment, without all that real world stuff and nonsense crashing back in, ruining everything? But Blake seemed weirdly insistent, as if he wouldn’t let this go.

“Why do you care?” I replied, honestly confused.

“Well,” he said, unable to keep the huge smile off his face. “Let’s just say that a little bird told me …”

Another pause. This was excruciating.

“What?!” I urged him, ready to grab him by the shoulders now and shake the information right out of him if he didn’t tell me soon.

“You got the job, Jessica!” he said excitedly, unable to keep it from me any longer. “You remember? The restaurant pitch? You got it!”

Ohmygod!

I felt stunned. I just didn’t know what to say. I knew Blake wasn’t the type to joke around like this, so he
had
to be telling the truth.

I’ve got the job! I’ve made it, and all on my own, too!

The excitement hit me in a rush and I threw my arms around him, kissing him hard once more, feeling the hot tears of relief rolling down my cheeks as I realized that everything I’d been telling myself these past weeks wasn’t true. I
wasn’t
a failure.

And as the news sunk in, I felt myself becoming more and more excited. I was going to go back to New York. I had a job. And here was Blake.

“Thank you,” I said.

“For what?” he whispered. “I was nothing to do with this, Jessica. You did this all on your own.”

“Thank you for coming to tell me,” I said. “For pulling me out of my self-imposed exile. It all seems a little silly now, how long I’ve spent hiding here ...”

Kissing him there on the bleachers, the snow falling all around us, our passion heating us up, I realized that there was something
else
I was excited about.

I ran my hands down his chest, feeling the taught hardness of his torso beneath that shirt, then further down, finding him hard and ready for me. But as I began tugging at his belt buckle, his hand gently closed over mine, stopping me.

“No, no, no! I promised I’d have you home for dinner,” he said with a cheeky grin.

§

I just couldn’t get to sleep that night. For one thing, I knew that in the morning I was to return to New York with Blake. And secondly? Well, it was the idea that Blake Matthews was in bed, right here in my
parent’s house
in the spare room.

I turned over onto my other side, my single bed suddenly feeling so small and constricting, my pink and grey checked flannel pajamas so silly and childish when my whole body was yearning now for this man who was
right here in the same house as me
, just down the hall …

It was too much.

I pushed off the covers, feeling my body tingle with anticipation as I slipped out of bed and tiptoed across the room, careful to avoid the creaking floorboard right in the middle that had always alerted my parents to the fact that I wasn’t asleep.

On the landing, I heard the soft sounds of their snores. Holding my breath, I tiptoed past their room and down the hall, feeling my heart begin to drum with every step that took me closer to the spare room, where Blake slept.

At the door to the room, I paused, taking a final deep breath before pushing it slowly open and peeking gingerly inside. Bathed in milky blue moonlight, I saw his unmistakable figure beneath the blankets on the creaky old single bed, and he was so still, I was unable to tell whether he was awake or asleep.

I didn’t dare speak to check, knowing my Mom’s super-human ability to somehow detect even the slightest late-night sound. So instead, I just tiptoed over, my body trembling with expectation as I reached Blake’s slumbering form, taking in the subtle beauty of his perfect features once more: his closed eyes, his parted lips.

I leant forward to kiss him, but just at that moment his eyes shot open. “You took your time,” he whispered, but I quickly put my finger to his lips to silence him, my eyes widening as I nodded towards the doorway, to indicate the fact that my mom and pop were sleeping just next door.

He seemed to get the message, falling silent once more. I leant in to kiss him, shivering with excitement at what we were about to do — another teenage fantasy finally fulfilled.

I slipped out of my PJ bottoms, letting them drop to the floor, then climbed gently on top of him, pausing for a moment, my heart hammering as the bed let out an almighty creak, then pulling the sheets tight around us.

It was then that I realized with another shiver of excitement that he was completely naked, too. 

I reached down between his legs to find him hard and hot, guiding him gently inside me, kissing him hard to stifle a gasp as he shifted his hips, filling me up, stretching me so wide.

And like that, he took me, so slow it was delicious, his hips barely moving as he slid himself in and out of me, the heady silence so erotic, just the faint shiver of my breath the only sound.

His eyes locked onto mine as he began to gently increase his thrusts, almost as if he
wanted
me to make a noise and despite myself I began to whimper, the pleasure building inside me.

One of his hands shifted between my legs, his thumb expertly brushing my clit in just the way to make me moan, and my eyes widened as I realized he seemed to be trying to make me break my silence.

But before I could make another sound, he moved his other hand to my mouth, muffling my moans as he worked me to orgasm, his thumb brushing my clit, his cock sliding in and out of me.

We came together like that, bathed in the moonlight, both of us shivering, Blake’s cock pulsing inside me, his hand pressed against my mouth.

And afterwards, although all I wanted to do was stay there with him, I couldn’t risk falling asleep and have Mom find us here in the morning, so instead I forced myself back out from underneath the sheets, pulling on my PJ’s as if nothing had happened, giving him a final, chaste silent little kiss, then turning and tiptoeing back out of the room, leaving him flushed, sweaty and grinning as I headed back down the hall, a naughty fulfilled smile on my lips ...

We set off early the next morning, after a surprisingly warm goodbye from my folks. I thought they’d be mad at me for going back to New York, especially so quickly, leaving Sylvia in the lurch, but now they’d been so charmed by Blake, it seemed as if they’d offer him the contents of the house and their whole life savings, as well as their only daughter, if he so much as asked.

Mom and Pop had always been kind of dubious about my career, like they didn’t really understand exactly what it was I did. But as soon as Blake explained how talented their daughter was, and what an important commission it was to design Max Hirschberg and Andy Weber’s latest restaurant, it seemed like they couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. They’d even packed us some sandwiches and a flask of coffee for the road! It seemed as if everyone Blake met fell just as quickly under his spell as I had done.

Soon we were on the highway. It was a nine hour drive back to New York, but I didn’t mind. And neither, it seemed, did Blake. I found it weird to see him actually
driving
, too, instead of lounging in the back of the car, letting Nathaniel do the work, the way he always did back in Manhattan.

Sitting there in the passenger seat, I couldn’t help myself; I had to let him know just how strange I thought he looked behind the wheel, like a regular guy. “It’s funny watching you drive,” I teased. “A little part of me suspected you couldn’t.”

I watched Blake’s right eyebrow raise, but he kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead as he spoke.

“Let’s just say I’m full of surprises,” he joked.

But even so, I found myself wondering ...

There it is again - that hint that perhaps I’ve not got him quite right.

Who are you, Blake?

Will I ever unravel this mystery?

“Anyway,” he continued, “nobody drives in New York unless they absolutely have to. You’d need to be a masochist to enjoy it. But the open road? That’s a different matter. You know, one of my favorite things to do is to get out of the city, take one of my cars out for a long drive through the countryside. But this is the first time in God-knows-how-long that I’ve actually had a chance to do it. A whole garage full of vintage roadsters, just sitting there, collecting dust. It’s criminal.

“Listen, Jessica, when we get back, I’m gonna take you out for a spin. We’ll take the ’61 Ferrari. It’s a beautiful car … a design classic, in fact. You’ll love it. We’ll drive out to Rhode Island … How about it? Just the two of us, doing something really
normal
together.”

I laughed at the thought. I couldn’t help myself.

“Yeah, really normal!” I teased again. “Just a regular
normal
day out in one of the world’s most expensive cars …”

We drove for a little while in silence, the road flashing past. It seemed as if we were the only two people on this huge stretch of highway, and pretty soon my thoughts had turned once more to the future, to what might happen when we got back to New York.

And it seemed as if Blake must have been thinking the exact same thing.

“Where do you want to go when you get back?” he asked rather cautiously. “Your apartment or mine?”

Am I really about to say this?

“Actually? About that,” I began, feeling the mood in the car change immediately, Blake becoming tense and silent as he waited for me to continue, his steely grey eyes fixed straight ahead. “Well, I was thinking. If I’m gonna do this, it has to be on
my
terms,” I explained. “All of it. And that includes where I live,
and
where I work. So, as soon as I get back, I’m going to start looking around for my own place.”

There was a long tense silence. Blake swallowed, then nodded to himself.

“I understand if you need to move out from the apartment. However, that office was my gift to you. And it’s going to stay that way. It’ll still be there for you, whenever you’re ready …”

It was so tempting. After all, the easiest thing in the world would be to go back to my old apartment, back to Gina, and not have to worry about finding a new place to live. But I’d already made up my mind. I
needed
to do this on my own, and I wasn’t about to let myself get into the same mess as last time …

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll think about it.”

Again the silence quickly enveloped us, just the steady purr of the Bentley’s engine, and the quiet hiss of its tires spinning against the asphalt.

But even though I’d made myself pretty clear, I had one more thing to spell out …

“Don’t worry,” I explained. “Everything I’ve just said doesn’t mean we can’t still
have some fun
.”

And to illustrate my point, I let my fingers stray across towards him, slipping into his lap, enjoying hearing the sharp intake of his breath as I began to massage his crotch.

“Just keep your eyes on the road and let me take care of this,” I whispered, hearing the faint tremble of excitement in my voice as I worked him gently, feeling that hot hard bulge grow and strain against his pants.

I slowly unzipped him, unbuckling his belt, freeing him — his cock springing up to greet me, thick and hard and flushed a deep, delicious pink.

I closed my eyes as I let my head fall slowly into his lap, taking him eagerly in my mouth.

“You’re incredible,” he murmured, as I began to slowly and sensuously suck him, knowing I had all the time in the world to enjoy him at my own pace, in my own way …

§

It was after six when Blake finally dropped me off at my old place. I expected Gina to either be out shopping or dining as usual, but instead I found her cross-legged, right there in the middle of the living room, surrounded by about a thousand multi-colored nail varnishes.

“Oh my god! Am I glad to see
you
!” she squealed, leaping to her feet when she saw me, her startling blue eyes wider than I’d ever seen them, her red hair thick and wild.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was glad to see her too, but I have to admit, there was something about her intensity that took me aback and I wondered if it was perhaps because I’d just spent nine hours alone in a car with Blake, or six weeks in the world’s quietest town before that. But either way, Gina seemed
full on
— way more intense than I remembered her. And I hoped everything was okay …

“Oh baby, baby, it’s
so
good to have you back,” she said into my neck, hugging me so tight that she squeezed all the air right out of me, her big breasts pressing against my own small chest. “You and I have got
so
much catching up to do! Where to start? Where to start? I’ve got so much to tell you! Let me think ...”

It was as if she just couldn’t stop talking — the words rushing unchecked from her full, glossy lips.

“Is everything okay?” I interrupted, at the first available opportunity.

“Of course!” she gushed. “Why in the hell wouldn’t it be? I mean, Julius and I broke up of course. But that’s old news. And anyway, I’m over that man-whore already! I’ve met someone else. And this isn’t just one guy! This is a whole new
group
of guys. I’ll have to introduce you to them. Such fun! But what about you? Tell me all about what you’ve been up to, baby. Oh my darling, it really is
so
good to see you. Did I tell you Julius and I broke up? That louse!”

She just kept rattling on and on, and I just couldn’t seem to find a moment to get a word in edge ways, let alone break the news that I’d be moving out of this place at the first opportunity.

I guess it can wait until the morning …

“Say, I’m beat,” I explained. “I’m gonna go to my room, unpack, maybe take a little nap,” I said, turning to head to my room.

“Sure thing, sweetie,” she said, plonking herself back down on the floorboards amongst the millions of nail varnishes once more. “But before you go, I don’t suppose you could help me find my red polish could you? I
swear
it’s here somewhere …”

I looked down at the sea of varnishes.

What is she talking about? Almost half of them are red …

“There’s lots of red ones …” I offered, hesitantly.

“Not the
right
red though!” she replied, her eyes shining wildly as she scanned her collection. “I’m looking for the
perfect
red.”

Just standing there looking at her, rooting through those colorful bottles, brimming with all that manic energy, made me feel tired, and again I turned to head to my room.

“I’ll catch you later,” I said.

“So great to have you back! So great!” she called after me, before turning her attention once again to the nail varnishes. “Now, where are you, you little bastard …”