Unmatchable (17 page)

I hold my palms up to her. “I was willing to surrender a long time ago. Whatever you want to watch.”

She flips through about fifty channels before settling on a documentary about Jerusalem. It's a tedious watch, but I'm more interested in her than what's on TV anyway.

As I'm taking a bite of pizza, a pepperoni falls and leaves a saucy trail down the front of my shirt. I scowl at it and curse internally. It's definitely one of those nights where if it can go wrong, it has.

I try delicately wiping the sauce off with a napkin, but that only presses it deeper into the fabric. Frustrated, I decide to set my plate down and take my shirt off. I pull it over my head and toss it aside. When I look back over at Ember to put my arm on the back of the sofa behind her, she's staring at me. Not at me, per se, but blatantly at my naked torso.

There's a glimmer of desire behind her eyes. The second I see it, she averts her gaze, redirecting her attention to the television. I can tell she's not concentrating on it anymore, though.

A smirk plays across my lips, but I try to temper it. Now's the time to strike. She stopped eating a while ago. And I can think of something far more fun for us to do than watching a boring documentary.

I slide my hand across the back of the sofa and twirl my index finger around a strand of her hair. Then I scoot a little closer. Her body tenses beside me, and I hear her take a sharp inhale of breath. She fidgets with her fingers on her lap, keeping her eyes glued to the screen.

I rub my nose against her cheek before giving it a gentle kiss. Then I brush her hair back over her ear and work my way towards her neck. Her skin is soft beneath my lips.

“
I missed you,” I whisper.

“
I can see that,” her voice is a bit strained.

“
Did you miss me at all?”

“
Maybe just a little.” She tilts her head to the side to get away from me. “Your breath on my neck tickles.”

“
I'm sorry.”

I slip my arms beneath her and pull her onto my lap. She gasps, looking at me with wide eyes. She's practically weightless. Easy to move. It would take little effort to pick her up and steal her away to my bedroom. Would she struggle? I wonder.

“
What's this all about?” She hooks an arm around my neck as if she expects me to stand.

“
I wanted you to be closer.” I place a chaste kiss on her lips, curious about if she can feel my cock quickly hardening beneath her.

“
I was already close.” She looks down at me.

“
And now, you're closer. But we could be closer still.” I nip at her bottom lip.

To my surprise, Ember grabs my face with both hands and deepens the kiss. She closes her eyes as she kisses me, her lips moving over mine. I return the heat, a moan escaping my throat as I taste her. My tongue presses at the seam of her lips, and she opens her mouth for me, letting me inside. The kiss is deep and needy and full of passion.

It's time. She's giving me permission.

I put her arm around my neck to good use by standing. She clutches onto me while I carry her to the bedroom. All the while, her eyes never leave mine. She looks timid but ready. Oh so sexy. I can't wait to be inside of her.

When we get to the bedroom, I lay her down gently. She unfolds onto the bed like a piece of paper being unrolled. I waste no time climbing on top of her, covering her body with mine.

She presses both palms against my chest but doesn't push me away. As I kiss her, her hands begin to wander. Every touch and caress takes me closer to that place of no return. I like the way her hands feel on my body. They're clumsy but unabashedly curious.

She cranes her neck as I kiss her throat, lavishing my tongue over her flawless pale skin. My fingers reach the collar of her blouse, and I begin unfastening the buttons. Ember wraps her arms around me, holding me to her but also allowing me free reign to do as I please.

My mouth moves lower, and I swirl my tongue into the hollow of her throat before tracing the blade across her collarbone while I peel back her shirt and jacket. It's too much clothing. Way too much clothing, but I worry that if I ask her to take the jacket off, she might just cover up again. The art of seducing her is a delicate one. One wrong stroke can ruin the whole thing. I know that. She's lost somewhere between fear and desire, wanting this but scared of what it will mean. I've read enough about sexual abuse to know that much.

I push her blouse and jacket aside. When I look down the length of her body, my dick twitches in approval. My God, she's beautiful.

I grab the cups of her lacy white bra and pull them down, causing her breasts to spill out. I waste no time taking one of her nipples into my mouth and sucking fervently. Her hand slips into my hair, and she lets out the most delicious whimper. My cock strains against my jeans, and I press it against her leg so that she can feel my arousal—so that I can feel the friction. I yearn to be touched by her. Yearn to feel her wet folds around me. Lord knows she's got to be tight. Maybe even painfully so. But I'm ready for it. I've been ready for it since the moment I first laid eyes on her.

I circle her nipple with my tongue, feeling it harden beneath the heat of my mouth. My hand cups her breast, gently kneading it and tweaking her nipple while my mouth continues to work on the other one. I draw it between my teeth, gently crushing the sensitive nerve endings until her breath hitches and her back arches. When she pushes her groin up into me, I think I'm going to lose it. Holy fuck, she's so hot.

Unable to control myself, I kiss a quick path down her body before hurriedly working to unbutton her jeans. My hands move with desperation to pull her jeans and underwear over her ass in one fell swoop. She watches me with a lusty gaze that only spurs me on. If I stare at them for too long, she could probably do me in with just her eyes. I have a different agenda, though.

I pull her white pumps off and toss them onto my bedroom floor. Then I tug her jeans and underwear off the rest of the way. As soon as that's done, I hike one of her legs up over my shoulder and kiss down her inner thigh. Down. Down. Down to her sex.

I glance up at Ember a final time, silently asking for permission. She drags her tongue across her bottom lip. If there's any resistance in her expression, I do not see it. All I see is desire. Years of sexual repression waiting to be obliterated by my touch.

I slick my tongue between her folds, tasting her sweet wetness. She groans and closes her eyes, tilting her head to the side. The tip of my tongue dances around her erect nub, flicking it back and forth before I suck it into my mouth. Her body shifts and her fingers tighten in my hair. I suck fervidly, adjusting the pressure in accordance with the writhing of her body.

My index finger presses against her moist opening. She spreads her legs a bit wider for me, and I take the invitation, probing inside. I'm gentle at first, working my finger back and forth while I lick and suck on her clit. When her breathing picks up, so does my intensity. It doesn't take long before she gasps and her pussy clamps around me while contractions thrum beneath my tongue. My eyes stay locked on her face, watching her orgasm play out—her closed eyes and slightly parted lips. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

“
Oh Colton,” she breaths out my name, and I know I'm a goner—can't take this anymore. I have to be inside of her or else I'll be doomed to get blue balls.

Once her climax has subsided, I kneel between her legs and start unbuckling my belt. It takes Ember a minute to realize what I'm doing, but when she does, clarity returns to her eyes and she shoots straight up into a sitting position.

She places her hand on top of mine, stopping me from pulling my belt off. I gaze down at her as she bites her bottom lip, looking uncertain for the first time all night.

I wait for her to speak, but she doesn't. Her grip loosens on my hand, and she drags her nails over the back of it before reaching my cock. I shudder as she rubs me over my jeans, feeling my full length. There's no doubt in my mind that there's going to be a wet stain where my tip is whenever I pull my pants down. Just pleasuring her has got my testosterone pumping on overdrive. I'm so ready to fuck that I'm not sure I've ever been this ready before.

“
It feels big,” she whispers, her eyes glued to my dick.

“
You know it is.” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

“
I'm kind of scared.”

“
I know you are. I promise I'll be gentle.”

“
What if I'm not ready?” She looks up at me.

“
If you're not ready, then we wait.” I cup her cheek.

She shakes her head, seeming disappointed. “I don't think I'm ready yet.”

Inside, her words kill me. I refuse to let my hormones rule me though. Ember is precious to me, and I won't hurt her because of my own selfish needs.

“
That's fine.” I sit back on my calves.

“
I'm sorry.”

“
You have nothing to be sorry for. If you're not ready, then you're not ready. I'll wait however long it takes. I want you to be completely comfortable being with me.”

She smiles softly. “You're a good man, Colton Larsen. Far better than I gave you credit for.”

I crawl onto the bed beside her and draw her into my arms. She pushes her breasts back into her bra and clutches my forearm to her chest. My erection is pressed against her ass, and I quickly realize that it's not going anywhere. The lust raging inside of me is almost painful. This has been the greatest test of my inner strength. If she were anyone else, I probably would have pressured her into sex. It's not that difficult with most women.

She's different, though. My feelings for her are different. And the second I realize that, I know I'm in trouble.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EMBER

The alarm on my phone wakes me from a too deep sleep at 6 AM. For a moment, I forget where I am, groping around in the darkness. When I try to move, there's an arm around me cementing me in place.

Colton groans to life beside me, rolling onto his back and releasing me so that I can find my phone and shut the damn thing off. Once I have it silenced, I let out a long sigh. Did I really fall asleep in Colton's bed half naked?

I had planned to get up after about thirty minutes of lying with him and go home. That obviously didn't happen. I guess I was too exhausted from the amazing orgasm he had given me. Just thinking about it makes my cheeks grow warm.

I roll over and face him. My vision quickly adjusts to the darkness. He's rubbing the sleep from his eyes, looking adorable and delicious. Ogling the definition in his arms makes me immediately start longing for his touch.

“
Good morning, Princess,” his voice is groggy.

“
Sorry I fell asleep here last night.”

He arches an eyebrow at me. “I'm not.”

“
You're not?”

“
No. I like you in my bed.” He yawns loudly, stretching his arms out. Then he sneakily wraps them around me to pull me to him. It's endearing, and it makes me smile brighter than the sun.

“
I have to go home and get ready for work. I'm going to be late.” I stroke his forearm.

“
So be late.” He nuzzles his face in my hair.

I gently try to pry his arm off of me, but he doesn't budge. “I need to go.”

“
No.” He pouts.

“
No?” I turn my head to glance at him.

“
No,” he says again, pressing his full body against me. When I feel his erection on my ass, my clit pulses.

“
I don't want to get in trouble, Colton.”

“
You keep forgetting that I own the company you work for. You're not going to get in trouble.”

I didn't forget it. It's something that's always looming over my head. There's a silent fear that if things end with us, so will his compassion. I try not to give much thought to it though. We're already in so deep that whatever is going to happen will happen. I was close to losing my job once already. I won't let the fear of losing it again control me. At least, that's one fear that has no power over me.

“
So does that mean you're going to hold me hostage?” I let out a short laugh.

“
Yes. Yes, it does.” He kisses my neck.

“
Someone seems a little frisky this morning.” I crane my head for him, enjoying the affection.

“
You have no idea. And are you feeling frisky this morning, Miss Washington?” he purrs.

“
You'll never know,” I tease.

“
Oh, won't I?” His hand unabashedly gropes my chest, sliding right down the front of my bra. I blush at his boldness, knowing that my nipples are already pebbles under the rough fabric.

“
That's cheating,” I whisper.

“
I don't always play fair.” He removes his hand from my bra and turns me over onto my back.

My heart is already racing from the intimacy between us. In the span of a few seconds, my body is revved up like it was last night all over again. A desperate part of me wants him, but there's still that lingering fear of losing him.

I know I have to let it go. Even though he says he'll wait as long as it takes, he won't wait forever. And my reluctance might cause me to lose him just as easily as me giving in could. It's a gamble, and I have to decide which side to bet on.

“
You've always played fair with me.” I gaze up into his eyes.

“
Have I?” He grins. “It probably wasn't very fair of me to talk to you on the dating site incognito.”

“
Maybe not.” I consider his words. “But I'm happy about where it led us.”

“
I am too.” He bends to kiss me, his lips softly grazing over mine before he rubs our noses together in an Eskimo kiss.

Pleasant emotions encapsulate me. At this moment, all I can see is the good—the promise of what we could be. He has never hidden that we're together. I'd even venture to say that we're a couple. The natural progression of things would be to...

I throw caution to the wind and kiss him with unbridled passion, taking his face into my hands and just letting myself go. The urgency of my mouth against his seems to shock Colton a bit, but it's not long before he matches my fervor. I seek out his tongue, exploring the slick cavern of his mouth as I reach to grope him over his jeans.

“
Shit, Ember. You're going to make me lose control,” he growls against my lips, his voice all lust.

“
Then lose control.”

It's all the invitation he needs. It feels like there's a drum in my chest as I watch him pull his cock out of his pants and slide a condom down his length. He doesn't even unbuckle his belt, perhaps worried that I'll change my mind. I would be lying if I said the thought wasn't there. But I know deep down inside that I want this. That I need this if I'm ever going to fully recover from what was done to me as a teenager. I just hope I'm not making a big mistake. But there's only one way to find out.

My body is on fire as he crawls between my legs and I hook my thighs around his hips. He bores into me with an intensity I haven't seen before. No man has ever looked at me the way he's looking at me right now. It makes my pulse quicken and my heart feel warm with affection for him.

“
Are you sure this is okay?” he asks, checking me for any sign of reluctance.

The fact that he was considerate enough to give me this chance to back out only increases my desire for him. A team of wild horses couldn't drag me out of his bed right now. This is exactly where I want to be. With him. Doing this.

“
I'm ready,” I tell him.

He closes his eyes and exhales. Then he grabs his cock and guides it to my entryway. My breath hitches as I feel his glans nudge between my pussy lips. The reality of this surreal moment is not lost on me. I'm about to give myself to a man voluntarily for the first time ever. I'm baring my body and heart and soul to him right now. Making myself more vulnerable in every sense of the word than I've allowed myself to be in years.

The seconds feel like hours as he hovers over me, pressing gently forward to make sure our bodies are perfectly aligned.

Colton opens his eyes, and he pushes into me. My breath hitches and my back arches off of the bed. Not because it hurts, but because it feels absolutely incredible.

There's a release inside of me on so many levels. It's like someone has turned on a switch and illuminated all of the parts of me that I've kept locked away for so long. The part that knew sex could be enjoyable but didn't believe it because of past experiences. The part that has so desperately wanted to crave a man the way that I crave Colton. The part that's not afraid to enjoy the pleasures of the human body.

Colton takes my hands and holds them over my head before clasping our fingers together. He moves in and out of me with a slow, steady rhythm, being far more gentle than I ever thought he could be. He's tempering his aggression—making love to me instead of fucking me senseless—savoring every sensation.

I let my head fall to the side and my eyes close, licking my lips and drowning in the feeling of having him inside of me. I'm not sure if anything has ever felt this good before—this right.

While lovemaking is romantic, a devious part of me desires something darker. I wrap my arms around his neck and moan as I press my chest up against him. Then my nails trail down his body to his ass, and I squeeze my legs around him, bringing him as deeply into me as he'll go.

“
Fuck,” Colton curses against my neck.

“
Me,” I purr into his ear in my most seductive tone.

“
Do you have any idea what you're asking me?” His body stills for a moment.

“
I'll let you know if I can't handle it.”

His lips press into a smirk, and he sits up to take off his pants. I lie there patiently, watching him strip down naked before he crawls back between my thighs.

I gasp and giggle as he grabs one of my legs and pulls it up against his chest, splaying my thighs wide. He straddles my other leg and moves forward. All the while, my eyes rake up and down his gorgeous naked body. He couldn't be more perfect if he were carved from stone. The hard plane of his chest. The rippling muscles of his abs. His bulging biceps and thick cock. It feels like I'm having sex with a God.

When he slides inside of me this time, the feeling is different. It's not long before he has me crying out so loudly that I worry all of Houston might hear me. He knows exactly how to maneuver my body to hit all of my sweet spots.

When he turns me onto my side and presses into me, I shatter all over his cock. The pressure of his thick meat sandwiched between my pussy lips is more than I can take.

“
Oh my God,” I not so silently praise the heavens as I grasp for anything that can ground me. The contractions wrecking me are so intense that I see stars.

“
Fuck, you feel so good.” He pumps into me with carnal ferocity, the friction of it elongating my orgasm.

It takes me a minute to realize he's going for the home stretch. I keep my eyes locked on his as he thrusts until his own body gives way. When his cock starts to spurt into me, I can feel it growing and twitching. It's the sexiest thing ever.

Exhausted from all of the exertion, he lays on top of me for several minutes. I stroke his hair and stare up at the ceiling. Now that the sex is over, and the afterglow is fading, I'm becoming lost inside of my head again.

I allowed Colton to break down my walls—all of them—and that can be a dangerous thing. He now has the power to hurt me at a near-irreparable level. Giving myself to him intimately has emotionally linked us in a way that will change me forever. Can I trust him with my heart, or did I just make one of the biggest mistakes of my life?

***

All of my fears that Colton was going to drop me as soon as we had sex are entirely unmerited. By the following day, he's blowing up my phone with all of the perverted text messages that I'm used to receiving from him. If anything, having sex with him seems to have made him want me even more.

Now that I've been moved into the call center room with the other peons, privacy is a luxury I don't have. My days of sitting in my cushy office texting between appointments are over. Not to mention the fact that I'm a lot busier now that Colton's new chat system has been implemented. There isn't much downtime between chats. Usually only a minute or two. Sometimes fifteen minutes, when I'm lucky. It doesn't give me much time to respond to all of Colton's dirty text messages. Still, I do my best to stay engaged with him throughout the day whenever I get the chance.

Colton: You were just using me for sex, weren't you?

Ember: What in the hell?

Colton: Now that we've bumped uglies, you don't talk to me anymore.

Ember: LOL Bumped uglies?

Colton: Now that we've buried the bone. Hit the skins. Roasted the broomstick.

When I read that one, I laugh so hard that everyone in the call center room looks at me. Then I almost get my phone taken away. For the remainder of our chats, I have to sneak off to the bathroom. The call center manager probably thinks I have a bladder infection.

Ember: Where do you come up with this crap? You almost got me in trouble, you know.

Colton: While I'd love to take the credit, I can't. The internet is a wondrous thing. How did I almost get you in trouble? Did someone catch you masturbating to thoughts of me in the little girl's room?

Ember: You'd enjoy that entirely too much. And no. Lloyd threatened to take my cell phone away for texting you.

Colton: It looks like I'm going to have to have a talk with Lloyd. >:-(

Ember: Don't make things worse than they already are. I'm fairly certain that everyone in this office hates me because I'm making more money than they are.

Colton: Did I cause that many problems for you?

I sigh. In truth, I'm grateful that he found a place for me in the company. I shouldn't be complaining at all.

Ember: No. It's fine. I just need to get used to all of this.

Colton: So when do I get to see you? I want to play hide the bishop again.

I roll my eyes.

Ember: I'm sure that's all you want.

Colton: You wound me. What will it take to prove my affection for you?

I can't tell if he's serious or joking, but hearing him say that does make me feel guilty. Still, there's no doubt in my mind that when we see each other we'll have sex again, and I'm still sore from last time.