Up in Flames (4 page)

“Is that so?” His gaze roamed over the sheet she had tucked between her breasts. “You’re definitely dangerous to my libido.”

Rachel was glad the bar covered him from the waist down, and was equally thankful she had thought to cover up her nudity with a sheet. The sudden vision of them fucking on the counter top came out of nowhere and renewed her arousal. Had she suddenly become a nymphomaniac?

“I have a hundred and ninety-seven employees working for me. I make it my business to know everything I need to know about them,” he continued.

Rachel knew about the background checks and the lie detector tests. What else was there? “So what do you know about me?” She took a bite of salad.

James swallowed a mouthful of food before responding. “Let’s see . . . I know you’re particular with the men you choose. You live in a nicely furnished condo with your younger sister. You love animals. And your bra size is 36-D.” He took a drink. “I know I like fucking you.”

Rachel felt a hot blush fill her cheeks. His blunt comment went straight to her tingling pussy. He didn’t mince words.

“You’re a very desirable woman, Rachel. I decided to make you mine a long time ago.”

“You certainly took your time,” she said, unable to ignore the fresh wetness between her thighs. She pretended to show interest in the chicken on her plate, but the silence stretching between them made her raise her gaze to his again.

“I can be patient when I want something worth waiting for.” He took a drink, his eyes remaining on hers over the rim of the glass. “And you were well worth the wait.”

“Well, you’ve had me, now what?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On you and what
you
want.”

Rachel glanced down, wondering that herself.

“Why don’t you start out by being honest?”

She took a deep breath and put down her fork. “Okay. I’ve had a crush on you since almost the first day I started here, when I glanced up and fell head first into those blue eyes. Ever since then I’ve gone out of my way not to notice whenever you were around. Then I started having, ah, dreams about you.” She looked James squarely in the eyes. “Erotic dreams. I developed a serious itch for you.”

“What kind of erotic dreams?” He took a drink, keeping his gaze trained on her.

His expression was hard to read Rachel had the strong feeling that he liked what she’d admitted. “Kind of like what we’ve just spent the last couple of hours doing.”

“And has your itch been scratched?”

Rachel lowered her gaze to her plate. If she said yes, that could mean the end of their delicious sexual encounters. If she said no, he might take it as an insult that he hadn’t satisfied her, when just the opposite was true. She had to be careful because one thing she knew was that she enjoyed sex with James, and she wanted more. Then she recalled his comment about being honest.

Maybe she raised her chin a little too high, and maybe her tone was a little on the defiant side, but she wanted James to know she wasn’t afraid of the truth, even if it might cost her what she wanted in the end. “The itch has been somewhat scratched, for now.”

“Is that a challenge?” One brow rose higher than the other did. “I thought I told you before that I never leave a woman hungry.”

The thought of him with other women rubbed her the wrong way. She wanted to be the only one he was banging up against the elevator wall or taking from behind in the shower stall. For over three years she had seen him with a dozen beautiful women, so it was obvious he had a short attention span. She wondered how long she would last.
Should I tell him now that my favorite flower is the Iris?

“I know you have stamina.” Rachel finished her wine.

James leaned over the space separating them. “Just because they’re hanging on my arm doesn’t mean they’ve been in my bed. Believe me, there haven’t been that many.”

How did he know what she was thinking? She was saved from coming up with a clever response when his phone began to ring. Completely at ease with his nudity, he turned and retrieved a cell from the counter next to the sink.

“Yeah?” He swung back to Rachel. “What the hell do you mean the contract wasn’t signed?!” He listened to the person at the other end for a moment. “No. I’ve decided to stay in town tonight.” A frown appeared between his brows. “You’ve got one minute to explain how that happened.” His words were firm and edged with anger. Rachel was seeing how ruthless James could be when it involved business. “What time is it now? Okay, I’ll meet you in ten.” He flipped his phone closed and tossed it on the counter.

By the whitening of his mouth, he was more than annoyed. “Sorry.”

“You don’t look happy. Bad news?”

“Something that was supposed to be taken care of before closing today.” His tone revealed it didn’t bode well for whoever had forgotten. “Now I have to see to it.”

Rachel followed him back into the bedroom. She silently watched him slip into his pants, and they exchanged a brief smile when he carefully zipped them up. He slipped his feet into leather slippers and reached for his shirt.

“I guess I should be leaving too.” Rachel glanced around for her clothes, finding them on the floor in a wrinkled heap. “I forgot I had a date tonight.” She said it more to herself while bending for her corset. She was so late she doubted the date was still on. Which was just fine with her.

“You what?”

Rachel gasped when James swung her around.

“You can forget about any date tonight, and tomorrow night, and any night after that. We didn’t finish our talk but I am telling you right now, I don’t intend to give you up anytime soon. You got that, lady?”

She nodded slowly, mesmerized by the fire in his eyes. As his face moved closer to her, she realized he was going to kiss her, and decided to meet him halfway. Rachel let him pull her against him. Her fingers curled into his open shirt and she willingly opened her mouth to his searching tongue.
God, I could kiss him all night!

“You’ll be here when I return?” He was slightly out of breath.

I have a choice?
Even if she did, her answer would be the same. A warm heat uncurled inside her belly. “Yes.”

“I won’t be long. Make yourself to home.”

Once James was gone, Rachel decided to keep herself busy by cleaning up the kitchen. When she was done and he still hadn’t returned she went to the bedroom closet, pulled out a shirt, and slipped it on. She then turned on the TV and glanced at the clock. James had been gone for half an hour. Sighing, she sat back to watch an old Friends episode, eventually falling asleep.

Chapter 5

Rachel was vaguely aware of someone joining her in bed, but she was too tired to let it draw her completely awake. Soon pleasant warmth moved against her backside, an arm slipped over her, and she was nestled in the cradle of male hips.

Warm lips tickled her ear. “Are you sleeping beauty or little red riding hood?”

She smiled upon hearing James’ low voice, keeping her eyes closed. “That all depends. Are you the handsome prince or the hungry wolf?” She burrowed closer against his body.

“Definitely the hungry wolf.”His teeth tugged playfully on her lower ear.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Rachel started to roll but he easily kept her against him.

“Go back to sleep, beautiful. It’s late.”

She moaned, not needing much encouragement. If he could go to sleep with a hard-on, so could she.

****

Rachel stirred early the next morning. It took her a moment to get her bearings and to understand that she was in a strange bed, and why. Gradually, as everything that had happened the day before came back to her, she smiled and stretched deliciously, rubbing her butt against James soft cock. It hadn’t all been a dream! For the first time in a long time, she woke feeling sexually satisfied and whole, unlike the many mornings after suffering through a night of erotic, unfulfilled dreams.

James was holding her close against his naked body. His soft breathing stirred the hair at the back of her neck and sent goose bumps down her body.
When is the last time I woke up with a sexy man in my bed?
Not just any man, but the one she really wanted. How was she ever going to go back to the way things were? She remembered his words from the night before. Something about not giving her up anytime soon, but what did that mean?

It didn’t take long before Rachel felt movement against her bottom.
Is James still asleep?

Deciding to find out, she gently thrust back, enjoying the feel of his dick as it lengthened and hardened against her. It felt like a hot poker, branding her where it touched. Her body responded, tingling in all the right places. Gradually his hand began to move over her breast, shaping it with his palm while thumbing her nipple. A current of electricity zinged from her nipple straight down to her clit, so strong that it drew a gasp from her.

James’ mouth closed over her earlobe. He nibbled on it gently, and traced her ear with his tongue. His hot breath caused Rachel to shudder. The sensation in her clit intensified and throbbed like a heartbeat.

“When did you come to bed?” she asked softly.

“Just a few hours ago. Business took longer than I’d planned.” He kissed a spot behind her ear. “The downside of owning your own company.”

“I missed you.”

Rachel sighed blissfully when his hand smoothed down her belly, pausing at the top of her pelvic bone. She tried to urge him lower, squirming against his probing cock to make him lose control. Couldn’t he feel her need? Maybe he wasn’t as horny as she was. Well, she would take care of that. Placing her hand over his, she guided him between her legs. She opened to him and positioned his palm over the opening of her pussy, and then squeezed her legs closed.

James’ breath grew uneven. He thrust his cock against Rachel, at the same time slipping a finger inside her, just as she wanted. She moaned with pleasure and moved her hips.

“Damn, you’re already wet for me,” he grated against her ear. “I can’t wait to slide my cock in you.”

His passion-laced tone caused a tiny explosion inside her. Rachel felt herself creaming around his finger. James teased her until her insides were pulsing with desire. He took time to toy with her clit, too, flicking his thumb over the hard, little nub. She began to quiver wildly, hungry for him to penetrate her pussy with something more substantial than his finger.

“James…,” she gasped when he hit a particular spot. What was that? “Oh damn!” She started to shake, the intense yet pleasurable feeling washing over her like nothing she had experienced before.

“What baby?” He was steady pumping his penis against the cheeks of her butt.

Rachel laughed, but it held little humor. “I don’t know. I think, I think you found my G-spot!” Whatever it was, it was highly sensitive and gave her great pleasure.

Now he was laughing. “Don’t tell me that’s a first for you.”

But it was. “Oh God.”His finger stopped deep inside Rachel, giving special attention to a spot in the upper wall of her vagina. “Yes! Ohmygod, fuck, that’s it!” She cried out, trembling passionately. “Right there! Damn that feels good! Don’t stop!””

James teased and tormented Rachel a little longer until finally putting her out of her misery. He pulled her onto her back and mounted her. She was panting and gyrating beneath him, and arched her hips off the bed when he thrust his cock forward, impaling her. He shuddered, groaning deep and low.

“Fuck!” He began to move immediately. While he worked up his speed, he kissed and sucked his way from Rachel’s mouth to her quivering breasts. She cried out when he made love to them, pulling and tugging on them with his teeth until her nipples were big and hard as berries.

He moved back up her body, and touched his lips to hers. “I like fucking you. You’re so tight and responsive.” He kissed Rachel passionately. His hands moved over her body, rough at times and gentle at others.

Rachel held nothing back, loving James just as thoroughly. She touched him wherever she could, running her hands over his hard frame, exploring muscles that twitched beneath her caresses. Her path took her over his broad shoulders, down his powerful arms, and up his smooth back. She checked out his well-defined butt and clenched her nails into his flesh, urging him to fuck her harder.

“Fuck me harder, James,” Rachel said between kisses. “Fuck me faster!”

With a grunt, James began to pound in and out of her body, like a jackhammer on concrete. They were breathing heavily. Rachel was on the pinnacle of coming and sensed he was too. A small scream escaped her when an exploding climax claimed her, showing no mercy. As she convulsed against James and squeezed his cock, he came forcefully too. They clung to one another until finally he relaxed against her.

It seemed like a long time went by in which they lay that way, against one another, struggling to catch their breath, both glistening with moisture from their exertions. James’ head was on Rachel’s shoulder and her arms were holding him close. She jerked when he slipped out of her, feeling an emptiness that went all the way to her soul. He raised his head to meet her eyes.

“You’re putting my stamina to the test.” He was grinning.

Rachel returned his smile. “Having a hard time keeping up?”

He kissed her roughly. “Hell, no. I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off you.” He framed her face with his hands. “And my lips.” He kissed her.

Rachel arched her hips into him. “What about this?” Meaning his cock.

“Definitely that.” James kissed her again as if he couldn’t help himself. “Do you have plans for this weekend? Any other dates I have to worry about?”

Rachel thought about his question for a moment. “That date was a blind date set up by my sister and her boyfriend. That reminds me, I had better phone Luna before she calls our mother, who in turn will notify the police, FBI, and the National Guard. And no, I don’t have any plans.”

“Good. You do now.”

“Oh? You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

His laugh was sexy as hell, and the confident glitter in his eyes mesmerized Rachel.