Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched #3)

Chapter 9. 2

His expression is strange, but I don’t stop to analyse it, too intent on making my point. “What if I don’t want to wait for this mythical man? I never had the chance to experiment. What about if I want to experiment now? This could be my only chance to do that with someone who I really trust, who I know won’t hurt me.”

“But I might hurt you!” He sighs. “Not physically. I’d never do that, but there are a lot of ways to hurt your partner. People in a relationship are in a unique position to know all of them.”

There’s something in his voice I can’t decipher, but I step closer, his interest in this idea drawing me like a moth to the flame. “But we’re not really partners,” I point out. “This is just casual, right?”

My heart is hammering because I’m pretty sure he’ll see right through me. My feelings for him are as clear and obvious as the nose on my face. It’s only me who stands a chance of getting hurt if we do this, and I’m willing to take that risk. I’m fully aware he will never love me, but at least this way I can have some small bit of him. And maybe when we’re done, and I see him with other men, I’ll have the strength to break the chains that bind me to him, and I can move on and find someone who would be better for me.

Ignoring the pang that thought gives me, I lift my hand and cup his cheek. He leans into my touch, and there’s something so trusting about the movement that my heart swells. “Well?” I say breathlessly. “What do you think?”

“I’m not sure this is you,” he says doubtfully, but his eyes are full of emotion. Desire. My spine tingles again. He wants me. It gives me the courage to do what I do next.

“Really?” I lower my hand and cup his cock daringly. I swear I can feel his pulse in the hard length. “Then maybe you don’t know me so well after all.”

I’m not sure I even know myself as I kneel at Jed’s feet and pull his zipper down. I slowly reach in and draw out his cock. It’s ruddy with precome slicking the head, and I hesitate before darting my tongue out to catch the salty drops. “Mmm,” I breathe. The taste makes me hard, and I push on my cock to calm myself.

He grunts as if he’s been shot, and I gasp as he pulls me to my feet. He stares at me with a wild look on his face. “You swear?”

“Never in front of the customers.”

“Don’t be glib.” His groan sounds like victory and defeat in one small noise and then he slams his mouth on mine.

The kiss is hard and so forceful it makes my head spin. He eats at my mouth, sucking on my tongue before pulling away to lick my lips. He continues the kiss, and I clutch him, letting my head fall back, loving being under his control. It makes my head blissfully cloudy.

I moan in protest as he pulls away and then squeak as he grabs my hips and lifts me onto the desk. “What are you doing ?” I gasp.

He gives me a crooked smile, his eyes full of lust as he unbuttons my shirt. “I’m checking an item off your lust list.”

“What list? Oh god ,” I breathe as he licks my nipple. He blows a stream of cold air over it before suckling. “Jed?”

“You must have a list of things you want to do in this grand experimentation you’ve decided on.”

I lick my lips and love the way his eyes follow the small gesture. “I think sex on the desk,” I say tentatively.

“Your wish is my command.”

I groan as he strokes my thigh and traces the outline of my cock which is protruding lewdly. I make a choked sound as he rubs it, and then cant my hips, pushing towards his hand.

“Up,” he commands.

I arch off the desk so he can pull down my trousers and briefs. They catch on my shoes, and, with a frustrated noise and quick movements, he removes them. And then he takes care of everything else. I barely have time to focus on the fact I’m naked before he spreads my legs and steps between them.

“What are you doing?” I whisper and then give a startled cry as he licks my penis.

He looks up, his eyes heavy-lidded and fierce. “You have to be quiet.”

I swallow hard as I nod obediently.

He grabs my shirt and shoves it at me. “Put that in your mouth if you need to make noise.”

“I just want you to know this is the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me,” I say earnestly.

A gleam of humour appears in his eyes. “Stick with me, kid. There’s more where this comes from. It’s also going to be the quickest, because we don’t have time for foreplay.”

“How is even that hot?”

He rolls his eyes before lowering his head slowly towards my groin. My cock bobs in the air as if it’s shouting, “Pick me!” and I gasp when he takes the head into his mouth and sucks on it, his cheeks hollowing like he’s sucking a lollipop.

The feeling is incredible. His mouth is so hot, the suction tight, and I thrust involuntarily upward, pushing into his throat until he makes a choking sound. I go still and begin to apologise, but he just sucks harder, his eyes full of approval.

I rest back on my hands, gazing avidly at the sight before me. I’m naked on my boss’s desk and he has my cock in his mouth. I arch into every suck, reaching out to trace his lips with my fingertip. They’re stretched tight and damp with spit. He pulls back and I moan as he takes my fingers into his mouth to suck and lick at the digits the same way he did with my cock. I writhe helplessly, because I want more, but I want his mouth on my cock again too. I groan needily.

He pulls away, clasping my dick again. “Be quiet,” he growls before taking me deep.

I stuff my shirt into my mouth, breathing heavily through my nose. My arms don’t want to hold me up, and I lie back, staring dazedly at the ceiling as he bobs over my groin. He sucks me even deeper, swallowing around my dick. The feeling is so intense that I slam my eyes shut and moan into my cotton gag. I reach down with both hands and grab his head to feel his thick hair between my fingers.

He goes after me like a starving man, licking at me, blowing cool air over my sensitive skin, then sucking me again and again before restarting the whole process. I might be in heaven. When he moves away again, I make a garbled protest, forcing my eyes open. I gasp at the sight of him.

His lips are swollen, the high colour in his face making his eyes very bright. He strips off his jacket and throws it to the floor before unbuttoning his shirt with long, nimble fingers. I look greedily at his tight abs and hair-roughened chest. I hadn’t been able to see much in the dim light of the bedroom last night, and he’s beautiful, with wide, powerful shoulders and biceps that bulge as he unbuckles his belt.

“Open your legs. Let me see you,” he orders.

I slam my eyes shut, concentrating on not coming. Then I open them and very slowly and deliberately spread my legs. He can see everything in this position, but it doesn’t make me shy. Instead, I revel in the look of intense arousal on his face. I did that , I think in delight. Jed Walker wants plain and boring Artie Campbell.

“What do you want?” he asks, sliding his hand down his cock.

I look at the long, hard length greedily. He’s thick and I wonder if I should be worried about him hurting me. No. Jed would never hurt me.

I pull my shirt away from my mouth and say, very clearly, “I want you to fuck me.” I was going to say “make love to me,” but that might result in me putting my clothes back on.

His eyes flare. “Are you sure?”

“Completely sure. Please , Jed.” The begging rekindles my need, and I arch into the air as if fucking it. “Please.” I fist my cock. “I need you inside me.”

I gasp as he flicks my hand away. The sting makes my blood run warm and heavy between my legs.

“We haven’t got much time.” He grabs his messenger bag and draws out a condom and a packet of something that I presume is lube.

I sit up. “Can I put it on you?”

He shuts his eyes for a second. When he opens them, his eyes flare hot with need I’ve never seen before. With his red cheeks and swollen mouth, there isn’t much left of the formerly civilised Jed. The thought thrills me enormously.

“You’ve done it before?” he asks.

“Not really. Ben and I were each other’s first, so we went bare.”

He draws in air through his nose and seizes the back of my neck. He slams his mouth into mine, kissing me hungrily while groaning under his breath. We pull away, panting, and he licks his lips as if tasting me.

“Don’t mention his name when we’re like this,” he commands. “One day we’ll go bare. Would you like that?” He runs his hands up my thighs, his expression intent and then pleased as I arch towards him. “I’ll go in you bare, and I’ll flood your pretty arse with my come,” he says in a guttural voice. He grips me hard and tugs me to the desk’s edge before kissing me again.

I wrap my arms and legs around him, loving the feel of his trousers against my bare inner thighs. I pout when he pulls away.

It vanishes when he says, “Get me ready.”

I take the condom he hands me. It’s slippery and rubbery, and I suddenly feel very silly. The only time I’ve ever done this was on a banana in sex ed—not a thing that prepared me for an encounter with a real and very hot human being. I bite my lip and look up at him.

His finger slides across my lip. “So pretty,” he says. His eyes are fierce, but his smile is gentle. “Like this.” He shows me how to pinch the condom’s tip, so it doesn’t break, and then how to roll it down. His cock is thick and hot through the rubber, and I clasp him tightly, exhaling sharply when he thrusts into my hand.

His smile is strained. “You’re a natural,” he says before kissing me. When he pulls back, he’s breathing harshly. “Lie back and get the gag,” he orders.

I obey, watching as he squeezes lube onto his fingers and rubs them briskly. I realise with startled affection that he’s warming it. I won’t mention Ben again, but it’s a fact that he never bothered with this, seeming to enjoy my instinctive recoil whenever he put cold fingers inside me.

“I thought I told you to open your legs,” Jed says.

I hasten to do as he says. In my fantasies, he’d been gentle and sweet when we fucked. The reality is a zillion times hotter, with every demanding word and forceful gesture turning me on more. I’ll be lucky if I don’t come before he’s inside me. I grab the base of my cock, because I want to feel him fuck me. It’s the only thing in my mind now.

He traces gently around my hole, and I automatically tense. I always associate this bit with pain.

He looks up, and his eyes soften. “Relax,” he says in his deep voice. “I won’t hurt you. I’d rather cut my fucking arm off than do that. By the time I’m finished stretching you, you’re going to be begging me.” He winks. “Well, as much as you can beg with your mouth stuffed.”

He touches my hole again, rubbing the lube in as he goes. His touch is gentle but firm, playing with me and making pleasure spark in my balls. Before I know it, I’m grunting into the fabric and pushing to get him in me.

He finally slides the tip of his finger inside me. A moment later, he pulls out. He repeats the action several times, getting deeper with each try. My eyes widen as I realise there’s no pain. Finally, he pushes in fully, rubbing a spot inside me that makes electricity shoot down my spine.

“Ungh,” I cry out, pleasure settling in my balls. I spread my legs wider and hump into his finger, no thought left to how I must look and only concentrating on the pleasure. He rubs and taps until my eyes are squeezed shut and my hair is wet with sweat.

“Two now. I know you can take it. You’re my good boy.”

I give a garbled cry and push demandingly at him, and he’s as good as his word. He stretches me with two and then three fingers, tapping my prostate while sucking kisses on my neck. I stare blindly at the ceiling and listen to his harsh breathing. I can’t form words and can only moan and whine.

When he pauses, I give an inarticulate moan, pulling at him until he falls against me. He puts a knee on the desk and climbs onto it. I’m fully naked while he’s half-dressed, and it’s unbearably erotic.

“Are you ready?” he asks hoarsely. His skin gleams with his sweat and his eyes are nearly feral. I nod and he removes the shirt from my mouth. “Give me the words this time.”

“Fuck me,” I breath. “God, I need you.” I writhe impatiently.

He gives a choked laugh and puts his hand on my thighs to stop my restless movements.

“That’s a definite yes. Be still,” he orders, grabbing his cock and pushing against my entrance.

I can’t help but tense as he pushes in and then my eyes widen. “Oh, it doesn’t hurt,” I whisper.

His eyes flare. “He was a fucking idiot,” he says thickly.

He’s obviously talking about Ben, and he’s right, but I can’t think anymore.

He pushes all the way inside me, not stopping until his balls bang against my arse. He pauses, panting heavily. “Okay,” he says thickly. “I won’t move until you’re ready.”

I move a little, testing the feeling. He hisses but he nods calmly when I give him a worried glance. “Not until you’re ready,” he says steadily.

A tic pulses in his jaw, but he’s still as I cautiously move against him. There’s a bit of a pinch, but his cock knocks against that place in me—my prostate, I finally understand with shock. He does it again, and I groan and grab his arse, trying to pull him in.

“Oh god. It’s so good ,” I gasp.

Then he starts to thrust, and I realise it can get a hell of a lot better.

The feeling of fullness, the way his chest hair rubs against my nipples, and the stinging kisses he’s leaving on my neck—it’s all mind-blowing. I clutch his back, winding my legs around him as he guides me. Soon, I’m moving with him rather than against him. I close my eyes, listening to our panted breaths. They’re loud, and the thought that there are people beyond the closed door working while I’m in here being fucked on Jed’s desk sends pleasure skittering through me.

“More?” he asks.

I nod feverishly. “Give me… Oh god, that’s so good . Give me everything,” I gasp.

He grunts as he hammers into me. He isn’t gentle now, and I’m fiercely glad of that fact. I don’t need it. I need his sweat on me, his tongue in my mouth, and his hand working my cock as he shoves into me. I grunt and push into his hand as he stretches me more.

“Oh god,” I whisper.

He nods, his teeth stretched back in a snarl. “Come now, baby,” he orders, fisting my cock.

I throw my head back, squeezing my eyes shut as the pressure bursts and my come floods his hand.

“Fuck,” he groans. He batters into me a couple more times. I’m still coming when he grunts and goes still for a moment. Then his cock twitches inside me and I feel the warmth of his come inside the condom.

Everything seems to go dark and our bodies shake and heave together.

He collapses onto me, somehow managing not to crush me, and I wind my arms and legs around him, squeezing him tight. I stare at the ceiling, my thoughts a mass of spinning stars.

Finally, he stirs, pressing a kiss under my ear. “We’re a mess,” he mutters.

I become more aware of the sweat and come sticking us together, and I tighten my grip on him.

His chuckle sends vibrations through me, making me shudder. “I need to get rid of the condom.”

“One more second?” I ask.

He settles back but keeps his weight on his elbows so he can examine my face intently. I love the fact that his hair is messy, and he looks satisfied. I did that. It’s a breathtaking thought.

“Are you okay?” he asks anxiously. “Do you hurt anywhere? I was a little rougher than I’d planned.”

“That was the best thing ever. I feel amazing ,” I declare robustly.

He chuckles. His eyes are soft, a stark contrast with the commanding lover of before. I’ve learnt in the last half an hour that Jed is as bossy during sex as he is in the rest of his life, but it seems I get only sugar afterwards. I pull him tight and hug him, very happy with that fact.

After a few seconds, I feel his body go tense, and I sigh. It’s probably time for soul-searching and recriminations. I don’t know why. He just gave me the best experience of my life. “Jed?”

“I’m sorry,” he blurts. I tense as I wait for the axe to fall. “I can’t believe that you of all people want a sex-only relationship.”

That is not what I thought he’d say. “Why not me?” I say, offended. “I’m as capable as the next person.”

“Only if the next person was a nun. Name one sex-only arrangement you’ve had?”

“All my relationships.” I pause. “Well, I’ve only had one, but it turns out that was just sex.”

“That’s not quite what I meant. You’ve got the soul of a serial dater. Not a serial shagger.”

“So?” I rub the tight muscles on his back. He’s such a beautiful man. I can’t believe my luck that this is happening. “I may not have previous form.”

“ Form ? You’re not Reggie Kray.”

“But I’m perfectly happy to have a sex-only arrangement with you.”

“And we won’t be developing any feelings, yes?” he says, his body very still.

“Of course not,” I lie. What’s one more in the thousands we’ve told so far? Although this one seems more important. But I don’t want to think about it right now. “None whatsoever.”

“Well then,” he says slowly, still examining my face intently. He bends towards me, and I lift up eagerly.

Then we both jump as the door slams open.

“Artie,” comes Raff’s voice. “I’ve finally got the coffee and— Oh shit .”

I squeak as Jed pulls out quickly. Then he immediately shields my naked body with his partially dressed one. Raff’s getting a lovely view of his bare arse.

The door slams shut and there’s a moment of stunned silence.

Finally, Jed groans and lowers his head into my neck. “Fucking hell , I forgot to lock the door,” he breathes.

My cheeks are flaming, but I couldn’t stop my chuckle if my life depended on it.

He raises his head. “You think this is funny ?” he says incredulously.

“Just a little.” I try to stop laughing but there’s another knock at the door.

“Just me,” Raff’s voice comes through. “I wish very much that anyone else in the world had opened that door rather than me. The memory is going to last forever . It’s probably replaced tons of important stuff that I could not afford to lose. If I forget my future anniversary, it’s because this image is in my head. So I’m going to ask you to tell Stan it’s your fault.” He pauses. “Is it morally wrong that I have an erection, or just socially awkward?”

I snort and Jed shakes his head in despair. He cups my face and kisses me hard. When he pulls away my brain is soft, and my cock is stiff again.

“We’re coming,” he shouts.

“Well, I know that,” Raff says.

I break into laughter.

Ten minutes later, having washed in Jed’s private bathroom and looking as put together as I can be, I wander out of the office. Raff is swinging on his chair and grinning. I immediately flush bright red.

“Well,” he says cheerfully. “It’s a good job that was me, Artie.”

“Why?” I ask faintly.

“Well, someone else wouldn’t be the soul of discretion that I am.”

“Oh dear. I don’t think that’s strictly true. Isn’t it you who thinks it’s healthy to share gossip?”

“I don’t think I’m wrong.” He points his finger at me. “There’s your sass, anyway. I like it when that comes out.”

“I thought you’d want to discuss what you walked in on and not my so-called sass.”

“No need.” He zips his lips. “I will take it to my grave.”

“Which you may be in sooner rather than later if you ever speak to me about what just happened,” Jed says as he approaches us. I squeak when he pats my arse. “See you in there,” he says and walks off whistling.

I stare after him, and Raff shakes his head. “Well, I never,” he says softly.

I turn to him. “Pardon?”

“I’m a bit relieved, to be honest.” He stands, gathering his diary together. “I was concerned that everything still seemed businesslike between you, even though you’re married now.”

“Shouldn’t we be businesslike at work, though?”

“Not if you’re in love, no.”

He doesn’t see my flinch as he wanders off towards the meeting room.

I wonder if I should take that as a warning. But I wouldn’t be able to heed such a warning, would I? I feel alive for the first time in my very boring life. I just had stupendous sex with the man of my dreams, and it was epic and we’re going to do it again and again. Hopefully, very soon.

I couldn’t stop these feelings, even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. I’m going to go along with this as long as Jed wants me. I’m uneasily aware that if he knew I was in love with him, he’d break the one-minute mile to get away from me.

But that’s a worry for later. I head to the meeting room with a smile on my face and a sleek, stretched feeling in my body that I like.

After all, people have fallen in love for a lot less, haven’t they? Maybe there’s hope for me yet.