Chapter 11
Rory wanted Hank naked, though she didn’t suppose she could get her wish up here. He took off his jacket, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He was still wearing a vest, a shirt, and socks, as well as a union suit beneath. His shoes, like her own, were discarded beside the blanket.
Climbing into his lap, she straddled him, and he groaned. “Rory, you’re playing with fire. I only have so much self-control.”
She wished she had a phonograph record of him saying, “Rory, you’re playing with fire,” over and over. That voice did things to her.
So did his cock, the bulge of which she could feel nestled between her legs, right where she wanted it. Such a shame there was so much fabric in the way. It was past time to get rid of some clothing.
She started with his vest, unbuttoning it, and sliding it off his round, muscular shoulders.
Then she began to work her way down the buttons of his shirt, one by one, listening to his ragged, uneven breathing as she progressed.
He inhaled sharply when she pulled the shirt from his waistband but didn’t stop her.
As she peeled off his shirt, she finally got an unobstructed view of his powerful arms. His sleeveless union suit still hid his chest, but she could see its contours clearly beneath the thin, summer fabric.
She kissed down his neck and nipped at his shoulder.
Good Lord, he was lovely to look at. If she had all the time in the world, she would trace each muscle with lips and tongue, tasting his shape.
But tonight, there was not the time for that. No, she had other things in mind.
When she started to unbutton his union suit, he brushed her hand away.
“My turn now,” he said. Wrapping his arms around her, he began unbuttoning her dress.
Before long, the dress loosened and gaped, revealing the top of her chemise and corset.
He slid her sleeves and the straps of her chemise off her shoulders and feasted on the newly revealed skin.
Then he reached in to free her breasts, teasing her nipples with his rough fingers.
He gasped at the sight of her. “So perfect. Even more beautiful than I imagined.”
She had always been indifferent to her breasts. They weren’t small, but they weren’t large either. They filled out a dress nicely, she supposed. But the way he looked at her with worshipful awe gave her a new appreciation of her own form.
“I’ve been dying to do this,” he said, bowing his head and sucking a nipple into his mouth.
She arched backward, giving him greater access as his mouth did devilish things that sent her spinning off into the outer stratosphere.
This was so much more than she expected.
Edward liked to grab her breasts and squeeze them, but he never made tender love to them like Hank was doing.
She never knew her breasts could feel so much.
As he licked, suckled, and grazed her nipples with his teeth, her arousal intensified until she could hardly stand it. She needed more, and she needed it now.
Reaching down, she grasped him through his trousers, and he let out a strangled sound. Suddenly, he flipped her on her back, hovering over her, panting hard, pressing his length against her.
“Oh, Rory. The things I’d like to do to you…”
She writhed suggestively beneath him, desperate for more. He sat back on his knees, and she waited, expecting him to unbutton his trousers. Instead, he pressed her legs apart and lowered his head. What was he doing? Edward certainly had never done this.
When she felt the first lick, she thought she might climb out of her own skin. It was a sensation unlike any she’d ever experienced, so much more intense than mere touch. He licked her again, and she thrashed, but he held her tight. She could not escape.
From time to time, Edward asked her to pleasure him with her mouth, but she’d never heard of a man doing the same for a woman. “Wait,” she rasped as his tongue touched her again.
He froze. “I can stop if you want me to,” he said, looking up at her, breathing hard.
“No,” she said at last. “It’s only that I never knew you could…” The words to describe what was happening eluded her.
“Lick your beautiful pussy until you fall to pieces?”
She nodded slowly, reveling in the erotic thrill of having him say such bold, obscene things to her. Edward never said anything like that.
“Now that I know,” she said, “I think you should continue immediately.”
With a moan of pleasure, he buried his face between her legs and began licking her sensitive nub as if she were a ripe strawberry, lapping at the tender fruit, sucking on it until she cried out.
Then his tongue found her entrance and thrust into her again and again as lips and teeth continued to graze the bundle of nerves above.
Her hips bucked wildly, but he held her in place.
The stars above her seemed to pulsate in time with her own bursts of sensation, the sky itself joining in their sensual dance.
Her hands twined in his dark, silky hair as he drove her mad.
Her whole body began to tremble. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision, winking out the stars.
A gentle breeze caressed her bare breasts, making her nipples taut as the night enveloped her, and she shuddered in the most powerful release she’d ever experienced.
Looking up from between her legs, Hank said, “I wish I had a thousand years to make you come like that again and again. That was beyond my wildest dreams.” He kissed and nipped at her inner thigh, as warmth and contentedness suffused her body.
She fully expected him to unbutton himself, thrust into her, and take his pleasure, but he didn’t. Instead, he kissed her gently, letting her taste her own salty essence on his lips. So delightfully wicked! They kissed and kissed, and still, he didn’t make a move. Finally, she pulled back.
“Now, it’s your turn,” she said, raking her nails up the fabric that tented tightly over his arousal. His whole body tensed at her touch.
“You don’t have to worry about me, princess. Tonight was for you.” Nonetheless, his eyes were filled with fire, and the way his flesh jumped beneath her hand spoke to the intensity of his need.
“You aren’t the only one that’s been dreaming about this, Hank. I want you inside me.” She squeezed, making him moan. “You don’t have to worry about consequences. I’m wearing a diaphragm.”
“No. It’s too risky. Even with protection, things can go wrong. Much as I want to, it isn’t worth the risk.”
He wasn’t going to take her? But she wanted to see his ecstasy every bit as much as he’d wanted to see hers. She wanted to feel him inside her, filling her, thrusting into her.
“You’re disappointed,” he said.
“A bit,” she admitted. “I want all of you. I want you inside me.” She stroked his rigid flesh, and his head dropped back.
“Sweet Jesus,” he said to the moon.
“But I suppose I could settle for tasting you.” She began to unfasten his pants with a sly smile.
“Oh my God.”
Finishing with his pants, she unbuttoned his union suit, top to bottom so that she could see and touch his chest as well as his cock. As he sprang free, her eyes widened, and she smiled.
“Gorgeous,” she said, grazing her fingers up the length of him and using her finger to spread the pearl of moisture over his tip. He made an animal noise through gritted teeth.
She took him in her mouth, running her tongue over his velvety tip.
“Oh fuck,” he exclaimed, running his fingers through her hair.
By God, he was delicious. Teasing and tantalizing, she took him deeper and deeper, enjoying each moan and jerk she elicited.
Unlike Edward, he didn’t grab her head and thrust into her throat.
He let her take him at her own pace. It was a pleasure to test his control.
Every time his hips bucked, a little thrill went through her.
“Please, Rory. I need—”
She sucked him deep, relaxing her throat to take him in all the way, and he cried out, “Oh, fuck! Yes!”
Her pilot was completely at her mercy, right where she wanted him. Cupping his balls in her hand, she licked and sucked him into a frenzy. He was clearly on the cusp. It was only moments before he cried out, and she felt a hot spurt of salty liquid dripping down her throat.
He collapsed back on the blanket and lay there catching his breath for a long moment. “I’m sorry for losing control. I shouldn’t have come in your mouth, but I couldn’t help it.”
“No need to apologize. You were delicious. Better than champagne.” And she meant it. He intoxicated her, and his seed was his quintessence.
He opened his arms, inviting her to join him. Snuggling against him, she rested her head against his heart, listening to its steady beat.
“You’re very good at that,” he said, kissing the top of her head and hugging her close. “That was… I have no words.”
“Well, I have had practice,” she said quietly and then immediately regretted it. Why would she bring up Archie at a time like this?
Hank’s muscles tensed.
“That bastard who ran out on you? I knew he didn’t deserve you, but now I’m questioning his sanity. How could he walk away when you…? Jesus Christ.”
She chuckled grimly. What could she possibly say? It was charming how loyal her pilot was. It was such a shame that this evening was all they could ever have together. But she intended to enjoy every minute of his attention and affection for as long as it lasted.
“You’ve got some luck with men, you know that?” He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, filling her with warm languor. “I don’t know which is worse—Archie or Edward.”
“Let’s not talk about them. We were having such a nice time.”
“All right, but just promise me you won’t marry that skunk Edward,” Hank murmured into her hair. “I know you can’t be with me, but please don’t spend your life with him.”
“I won’t. Papa is demanding I reconsider, but I won’t relent. Edward Windham and I are finished.” She would rather be disinherited than go back to him.
“Good,” he said giving her a squeeze. “You deserve so much more.”
A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed it down. It wouldn’t do to get maudlin or sentimental about Hank. She had to guard her feelings before she got her heart broken. After all, he was just a man, and men, in her experience, had very short attention spans.
Pulling away from his embrace, she sat up and poured herself some more champagne.
He joined her, buttoning the bottom of his union suit and fastening his pants before he got himself a drink.
He took a long sip of champagne. “Why did you agree to marry Edward in the first place?” The question startled her. It must have shown on her face. “I’m sorry. I said I wouldn’t talk about him anymore, and it’s none of my business.”
She sighed. It wasn’t surprising that he was curious, and he deserved an answer after all he’d done for her.
“At first, I thought Edward was my knight in shining armor, rescuing me from my damaged reputation, and offering to let me take flying lessons after we wed. Obviously, I was mistaken. It didn’t take me long to realize how much more he cared about my father’s money than about me, and as time went on, he took less and less trouble to hide his affairs from me.
I misjudged him, but at least I’ve gotten rid of him before it was too late. ”
Hank nodded and stayed silent. She took a sip.
“How is it that a man like you is still single? Surely, the ladies must have been knocking down your door.”
He chuckled and took a drink. “I’ve always been a bit reckless.
If I ever commit myself to a woman, I want to give her my whole self.
I don’t want to drive her crazy with worry by continuing to fly.
But I have yet to meet a woman I like better than danger, so I stick to women who want a little companionship with no strings attached. ”
“What if you met a woman who likes danger?”
“You mean like you?”
She smiled. Yes, exactly like me.
“I’ve never met anyone like you. And, as we’ve discussed, you are out of the question.”
Alas, she was. She might be able to escape Edward Windham, but her father would never agree to let her marry a pilot.
Not that she was looking to marry Hank. She hardly knew anything about him.
What she truly wanted was the freedom to be his “companion with no strings attached” until she was ready to move on.
It sounded like an ideal arrangement. Very modern.
It was the most she could hope for within the constraints of her life—a furtive affair that gave her a taste of what it might have been like if she was truly free to fly from the cage of society’s expectations.
“I envy you your freedom,” she said. “You can be with who you choose.”
He laughed. “Not always.”
“Oh?”
By way of answer, he leaned in and kissed her. “If it was up to me, this wouldn’t be the last time I saw you.”
“Maybe I can find a way.”
What was she thinking? This was madness. If they got caught, it would cost her everything, not to mention what it would likely cost him.
“No. It’s too dangerous for you. You shouldn’t risk everything to see me. I know you love danger, but this is too much. This is goodbye, princess.”
Even as he said it, the rush of the risk hit her, and she realized she was going to do it because of the danger, not despite it. Nonetheless, she kept quiet. Before she spoke, she needed a plan.
“What time is it? We’ll need a few minutes to pull ourselves together before your friend comes for us.”
Hank checked his watch. “Good point. We have fifteen minutes.”
“I should visit the powder room to fix my hair and makeup. Can you button me up?”
He did so slowly, kissing her neck as he went. “I don’t want this to end,” he said with a sigh.
“Neither do I.”
As she repaired her appearance, a plan began to form. She knew the exact excuse she would use to see him once again.
Too soon, Hank’s friend Walter returned to escort them downstairs. They rode down in the ornate elevators in silence, Hank holding her hand. And then it was time to hail a cab and say goodbye.
“So long, princess. I’ll remember tonight for the rest of my life.” Hank gave her one last sweet and gentle kiss before helping her into the cab. “I know I’ll never see you again, so I wish you all the love and happiness in the world.”
“Oh, Hank,” she said with a sly smile. “Never say never.” She blew him a kiss, closed the door, and gave directions to the cabbie.
As the lights of the city flew by in a blur, her mind was spinning with ideas.
This most certainly was not the last time she would see Hank Hawley, not after a night like tonight.
Breathing in, she could still smell his manly scent mingling with her magnolia perfume.
It made her smile. She had to see this man again, and her birthday gave her the perfect excuse.