Chapter 20
“You have a home office?” Haylee frowned as she sneaked a look into the small room off Cherish’s hallway. She should have anticipated this. She should have guess that Cherish’s home office was an exact replica of her work office, down to the small like plastic holder for pens.
It probably had the same number of pens in it if Haylee counted.
“I do work from home on occasion.”
“No doubt of that,” Haylee mumbled as she stepped into the room. Being beckoned to Cherish’s apartment had given her body a totally different idea to what was happening than her brain. They were there to talk about Haylee’s idea, not fuck.
“Haylee?” The concern in Cherish’s voice melted what little resentment Haylee still carried from the gala. It had lingered for an entire week, although Haylee had hopes it would vanish soon.
“Sorry. What did you say?” They had barely talked about anything other than work since the gala. They’d driven right back into it as if nothing of the weekend had happened. Haylee had hoped, dreamed, of what might happen on their ride home. But her dreams were shattered. Cherish had done that in one quick phrase.
Now’s not the time.
What the hell did that even mean? Because Cherish’s back-and-forth was starting to wear on what little patience Haylee had. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to take it before she walked away completely.
“We can go through the presentation now if you’d like.” Cherish blinked slowly as she slid into the chair at her desk, and Haylee almost forgot why she was there, distracted by finally being this close to Cherish, her very presence making her swoon. Needing to stop that immediately, Haylee slid onto the corner of Cherish’s desk with her hands in her lap. Keep her hands there, and she’d be less tempted to touch something she wasn’t supposed to.
“Right. Let’s get down to business.” Haylee smiled. This meant they could spend time together. Haylee had upheld her end of the bargain, and now it was time for Cherish to uphold hers. They were going to come up with a way to present Haylee’s grand idea.
“First, I’d like to talk.”
Cherish leaned back in her seat, playing a black pen between her fingers, sliding it from one end, flipping it, and then sliding it to the other end.
Haylee was entranced. Her stomach flipped and then flopped. She’d wanted a moment like this between them all day, and it was worth the wait.
“About the gala.”
“I thought that went off without a hitch.” Haylee cringed. What had she missed? Weren’t they here for things other than Febe?
“Oh, it did. I meant our many conversations over the night.” Cherish dashed her tongue across her lips. “I’ve been thinking about that night a lot.”
Which was exactly what Cherish had told her she was going to do. Haylee was glad to see that it wasn’t all in vain. “And have you come to some sort of conclusion?”
Cherish shrugged slightly, but her lips twitched as if playing coy. There was the flirty woman Haylee had missed all week. The question was if she would stay or go.
“Yes.”
“And that is…?” Haylee dragged out the word. She was always going to have to pry these types of conversations out of Cherish, wasn’t she? She wasn’t someone who naturally shared anything, but Haylee could handle that.
“I would like to see if maybe this could work.”
“That would be amazing.” Haylee sighed in relief, heat rushing all over her body. But wait…what was this? The project Haylee wanted to start? Or them? Haylee shifted, ready to push herself off from Cherish’s desk at the same time as Cherish wheeled her chair back and stood up.
“Oh shit,” Haylee swore as time turned into slow motion.
Cherish reached up, grabbing both of Haylee’s elbows in her strong firm hands. Flailing for a moment, Haylee’s instincts kicked in faster than her thoughts as her hands slapped down onto Cherish’s forearms, her fingers gripping on for dear life.
Muscle moved beneath her touch, and Haylee looked down to her hands and the tensed arm beneath them and back up into Cherish’s gaze. Her heart skipped.
And just like that, time sped back up once more.
“Hi.” Haylee would have laughed at her own breathy voice, but the smoldering gaze in Cherish’s blue eyes, darker than she had ever seen them before, sucked her embarrassment out of the room. The tension between them intensified. Haylee wanted to lean in, kiss, touch, taste—anything to rekindle the hope that her dreams weren’t completely shattered.
“Are you okay?” Cherish asked as her eyes flicked to Haylee’s mouth and then back up to her eyes.
“Yeah.” Haylee’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat and nodded, dropping her gaze so she could stop staring into that intensity. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Good.” Cherish didn’t move though. She kept her hands firmly on Haylee. “And for the record, the this I’m talking about, is us.”
Haylee opened her mouth to say something, but before any sound escaped, Cherish’s lips crashed into her own. Somewhere in the back of Haylee’s mind, a part of her screamed to stop this, to slow it down. Not because she didn’t want Cherish. Her body was a raging inferno for her. But because that part also knew she wanted Cherish just a little too much. Haylee tangled her hand in the back of Cherish’s hair, and instead of pulling her away, Haylee pulled her in.
Cherish’s lips parted, opening Haylee’s with the bruising kiss. At the first touch of Cherish’s tongue inside of Haylee’s mouth, a deep guttural moan escaped her. Haylee would never forget this. The spark that she’d only had a taste of before exploded.
“Oh God.” Haylee pulled back for air as Cherish pushed Haylee onto her desk. The small plastic container for pens dug into her hip before it popped and clattered to the floor. Would Cherish bend down to pick them up? Give Haylee an entirely different show?
Shoving Haylee’s knees apart, Cherish stepped into the space she had created while she traced lines across Haylee’s jaw and down her neck with her tongue. Cherish’s teeth grazed skin, and Haylee’s hands flew to Cherish’s back to keep her in place.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Cherish murmured, sliding her finger along Haylee’s sides.
Haylee whimpered, her eyelids fluttering shut. This was everything she had dreamed of.
“I really, really want to taste you.” Cherish’s voice was low and raspy as she sucked on Haylee’s earlobe, nipping lightly.
“Oh yes, please,” Haylee panted, still not sure if she wanted to open her eyes and have her entire fantasy vanish. This couldn’t be real. Cherish had toyed with her so long—although Haylee was sure it wasn’t on purpose—but could she trust this? Was this really happening?
“Excellent.” Cherish’s fingers on Haylee’s bare back made her jump and gasp. Cherish’s reaction was a deep throaty chuckle as she moved her hands higher inside of Haylee’s blouse. When moments later, the tension in her bra slackened and her large breasts all but sighed with relief, Haylee chuckled.
“Rather skilled at that, aren’t we?” There. She was back. The teasing tone in her voice, the ground beneath her feet. This was real. Cherish was pressed against her, hands on her skin, nothing was stopping them this time.
“I have many skills.” Cherish grinned as she kissed Haylee again, the small wrinkles in the corners of her eyes expressing true joy.
“Oh, so do I, Ms. Barkley,” Haylee murmured into Cherish’s mouth as she wrapped her legs around Cherish’s hips and pulled her in even closer. The heat of their bodies pressing together sent Haylee’s hips gyrating, her legs moving Cherish’s hips into the same rhythm.
Cherish growled, deep and low and wild.
Their kisses became more fevered, gasps of air grabbed between one kiss and another. Cherish worked her hand to the front of Haylee’s body and slipped her fingers beneath the loose bra cups and palmed Haylee’s breasts. Haylee arched her back, pulling Cherish’s lip with her teeth as she groaned.
“Fuck me.” Haylee slapped her hands on the desk behind her. Her hand landed on Cherish’s keyboard, the edges of keys digging into the softness of her palm. But nothing short of blood and broken bones would disrupt this moment. And she wasn’t even certain that would make her stop.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Cherish muttered between kisses that ran down Haylee’s neck.
“A new what?” Haylee asked, her head tilted back to grant Cherish more access to her sensitive skin. Blood had rushed through her body and pooled between her legs. Her clit pulsed, begging for Cherish to put her mouth on her just like she’d promised. Yet they were both still decidedly clothed.
Cherish pulled her hands away. Before Haylee could complain, Cherish slid her fingers into the gaps between buttons on Haylee’s shirt and yanked hard. The cotton material pulled against her skin sharply. The small pops sent Haylee into peals of laughter.
“Amused, are we?” Cherish purred, already moving down to Haylee’s newly exposed skin.
“Highly.” Haylee rested her weight on one palm as she threaded her other hand through Cherish’s hair. Her heart raced when they made eye contact. This was really happening. She almost couldn’t believe it. “I love your hair.”
“I’m quite fond of yours as well. Beneath its business professional look is quite the surprise—much like you.” Cherish wrinkled her nose in the cutest way possible.
Haylee just wanted to eat her up—literally and figuratively. “And yet, you haven’t seen all of me.”
“Yet.” Cherish’s cheeks pinked. “But I plan to.”
Smiling, Haylee slid herself out of her now buttonless shirt and bra in one smooth easy action. Cherish stared silently at Haylee’s chest, her eyes wide and glued. Haylee had a sudden desire to cover herself back up until Cherish’s gaze pulled up to hers. “You’re so beautiful.”
Why did she hate hearing that? Immediately, Haylee wanted to reject the compliment. But she held back. Cherish never minced words. She wasn’t just placating Haylee to make her feel good. Haylee knew she wasn’t ugly—a little bigger than some considered beautiful, but she had never hated her body like so many of the women she knew. But that didn’t stop the wash of uncertainty over Cherish’s hungry appreciation.
“Pants,” Cherish ordered, saving Haylee from saying anything in response. Which Haylee was entirely grateful for, but also, the command had her sputtering in a different way.
“Seriously? Right here?”
“I’m not holding back anymore.” Cherish narrowed her eyes, but the shape of her lips filled Haylee with all manner of excitement and anticipation.
“Yes, ma’am.” Haylee slipped out of her work pants and underwear faster than she ever had in her life.
“Mmmmm.” Cherish’s appreciative moan as her eyes roved up and down Haylee’s body sent spikes of heat following the trail of Cherish’s gaze.
“Like what you see?” Haylee murmured the words with a little more boldness than her quivering insides felt. Cherish was completely covered still, and here Haylee stood, bare ass naked, open for Cherish’s roving gaze.
“Very much so.” Cherish moved into Haylee’s space. She squeezed Haylee’s ass and pulled her hips into Cherish’s as she moved Haylee backward to her desk. The edge was cold against the backs of her thighs, adding a little thrill to everything.
Haylee leaned back, hands on a suddenly cleaned space of desk. When had that happened? Had Cherish moved things? Had she blacked out in arousal and anticipation?
“Haylee.” The way Cherish said her name invoked a wild animal in need of sustenance.
“Cherish?” Haylee asked, the name and question catching in her own throat.
“Tell me to stop.”
“No.” Haylee had never been more certain of something in her life. She had waited for this. She wanted this. The word rang between them with a finality neither could deny.
“Tell me to stop anytime you want, anytime you don’t like something.”
“Okay.” Haylee bit back another denial to have Cherish stop anything as the burning in Cherish’s eyes grew serious. “Okay. I will.”
“Good.”
Cherish didn’t wait for any more words as their lips met again. Furious, fast, passionate. Haylee could barely keep up. All of her senses were surrounded by Cherish. The scent of Cherish’s light perfume, the feel of Cherish’s fingers against Haylee’s thighs, between her legs, the warm brush of breath against Haylee’s hardened nipples—it was all Cherish.
“Please.” She groaned as Cherish took one nipple into her mouth while her thumb and index finger rolled the other, pinching slightly. “Oh please, Cherry.”
“Please?”
Haylee’s body jerked. “Fuck me.”
Cherish laughed and grazed her teeth over Haylee’s nipple. This was such a damn tease. Haylee moaned and pushed her hips up from the desk, desperately searching for the pressure of Cherish’s body against her.
Cherish took her time, but Haylee felt the occasional chuckle against her skin as Cherish made a path of kisses between her breasts and over the gentle swell of her stomach. Haylee lost herself in every single touch. Nothing in this moment was about anything other than the two of them. Soon the kisses were interspersed with licks and nips.
Haylee tangled her hand in Cherish’s hair, and small moans echoed up every time she tugged on the strands. A little thrill ran through her as she waited with anticipation for whatever Cherish would do next. Cherish moved lower, kissing the insides of Haylee’s thighs before pressing them open a little wider and covering Haylee’s swollen clit with her mouth.
Haylee gasped.
Fireworks exploded, and Haylee struggled to keep up with the moment and every touch. Cherish sucked and swirled her tongue. Haylee pushed Cherish’s face between her legs before letting up, not wanting to smother her. Cherish wrapped her arms around Haylee’s hips and pushed in tighter.
“Fuck,” Haylee muttered, barely able to hold herself together. She rocked her hips against Cherish’s mouth as she got closer to orgasm. All those dreams, all those thoughts, were nothing compared to the real thing.
When Cherish’s fingers slipped into her, what little restraint Haylee retained left her in screams, bucking hips against Cherish’s hand and mouth. Words of pleasure morphed into unintelligible sounds. Haylee was far too caught in the waves of her orgasm to be embarrassed or self-conscious of her actions. She came loud and hard and fell back heavily against the desk.
Cherish flicked her tongue over Haylee’s clit one more time, causing Haylee to shudder, before she shuffled back to her feet, her fingers still inside Haylee, riding out the throbbing and pulsing aftershocks.
The awkward tension Haylee expected between them didn’t appear, and when she opened her eyes, Cherish watched her curiously. Haylee slowed her breathing, her skin cooling, and she glanced down between her legs, Cherish’s fingers still knuckle deep in her—like they belonged there. And Haylee wasn’t about to tell her to move either.
“Wow.” Haylee smiled, a slight shake to her head.
Cherish leaned in and kissed her, slow, tender, loving. Haylee’s heart fluttered as she tasted herself on Cherish’s lips.
When Cherish pulled away, she stayed close, her lips brushing against Haylee’s. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“I, well…” Haylee struggled to string words together. Then she just gave up. There were no words to describe this.
Cherish laughed and gently eased herself out of Haylee. She licked her fingers clean before bending down to snag Haylee’s clothes. Haylee still hadn’t moved, her mind a whir of everything that had just happened, everything she’d wanted and more.
“This isn’t how I expected the evening to go,” Haylee finally said.
“No?” Cherish asked, fake innocence in her wide eyes belied by the smirk and swollen lips she couldn’t hide.
“No, not at all.”
“Are you complaining?” Cherish challenged, but the chuckle in her voice told Haylee she wasn’t serious.
“Oh.” Haylee still struggled to catch her breath. “No complaints at all. But the night hasn’t ended yet.”
“Oh really?” Cherish handed Haylee’s clothes over.
“Really.” Haylee risked the strength of her legs and pushed off the desk.
“I like the sound of that.” Cherish spoke around a smile before Haylee wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into her embrace while her other hand found Cherish’s breast through her clothes.