Chapter Twenty-Two
Orson
Fuck.
I’d promised myself I’d go slow. That I wouldn’t try to pressure her to stay. That I’d let her go at her own pace.
Well, it looks as if she’s doing that; it’s just that her pace is a lot faster than I imagined.
Heat sears through me, and I’m hard in seconds. Briefly, I debate whether I should slow this down, move back, insist on a drink, tell her she doesn’t have to do this. But somehow, I don’t think she’s faking it to impress me. She’s sliding her fingers through my hair, and when I move my hand up her ribs, she arches her back to push her breast into it. I brush a thumb over the nipple, then tug it gently, and she gives such a sexy moan that I nearly come on the spot.
“Bed,” I tell her firmly, moving back. “Now.”
She resists though, pulling me back toward her. “Here,” she says, linking her arms around my neck.
My eyebrows shoot up. “In the kitchen?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes sparkle. “Please.”
She wants to try it somewhere else other than the bed. Well, I’m not going to argue with her. “I’ll fuck you anywhere you want,” I murmur back with feeling before thinking maybe that was a bit ungentlemanly, but she just laughs and crushes her lips to mine again.
Oh man… I hadn’t expected this. She was so reluctant to come to the party, and she’s so resistant to the idea of a relationship, that I assumed she was just curious about the club, and afterward she’d want to go straight home. I know we had a good night together at my apartment, but I didn’t think she was interested in anything more.
It looks as if I was wrong .
Of course it doesn’t mean anything. Girls like sex as much as guys, and she’s new to it, and probably curious. Once she’s gotten what she wants, it’s likely she’ll be distant again.
Right now, though, I’m not going to worry about it. She’s in my arms, and all I can do is try to show her how I feel about her, and make sure she enjoys herself.
With that in mind, I turn her and push her up against the kitchen counter, still kissing her, while I slide my hands beneath her dress. She’s wearing her bikini beneath it, and I find the elastic of the bottoms and tug them down her legs. She steps out of them, and I toss them away, then drop to my knees in front of her.
“Orson… oh!” She gasps as I lift her leg over my shoulder, and then I lean forward and slide my tongue into the heart of her. “Oh my God…” She moans and grips hold of the counter, tipping back her head.
She’s bare, soft, and silky smooth, and I groan as the pure, natural scent and taste of a woman fills my mouth, slightly salty, slightly sweet, and creamy, which makes my erection strain against my shorts. I bring up a hand and stroke my thumb lightly down the center of her, then when I reach her entrance, ease it into her, just a little way, to collect her moisture. I use my thumb to brush it across her skin and spread it over her clit, before finally lowering my mouth to it.
She slides a hand into my hair as I circle my tongue over the tiny button, and her fingers tighten as I keep up the rhythm. I lick and suck, and tease the rest of her with my fingers, enjoying every second of being so intimate with her. I love the way she moves her hips to match the movement of my tongue and fingers, and eventually how she slips her hand to the back of my head and pulls my head closer. Oh yeah, baby, fuck my face, that turns me on so much… I groan and suck harder, and she gives such a sexy moan that I can’t bear it any longer.
I pull away and push up to my feet, and she trembles and says, “Oh God… I was so close…”
“I know. I need to be inside you when you come.” I go to slide my hand into my trousers, then realize I’m in my swim shorts. “Damn, I don’t have my wallet. Hold on, I’ll just get a condom.”
She catches my arm. “My doctor put me on the pill a few years ago because I had heavy periods. If you want to… um… you can leave it.”
I hesitate. I’ve never had sex without a condom. My father drilled that into me when I was young, and now I understand why.
Her face flushes. “I’m sorry, that was probably inappropriate. I know it’s best to think about STDs…”
“It’s not that,” I say hastily. “I’m clean, and you obviously are. It’s just… my dad told me tonight that my mother got pregnant on purpose. She told him she was on the pill, and she lied.”
Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. “Oh shit! Really?”
“Yeah. He said she suspected he’d do the right thing and marry her.”
We study each other for a moment. My brain is working furiously, trying to tell me I’d be stupid to fall for the same trick, and my father warned me for a reason. But all I can think is how much I’d love to be inside her without barriers, and how incredibly sexy it would be to fill her up.
Her expression softens, and she says, “I understand. It’s not a problem at all. We can wait thirty seconds for you to find a condom.”
Her openness and understanding seals the deal. I trust her, and I don’t think she’d do to me what my mother did to my father.
It crosses my mind that he would point out that the several glasses of champagne and whiskey might have something to do with my decision, but I shove him out of my mind.
“Fuck it.” I bend, lift her, and deposit her on the kitchen counter.
She squeals, then laughs as I push open her legs and move between them. “Naughty boy,” she scolds. “Honestly, I don’t mind waiting.”
“I can’t wait another second.” I peel her dress up her body and over her head, then reach behind her and undo the ties of her bikini top behind her neck. I pull each tie down, and the triangles gradually peel away to reveal her generous breasts. The material clings hold of the tips tantalizingly, and then I pull it down to expose her light-brown nipples.
“Fuck.” I’m so hard. “You have amazing breasts.”
“Why, thank you.”
“I mean it.” I lower my head, cover a nipple with my mouth, and brush my tongue over the tip. She moans and lets her head drop back, threading her fingers in my hair. Ahhh… I love doing this, teasing her velvety soft nipples and feeling them harden on my tongue, and I suck harder, feeling smug pleasure as she tightens her fingers.
“Orson…” she whispers. “Oh God…”
I swap to the other nipple, teasing her to the edge again, wanting her aching for me, and only when she’s breathing in deep gasps do I move back. I tear off my tee, push my swim shorts down my legs and kick them away, then move back and guide my erection between her legs. Her eyes light up, and she watches as I slide the tip down through her slick skin and press it against her entrance.
I cup the back of her neck and kiss her as I slide inside her.
Ahhh… man, she’s so tight, and it feels soooo sensitive without the condom. I groan as I give a few thrusts, coating myself with her moisture and slowly easing into her. She closes her eyes and tips back her head again, and I kiss her neck while I slowly ease back and push forward.
She exhales, then breathes in again and holds it while I sink in the final inch. Now our bodies are flush, and I’m buried deep inside her.
I wait for a moment, just reveling in the sensation of being encased by all that warm, soft flesh. I press my forehead and nose to hers in a hongi, exchanging the ha, our lips just touching, our breaths mingling, and she gives a quiet, “Ohhh…”
Gradually, I start to move, almost withdrawing, then sinking back into her with long, slow thrusts.
“You feel fucking amazing,” I tell her, my voice husky with desire.
“Mmm… you too.” She frowns as I pull all the way out. “Aw, don’t stop.”
“I’m not. I just like to watch you take me.”
Obviously realizing it turns me on, she leans back on her hands and widens her thighs, totally opening up for me, watching me with wide eyes. I can’t tear my gaze from where I’m penetrating her, though, and I groan as I press the head back into her and observe how her body resists the invasion for a moment before welcoming me in. Fuck, that’s so hot.
“Jeez, Orson…” She tips her head back again, her lips parting in a long moan.
This girl is so fucking hot, I’m going to self-combust. I slide inside her as slowly as I can bear it for as long as I can, but eventually my body refuses to wait any longer, and I start picking up the pace.
“You feel so good,” I murmur, “I love how you open up for me, you’re amazing.”
“Mmm…” She falls back onto her elbows. “Oh God, I can feel you all the way up, right to the top…”
“Yeah, baby, you’re taking me so well, look, every single inch of me, all the way inside you… And you’re so wet, it’s exquisite. ”
“Ah, don’t embarrass me.”
“It’s not embarrassing, it’s fucking hot. Look at you.” I withdraw, lower a hand between her legs, and slide two fingers inside her. I remove them, coated with her moisture, insert them in my mouth and suck the wetness off, then kiss her, plunging my tongue into her mouth so she can taste herself.
She laughs and gives a muffled protest, then gives in and lets me kiss her deeply while I enter her again. Ohhh… I’m not far now, pleasure building as if she’s fanning the flames of the desire inside me. Luckily, her breaths are becoming more ragged, her chest heaving, and when I cup her breast and tug on her nipple, she groans.
I lower a hand between us and tease her clit with my thumb, and it only takes twenty seconds of that before she whispers, “I’m going to come.”
“Yeah, baby…” I kiss her and thrust harder, unable to hold back any longer, and she screws up her nose and comes with a squeal, giving deep, heartfelt gasps as I pound into her and let my body go at the pace it wants.
She clamps around me, so incredibly tight, and I’m so sensitive without the condom that there’s no way I’m going to be able to hang onto my self-control. She’s just finished her climax when mine hits, and she slides a hand to the back of my neck and holds me there for a kiss as I come, spilling inside her without barriers, filling her with my seed.
“Fuck…” I gasp, my hips jerking, my cock twitching, as delicious spasms ripple through me.
When I’m finally done, I wrap my arms around her, and we exchange a long, luscious, sensual kiss.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur when I eventually lift my head.
“Why?”
I kiss her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids. “For being so quick. I wanted to take you to bed and spend hours just kissing and touching. You get me so riled up.”
“My work here is done.” She giggles, then groans. “I’m all sticky now.”
“The one downside of not using condoms.” I grab a piece of kitchen towel for her.
“It wasn’t a complaint.” She lets me help her down. Then I pull her into my arms again. She slides her arms around my waist and snuggles right up against me, and we stand there like that for a while, feeling our heartbeats gradually slow.
I kiss the top of her head, then lift my hands to cup her face. I kiss her mouth, long and slow.
“Mmm,” she murmurs.
“What would you like to do?” I say softly. “Have a drink of something? Do you want to go home? Or would you like to stay the night?”
Our eyes meet, and she swallows. “Stay the night.”
Joy fills me. “Good. Come on, then, let’s get ready for bed.”
We brush our teeth standing next to each other, then climb into bed and pull the cool cotton duvet over us. Scarlett turns onto her side facing away from me, and I pull her close and wrap my arms around her so she’s cuddled right against me.
“Beautiful night,” she says, and I’m not sure if she’s referring to the party, what we’ve just done, or the moon rising slowly over the Pacific Ocean. Maybe all three.
“I’d like to do this every night,” I tell her. The confession surprises me—I must have drunk more than I thought. Or maybe it doesn’t. It’s only what was in my heart.
She doesn’t agree, though. I kiss her hair and ask, “Wouldn’t you?”
“Nothing’s changed,” she whispers. “We’re still worlds apart.”
I feel a deep ache inside. I know she’s right, but it hurts to hear her say it.
I refuse to think that’s it, though. “Nothing is unsolvable,” I point out. “There’s a solution to every problem.”
“Not this one, Orson. It goes too deep.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“That’s because you think you can change me, and it’s not fair.”
“It’s not about changing you. It’s about finding a compromise.”
“Meaning what? We build a house halfway between the club and the commune?”
“I don’t know yet. I know we have very different values and ways of living. But that doesn’t mean we can’t both make changes if we want to be together. Just saying ‘this is the way I am’ isn’t compromising.”
“That’s fair. But that’s not the only problem.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“I know my father would be deeply hurt and angry at the fact that I’m spending time with the man he considered his worst enemy. And I know he’s gone now, but I loved and respected him so much, and it makes me feel uneasy to think how I’m going against his wishes. I’m not sure I can move past that.”
For once, I don’t have an answer. I can’t change the past. I truly think my father—while not being cured of his lifelong hatred—might be ready to move on, but Blake is no longer here to be convinced that the feud should be put to one side.
“Maybe we should just take it day by day,” I suggest.
“And what? Wake up three months down the line, in exactly the same position? It’ll hurt ten times as much to break up then. A hundred times, even.”
I don’t say anything, because there’s nothing to say.
Half of me expects her to get up and leave. After all, what’s the point in staying if she’s decided this isn’t going to work? But she doesn’t, and after about ten minutes, her breathing deepens, and I realize she’s fallen asleep.
I relax into the pillow now I know she’s not leaving, and tighten my arms around her. I have a suspicion for how this might work out, but the very act of it coming to light is going to cause a tsunami of emotion to come crashing down over her, and I’m not sure she’ll still be standing once the worst is over.
I’m not big on hope, or faith. I prefer to be in control of my fate. But for once, all I can do is wait for it to play out, and promise myself I’ll do my best to help her survive.
*
Despite her words, I manage to talk Scarlett into seeing me again on Monday. I take her into town to watch a movie, and then out for dinner. I make sure to keep our conversation away from anything deep and meaningful, and we talk about books, movies, and music, and just concentrate on getting to know one another better.
Afterward, she agrees to come back to my apartment with me, and this time I take her into the bedroom, and we spend a long, long time making out, just kissing, cuddling, and touching, for as long as we can bear before I finally slide inside her.
I make love to her again in the night, ducking under the covers to give her an orgasm with my mouth first, and then taking her in as many positions as I can think of, prolonging her pleasure until she begs me to take her and let her come.
I want to brand myself into her skin, mark her as mine, and make it impossible for her to leave me. But I can’t. All I can do is imprint myself on her memories, and hope that when the moment comes—as I know it will—she won’t be able to forget me as easily as she thinks she can.
*
I don’t see her on Tuesday as I have an evening meeting. On Wednesday, Kingi heads off to the commune to start his audit. It’s a relatively small business, so neither of us is expecting it to take more than a week.
I talk Scarlett into seeing me that evening and take her to see a band we both like at the Spark Arena. Afterward, I tell her I’ll happily fly her home, but if she wants to come back to my apartment, I promise her that I’ve bought a tub of mint choc chip ice cream especially for her, and I’ll smear it over her and lick it all off, or she can do the same to me if she wishes.
She chooses to spend the night.
I don’t see her Thursday, but I’ve managed to organize tickets to a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream on Auckland domain on Friday evening, and even though she protests that we shouldn’t prolong this, she’s unable to resist the thought of seeing a Shakespeare play in the open air. I tell her I’ll pick her up at six to give us time to fly over and get to the venue by seven thirty.
I’m busy all morning, although I manage to have a quick call with Kingi. I ask him how the audit’s going, and hear him walking, and then a door closing. The sound of birdsong tells me he’s gone outside, probably out of earshot of anyone at the commune.
“Between you and me it’s not well run at all,” he says. “The accounts are all over the place. It’s going to take a few weeks to fully analyze everything.” He hesitates.
“What?” I ask, sensing he has something more to say.
But he says, “My spidey senses are tingling, but I need to finish the batch of documents I’m working on at the moment. I’ll speak to you later. ”
I frown, but I have a business lunch, so I say goodbye, then return to the office and work for the rest of the afternoon. I’m just getting ready to pack up and head over to Waiheke when Kingi calls.
“It’s me,” he says. “You need to get over here. Now.”