10. Evan
10
EVAN
B y the time we reached the porch wrapping around the first floor of the house, the short run from the car left us soaked. “Holy shit!” Valentina shouted over the rain and thunder, caught between laughter and irritation as she shook out her hair now that we were sheltered from the downpour. “I just hope the weather isn’t like this for the?—”
“Don’t say it,” I warned before she could get the words out, pressing buttons on the keypad to unlock the front door. “Let’s not jinx ourselves.”
“I didn’t know you were superstitious.”
“I’m not. But let’s not invite trouble.” Everything surrounding the wedding was going smoothly. Almost too smoothly. I couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop the way it did whenever something good came along. I wasn’t taking any chances.
I ushered her inside and closed the door on the storm, taking it from deafening to a dull roar in an instant. The lack of sunlight left me flipping a light switch, and Valentina whistled in appreciation as she took it all in. “This is really beautiful,” she announced, walking slowly through the entry hall, gazing up the stairs, and turning around in a slow circle. “How long have you had this house?”
“I’ve lost track of time. A couple years? It made more sense than camping out on a couch in my office or getting a hotel room every time I worked late.”
“What kind of square footage are we talking here?” she asked, admiring the ornately carved banister alongside the stairs.
I loved the way her mind worked. “Around twenty-five hundred. And right now, you’re too wet to sit on any of my furniture,” I pointed out, peeling off my drenched jacket. “At the risk of pulling out an old cliché, let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”
Her lips pulled together in a frown. “We are working tonight,” she reminded me, all stern and prim.
“Yes, Mom, ” I retorted with a grin. “That doesn’t mean I want you ruining my furniture with that wet dress you’re wearing.” A dress I would have liked to tear off. She looked good enough dry, but now she was something out of a fantasy, the fabric clinging to every curve.
Only when she shivered did I shake off my wandering train of thought and announce, “I’m sure I can find something for you upstairs.”
I led the way since I wasn’t sure I could keep my hands off her ass if I was behind her. I was an ass guy, and hers was second to none.
“How often do you stay here?” she asked as we climbed the winding staircase.
“Maybe a couple of nights a month.” Nights like the one currently shaping up. The wind howled, and the windows rattled hard enough to make me wonder whether we’d lose power. What a great excuse to light a few candles .
What the fuck, Evan?
“I guess you have somebody to take care of it for you?” When I shot her a curious look at the top of the stairs, she shrugged. “No dust. It doesn’t smell all closed up and musty.”
She didn’t miss anything. “I have a housekeeper who comes out once a week to keep the place aired.” I led her down the hall to the suite sitting at the far end and opened the doors to my bedroom. “The closet is this way,” I explained, leading her past the bed and trying like hell to fight the urge to throw her on it.
We had an entire house to ourselves and a storm raging outside. It was a recipe for all kinds of fun.
“I am so damn jealous.” She let out a disbelieving laugh on entering my closet, which was roughly the size of my office at the country club. “I would kill for this kind of closet space.”
I pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a faded T-shirt from the drawers where I kept casual overnight clothes. “Here. These will do. You can dry off in the bathroom if you want.” I opened the adjoining door and turned on a light inside before beginning to unbutton my shirt.
She cleared her throat and looked away, but not soon enough to hide the flash of hunger in her eyes. “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
“You sure you don’t need any help?” I offered. “I could towel you off.”
She could roll her eyes all she wanted. I wasn’t fooled. “I think I can manage on my own. And I wouldn’t want to tire you out,” she added with a teasing little grin as she swung the bathroom door shut. “Remember, you said you would help me with the seating chart.”
“Of course, that was just a way to get you here. ”
“No shit, Sherlock. But I’m holding you to it.” I couldn’t be mad as I changed into sweats, looking forward to the night ahead.
My anticipation cooled when Valentina took over the dining room after printing her spreadsheets in my home office. With rain lashing the windows and lightning flickering in the distance, she looked over her work with narrowed eyes. Somehow, my clothes made her hotter than ever. She had knotted the oversized T-shirt at her waist and rolled the waistband of the sweatpants a few times so they wouldn’t drag on the floor.
Just looking at her, my mind conjured up all the different ways I wanted her.
Dripping wet from the torrential downpour and spread out over my desk, my head between her thighs… licking her sweet cunt, then filling her to the hilt, hitting that spot I know she’s wild for again and again until I pulled every last moan from her lips. Her fingers twisted in my hair as she screamed my name… until she was too weak to stand. Too many filthy thoughts blended one after another.
She wound her damp hair into a bun, then held it in place with a clip she had attached to the hem of the T-shirt. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Her voice pulled me back to reality as she picked up her tablet, balancing it on her arm. “I have a diagram of the ballroom here. I need you to read off the RSVPs we’ve received so far, listed on those printed spreadsheets. You’ll see a number in the first column after each guest’s name. Read that number off to me, too, so I can keep track. ”
What the fuck had I gotten myself into? “What do the numbers mean?”
“Basically, we broke the guest list down by people who can and should absolutely not under any circumstances be seated together.”
“You’re not serious.”
She looked up at me from her screen, smirking. “Do I sound like I’m joking? There are a lot of people on the guest list and generations worth of bad blood between a few of the families and ex-friends. Everybody’s known everybody forever, and some people don’t know how to let go of a grudge.”
“It does suck when people can’t let go of things that happened a long time ago.” I knew it was a mistake before it was fully out of my mouth. The stiffening of her spine only confirmed it.
“Sometimes, certain things can’t be forgotten,” she murmured, her voice flat. “Though, who knows? If both parties try to make amends, anything could happen.”
“Listen. I’m?—”
She cut me off. “Let’s read off the first name.” When I didn’t hop to it immediately, she scowled. “What? You see how much we have to get through.”
Maybe it wasn’t the time. When would it be? That was the question, leaving my skin hot and itchy as we faced off from opposite sides of the table.
She had closed the door again, shutting me out. I could demand, I could shout and bully, but I knew it would get me nowhere with the most stubborn woman alive. There was nothing for me to do but look at the first of many sheets she had printed. “Anderson. Oh, that’s me.”
Her lips twitched. “I’m guessing we can put you down as a yes? ”
“I don’t think I have anything else going on that day.”
She snorted, then dragged her stylus over the screen. “Next?”
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked instead of reading the next line.
“Evan,” she groaned before her head fell back. “We have so many names to get through. And I need to get the place cards printed out in time for the wedding. Please, work with me here.”
“I’m not trying to get you drunk and have my way with you if that’s what you’re worried about.” We both knew I didn’t need to get her drunk to make that happen anyway. “But there’s nothing wrong with a little iced tea or whatever you happen to want.”
Her sigh told me she’d relented. “I could use an iced tea if you have any.”
I knew I would find some in the pantry, stocked up along with a handful of other essentials I liked to keep on hand. Pouring a bottle into a pair of glasses and adding ice, I carried them back to the dining room and handed one to her. “Let’s keep going,” she insisted instead of thanking me.
Did she think I’d let her run away the minute we were through with the seating chart? Did she know me at all? Or was she telling herself what she needed to believe?
A few minutes in, I appreciated her system. After an hour, I appreciated it even more. She had already sectioned the ballroom off into eight distinct areas, so once I read a name and a number, she dragged and dropped names into slots around the tables.
“Where did you come up with this method?” I asked about halfway through the list. There was something strangely satisfying about working together and making progress—like a team .
“The result of years of work,” she explained. “Trial and error. You must know how that goes.”
“It sounds vaguely familiar.”
She set the tablet down for the first time since we started, shaking out her hands. “I doubt you were born knowing how to run a country club, much less how to make them as successful as you have.”
“True,” I agreed, admiring the way her tits swayed gently under my shirt when she leaned over the table to jot a few notes on a spreadsheet. She must have been soaked down to her bra. I wasn’t about to complain. “It takes time, but once you get your system in place, it’s rinse and repeat.”
“How many times do you plan on rinsing and repeating?” she asked, glancing up from the pages and wearing a knowing grin.
“I’ve set a goal of ten properties total within the next two years.” Funny. I hadn’t come out and announced that to anyone. It had always been one of those secret, quiet goals. When she asked, it made perfect sense to tell her.
Her head bobbed slowly. “That’s ambitious,” she concluded, sounding surprised.
“You don’t think I can pull it off?”
“Did I say that? Thanks for putting words in my mouth,” she snapped. Was it twisted, the way I craved those flashes of temper?
“No, you didn’t say that,” I replied when it seemed like she was waiting for one.
“I only said it was ambitious, which it is,” she concluded, capping a highlighter. “I remember a time when all you wanted was to take a no-stress job at one of your family’s properties and do as little work as possible.”
She never mentioned the past. I told myself not to read too much into it and simply shrugged. “I grew up. ”
“You clearly did. I mean, you’re still a whiny little bitch who lets his cock lead him around, but you did grow up when it comes to business.”
“Thanks?” I ventured, snorting.
“I might even learn to respect you one day,” she decided.
“Oh, thank you. Hang on. Where the hell is my diary so I can record this moment for posterity?” Scratching my head, I looked around at the table, shifting pages around at random while she heaved a sigh.
“Have you checked up your ass?” she asked with a sweet smile. “When you find it, don’t forget to add the part where I dump a glass of iced tea over your head.”
“I’ll be sure to add that part,” I promised. Let her pretend all she wanted that she wasn’t fighting a smile, but I could see through her.
“Ugh.” Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “I should know better than to try to give you a compliment.”
“Flatter me all you want. I’d never turn down praise, especially from you, Valentina.” Her cheeks went pink, and that was all it took. I had to keep pushing. The door was open again, if only a crack. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll give you a compliment. One for one.”
Her head tipped to the side while she tapped a finger on the remaining spreadsheets in front of her. “We need to get back to work.”
No one would believe it if I told them what happened a heartbeat later. I could have sworn on a stack of Bibles, but no way anyone who wasn’t in my house at that exact moment would believe the lights flickered and then went out.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Valentina threw her arms into the air, barely visible now that the only light in the room came from her tablet and the faint, gray light outside. “Come on! ” It was the way her voice broke that stole my breath and rattled my ribcage.
“Hey. It’s okay. I’ll find some candles, and we’ll keep going.” All she did was cover her face with her hands and turn away from me. Her shoulders were shaking, and soon, a choked sob filled the room.
A knot in my chest tightened. Forget getting candles. I went to her instead and took her by the shoulders, turning her in place. She hung her head, unwilling to look at me. “Everything will be fine. I’ve got you,” I said reassuringly. The only thing that felt right was gathering her in my arms and holding her close to my chest, rubbing her back while murmuring, “Don’t cry.”
“I’m just so frustrated,” she mumbled. “One more goddamn thing standing in my way.”
“There isn’t an obstacle in existence you couldn’t charge through. You have me helping you too.” I couldn’t help it. She smelled so good, and her hair was so soft. I touched my nose to the top of her head and breathed in, closing my eyes. There was something comforting about having her this close, though I was supposed to be the one comforting her.
“I’m just so…” She lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes finding mine. Lightning flashed, bathing the room in its harsh glare before going dark again.
“Everything’s going to be fine.” I cupped her cheek with one hand, overwhelmed by the rush of hunger that had me in its grips. Every time, I could start off wanting to comfort her, only to wind up dying to fuck her. There was something I couldn’t define when it came to the two of us. Something time couldn’t erase.
Her tear-filled eyes searched mine. “I keep telling myself we shouldn’t do this anymore,” she breathed out, leaning against me. “Then you swoop in to pick me up, and I’m in your arms, and I can’t remember why I ever resisted.”
“Maybe you need to stop fighting yourself,” I suggested. “Go with it.”
I expected her to argue. To tell me how predictable I was and remind me we were supposed to be working tonight.
Since when did she do the predictable thing?
Her arms encircled my neck before I buried my face in hers, inhaling her sweetness, soaking in her warmth while I backed her against the table. With a sweep of my arm, I sent the papers flying in all directions and placed her on the table, laying her back. Running my hands down the length of her body, I took her legs and propped them against my chest before caressing her from ankle to hip, my blood humming at the feel of her supple flesh under the baggy pants.
“Tell me you know we shouldn’t do this,” she begged, even as she moved to tug at my pants’ waistband. I was getting tired of the charade. Of her telling herself what she thought she should believe when I knew damned well she did what she wanted, and to hell with naysayers.
“Stop kidding yourself,” I whispered, my dick begging to be let out of its cage and shoved deep inside her.
When she sat up, I was sure she was going to shut the whole thing down before we started. I braced myself for the disappointment, but it was short-lived. She dipped her hand under my waistband and slid down off the table to work the pants down around my thighs. My boxer briefs came next, and a flash of lightning revealed her, giving me a couple of quick strokes before bending and guiding me into her open mouth.
My eyes closed before a satisfied groan worked its way out of me .
Jesus Christ.
There was nothing like the feeling of her pouty lips wrapped around me, her tongue working my head as she moved up and down my shaft. She sucked like she was hungry for me, and maybe she was, her nails digging into my ass to hold me in place while her head rhythmically bobbed up and down. Her soft groans were a symphony, mixing with the raging wind and the thunder that rumbled hard enough to make the floor shake.
I gave myself over to it, to her, running my hands through her soft hair, letting the sensations overtake me. For somebody who swore we shouldn’t do this, she sure sucked my cock as if her life depended on it. Mine sure as hell did. She held my world in her mouth, controlling me with every stroke. I was helpless against her, but then, I always had been. There was no saving myself from this.
Hell, I didn’t want to be saved.
Still, when the familiar tingle began at the base of my spine, I pulled her away before I could fill her throat. If there was one thing I believed in, it was returning a favor. And tasting her delicious cunt was more of a favor to me than it was to her.
I propped her back up to the table and then lowered her sweatpants as I dropped to my knees, parting her thighs before settling between them. The aroma of her arousal left me panting, desperate for a taste.
“There is nothing in the world as perfect as this pussy,” I whispered, lapping at the lace covering her dripping cunt. She had soaked through, and I caught the taste on my tongue, the flavor exploding, consuming my senses.
“Oh God, yes… don’t stop… Evan!” She took my head in her hands and pressed my face into the wet lace, grinding and seeking the friction she needed, too impatient for me to pull the thong away from her glistening lips. When she rocked her hips, I nudged the thin fabric to the side, sliding my tongue into her wet, swollen folds. “Just like that. Please don’t stop,” she begged, losing control, hips jerking frantically before I added a finger to her beckoning entrance and drove it deep. Her hips shot up from the table, a howl piercing the air.
Her moans drove me wild.
I needed more.
I needed all of her.
I slid another finger in, driving deeper, twisting and scissoring. Finding her G-spot, I stroked it and her clit at the same time, using her reactions to guide each caress.
“Oh… God… Evan,” she whispered frantically, riding my face. Using me.
Let her use me. Let her coat my tongue with her juices. I could have suffocated happily so long as the last thing I heard was her ecstatic moans and my name across her lips.
When she came, her shouts almost deafened me, the sound filling my ears while I lapped up every drop of her fragrant honey. She was exquisite.
The thought of living without her all these years had cement blocking my throat and tasting awfully close to regret.
Licking her clean, I stood, staring down at her limp, breathless body.
I did that.
And I would do it again. I had to. It was as simple as breathing and twice as necessary. I was made for this. Made for her.
Her eyes opened a clear blue that flashed brighter than any lightning. “I’m on the pill,” she whispered, peeling her thong away from her body and spreading her legs again. “Fuck me. Now. ”
This was new. Desire flooded my veins and ignited a fire within me, a fire fueled by her admission.
The head of my cock was dripping as I lined up with her drenched entrance, sinking deep. The sudden rush of sensation left me grinding my teeth, holding on for dear life. I felt every inch with no barrier between us, every ripple of her tight walls gripping me deep, promising release.
When her legs locked behind me, I rocked into her, bottoming out. She whimpered, but the look of ecstasy I saw when the lightning flashed again told me she needed this as much as I did. I pulled back, savoring the feel of her along my length, then pushed into her, taking her hard, giving her what she wanted.
The table shifted each time I slammed into her, and as pleasure claimed her again, her head rolled helplessly from side to side. “Yeeesss… more,” she begged, demanded, pulling me in with her firm legs, greedy for me.
“Like this?” I asked through gritted teeth, staring down at her and watching her writhe and moan while I fought off the urge to come. Not yet, not until she screamed for me. I drove into her again, sinking as deep as I could get but still grinding into her when I couldn’t go any further. “Do you like my cock buried inside you?”
“Fuck yes!” She tried sitting up, her mouth seeking mine. Suddenly, it was all I needed, and I roughly grabbed her by the nape of the neck, pulling her face up to meet mine. I gave in, stroking her tongue with mine in time with my thrusts.
Knowing she could taste herself on me heightened everything, made it more intense, and left me barely clinging to what little control I had left. I groaned in her mouth, the sensations climbing my spine and coating me slick with sweat.
The first pulse of those smooth muscles along my length threatening to squeeze me was all it took for the last thread to snap, letting go inside her, filling her until our combined juices leaked between us, leaving us both a breathless, sweating mess.
She leaned back and flashed a wicked smile before releasing a deep sigh. Did she have any idea how magnificent she was?
The storm still raged, the sound clearer once my heartbeat was no longer thudding in my ears. “Should we get back to work?” My voice was a raspy whisper.
Her soft, knowing chuckle answered my question before she spoke. “It depends on what you mean by work. I can think of a few more things I want you to do for me once I’ve taken a shower.” Her nails trailed down my chest, sending sparks racing through me. “We might want to take it somewhere more comfortable, though.”
“I’ve got just the place,” I murmured, picking her up and carrying her out of the room to the stairs. It looked like my bed was going to get some use tonight, after all.