Chapter 23
Colin
Can it be? I’ve been mulling over that question since I left the building and walked a block and a half to a neighborhood bar. We had drinks, talked, and laughed. I have a great deal in common with Francesca. She’s active and likes to stay fit. She has three siblings who are considerably older than she is. She’s also a tech professional and recently moved back to Boston after living in Arizona for a few years because she could not handle the heat.
On paper, it was a successful evening. I knew she wanted to go to my place, and when I didn’t issue an invitation, she asked me back to hers. And I accepted. We had two more drinks, and that’s when she made her move, but when the kiss was about to escalate into something more, I pulled away and promised to call her tomorrow. I wanted to do it, but when I closed my eyes and kissed her, I saw Brynne’s face in my mind’s eye. It was her hands I wanted on my body, and it was her sexy little moans I longed to hear. It would be unfair to take one woman to bed while thinking about another.
When I got home, all I could think about was Brynne and the dumbfounded look on her face at seeing me with another woman. Could that be jealousy? Maybe it’s the same thing I was feeling when I saw her with not one but two men yesterday.
It’s midday and I’ve only seen her once. She has no meetings with clients today, and I think she’s looking at the results of a final project before signing off on it. It’s been a quiet but good day. Francesca has texted, and we’ve been going back and forth all morning. The only little hiccup was Heath and Ernestine being passive-aggressive with each other when Heath offered to make everyone in the kitchen something in his French press. He served everyone but Ernestine, who huffed and stormed out of the kitchen.
“I think I’m going to get her a broom for her next birthday,” he whispered. “Damn witch.”
My phone dings, pulling me out of my thoughts about Heath and his office enemy.
Francesca: How about dinner tonight? My place. I’ll cook.
Me: I’m a bit of a foodie and an excellent cook. Are you sure? I’m a tough audience.
Francesca: So am I. I bet I can outcook you any time.
Me: Okay. Put your money where your mouth is.
Francesca: I’d rather put my mouth somewhere else.
I reply with a shocked face emoji, and I’m relieved when she doesn’t text back. It’s only mid-morning. Too early for lunch and too late for me to drink more coffee. It’s definitely too early for whiskey.
When a loud knock sounds on my office door, I call for whoever it is to come in, and to my shock, it’s Brynne. She does not look happy as she walks to my desk and stands there with her hands on her hips, not saying a word.
“Yes, Brynne,” I say.
My phone buzzes, and it’s a text from my sister. I ignore it. Brynne eyes my phone, but I flip it over so she can’t see who it is, not that she knows my sister’s name.
“I’d like to talk about the favor,” she says and clears her throat. I don’t respond. I sit there and wait. For someone who needs a favor, she has an air of hostility about her. “I planned to promote Ernestine and give her a managerial position. She would be in charge of the support staff. Milton was fine with it, but I suppose I need to go through you now.”
Someone needs to work on their favor-asking skills, but I keep those thoughts to myself. I don’t bother responding because I don’t hear a question. When I remain quiet, she takes another step closer. Now, I can smell her perfume. It’s not enough that she smells good; she also looks amazing in all black today. Her pants are tighter than she normally wears in the office, hugging her hips perfectly. She has a long-sleeved button-up black shirt tucked into her pants and knee-length black stiletto boots. As sexy as the outfit is, it’s not as sexy as what I know is underneath. I suddenly turn into a teenage boy and get an erection. I grab my desk and pull my chair closer so she doesn’t see.
“Is there a question?” I ask when she doesn’t speak again.
She takes a deep breath and looks at the ceiling as if searching deep for patience. “Will you approve the promotion, please?” The words are said through gritted teeth. “If you check your email, you’ll see the job requisition in writing. We have to post it, of course, but Milton had already given me the green light to go ahead.”
While she speaks, I open the email and scan it. She has a description of the job. This would streamline the support staff and take some responsibility off my shoulders. Other than her animosity toward Heath, Ernestine is well-regarded and respected in the office, but I’m reluctant to reward her with a promotion, given how combative she is.
“I’ll have to think about it,” I say while I scan the rest of the email. “And there’s no way I would ever allow her to have any authority over Heath.” I see her take a small step back in surprise at my words.
“Because?” she asks.
“Because that would be a disaster.”
“Well, Heath is redundant. We don’t need him. There are people here with more experience who can give you the support you need.”
I let out a little snort. “He’s not going anywhere.” I love that kid and hiring him has been the best decision I’ve made.
“And how much time do you need to think about it?” she asks with a bit more attitude than necessary for someone who needs something from me. “I’m not going back on my promise to Ernestine. She earned this new position.” She mouths something inaudible, but I swear she says, unlike some people .
I stand and take two long strides before I reach her. “What was that?” I ask. I’m suddenly aching for a fight. She stands straight and juts out her chin but doesn’t reply. “Unlike some people. Is that what you just said?”
“I don’t believe I said any such thing,” she lies.
“Unlike me and Heath, you mean?” She purses her lips, but I can see from the smug look on her face that’s exactly what she said. My phone buzzes, and I turn my back to reach for it. It’s a text from Francesca.
Francesca: Any allergies or can you eat anything?
From the wink emoji, I know she’s not just talking about food. I smile down and respond.
Me: Anything.
I add my own wink, knowing that the only thing I’m eating tonight is food. I look up and notice Brynne’s face. She looks like she smells something foul.
“Is that your little blondie girlfriend?” she asks.
“Let’s keep things professional, Ms. Barber,” I say, throwing her words back at her. To twist the knife, I add, “I don’t discuss my personal life with my employees.”
She’s definitely jealous, and she hates that she is. My phone buzzes again, but it’s my sister this time. I make it a point to let out a fake chuckle as I pretend to type back a lengthy response.
Brynne is steaming by the time I put my phone down. My office door opens, and it’s Heath holding a large mug. I don’t know how many times I’ve told the kid that I only drink coffee in the morning, but he won’t listen. He hands it to me and does an exaggerated wink like we’re in on some secret. Then he straightens and runs his hands over his cardigan. This one is tan and has brown and green leaf designs. I nod in approval and take a sip.
“I’ll see you later, Mr. Kincaid.” Another exaggerated wink, and he backs out of the office. I’m surprised we’ve gone this long without being discovered.
“Like I said, I’ll get back to you.” I expect her to storm out, but she doesn’t.
“Is there any particular reason why you might say no?” I can tell it kills her to have to ask that. If things had gone differently, I’m sure Ernestine would already be in the position. “She needs the promotion. She will have two kids in college this fall, and—”
“She’s not exactly managerial material. She’s combative, ill-tempered, rude—”
“Combative?” she asks as if that description is absurd. She takes a step closer, and despite the smell of the coffee, her scent affects me.
“Yes, combative. Unnecessarily so.”
“That’s untrue—” She swings her arm, and her hand hits my mug. A good amount of the hot liquid splashes out and lands on her shirt, most of it hitting her exposed skin. “Fuck,” she says. I quickly put the mug down and grab a handful of tissues.
Without thinking it through, I start to dab the liquid off her skin. I don’t know why I do it, but I wrap my free arm around her waist to keep her in place. Her scent hits my nose, and this close, it’s like an immediate drug. She smells different than she did when we were on vacation. She smells better. I inch closer to inhale more and she doesn’t try to move away.
A fourth button opens, and I see a patch of her lacy black bra. I drop the tissue and look down into her eyes. They’re wide, and I recognize something there. It’s want. It’s the same look she gave me our first night together. She’s remembering everything that she’s tried to forget. She doesn’t know that I relive every moment we’ve spent together daily.
I don’t give myself time to think or time for her to run. I lean down and take her in an aggressive and deep kiss. She kisses me back with just as much passion. Her arms wrap around my neck, and I lift her off her feet. She wraps her legs around me. I walk to my door and lock it before returning to the couch. We don’t break the kiss as I lay her down on it. We don’t break it as I tug her shirt out of her pants and pull it open, sending the buttons everywhere. Her bra has a front clasp. I undo it, and her breasts spring free. I break the kiss to look down at what I’ve been missing for the past few weeks, and my mouth waters at her hardened nipples. I take one in my mouth, bite, and pull it. She moans, and in that instant, I know she’s been wanting me as much as I’ve been wanting her.
She grabs my shirt and pulls it open.
“Fuck,” I mutter when a button hits me in the face. Her hands slide underneath my white tee, and I groan at how good her touch feels. I take her lips in a rough kiss while I tease her nipples with my hand.
My dick is as hard as cement and begging to be set free. I manage to pull away and yank off one of her boots. I toss it hard across the room, and it hits the wall. I pull down one pant leg, and rip the side of her panties, leaving her pussy bare and glistening in front of me.
“Oh, hells yes,” I moan as I stick my head between her legs and taste what I’ve been missing for weeks. I lick and bite her clit. Her hands slide into my hair, and she spreads her legs wider for me. I eat her like a starving man. I eat her until I bring her to the brink of orgasm. As much as I want her cream on my face, I need to be inside of her. I lift my face from her pussy long enough to undo my belt and zipper. I spring free and sink into her without a moment’s hesitation. I don’t think about protection. I don’t have any on me, and nothing would stop me from sliding into her. When her moans get too loud, I smother them with my mouth and start to move inside of her.
I moan, too, as I sink deeper into her velvety walls. I roughly grab her breast the way I remember she likes. I pound into her and leave her mouth to kiss the side of her neck, only to return to her lips because she can’t control her moans.
“You have to be quiet,” I whisper against her lips.
I pinch her nipple, and she whimpers. “I can’t,” she manages to croak out. I kiss her again just in time to swallow her next moan. She matches me thrust for thrust. Her hand slides down my sweaty back until she gets to my ass. She squeezes me, and I sink deeper inside of her.
I’m on the cusp of exploding, and I promise myself I’ll finish her off with my mouth, but she lets out a loud moan that I contain with my kiss. She starts to shake underneath me, and feeling her come apart in my arms spurs my orgasm.
I moan in her mouth. She breaks the kiss and takes a breath as she still convulses. I continue to empty inside of her as my release seems to be endless. I stay on top of her, and our bodies remain intertwined. We continue kissing, and as we both come down to earth, I leave her mouth and nibble the side of her neck. Her nipples are still hard, and while I tease one with my hand, I take the other in my mouth and suckle her. She moans softly, and I let go of her breast so I can touch her pussy.
“So wet,” I say before I slide a finger inside of her. “Shh,” I whisper when she starts to moan. “I don’t want anyone else to hear those sexy sounds you make.” I add another finger and manage to smother her next moan with my mouth before it gets too loud. “Who is this pussy wet for?” I ask.
I stroke her clit with my thumb, my fingers remaining inside of her. She throws her head back and moans again. “You,” she says without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation. “It’s wet for you.”
“Mmhmm,” I say as I rub her clit until she comes undone again. “Shhh,” I whisper into her mouth. “For my ears only.” She doesn’t listen as she continues to moan and thrash under me, but her moans are soft and sultry. My dick hardens again.
“Aaah,” she whispers in my mouth, and that carnal little sound is enough to make me slide inside of her again. I go in slowly this time and stop when I'm ensconced. She throws her head back, and I take one of her stiff nipples in my mouth.
I love her slowly. Slowly and deeply. I give her all of me and go as deep as possible before pulling almost all the way out.
She spreads her legs wider, and I feel our moisture on the couch. I’ll worry about that later. I’m too caught up in how good she feels to care. She grinds underneath me and I pump inside of her until I hear a loud knock. I stop my thrusts, but she doesn’t stop her moans. I put my hand over her mouth.
“Yes?” I say, proud of myself for sounding somewhat in control.
“Why do you sound like that?” Heath says. “Are you running a marathon in there? Open the door.” He jiggles the knob.
Brynne’s eyes widen, but I grind inside of her, and she bites my palm, hardening me more.
“Um, I’m in something right now.” She moans softly. “I’ll come find you in a bit.” In my head, I think I sound normal, but I’m not sure.
“You sound weird,” he says. “Are you sick?”
“Never better.” I want to scream at him to go away, but I do my best to remain calm.
“Okay, but don’t be alarmed when you get an email from Amazon confirming your purchase of a broom.”
Unsure of what he’s talking about, I can only say, “Okay.” I hear his footsteps retreating, and I exhale. “I’m going to remove my hand, and I’m going to fuck you into another orgasm. Don’t moan.” I remove my hand, and at the same time, I swivel my hips. My lips land on hers, and I steal her breath.