Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3) (42 page)

“Holy crap, Sean,” she panted. “What did I do
to deserve all this?”

Sean’s naked body came into view over her. He
was magnificent, with the soft candle light flickering, outlining
his physique. The power of it, the perfection. The trail of muscle
from his neck to his shoulder, the lump of those pecks, the dive
into the rolling hills of his stomach. Krista started to
salivate.

“I’ve been dreaming of this for the last
couple years.” He settled on top of her, his legs between hers, his
rock hard cock, still unused, hot and heavy on her stomach.

“What about at the hotel?”

“I was too busy exploding to really make it
good for you. I am now making up for it.”

“I think we are remembering two different
nights.” And they must have been because after the bath in that
glorious tub, Sean made love to her twice. It wasn’t fast and
furious like the first couple of times. Exactly the opposite,
actually. He was slow and tender. He handled her like a piece of
fine china. She was expertly taken care of, her pleasure always the
focus. It was phenomenal.

“After tonight you’ll change your mind…”

With one smooth motion, he was easing himself
inside of her. She was raw and swollen from the past hour of
pleasure, ensuring that she felt every single inch of his
magnificent entry. She had thought her nerve endings were all
fizzled out, but she was wrong. Dead wrong.

As he slid to a wet stop, his ends touching
her pelvis, the room exploded in fireworks. Sean started slowly
moving, easing back out, just as slow. If he was straining for
control, she couldn’t tell. He kissed her as slow as his pace,
stroking the side of her body with the slow retreat. It was
maddening.

An hour in and they still hadn’t found
release. He had backed off to tickle her clit with his tongue
again, making her jump and moan. He then switched their position,
turning to her side and hitting a new batch of pleasurable areas.
Then her stomach, always hitting new places within. He stimulated
her nipples or nibbled on her ears or neck as he thrust, always
slow, always controlled. It was the best kind of torture she had
ever experienced. She hadn’t remembered it being that good.
Ever.

Finally she could see the sweat standing on
his face as he sat up, pulling her up with him. “Let’s get
closer.”

She was merely a puppet in this play, and she
loved it.

With him sitting in the middle of the bed,
candle light reflecting off of his bronzed shoulders, Krista felt
herself lowered onto him, piercing her in pleasure. She sighed and
slowly revolved her hips, feeling him grind inside of her, causing
his breath to catch. She continued to move slowly, matching the
pace he had been going all night, and felt his answering movements.
She was strung out on bliss. The very fibers of her being
stretched, warped and taxed with all the physical and emotional
sensations. This was the big crescendo, she could feel it. She was
excited to reach another high.

She pushed her body up against his, her
sensitive nipples responding to his coarse chest. She swiveled and
rocked, focusing on his arms wrapped around her and his member
inside. She curled her legs around his body and arched her back to
reach for more pleasure, scooting her pelvis toward him. She
followed the rhythm of his breathing and the surges of her body to
a faster pace. She was beyond rubbed raw now. The pleasure hurt so
good, her body begging for completion with a pain so sweet, it was
agony. She pushed on, going a bit faster, feeling the mounting
tidal wave.

“Oh Krissy,” Sean muttered.

Like a lightening crack, his control broke.
He gripped her hard. She could feel the clenching and releasing of
his remarkable leg and torso muscles as the pressure rose. His hips
were rocking hard now, pushing into Krista. She moved her hips
around in small circles as he pitched and gyrated, stroking with
her body. The heat was rising, the pressure unbearable. Her body
unraveled a little more with each of Sean’s plunges, hitting the
center of her, sonic booms echoing out through her body.

He rocked, she swiveled, rocked, swiveled.
They went faster, warring into each other, pushing and pulling,
trying to get as close as they possibly could, hitting heights in
their love making that they’d never even breached before.

“Sean!” Krista pleaded. “
Please!
”

Sean held her tighter but it wasn’t time.
They weren’t ready. They were moving as one entity, their bodies
dancing to the music of unspeakable pleasure. Their bodies were
slick with sweat, grinding off each other as Krista tried to get
him deeper, feel him harder, end this never ending building.

They hit a threshold. The pain of it was
unendurable. Krista was reaching for the big “O” but couldn’t quite
grab it. She strained for it in desperation, Sean thrashing up to
meet her swinging down. Their fervent movements got smaller, the
pressure more intense. She was just… about…
there
—

She yelled with the glory of it. The sweet
rush of completion. Sean called her name and shuddered below her.
They soared together, higher than high. Krista gasped and
sputtered, trying to catch her breath, trying to smile wider, laugh
harder. If she were a hippy, the colors of the rainbow would have
been pouring out of her headband it felt so good. It felt 1,000
times more intense than a surge of pure adrenaline, and 1,000 times
more pure.

Her whole body went lax as bliss permeated
every inch. She hung on to Sean’s giant shoulders like a rag doll.
His arms loosened and he lowered her down on the bed, keeping
himself inside her as he laid on top. His face was full of wonder
as he looked down at her,
into
her.

“Please no more, Sean.” Krista gasped. She
was raw gratification, but also just
raw
.

His chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. “That
was what I have been daydreaming about these last years. I would
ask you if it will suffice, but the look of awe gives you
away.”

“You’ve upped your game since I saw you
last…”

“Are you asking if I slept my way through San
Francisco to learn a few tricks?”

Krista hesitated. In point of fact, yes she
was, but in a roundabout way. She didn’t want to hear about the
women he was with, but he didn’t get this good with his hand
alone.

“To ease your mind,” he went on, “and
probably make you laugh at the same time, I took a class on Tantric
sex. It was enlightening.”

“Why did you take a class?”

Sean shifted and pulled out of her. She
didn’t bother opening her eyes or even closing her legs. She was
perfectly content to sleep exactly as she was. It wasn’t meant to
be, though. Two strong arms slid under her and lifted her into the
air.

“Stand for a minute,” Sean said.

Krista moaned her displeasure, still without
opening her eyes, and held her legs firm when Sean set her down.
After some rustling, which must’ve been the covers, she was scooped
up and set into the bed. Sean slid in beside her, cuddled close,
and pulled the covers over them.

Sean said softly. “I told you that I felt
like a jerk. That I knew I made a big mistake, but was too chicken
to make it right. Well, I’m not going to lie and say I was
abstinent the whole time—especially in the beginning. But it never
felt good. I felt guilty. Whether on a date or otherwise, I was
uncomfortable. I felt like I was cheating. Somewhere along the way
I decided to improve my…skills. In honesty, I did practice, but
with the sole intent of being able to wow you.”

Krista let the silence linger for a second
before she said, “It sounds like it was your way of not feeling
guilty to have sex.”

Sean blew out a breath he was holding. “You
know me too well. It was for you, but also—yeah, I’m no monk.”

“It’s not like I was abstinent, either. I was
planning on settling down. Kinda.”

“About that. What is the story with
Chet?”

“What do you mean? I dated him. I told you
that.”

“I know. Why? He’s a nice guy and all, but…
He’s a bit of a
mook
.”

“A
mook
? What’s a
mook
?”

“I dunno—kind of a douche. As Kate would
say—has said—he’s a bit ridiculous.”

Krista sighed and turned to put her head on
the hollow between Sean’s shoulder and chest.

“I know. Marcus said I had blinders on. I
don’t know—the guy treated me well. He made me dinners, always had
time for me, bought me flowers…He just made me feel special. No
offense, but I needed it.”

“He is handsome.”

“Are you going gay on me?”

“I don’t have to be gay to size up the
competition.”

“Yes, he is handsome.”

“Is he good in bed?”

“
Yikes,
Sean.”

“Is he?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Yes you do. I’m sure Marcus knows all about
it from Kate and Jasmine, to whom you tell everything.
Is
he?”

“Damn it, why—look, no he wasn’t great. And
before you ask, you are much bigger than him…size wise. Okay?
Happy? Is your ego intact? Why does any of this matter? Were you
hoping my sex life was crap or something?”

“I’m sorry. It matters because I am wondering
if I have to worry about him getting you back. He is a douche, but
a woman needs to feel cherished, and obviously I have been lacking
in that department.”

“Yes, you have. But I have no plans to be
wooed by Chet. I broke it off with him before you even came to
L.A., remember?”

“Marry me, Krissy.”

It took her a minute before she understood
what he said. When she did, she sat up straight as a rod. She had
had enough. Sean was too much too soon. She was still having second
thoughts about his priorities and he springs
that
on her?
Too much too soon.

Sean sat up with her. “I know I have been
busy, but as soon as work slows down I’ll have a lot more
time.”

“Sean, you don’t ask a girl to marry you on
the first date. You just don’t. Find time for me, preferably before
I give up on you, and we’ll talk. Otherwise, take me home right
now. I am too tired for this circus show.”

“Okay, okay.” Sean had a smile in his voice.
“You win. Let’s sleep, yes?”

“I’m serious Sean.”

“Note to self, do not push Krista when she is
tired and relaxed.”

“Exactly,” she said in a huff. She allowed
him to lay her back down and hold her tight. Despite his plans,
their future was very much undecided. She did not want to spend her
life alone in this giant house.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It turned out that Sean had been right about
buying Krista’s dream home. He was on a small cliff overlooking the
ocean. That was great, but not nearly as awesome as the small trail
leading down the cliff to his private beach. He actually shared the
beach with a few other homes, but Sean, and now Krista, were the
only ones that surfed, so they had the decent waves all to
themselves. It also meant Krista spent most nights there.

Unfortunately, as was Krista’s fear, Sean
spent an absurd amount of time at work, and while that conversation
would have to be brought up soon, Krista was too stressed worrying
about Tory’s visit. He would be checking out their region and
trimming the fat. While she was mostly in good shape, that ol’ fear
of failure had her working overtime, trying to add mortar to every
shaky brick she saw.

When Tory finally did come, it was déjà vu as
they sat down to dinner. It was San Francisco all over again. She
had to keep reminding herself that there was no reason to be sad,
that she wasn’t moving away from Sean and her friends this time;
she was merely changing jobs—possibly. She didn’t think Tory could
match the salary thrown at her thus far. There were some staggering
numbers out there. She liked her job, yes, but she liked
three-figures better.

Tory was sitting with his hands clasped on
the table, his menu off to the side.

“So Krista, how has interviewing gone?”

“I was never very good at interviewing,”
Krista smiled. “I either sound over-confident, which men hate, or I
sound weak. Mostly they were a formality, though. I have worked
with three of the four companies directly, through you, and the
fourth apparently knows about my work already, so…”

Tory leaned back as the waitress showed up to
take their orders. When she was gone, Tory said, “Once upon a time,
you asked me how I would feel if another company showed up to
moonlight you. Do you remember my response?”

Krista thought back. It had been at the
dinner after her big presentation to Tory when she was at Dexico.
“You said you would think you missed something, find out their
worth, and possibly counter-offer.”

“And here we are. I am ready to
counter-offer.”

“You also alluded to hoping the person in
question didn’t know their worth.”

Tory laughed. “Yes, I did. However, based on
what Mr. McAdams said, that is no longer the case with you.”

Krista shrugged and took a sip of her wine.
She didn’t know her worth, exactly, but she knew what she was being
offered.

“How can I entice you to stay, Krista?” Tory
asked.

“I hate to sound like this, but it really
does only come down to money. I want to buy a house and a new car.
Those things cost money.”

“It
only
comes down to money?” Tory
asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Krista stayed silent. She hated being so
material, but that was capitalism for you. The organizations that
handed out houses weren’t looking her way.

“Well, I think I can give you more than just
a raise,” Tory went on. “I think I can give you
opportunity
.
It is well known, I think, that Sean is excellent at the big
picture. He can reach for goals most wouldn’t even contemplate. But
he needs someone to take his unrealistic expectations and make them
a reality. He needs someone to map out a route. What I am proposing
is unique to this situation. I have suggested moving you to Junior
VP, directly beneath him, with the managers reporting to you. Sean
would deal directly with you, and you would deal directly with the
managers. It would give you authority to reorganize departments,
and then keep them running smoothly. With it comes more
responsibility, of course, but also allows me to offer a higher
wage to compensate…”