Covered: Part One (8 page)

And him exploding my head the moment he touched me with his…

I had to stop that train of thought or I was going to choke on a square of agadashi tofu.

“Tell me about you,” Gavin said suddenly after a short discussion on the merits of ginger as a palate cleanser.

“What do you want to know?” I asked and popped a chunk of tuna in my mouth, savouring the velvety texture. Thank god I was well practiced with chopsticks, I felt mildly elegant with them in my fingers.

“Everything, love,” he said and gave me a look that sent shivers up my spine, “absolutely everything. There will be time to learn it all, but for now I’m curious as to what you’ll divulge in the beginning.”

“Well, I was born in Brussels, moved here…” my voice trailed off as he looked at me and raised his brow. “What?” I asked.

“I know all that, I have heard you recite your biography,” he said, “but I want to know more about you now. Who hurt you? Why do you have this wall built up around yourself? Why don’t you seem to understand how utterly deliciously gorgeous you are?”

I blushed and sipped my wine; let it swirl around my mouth following the path his tongue had taken many times now. I didn’t exactly know how to answer any of his questions, I wasn’t certain of the answers myself.

“I don’t think I’ve been hurt, but I keep myself at a bit of a distance because people make me nervous. And I think you must have had too much to drink to make that assessment of my appearance.”

“Stop doing that to yourself,” he said.

“What?”

“Stop belittling yourself. You are insulting a person I care for very much, and that offends me.”

“I’ll try.”

“Don’t try,” he commanded, “just do it. Stop putting yourself down, at least when you’re around me. I can’t control what goes on in your head of course, but I can help you discover how beautiful you truly are.”

I started to protest, to deny his assertion, to argue with him and help him see how thick my jawline was, how my nose was too long and narrow, how I was too tall and probably twenty pounds too heavy, but one look from him shut me down. I swallowed my self-deprecation and instead I said, “ Thank you.”

We spent the rest of the meal talking about our lives, as much as I could share…and as much as he could share. I knew I had my walls out, and my boundaries clearly defined, but I sensed the same about him. For all the women he’d been with over the years, I felt as though he’d kept them all at arm’s length.

I helped him tidy up…throw take away containers in the trash really. My kind of housework. Afterwards I felt this overwhelming urge to bolt, to get the hell out of there and run for home. We were probably going to finally have sex, well not finally, but most likely. Even though it hadn’t been my requisite respectable time frame, I wanted it. My god, I wanted it to happen.

But Gavin James. This was Gavin James, hottest man in the world, and he would see me naked I was assuming. Unless I could manage sex with my clothes on. Dammit I should have worn a skirt.

I was so jumpy and stayed by the marble topped island when he moved into the living room. He sat on the low sofa; his long, thick legs splayed out like a big cat in his natural environment.

“I believe I have just now figured something out about you,” he said and stared at me across the few short feet between us.

“And what’s that?” I asked, challenging him to unravel the enigma that was my brain. I still felt like fleeing, but his declaration intrigued me, helped calm my nerves.

“You’re terrified,” he said and smiled, “you’re afraid of me and what this is. I can feel it, you’re a bundle of nerves.”

“What is this?” I asked.

“This electricity we have between us. I know you feel it. I feel it when we’re near each other. I even felt it on Skype those nights I was away. It’s undeniable and it fascinates me…but it terrifies you.”

“Maybe,” I replied slowly, but had to admit to myself he had it spot on.

“Come here,” he said and patted his lap, “have a seat.”

“I don’t think that’s the way to do this,” I sputtered and ran out of words to say. I wanted to go, but some stubborn fearful part of myself stayed put.

“Come here,” he repeated, “be a good girl, Ms. Britton.”

My god, the way he said my name. Ms. Britton. I melted a little. Okay, I melted a lot. But still, he was ordering me. And two could play his game. “Why Mr. James, you are being very forward this evening,” I said in a slight British accent. At least that’s what I hoped I achieved. Hopefully.

“Ms. Britton,” he repeated in his crisp accent and patted his lap again, “I told you to come.”

I did, every little part of me that was fighting his command was booted out the back door by this overwhelming lustful part of me that felt like a sexy little kitten when he spoke like that.

This truly was one of my books coming to life, and I couldn’t have said no even if my mouth hadn’t been so dry and my panties so wet.

I slunk over, the best way I could, and arranged myself delicately on his knees. I perched there, looked down at him and smiled. “Is this acceptable, Mr. James?”

“Not quite,” he said and dragged me down until I was seated firmly across his thighs…and his prominent erection.

“Oh, Mr. James,” I exclaimed and played my part so well it no longer felt like a part. I wasn’t a character in a romance novel, I was
me
, in my life and my life just happened to look like one of the books I read.

“Oh Ms. Britton,” he mimicked me and ran his strong hand along my thigh and pressed it in between my legs. I sighed and loosened up, let his hand explore me and push my legs apart. “I need to see your face,” he said, “look at me, love.”

I turned shyly and watched him as he pulled my leg across him so I straddled him and faced him completely.

“You are beautiful,” he said and ran his hands up my arms, “I love your softness, your stunning eyes, your lips. I love that you don’t know it, you can’t see the effect you have on people.”

“I hardly–” I started to protest, and then remembered his earlier command to stop speaking so badly of myself. Instead I said, “Thank you,” and blushed. I reached out to feel his body, the rippled muscles of his abdomen, his bulging arms, and his strong jaw with the masculine edges. “You’re not bad yourself,” I told him, “but I think you know that, you know the effect you have on people.”

“I do,” he replied, “but not on those who matter. I can’t lie, I’ve been with a lot of women Sarai, but when I met you it ended. I can’t explain it, but
this
, everything there is between us, makes me want to be a better man. I wanted to take it slow with you, so I didn’t frighten you or have you assume you’d be just like the others. Then I realized something tonight…”

“What was that?”

“You want to be frightened, don’t you, love?” he said and smiled at me, a naughty grin full of promise and demand, “you want to be excited and lead…no…
commanded
into the unknown.”

“Maybe,” I said and felt a thrill travel down my spine at his words. He was right, I longed to be commanded. Normally I flinched and hesitated when I was being told what to do, which is why I kept working where I was. I needed the autonomy.

But when Gavin gave me orders, I melted and I was putty in his hands. “What are these orders of yours, Mr. James?

“Take off your top, Ms. Britton,” he replied, “I want to see your beautiful body.”

I hesitated, but complied when I saw his face. He meant business and there was no stopping him now. I wanted this; I just had to wrestle the mortified logical side of myself back down in order to do it.

And I managed it, to let go and let my lusty uninhibited side take over. I unbuttoned my shirt slowly and slid it off my shoulders and was finally exposed in front of the hottest man in the world.

Gavin James. Gavin fucking James.

I wasn’t wearing a bra and I dropped my shirt to the floor in a soft wave of silk. I wanted to cover myself with my hand, but couldn’t move, terrified he’d reject me the moment he saw me.

Instead, he surprised me.

“Gorgeous,” he breathed out and reached up for me. His hands cupped my breasts and I arched myself towards him, longing for his mouth on my nipple, but unable to demand it of him.

He must be a mind reader as well as dead gorgeous, because he leaned forward, wrapped one arms around my back and took my left nipple into his perfect, hot mouth. He reached up and cupped my other breast with his free hand, pinched and massaged it as he rolled the nipple between his teeth. The combination of sensations were building, gently at first, then the pressure grew so desperately that it brought out a fevered urge in me that I’d never felt before.

I couldn’t help myself, I moaned and held his head against me, rocked myself back and forth across the hard ridge in his pants, and forced myself to keep breathing. He sucked in his breath and dug his free hand against my ass through my pants, dragging me closer against him and forcing me to straddle him and almost splitting me apart with his iron hard erection. We were touching through our clothing, but I could feel his hardness against my sensitive flesh with this insane heightened awareness I hadn’t experienced even with full on intercourse.

It was like he’d gotten into my blood, every cell, every nerve ending, and was announcing his complete and utter take over of my body.

“Mr. James,” I whispered and he took my other breast in his mouth and rubbed my back, “oh this feels so good.” He stroked my naked back and settled his hand on the waistband of my pants, tugged at them and nipped my nipple. I gasped as a jolt of pleasure traveled from my nipple to my clit, I gripped his strong biceps, buried my face in his thick hair and inhaled his masculine scent. He smelled powerful, strong and full of lust…exactly how I always imagined he’d smell.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be carried off on the wave of desire rising in me, higher and higher.

I rolled my pussy across his thick, hard ridge and almost came right then and there. I was aware that I had probably soaked through ages ago, but no longer cared. I’d lost all sense of propriety and self-consciousness the moment he’d taken my nipple into his mouth.

He pulled back, licked my neck and bit my throat. I cried out and felt close to reaching some peak I’d never been at, almost confused at how strongly I was responding to him.

I looked down, into his eyes and we were almost crackling with electric current, the energy between us was so strong. “What now?” I asked, my voice thick with anticipation.

With a growl he said, “Fuck this,” and stood up. I found myself in his arms, and clinging to him as he strode to his bedroom door. “This is your last chance to turn back, Ms. Britton,” he said as he kicked it open, “once we cross this threshold, all bets are off. Do you want me to stop?”

I shook my head and curled my face against his broad chest. I couldn’t have found the words to tell him no, even if I had wanted to.

And let’s face it, who would want to say no to the hottest man in the world?

Not this girl

PART TWO COMING SOON

I know, I hate cliffies too, but this one is worth it and will be out within a month. Please hang in there and don’t hate me! Thank you for reading and starting out on this exciting story with me!

Mina