The Sandstone Affair (An Erotic Romance Novel) (28 page)

“You were fucking Valerie James,” I say
completely losing sight of the fact we are fighting over the Wall Street story.

“In the past! Now, I’m fucking
you
!”

“Not anymore. No story, no fucky. Is that how
you like it?”

“Look.” He turns, trying to be rational
although for a moment there I thought I saw him give a quick smile. “I know
those people. I work with them. I can’t be a party to their downfall. This
story is bigger than me or you or Lynx or Sandstone. A lot of people are going
to get hurt.”

“People who break the law and ruin people’s
retirement accounts need to be hurt,” I counter almost catching my breath.
“Besides, a magazine isn’t a charity.”

“Well you wouldn’t know a hell of a lot about
charity, or grace, would you?”

“Get out. Get the fuck out of my office.”

“It isn’t your office. Not really. It’s
Sandstone’s isn’t it? Or did you miss it when the judge said that?”

“Get out!” I scream and reach for the vase of
flowers he sent me. I throw it and he turns just quick enough to block the shot
with his shoulder, sending the vase careening into a bookshelf and shattering.

“That is it.” He’s got that look. He’s back
in control again, and he’s about to take control of me.

Pressing and pushing me back toward the wall,
he crowds and presses me until we are only about an inch apart. I feel his
breath, his heart seems like it is pounding through his chest and when he traps
my hands and holds me against the wall I lose all control.

He kisses me roughly, his lips pushing,
surging, forcing his tongue between mine. I resist just long enough to realize
I don’t want to resist. Wrapping my arms around him I kiss back as he drags me
to the center of the room. He twirls me, pushing me hard, and strategically
grabbing my arms until my desktop is all I see. His hand pushes me down hard
against the desk, his other runs up my thigh, setting me ablaze.

“Sounds like you still need some lessons,” he
growls, rubbing the back of my thighs. I reach back and pull up my skirt.

“Then teach me.” I’m unable to contain my
desire, lifting my hips to afford him entry. If he thinks he’s taking me, he’s
got another thing coming, I’m giving myself.

Yanking my panties down, I feel the head of his
cock run up and down my nether lips a few times parting them just enough to
reveal the wetness churning inside my core. He slowly inserts his tip into me,
watching as my hips rock back and forth trying to pull him further and further
inside me.

“Want it, huh?” He chuckles still keeping
himself on the very inside of my opening, imprinting me with feelings of his
presence and absence at the same time. It’s maddening.

“You know I do,” I manage to answer, trying
once again to buck or come up with some movement that will bring him fully into
me.

“Then have it.” He laughs as he plunges his
cock deep inside me, parting my body like a hot knife through butter. I am
instantly filled and skewered by his manhood and my mouth drops open in
response to the overwhelming sensations. Not one to let me settle in, he starts
thrusting, his rough, unhinged pounding taking over the rhythm of my pulse and
pushing me up against the desk. The sound of his balls slapping against my skin
echoes throughout the office and becomes the symphony of this hard ride.

I grip the side of my desk as I feel my body
already clinching, wanting, and pulsing. I want to outlast him, I want control,
I want to win this, I want…I want….I want…Oh god I want...

Shimmering spasms course throughout my entire
body, as if the orgasm was actually coming through my spine and every nerve
ending in my body was screaming in ecstasy. I shut my throat intending to keep
this at least a silent ‘O’, but the sound tears through my resistance and a
pleasing, soul charming gasp seems to leak out of my very throat.

My body goes limp underneath him and for a
moment I think it’s because the orgasm has shattered every bone in my body and
turned me to dust. Only then do I realize there is so much slack because he has
experienced an explosion of his own, deep within me, and can barely hold
himself up any longer, let alone me.

Mark leans over and kisses the back of my
neck lovingly before staggering to the chair he pushed up against the wall. He
manages to zip his pants on the way, and by the time I manage to pull my own
undies up and slowly move to my side of the desk, he has almost caught his
breath, although his sweat stained hair betrays his effort.

“My god, you’re one hot woman,” he says
breathlessly with a smile.

“I can’t see,” I say, shaking my head to
clear the double vision left over from the sudden rush of adrenaline and
endorphins in my system.

“Trust me, babe,” he says with a huff. “You
look good.”

We sit quietly facing each other while our
bodies, souls and minds put themselves together. He starts smiling, as if he
just ate the sweetest piece of pie on earth and knows where he can find more. As
usual it’s me who breaks the silence.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Well for starters,” he says rubbing his
shoulder. “Next time I think I’ll catch the paper, and dodge the flowers.”

I laugh, even though I don’t want to appear
weak or happy, both of which I am at this moment.

“I’m serious, Mark. We can’t go on like this.
Fighting over decisions, fucking out of frenetic energy. Something is going to
have to change.”

“Let’s ditch the fighting, and keep the
frenetic fucking.”

“I’m serious!” I fight the urge to smile.

“So am I,” he says gently. “I’ve taken care
of the fighting, but I wanted one more frenetic fun session over the desk
before we journey into the next room of our love.”

“What room? What care? What are you talking
about? What have you done?”

“Okay.” He sits up and puts his hands together
in a gesture of supplication. “Confession time. Today was a set up. I want us
to remember the passion and rough love we shared in my office, and now your
office. I want us to have that possibility always before us.”

“You were just trying to make me mad? Wait.
It was a ruse? You aren’t going to stop me from running the story?”

“I can’t,” he replies with a smile.

“Technically, you can,” I remind him. “You
might have written that letter to set up your scheme, but it’s all true. As
long as Lynx is a part of Sandstone you can overrule me, and as long as the
Wall Street assholes are your clients and friends you will.”

“As long as Lynx is part of Sandstone,” he
says wagging his finger. “And that’s only going to be until tomorrow morning.”

My heart, just a few minutes ago pounding
like it was planning to burst through my ribs is now sinking to the pit of my
stomach. These Sandstone boys are some sick bastards.

“Now you’re closing me?” I say, an absolutely
look of disgust crosses my face. “This was just one last screw before you screw
me?”

Mark laughs so loud I think pictures are
going to fall off the wall.

“Julia, dear, you are so dramatic. No, I’m
not closing you. I’m freeing you.” He can tell by the look on my face that I’ve
reached the pinnacle of confusion and have no choice but to listen to him.
That’s why he does things this way.

“I don’t understand.”

“I can’t let that story run. But, if you’re
not a part of Sandstone, there’s nothing I can do about it. So today I arranged
for the sale of our shares we gained when we fronted you the capital. The new
owners take over at midnight.”

“You sold me? Without asking me?”

“I was pretty sure you’d approve. I sold
forty percent of the shares, for a hearty sum, to Robert Clank. He really likes
you and thinks you’re a great risk. The rest of the shares I can sell back to
you. Of course, the money will have to change hands at some point to make it
legit, but I’m sure we can work that out over time.”

“Me? You want to sell the rest of the shares
back to me?”

“Yep. So, you’ll own 60 percent of Lynx now.
You have the majority control. Robert is going to be a silent partner owning 40
percent. His backing will make sure you make it through any lean times, and the
Wall Street story is going to carry you to the top.”

“Mark!” I jump up from my chair and walk as
quickly as my blissfully sore insides will allow. “You gave me back my company.
You kept your promise.”

“I wish you didn’t sound so surprised.” He
chuckles and pulls me onto his lap so he can hold me in his arms. “I love you,
you know.”

“I know.” My eye catches the remnants of the
vase all over the floor. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”

“Don’t be. It definitely shows us what we
need to work on, besides your pitching arm.”

“Thank you.” I kiss him again, enjoying the
slow movement of our lips together, “and thank you for Lynx.”

“It was the smart move. Besides all the dust
your story is going to kick up, it wouldn’t look right if my company held
majority control of the magazine owned and edited by my future wife.”

“Yes,” I agree, before realizing what he
said. Wait, did he actually say that? “Future wife”? A huge smile starts
building on my face. It wasn’t a proposal but it’s good enough for now. I beam
at him, feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

“It’s like I told you before. We don’t have a
deal or a contract to lean back on. You don’t need anything from me, and I hold
nothing over you. The only way we can keep going down this road is if it is
your choice.”

I pause for a moment, letting my finger
outline the bridge of his nose.

“You know,” I finally manage to say. “When my
father died, and I thought I lost Lynx, and you, I thought I had nothing left.
Everything was stripped away. Without it all, I found me. That was me standing
up at my father’s funeral. That was me going into the lion’s den to get that
folder. That was me sprinting through the courthouse without shoes. That was me
controlling my emotions when I could have spit in Blake’s face. That courage,
that honesty, that control, that passion, that power, that was all me.”

“Yes, it was.” Mark nods his affirmation. I
take his hand and hold it open.

“Now, this is me,” I say leaning over to kiss
his palm, then put his hand over my heart. He looks at me quizzically.

“This is me, choosing you.”

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