Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (82 page)

Chapter 8

Nate

I stood outside of her door, listening as she moaned over and over. No one else was in the building, and she should have been fucking glad of it. Just the sound of her working herself on the other side of the door left my heart racing, my legs shaking. I pressed my head into my hands and tried to catch my breath before turning back toward my office to grab my keys.

I needed to see my parents and the kids, to take a quick shower and catch a little bit of sleep before heading out of town with her. I was high on emotion and riding the wave of what-ifs as they violently raped my insides.

Guilt slammed into me as I pulled my coat over my shoulders. Was I really any better than Janice?

Just because I'd not reached out and taken Elizabeth to my bed yet didn't mean I was innocent. She was the face I saw, the smell I breathed in every time I came for the last few years. It didn't matter if I was in the shower masturbating or plowing into Janice from behind. She'd become Lizzy every time. It was the only way to stay hard, to ensure I might grab greedily at some small semblance of pleasure.

I pulled at the picture on my desk, leaving it face down as I walked from my office and paused. Did she want me to come after her? Was that the game she was playing?

She wanted to finish me. I know she did. I could see it in her eyes, feel it in the energy of her touch as she forced so much of me inside of her.

A groan left me as I headed toward the door, letting indecision be my crutch. I'd never been with another woman but Janice, and never thought I would be. It was exhilarating and terrifying in the same moment. I wanted to make love to Elizabeth and then turn her over and ram myself into her like she belonged to me and should be taught a lesson for leaving me hanging.

I wanted to touch her - everywhere. Run my tongue over every part of her and lap her up like an animal lost to thirst.

"Stop it. Shit." I pressed my hand to my chest and rubbed softly as the chilly wind outside of the building wrapped around me. I paused and glanced up at her window to see the light still on.

What I wouldn't have given to catch a glimpse of her with her hand in her panties, her eyes closed, mouth open in ecstasy. "Anything. Almost anything."

I jogged to my car and got in, buckling up and letting out a long, shaky sigh. I should have been pissed at her for leaving me on the edge of coming, but wasn't. I was hungry for more. I could play her games too. She thought she was large and in charge, and back at the office, she was, but I planned on showing her a few things that lurked in the deepest corner of my fantasies, should she even begin to open the door.

I wanted in. Deep.

*

"I mean, I get it, but I don't." Patrick's voice was pinched with what I had to assume was stress. He and Samantha were at my mother’s, in a much better mood than I imagined they would be.

"I know, buddy." I reached over and squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I'm honestly not at the point of understanding any of it."

"Are you sad? Heartbroken?" He glanced over at me as he sat on the porch swing beside me.

"I'm not sure what I am, honestly. I think numb is the right word." I shrugged and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sad that your mom would choose this path, but I guess it's better for us to get out of our relationship now while she's still young enough to find someone else. She obviously wasn't happy with me."

"She's a slut, Dad," Patrick barked.

"Pat. Stop it. I'm serious. I don't like your language, nor the way you're referring to your mom. Don't do it again, or I'll whoop your ass. Got it?" I lifted my eyebrow, warning him that I was still much bigger and far more of a bad ass than he was giving me credit for.

"All right. I'm sorry. Jeez." He huffed and glanced up at the sky. "I would be crushed. I would keep thinking that it was me. That I wasn't enough."

"I've done that." I glanced up at the stars as well, trying hard not to let myself slip back into another wave of what-ifs. They were deadly to any hope I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"Well, you are enough. You're the best guy I know, Dad. You work hard. You're a good-looking guy. Smart. Funny. Loving." Patrick's eyes filled with tears. "If you're not enough... what hope do I have?"

I squeezed him closely to me. "I am enough. You just said it yourself. Your mom and I just grew apart, Pat. There's going to be someone else out there for me."

"Yeah, but I know you, Dad. You're the sacrificing type. You'll let your own happiness go for us, and honestly I wish you wouldn't." He looked over at me, scaring me by how much he'd grown up in the last few years. Pride slammed into me and my eyes grew wet as well as he continued. "Don't get back with her."

"I won't, son. I can't." I let out a long sigh and stood up. "I'm too interested in finding someone who might actually love me like I'm capable of loving them. Who might feel something when I walk into the room."

"Good. You deserve that, and a lot more."

My mom opened the door beside me and smiled. "I just pulled a peach cobbler out of the oven. Does anyone want some with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?"

"This is why I was a fat kid." I glanced back at Patrick as we laughed. My mother swatted at me and shook her head.

"You were the quarterback of your football team. Fat is not a word I would use for you, baby."

My dad walked out of the living room, holding Samantha and bouncing her around like a rag doll. "Fat? Like as in pretty, hot and tempting?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Dad. Fat, not phat."

Patrick laughed and walked past us. "You guys are so weird."

"Weird can be good," I called after him. "Samantha, go grab some of the cobbler with Mimi."

My father waited until we were the only two in the room to reach out and squeeze my shoulder.

"I'm sorry you're going through this." He shook his head. "I never in a million years expected Janice to be the cheating type. You, yes, but not her."

"Me? What the hell, Dad?" I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked it, not sure what I expected to find, but a little disappointed that I didn't have something from Elizabeth.

"Yeah. You've always been the looker. Janice is a pretty girl, but you outweigh her in looks ten to one. We figured you would grow out of your silly infatuation with her and move on, but you never did. I'm quite proud of you."

"Yeah, feels like a really wise choice right now." I crossed my arms over my chest. "It's whatever though. She chose to move on. It's my turn now."

My mom walked back into the room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Are you going to file for divorce?"

"Yes, and custody of the kids. She doesn't clean or cook, and she's not willing to help them with homework or wash their clothes." I shrugged, unsure of why my parents were just now hearing this. Why hadn't I uttered a word about how bad it had gotten over the last few years?

"Dear Lord, Nate. Have you been doing all that and working your ten hour a day job, son?" My mom's eyebrow rose sharply.

I nodded, a little embarrassed, but I wasn't sure why. I wasn't the one slacking. I was trying like crazy to hold us all together, and doing it quite well. I hadn't even turned into the raging asshole I'd wanted to become several times.

"What did she do while you were doing all of that?" My mom pressed her hands to her hips and gave me a look that used to scare me and all of my friends.

"I don't know, Mom." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I have a lot on my plate right now though. I'm going to go on that trip tomorrow, work to impress my boss and then file for the divorce when I get back."

"Your boss..." My mom pressed her fingers to her lips. "That drop-dead gorgeous woman from the Christmas Party?"

"The one with the black hair?" My dad's voice rose slightly as if he were all of a sudden interested in Lizzy.

"Yeah, that's her." I shoved my hands in my back pockets and glanced back and forth between them. If they expected for me to willingly share information about Elizabeth, they were going to be poorly disappointed.

"Wow. Just the two of you on the trip?" My mom reached out and ran her hand down my arm, squeezing softly. "Is that safe?"

"People are more likely to die in a lightning storm than on an airplane, Mom." I knew what she meant, but enjoyed giving her hell far too much.

My dad laughed. "It wouldn't be safe for me if I was single. She's a beautiful girl."

"Breathtaking, actually." I moved between them and headed for the kitchen. "And she's a complete bitch. We're looking for a good woman next time I start looking, right?"

"Can we at least have a fling with her?" my dad called out before my mom started in on him.

I laughed and dropped down next to the kids in the living room, not willing to tell my father just how much I agreed with him.

A fling with Elizabeth would be incredibly healing.

I just wasn't sure I wouldn't want more when she was ready to walk.

Chapter 9

Elizabeth

I paced the floor in front of our seats on the plush private jet as nervousness tore up my insides. In all my years of dominating the ad industry, I'd never wanted to impress someone like I did Nate. It was insane. As if a trigger flipped inside of me and I was a teenage girl again, wanting the attention of the best looking boy in school.

"Get ahold of yourself. It was a blow job. Nothing more." I pursed my lips together and stifled the need to groan. He was so damn sexy sitting in his office chair half naked, thrusting his incredibly thick cock into me as if he owned me.

My body pooled with wetness as I stopped and turned to watch him walk onto the plane.

I knew myself far too well. Any weakness that bubbled up in me was quickly submerged in acid, and I turned into a domineering bitch.

"You're late." I lifted my wrist to glance down at my watch. "You've been late several times recently. It's getting on my nerves."

"I'm ten minutes late, your highness, and I was dropping my kids off at school." He pointed to himself and gave me a stern glare. "Fucked up marriage, remember?"

I moved past him and knocked on the captain’s door. "We're ready."

"Of course. We'll be taking off in five minutes flat. We'll make up time in the air." He gave me a warm smile as I turned away and walked to my seat, finding Nathaniel already in his. The look on his gorgeous face was a mixture of trepidation and confusion. I hated how bad I wanted to comfort him.

"What's got you upset this morning?" He moved my seatbelt out of the way as I turned and dropped down in the seat.

"Nothing. I didn't sleep well." I pulled it on and buckled up, trying hard to ignore just how good he smelled. I took a shallow breath, unable to help myself from enjoying him as he stained my lungs and pushed me violently toward the cliff of desire. I didn't want to break my own rules around him, but I didn't date men from work.

He doesn't want a date. He wants a fuck.

So do you.

"Ahh... join the club." He slid his hands down his thighs, dragging my attention toward him.

"How are your kids? They doing okay?" I turned my head slightly, taking him in and wishing I hadn't. The safety net of him being happily married was gone, and now I was at risk for pushing him into what I wanted... us.

"They're okay. I guess." He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced over at me. "They're kids. They'll get over it with a lot of love, and me just being straightforward with them."

"Patrick and Samantha, right?" I snuggled into the warm leather of my seat and tried to slow my racing heart.

"Yeah. Lizzy... about last night." He reached out and ran his fingers down my arm.

"There's nothing to talk about regarding last night." I turned my attention to the flight attendant. "Bourbon on the rocks. Double shot."

Nate ordered a bottle of water and turned his attention back to me. "I think there is."

"Good for you." I glanced out the window as the plane lifted into the air. "I'm telling you there isn't."

"Yeah, but see... the thing is-"

"Nate. There's nothing to talk about. You needed me, and I was there for you as much as I could be. You would have done the same for me." I kept my facade locked tightly into place, though the storm brewing below my calm surface was violent.

"I want to do the same for you. To you." He leaned toward me and pressed his lips to my ear, licking softly before whispering, "I wanna open you like a flower and drench myself in your release."

"Fuck," I whispered and moved from him, taking my drink and lifting it to my lips. All I had was my calm. My control. My power.

Under that I was broken. Objectified. Scared. So fucking lonely.

Why did I think it would be titillating to find someone that could rip it from my fingers?

"You want that too? Tell me you do." He reached over and took my drink, taking a sip and setting it in the holder on the other side of him. "Come here."

He pulled me up before forcing me to sit in his lap. The thickness of his erection pressed against the curve of my ass, and damn if I didn't rub myself against it once before gaining control.

"No, I don't want it. I want to win this deal with the McMillian Corporation." Good. I sounded like the bitch I played at the office.

"I want that too." He slid his strong hands over my thighs and dragged my skirt back up with him, his nails grating my skin and leaving chill bumps in their wake.

"I can't do this." I turned and looked over my shoulder at him. "I'm not into sleeping around at the office. You know nothing about me."

"I want to know you fully, Elizabeth. I think you're scared." His hand slid up my inner thigh, grazing my mound and playing along the side of my thin lacy panties. "Fuck, I'm scared."

"This won't end well, Nate." I groaned softly and spread my legs farther, reaching down and pulling my panties to the side as he ran his fingers over my lips, parting me and rolling his middle finger along my entrance.

"I don't want it to end." He pressed his finger in as he sat up and gripped my shoulder tightly with his free hand. The wetness of his mouth on the bend of my neck caused me to lean forward, taking more of him inside of me. "I love your tight little pussy, Liz. You really think you're capable of fucking a man like me? You've seen how big I am."

I want to try. I need to.

"Don't flatter yourself." I rocked against him. "Bring me to the edge and leave me there, Nate."

He growled against my ear and worked another finger into me as he cupped my breast with his free hand, massaging it with skill. The subtle lifting of his hips to rub his cock against me was almost too much.

"We're good. Just turn around and leave us be for a while," Nate called out to the flight attendant, but I ignored him, working myself against his steady thrusting until I reached the edge.

He jerked his fingers from me and gripped my hips. "Get in your seat."

I laughed sardonically, trying hard not to let the pressure of my pending orgasm turn me into a raging bitch. I had gotten what I deserved, and some part of me was proud of him for holding me to the same standard I held him to. Power. I had it, and he wanted it.

He moved from his seat and knelt in front of me, licking his lips as he shoved my skirt back up my thighs. "Open wide for me."

"What? I thought-"

"That I was going to leave you hanging? Like you left me? Never. The illusion of power is never as heady as having actual power, Lizzy. You should know this." He petted my pussy once before leaning down and brushing his nose on either side of it as he gripped my thighs tightly and opened me up.

"I don't want this," I whispered, not sure what else to say. I was losing, and it felt so goddamn good.

"Then tell me no." He brushed his lips over my swollen skin before lapping at me a few times.

I groaned and closed my eyes, reaching down to cup his head and pull him toward me.

"That's what I thought." He leaned in and sucked my flesh into his mouth before pressing those two fingers back into me and working me like a whore.

It didn't take more than a minute, and I felt the world explode. He started to pull back, but I didn't let him.

Cupping his head with both hands, I held him in place and rolled my hips, working myself against him as I cried out in a long guttural sound. He relaxed and dove in faster, harder, bringing me over the edge again.

I pushed at his shoulders as the stars began to dissipate before my eyes, but he locked on to my thighs and worked his tongue around my wet skin, licking up every drop of me.

"Damn, woman." He glanced up, his lips wet and eyes wild with passion. "You taste so fucking good. I want more." He leaned down and licked at me again before running his thumb through my folds and teasing me. "I like that you try to deny me. It's cute."

I smirked and slapped him away. "Get up and figure out how we're going to win this job."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to do." He moved into his seat and grabbed his cock, running his hand over it as it rested firm and erect down his thigh.

"I'm almost jealous." I reached over and stroked him once as my mouth watered for another taste of him. I never made it to the prize because I wanted to teach him a lesson. It was one that I still wanted to teach him.

"Don't be." He glanced over at me, cupping his hand over mine. "You can have control back the minute you take it from me."

"I already have it, Nate." I squeezed his shaft and tugged my hand from his.

"Right. Keep telling yourself that." He picked up my drink and downed it.