Fooling Around (14 page)

“That’s why you’ve been so standoffish this last week.”

“I haven’t been standoffish.”

“Yes, you have.” He smiled at her fondly, feeling better now that he understood what was driving her, why she’d pulled back the way she had. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to be close to him. It was because he’d pushed her away. “And it’s all my fault.”

“No,” she said, sitting up straight and swinging her legs over the side of the chaise, like she was about to get up and leave. “You were right. There should be appropriate boundaries between us. I shouldn’t ask you about personal things.”

He straightened up too, reaching out and placing a hand on her arm in an instinctive attempt to keep her from leaving him. His heart was beating faster than ever now. He felt almost breathless. “But if you can’t ask me personal things, then I can’t ask you them either.”

“That’s right. That’s how it works.” She was trying to hide her face behind her hair again.

“But I want to ask you personal things.” He was confident again, gently brushing her hair back from her face. He was good with women. He was good at this.

“Well, you can’t.” She licked her lips.

Desire and a deeper sort of need rose inside him. He cupped her cheek the way he’d done before. “But I want to.”

“It doesn’t always matter what you want.”

“I don’t believe that’s true.” He drew her toward him, since he couldn’t lean very far because of his cast. He heard her breath catch as he took her face in both of his hands.

“Eric.” She might have been beginning a sentence, but all he heard was her saying his name.

And he wanted it. He wanted to hear his name on her lips in that breathless way. Again. And again. With a throaty groan, he pulled her face toward his until he could reach her lips.

The first touch fired up all of his senses, and he slid his fingers around the curve of her head, threading them through her soft hair.

To his pleasure, she was immediately pliant, willing, eager. She wrapped an arm around his neck and softened her lips against his.

He slid his tongue into her mouth, wanting to feel her, taste her, claim her. Wanting to release the fire he’d always sensed smoldering inside her. She opened to his tongue and made a soft moan at the back of her throat.

“That’s right,” he murmured, when their lips broke briefly as he had to reposition himself slightly. The leg cast was really cramping his style here. “Show me who you really are.”

She made another breathless sound as he claimed her lips again. She wanted him. He could feel it in her responsiveness, in the way she was shamelessly pulling his tongue into her mouth again. Pride and pleasure and possessiveness roared in his head all together as he started to pull her on top of him so he could touch her body.

But before he could manage it, she was pulling away, scrambling to her feet.

He stared up, his body throbbing with arousal and bone-deep need. “Julie,” he began, his voice embarrassingly husky.

“We can’t do this,” she gasped, hugging her arms to her chest. “We can’t.”

Before he could get any more words out, she’d turned around and hurried off the pool deck, away from him.

He stared after her, the roar in his head transforming into frustration and outrage as he realized what was happening.

She was walking away from him, taking what he wanted, leaving him unsatisfied. No woman had ever done so—not in his whole life.

And he wanted Julie more—deeply, fully—than he’d ever wanted anyone else. He didn’t know how or why it had happened, but it had.

“I’ll send Tim out to help you inside,” she rasped as she closed the gate to the wall that surrounded the pool area.

And that made it all even worse. The knowledge that he couldn’t even get inside without assistance.

He was helpless. Powerless. Unable to take what he wanted.

And there was absolutely no way of changing it.

Julie’s body felt like a lit fuse, like it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

It was desperately hard to make herself walk away when Eric was the one who could finally set it free.

But she was racked with fear and confusion—with all of the consequences of crossing this kind of boundary and giving in to such a dangerous desire—and that was enough to keep her from turning back, returning to Eric, and giving them both what they wanted.

She could hardly believe he wanted her at all, but he obviously did. She couldn’t mistake the look in his eyes, the feel of his body.

Eric probably gave in to such desires all the time. He wasn’t in the habit of holding himself back. It wouldn’t mean as much to him as it would mean to her.

That alone should be reason enough for her to not do something so foolish.

As she climbed the stairs, though, she kept thinking about Eric, sitting by the pool, wanting her, if only for the night.

He’d said she lived so much for other people that she’d let it consume her. He’d said she hid herself behind her responsibilities because she was too afraid to put herself out there. She might be deeply offended by the presumption, but she had to admit he was right.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something purely for herself, purely because she wanted to do it.

With a resigned sigh, she went into her bedroom and changed out of her suit and into a pretty pink nightgown that made her feel better.

She looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what it meant that she wore pretty, sexy clothes only when no one else was around to see them.

She suddenly wanted it to be different. She wanted herself to be different, more like the fantasy self she so often daydreamed about. She wanted to do what she wanted—just because she wanted to—no matter what anyone else thought, no matter what her own little voices believed.

She wanted Eric, and he wanted her. And for once she was going to take what she wanted, no matter how many good reasons she had for holding back.

Without giving herself time to talk herself out of it, she unzipped a compartment of her bag she rarely used and pulled out a condom packet.

She carried a few with her, thinking it was what mature, independent women did. She’d never once had to use one, since she’d never had spontaneous sex in her life.

But tonight she was taking a risk, being someone different.

She put her flip-flops back on and went downstairs. She’d forgotten to tell Tim that Eric needed some help, but it was just as well. Tim’s presence would have put a damper on her determination right now.

She walked out the back door of the house and opened the gate that led to the pool area.

Eric was still sitting on the chaise where she’d left him. He was staring at the water of the pool, looking uncharacteristically sober, almost lost.

Her heart went out to him as much as her body had earlier.

He was so much more than rich, powerful, arrogant. There was something tender inside him, hiding beneath the surface.

She wanted that even more than she wanted his body.

She walked over to where he sat and saw his expression change when he turned his head and saw her approach.

She held his gaze as she stood over him.

He opened his mouth—maybe to ask a question—but nothing came out. His eyes crawled over her body, her bare legs, little nightgown, loose hair. His gaze went hot the way it had earlier before he’d kissed her.

“I changed my mind,” she said, answering his unspoken question. “For once, I want to take what I want.”

His expression broke for just an instant, like he was overwhelmed with strong feeling. Then he reached a hand out to her. “Come here, then.”

She drew closer, hesitating when she remembered his leg. “It might be a little complicated,” she began.

He shook his head, taking her hand and pulling her closer. “It will be perfect. You’ll just have to be on top.”

She wasn’t an on-top sort of woman, but she wasn’t about to complain. She wanted him in any way she could get him. With his help, she straddled his hips, and he pulled her down into a deep kiss.

The feel of his body against her, his lips on hers, his hands tracing the line of her back and her butt, sent pleasure pulsing through her. He was hard and big and strong beneath her, and her own body seemed to fit exactly right against his.

He was quickly becoming more urgent, his hands stroking all over her and settling in the cleft below her bottom, holding the flesh with an entitled grip that made her want to purr. They were kissing desperately, as if both of them were starving, famished.

She pulled back slightly when he adjusted his position beneath her. “You okay?” she asked breathlessly, finally putting the condom down and using both hands to pull his shirt up over his head.

“Yeah. I’ve never been quite so immobile before, but I’m sure we can make it work.” When she pulled his shirt free, his eyes devoured her, moving from her face and down her body. Her cheeks were hot and her hair was messy and her nipples were tightened shamelessly, and he seemed to really like what he saw.

He reached for the fabric of her nightgown and pulled it off her slowly, revealing her naked body. She wore a pair of panties and nothing else.

“Fuck, you’re so gorgeous,” he said hoarsely, staring at her chest. He dropped the gown on the ground and reached to cup both of her breasts. “I knew you’d be gorgeous like this.”

She sucked in a breath at the touch of his rough hands, and she arched helplessly when he twirled her nipples with his thumbs, so aroused now they were throbbing, aching. She could hardly hold herself still.

“Look at you,” he murmured, sustaining his torturous caress. “Look how much you love this, how much you want me to make you feel good.”

For some reason, his words just heightened her pleasure. She was moaning now. She couldn’t seem to stop. “I do. Please, Eric. Please.”

He made a pleased growling sound and slid one hand between her legs, beneath the fabric of her panties. He teased her nipple with one hand as he explored with the other.

She cried out when he found her clit, her whole body jerking with an intense surge of pleasure.

“There’s the spot. Is this what you want?” He caressed her skillfully as she clutched at the arms of the chaise to keep her balance on her knees above him.

“Yes,” she gasped. “I want it. I want it so much.”

He worked her over until she was on the edge of coming. He was watching her hungrily the whole time. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense his possessive look, and it made her even hotter. She knew he was watching as the pleasure broke inside her, and she let out an uninhibited cry of release.

“Beautiful,” Eric murmured, pulling her back down into a kiss. “So beautiful.”

She kissed him eagerly, her body racked with lingering pleasure. Even after her climax, she hadn’t had anywhere close to enough of him.

As they kissed, she fumbled at his shorts, pulling down the waistband enough to find his erection. He was hard and hot beneath her hands, and she caressed the length of him, loving when his breath hitched and his body jerked at her touch.

He bent up his good leg as his body tightened so much he was almost shaking as she fondled him. She couldn’t believe she was making him feel so good, but there was no denying that she was.

“Let’s get rid of these,” he rasped, pulling her panties down past her hips. She had to lift one leg and then another to get them off, but finally she was free of them.

She was leaning down for another kiss, but he stopped her, his eyes running up and down her body. “You’re totally naked next to the pool, beneath the night sky,” he murmured, a smile in his voice. “How does it feel?”

“It feels incredible,” she admitted, something wild and free sweeping through her at the realization of what she was doing. A little voice at the back of her mind hoped that Tim wouldn’t decide to come outside at the moment, but that voice was drowned in the thrill of the rest of her mind crying out in pleasure. “Incredible.”

“It definitely looks incredible.” He cupped her breasts again, as if he couldn’t stop touching them. “I can’t wait to see you come again.”

“Pretty confident, aren’t you?”

“Definitely.” He reached for the condom and ripped the packet open. She took it from his hand and rolled it on.

It took a little maneuvering to get into position, but she was finally able to lower herself down on top of him.

Both of them groaned at the penetration.

He felt big and full and tight inside her, tighter than anything she could remember. She gasped and clutched at his shoulders for support, being careful not to do anything that would impact his leg.

“Je—sus, you feel so good.” He was holding onto her bottom with both hands.

They held the position for a minute, trapped together on the cusp of action, overwhelmed by the intensity of the sensations. Then, finally, he muttered, “Oh, baby, you have to move now.”

She let out a breath and lifted herself slightly on her knees, starting to ride him slowly.

“That’s right,” he said, his eyes never leaving her face and body. “Just like that. Take me just like you want.”

She’d never done this before, but it didn’t feel awkward. Her body knew exactly what it wanted, what it needed, and she worked herself up to a faster, harder rhythm as the pleasure began to grow inside her.

He kept gasping out words of pleasure and encouragement, telling her how good she was, how good he felt, how much he wanted her to let go.

She was letting go—in a way that was new and thrilling. She wasn’t even self-conscious, even though she was riding him hard, completely naked, right there on the pool deck. Her breasts were jiggling wildly, and her hair was all in her face. She was hot and sweating and panting, and nothing had ever felt so good in her life.

He was pumping his hips slightly in time with her rhythm, his broken leg preventing anything more intense. His hands kept moving from her butt to her breasts to her face, as if he couldn’t decide where he most wanted to touch her.

“Yes,” he hissed, one of his hands finally sliding down close to where they were joined. “Take me just like that. Take me exactly as you want. Take as much as you want.” He found her clit and massaged it clumsily.

She almost screamed at the jolt of pleasure that sliced through her. Her back arched and she froze for just a moment as the tremors began inside her.

Then she was riding him hard again as the orgasm overtook her, sobbing loudly with pleasure, completely unconscious of who else might be hearing her.

Eric’s body had tightened like a fist, and he was starting to let go himself. He grunted loudly, animalistically, as he gripped her bottom and held her down on his erection, grinding his hips up into hers.

Her release was powerful, leaving her limp and exhausted. She collapsed on top of him, relieved when he wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

Neither one said anything for a minute or two, until Julie’s body had relaxed deliciously and her mind cleared enough to know that there would be consequences spiraling out from what they’d done tonight.

At the moment, she just didn’t care. She’d done exactly what she wanted, and it had been even better than she could have imagined.

She straightened up, feeling a little flicker of pleasure when Eric’s arms resisted her pulling away from him. Taking a deep breath, she raised herself off him, swinging one leg over his hips so she could stand up.

She was sore and wet and hot and naked. She reached down for her nightgown.

“Are you regretting it already?” Eric asked, carefully taking off the condom and tying it off.

“No.” She took the condom after she pulled her gown back on. “Not at all. It was really good.”

“Yeah. It was.” He smiled up at her so appealingly she was hard-pressed not to crawl back into his arms.

But she was going to take this for what it was. A moment of pleasure that didn’t change anything else about her world. She had a job to do here, and she wasn’t going to indulge in silly fantasies.

That would ruin this, and she didn’t want it ruined.

She smiled back at him as she went to get his wheelchair. “You ready to go back upstairs?”

“I guess I have to eventually.”

“I can wait, if you want.”

He shook his head, his smile fading slightly, as if he’d been brought back down to earth just like she had.

She helped him into his chair and then back to the main floor of the house. She waited while he washed up and went to the bathroom, and then she helped him into his bed.

“How do you feel?” he asked just before she left the room.

She paused, surprised by the question. Because she hadn’t been expecting it, the only thing she could tell him was the truth. “A little weird, but good. No regrets.”

“Good.” He smiled. “Me too.”

Eric stayed awake most of the night, thinking about Julie, reliving their time together next to the pool.

He’d had good sex before. Plenty of good sex. There was no logical reason why sex with Julie had overwhelmed him so fully, but it had. He was consumed by it, remembering every detail like it was some erotic, vivid dream.

He understood that she’d changed her mind and decided to come back to him because she was daring herself to be different, breaking through the walls with which she’d been guarding her life. So in reality it might not really be about him. It was about the act of doing it at all.

But she’d chosen to spread her wings with
him,
and that must mean something.

He felt like his hands were tied, though. Not just by his broken leg, which seriously got in the way of his doing what he wanted, but also by the fact that Julie was working for him.

He really shouldn’t have slept with her at all. It was wrong on more levels than he could count, which was why he’d never crossed that line before. He didn’t believe she would sue him. Nor did he believe she’d been coerced into it in any way. But that didn’t free him from the responsibility.

What were people supposed to do, though, when they fell for someone who worked for them? Obviously he couldn’t fire Julie. He didn’t want anyone else to be his assistant for the time being, and he’d promised her the money.