Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set (77 page)

“You’re not getting rid of me,” announces Joe.

“Fine. You can watch, then.” I move to get up, but he keeps me pinned.

“As much as I want to watch, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he counters.

“Are you offering instead, then?”

“I would say yes, but I wouldn’t want to risk it with Jimmy and Allen. They can pop back in unexpectedly,” Joe warns.

I don’t agree or disagree, but I understand his concern.

“I promise to make it up to you,” Joe sweetly offers.

My lips curl. “Promise.”

“Definitely,” he concurs.

I nod and Joe seals his agreement with a kiss which turns into several more.

My phone chirps and I unwillingly answer. Jared is calling to update me on everything. Aside from Nathaniel’s being wiped clean the day after the premier, at least a dozen movie stars have called in, making appointments for later in the week to schedule time for custom outfits along with several news channels wanting to do interviews. Naturally Me is still being inundated with emails, especially with the connection of me and Chris. We’ve got a number of news channels looking to do an interview which I decline immediately. Jared reassures that he’s turned down everyone. The one good thing with all of this, other than Nathan’s success, is that our numbers for Naturally Me have risen dramatically with views, click-throughs and watches, spiking our potential earnings rapidly. Jared describes in detail the four-man team that now represents his and Nathan’s bodyguards, commenting on how they’re all hot, hunky men. He tentatively brings up the engagement slash wedding speculations and I confirm my awareness. We have yet to make any statements online and I want to see if everything will just stop within the next week or two.

By the afternoon on Tuesday, my bodyguards have completely moved into their apartments and I’m back at my place with Joe as my escort. Taylor and the team join us once I get my bags settled in my room. Apparently, they need to inspect my apartment as well as understand the layout just in case there are any emergencies in the future. I debate with them on the point, stating that the layout is the same as their apartments, but they disagree. They insist on knowing where I have key pieces of furniture, if I may have any weapons or anything that could be used as a weapon, as well as which room I sleep in.

“I’ve never had four guys at the same time before,” I tease, standing in the doorway to my bedroom as Caesar and Taylor look around.

“What, ma’am?” Taylor replies, nervous from my statement.

I can’t help but laugh at his serious tone.

“She’s messing with you,” Joe consoles. “Be nice, Emma.”

“I’m just having a little fun,” I challenge.

Joking around is helping calm my own nerves about this whole situation.

“We’re strictly professional, Miss,” Taylor insists, still slightly skittish.

“Yeah . . . I said that once too,” I press back, looking to Joe.

I see Joe’s jaw clench a little, trying to hide a smirk.

“That is not our intention, Miss,” Taylor offers.

“Relax, Taylor,” I reassure. “I mean nothing by it. But, if we are going to get along, you’re all going to need to loosen up a little.”

“Yes, Miss,” Taylor says as his shoulders lower a little. “Besides, we know you’re Mr. Covelli’s lady.”

My head snaps in Taylor’s direction, not expecting his last statement, unable to look away for a few moments before my eyes journey to Joe. No one says anything and I don’t confirm or deny whether I’m Joe’s or not.

“Apologies, Miss,” Taylor stutters.

I nod, but refrain from saying anything more.

My body stands in fright as Joe ushers my bodyguards out the door.

“You okay?” Joe tentatively checks.

“Yeah,” I mumble, turning to face him. It takes a few extra seconds for my eyes to catch up with the rest of my body, scared to look him in the face.

Joe cautiously takes my hands, gently pulling me closer to him. My body quickly follows, wanting his touch.

“Joe?” I begin.

“Yes, beautiful,” he says, holding me tight.

I breathe out some of the tension in my body, but it does little to relax me or help to form words.

“Does that bother you?” he inquires.

“What?”

“That they know something,” he verifies.

“A little,” I huff.

“They’ve all signed contracts. They aren’t allowed to discuss or disclose anything,” he soothes.

“I know,” I agree. “It’s just . . . .”

How do I explain my contention?

Joe stands patiently, waiting for me to gather my thoughts.

“It’s just odd . . . you know,” I continue.

“What is, beautiful?”

“That complete strangers, whom I’ve only just met two days ago, know more than my friends,” I explain.

Joe kisses my forehead. “What do you propose?”

“I’m not proposing anything,” I nervously snap.

Joe chuckles. “What I mean is, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” I say with my voice shaking a little.

“Do you want to stop?” he checks with a little plea in his eyes.

“No,” I mumble.

Joe’s grin widens. “Good. Neither do I.” He leans forward and kisses me. “Do you want to tell them?”

“Tell who what?” I check.

“Your friends? Our friends?” he questions.

“No,” I blurt.

I’m conflicted with what’s happening. Do I want it to stop? No. Not at all. The challenge is lying to my friends and having complete strangers know that Joe and I are having sex. The more we see each other, the more I’m scared to tell Maggie or Jared, and I’m not sure why.

“Okay,” he assures.

“And, tell your team that I’m not your
lady
,” I insist. “It’s just sex.”

Joe laughs.

“What?”

“You want me to word it just like that?” he checks with a chuckle.

I give him a narrowed glare.

“I’ll make sure they don’t say anything,” he confirms.

“Thanks.”

Joe leads me to the couch and has me sit on his lap. Sadie is quick to join us and is practically on top of me. We pet Sadie for a long while until our hands become more occupied by each other’s body as we kiss. My body shifts, straddling Joe. His hands move quickly to remove my shirt, giving his mouth better access to my neck and chest. I’m able to get his dress shirt unbuttoned and pulled out from his pants along with his belt undone before my patience wears thin. As I stand up to take off my slacks, Joe rushes to slide his down to his ankles, kicking them off along with his shoes. Joe reaches forward, getting a firm hold of my hips before I get the chance to remove my bra and panties. I’m about to question if he’s going to rip off my underwear, but fall short when I watch him roll on a condom, shift my panties to the side and angle his cock at the rim of my hole.

The next thing I know, my body shivers at his penetration and Joe’s mouth is on my nipples. How the hell did he get my bra off that fast without me noticing?

My body has missed the feeling of him inside me. I immediately notice a difference in sensation from the last time we had sex — in my shower without a single layer between us. I strangely miss it, but I know we have to use protection. This is definitely a day where I’m fertile and the last thing I need or want is to get pregnant.

Joe pulses up as my hips rock back and forth over him. As the thought pops into my head, Joe’s hand is already circling my nub, bringing me closer to orgasm. Suddenly, Joe stands up, keeping himself inside me as he turns around and kneels on the couch and presses me against the back of it.

“Make me cum,” I beg into his ear.

Joe seizes my mouth with his, desperate to taste me as he thrusts inside, over and over again. “Promise to drench me?” he requests.

“Yes,” I pant as he pushes harder.

Joe’s pace quickens and my first climax arrives, saturating his penis so much that he almost pops out. As my body shakes from the euphoria, Joe’s mouth slurps up the wetness from between my legs and his hands frantically remove my underwear. When I think he’s done, Joe’s mouth moves to my clitoris as he lifts my entire body off the couch, draping my legs over his shoulders, carrying me to my bedroom. I’m forced to direct him since he can’t see and almost walks us into the left side of the doorway.

He gently lowers me down and his mouth moves back up my body, filling me with his cock before our mouths meet once more. Joe continues to pummel into me until another orgasm breaks open with his arriving at the same time.

“Two,” Joe announces, pulling out of me.

I whimper at the disconnect of our bodies, wanting more of him.

“Don’t worry, beautiful,” Joe comments. “I’m not done with you yet.”

My eyes droop from the intoxicating rush that continues to flood my veins, desperately trying to watch his body move out of the room and back in with another condom already in place.

With just a few steps, Joe strides back onto the bed and hovers above me. “Ready for more?”

“Mmm hmmm,” I accept.

Our mouths unite as his cock slithers back inside. My nails trail down his back, desperate to pull him as close as he can get before he laces our fingers together and pumps into me, this time with a slower, but still firm stride.

“This is my last one,” he says.

“What?” I pant.

“Condom,” he verifies.

“Damn,” I huff.

“Is it safe to not use them?” Joe checks.

“No,” I whimper from disappointment and the oncoming of another orgasm.

Joe shifts up, stabilizing onto his knees while holding my hips.

“Don’t . . . stop,” I direct, almost out of breath.

Joe’s hand tighten around my waist, yanking my body toward him as he shoves his cock into me, stimulating the spot that unleashes my third orgasm. My hoarse throat cries out in ecstasy, gulping for more air when another release surfaces. Joe topples over me, on the verge of his own satisfaction when my fingers dig into his back and my pelvis arches.

“Fuck, Emma,” Joe grunts into my neck.

We lay unmoving other than our chests heaving for oxygen.

“Five,” I barely utter.

“Huh?” Joe checks.

“Five,” I repeat, slightly louder.

Joe laughs and I can feel his smile press into my skin at his victory. “Well . . . at least I matched it.”

Sadie joins us on the bed, but doesn’t explore. She just plops her head on my shoulder, wanting some affection.

As we pet Sadie, Joe asks, “So, how do you know?”

“Know what?” I check.

“That we can’t keep going without . . .” Joe searches, but can’t finish.

“I start next week. So, as it gets closer, a woman is highly fertile just beforehand,” I explain.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” I return.

“Can you show me?”

“Show you what?” My brow furrows.

“Your calendar and how it works,” he explains.

“Why?”

“Because I want to understand,” he says.

“Why? Are you going to keep track too?” I laugh.

“Maybe. It wouldn’t hurt to sync a calendar together for it . . . that is, if you want to do it again without protection,” he comments.

“It is a form of protection,” I rebut.

“I mean without condoms,” he clarifies.

“I’ll think about the calendar thing,” I comment, not sure if I’m comfortable with the idea of him knowing my exact schedule.

Joe nods his understanding, but I know he’s dying to know more about how it works. “Can I stay for dinner, or are you going to kick me out?”

“Depends,” I tease.

“On what?”

“If you can keep your hands to yourself,” I say.

“I don’t know if I can agree to that. Why?” he chuckles.

“I might want more if you don’t,” I reveal.

“I have other tools to use and I’m not afraid to ask for assistant from B.O.B. or his friends,” Joe offers with a smirk.

“I’ll consider it,” I return with a smile.

We get dressed and head to the kitchen to decide on what to eat for dinner. Joe offers to help cook, but I highly doubt he'll do much more than have his hands on me the whole time. We start prepping a few items, but don’t start cooking right away.

When the time comes for Sadie to eat, Joe reminds, “Don’t forget to text Taylor.”

“Text him what?”

“That you’re going out,” he informs.

“Shit. Seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously. They need to know when you leave,” Joe explains.

“Do I have to give them a detailed itinerary each time?” I question sarcastically.

“No. But, on some occasions it does help,” he mentions.

I roll my eyes.

“If you were scheduled to be somewhere nice, I don’t think you’d want them showing up in their workout clothes,” Joe elaborates.

“Fine,” I whine, taking out my phone and texting Taylor.

We stop by Joe’s place so he can change and go for a run with Sadie and me. Taylor runs with us, about twenty feet behind the entire time, but I’m not sure where the rest of the guys are. Joe explains that Taylor is just getting a feel for what I do and then from there will make adjustments accordingly.

When we get back to my apartment, there’s a knock on the door a few minutes later. When I check it, it’s Anna with a bag of clothes for Joe. Without a word or a look of judgment, Anna smiles, hands Joe the bang and is on her way.

Jared calls to check in and before I answer, Joe heads to my bedroom, giving me some privacy. We talk about general stuff, both avoiding the topic of me still being in the news. Jared is pleased with the team that is keeping an eye on him and Nathan, but my sentiments are not the same about mine. I complain about having to report in each time I leave. Jared insists it’s necessary, which I understand, at least for right now, but it’s still creepy having four strangers know my whereabouts when I really prefer my privacy. We do decide to take some action next week if rumors don’t die down about Chris and me, but I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

Since I still hear the water running when I hang up with Jared, we only spoke for about five minutes, I decide that I might as well join Joe in the shower. On the way to the bathroom, curiosity snatches this kitten’s attention and makes her snoop in Joe’s bag that was left on the bed. When I get to the zipper section that has toiletries, each object is easily identified save what’s hidden in a small, black leather pouch.

I peel off my sweaty clothes and prop myself up against the doorway to the bathroom since Joe left it wide open. I bite my lip, trying to stifle any sound when I realize that I’ve caught Joe masturbating. My eyes can’t look away — I’m completely mesmerized and I can’t decide whether I want to just watch or join him.

Sadie strolls in with her monkey, making enough noise for Joe to turn and catch me watching. “Hey, beautiful,” he nonchalantly greets.

I’m surprised that he’s not embarrassed. His hand continues to slide up and down his shaft without hesitation.

“Hey,” I reply.

“Coming in?”

“Maybe,” I tease.

“Enjoying the view?” he checks.

“Yep,” I confirm. “But, I’m torn.”

“Yeah? Why is that?” he chuckles.

“Well . . .” I begin. “I liked the back view . . . but, then you turned. Now I’m enjoying the front view too. And, I can’t decide whether to keep watching or join you.”

“How about both?” he suggests. “B.O.B. or one of his friends can join us too.”

“Really?” I check playfully.

“Yeah.”

“I’m surprised you want to include them,” I say.

“Why?” he says confused.

“Anna packed you four condoms,” I present.

“What?” Joe opens the shower door.

“I can’t believe you asked her to pack them,” I reply a little agitated.

“I didn’t,” he asserts.

“Then, how did a black leather pouch with four condoms get in your bag?”

“You were snooping,” he announces with a wicked grin.