Chapter Ten

 

Claire

 

Girl, just get in your car and drive to the damn office. 

I closed my laptop and drummed my fingers on the kitchen table.  It was almost eleven on Monday morning and I was working from home because I knew Jonah was in the office this morning.  But, I had access to his calendar and according to it, he was out of the office at eleven thirty.  I needed to get to the office and start packing my stuff up, and start on my notes for the person Jonah would find to replace me.

My stomach roiled, and I rubbed at my forehead.  Jonah would replace me at work and in his bed, and the thought of him sleeping with someone else made me sick to my stomach.  He would find someone who shared his kink and they’d live happily ever goddamn after.

You share his kink, you idiot.  You just won’t admit it because you’re stupid.

God, my inner voice could be a real bitch when she wanted to be.  Not that she wasn’t right, but I had enough regrets over what I said and did last Saturday night.  I didn’t need her chiming in to remind me that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.

So, call Jonah and apologize.  Tell him that he was right.  Tell him that you are into being watched and that you’d be willing to give it a try.

I wanted to, but I wasn’t entirely certain I could go through with it.  What if I got up on stage and then froze or lost my nerve?  The thought of disappointing Jonah, of not being able to give him what he wanted, was almost as bad as the thought of never being with him again.

I stood and paced back and forth.  I felt like I was going insane.  I had barely slept all week, and my regret over what I had said to Jonah was so thick, I felt like I was constantly on the verge of a panic attack.  I had purposely avoided him all week.  If I saw him, I knew I’d either burst into tears or try and fuck him.  At this point, I wasn’t sure which would be worse.

My cell phone rang, and I studied the unfamiliar number before hitting the answer button.

“Claire Hoyt speaking.”

“Hello, Ms. Hoyt, my name is Roberta Smith.  I’m the head of administration at Riverside Hospital?”

“Hello,” I said politely.

“Hi.  I’m calling because I understand that you’re looking for a position in Human Resources?”

“Um, yes, that’s right.”

“Excellent.  We’re looking for an HR manager here at the hospital, and I’d love it if you could meet with me this afternoon.  Do you have time in your schedule?  Mr. Peterson mentioned that you weren’t quite finished up yet with his company, but that he was certain you would have time for an interview with me.”

“I, um…” I sat down with a heavy thump in the kitchen chair. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening here.”

Roberta laughed.  “I’m sorry, I do tend to get ahead of myself sometimes.  Your former boss, Jonah Peterson, phoned me this morning.  He’d heard we were having trouble finding an HR manager, and he wanted to personally recommend you.  He mentioned that you were looking for some new challenges, which is why you’re leaving his company?”

“Um, yes, that’s right,” I said.

“Well, I can assure you that the hospital will have a lot of unique challenges for you.”  Roberta made another tinkling laugh.  “We’ve been without an HR person for some time, and I’m afraid I’m not very good at filling the position.  What do you say?  Could you meet with me this afternoon?  Mr. Peterson said to mention to you that he was fine with you taking the afternoon off to meet with me.”

“Okay, sure.”  I sounded exactly like I felt – like I’d been run over by a truck.

“Oh thank goodness.  Shall we say around one?”

“Okay.”

“Good.  Just park in the visitors parking on the south side of the hospital.  Let the receptionist know you’re here for a meeting with me, and she’ll make sure your car doesn’t get towed.  See you at one, Claire.”

“See you then.”  I clicked end on my cell phone and stared blankly at the screen. 

Jonah had gotten me a job interview.  He’d gone out of his way to try and help me find a new job.  I blinked back the hot tears and leaned my forehead against Pumpkin when he jumped up on the table.

“I’m an idiot, Pumpkin,” I whispered.  “I love him, and I miss him so much, and I’m a damn idiot.”

 

* * *

 

Jonah

 

I studied myself in the reflection of the kitchen window.  It was Monday night, and I was trying to decide between cooking myself something to eat or drinking a six pack of beer. 

“Beer,” I said to my reflection.  “Definitely beer.”

Instead of reaching into the fridge, I continued to stare at my reflection.  I rubbed my beard and ran my hand through my hair, making it stick up in thick waves.  “Maybe I’ll get a cat.  An orange one with a stupid name like Cinnamon or some shit like that.  Yeah, a cat would be nice.”

I pulled my phone from my pocket and Googled the animal shelter.  They were open for another half hour, and I grabbed my keys from the counter and headed for the front door.  I grabbed my jacket and opened the door, staggering back when I saw Claire standing on my front porch with her hand raised to knock.

“Claire?”

“Hi, Jonah.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk, but, um, if you’re busy, I can come back another time.”

“No!  No, I was just uh…”

“Just what?”

“Going to the animal shelter to get a cat.”

She blinked at me.  “You were what?”

“I was thinking maybe I’d get a cat.”

“Okay.  That’s weird.”

“Yeah.  Come in, please.”

She followed me into the house, and I had to squash my immediate urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her hard.  God, she looked so good and smelled even better.  I took her jacket and hung it in the closet, trying to discreetly adjust my growing erection.

“Um, do you want something to drink?”  I led Claire into the kitchen and she sat down at the table as I opened the fridge.  “I have beer and water.”

“I’ll take a beer.”

I twisted the top off the beer bottle and handed it to her.  She took a long swallow before smiling at me.  “You look different with a beard.”

I rubbed it self-consciously before taking a drink of my own beer.  “Claire, I owe you an apology.”

She shook her head.  “Jonah, stop.  You’ve already apologized to me.  I came here because I owe you one.”

“No, you don’t.”

She smiled again.  “Yeah, I do.  But first, I got a call from Roberta Smith today.”

“Oh yeah?”  I tried to look nonchalant.

Claire’s smile widened.  “I know you called her, Jonah.  She told me you did.”

“I was just trying to help,” I said.  “I wasn’t trying to control you or -”

“I know.”  She traced her fingers along the label of the beer bottle.  “She offered me the job at the end of the interview.  I accepted it.”

“Congratulations.”

“You don’t look surprised.”

“I’m not.  You’re amazing and they’re lucky to have you.”  I held my beer bottle up.  “To you and your new job.”

She clinked her beer bottle against mine and we both drank.  She chewed at her bottom lip.  “Thank you, Jonah.  I got the job partly because of you.”

“No, you got it because you’re damn good at what you do.”

“I am,” she said with a grin, “but your glowing recommendation made a difference.”

“It was the least I could do.”

We sat in silence for a moment before Claire took a deep breath.  “I lied to you.  I told you that I didn’t share your kink and that isn’t true.”

I didn’t reply, but my pulse sped up when Claire took my hand.  “I shouldn’t have lied, and I feel awful that I tried to make you feel bad about what you like.  I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said.

“It isn’t.  Even if I didn’t share your kink, it would have been a shitty thing to do, and the fact that I’m into it just as much as you, makes it even worse.”

“I pushed you too hard,” I said.

“Yeah, maybe,” she replied.  “But we’ve both done things we regret.  What I’m wondering is if you’ll accept my apology and give us another chance to -”

“Yes,” I said.  “Hell, yes.”

Her smile made me stand and pull her into my arms.  I kissed her hard on the mouth, not even ashamed that she could feel the desperation in it.  She returned my kiss, and I cupped the back of her neck, pressing kisses all over her face.

“I missed you,” I said.  “I missed you so fucking much.”

“I missed you too.”  She slid her arms around my waist and gave me a cheeky grin.  “Now, take me to your bedroom.  I want to know what that beard feels like on my pussy.”

I laughed and hugged her.  “God, I love you.”

She stiffened and pulled back.  “You love me?”

Shit.  Leave it to me to fuck things up again.  “Yeah, I do.  I know it seems fast but -”

“I love you too.”

“Holy shit.”

She laughed.  “Not the reaction I was looking for.”

“You love me.”

“I do.  Like you said, I know it seems fast but when you know, you know, right?”

“Yes.”  I picked her up and carried her toward my bedroom.  “I think it’s time the woman I love had her sweet pussy eaten.  Don’t you think, pet?”

“I couldn’t agree more, handsome.”

 

* * *

 

Two months later

 

Jonah

 

“It’s been over an hour.  Am I going to have to wear this blindfold all night?”

“Oh shush,” Claire said as she held my hand.  “You’re going to love your surprise, I promise.”

“If we’re at the shelter and you’re about to make me adopt a cat named Cinnamon, you should know that Pumpkin will be pissed.  Ever since you moved in, he and I have gotten really close.”

She laughed and pressed a hand against my chest.  “You know exactly where we are, don’t pretend.”

“Hey, I haven’t been to the animal shelter before, maybe it sounds and smells exactly like The Sapphire.”

“Trust me, it doesn’t.  Stop for a minute, honey.”

I heard the sound of a door opening and then Claire was leading me forward again.  “Straight ahead, honey.  Don’t worry, there’s nothing in front of you.  Okay, good, stop.  Stay there for a moment.”

I waited patiently as she left, and I heard the door close.  “Keep your eyes closed.” She was behind me, and she untied the blindfold before moving around to my front.

“Okay, open them.”

I opened my eyes, studying the plain room with the queen size bed and the nightstand.  “Is this…”

She nodded.  “Yes, it’s one of the club’s private rooms with the, uh, two-way mirror.”

I glanced at the wall to our left.  A large mirror ran the length of it and I studied our reflections for a moment before turning back to Claire.  “Are you sure about this, my love?”

“Very sure.  I don’t feel like I’m ready yet to do a show on the stage, but being with you in this room is a good starting point.  Don’t you think?”

She glanced at the mirror, her cheeks turning a little pink.  “Besides, there might not be any one on the other side of the mirror anyway, right?”

“Maybe,” I said.

We both knew that wasn’t true.  After the public shows on the stage, these private observation rooms were the next popular attraction at the club.  People loved the idea of watching a couple through a two-way mirror, it gave them that added little thrill of watching something they shouldn’t, even when the couple having sex knew damn well they were being watched.

I realized that Claire was unbuckling my belt and I folded my hands over hers.  “Are you certain, my love?”

“Yes.”  She pressed a kiss against my mouth before whispering into my ear.  “Jonah, I am so fucking horny that if you don’t fuck me, I’ll have to masturbate in front of these people, and I don’t think that’s what they’re here to watch.”

“Well, we really need to give the people what they want.”  I pulled down the zipper on Claire’s dress and helped her out of it.  She was wearing a black bra with a matching thong and black stockings.  I traced the band on her left stocking before cupping her pussy.

“Soaking wet already, pet.”

“I told you I was horny.”  She unbuttoned my dress shirt and pushed it off my shoulders.  She pressed a kiss against my chest and didn’t object when I turned her around to face the mirror.  I unclipped her bra and took it off, dropping it to the floor.

I cupped her breasts and rubbed her nipples as she arched her back.  I stared at our reflections in the mirror, at the way her pink nipples darkened as I pulled and tugged on them.  “You’re so beautiful, my love.”

“Thank you, honey.”  She turned her face toward me and I kissed her, tracing her lips with my tongue until she opened her mouth.  I caressed her breasts, flicking both her nipples with my thumbs until she cried out into my mouth.

“Please, honey.”  She spread her legs eagerly when I slid my hand down her flat stomach. 

“Should we take these off, pet?”  I traced the edge of her panties.  “Show them how pretty your pussy is?”

“Yes,” she moaned. 

I pulled her thong down her legs, helping her to step out of them.  She was wearing just her stockings and her heels now, and I petted her smooth thighs above the stockings.  “Open your eyes, pet.  Look at how beautiful you are.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at the mirror.  My hand was rubbing slow circles on her lower abdomen and she made another soft moan and spread her legs wide.  “Please touch me, Jonah.”

I stepped away and she made a whine of disappointment.

“Patience, my love.”  I quickly stripped off my shoes, pants and briefs.  My cock was already hard as a rock and dripping a steady stream of precum.  I pressed up against Claire again.

“Put your arms around my neck, pet.”

She did what I asked, reaching up and hooking both arms around my neck.  Her spine rested against my back, and her curvy ass cushioned my erection.  I reached between us and parted her ass cheeks, so I could rest my dick between them.  She immediately rubbed up and down, and I groaned and gave her nipples a quick pinch.

“Behave, pet.”

“Are you going to fuck my ass?”

“Not tonight, pet.  Tonight, they’ll watch me fuck your tight pussy.  Next time I’ll take your ass.  All right?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my good girl.”  I kissed her neck before pushing my hand between her legs.  They were still spread wide, and she arched into my hand when I gave her pussy a quick rub.  “Does that feel good, pet?”

“So good,” she moaned.

“Let’s show them your pretty clit.”  I used my left hand to spread apart the lips of her pussy.  “Arch your back for me, pet.”

Claire arched again, pushing her pelvis out as I rubbed her exposed clit with the tips of my right fingers.  I stared at our reflections.  I had a perfect view of her pretty, pink clit and knowing that the people behind the mirror did as well, made more precum drip out of my dick.

I rubbed her clit with slow circular strokes, watching her reaction in the mirror as she panted and pleaded and rocked against my fingers.

“Do you want to cum, pet?”

“Yes, oh yes, please.”

“You want them to see what you look like when you cum on my fingers?”

She nodded, her hands squeezing around the back of my neck in a tight grip.  “Please, Sir.  Please.”

I rubbed faster, pausing every couple of seconds in the way I knew she liked.  In less than a minute, she was moaning loudly, her nipples were hard as glass, and I knew she was seconds from her climax.  I wrapped my left arm around her waist and gave her clit a little pinch with my right as I nipped her neck.  She screamed and came all over my fingers, flooding them with wetness.  I rubbed her clit, enjoying the little ticks and tremors her body made as she came down from her high.

“So beautiful, pet,” I whispered into her ear.  “Are you ready to be fucked?”

Her body made another shiver before she nodded.  “Yes, so ready.”

“Good.”  I led her to the bed and sat down on the side of it.  We were still facing the mirror and I urged her to spread her legs around mine.  “You’re going to ride me facing the mirror, my love.  Show everyone what your little pussy looks like when it’s full of my cock.”

“Oh God,” she moaned.  She reached down and rubbed at her clit.  “Oh God, I want to cum again.”

“You will, pet.”  I pulled her hand away and tugged her back until she was straddling my thighs.  I pushed on her lower back, bending her over slightly until I could press my dick against her wet entrance.  “Good, push down.  Show everyone how good you are at taking my cock.”

She pushed without hesitation, her tight pussy squeezing around me as she took me.  When she was sitting on my lap, she leaned back against me and rested her head on my shoulder.  “Does it feel good, pet?”

“So good,” she groaned.  “Please fuck me, Jonah.”

“I will, my love.  Spread your legs wide.”

She did what I asked, arching her back until her tits were thrust out and I could see every inch of her pretty pussy in the mirror.  I moved in and out in a slow motion, watching the way the lips of her pussy slid up and down my cock.

“You’re so wet, my love.  So tight and so wet.  They can see every part of your pretty pussy, can see how wet it is, and how you take my cock like a good girl.”

“Oh God.”  Her fingers reached down and she rubbed at her swollen clit.  I should have stopped her, should have made her draw out her second orgasm.  But after only a few minutes in her tight pussy, knowing that people were watching me fuck the woman I loved, I was already so fucking close, I was ready to burst.  I pumped harder, holding her hips to keep her steady as I fucked her roughly.  She moaned and continued to rub at her clit, her other hand caressing her breasts.

“You’re so beautiful, Claire.  So fucking hot and wet.  I want you to cum all over my cock.  Show them how beautiful you are when you’re cumming from a thick cock in your pussy.

“Fuck!”  She made a sharp cry of need and her fingers rubbed furiously at her clit.  “Oh God, Oh God, Jonah.  I can’t stop.  I can’t…”

Her voice died out and her entire body stiffened before her second orgasm washed over her.  Her pussy clamped around me like a vice and held me deep inside her body.  I shouted hoarsely and arched beneath her as my balls tightened and I came deep inside her pussy.  I thrust hard and fast, letting her pussy milk every drop of cum from my balls before I slowed to a stop.

She was panting and moaning, her hands clutching at my forearms as I stroked her flat belly and stocking-covered thighs.  After a few moments, I lifted her off of me and set her on the bed. 

She curled onto her side and I spooned her from behind, sheltering her body from the mirror.  I stroked her side and kissed her neck.  “You okay?”

“That was so good, honey.”  The dreamy quality of her voice made me smile.  “I loved it.  Was it good for you?”

“It was amazing, my love.”  I kissed her neck again. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

She smiled up at me.  “I did it for me too.  I love you, Jonah.”

“I love you too, Claire.”

 

* * *

 

Please enjoy an excerpt from The Landscaper, Book Six in the Working Men Series.  “The Landscaper” will be available in July 2018.

 

The Landscaper

Working Men Series Book Six

 

Copyright ©2018 Ramona Gray

 

Isabelle

 

“Okay, listen, big guy.  You don’t like me, and I respect that.  We’ve just met, you’re young and wild and free, and I want to put a collar and leash on you.  But, believe me when I say that it’s the best thing for you.  I’m asking you to trust me.  To give me the chance to prove to you that I am a-okay.  And,” I held out the burger in the now soggy wrapper, “you’ll get a nice juicy burger and some belly rubs out of the deal.  I promise.”

The dog cocked its head before taking a nervous look at the trees behind him.  I quickly unwrapped the burger.  “C’mon, big fella.  I know you’re hungry.”

The dog sniffed the air as lightning flashed across the sky.  I stayed where I was, crouched low to the ground.  The loop of the slip lead was resting on the palm of my left hand, the burger placed in the center of it.  My right hand held the lead, ready to slip the loop over the dog’s head if he ever decided to come near me.

I blinked rain water out of my eyes and hoped like hell my wild shivering didn’t scare off the dog.  The wind was picking up, the rain was ice-cold, and one hell of a storm was brewing.  I nudged the high-powered flashlight resting on the ground with my foot until the entire body of the dog was caught in its beam.

I made a low sound of dismay.  The dog was a mastiff cross and I shouldn’t have been able to see his ribs that clearly.  The poor guy was slowly starving, and I was determined to catch him tonight.

The animal shelter had been getting calls for months about the dog.  He was spotted all over town eating out of trash cans and, on one memorable occasion, going on a food-stealing rampage through the park during our annual watermelon festival.  The employees at the animal shelter had been trying to catch him without any luck.

His massive size scared off most of the townsfolk from even trying to catch him.  He’d been mistaken for both a moose and a bear, and now that he seemed to be living in the forest on the outskirts of town, and with hunting season about to start, the odds of him being shot and killed by a hunter were high.

“C’mon, boy,” I coaxed.  “C’mon, have a nice juicy burger.  C’mon.”

He took a few tentative steps forward, his nose quivering in the beam of the flashlight.  He whined, and I made a low sound of comfort.  Outwardly, I appeared calm, but inwardly I was nearly frantic for him to move closer.

As the dog stood and contemplated his next move, I took a quick glance behind me.  I couldn’t see it in the dark, but his house was behind me.  Hell, I was practically in his damn backyard.

Considering how hard you’ve been trying to avoid him the last month, you’re being an idiot now, you know that, right?

I ignored my inner voice.  She was right, but what choice did I have?  With a lack of any type of animal control in our small town, Mrs. Johnson had called the animal shelter right before it closed.  The dog was in her backyard and trying to dig up the potatoes in her garden.  My supervisor, Linda, had told her we couldn’t send anyone out until the morning when the shelter opened again, but I’d grabbed a leash and immediately driven across town in the pouring rain, making one quick stop at the local McDonalds to pick up a couple of burgers.

It wasn’t my fault that Mrs. Johnson lived next to him, was it?  I couldn’t let that stop me from catching the dog.  I’d never forgive myself if something happened to the dog tonight, just because I was trying to avoid the man I’d been in love with since I was twelve years old.

By the time I got to Mrs. Johnson’s, the rain was so bad I could barely see the road, and the setting sun had disappeared.  The dog was already gone, scared away by Mrs. Johnson’s youngest son, but I followed its tracks in the mud to the edge of the forest. 

“C’mon, sweetie.  I know you’re hungry.  Please, boy.  Please.”  I wasn’t wearing a jacket, I was soaking wet, my hands and feet were completely numb, and the burger I was holding was a wet and rapidly decaying mess.

“Please,” I said again. 

The dog inched forward, picking his way delicately through the wet grass.  I held my breath and when the dog bent his head and picked up the burger, I slipped the loop of the lead over his head and around his thick neck.

I braced myself, prepared for the dog to fight and struggle to get away.  I was on the smaller side, not as tiny as my brother’s girlfriend, Luna, but at 5’6” and a hundred and twenty pounds, a panicking large dog would drag me off my feet.

To my surprise, the dog just gave me a weary look of resignation before swallowing the burger in one bite.  Still crouching, I quickly tore open the wet paper bag and unwrapped the second burger.  He took it eagerly from my hand, letting me rub the side of his neck as he chewed it down.

I stood and patted his side.  “Good boy, buddy.  Good boy.  C’mon, let’s get you back to my place.”

Considering it was actually my brother Asher’s house and not mine, he’d probably have a fit about me bringing the dog home, but I didn’t have much choice.  As a part time employee who’d only been working at the animal shelter for two weeks, Linda didn’t trust me with a key yet.  I would take the dog back to Ash’s place and then bring him to the shelter in the morning.

I picked up the flashlight and patted the dog again.  “Let’s go, boy.  I’ve got some dog food waiting for you at my place.  We’re gonna take a car ride, and maybe I’ll even try and give you a bath.  Would you like that?”

Thunder, so loud it made my teeth vibrate, boomed directly above us.  The dog made a startled yelp and took off running.  I held tight to the leash as I was knocked off my feet.  The flashlight went flying and the dog dragged me through the mud and over a raised flower bed full of miniature rose bushes.  I cried out, trying to protect my face from the thorns with my free hand. 

The dog hauled me out of the flower bed and across a stone patio.  I screamed and threw one arm over my head when the frightened mutt ran straight into the barbeque.  The leash was torn from my hand, but it got tangled around the barbeque.  The barbeque fell over with a loud crash, and the dog dragged it for a foot or two before giving up and stopping.  He sat on his haunches, panting harshly as the lights flicked on and the back door opened.

“What the hell?”  The man I was madly and hopelessly in love with, stepped out onto the patio and studied the dog before turning his gaze to me. 

I was still lying face down on the cold stone and, as lightning lit up the sky, I lifted my head and said, “Hello, Knox.  One hell of a storm out here, huh?”

 

The Landscaper (Working Men Series Book Six) will be available in July 2018.

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