Chapter Two
Nate sat cooling his heels in the marble and brass lobby of Eros’ Retreat. The mahogany paneling and bay windows spoke of the building’s history as a mansion from an earlier age, and a fountain in the corner—also marble—added a touch of serenity. He glanced at his watch again. Désirée wasn’t all that late, so he’d wait before he tried calling or texting her. The efficient man behind the desk had found the reservation, so she hadn’t cancelled or made the whole thing up. Still, the thought niggled that the shy version of Désirée might have chickened out at the last minute.
A tall woman in a business suit approached him, her heels clacking against the floor as she did. He immediately rose.
“Hi, I’m Millicent Nelson.” She offered her hand for a firm shake.
“Nate Winslow,” he answered.
“Your room will be ready shortly, but I want to give you and Ms. Knight a tour of the facility,” she said. “And lay out some very firm rules.”
Rules in a place where you could have anything you wanted? About privacy, no doubt.
“Is Ms. Knight arriving soon?” Ms. Nelson asked.
“Any minute, I hope.”
Ms. Nelson simply smiled at him pleasantly. Though attractive, her appearance did nothing to suggest she worked at a sex resort. Her makeup was subtle, and she’d drawn her hair back to a bun at the nape of her neck. She appeared as if she could easily disapprove of something. Being made to wait for a guest, perhaps?
The front door opened, and Désirée breezed in, pushing a huge suitcase alongside. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic, don’t you know?”
A bellman took Désirée’s bag.
“There are two more in the car, I’m afraid,” Désirée said.
“Give George your keys, and he’ll get all your luggage and Mr. Winslow’s to your room,” Ms. Nelson said.
Désirée did as instructed and then joined him and Ms. Nelson. If Désirée had been made up before, she was now in full costume. Her hair had new red highlights, and her lips were painted crimson. Her dress clung to every curve, and she wore stiletto heels so high that they put Ms. Nelson’s to shame.
“There you are, Nate.” She kissed his cheek and then wiped the outline of her lips off with her fingers.
“Good, then,” Ms. Nelson said. “Shall we begin our tour?”
“Oh, let’s.” Désirée wrapped her arm around his as Ms. Nelson led them down a hallway past the hotel gift shop and restaurant.
“Horace Wilcox had the house built in 1895, but the estate was also a working farm,” Ms. Nelson said. “Much of the land has been sold off, but we retain generous grounds for gardens, pool, guest cottages, and a running track.”
All fascinating, but not nearly as interesting as the woman who’d snuggled her body up against his for the tour. She’d worn makeup before, but not like this, and her clothing had taken a turn toward extremely suggestive. The Désirée who’d invited him here resembled the shy woman he’d wanted to get to know, but this version of Désirée didn’t fit with anything he’d known about her before. Lovely but fake. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Or her.
At the rear of the building, they passed the fitness center, which had been added on to the main house, and then they stepped outside onto a tiled terrace. Ms. Nelson stopped and turned to point upward to the second floor. “The guest rooms in the old building have been restored to their Victorian splendor, but the new wings have more modern decor.”
“I’m sure it’s all quite lovely,” Désirée gushed.
“And all our rooms are soundproofed.”
“Convenient,” Nate said. Désirée gave him the side-eye but didn’t say anything.
“Perhaps I should review our rules and the agreement your magazine signed,” Ms. Nelson said. “We observe the strictest privacy here. All guests surrender their cell phones so there’s no video recording or photography. I’ll take yours now.”
Ms. Nelson held out her hand. Nate pulled his phone from his jacket pocket while Désirée fished in her purse for hers. When Ms. Nelson had them she managed something of a smile.
“Thank you,” she said. “There’s a landline in your room if you need to call anyone.”
“I believe you agreed to some shots of the facilities,” Désirée said.
“With very strict guidelines. The grounds and the buildings only. No photographs of any people other than yourselves. That applies to staff as well as guests.”
“Of course.”
“Anything you want to reveal about any of our guests—whether they can be identified or not—will have to be done with their consent…in writing.”
“I’ve read the agreement,” Désirée said. “We’ll cooperate, won’t we, Nate?”
“Sure thing.” At the moment, Ms. Nelson resembled a drill sergeant more than a host at a resort. But heck, he had no desire to encroach on anyone’s privacy. On the other hand, he didn’t have any particular agreement with Désirée or the magazine. He was about to become a principal actor in her article. In his rush to enjoy her body—over and over—he hadn’t really considered the implications of that.
“I don’t mean to be unpleasant,” Ms. Nelson said. “But our guests require the freedom to explore their sexuality without fear of embarrassment or worse.”
“Completely understood,” Désirée said.
“Good.” Ms. Nelson gestured toward a gravel path, and he and Désirée followed. “The rose garden, the serenity glade. The pool.”
All very nice. The pool, especially. Not quite Olympic size, but big enough to get some good exercise swimming laps.
“Guidelines for nudity and sexual activity in public areas are outlined in the book you’ll find in your room,” Ms. Nelson said. “We enforce these rules very strictly.”
“Don’t want somebody getting it on in the restaurant while I’m eating my eggs Benedict,” he said.
Ms. Nelson’s smile was pained. “Exactly.”
Désirée dug her elbow into his ribs. “Never mind my friend’s sense of humor.”
“Finally, the Barn.” Ms. Nelson led them to a huge red building. Except for the skylight on top, it appeared to be a barn about the same age as the house.
“No pictures either inside or outside of the Barn,” she explained. “And no reference to it in your article.”
“But it must be very important,” Désirée said. “I can’t do Eros’ Retreat justice without mentioning it.”
“You can simply refer to it as a special place.”
“I can do that, I guess.”
“Can we visit it?” Nate asked. “And maybe use it?”
“Of course. You are guests, but you’ll have to follow the rules.”
“As laid out in the book in our room,” Désirée recited. She shared an amused look with him, and he felt like he was seeing the woman from the coffee shop for the first time that day.
“Exactly. Now let me show you where you’ll be staying.” Ms. Nelson walked up the path, but Nate hung behind to stare at the Barn for a bit. No noises came out of it. Nor smoke signals nor anything else. Even his imagination couldn’t come up with ideas for what went on in there.
“Are you coming?” Désirée called from where she and Ms. Nelson stood partway up the path toward the main building.
Not yet, but with any luck, he would be soon.
…
Rae discovered the magazine had gone all out booking their room. It was spacious and in the new wing of the resort. Perfectly huge, it had its own deck, complete with hot tub. She checked everything out—from the bathroom with its startling white tile, brass fixtures, and fluffy towels, to the closet, to the bed. And the mirror on the ceiling over the bed and on the wall across from the bed. Precisely placed for interesting views during lovemaking.
Yes, she checked everything out because that way she didn’t have to face Nate, who stood only a few feet away.
Nate. Her Hook-Up Man. He was going to provide inspiration for her article and, no doubt, many columns to come. She wouldn’t have to rely on fantasy any longer. Only two problems…
One. What if he didn’t measure up? He seemed like a nice enough guy, and those usually made the effort to learn how to please a woman. With his looks, he probably had a lot of experience in the bedroom. And if his cock wasn’t particularly large…well, didn’t she always write that a lover’s equipment didn’t matter so much as what he did with it? Besides, if he was less than perfect, she could gloss over any flaws in her future columns.
Problem two was a lot more serious. Namely, she was going to have to make herself vulnerable. You couldn’t exactly fuck without breaking down boundaries in a major way. She’d keep her makeup, but everything else would get exposed.
She’d have to make sure her heart stayed protected. This was temporary and casual. No relationships.
She could do this. She had to. She wanted to.
He watched the wheels turning in her head but said nothing. His easy smile told her he suffered no qualms whatsoever about coming to a love nest with a woman he didn’t know. If only she had as much confidence as he did.
“So,” she held her arms out to her sides. “Here we are.”
“We are, indeed.”
He still didn’t say or do anything to make the moment less awkward, so she’d have to get over herself and get to the point. “You need to understand one thing. Although we’re here as a couple, my column is Single and Sexy. Emphasis on single.”
“I have no problem with that. I’m definitely not in the market for a relationship.”
She heaved a sigh of relief. “Since you read my column, you know I often refer to my bed partners as Hook-Up Man. I may have to call you that while we’re here. Is that okay?”
He appeared to mull it over for a minute. “I do get to have a name, right?”
“Whatever you want. We can use Nate or something else.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “But I don’t have a personality to speak of.”
“Of course you do. Désirée Knight wouldn’t entertain a dull man. Be funny. Be smart. As long as your personality doesn’t mind being referred to as someone temporary.”
“I guess that’s what this relationship is, isn’t it?” he said. “Just a temporary fling for the purposes of your article.”
“Right.” Could the man be any more perfect? “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Will do.” He went to one of the bedside tables, opened a drawer, and pulled something out. He held up a packet of condoms. “Thoughtful.”
“Kind of a necessity, wouldn’t you say?”
He set the condoms down and approached her. “There are probably a few other things we need to discuss.”
Her pulse raced at his nearness, but she couldn’t back down, so she stood her ground and gazed into his hypnotic hazel eyes. Trying for confident, smoldering. Well, maybe not that last one, but definitely not afraid of having him near.
“I’d like to know exactly what’s expected of me,” he said. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
She stopped herself before she blurted out that he could do whatever he wanted. True, she’d brought him here because of her job, but in fact she’d wanted him since the first time she’d seen him. She wrote a column telling women to go after their desires, so she had no reason not to follow her own advice.
“Do whatever comes naturally, I guess,” she said. There. That hadn’t been so difficult. After that kiss at the coffee shop, they both knew what would happen once they got here. She only had to make herself relax and enjoy it.
“What’s okay with a Hook-Up Man in public?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Holding your hand. Touching you. Putting my arm around you. Those are all allowed?”
“They are.”
He raised a hand to her face and rubbed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “This is allowed?”
She did her best not to tremble. “Sure.”
“Uh-huh.” He walked around behind her and ran his fingertips from the spot behind her ear down to her shoulder. “What about this?”
Every inch of flesh he’d touched came alive, suddenly full of nerve endings she hadn’t known existed. “I’d say that’s okay.”
“And this?” He pressed his lips to the spot where her neck met her shoulder.
“For now, just in private. We’ll find out later what goes on in the Barn.” Anything more, and she’d be purring like a cat and arching to have more intimate parts of her scratched.
“And this.” He grasped the zipper pull of her dress and eased it down. “In private.”
“I think that’d be all right,” she managed to breathe out.
He walked back around her, took her chin in his hand, and tipped her face up toward his. “What say I do some exploring and you stop me if I do something you don’t want?”
“Okay.” The word came out uncertain—trembly—exactly the way she felt right now. She’d just consented to letting him do whatever he wanted. No, correct that. Whatever she wanted. And, oh man, did she want. She’d craved this man for months, and to all appearances, she’d have him now.
He kissed her, at first just pressing his lips to hers. When he backed away, she leaned into him, placing her hand on his chest for balance. Her head was spinning as if she’d turned around and around and around.
Now he took her face between his palms and kissed her for real, his mouth capturing hers the way it had before. The taste of him…the feel…better than her hottest imagination. She took more and more of his sweetness, nibbling on his full lower lip, and when his tongue peeked out, she grazed it with her own.
A woman’s voice let out a cry of pleasure and surprise. Her own voice, of course. Like her and yet different. She’d kissed a few men in her life, but she’d never made a noise like that.
He released her, straightening but not moving away. He gave her a lazy smile, his eyelids hooded, as hers must also be. Her vision had blurred with sexual excitement.
“All right so far?” he said.
She nodded and licked her lips to memorize the feel of him.
“Good.” He went behind her again, finished unzipping her dress, and pulled it over her head. He’d turned out better than she’d imagined. If he wanted to undress her, fine. Underneath she wore only her bra, panties, and insanely high heels.
She caught a vision of herself in the side mirror. She’d had enough sense to buy sexy lingerie, so she looked pretty damn good in the crimson push-up bra and matching bikini panties.
He nibbled at her neck again, somehow finding the exact spot to make her knees weak. She should write a column about neck nibbling, and she would if she could remain sane enough to remember the details.
Then he reached around and cupped her breasts. “Still okay?”
“Oh, yes,” she sighed.
“You’re perfect. Just the right size for my hands.”
And she’d thought herself too small. As he squeezed her flesh, she seemed to blossom and swell for him. And when he unfastened the front closure, her breasts fell into his hands. Now he could tug gently on the nipples and make them stiff.
He touched her as if he’d studied her body for years instead of minutes. Using just the right pressure to let the arousal build.
Pulling at the bra straps, he eased the scrap of fabric down her arms and allowed it to fall to the floor. She was nearly naked now, getting ready to have sex with a stranger. Her Nate—the man of her fantasies—had now come to life in every way she’d imagined. Moving his arms around her again, he stepped close and pulled her against him. Her shoulders rested on his solid chest, and lower, the imprint of his erection pressed into her ass. Her buttocks couldn’t quite measure it, of course, but it seemed large. She’d find out soon.
“Ready for more?” he whispered.
His breath in her ear was enough to make her moan, but his words melted her insides. This was real. Everything she’d lusted after for all this time. It would happen. Now.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” With one arm around her for support, he skimmed the other hand over her abdomen to her pelvis. He slipped his fingers into her panties, and she held her breath…waiting, waiting…and then he parted the lips of her sex and stroked them. On the second pass, he found her clit, and she lurched, her knees nearly giving out. His strong arm held her as he continued wreaking havoc with his fingers. Soft strokes, forward and back, ending on her clitoris each time.
“Hot,” he muttered in her ear. “Wet.”
She was. Impossibly wet and ready to go up in flames. He kept up the pressure, now flicking his finger over her clitoris until the world disappeared. He was going to make her come this way—standing in her heels and panties in the middle of a hotel room before she’d had a chance to unpack. It all felt so forbidden and erotic. Definitely not something a “nice” girl would do and yet totally natural. As inevitable as the climax only moments away.
“How about the bed?” he said.
“Bed,” she repeated stupidly. He expected her brain to function?
Without another word, he picked her up, carried her to the bed, and laid her on the comforter. He didn’t join her, though. Instead, he undressed and let her watch. Shoes and socks weren’t too exciting, but when he unbuttoned his shirt and stripped out of it, she got a view of his chest. Finely muscled and smooth, he might have been a sculptor’s masterpiece except he was flesh and all male. His pants went next, and now she could check out the size of him for real. It strained against his briefs, the tip even jutting out. When he pushed the last bit of his clothing over his hips and stepped out of it, his hard-on stood stiffly away from his body.
She could not stop staring at it. At him. She’d never seen a man so beautifully endowed. He was the stuff of fantasies…of her columns. Impossible. Everything in her writing was the ultimate and unattainable. She couldn’t be encountering it in the flesh, could she?
He’d seen her staring, of course. Smiling, he put his hands on his hips and let her ogle as much as she wanted. Looking wasn’t going to be enough, though, so she finally raised her gaze to his face.
“Do you suppose it’d be okay if I fucked you?” he said.
“Not only okay but required.”
“That’s my girl,” he said. “One more thing first.”
Bending, he removed her shoes one at a time and dropped them onto the floor. Then he eased her panties over her hips and down her legs. When he tossed them aside, too, she was completely naked and open to him. She might have felt self-conscious, but something about how he looked at her made her feel sexy instead. Empowered.
“You know what I’ve been fantasizing about doing ever since you invited me here?” he said.
She shook her head. Whatever it was, she’d enjoy it. His smile said he’d planned something wicked. Fodder for her column if she dared to write about it. He didn’t wait for an answer but climbed onto the bed and immediately inserted himself between her legs, his shoulders parting her thighs and his face near her mound. Holy crap. And if he was half as good with his tongue as he’d been with his fingers, he’d send her straight to heaven.
Sure enough, he draped her legs over his shoulders and brought his face right to her sex. After parting her lips with his hands, he placed his mouth on her and began to lick.
Ah, geez. If she’d thought he’d aroused her before, she hadn’t understood the meaning of the word. She went right to the border of the stratosphere and stayed there. No air to breathe at this altitude—nothing but the rasp of his tongue over her clit. Too much. Too intense, but she’d die if he stopped. She’d die, anyway. In a moment, she was going to burst into a thousand pieces.
She’d thought him a master before, and now he proved it. Somehow, he managed to keep her where she was without sending her over the edge. So aroused, she couldn’t move or think of anything except how her body screamed for relief. She needed to come, and she reached for the climax.
“Nate,” she managed to gasp. “Please…please.”
He answered with more pressure, pressing his tongue against her clit and rolling it. Then he slipped two fingers inside her. And yes… She snapped, hurtling upward into orgasm. It clenched inside her and then broke free. For long seconds, it held her in its grip, and then the spasms started. Her muscles clenching and releasing. Even when the climax ended and she floated back to reality, the flutterings continued. They persisted as he crawled up beside her and gathered her into his embrace.
“I guess that’s okay if I do it in private,” he said.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I love the sounds you make when you come.”
Sounds? None had penetrated into her consciousness. Nothing had other than the feel of his tongue on her clit. But if he enjoyed them, fine.
Finally, she could open her eyes, and she found her face rested against his chest. This close, she could make out the scent of him. Clean male with a hint of musk beneath.
And now she could finally touch him, so she did. Running her palms over his pecs, she toyed with his flat nipples with her thumbs. That pulled a little shiver from him. She trailed her fingers lower to his ribs and rock-hard abs. Even lower lay her prize—the magnificent cock she’d soon enjoy inside her. She found it and grasped the shaft in her fist and pumped.
“Ah, shit.” He placed a hand over hers to still her movements. “Not a good idea right now.”
“I can’t play?”
“I’m ready to explode,” he said. “Play later, okay?”
“Okay.” She’d been saying that a lot lately, and she’d say it a lot more before their visit ended. Okay to things she’d never tried and never imagined trying. Right now, she could let him take over.
“In fact, if I don’t get inside you pretty damned soon, I’ll go nuts,” he said.
“We can’t have that.” She reached to the bedside table and grabbed a condom. She had the great pleasure of opening the packet and then unfurling the rubber over him. At her firm touch, he gritted his teeth as if fighting for control. Maybe he had pushed himself to the edge to give her pleasure.
With no reason to wait a second longer, she rolled onto her back and parted her legs for him. This time when he settled between them, his cock was poised to enter her.
He was big, but he’d made her wet and eager for him. Still, he went slowly so she could feel every inch entering her. Her muscles stretched to accept him, and in a moment, he’d embedded himself in her fully. They stared into each other’s faces briefly as recognition of their perfect fit sank in, and then he began to move.
A whole new world of sensation opened up. Yes, she’d done this before, but she’d never done this. An easy glide, and yet he possessed her completely. While his sex plundered hers, their bodies created delicious friction—his chest against her nipples and a slight stubble of his beard against her shoulder. His breath heated her skin, and his clean scent surrounded her. And what amazing sounds he made. Low moans of mounting pleasure. She answered with her own sighs, joining in an intimate duet.
She opened her eyes to memorize every detail and found herself staring up into the mirror over the bed. What she saw robbed her of what little air she had left in her lungs. An erotic movie was playing up there. A man’s body performing sex as it was meant to be done—his hips moving, the muscles of his tight butt contracting and relaxing. By God, it was sexy.
He paused for a second, lifted himself, and looked down into her face. His ragged breath grazed her cheek. “Are you with me?”
“Mirror.” She pointed upward, even though he wouldn’t see the gesture. “Up there.”
“Right,” he said. “Enjoying it?”
“Oh, yes.”
He laughed and went right back to fucking her, now harder and faster.
Eventually, the responses of her own body took control over what was happening in the mirror. Her mind went hazy with the pure pleasure of the movements of his cock inside her, and she let her eyes drift closed. He went deep, so deep, and her inner walls closed around him, seeking more. Her clit came to life with all the jostling, and soon she’d climax again. With him still moving inside her. Unbelievable.
“Oh, shit,” he said. “Come for me. Can’t last.”
Yes! her mind answered. She couldn’t have formed the word.
“You feel so fucking good.” He went crazy with his thrusts, as if he’d drive them both off the bed. Now lost in her own need, she climbed toward the peak. Her whole body tensed, readying itself. Then the orgasm rushed through her, wiping out everything but this perfect moment. Her sex grasped at his over and over, and he answered by stiffening in her arms and letting out a roar. They’d come together with enough power that consciousness slipped away.
When the storm ended and Rae returned to the world, she lay with her eyes closed as Nate’s body rested on top of hers, his cock still inside her. She didn’t try to open her eyes but ran her fingertips over his back.
What had just happened? She’d spent the last few minutes living within her own columns—a make-believe world where sex scrambled your brain and left you semiconscious. That was supposed to be a dream to be reached for, not something that could actually happen on your first “date” with a man you didn’t know. Somehow, he’d made it real. A true miracle…as long as it didn’t turn into a nightmare.
“Nate,” she whispered. “Oh my God, Nate.”