Chapter 20
Jordan
Instead of practicing for my TED talk and reminding myself about Friar Jordan’s New Law of Celibacy, I spent half the night fucking my hot intern. And though it blew all those newfound ideals out of the water, there was no way in hell I was going to regret it.
After the first time on the floor in front of the fireplace, I carried her upstairs to my room. I had another condom and I intended to use it. If this was a one-night-only thing—as it really had to be—then I was going to make the most of it.
After two orgasms, she appeared fatigued, a sheen of sweat making her porcelain skin glow in an otherworldly beautiful way. There was another fireplace in my bedroom, so instead of turning on the lights, I flipped the switch for the fireplace instead. Then, I laid her gently on the bed and she smiled up at me with sated eyes that I couldn’t resist. I bent to take that mouth with mine again, kissing those plump, pink lips that reminded me of a fairytale princess. A very naughty fairytale princess.
“You thirsty? Hungry?”
With a smile, she shook her head then scooted over on the bed, patting the place beside her.
I ducked into the bathroom before joining her. She had rolled onto her stomach, having tucked a pillow under her chin, and was watching the fire intently from the foot of the bed. I lay on my back and admired the curves of her gorgeous ass and thighs.
Her body was different from the women I dated nowadays. Most were models, so they were tall, lean, and lanky. All firm, toned muscle and few curves. They were beautiful women, no doubt, but there was something about this one…
“Your body is beautiful,” I said, running a hand over her soft skin, cupping her ass.
She turned her head to look at me¸ a frown creasing her dark brows. It was clear she didn’t believe me. “Weren’t you dating a Victoria’s Secret model last year? And the actresses…I hardly compare to any of them.”
My hand paused only momentarily in its exploration of her skin, her ass, her legs. I was already getting hard just from touching her. And I wanted inside her again—soon. Hopefully, the second time would be enough for tonight because the condom count would be zero after this. Though I could call room service for more if I became desperate enough.
“You shouldn’t compare yourself to any of them. You’re different. You feel like a woman. A real woman. It’s their job to look like that so the clothes look good on them,” I shrugged. “But I wouldn’t kick any of them out of bed for eating crackers…”
She scowled.
“I might kick you out of bed, though. So I could fuck you on the floor again, of course.”
“Wow, the things you tell a woman just to get in her pants…”
My hand stopped on her arm and closed around it—a little too tightly, I realized, when she sucked in her breath. I let up on my hold and she turned, our eyes fastening on each other. “I don’t lie to a woman. Ever. Not to you. Not to any of them.”
“I could make you lie to me.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, but it didn’t have the intended effect. She smiled craftily.
“How many lovers have you had?”
I hesitated, pulling back. “I’m not going to tell you that.”
She raised her head off the pillow and looked at me. “What if I told you how many I’ve had?”
“Tell me, then.”
“Let’s see… I was seventeen my first time—junior prom. That was my high school boyfriend—”
The thought of her with other men was annoying me for some reason, even if it was ancient history. “Just a number, Weiss, not a complete sexual history.”
She shrugged. “You’re number six.”
I lay back on my pillow and watched her, running my hand down her leg again.
“Well?” she said after a minute. “Come on…tell me your number.”
“The truth?” I sighed. “I have no idea.”
Her brows shot up. “What?”
I shrugged. “It’s not like I count.”
“Okay, but…could you count if you sat down and thought about it?”
I stared at the ceiling, avoiding her eyes—and the question. She was probably disgusted.
“Are we talking dozens, scores, hundreds? Ballpark it.”
A sly smile spread across my lips. “Definitely less than a ballpark.”
She smacked the back of my arm and laughed. “Jackass.”
I laughed and shrugged. “But it’s just a number anyway. I actually think sex gets hotter the longer you are with someone. You get to know them better, their body, what they like…”
My hand smoothed over her again. Had I ever touched skin this soft before? And even after all that sweating she’d done from our scorching encounter downstairs, she still smelled amazing.
Her eyes widened. “Wow, that’s so not something I expected to come out of the playboy millionaire’s mouth.”
Yeah, if I kept talking like that, I stood to damage my reputation. But I’d already started to feel jaded about all that anyway.
And seeing Cyndi tonight had reminded me of that emptiness. Of how I probably would never be satisfied if I kept hooking up in those shallow, unfulfilling liaisons. Sure, it was fun to get my rocks off in the moment. But at the end of the day, I went home alone. The chick might not even be someone I’d want to sit around and watch movies with or have a meal or long conversation.
I hadn’t had any of that in a long time, until… My hand stilled on top of April’s weird tattoo at the small of her back, right at the curve above her ass that drove me crazy. I rose up on one elbow to get a better look at it, running my hand over it again.
“So here it is, the damning tattoo.”
She tensed under my hand. “You mean my brand of shame? My scarlet letter?”
“Your what?”
She turned her head and looked at me. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’ve never read the novel. The Scarlet Letter? Nathaniel Hawthorne?”
“I was homeschooled. My mom didn’t like classic literature. I saw the movie, though. Some Puritan chick got pregnant out of wedlock and they made her put a red ‘A’ on all her clothes.”
She got that same dreamy look on her face she always did when she talked about books. “Hester Prynne. She was an amazing woman. They tried to shame her, but she rose above their jeers and taunts. She bore the brunt of their horrible treatment, stood up on the scaffold and faced the humiliation in front of everyone in the village. The scarlet letter was meant to be her brand of shame. Eventually it became her badge of honor.”
I traced the skull and snake tattoo at the small of her back. “And this is your brand of shame?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes it feels like that.”
“What on earth possessed you to get this, Weiss?”
“What possessed me to do just about all of the stupid things I’ve done in my short life? A combination of my parents, a steep nose-dive in self-esteem and a lot of alcohol.”
“So your mother did something to piss you off?”
She shook her head. “No, that one was my dad. I was sixteen. We had a big fight. I wanted to leave the boarding school I was at because I hated it there and was having a hard time. He blew me off. I went out with some questionable friends, got drunk using a fake ID and woke up the next morning with the tat. It was basically a symbolic slap in the face to him. And he was hurt when he found out about me getting a tattoo—though he never saw it. I want to get it removed someday.”
“Until then, it’s damning evidence of your bout with cosplay stardom,” I said, laughing.
She turned to me with intensity in her eyes, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “Speaking of damning evidence, I do believe you have a tattoo that proves you were once madly in love with someone.”
I swallowed hard and looked away. That same fresh hurt rose up and stabbed me in the chest. So weird that after all these years, you’d think you were over something—someone. But tonight…looking into her face again, seeing her so much older now. And a far cry from that smiling, carefree surfer girl I grew up with… The woman who basically shattered my trust in all women forever. Because if I couldn’t trust her, who the hell could I trust?
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I didn’t want to talk about Cyndi. Not now…not ever. But I doubted April would let me off the hook, and she was starting to tread into uncomfortable territory. So I leaned forward and kissed her on the shoulder, smoothing my hand down her back. Although this was a classic distraction tactic, I really was ready to go again. I nibbled on her ear and she drew away from me to catch my gaze with those beautiful dark blue eyes. I took a breath and let it go with a sigh.
Her serious expression smoothed into a smile and then a laugh. “Hmm. You know, you really should be practicing that speech and getting a good night’s sleep.”
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the opportunity to address you this afternoon,” I began without hesitation, pushing her long hair away from her neck. That hair…that neck. Angling for taste, I dipped my head, opening my mouth and sucking her soft, fragrant skin into my mouth. She gasped and wavered against me.
Rolling so that I was on top of her, her curvy ass pressing into my groin, I reached under her to grope those full, firm breasts as I kissed my way down her back.
“And…?” she prompted with a breathy voice.
“For decades, the integration of video games and education have revolutionized the way we teach and learn…” With my leg, I pushed her thighs open. My hand dropped from her breast and scooted between her body and the mattress to find her already wet and ready for me. Oh, hell yes. I pressed my cock against her opening and she gasped.
“I’m going to fuck you, Weiss. This time it’s going to take a long time and it’s going to feel so good.”
“It felt pretty damn good last time.”
“I’m going to see how many times I can make you come in one night.” I tore the foil wrapper with my teeth and slipped the condom on. Fuck yes, I was going to make this last shot count.
“I’m not opposed to that plan.”
“Are you willing to let go and let me take you there?”
With the hand underneath, I pulled her toward me and entered her with a quick, smooth thrust. One of my favorite moves. I’d wanted her to cry out, maybe even scream—at least gasp loudly or groan. Instead, she sucked in her breath. Before I was done pounding her, I vowed to have her weeping. This girl needed to let go and I was going to make that happen.
But for this moment, I savored the feel of her closing around me, gripping me tight—so tight I could barely breathe. I buried my nose in her fragrant hair, covering her body with mine, and I began to move. I reared back on my knees, pulling her up with me, and slammed into her with quick momentum. She held herself up on the baseboard of the bed, and with one hand, I gathered her hair and carefully tugged, pulling her head back. She rewarded me with a grunt.
My other hand slipped underneath her to rub against her clit. She felt so damn good, but she was too quiet this time. After a few minutes, I bent over her to place my mouth at her ear. “Do you like that, April?”
She was breathing heavily, at least. “Yes.”
“I want to hear how good it feels.” I gave her hair another tug and pounded into her.
This time the grunt was accompanied by a moan.
She shifted her hands on the baseboard, pushing back against me as I rose and fell over her. My lust surged. “That’s right.” I quickened my pace.
“Oh, God,” she moaned. I got that a lot. With a growl, I bent forward, and finding the base of her neck with my mouth, I sank my teeth in. She jerked in response.
“You like that.”
“Yes,” she grunted, sounding feral.
“You want more?” She didn’t reply. I slowed down, giving only short, shallow thrusts. “Tell me, April.” She pushed back against me again, as if in protest, and I grabbed her hips and held her still. “I want to hear you lose control.”
“Go faster,” she pleaded.
“I told you I was taking my time.” I stilled and continued to rub her sweet spot. She tried to thrust back against me and I stopped her, waiting until she was close again. I used my free hand to palm her breast, rubbing over her nipple over and over until she was gasping and coming, gripping me with her climax. I relished the feel of her around me, tight and hot.
Pushing into her again a few times, I waited until she came down from that. Then I pulled out and rolled her over.
“That’s three.”
She gazed up at me with satisfied eyes. “You count orgasms but not partners?”
I lowered my mouth to hers, about ready to climb on for more when she pressed against my chest, shoving me away.
“What?”
She grinned wickedly as she pushed me again and I slid off her. “My turn to ride high,” she said as she rolled me onto my back and straddled me.
Oh. God, yes. My hands glided from her hips, across her waist to cup her breasts as she shifted her hips and I entered her again. With a thrust, I slid home, pushing in deep. This time, instead of a reserved intake of breath, she moaned, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Slowly, April,” I warned as she began to move, but there was a challenge in her eyes. She licked her lips and shifted quickly against me. I pinched her nipples hard. She threw her head back and yelped, her nails digging into my skin.
I brought my hands up to her head and cradled her face in my hands. She continued to move and I thrust against her. I pulled her face down to mine, both to kiss her and to slow her down. Her breasts rubbed against my chest and it felt incredible. She felt incredible, surrounding me, gripping me tight.
“Open your eyes,” I commanded. She complied as she continued to move against me. Her long silky hair splayed across my body felt like heaven. But when her gaze drifted away, I pulled her head closer. “Look at me. Don’t look away.”
As we stared into each other’s eyes, we slowly climbed again. Each movement brought a sweet, high-pitched moan from her. And each moan did something to me deep inside. But it was her eyes holding mine that penetrated a layer I didn’t even know existed. It was far more intimate than I had imagined. At one point, I was the one who wanted to look away, afraid she would see too much of me.
Before long she was gasping with another orgasm, her back arching. I sat up and sucked her nipple into my mouth as she writhed and whimpered against me. Her slick body was stuck to mine and I rolled us over, pushing into her again and again until I was coming, the hot release pulsing from my body. Her mouth was on my neck, her nails in my back, her legs clamped around my hips, pulling me flush against her.
Holy. Fuck. It was minutes before I could even think again, let alone talk or even remember how to breathe. The last time had been amazing. This time had blown it—and just about every other good roll I’d ever had—right out of the water.
I pulled back and looked into her glowing, flushed face. What the hell was this woman doing to me?
Feeling uncomfortable and more than a little exposed, I rolled off of her and went to the bathroom to clean up. She was still lying on her back staring up at the ceiling when I came back into the room. I plopped onto the bed and pulled her against me. Her body was cold from the sweat so I curled up around her back, spooning her. She turned and kissed my arm.
“I do believe that final count was four,” I said.
“Six, if you count yours…”
“We’re only counting yours. I could shoot for making it an even half-dozen.”
She laughed. “I’ll be passed out long before that. Mmm, that was good. And I am now a firm believer in scruff.”
“You like the scruff?”
She raised her palm to my cheek, rubbing her hand across my whiskers. “‘Like’ is an understatement. Especially when you are kissing me and rubbing it all over my body.”
I indulged her by kissing her shoulder and giving her a nice, healthy chin rub, which made her laugh. Then I pulled her back and she settled against my chest. It felt good. Half of me wished I had another condom. The other half was telling me to calm the fuck down and get some sleep. I felt good, sated. For now, anyway.
“So, um…” she began timidly.
I traced a hand over her round hip. “Yes?”
“Just checking to make sure things with you are…better. You weren’t doing so hot when we got back here from the reception.”
My hand stilled on her soft skin and I planted my nose in her hair, inhaling liberally. She angled her head toward me so she could see my face, then ran her hand over the scruff on my jaw.
“You definitely made me feel better. Much better than Jack would have.” I smirked.
She laughed, then rolled around to face me. “I just mean…well, it shook you up pretty badly to see her again. But I don’t understand something that you said. That you feel guilty toward her. If she’s the one who cheated on you, why is that the case?”
I tensed and tried to ignore the old feelings of agitation that arose whenever I thought of Cyndi. “I told you that nice guys finish last. I was a nice guy and I got fucked over—literally. So that was my last day of being a nice guy. I decided that anyone who screwed with me would live to regret it.”
She swallowed, fingering the tattoo on my arm. “So you got some kind of revenge on her?”
I clenched my jaw and then released it. Lying back, I stared at the ceiling, that same guilt taking hold of me. Christ.
“I’m not proud of it now, but it sure felt damn good when I did it. I know people. They do stuff for me…that’s not a new thing. It was the case in college too. I found out who the guy was that she was fucking and threw a hot redhead his way. Didn’t take long before he was fucking her, too. And…well, Cyndi ended up getting a taste of her own medicine. I ended up ruining him, too, after the fact.”
Silence. I held my breath and let it go slowly. Then I chanced a look at her. She was staring off into space, appearing deep in thought. She was a thinker, I’d noticed. She lived in her head a lot.
Finally, she spoke. “I screwed you over, too, with that video, even if it was on accident. Does that mean you’re going to get revenge on me?”
I turned toward her, propping myself up on an arm. “I think after tonight, you can consider yourself thoroughly screwed.” I smiled wolfishly. “But in a much more pleasant way.”
When she looked at me, there was more than desire in her eyes, there was a little fear, too. And damn if it didn’t turn me on a little to see it there. Maybe I’d have to call down to room service for another condom after all.
I tugged on her shoulder to roll her onto her back and then took her mouth with mine, possessing it fiercely. I claimed her with my lips, teeth and tongue until she was gasping for air.
“You’d think after two times I would have had enough,” I mumbled against her neck. “I just want you more now.”
“Oh, God, you always know how to say the right thing.”
“It’s not bullshit, April.”
Her soft hands slid down my back and fresh desire surged.
She pulled away and looked at me, and those deep blue eyes seemed to scour my soul. “You should talk to her.”
I recoiled. “What? Who?”
“Cynthia.”
I took a deep breath and looked away. Wow, she really knew how to kill a moment.
“I mean…if the guilt is getting to you.”
I tensed. “I have no idea what I would say to her.”
“Tell her you’re sorry. It will make you feel better.”
“What will make me feel better is if we forget we saw each other and go on with our lives.”
She looked away, shrugging a shoulder. “It’s just a suggestion, Jordan. You don’t have to listen to the lowly little intern if you don’t want to.”
I didn’t reply. I had nothing to say—even to correct her about her lowly intern remark. So I let it hang there between us.
April pressed her mouth to my chest, murmuring, “God, you are beautiful.” She settled in next to me between my arm and my chest. Exhaustion fell over me like a blanket.
My eyes drifted closed, and I sifted my fingers through her soft hair. The agitation over discussing Cyndi was fading again. This felt…comforting. “You’re lucky I didn’t sleep well last night or I’d be all over you again,” I mumbled.
“Promises, promises,” she said, tracing an idle finger across my stomach.
We lay like that for a long time. I drifted off to that no man’s land between sleep and wakefulness, where I was aware of her skin against mine, her smell, her soft hair. In my happy place, I felt her shift, sit up and pull a blanket over me.
I cracked an eye open when I realized she was getting up to leave.
“Where are you going?”
She bent to kiss my forehead. My eyes zeroed in on the way her breasts swung along with the motion of her body.
“I’m going back to my room,” she whispered.
I snaked a hand up and caught her around the waist, pulling her down on me. “No, you’re not. You’re sleeping here.”
With a tired laugh, she only halfheartedly struggled to be free of my tight hold. “The Beast has declared his will.”
“Yes, I have. The Beast needs his Beauty to lie down right here and sleep beside him.”
“So I’m Beauty, now?”
“Always,” I muttered, snuggling her against me. Then I drifted off to sleep with visions of fairytale princesses in my head, and each one had the face of the girl lying in my arms.