The Sandstone Affair (An Erotic Romance Novel) (17 page)

We chat about how Blake may have found out,
and what that means to our ability to get the information we need in order to
file the rejoinder. Mark says the last time he got a peek inside Blake’s office,
the file was still behind the books but if Blake knows about Mark and me,
there’s no way Mark is going to get anywhere close to that file.
“So that’s it.” I throw my hands up. “You
can’t get it. I can’t get it. Can we make a case without it?”
“Not really,” he admits. “I have some things,
and Janice’s documentation might get a judge to stop the closure temporarily,
but the minute it’s stopped, Blake will destroy that file. With no evidence the
judge will let it go through. Blake’s only holding onto that file for sheer
ego.”
“
If
it is Blake who sent us these,” I
add. “If your ‘paddle pal’ Valerie is pulling the wool over your eyes then
Blake won’t suspect you and you can get the file. Let’s face it, from the day I
met her she’s been after my career. Why wouldn’t she take you from me too?”
“Because she already had me and didn’t want
me, remember? Come on.” Mark stands up and holds out his hand. I take it,
instinctively. He pulls me toward the couch.
“Where are we going?”
“To get back on the horse, or over the hurdle,
or whatever we need to do to get this infatuation with Valerie James out of your
head so we can focus on business.”
I don’t want to sit on the couch, even though
I know it’s been reupholstered since their lovemaking. But, he guides and I
follow. I’m not sure how that happened, but it’s just the way it is. He sits
down and I sit beside him. Wrapping his arm around me from behind, he leans
back and we lay like spoons. I have to admit it feels darn good.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was your lover?” I
ask, pretty sure I already know the answer.
“Because you’re so psychotic about her. You’ve
been obsessed with the competition between you two for so long I knew you would
never let your guard down with me if I told you she was my ex-girlfriend. I
didn’t lie about it; I just didn’t make it a point to tell you.”
“So anytime I want to trust someone I should
ask them, ‘Did you screw Valerie James?’ and then I will know who to trust?”
“No, but I bet you’d get some answers you
didn’t expect.” He chuckled.
“Well, I know she has half the journalism
world wrapped around her fingers, but to her credit I thought it was her talent
and the Ladies World brand, not her legs and her fake red hair.”
“Oh, she’s a natural redhead. Trust me.”
“Argh!” I pull and try to break free from his
embrace, but he doesn’t let me go, just laughs. It makes me laugh too. “Fine, I
don’t want to know any more about you and her.”
“There is no me and her. There is just me, and
I want you. Besides, you’re wrong about her.”
“Oh really? Do tell,” I egg him on. I can’t
wait to hear what bullshit she’s told him.
“Val doesn’t like you,” he says bluntly.
Mark’s right, he is honest. “But she does respect you. She told me you called
her a whore in front of a presentation the first time you two met. She admitted
she talked to an editor friend or two about hassling you when you applied
because she thought it would teach you a lesson about playing nice in the
sandbox. But she had no idea they would take it as a blockade. She was actually
kind of proud when Lynx hit the stands. She thought you were a worthy
opponent.”
“I didn’t mean to call her that, it just,
well, I was—”
“Mad because she didn’t know or care who you
were.”
“She told you that?”
“No, but I’ve seen you in action. That’s why
you two could never work together. You’re way too much similar.”
“See, how am I supposed to trust you or open
my body to you if all I keep thinking is whether or not you’re comparing me to
Valerie? All my life I’ve been behind her, cleaning up the crumbs off her
table. In school I was in her shadow, when I got into the journalism field, I
was in her shadow; she even had a Sandstone Ventures bailout before me. Now, I
find out she’s had you too. Everything I do with you, I’ll know she has already
done. You’re... used.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot you were a virgin when we
met,” Mark replies incredulously. It makes me laugh some more.
“I wasn’t. By far.” I slap him on the leg. The
feel of his body around mine, warm and luscious makes me want to forget this
day ever happened.
“If you don’t want to do something she’s done,
then do something new. For this day, and this day only, I will be your
submissive and you can give me the orders.” Mark moves around off the couch and
gets on his knees before me.
My eyes widen in shock. Is he serious? The
Mark Stone who is always in control, will submit himself to my orders? Then a
smile starts to play at my lips.
I take a moment to imagine the possibilities.
What do I want him to do? My first instinct is to look toward his actual
bedroom, not the “playroom” he’s taken me in, and ask him to make love to me
there for the very first time. I decide against it. If we ever make love in his
bed I want it to be at his invitation, not some power play of mine. Reaching
down, I toy with his tie a moment. He bends his head down to kiss my hand.
“Strip,” I say. Mark starts to undo his tie in
a hurry. “No, no, no. I didn’t say take your clothes off, I said strip. Put on
a show. Let me see your stuff, big guy.”
Mark laughs. He rises and goes over to the
windows and draws the shades. Stopping by the stereo, he programs in some
numbers and some slow R&B music begins to fill the room.
“Sorry, that’s as close to strip-tastic as my
music gets.” I almost protest when I realize the song he has picked is “Let’s
Stay Together” but decide to just lean back and enjoy the show.
“Let’s see some moves,” I catcall from my
position on the couch. He begins to slowly pump his hips with a big grin on his
face. I can tell he is having fun with this even though he doesn’t have the
slightest idea what he’s doing. He opens one side of his suit coat grinding
towards me then twists his back attempting to remove it fully. His arm gets
stuck in the sleeve and he ends up spending the whole chorus flopping around
beating at the trapped sleeve like it’s some kind of parasite attempting to
devour him. We both laugh as he subdues the monster and throws it across the
room victoriously.
He takes off his tie, clearly he’s had more
practice at this, and kisses one end, then runs it up the length of my body
until it rests below my chin. He draws close to me, like he is going to pick up
the tie with his teeth, but instead leans over and kisses me deeply. The song
changes to Prince’s “Kiss” just at the perfect time.
“You timed that,” I say.
“Nope, I had no idea that was next. I just
took advantage of it.” He laughs and turns his back to me, wiggling his butt in
the worst shake down I’ve ever seen. He is trying to unbutton his shirt but I
see him fumbling with each button as he tries to undo them. I am just about
tell him it’s okay when he abandons the effort entirely and just rips the shirt
open, sending buttons flying across the room. He turns and holds open his
shirt, his chest peeking through the separated fabric, my reaction to this has
gone from curiosity to humorous acceptance to arousal as I look at the chest
and imagine my hands running across it.
I reach out and pull him down on the couch
with me, taking his hands and pinning him back as I push him against the arm.
Leaning down, I rub my tongue up his abdomen to his chest, feeling his passion
rise beneath me. He kisses me again and tries to get back up but I put my hand
on his warm chest, feeling his heart pounding under my touch.
“But I’m not done,” he complains.
“Yes, you are,” I say fervently, kissing him
again and enjoying the feel of his lips. They are the perfect size and fullness
to fit instinctively with mine. It’s just like they were made for me.
“But I’ve still got the big finale,” he
responds, pushes his hips against me, his obvious erection rubbing against my
leg.
“Honey, trust me. That dance is over,” I give
a snide head shake as I say it.
“Better keep my day job?” he asks sheepishly.
“Yes. In fact, get a second one.” I kiss him
again, my hand running over the top of his bulge. I love the flirty, playful
moments we have. We definitely haven’t experienced enough of those.
Planting small kisses, I reach down to undo
his belt and realize I should have at least let him get that far before
stopping him. I yank and turn the leather until he reaches down to help me. I
slap his hands and he pulls back with a surprised smile.
“I thought you said I was in charge.”
He nods and lays back, chuckling as I fondle
his buckle way too long before finally coaxing it into opening up. Crouching
between his legs, I run my finger down his zipper, feeling him move and jump
under my teasing touch. Locating the tab, I hold it up and lean over to grab it
in my teeth. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m really nervous;
it will just look stupid or I’ll chip an incisor but I give it a try. It slides
down nicely, a little jerky at spots but mostly in a fluid motion the way I
imagined in my head.
“Oh my god, that was hot,” he says, his jaws
clamped in arousal. “I’m not going to last much longer if you keep that up.”
“Better think other thoughts, big guy, because
if you come before I do you’ll be the one getting spanked today,” I remark
sternly.
“Mmm, that sounds lovely.” He lifts his hips
so I can pull his pants and briefs all the way off and I see his urgent need,
present and ready. I take him in my mouth, just the tip at first, then more of
him as my hands go to work enlivening and enjoying him. I love everything about
this man–his smell, his taste, the way I feel him grow when he’s inside my
body.
“Seriously, I’m going to—”
“Shhh,” I soothe. Standing just long enough to
strip myself, I return and straddle him placing my body directly over his
engorged cock. I put him just in my opening, letting him feel my wetness and
desire. He attempts to thrust into me but I keep my hand steady and allow only
the smallest access.
A tense smile crosses his face and I wonder if
he’s worried I’m just going to tease him and leave him, but he should know
better than that. We are both way too far along to walk away from this now.
“How bad do you want it?” I say, inserting him
just a little more. I can see he’s at the cross-section of pleasure and pain.
It’s something I understand all too well. He taught it to me.
“I want it,” he whispers, barely able to talk,
the huskiness of his voice driving me even farther into lust. Then he speaks
clearly, never breaking eye contact. “I want you.”
Lowering my body on his shaft, I melt around
him as he fills me in a way no one else has ever or will ever. I move my body
up and down, feeling every luscious movement press against my channel and entice
my escalating climax. Over and over I lift myself, slightly rotating my hips
and plunging myself down. I love the ability to look down and see his face,
eyes closed–pleasure obvious. My vision grows dim as the knot inside me
tightens, ready to squeeze out all sensations except my anticipated spasming
pleasure. My thighs burn with the upward thrusts. Breathless and struggling to
maintain the pace to keep climbing, I feel myself starting to slow down.
Mark reaches out, holding my hips in his big
strong hands, stopping my motion to give my worn out legs a rest, and pushes
himself upward into me, pounding me through his own effort, hitting the right
spot time after time, lifting me higher and higher until he gives one big hard
thrust and I grip his member as my entire body rattles and flows with passion.
A guttural cry springs forth from my lips loud enough to shatter glass and my
entire being releases energy as I tremble on his cock, collapsing on that
beautiful chest when I’m done.
He wraps his arms around me, holding me close
to him as we breathe together, the quiet rhythmic afterglow of satisfied souls.
I nearly fall asleep in the warmth and security of the moment.
Then, from nowhere, the thought comes back.
Did he hold Valerie like this? My eyes pop open
and I sigh. I love him, but I can’t get over the fact I am just a second string
on a lovely violin.
Rising, I reach for my clothes and he can tell
something isn’t right.
“I need to go,” I say revealing more sadness
than I wanted my voice to display.
“I wish you’d stay. We need to make a plan.”
“You need a plan, or whatever you need,” I
surrender. “I need to go. I need time, Mark. I know you and Valerie are done,
but I’m not sure how to feel about it. I just need more time.”
“We don’t have time, Julia.” He rises and
dresses quickly, his buttonless shirt hanging open. “We can put off the
relationship part for a while, but we have less than a week before filing and
we’re going to have to pull together to get the evidence we need.”
“It’s too much. It’s just too much. I don’t
have a life made of parts. I just have one big lump of love-life-Lynx and it’s
all too much for me to carry.”
“It’s also too much for you to lose,” he
reminds quietly. I want to scream that I know that already, but I just nod. The
anger and passion of the day have worn me through. I’m exhausted.
He walks me to the elevator and we wait
wordless. When the door opens I step inside, leaving him in the hallway alone.
“Don’t call, don’t text, don’t write. If the
deadline passes, it passes. But for now, just give me space.”