Page 15 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

“Ah,chéri, that’s it. Baby, come for me. Come apart for me.”

He pressed her clit, moving his fingers in a circular motion. The tension that had been building from the minute his hands had touched her coiled in her stomach, then radiated to her sex. One more plunge into her core, and she came, her body splintering into a thousand shimmering pieces. He sustained his rhythm as she convulsed. She started to relax, the last of her orgasm diminishing, as Chris dove harder, deeper, his fingers still on her clit. Without allowing her to recuperate from her first one, he pushed her over into another mind-shattering orgasm. This time, he joined her, shouting her name as his body covered hers.

Time passed as the only sound filling the hotel room was their breathing. He rolled to his side, pulling out of her. She felt the mattress rise as he left. Turning to her side, she watched as he discarded the condom. He returned to bed wearing nothing but a sleepy, satisfied smile. Sliding in beside her, he drew her close, one hand skimming down her back to her rear end. She placed her head on his chest beneath his chin. He grunted in satisfaction and rubbed her rear.

“Now,chéri, no more talk of just one time.”

She could hear the teasing in his voice, but she didn’t smile. She was trying hard not to cry. Blinking away the tears, she reminded herself that this was about tonight, about enjoying the moment. That was all she’d have.

Yearning filled her as she imagined waking up with him, laughing with him, loving… Oh no. She would not fall for that. She didn’t know the man, so she wasn’t in love. She was in lust, and that fizzled out. Just because she’d had good—no,great—sex, didn’t mean she was in love. There was a connection—that, she could admit to herself—but it was based on sex. Her life was a mess, and she didn’t need more complications. It didn’t stop her from wanting it, craving it, though.

Thinking of one of Anna’s favorite sayings, Cynthia now understood exactly what Anna meant when she said it.

This sucked, and not in a good way.

Chapter Five

Chris watched Cynthia dress, a mixture of immense satisfaction and irritation running through him. The night they’d shared had only whetted his appetite for her. He wanted to show her just what she needed in bed, show her the power of domination. What she’d started hadn’t been full domination, but the glimpses he’d seen the night before told him she wanted—hungered—to learn her full powers.

Someone with Cynthia’s background would require several months to work through the emotions her new role would bring out. All he’d had was one night. Chris knew without a doubt she would enjoy that role and, in the end, be his perfect mate when she submitted to him. She didn’t realize what they had together. That, paired with the fact she was running away at the light of day, caused the irritation.

“I don’t have to leave until late tonight. Why don’t you spend the day in bed with me?”

She sighed as she zipped her skirt. “I told you. Anna and Max are leaving today. I need to get to her house. I’m also responsible for making sure her shop runs smoothly. If there are any problems, I’m the one who has to bother her. I don’t want that to happen.”

He mulled that over as she pulled her shirt over her head and then looked around for her shoes. As she bent over, the memory of taking her from behind flashed before him. He’d found her wild, crazy…perfect. He couldn’t wait to introduce her to anal play. He was sure she’d love it. Shaking his head to push away the thoughts of slipping into her tight little ass, he brought himself back to his argument.

“You could go there, get everything straight, then come back.” It surprised him how close he was to pleading with her to stay. He’d never even contemplated begging with any other woman, but with Cynthia, he didn’t want to lose their connection. Glancing at the clock, seeing it was just after six thirty, he formulated another plan. Since her back was turned to him, he slid from bed and snuck up behind her. “Anna and Max aren’t leaving until tonight.”

She jumped when he spoke, then looked over her shoulder at him. “Chris, I should have left last night.”

“You’re embarrassed to be seen with me.” He said the words, worried they might be true. He didn’t think Cynthia was prejudiced, but hewasin South Georgia, the heart of Dixie. It was different from Honolulu. Her family came from old Southern money, the kind that didn’t like to mingle with people of color—unless they were being served by them. Besides the color of Cynthia’s skin, there was the added problem of her background. She’d been taught to be ashamed of her sexuality. Even as she frowned at him, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.

She settled against his chest. Her golden hair contrasted against his dark skin. He drew in a deep breath. The hint of her flowery perfume lingered beneath the scent of sex coating her skin. Just that, the simple scent of their time together had his body aching for another round. Hell, just knowing she was breathing was probably enough.

“You know I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you. In fact, I would probably gain points for the gossip it would cause.”

He heard the smile in her voice and responded in kind.

She shook her head. “It isn’t being seen with you that would bother me. It is everyone knowing…well, knowing.”

Resting his chin on top of her head, he gently rocked her. “What does that matter? Everyone knew about you and Max.”

The sigh she released was filled with irritation. “Yes, they did. But, you see, I was marrying Max. A Myers doesn’t have one-night stands. I know it’s stupid to worry about that, but I do.”

He heard the scorn in her voice. He hoped it was more for what she’d had to endure than what had occurred between them. Glancing over his shoulder, he located a chair just a few steps back.

“Tell you what,” he said as he walked both of them to the chair. “Why don’t we have breakfast, and then you can go?”

When he reached the chair, he sat, pulling her down with him. She wiggled and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Breasts he wanted to touch, lick, taste. Since he was nude, he knew she felt his erection. She stilled, looking down at him, her eyes simmering with passion.

“Chris.” She was trying to sound like she disapproved. It wasn’t working. Mainly because he could see the pulse in her neck jump and hear her breathing increase. “You would think…”

She closed her eyes as he grabbed hold of her hips and ground against her. “Think what?” He nipped at her earlobe.

She drew in a shuddering breath. “Chris…”

This time, there was such yearning in her voice it made him want to shout with triumph. She needed him like he needed her and playing fair was off the table. Knowing how sensitive her breasts were, he slid one hand up under her blouse and beneath the fabric of her bra. A few strokes of his thumb were all it took. Her nipple pebbled, and she moaned.

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