In Love With Lucy (NSFW) (15 page)

The next day
did not go as planned. Chris came by to pick me up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 a.m. and we drove to Fort Worth. Well, tried. Traffic was horrendous and a simple hour and half commute ended up taking almost twice as long.

About halfway to Fort Worth, I looked at Chris and groaned dramatically. “You don’t pay me enough for this.”

He laughed, looking more relaxed than I’d ever seen him, even in the middle of gridlock. “Well, that won’t be an issue in a few weeks.”

My heart tightened at the thought that I might not see him after the end of my employment. Against my better judgment, I said, “Can we talk?”

Chris looked at me, a stern expression on his face. “I know what you want to discuss and we will talk about it in two weeks.”

“But…”

“No.” His profile looked as though it were carved in granite.

I crossed my arms over my chest and fumed the rest of the way to BioSign Corp. Stubborn ass.

The day passed in a blur after that. I was excluded from several of the meetings, something about corporate secrets, which I thought was ridiculous since I’d been involved in earlier meetings. I ended up being shoved into an empty cubicle with my laptop and paperwork. I called back to the office a few times to check on Chelsea.

On the third call, which was right after lunch, she said, “Lucy, I’m fine. The office will not implode if you’re gone for the day. I got it. Call me again and I will think of something nasty to do to you. Maybe salt in the sugar bowl. Or super glue under the computer keys.”

With that, she’d hung up without saying good-bye.

At the end of the hectic day, Chris finally found me in my cubicle. I looked up to see him standing over me with lines of fatigue etched on his face.

“We’re done,” he said simply.

I nodded, shut down my laptop, and gathered all my papers. After I stuffed everything in my laptop bag, I followed Chris down to his car. To my great surprise, he handed me his car keys.

“Do you mind driving back?”

“Sure. Fine. If you think I can be trusted with your precious car.”

I got behind the wheel and braved the evening rush hour to get us home. It still took longer than usual, but not as tortuous as the morning drive. I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and looked toward Chris. His head was back against the headrest and his eyes were closed.

“Chris?” I asked softly. I hated to wake him, as tired as he seemed, but I couldn’t just leave him in the car.

His eyes opened and he looked over at me. “Are we back at your place?”

I nodded. “Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee or something to help you wake up?”

He straightened and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Thanks, but I need to get home. I have some things to take care of.”

“We still need to talk, Chris.”

He touched my face lightly. “Two weeks, Lucy. I want you to think it over carefully. I didn’t understand everything you carry beneath the bright, extroverted exterior. You need to be sure.” He laughed a little. “I’ve already waited three years. Two more weeks won’t kill me.”

I started to argue further, but he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Before I could so much as figure out what I really wanted to say, he was by the driver’s side door, leaning over to unbuckle me, and helping me out of the car.

He dropped an affectionate kiss on my forehead then got back into his car and drove away, leaving me standing there frustrated and hurt.

I
trudged up the
stairs in my complex, disbelief hanging over me like a cloud. For the last couple of weeks, he’d been pursuing me. Now, he was giving me space to think. Had I needed time and space to think? Yes, but only a few days. Had he asked me if I was ready to talk about it? No. He just unilaterally decided that I needed two more weeks.

By the time I reached my apartment door, I was angry. I unlocked my door, stomped inside, and threw my bag and jacket over the back of a chair. I put my hands on my hips and took several deep breaths. It didn’t help.

I dug in my purse and pulled out my phone. I decided to call Tanya. She was no-nonsense and a straight talker. She would tell me what I should do or, at the very least, talk me down.

“Hey, girl,” she said.

“Hey. Do you have a minute?”

“Oh Lord, what’s happening now?”

I bristled at the tone in her voice. Sure, the last few weeks were filled with my drama, but it wasn’t like I rode the drama train all the damned time.

“Look, if you’re too busy to talk to me when I need you, I can call one of the other girls. Just remember this the next time your sister drives you bats hit with all her talk about her perfect husband, perfect two-point-five children, and her perfect fucking life, okay?”

Tanya sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Seriously, you sound upset, what’s going on?”

I launched into a tirade, telling her about his distance, his stubbornness, and his bossiness. When I finally wound down, there was nothing but silence.

“Tanya, are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to say what I have to say without pissing you off.”

“Okay, well I called you because you tell it like it is, so sock it to me.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. Are you sure?”

“Yes!” I said empathically.

“Step the fuck up.”

“What?”

She sighed again. “Stop whining about how he won’t listen to you and
make
him listen. If you’re going to sit around and let him call all the shots, you risk losing him.”

Ouch, that stung. Still, she was right.

“How did you get so smart?” I asked playfully.

There was a pause. “Someday, you, me, and a bottle of really expensive tequila are going to spend some time together. I’ll tell you a story about a girl who let her pride get the better of her and the guy that got away.”

I wanted to ask her about it, but I could tell that now wasn’t the time.

“Thank you, Tanya. Love you, girlie.”

“Go get your man. Call me tomorrow.” She paused. “What am I saying? A man like Chris, call me in two or three days.”

I laughed as she hung up on me. I decided to follow her advice, but first I wanted to shower and figure out exactly what I wanted to say before I saw him. I started stripping as I walked toward the bedroom.

Almost two hours later, I pulled up in front of his house. I’d only been there once, two years ago, but it had been the coldest, most sterile place I’d ever been, aside from a hospital or police station. I noticed tonight that the front door was a pretty bright blue and there were potted flowers on each side.

It was a nice change. I parked and climbed out of the car. I was on simmer all evening while I showered and with every step I took toward the front door, that simmer became a boil. By the time I rang his doorbell, I was about to explode. When he didn’t answer quickly enough for me, I rang it again. Then again.

Where in the hell was he? He said he was wiped. Hell, he even let me drive his precious car back from Fort Worth because he was so tired. I was just about to give up and go back to my car when the door opened.

“Lucy? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

My mouth fell open. I gaped as little drops of water sparkled all over Chris’ naked torso. “Um….uh.”

I managed to close my mouth and drag my eyes back to his face. My foggy mind cleared when I saw that he was smirking at me. I gave him a narrow-eyed stare and felt my anger return.

I poked a finger in the center of his chest, shoving him back so I could enter his house. “I’ve decided that I want to talk to you and you’re going to listen.”

I was momentarily distracted from my monologue by the enormous changes in his house. Instead of a color scheme of black, white, and shades of gray, his house actually held color and warmth. I froze when I saw a flash of black and white on his wall. It was one of my photos from the showing. He’d bought one of my pictures.

“Is that one of my pictures?” I asked, pointing to it. I shook my head when I realized that I’d let myself be distracted. I lifted a hand. “Never mind. Don’t answer that now. I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen.”

I put my hand in the center of his damp chest and pushed him back until he was right in front of one of the brown leather chairs in his entryway. Then I shoved him down and straddled his lap.

His eyes widened in surprise. I still didn’t give him an opportunity to speak. I leaned forward, my hands on the back of the chair.

“Now, I appreciate that you were trying to be considerate and give me some time to think. Honestly, the two days over the weekend were enough. I knew by Sunday night what I wanted and what I needed to say.”

Chris nodded, staring up at me, his expression guarded.

“First, I realized something Thursday. I love you.” His expression warmed considerably, but I continued. “I also need you to understand that just saying that to you scares the shit out of me. It’s been a very long time since I’ve cared about a man and I’ve never felt for someone else the way I feel for you. I spent years focused on myself and my dreams, the things I want out of life. I’m sure you can agree that I’ve created formidable barriers.”

He smirked slightly and nodded again.

I cupped his face in my hands. “I’m telling you, right now, that I’m willing to knock down all those walls. But there will still be times I freak out and try to retreat. Or act irrational. So, every now and then, you’ll need to cut me a little slack.”

When I finished, Chris smiled broadly at me and his hands, which had moved to my waist at some point, squeezed by sides. “This is new territory for both of us. I think we’ll both have to be patient.”

I leaned back slightly and noticed the hard ridge under my ass. I raised my eyebrows at him, “So what do we do now?”

For the first time in my memory, I saw Chris’ face turn playful. “I have something in mind.”

“I’m sure you do.”

I squealed when he grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and yanked it over my head. He lifted me off his lap, putting me on my feet in front of him. He made short work of removing my jeans and shoes, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.

Since I’d been hoping this would be a part of the evening’s activities, I’d worn a pretty, lacy, and very expensive pink bra and panties. Chris seemed to appreciate them a great deal as he leaned back in the chair and stared at me, looking like some sort of Greek god waiting to begin an evening of debauchery. His well-muscled body was almost naked, his erection barely covered by the towel that was draped almost decorously over his lap. He straightened in the chair, the towel shifting to reveal the head of his cock. I licked my lips, staring down at him, so turned on I almost dropped to my knees to take him in my mouth then and there.

The slightly rough palms of Chris’ hands slid up my stomach, causing my muscles to quiver. My eyes shifted to watch as his hands moved up to frame my breasts. When his thumbs circled over my nipples, I moaned. The sensation of his thumbs moving over the slightly abrasive lace was intense. My nipples immediately hardened almost painfully.

He continued to play with my breasts, rubbing my nipples with his thumbs, pinching them gently. I arched my back, whimpering at the intensity of the sensation. Suddenly, Chris stood, his towel hitting the floor. He grabbed by wrist and dragged me up the stairs to his bedroom.

My bra hit the floor right before he shoved me down onto the mattress. He spread my thighs and knelt between them.

“I wanted to take this slowly, but we’ll have to do that next time,” he said, staring down at my panties.

I reached for him, but he pressed my hands flat to the mattress.

“Don’t touch me yet.”

I gripped the comforter tightly in both fists as Chris’ big hands curved around my hips. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to me through the lace of my panties. The heat of his breath and tongue made my back arch. A few seconds later, he cursed and yanked them down my legs.

“Please tell me you’re ready,” he murmured.

His fingers slipped between my thighs, pressing deep inside me. I knew I was wet, more than ready. I hissed as he stroked me, pressing against that special spot inside of me. He sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and my hips lifted off the bed as electricity shot from my breast to my clit.

Chris threw out an arm and opened the drawer on his nightstand. I snatched the condom out of his hand, tore it open, and quickly rolled it over him, relishing the feel of his heavy erection in my hand. Then he levered himself over me, sliding that incredible thickness into me, crashing into my body over and over again.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and lifted my hips, chasing my orgasm. I grabbed the back of his head and brought his face to mine. Our lips met and clung. Chris gripped my hips tightly and ground his pelvic bone against my clit. I was done for, my climax bursting within me, wave after wave.

That seemed to be what Chris was waiting for because he shuddered against me a few seconds later. I lay beneath him, panting and waiting for my eyes to uncross.