My Prerogative Page 12

  I looked into his blue eyes, bright with flames of desire and a barely leashed wildness that called to me like nothing else could.

  “Fuck me,” I begged.

  My words cut the invisible leash holding him back and he snapped forward. Grabbing me around the waist, he picked me up and strode into my bedroom. He tossed me on the bed and stood at the end. “Lose the dress,” he commanded.

  I’d just pulled it over my head when strong hands gripped my ankles and pulled, dragging me across the bed until my ass was at the edge.

  Bracing my feet against his shoulders, he reached for my lace thong and ripped it off me with one swift jerk. “Are you sure you’re ready, naughty girl?” he growled.

  My pussy gushed at his roughness. “Oh, yes.”

  He pulled a foil package from his pocket and shoved his jeans down on his hips just enough to expose the rock-hard erection bouncing against his belly. Unable to not stoke the fire in his eyes, I reached between my legs and fingered my clit while he made quick work of rolling on the condom.

  Rough hands grabbed my hips and before I could suck in a breath, he’d shoved his cock deep inside me. I yelped at the sudden bite of pain mixed with the pleasure of being so full and arched off the bed.

  Harlan stilled, staring down at me from his standing position. “Okay?”

  I wiggled, braced my feet against his heaving chest firmly. “Oh yeah. Go hard, baby.”

  A grin spread across his dark features and he started to pump his hips. The angle, his size, and the heat of his stare fired me up and within seconds I was climbing toward orgasm and moaning like a porn star. I couldn’t help myself, he felt too damn good.

  My insides clenched, holding on to his cock with every thrust and trying to keep it in. Harlan’s grip on my hips tightened and he picked up speed, pumping his hips and hitting me deep. Everything in me centered on my sex, tightening until I hit the peak and my cries filled the room.

  Harlan pulled out, and before I could catch my breath he flipped me over like a rag doll, pulled my hips up until I was on my knees and thrust back into me from behind. I sighed, resting my forehead against the cool bedsheets. I could feel the darkness inside me being released and chased away with every orgasm.

  “Get up,” he ordered.

  Hands reached under my rib cage and lifted until I was on all fours, not just ass in the air. Then those hands cupped my swinging breasts and a small moan rose within me. He found my nipples and tugged at them, sending sensations rocketing back to my core. I tossed my hair and arched my back, thrusting my breasts into his hands and my hips back against his and came again.

  Harlan growled but didn’t let up and the slap of skin against skin blended with my panting.

  “More?”

  “Yes!” I didn’t want it to ever end. Sweat slicked my skin and my fingers dug into the bed as I spread my knees wider and braced myself. “Harder.”

  “Christ,” Harlan panted. “You’re fucking glorious.”

  He grabbed my hips, and slammed into me one . . . two . . . three times and my cunt spasmed as so much pleasure washed over me that I collapsed, limp on the bed. Harlan came down on top of me, his still clothed body blanketing mine as his chin rested against my shoulder and his panting breath warmed my cheek.

  After a few moments, he kissed my cheek and pulled away gently. A small moan of disappointment escaped when I felt him withdraw, but I didn’t move. I just listened quietly to the rustling sounds of him leaving my room, the toilet flushing, the tap running and then he was back.

  He lifted me in his arms and I fought to open my eyes. “Hello,” I whispered.

  “Hello,” he replied.

  Then he laid me back down in the middle of the bed, stripped off his clothes, and climbed in next to me. He covered us both with a single sheet and then wrapped his arms around me, snuggling close.

  I closed my eyes and breathed, deep and easy. The thought of kicking him out never even entered my mind.

  He held her as she dozed. His arms wrapped around her, her body curled into his. It wasn’t long before his cock hardened, swelling against the warm nest of her backside.

  Still asleep, Kelsey wiggled back against him, her needy whimper drifting softly through the quiet room.

  Harlan shifted, his balls growing heavy as he ran his hands over the soft woman in front of him. One hand went up to cup a full breast and tweak her nipple. Teasing and tugging on the hoop there while his other hand skimmed over smooth belly to the wet heat between her thighs.

  “Yes,” she whispered, rolling onto her back and parting her legs for him. “Again.”

  Desire punched him in the gut.

  Without hesitation he stretched out on top of her. She was all soft and warm and needy beneath him, her legs parting automatically and wrapping around his waist. His belly pressing against her sex, the wetness there making his cock throb as he lowered his head and took the tip of her breast in his mouth. His tongue flicked at the hoop and he suckled.

  “More,” she whispered, arching her back into the caress.

  She slipped a hand between them and reached for his cock. She squeezed him tight and he gasped, swelling even more in her grip. She gave him a few tugs, her hand twisting on the downward stroke in a way that sucked all the oxygen out of his brain and made him growl with pleasure.

  “Slow down, sugar, or I won’t last.”

  “No,” she whimpered. “I need it now. Fuck me now.”

  Caught up in her urgency, he reached down and grabbed a condom from his jeans pocket. “Whatever you say.”

  He rolled off her and opened the foil package only to have her take the condom from his hands. Thank Christ she didn’t tease him. She slid the condom on smoothly before cupping his balls and giving them a squeeze and a tug that made his cock jerk.

  She grabbed his shoulders and pulled as she rolled, bringing him back on top of her. Her legs once again gripped his hips and her hand guided him to her slippery sex.

  There was no style or finesse involved. He raised up on his elbows and thrust home.

  “Deeper,” she urged, lifting her legs and grabbing her knees, opening herself up more and he slid in to the hilt. “Harder.”

  Pulling back, he pumped his hips and his cock slammed in and out of her. He lifted his head and their eyes met as his balls slapped against her ass. Her beautiful eyes, so full of hunger and lust and fire that made him want to be all she wanted. All she needed.

  “More!” she cried out, tossing her head back on the pillow, her body straining against his. “More, Harlan. Give me more!”

  Tears formed in her eyes, and his heart pounded. Sweat slicked their skin as his hips pistoned, and he fucked her harder and deeper than he ever thought possible. And still she cried for more.

  Balls tight, he was ready to explode, but there was no way he was going to go before she did. Leaning down he lowered his head and bit down on her nipple. Her hips bucked and she cried out, her cunt squeezing him and drenching him in cream at the same time.

  He grunted, and thrust as deep as possible, sensation screaming through him. He gave her everything he had as his body shuddered, ecstasy exploding inside him and filling him until even his fingertips were numb.

  When he could breathe again, Harlan rolled off and gathered her close. Pretending not to notice the silent tears that leaked from beneath Kelsey’s closed eyes, he cuddled her close until she fell asleep.

  23

  On Saturday morning I woke up alone, and was relieved for it.

  After stretching once, I rolled over, buried my face in my pillow, and dozed. An hour later I awoke again, and lay there staring at my ceiling, my mind racing. I just wanted to lie in bed and do nothing all day until it was time to go to work. I wanted to enjoy the truly languorous feel of my body, but I couldn’t forget why I felt that way.

  Even the week in Jamaica with nothing but beach, bodies, and drinks hadn’t hit me the way the night with Harlan had. I’d woken up sometime during the night and turned
in his arms, seeking him out, climbing on top of him and slipping his hard cock between my thighs again.

  That time hadn’t been fast and furious, but slow and sensuous. Almost dreamy. And after coming again, I’d cuddled on his chest and drifted right back to sleep.

  It was scary to think how well matched we were. How Harlan had been able to give me what I needed, without me even really knowing what that was. I’d been blindsided by the dark mood as I left the bar and had hated it.

  I hated that I didn’t understand where it came from, or why I was such a moody creature. I loved life. I’d seen and done so many things and I truly would rather be alone than in an unhappy or unhealthy relationship. I enjoyed being a bartender and being there to help others have a good time. So why was I so damn miserable at times?

  The flashes in time when I felt so self-destructive scared me. I didn’t understand how I could feel that way when, generally, I was happy with the life I had.

  Drinking and fucking were the only things that curbed those urges inside me, but they were a temporary fix. Even I knew that. Yet, that darkness that was always below the surface of my psyche was completely gone that morning.

  Climbing from bed I made my way to the shower, debating what the next step with Harlan would be. Was it just a one-night thing? It was already beyond that really.

  A shiver danced through me and goose bumps raised up on my skin, despite the hot water beating down on me. Harlan seemed to know me, to accept me as I was. He appeared to be all that I’d ever wanted in a man, and that was the scariest thing of all.

  Unable to spend all day doing nothing, I sat at the kitchen table with a pen and notepad, brainstorming ideas for Ariel’s party.

  Erotic Carnival was the theme, and all carnivals had talent, games, and rides. The talent like those guys who guessed your age or weight—so not something that would be enjoyed at an all-female party. The psychic Lena hired would be the talent. That left me to figure out a game, and a ride.

  The temperature rose as the sun climbed higher in the sky but I didn’t go out on the balcony. I couldn’t.

  When the phone rang and I saw Harlan’s number on the caller ID, I ignored it. But the second it stopped ringing, I picked it up and dialed Dee’s number from memory. There was no answer so I left another message asking her to give me a call.

  Shoving everything else aside mentally, I went back to trying to figure out what to use as the ride.

  An hour later there was a knock on my door.

  Heart pounding, trepidation building, I opened the door, and let out a soft sigh of relief when I saw it wasn’t Harlan on the other side.

  “Hi, I’m Max Green,” the five-foot-ten bald guy said as he held out his hand.

  Max Green. I knew that name, but my brain wasn’t beyond the fact that it wasn’t Harlan yet.

  He smiled softly. “The new building manager.”

  “Oh! Yes, I was told to expect you. I’m sorry, I’m a bit distracted. Come on in.”

  Max came in and sat at the kitchen table while I made some tea. He was going to be moving in that weekend, and I was happy to hand over the keys to everything. Part of me had been hoping for a young stud that walked around in jeans and a tool belt, and nothing else, but Max Green was a sixty-one-year-old retiree with a comb-over.

  He’d worked in the construction industry his whole life and the chance to stay busy with the building was exactly what he’d been looking for. “And the deal on rent helps out too,” he added with a shy smile.

  My fantasy man he wasn’t, but I had no doubt he’d keep the building in tip-top shape. “From what I’ve seen in the last six weeks there’s nothing big that needs to be done, but lots of little things.” I told him what I’d done with Manny’s sink and he promised to take another look at it first thing.

  “And when the weather starts to get cold the pipes need to be bled or the units don’t warm up.”

  Max nodded, his sharp eyes watching me carefully. “So young lady, your boyfriend giving you trouble?”

  I bit back the sharp retort that popped into my head, and smiled. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Max. I’m single and I live alone.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, I just got the impression you were expecting a different man at the door when I got here, and you seem a bit preoccupied.”

  “No worries,” I told him. “You did surprise me, but that’s not a bad thing.”

  Something in my face made him hesitate, but then he reached out and patted my hand as he stood. “I’ve learned that people come and go in our lives as we need them. We have to trust in this.”

  His words surprised me, but they held a ring of truth that struck a chord deep within me. I don’t know what had made him say them, but they were definitely what I’d needed to hear.

  “Thank you,” I said as I walked him to the door. “And if you have any more questions about the building or the residents, please feel free to knock on my door anytime.”

  “Thank you for the tea, Kelsey. You remind me a lot of my niece. I’m sorry if I offended you by speaking too freely.”

  I smiled. “No offense taken. Welcome to the building, Max.”

  He offered me a small salute and I watched him walk down the short hallway before closing the door.

  24

  They’re amazing, Harlan,” Rick Benton said. “Top-notch.” Harlan nodded, but didn’t say anything. He leaned against the wall and watched as his agent looked over his latest works. He knew they were good. With Kelsey as his muse, they could be nothing else.

  “I was getting worried that you were going to be a one-shot wonder when it took you so long to get this collection together.” Rick shot him an appreciative look. “But the wait was worth it. These are unique, sexy, raw, and beautiful. Completely different than your collection of blue-collar workers, yet they still have the same attention to detail and humanity. They’re going to make you famous, buddy.”

  Pleasure washed over him. It was a very unique feeling when someone praised his art. Sort of like being in grade school and getting a gold star from your favorite teacher . . . multiplied by a hundred. “Thank you.”

  Rick nodded, his gaze straying back to the paintings lined up along the wall once again. “I’ll start setting up some viewings this week.”

  “Not yet,” Harlan said.

  “What do you mean ‘not yet’?”

  Harlan appraised Rick’s aggressive stance and pushed off from the wall. His agent was good at his job, but that didn’t mean he could push Harlan around.

  Normally Rick’s attitude didn’t bother him, but it was getting late in the morning and Kelsey would be awake soon. He’d have stood Rick up and stayed with her if he didn’t think it would freak her out, but he knew she’d need time to think. A woman who always kicked her lovers out before they even made it to the bed would not welcome waking up to one of them still there in the morning.

  Even if they both new something special was happening between them.

  The urge to check on her and ensure that she wasn’t going to pretend that nothing had happened between them was strong, but first, he had to deal with Rick.

  He sighed. “I’m letting you see them so you’ll get off my back, but I’m not ready to show them to anyone else yet.”

  “I know you’ll need to do a few more pieces for a full showing, at least two, maybe even three.” Rick frowned. “But what you have here is enough for me to show around and create a buzz. We want this next show to be even bigger than the first one, which means plenty of advance publicity.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I said so.”

  Rick shook his head. “Not good enough, buddy.”

  Christ, he was a pushy bastard.

  That’s what happened when one let a friend become an advisor. Although he had to admit, if it hadn’t been for Rick’s aggressive persistence, Harlan wouldn’t have even pursued painting as a career. Then he’d never have sold out of his first collec
tion, or bought the loft and moved here, which meant he might never have met Kelsey.

  “I need to show these to someone before we can shop them around.”

  Comprehension dawned on Rick’s face and he turned back to the painting in front of him. It was of a naked woman, straddling a wooden chair backward with her back arched, dark hair streaming down her back. The woman was done in loving detail, down to the ripe berry color of her nipples, while the chair beneath her was almost part of the background. There was nothing shocking or out there about the image, but the expression on the beauty’s face said it all. Rick examined it more closely, and Harlan waited.

  “If she doesn’t like them what are you going to do?” Rick faced him, his hands slicing through the air as he spoke passionately. “You have so much talent, Harlan. You can be one of the greats, but art is also a business, and if we don’t get you out there again soon your career could be over before it really starts.”

  Harlan’s gut clenched. He wasn’t really worried about his “career.” He loved working for himself, but not showing or being able to support himself with his art didn’t make him any less an artist. It wouldn’t take away his love of painting, or the freedom to let his imagination take form on the canvas. He’d always be an artist. And if he had to go back to work to make ends meet, then he would. Jobs were never hard to find for an ironworker with his experience and skills.

  What did worry him, just a little, was Kelsey’s reaction when she saw the collection she’d inspired. And he knew he couldn’t show her the whole collection yet. She just wasn’t ready to see herself the way he saw her.

  “Give me another couple of weeks, and I’ll have a full collection for you.”

  “A full one?”

  “It might not be all of these exact ones.” He waved at the paintings behind him. “But yes, a full collection.”

  By the time Rick left the loft it was almost three o’clock. Har-lan picked up the phone and called Kelsey, but there was no answer. Either she wasn’t home, or she saw his number on the caller ID and was ignoring him. Either way, he decided not to push it. He had two weeks to plan a complete collection.