Текст книги "Three Broken Promises"

Автор книги: Monica Murphy

Соавторы: Monica Murphy
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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

Chapter 12

Jen

“You’re glowing.”

I swat Fable’s arm as I walk past her. “I am not.” Crap, I probably am, not that I’d ever admit it, especially to her.

But that’s what happens when you experience an amazing, outrageous all-night sex fest with a man who can’t seem to keep his hands off of you. Or his fingers or his lips or his tongue . . .

A shiver moves through me at the delicious, forbidden memory.

“You so are. That can only mean one thing.”

Stiffening, dread slithers down my spine. I know she’s my best friend and I’ve told her everything that’s happened between Colin and me up until now. But she doesn’t know about this latest chapter in our lives, and I really don’t want to tell her.

She’s never approved one hundred percent of Colin as being the one for me and I don’t want to hear her warnings. She thinks he’s too slick, too much of a charmer to really want anything serious. I’ve always agreed with her. I can’t help but wonder if I’m having a momentary lapse in judgment.

Besides, what happened between Colin and me feels too new, too fragile, to share with anyone but us. I still need to cherish it, process it.

Enjoy it. Alone.

“You found a job, right?” she asks when I don’t say anything.

Relief replaces the dread and I shake my head, trying to hide my smile. I shouldn’t be smiling. I should be incredibly depressed, because how the heck am I going to get out of this stupid place filled with dirty memories that haunt me? I’d forgotten about the shitty interviews from yesterday, my all-night excursion in Colin’s bed wiping out all unpleasant thoughts.

They’re all coming back with a vengeance now.

“I didn’t,” I finally say as I start to wander around the restaurant, lighting all of the candles that sit in the center of the tables. “None of them wanted to hire me.”

“Are you kidding?” She sounds indignant, just like Colin had yesterday. A warm, fuzzy feeling starts in my stomach. Everyone believes in me but me. Maybe I should start paying attention and believe in myself for a change. “Why not?”

I shrug, sticking the long lighter into the glass candleholder and clicking the ignite button. “I’m tired of working as a waitress, so I’m aiming for an office job. Problem is, they want someone with office experience and I don’t have any.”

“But you’re . . . you. You’re awesome. Surely you had a kickass interview and impressed the hell out of them. You’re smart. You look the part. Who wouldn’t want you working for them?” Fable looks completely perplexed and I love her for it.

“I guess I’m not kickass enough, considering they didn’t offer me a job. No one even seemed that interested.” I move from table to table, Fable following behind me, setting the tables with silverware. The two of us are at the tail end of dinner service prep. We’ve been working together so long we’ve established a perfect rhythm.

“So what are you going to do now?” Fable asks after we finish up the last table.

Great question. One I don’t have an answer for. “I guess it’s back to . . . plan A.” Whatever plan A is.

“And that is . . . ?” Her voice trails off as she raises a brow.

The girl can make anyone sweat with one lift of an eyebrow, I’ll give her that. Poor Drew. And poor Owen. Neither of them stood a chance in a fight with Fable. “Um, back to the job hunt. And the apartment hunt. I’m checking out the roommate options on Craigslist.”

“You’re going to room with someone you don’t know? Are you crazy?” Fable shakes her head. “What if they’re a serial killer looking for their next victim and you fit their profile?”

“You worry too much.” I sigh. I can’t stress about that shit and besides, I’ll find someone, a girl who’s close to my age and maybe a college student. I’ve been scanning the listings the last few days and stumbled upon a few good possibilities that I already contacted. I haven’t heard back from them yet, though.

Maybe I’m the one who looks and sounds like a serial killer . . .

Ha ha. I’m funny.

“But Jen . . .”

“Look, Fable.” I round on her, stopping her in her tracks. I’m not angry, but I’m tired of everyone trying to tell me what to do. “I know what I’m doing. It may look risky but I’m not that stupid, trust me. I’m taking all of the proper precautions.”

Fable scrunches her eyebrows together. “I never said you were stupid. I just . . .”

“You’re worried about me. Yeah, I totally get it. I’d be worried about me too. But I’ll land on my feet. I always land on my feet. I’m like a cat.”

“A cat who’s always eventually caught and set on her feet by a certain someone named Colin Wilder,” Fable mutters.

I part my lips, ready to say something sarcastic right back, when I realize he’s nearby. I feel his overwhelming presence. He’s standing behind me—I can smell his intoxicating woodsy clean scent, feel the heat of his body penetrating mine as he steps even closer. I swear his hand brushes against my backside in a discreet caress and a wave of desire crashes through me.

“Someone say my name?” He sounds amused. His deep voice causes tingles to sweep over my skin and I press my lips together, almost afraid to turn and face him.

Afraid I might melt if I see that particular gleam in his eyes. The one that says he knows exactly what I look like naked and he can’t wait to get me in that state again.

“Speak of the devil.” Fable flashes him a saucy smile. “Your little waif here was telling me she didn’t find a job yesterday when you two went to Sacramento.”

Did she really just call me a little waif? If anyone’s a waif it’s Fable. She’s so short it’s ridiculous.

“Unfortunately, the people who interviewed her were idiots.” Colin moves so he’s standing beside me, his arm brushing mine. I press my lips together so I don’t gasp at the contact, because wow. I felt that simple brush right down to my toes. “They didn’t see her full potential.”

Fable looks from me to Colin then back at me again, both eyebrows raised now. Damn it. “And are you saying you see her full potential, boss man?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I do. I’ve always seen Jen’s potential.” We both happen to look at each other at the same time. Big mistake. Is that adoration reflected in his gaze? I look away before Fable reads too much into it, but too late. Her eyes are narrowed and she’s smirking at me. I’d know that sly look anywhere.

And it is the absolute last thing I want to deal with.

“Time to get to work, girls,” he says, reaching out to squeeze my arm gently before he walks away. “I’m opening the doors now.”

I watch him go, my arm still tingling from where he touched me, my eyes focused on his perfect butt encased in those perfect black trousers. I had my hands all over that butt last night. It’s solid, rock-hard muscle and I loved feeling it flex as he pushed deep inside me . . .

“You banged him, didn’t you.”

Fable’s soft voice breaks through my dirty thoughts and I turn to her, ready to protest, but she shakes her head.

“Don’t bother denying it. You two are so obvious. Oh my God, no wonder you’re glowing.” She steps closer to me, lowering her voice. “You had sex. With Colin. Holy. Shit!”

“Stop.” I grab hold of her arm and steer her out of the dining room, which is filling up with employees and dinner guests fast. I take her to the back hallway that leads out to the alley. “Don’t say anything, okay? I don’t want it to get out and I don’t want Colin to know that you know, either.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone. You can trust me. I’m the best secret keeper around. Ask Drew.” She purses her lips and shakes her head, a mysterious light filling her eyes for the briefest second. Sometimes I can’t really figure her out. But I can’t worry about it at the moment. “And why don’t you want Colin to know that I know you two are having sex?”

She hisses the last word out and I roll my eyes. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. We’re closer than I’ve ever been with another friend before, but I am definitely not one to talk about my sexual escapades. I’m a very private person, especially when it comes to sex. The good and the bad kind. “Stop saying it like that.”

“Stop acting like it’s a bad thing.” Her easy acceptance fills me with relief. “I can’t believe you two finally caved and did it. It’s about damn time.” She nudges me. “So. Is he any good?”

My cheeks heat as I remember the way he buried his face between my legs in the freaking kitchen and made me come so hard I yelled out his name, nearly falling off the counter.

“Don’t bother answering. Your face says it all.” Fable laughs. “He’s pretty damn good.”

He’s amazing, but I don’t want to kiss and tell. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

I’d rather keep all that amazingness to myself.

Colin

I try my best to ignore her but it’s fucking hard. Or more like, I’m fucking hard, watching Jen while she works all night in that short, clingy black dress that’s the standard uniform for the waitresses. Somehow, she’s the sexiest thing in this place, in that dress. Her legs look a mile long, what with those black stiletto sandals she’s wearing. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail, showing off the delicately beautiful butterfly tattoo that graces her nape. The tattoo that represents her need for freedom from her past, freedom for her future.

The tattoo both fills me with resentment and makes me want to trace every fragile, colorful line of it with my finger. And then with my tongue.

Jesus. I need to get a grip.

She repeatedly catches me staring and I don’t bother looking away. Sometimes she drops her gaze, her cheeks turning pink, which is cute as hell. Other times she blatantly stares back, a wicked smile curving those lush lips I’m desperate to kiss.

More than once she just laughed and shook her head, as if she found my uncontrollable need to keep my eyes glued on only her amusing. But I catch her watching me too. A lot. She wants me just as bad.

And later tonight, after we’re through with work, I’m gonna bury myself inside her so deep, it’ll be a wonder if I can ever come back out. Just knowing I have that to look forward to leaves me as hard as a damn rock.

I finally lock myself away in my office so I’ll quit looking like a lecherous ass. I don’t know how Jen feels about it, but I don’t want anyone else who works here knowing what we’ve done. Their whispered speculation is bad enough. Though I’ve never denied it, I don’t want to give them confirmation that it’s actually happened between us.

So I throw myself into my work. I glance over the construction reports from the Redding location. I plan on going there in the next couple of days so I can see it in person. Construction is coming along nicely and all seems according to schedule. The restaurant is slated to open in less than eight weeks, and we’re pretty much on track for making that happen.

Jen won’t be with me then. That realization feels like a solid punch to the gut.

Pushing the reports aside, I turn to my computer and start going over the upcoming orders. Check out The District’s Facebook page. Tweet about the happy hour special we have every Thursday.

I’m so distracted I don’t hear my office door open, and not until it clicks closed quietly do I glance up to find Jen standing there, leaning against the door, a shy smile on her face.

“Hey,” I say, letting my gaze blatantly roam over her. Again. She’s gorgeous, looking a little unsure, a lot sexy.

“Hi.”

“On your break?”

She nods and pushes away from the door, approaching me slowly. “Can you take a break with me?”

I push my chair away from the desk, leaning back in it. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” The shy smile turns instantly wicked. “What would you like to do?”

Everything I can accomplish in what, ten minutes? I bet I could slip my fingers between her legs and get her off in less than five. Maybe she could get down on her knees and suck me off.

Yeah. We could get a hell of a lot done in ten minutes.

“I’m up for whatever you’ve got in mind.” I fold my arms behind my head, my fingers interlacing across the back of my neck. “Tell me what you want.”

“This.” Before I can even think, let alone say another word, she’s on top of me, straddling me on my chair, her mouth on mine, her hands in my hair. The kiss is instantly hungry, our tongues tangling, turning the kiss deep. Deeper. I grip her waist, slide my hands up her sides so I can map her curves. Cupping her breasts, I give them a firm squeeze and she whimpers against my lips.

“You looking for a quickie?” I ask with amusement when she breaks the kiss first, moving to slide her lips down my neck.

“Maybe,” she murmurs against my throat, her tongue drawing a heated path along my skin.

I close my eyes and let my hands drift down, playing with the hem of her skirt. “You’ve been driving me crazy all night.”

“Right back at you,” she breathes, lifting her head so she can meet my gaze. “It’s like you can’t stop staring at me.”

“I can’t.” I dive my hands beneath her skirt and skim my fingers along the soft skin of her upper thighs and higher. Her ass is bare, she’s wearing some sort of lacy thong, and all I want to do is tear it off of her. “You’re trying to drive me absolutely insane, aren’t you?”

Her smile turns wicked again, the sight of it taking my breath away. I’m used to a feisty Jen. A friendly Jen. I’ve seen almost all of her moods, every little facet of her personality, or so I thought.

But a sexy Jen is almost too good to be true.

She licks her lips, shifting on top of me so her lower body rubs against my erect cock. Leaning in, her mouth is at my ear, her damp lips brushing it when she speaks. “I want you to fuck me in this chair.”

A bolt of lust shoots straight to my cock. I squeeze her ass, pulling her in as close as she can get. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She nods, her teeth nibbling my earlobe. “I’ve been wet for you since you interrupted Fable and me talking earlier, all bossy and demanding. God, it turns me on when you act like that.”

Okay, she is seriously blowing my mind. I had no idea she had it in her, not that I’d ever given her an opportunity to act like this with me in the past. “Well, let me see if you’re right.” I slip my fingers between her legs from behind and discover that she is most definitely wet. And hot. She moves against my fingers, her teeth sinking into her lower lip, lids at half mast, looking like the sexiest thing alive, and all I can do is watch her, too captivated to do anything else.

“Oh God. I’m going to come,” she murmurs when I slip two fingers deep inside her. She lifts her hips, riding my hand, getting herself off with my fingers, and then she’s shuddering, my name falling from her lips, her hands curled around my shoulders as she clings to me like she might tumble off my lap if she doesn’t hold on tight.

Just as I imagined, I got her off in what? A minute? Maybe two? Fucking unbelievable.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” I whisper, kissing her lips softly, reverently, my fingers still moving slowly inside her body.

She releases a shuddering breath, slipping out of my hands, off my lap. I’m momentarily confused until she kneels before me, her hands resting on my knees. Clearly indicating her plans without saying a word.

This is like my every fantasy come true. I would have rather fucked her in my chair, but having Jen on her knees in front of me after I just got her off with a few thrusts of my fingers? Amazing.

And yeah, I’m all for a blow job, but is my office door locked? If anyone can just walk in, it’s going to happen when my cock is in Jen’s mouth because come on, that’s the sort of luck I have. Shit would hit the fan and the gossip would be rampant.

“Is the door locked?” I ask, nodding toward it. The last thing I want to do is break this magical sexual spell that’s fallen over us and get up to go lock the door. Talk about spoiling the mood.

“I locked it when I came in.” She reaches for the button on my pants, undoing it with ease. “So don’t worry, no one can walk in on us. It’s just me. And you.”

I hold my breath when her fingers brush against my stomach. She slides the zipper down on my pants, then spreads the fly wide, exposing my cock straining against dark gray cotton. She curls her fingers around me, squeezing gently, her gaze locked on my boxer briefs.

Conflict ripples through me. I want her to be quick and get to it, yet I also want her to take her sweet time so I can savor this sexy-as-hell moment between us.

“You’re big,” she whispers, her gaze lifting to meet mine.

Smiling, I reach out and cup her cheek, pleasure sweeping through me when she turns and places a kiss to my palm. “Every man appreciates that type of compliment.”

Jen rolls her eyes and I drop my hand from her face. She grips the waistband of my boxer briefs at my hips. “It’s true, though. You’re definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

I barely contain my scowl. Damn, I hate when she talks about other guys, which she seems to do quite often, and so casually, too. I know I’m a total commitment-phobe, but I’m starting to realize she is too. I don’t recall her ever being with anyone in a long-term relationship. Not even in high school.

I’m both curious to know her sexual history and not interested whatsoever. Only a glutton for punishment would ask her such a thing.

So I let it alone.

“My break’s over in less than ten minutes,” she says, a saucy smile curling her lips, her fingers teasing my abs. “And my boss is kind of a hard-ass, so I don’t want to make him mad.”

“Is he now? And what will he do to you if you’re late coming off your break?” I sit up straight, lifting my hips when she starts to pull my underwear down. I’m left sitting before her in my shirt with my pants and briefs in a heap around my ankles, my erect cock pointing directly at her.

“I don’t know. Fire me?” She laughs as she strokes my cock with feather-light precision, her delicate fingers dancing over my sensitive skin, my belly, the insides of my thighs. Anticipation curls through me, driving me fucking insane with every pass of her fingers, and finally, she leans in, brushing her mouth across the head of my cock.

If I could, I’d keep her on hand as my personal sex slave. Because damn, her touch, her mouth, her everything feels so fucking good . . .

I lean back in my chair, closing my eyes at the sensation of her lips slowly taking me inside her mouth. Her tongue licks, her mouth sucks, and soon she’s bobbing up and down on me, her hands gripping my thighs, her lips tight and hot and working me into a frenzy in a matter of seconds.

She hums in pleasure around my cock and I jerk in her grip, ready to come, not embarrassed at how quick she made that happen. We’ve both been riding the edge all night. The past few hours out in the restaurant have been nothing but torturous foreplay.

Lifting her lids, her gaze meets mine, hot and dark and completely unreadable. I want to say something, anything, ask her what the fuck she’s thinking, what the hell is she doing to my head since I’m not thinking the way I usually do. She’s a trip. The two of us together, we’re a complete trip and I want it to continue.

So what’s stopping me?

Pushing all negative thoughts from my mind, I concentrate on Jen. What she’s doing to me with her skilled lips and tongue, how much she seems to enjoy pleasuring me. She slowly releases my cock from her mouth, her tongue darting out to tease at the tip, circling around the flared head, not missing a spot.

And still her gaze never leaves mine.

Fuck, that’s it. I can’t take it. I’m coming, all over her lips, her tongue. She drinks it in, her mouth back on me, easing me through my orgasm, and when it’s finally over I slump in my seat, shocked at the exhaustion that settles over me. My body’s languid and I feel drowsy, completely spent.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she stands, smiling down at me. “Was that okay for you?”

Okay is the understatement of the century. I can hardly form words, let alone lift myself out of the fucking chair. “Uh . . . yeah. It was fucking amazing, Jen,” I manage to choke out.

Her smile grows and she tilts her head. “So I guess my work here is done.”

“I’ll say,” I mutter as I lean over and grab some tissues from the box on my desk. I clean myself up, then stand and start to pull my clothes back on.

Laughing, she turns away from me, heading toward the door. “I need to get back to work before my boss punishes me for taking too long of a break.”

Her choice of words is certainly intriguing. “All this talk of being in trouble makes me wonder. Do you want to be punished?” I ask.

She pauses at the door, her hand gripping the handle fiercely. She keeps her back to me. “What are you talking about?”

“Are you into that ‘I’m a bad girl, please punish me’ type of thing?” I’m really not. I’ve always preferred to be the dominant one in the bedroom. I enjoy taking command. Sometimes I’ll even get a little rough, though nothing too extreme. Pull hair. Bite plump, sweet skin, then devour all that wet, hot flesh.

Just thinking about doing all of that and more to Jen has me growing hard again. Unbelievable.

“I never thought I was,” she admits, slowly turning to face me. She smiles, her eyes wild with desire and some other foreign emotion I don’t recognize. “But I could be. With you.”

Well, fuck. That confession just filled my overactive imagination with all sorts of ideas.