Page 29 of Riding Hard

I believe her, but I know she isn’t being completely forthcoming. I also don’t push her. Releasing my grasp on her hair, my hand shifts, and I cup her jaw again, my thumb gliding along her bottom lip, my gaze on hers.

“You’ll tell me everything when you’re ready. For now, I’m good with that. Except one thing…”

Her lips part as she watches me, and my cock twitches, wondering just how good it’s going to feel when it slips between those parted lips. Fuck me, I want to be inside every inch of her body. And I will be. That’s a promise I can keep to myself.

“What’s that?” she finally asks when I don’t say anything.

Leaning closer to her, I touch my lips to hers in a whisper of a kiss. “You’ll tell me when and if I need to ask more questions. Or demand answers.”

“I can do that,” she murmurs.

“And if I hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable, you’ll tell me.”

Her breath hitches, but it’s me who sucks in a deep breath and holds it because she climbs over my body, straddling my hips, her eyes on mine, her warm heat against my cock, and I wish I were hard right now.

“I don’t know what this is, how or why it even happened the way it has, but I wanted it. I liked it, and maybe I’m stupid as hell, but I want more.”

“Then you’ll have it, Jules.”

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her down to my chest, my lips touching hers, my tongue sweeping through her mouth, and then I pull back slightly before I murmur. “I’ll give it all to you.”

It’s a promise I’m not sure I can keep. But I want to try.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

JULIETTE

After our talk yesterday, Slade left, claiming he had something he needed to take care of. I didn’t ask any questions, even though I really wanted to. It’s not my place, and while I loved being with him, the moment he walked out the door, I had no regrets, but I did feel uncertainty.

Instead of getting lost inside my own head about it, I showered, ate a girlie dinner of crackers, cheese, and grapes, then watched some bad reality television and fell asleep. Too drained to stress out, my physical, mental, and sexual exhaustion took over, which was probably a good thing.

The last thing I needed to do was overanalyze the situation that I’ve created. It was the best sleep I’ve had in years. But when I woke up this morning, it wasn’t that I felt guilty. I’m single, and as far as I know, he’s single, too, so I wondered if I just did something that fucked up my future.

Now I’m sitting in the car in front of a small coffee shop and bakery, wondering why the hell I’m even going inside to meet both Alex and Elodie, knowing they’re going to figure out what I did yesterday with Slade.

There’s no way I’ll be able to keep that a secret or hide it from them in any way. As much as I want to believe that I’m a closed book and nobody can tell when something is going on, when I’m thinking about something, or when something is bothering me, I know I’m easy to read.

Now that I’m here, how the hell do I tell them that I slept with Slade? They’re going to want details, and I’m not sure he wants anyone to know. I’m also not so sure that I do, either. Maybe it was just a one-time thing, and if that’s the case, then why does anyone else need to know?

Telling them feels like it’s sharing a secret. A sweet secret only for Slade and me. I hold my breath for a moment, knowing there’s no way out of it. I have to go inside. They’re my bosses, and I want this to be more than temporary.

I want to work for them.

I want to stay here and be part of their world. That desire is mostly because of yesterday with Slade, but also because I don’t think I’ve ever been happier or felt safer in my own skin.

Being here in Boulder City feels right. Seeing Alex and Elodie waiting at a coffee shop with smiles on their faces, and those smiles being for me, feels good.

I truly believe that this is where I was meant to be, or maybe that’s just what I’m hoping because I had two amazing orgasms last night. I don’t know what’s real and what’s just a fantasy swirling around inside my head.

Inhaling a deep breath, I let it out slowly before I touch the engine button and turn the car off. I stay where I am for a moment, taking another calming breath, then square my shoulders in an effort to find some faux bravado and possibly hide my wariness.

Opening the car door, I unfold from the seat and stand. Closing the car door behind me, I hitch my purse a bit higher onto my shoulder then step up onto the sidewalk. I look over my shoulder, sensing someone watching me.

I know I shouldn’t be so paranoid, but I also know that Victor could be lurking around any and every corner when I least expect it. I take a calming breath, then move toward the front door.

Wrapping my fingers around the handle, I tug it open and slip inside. The scent of coffee and sugar hits my nose, then I swear it seeps into my bloodstream. My god—it smells amazing in here.