Author: Tara Sue Me
“Now. ”
“Yes. ”
“Now. ”
“Yes. ”
He gradually went faster and she went with him, until he finally felt his cl**ax rushing forward. “Whenever you want, kitten. ”
She came in a rugged sigh and he followed, spilling in his hand.
“Mmmm,” she said.
“Did that help ease your anticipation?” he asked.
“No, sir. I think it only made me want you more. My fingers are a poor substitute for the real thing. ”
Her honesty was enchanting and he found himself laughing. “Trust me, kitten, I feel the same. I’ll take you over my hand any day. ”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. I guess that’s not so long. ”
He thought briefly about telling her she couldn’t come again until he gave her permission, but decided against it. If everything went the way he planned, there would be plenty of time to claim ownership of her orgasms.
“Long enough, Julie. Long enough. ”
They spoke for a few more minutes, revising their plans and saying good-nights. Not long after hanging up, he made his way down to the playroom to plan.
• • •
Daniel decided to work from home the next day, so he heard Cole trudge into the kitchen around noon.
“Feel better?” he called from his home office.
Cole gave a grunt that might have been an affirmative reply.
Daniel sent the e-mail he’d been working on and went into the kitchen. “Sleep well?”
His friend looked better after a shower, a shave, and a decent night’s sleep, but there was still an underlying fatigue in his eyes. “Like the dead. ”
“Ready to talk about why you’re going halfway around the world for months?”
Cole took a deep breath. “Kate left me. ”
The news was so unexpected, Daniel sat down. Kate had been Cole’s girlfriend and submissive for years. “No. Cole, I’m sorry. When she wasn’t with you last night, I just assumed she’d be following later. What happened?”
“There was only one thing we ever argued about on a regular basis. ”
“The baby issue. ” It had been an ongoing battle between the two for almost as long as Daniel could remember. Kate wanted children and Cole didn’t.
“It’s not an area you can compromise on,” Cole said. “You either have kids or you don’t. She eventually decided kids were more important than me. ”
“I’m sure it wasn’t exactly like that. ”
“Trust me, it was exactly like that. ”
Daniel chose his next words carefully. Cole was hurting, but Daniel wouldn’t be much of a friend if he didn’t tell the truth. “You know that if you’re in pain over losing her, you can’t escape it by running. ”
“Maybe not, but I can sure as hell avoid it for a while. ”
“You know you’re always welcome here. ”
“Thanks. ” Cole smiled, but it looked forced. “How about you? Did you and Dena ever, you know?”
Cole had always thought Daniel should make more of a move with Dena. No matter how often Daniel insisted they were and would always be just friends and occasional play partners, Cole had the idea stuck in his head.
“No. I’m actually seeing someone new. She’s coming for dinner tonight, you can meet her. ”
“New woman? Nice. ”
“She’ll probably be spending the night. ”
“Ah, hell. ”
Daniel knew what Cole was thinking. Could only imagine how he felt. “I’m sorry. I invited her before you arrived. ”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be okay. ” He stood up. “I’m going to go for a run. Clear my head. ”
Daniel nodded. “Trail hasn’t changed. ” The pond had always been a favorite spot of Cole’s to run when he visited and needed time and space to think. Daniel was under no misconception that one run would aid Cole in exorcising his personal demons, but maybe it would be a start.
• • •
The first thing Julie noticed about Cole was his eyes. They were a stunning bluish green, and though his mouth smiled, his eyes didn’t. She wondered what made him so sad and if his warm smile fooled most people.
“Julie,” he said, shaking her hand and speaking in a smooth British accent. “So good to meet you. Cole Johnson. ”
“Cole Johnson,” she said. “Daniel didn’t give me your name. I love your writing. Especially your piece on the diamond mines. ”
His eyes widened with shock and then he playfully pushed Daniel aside and took her arm. “Daniel vastly underestimated your many charms. Come sit beside me at dinner. We’ll talk. ”
She laughed and threw a smile over her shoulder to Daniel.
He shook his head. “She’s much too smart for that game. There’s no way she’ll sit through three hours of ‘Cole Johnson, Man of Adventure and Intrigue. ’”
“That’s okay,” Cole whispered, patting her arm. “I’ll condense it down to one. I’m a little low on intrigue lately anyway. ”
Daniel served a hearty meal of steak and potatoes, and the wine and conversation flowed freely. Cole actually did keep her fairly entertained retelling some of his many exploits, and if the certain sadness lingering in his expression never quite went away, it seemed he tried not to let it cloud the conversation. Daniel added enough groans and snorts for her to understand that Cole was embellishing his tales rather well.
“Tell me, Julie,” Cole said when their plates were empty. “Are you new to the area?”
“Me, no. Why do you ask?”