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  “It's Isabelle!” Alex smiled. Maybe he was a masochist at heart because her orneriness still oddly turned him on.

  8

  “I'm sorry,” she said immediately. “I didn't call to snap at you. I called to say thank you and that if things go well I should be able to start paying you back for the hospital bills soon.” She called because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. It pissed her off, and she'd never admit it to him, but the job interview had given her a viable excuse, so she took it.

  “Thank you for?” She was right on the verge of snapping at him again. In her head, that question said, “I've done so much for you, what are you thanking me for?” She thankfully took a breath and reminded herself that she was the one that had called him, and not to argue. She was genuinely grateful for his help because even though it was his fault she needed a job…he hadn't had to help her.

  “I had an interview with the Chief buyer at Rags yesterday, Lenore Michaels. Renay Dupree set it up, at your request, I assume?”

  “Oh! Yes, I talked to Renay the day you were in the hospital. She was impressed with your resume. I'm so glad she got in touch with you. How did the interview go?”

  She doubted that Renay Dupree of all people was impressed with her resume. Renay's bio took up an entire page in Rag's company pamphlet. She was only forty and already a giant in the industry. She was self-made to boot. Isabelle wondered if Renay and Alex had ever been involved. She had to remind herself again to focus on the reason she called. “It went great,” she said at last. “Lenore called me back today and asked me to come in for a second interview this afternoon. She said she had plans to hire me, but Renay had another offer for me in lieu of the one Lenore planned…whatever it is will be a foot in the door.” She had been told she'd probably start out at one of the subsidiaries of the company, of which they had many. She had been slightly disappointed about not actually working at the design studio, but like she told Alex, whatever it was would get her in the door…and keep her off government assistance.

  “That's great, Izz—Isabelle. You sound really happy and I'm happy for you. I also appreciate you calling to keep me in the loop.”

  “Well like I said, I wanted to thank you. So…thanks. I'll be in touch when I have some money for the hospital bill…”

  “Isabelle, you don't have to pay me back for that. You said yourself, I shouldn't have had them take you to such an expensive place and put in a private room.” She wanted to ask why he did. Was it because he was trying to impress her? Or was he just concerned about her getting the best care possible? The bottom line was that it didn't matter. She wasn't about to become indebted to a rich, arrogant, controlling…incredibly hot man. The incredibly hot was in the pro's column, but she hadn't been able to leave it out.

  “I'd rather not feel like a charity case but thank you. I'll be in touch…”

  “Fine, you can pay me back. But can we have a drink to celebrate your new job…or dinner?”

  “I don't think that's a good idea,” she said.

  “Why not? Are you seeing someone?”

  “No, but…”

  “Neither am I. We're two single people who happened to meet under less than ordinary circumstances. Let's start over, Izz—Isabelle. Give me a second chance, please.”

  She knew she should say no…but, she felt like she physically couldn't. It pissed her off. Damn it! This man was a shark…but God, she wanted him. Maybe one drink, some hot, kinky sex…and that would be it. One night. Like he said, they were both single. What would it really hurt? “Okay,”

  “Okay?”

  “You sound surprised. Should I have said no?”

  “No! No…okay is good. Is tonight good for you? I can pick you up around eight?”

  “How about we have that drink here. I'm not really up for a night out. A quiet night in might be nicer.” She felt her face flushing and she was glad he couldn't see her. She'd never invited a man over for the sole purpose of having sex with him before. But why not? She wouldn't be hurting anyone, and she was tired of masturbating and toys. She needed a real, hot, flesh and blood man and Alex fit that bill.

  “Oh,” he sounded surprised again. “Sure, that sounds perfect. I'll bring the wine.”

  “Great, say about eight?”

  “I'll be there. Should I bring anything else?”

  “Maybe a present for Theo. He's still walking with a limp and he's not the most forgiving cat in the world.”

  Alex chuckled and when she didn't go on he said, “Oh, you're serious. Okay…what do cats like?”

  “I'm sure you'll find something nice. See you tonight.” She hung up the phone with a smile. She was moving into the next phase of her life as an independent woman…she was about to have no strings attached sex. She turned away from the kitchen counter and caught Theo staring at her. He had a judgmental look in his eyes. “It's just sex,” she said. “Before I had you fixed, you did it all the time with any stray that shook her tail in your direction.” Theo yawned. “Fine, judge me,” she said. “I don't care. I'm going to have hot monkey sex with the hottest guy on the planet tonight. You better cover your ears because there is going to be some heavy moaning.” He looked like he curled his lip before standing up, turning his butt in her direction, flipping his tail and prancing away. Damned holier than thou feline.

  It was seven fifty-five. Theo was asleep in his bed. The house was spotless clean. Isabelle had dug out her only two wine glasses and set them out on the counter along with the corkscrew she'd bought on her and Darryl's first anniversary and hadn't used since. Darryl was more of a whiskey and beer kind of guy.

  She'd taken a long, hot bubble bath, slathered her body in fragrant lotion and she'd dressed in a pair of casual white slacks and a sleeveless peach colored silk blouse. She left her hair down in its natural waves and she'd applied just a little bit of mascara and lip gloss. She wanted to look pretty, but not like the desperate slut she'd felt like all afternoon as she contemplated what she planned on doing. She lit a candle on the coffee table and at the last minute, deciding what the hell because he'd gotten a glimpse of things already, she took her “Shades of Grey” book out and lay it on the table next to the candle. Her kitchen and living room were connected by the island counter so she turned off the living room light and left the one on in the kitchen for ambiance. She wished she had hors d'oeuvres or something like that to serve him, but it wasn't in the five-dollar budget she had left. Even if she got the job tomorrow with Ragged Beauty, she'd have to figure out how to survive until she got her first paycheck…but she'd think about that tomorrow.

  She was taking one last look around when there was a soft knock on the door. The butterflies in her stomach flapped their wings wildly as she made her way to the door. They flew up in her throat and almost choked her when she pulled it open and saw him standing there. He wasn't wearing a suit for one thing. He had on a pair of blue jeans…designer jeans that fit him like a comfortable pair of gloves. The button-down shirt he was wearing was dark green and it made his already sexy eyes sparkle. She had to physically hold herself back and she wondered how many other women wanted to jump his bones on a daily basis.

  “Hi,” he said with a smile. She realized only then that he was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a canvas shopping bag in the other.

  “Hi. Come in,” she said, proud that her voice didn't crack.

  He stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath while she was facing away. She pasted a smile on before turning back around. “You look beautiful,” he said. She realized it was the first time he'd seen her not dressed like a bag lady, or not dressed at all, or in a robe or a hospital gown. “Thank you,” she said. “You too. Can I take that?” He held out the wine and she took it from him. Then he sat the canvas bag on the counter and reached into it. He pulled out a beautiful bouquet of flowers. They were multicolored sunflowers.

  “For you,” he said. “Congratulations on the job.”

  She took the
m and with a smile she told him, “They're lovely. I didn't really get the job yet though, just another interview…let's not jinx it.”

  He nodded. “I'm sure you'll ace that one too.” He looked around and when his eyes fell on Theo who was now awake but still laying in his bed, eyeing Alex suspiciously, Theo meowed at him. “Well hello there,” he said to the cat. “I never got a chance to apologize for stepping on you.” Theo meowed again. It was his angry voice, but Isabelle wasn't going to tell him that. “I brought you a present, to say I’m sorry.” Alex reached back into the bag. Theo got up on his feet and watched with interest. “It's a mouse,” Alex said, pulling out a realistic looking rodent. Isabelle shuddered. She hated rodents, even fake ones. When she bought toys for Theo, she usually bought fish-shaped toys. Alex squeezed it and it squeaked. “It's filled with catnip,” he said. That perked Theo up and he came over toward Alex, albeit slowly. Alex bent down when Theo was close and lay the toy in the floor. Theo's tail was stuck straight up in the air as he did a slow circle around it, sniffing the air. Alex and Isabelle watched the cat…her, because she wasn't sure what to do or say next, and Alex…he actually looked interested in what Theo would do next. When Theo put out a paw and swiped at the toy Alex smiled and said, “I think he likes it.” Isabelle could tell that Theo in fact, didn't like it…but, she was going to be polite.

  “I'm sure he does. Thank you. Do you want to sit down?” She gestured at the couch and giving Theo a wide berth, Alex went over and took a seat. Isabelle brought the wine and glasses over and when she set them down on the table she saw Alex looking at her book. “Have you read it?” she asked, casually.

  He chuckled. “No, I'm afraid I haven't.”

  “Have you read any of them in the series?”

  “No. I always thought it was geared more toward women.”

  She shrugged and started to put the corkscrew on the wine bottle. “You mind if I do that?” Alex asked her. She handed it to him and his hand brushed hers. She wasn't thinking clearly enough to suppress the shudder. When Alex gave her a knowing look…she lost her mind. She was still holding the wine bottle and so was he. She pulled it out of his hand, dropping the corkscrew onto the carpet as she did. She sat the bottle on the coffee table and then she did something she'd never done before…she climbed up in his lap and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft, but his body was stiff, and she could tell he was surprised and maybe even a little frightened by her boldness. She pulled back and looked down at his face. He was staring at her, wide-eyed.

  “You going to kiss me back?” she asked in a breathless voice. She knew he wanted to. He didn't do all he'd done for her up to this point and beg her to meet him for a drink because he found her personality fascinating. He was simply being a gentleman and Isabelle decided that was just wasting time.

  “You want me to?” he asked. “Because up until right this minute, I thought maybe you didn't even like me.”

  “You don't have to like a person to have sex with them, do you?”

  “So, you really don't like me?”

  “I like you, okay? Now can we kiss?”

  “Isabelle…are you sure? I mean, this is kind of sudden…”

  “Geez! Which one of us is the woman here, anyways?” That seemed to do it for him. He grabbed her head in his hands and pulled her into a fiery and passionate kiss.

  9

  Isabelle let her hands explore Alex's body as they kissed, pressing into his shirt and feeling each taut ripple of his chest. Alex let go of her face and put his hands on her waist. He pulled his feet up and lay down on the couch, taking her with him, pulling her up on top of him. He let his hands run down her back and across the curve of her ass. She could feel his excitement pressing up into her and when they broke the kiss and came up for air, she looked into his eyes and saw the passion and lust there. “You want to go into the bedroom?” she asked. He still looked a little shocked by her forwardness, but he nodded. She slid off him and held out her hand. He took it and got up, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her neck on the way across the room to the bedroom. Theo was busy with his mouse, but she didn't trust him not to interrupt, so she kicked the door closed behind them. They came together again in another hot kiss, this time ripping and pulling at each other's clothes. Alex kicked off his shoes as she un-tucked his shirt and started unhooking his belt. Once he had his shoes off, he undid the buttons on his shirt and as he tried to shrug out of it, Isabelle's lips were already on his chest. His skin was hot, and he tasted as good as he smelled. She was dying to really play with him…but she was afraid it was too soon. Maybe if the sex went well tonight, and he wanted to do it again, she could work her nerve up to introduce something small…like smacking that fine ass. For now though, she was loving just having her hands on his hard, sexy body. God, he looked hot, even in the low light of the bedroom. He let go of her once his shirt was off and his pants were undone, and he took a step back and finished undressing while she watched. She was so mesmerized by his body that she forgot to take her own clothes off.

  He smiled. “Are you going to get undressed?” She was tempted to say no…to make him lay down on the bed and torment him to the point of insanity…to not let him come until he was begging for it. But she just wasn't comfortable enough with him to do that…yet. She smiled back instead and started taking off her clothes. He watched her, letting his eyes follow the trail of exposed skin as her clothes fell off, licking his lips when she let her bra fall to the floor and then letting out a low moan when she slid off her pants and panties and stood back up, completely exposed to him. Her brain wanted to remind her that he'd seen it all before…but she shut that voice down. If she started letting herself remember that humiliation, it would take away from the excitement of the moment. “You're so beautiful,” he said, taking a step toward her. He put his hand on the back of her head and leaned down and kissed her, walking her backwards to the bed with their lips and tongues attached. He was as big as she'd hoped he was and hard as a rock. He pressed into her, grinding that hard cock into her stomach until finally breaking the kiss and lowering her down to the bed. She smiled up at him and arched her back. His eyes went back to her breasts and he reached down and took one between his hands and gently squeezed and caressed it before letting it go and taking the nipple between his fingers. He rolled it gently and it felt good and sent goosebumps skittering across her skin, She was hoping he'd pinch or squeeze harder…but after rolling it for a bit, he let go of it and did the same to the other. Finally, he dropped down to his knees next to the bed and put his mouth on one of them. She arched higher, pushing more of her flesh into his mouth. He rolled the hard nipple around on his tongue, licking and gently sucking. She took his head in her hands and pressed him down harder into her breast. She tangled her hands in his hair and began to pull at it.

  “Bite me, Alex,” she whispered. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. He still had her breast in his mouth, but he was just holding it between his lips. “Bite me,” she said, again.

  He looked hesitant, but she felt his teeth scrape the side of her nipple. It was still gentle, but it was better…he was trying. She closed her eyes and let him do his thing. It was nice…but the passion she'd imagined, wanted and needed…not so much. When he left her breasts, she was hoping he'd head down to her pussy, but instead he stood up and lifted her all the way up on the bed. He lay down next to her and began to slowly and tenderly stroke her shoulder with his fingers. He trailed them down her body, along the side of her ribs and across her hip and thigh and then finally he touched her pussy. She was soaking wet already just anticipating it. He let his fingers play in the slick moisture on her lips and slit. He was moving so slow…she was dying to tell him to move faster, touch her harder…but, she wasn't sure how he'd take it. So she lay there, and when he touched her clit, her body jerked. She opened her eyes and looked at him and he smiled and pressed his thumb into it.

  “Yes,” she said as he started to rub it in slow circles.
He pressed a little harder but continued rubbing slowly. “Harder,” she said. He pressed in harder. “Faster.” She was still looking at his face. He was still smiling. He rubbed harder and faster…but she still wanted more. She started moving her hips, grinding them into his fingers. Instead of getting rougher with her clit however, he took his fingers off and let one of them slide up into her, slowly and gently. Again, she began to move and thrust her hips. She expected him to slide in another finger, but instead he softly whispered,

  “You're so tight, and so wet.” He kept moving that one finger in and out of her. It felt good…but fuck, she wanted more. She reached down and found his throbbing cock. She took it in her hand and began to stroke it. She gripped it tightly and moved her hand up and down it quickly. Alex began to groan and move his hips and his finger worked in and out of her a little faster. He had his eyes closed now and a look of ecstasy on his face. They were falling into a rhythm and just about the time she thought he might actually slide another finger into her aching pussy he suddenly stopped, rolled her back onto her back and climbed up on top of her. He spread her legs open and then said, “Shit. I don't have a condom. I didn't think…I mean, I wasn't expecting…”

  “Top drawer,” she said, pointing to the nightstand. He looked both surprised and relieved as he reached over and pulled open the drawer. He took out one of the condoms and looked at it. The fact that they were magnum seemed to surprise him, but he tore open the package and put it on quickly anyways. She wondered what he was thinking of her. He'd seen her closet and then she'd attacked him tonight and now she had condoms readily available for a large man. She wondered if she should tell him this wasn't something she did all the time…or at all. But as she was trying to figure out how to say it without blowing the mood, she felt the tip of his cock pressing against her wet pussy. All rational thought was gone as she imagined him filling her up. She arched up so that her hips were angled and grabbed his ass, pressing him forward. He tried to slide into her slowly, but she wasn't having it. She pushed on him and dug her nails into his flesh. He took the not so subtle cue and buried his huge cock inside of her. At that point the feel of him inside of her trumped everything else. He might not be into getting kinky or rough, but he knew how to use that big tool. He slid a hand underneath her and lifted her up off the bed. She moved her hands up to his shoulders and held on while he fucked her. It felt amazing, he fit her perfectly and the harder she pressed her fingers into his shoulders and the faster she flexed her hips, the harder and faster he thrust in and out of her. Their pelvis's slammed into each other and their moans and grunts echoed off the walls of her room. They were both panting and gasping for breath and she felt a drop of sweat roll off his body and splash down onto her hot skin. It was amazing that it didn't sizzle.