Page 96 of The Company

He puts his arm around me and pulls me close to his chest until I position myself with my shoulder in the crook of his arm and my cheek over his heart. I listen to it beat for a few moments. Steady. Calm. Strong.

I think I love that sound.

“Not true at all,” he says, kissing my hand. “I’m just…”

“Just what?” I’m anxious for a moment. Because something is wrong and he’s on the verge of telling me what’s bothering him.

“Stressed, I guess.”

“About me?” I ask, lifting my head up off his chest so I can look him in the eye.

“No, this job and stuff. That’s all. Not you, Harp. You’re the only good thing in my life right now.”

“You just need to think?”

“Yeah, baby,” he says in a whisper that tells me he wants this conversation to be over.

“Nick used to get like that. All withdrawn and moody. Need to plan shit, Harp, he’d say. Sometimes I’d play music for him when he was like that. He’d sit in the saloon and pretend to read, and I’d play the harp or the piano.”

This makes James chuckle in a very sexy way. It rumbles up through his chest and caresses my face. “You do not play the harp.”

I smile. “I can play the hell out of a harp.”

“One of these days I need to hear that. I’d like nothing more than to think all my worries away to the sound of you strumming a harp.”

God, that makes me so warm inside and I am wishing so hard for a harp right now to ease his mind. “I can give you a massage if you want.” I don’t wait for an answer, just sit up. “Turn over. This will make you feel better.”

For a second I’m afraid he’ll reject me this way too, but after a slight hesitation he turns over onto his stomach and props his hands under his forehead. This makes the muscles of his upper arms look delicious enough to lick. I’m about to lean over and do it too.

“I think there’s some little lotion samples in the bathroom. Go get them.”

Ah, my bossy man is back. I like him better this way. I jump up and make my way to the bathroom in the dark.

“Leave the light off in there, I don’t want any lights on tonight. Just in case.”

“Just in case?”

“I think they’re under the sink.”

I drop it because I’m not interested in talking about bad shit right now. I find the little travel-sized bottles of lotion and grab three. I go back over to the bed, put two on the bedside table, and then twist off the cap. “Mmmm. This one smells like flowers.”

I straddle his thighs and my pussy is instantly throbbing as the rough denim of his jeans presses against the sensitive area. Jesus, I’m going to regret this if he’s really not in the mood to fuck me tonight. I lean over his back and drip the lotion all over him. He sucks in some air through his teeth and mumbles something about it being cold. But then my hands take over and his mumbling ceases. I knead the muscles in his lower back first, moving my thumbs in an outward pattern. I’ve never given a man a massage before, but I’ve had lots of spa days at various resorts. So I know what feels good.

I work on that for a few minutes, then ease my way up his spine, being gentle in this area because that’s how I like it. When I get to his shoulders I have to reposition myself because I can’t reach. I straddle his waist this time, and he and I moan at the same time.

“Take your panties off, Harper,” he says in a whisper.

I roll off him and have those panties off so fast he barely notices. I straddle him again and this time he growls.

“You’re wet.”

“I am,” I say as I squirt some more lotion on his upper back this time. I begin working on his shoulders, gripping his muscles tight enough to make him moan and then easing up as I move down his arms. Each time I do that, I rock forward a little, rubbing myself on him. I’m not sure what that feels like on his end, but I’m in heaven and my desire is building.

“Do you like that, Harper? Do you want to get yourself off on me?’

I bite my lip. “Um, that’s not really what I was thinking…”

“I want you to. Rub your pussy on me. I want to make my whole back wet with your come.”