Jax runs his hands over the white expanse of my back, all the way down to my waist, all the way down to my ass, and then he cups it in his hands, squeezing, testing. I push back into his grip, wanting more of him, and he responds with a slap to my right asscheek.
"You stay in position."
"Yes, Mr. Hunter."
He drags the pad of a single finger down the length of my opening and I have to shove my knuckles into my mouth to keep from crying out.
"You're very wet," he comments, in the same tone that he might say, "It's raining out."
"Yes, Mr. Hunter."
"You like this."
"Yes, Mr. Hunter."
"You need this."
"Yes, Mr. Hunter."
"Do I need to remind you what happens when you break the rules?"
"No, Mr. Hunter."
"Twenty strokes for appalling behavior. Move out of position, and we'll start over."
"Yes, Mr. Hunter."
The words have barely had a chance to leave my mouth before his hand crashes down against my ass, the pain hot and stinging and sharp. It comes down again a moment later on the other cheek. Again. Again. Again. He keeps a steady rhythm, my ass heating up under his strikes as my pussy does the same, the juices collecting, dripping down the inside of my thighs. I grip the desk, trying to stay still, but something has to give, something has to release the pressure, and so I shout around my own fingers as the pain builds, builds, Jesus Christ it's so fucking exquisite, I want more, I need more, I love him.
He reaches twenty and there are tears in my eyes and my legs shake from trying to stay in position. There's the sound of his zipper and then he dips the head of his cock into my juices, lines it up with my opening.
"Beg."
"Please, fuck me," I say, trying to push myself back onto him. He holds me in place, his hands on my waist.
"Excuse me?"
"Please, fuck me, Mr. Hunter."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because I belong to you."
"That's right," he answers. "You belong to me."
On the word me he thrusts into me with all of his strength, filling me and stretching me and bottoming out and I have to catch my own cries with my hand because he is consumed with fucking me.
Suddenly he is pulling me, turning me, lifting me up in his strong, muscular arms, and then laying me back down on a bed of my own clothes.
"Spread your legs."
I spread them wide, my hands on my knees, pressing.
"Please," I whisper, and he bends toward me and fills me again, this time touching my face, my neck, my breasts, he's kissing me, biting me, licking me, sucking at every available inch of me and stretching me while he sends us careening toward the peak of desire, climbing, climbing …
My muscles tense around him and release as I explode and he has to cover my mouth this time so that the people in the book store and the café next door can't hear us. He follows suit several moments later as I descend from my own high, going in deeper than ever as his hips jerk uncontrollably.
When he's spent he lays his head down against my shoulder for a moment, before standing up, pulling me up, and then helping me put my clothes back on.
A wicked grin forms across his face. "If we're going to continue this, we should go back to the hotel."
"Only if we can get there fast," I say, grinning back.
We head toward the door.
"There's one more thing," I say, reaching for his hand.
"What is it, Cate? Anything."
I bite my lip. I'm going to sound like an idiot. "I love the building … but I don't want it."
Jax's face falls. "You don't?"
"No. If I'm going to run a company like this, I want to do it in New York, where I can be with you."
A smile grows on his face, and he tilts his head back and laughs. "You're unbelievable. I can't get enough of you."
"I hope you never do."
Chapter 46
Jax
There's nothing in the world I want more than to drive Cate back to my hotel room and fuck her all day and night, stopping only to eat and maybe shower … then fuck her in the shower … then kiss her, then spend several hours telling her how magnificent she is, how she is the only one for me, how I will never take her for granted, not for one day, not for one minute, not for one second.
I can tell she wants to go back there, too.
But there's one more thing I need to do.
I make a right-hand turn at the next block after the storefront and turn around, heading back the way we came, back toward Bee's house.
"The hotel is the other way. Did you get turned around?"
"No."
"Where are we going?"
"Are you always this impatient?"
"Yes! Tell me where we're going."
"There's one more thing I need to do at your sister's house."
"Pick up the flowers you got for me?"
"That, and something else."
Every time I glance over at Cate during the drive, she's grinning, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, her cheeks blushed and happy.
When we pull up to the house, her eyes widen. There are several vehicles parked by the curb, and people are coming and going, carrying packages and pieces of furniture.
"What is this?" She looks at me, not quite believing it.
"A baby gift for your sister and her husband."
"That's way more than one gift."
"You're right." Looking at the constant flow of people and things now, I think it might be a bit much. "They don't have to keep any of it, if they don't want it or need it."
"Are you kidding? Bee's probably in heaven right now. The babies were born before they could plan a shower, so they're having to buy everything as they go."
Relief. I'm not going to come off looking like a total asshole, then.
"Let's go in."
"Okay … "
Cate's voice is still a little wary, but she follows me in through the door. Bee, wearing one of the babies in a wrap close to her chest, comes to greet us, squealing with excitement.
"Jax-tell me right now. Did you send us all this stuff?"
"I did."
"Thank you!" Bee pulls my face toward her and kisses me on the cheek. "Thank you. Cate must have told you that we didn't get a chance to have a baby shower."
"She didn't, actually … but I'm glad I didn't send a truckload of things you already had."
Bee's eyes widen. "You sent all this even though-" She stops herself. "Never mind. We can talk about all this later. Dex?"
Dex appears from down the hallway. "They're almost done setting up the two cribs in the nursery." He has the other baby cradled over his arm. It looks odd to me, holding a baby that way, but what the hell do I know? Not a damn thing.
"Hey, Jax. Heard this was from you. Can't thank you enough, man."
"You're more than welcome." I look back toward Bee. "Are they here?"
"Is who here?" says Cate, looking suspiciously between the three of us.
"They're here," Bee says, her smile lighting up her face. "In the backyard garden. Come on."
Bee leads the way through the house and out the backdoor, where there's a beautifully maintained lawn and garden.
"Wow, Bee," I say. "You've spent a lot of time on this."
She wrinkles her nose. "We pay a guy. I hate bugs."
"Well, he's done a great job."
Now I'm just wasting time. After the amazing fuck I just had, how can I still be nervous? I can guarantee the outcome.
Almost.
Bee and Cate's parents are sitting on two lawn chairs near an outdoor fireplace, and they both stand up as we approach. Cate's father shakes my hand again, his eyes twinkling. I may have let them in on what could be happening today-if Cate decided she wanted to be with me after all.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad," Cate says, hugging them both. "This is my boyfriend, Jax."
"We've met," says her Dad, then guffaws loudly.
"What?"
"Just this morning."
"Why-?"
I clear my throat, and Cate's family steps back a couple of paces, all of them smiling almost freakishly large smiles, and she crosses her arms, looking at all of their faces, then back to me.
"Catherine Schaffer," I begin. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were someone I had to have in my life." My throat tightens with emotion. "And I know we haven't known each other a very long time, but-fuck," I say, my love for her crashing into me again. Cate's family bursts into laughter, and Bee covers the ears of the baby in her wrap.
"Language, language," she scolds playfully.
I wipe a stray tear from my eyelashes and continue. "I didn't need to know you for a long time to know that I wanted to be with you always. So … " I get down to my knee, and Cate clasps her hands in front of her, her face glowing with delight, her eyes shining with tears. "Cate, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" she shrieks, barreling into me so fast I almost fall over.