Winner Takes All (A Full Length Erotic Romance Novel) Page 13

  The long, rectangular office around her and Linc buzzed with early afternoon activity. Two women, both holding cups of coffee, talked near the door about someone’s upcoming wedding. At her desk, Linda, the stable’s administrative assistant talked quietly with the phone to her ear while her printer rolled out sheets of paper. From down the hall, came the sound of laughter, people meeting up and getting ready to leave for lunch.

  Sasha tucked her hands in the pockets of her jeans and rocked back on her heels, enjoying the relative quiet of the afternoon, the comforting activity of the office all around her.

  “Michelle and I are supposed to go look at the new filly later,” she told Linc.

  He gave her a teasing look. “Is that the sound of your maternal instincts kicking in?”

  Sasha rolled her eyes. “Hardly.”

  “Hardly what, darling?”

  Although she was expecting him, Sasha nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Damien’s voice close to her ear.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly.

  Linc looked at her with curiosity before greeting their boss. “Afternoon, sir,” he said with a nod.

  Damien nodded back. “Linc.”

  Today he was dressed in well-worn jeans and a white t-shirt under a black blazer. Casual. Sexy. Nothing like the angry and intense lover she had left the day before to his strategies and machinations on how to best rid himself of the Anthony Barnes problem. Sasha wanted to hug him. She crossed her arms under her breasts instead.

  “Keep doing what you’re doing,” Damien said to Linc before his eyes moved to Sasha. “I just came to invite this beautiful woman to lunch with me.” His hand found her elbow, an intimate gesture no one could misinterpret.

  The color rose in Sasha’s face but she hoped both men would ignore it. “Uh...sure. I’d love to.”

  “An hour from now in the house kitchen?”

  She nodded, found a smile. “Okay. See you then.”

  “Good.” Then he leaned down and kissed her. Quickly. On the mouth.

  The kiss was over as quickly as it began but he might as well have bent her over the copy machine and started fucking her in the ass for all the impact it had in the small office. Everything came to a screeching halt. Conversations. Breathing. Even the damn copier seemed to pause for a moment.

  “See you in a bit,” Damien said and walked off.

  After Damien left, every pair of eyes swung to Sasha, including Linc’s. She wanted to clear her throat of its sudden dryness but didn’t want to bring even more attention to herself with the sound.

  “So, what’s for lunch?” Linc asked. He took his manila folder of copies and dropped it into the admin assistant’s in-box. His attitude was nonchalance itself. As if he’d known about her and Damien’s relationship all along. And supported it.

  “Whatever Damien tells the chef to cook, I guess,” she said with a shrug, struggling to match his casual manner.

  “Sounds like you’re in for a gourmet experience, then. I don’t remember the boss being much of a meat and potatoes man.”

  Sasha wanted to kiss Linc for his laid-back attitude about the revelation. The office was settling down around them, the women by the door falling back into their conversation, the copy machine once again churning out the hot Xeroxed papers. Sasha’s frantic heartbeat in her chest. She shoved her sweaty hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

  “He likes a variety of things,” she said with a grateful smile. “There’s no telling what’s going to happen in that kitchen.”

  “Well, enjoy. I’m sure it’ll be a good time.” He started out of the office and she fell in step by his side. “I’m heading over to Michelle’s office to see about this new nutrition plan I think will work better for the underweight foal. I won’t be back until late this afternoon. Can you stick around late today?”

  “Absolutely.” Staying late today of all days was a small price to pay for his unconditional support.

  “Good. I’ll see you when I get back.” Then he was gone.

  With Linc off the property, she didn’t want to face anyone else. She had an hour until she met Damien for lunch so she used the time to groom Iron Fist. Then lunch time came and she walked across the grounds of the stables toward the lavish house where Damien lived. Although she knew that logically it wasn’t true, she felt that everyone at Taylor Stables watched her make the journey from the business side of the estate over to his private house. She felt like they watched her, they judged her, and found her wanting.

  After asking one of the maids where the kitchen was, she managed to find it on the second try, led the last few turns by her nose. Something delicious was cooking. Something cheesy and filled with starch. Sasha’s stomach growled with hunger. Her breakfast that morning had only consisted of a packet of flavored oatmeal and a banana. By the time she’d gotten to work, her stomach already felt empty. She stepped into the kitchen and almost bumped into a woman carrying a foil-covered pan toward the oven.

  “Excuse me,” Sasha dipped out of the uniformed woman’s way and stared around her in wonder.

  The kitchen was massive. It was filled with light from a half a dozen windows and had the feel of a rustic cabin. Wide wooden beams on the ceiling that matched the color of the small dining set near the center of the room. An entire wall of built-cabinets and shelving, a double oven, two sinks, and enough counter space for an orgy.

  Wow.

  Sometimes she forgot how rich Damien was. Her entire apartment could fit into this kitchen. Maybe even twice. Along with the woman who was putting what looked like a roast in the oven, there was a slender man chopping vegetables at one of the counters and a young girl who looked like she was doing her homework on the padded window seat, occasionally looking up to stare outside with longing on her face.

  Damien was already sitting at a small table by one of the windows. His blazer was off. The wind or an impatient hand had ruffled the usually immaculate arrangement of his hair. The table was set for two - glasses, silverware, dishes, napkins - but was otherwise empty. He stood up when he saw her.

  He kissed her again, this time on the cheek, and gestured for her to have a seat. After she claimed her seat, he sat across from her.

  “You look great,” he said with a grin. His blue eyes sparkled in his face.

  She laughed, utterly charmed by him. “You just saw me an hour ago. In this same outfit.”

  “You looked great then and you look even better now. Every time I see you, you look even more beautiful.” His words were low and rumbling. Private but easily carrying to the rest of the kitchen.

  Was this a performance? Was he pretending to be infatuated with her so that people wouldn’t feel put out by him dating the help? Sasha frowned at him. Then noticed the faint tremor in his hands, the way he fidgeted in his seat. He was nervous. She reached out and touched his hand, threaded her fingers through his.

  “Thank you for inviting me to lunch,” she said.

  The fluttering in his hands eased slightly. “It’s my pleasure.” He glanced toward the man, freckled with teak skin, who was still cutting vegetables near the stove.

  As if by silent command, the man was there in moments with their food. Beautiful squares of macaroni and cheese with slices of roasted chicken. He efficiently plated their meals, brought a pitcher of iced tea, then left them as quietly as he’d come. As she looked down at the golden macaroni and cheese still steaming from the oven and crisped at the edges just like she liked it, her stomach rumbled again.

  Sasha flushed, glanced up at Damien through her lashes.

  “Seems like lunch came just on time then,” her lover teased. The flash of humor moved across his face then disappeared again. He took a sip of his iced tea and carefully put the glass back on the table.

  “I haven’t done this in a while.” He gestured to her then himself. “I thought this was going to be easy. A walk in the park since we’ve been seeing and enjoying each other for a while now. But—” He looked around, chuckling ruefu
lly. “—I have no idea what I’m doing. I want you so much but I haven’t been serious about a woman since....” His eyes met hers. “Since my wife left me.”

  Sasha’s own eyes widened as stared at him.

  Wife? Then it was her turn to reach for the iced tea and take a hasty sip.

  The thought of another woman having him in such a meaningful way before her, unsettled Sasha more than she liked. She knew that if she’d paid more attention to the gossip at the stables, then she would have known this and more about Damien. But, watching him face her with honesty and trust, she realized she preferred the revelation happening this way. She folded her hands in her lap.

  “I didn’t know you were married,” she said.

  “I was. But I’m not any more. She left me for someone with deeper pockets willing to turn a blind eye to her affairs.” He shrugged but she could see the remnants of pain in him. “Needless to say,” Damien continued. “This big revelation about us means a lot to me, too.”

  Sasha felt a spasm of sympathy for her lover but didn’t reach out to touch him. He wouldn’t appreciate it and would also likely interpret it as pity. She could not imagine why a woman would choose another man over him. Or give him up once she had his love.

  “Her stupidity is my good luck,” she murmured with a slight smile.

  He looked at her, his lashes flickering in surprise. Then he smiled. “Is it?”

  She lifted her fork and speared a corner of the golden mound of macaroni, cheese, and spices. “You bet it is.”

  They sat eating their lunch with the noises of the kitchen around them. A knife against a cutting board. Water boiling in a pot. Pans and pots occasionally clanging together.

  “So, your wife….” Sasha raised her head to look at Damien, swallowing the small bite of roast chicken in her mouth. “Did you love her?”

  “She’s my ex-wife. And I did. Very much.”

  She swallowed hard, not sure if she should continue with the question she wanted to ask. But she did anyway. “Do you still love her?”

  “No. Definitely not. Five years and all her betrayals cured me of that sickness for good. I like to think that I’ve even gotten past all the bad things that happened between her and me.”

  “Are you sure?” She bit her lip, watching his eyes for any flicker of deception.

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life. That woman is the past.”

  Sasha felt the color climb in her cheeks at his simple yet powerful statement. At his eyes staring meaningfully into hers. “That’s good to know.”

  A past marriage revealed and dismissed in one conversation. How efficient. A smile touched the corner of Sasha’s mouth. How very Damien Taylor.

  “What’s making you smile like that?” He paused with his knife and fork held over his plate.

  “You, of course.”

  “Wonderful. I was hoping you’d say that.” He sliced a piece of chicken and forked it into his mouth.

  “Just wanting me to say the obvious, huh?” she grinned at him.

  “Sometimes the obvious still needs to be said.”

  They smiled at each other across the table as their silverware made music with their plates. A desperate sort of happiness bloomed in Sasha’s chest. She put her knife and fork down. For a moment, she had to just sit and sip the iced tea while the warm feeling for Damien washed over her. She’d never felt this way about anyone before, but she knew without a doubt what it was. The feeling was miraculous.

  After lunch, Sasha left the kitchen with Damien to go for a walk in the gardens of the large 19th century stone house. They didn’t hold hands as they made their way through the lush grounds, but anyone seeing them together couldn’t mistake them for being other than what they were. A couple. Sasha felt like she was on parade, on display. But she understood the necessity of it.

  Her eyes flickered to Damien who walked quietly at her side, his gaze on the green vastness ahead of them. The sun turned his hair to gold, gilding his handsome features, and filtered light through his pale eyes. This was her man. Hers. How had she gotten so lucky?

  “Have I ever shown you my mother’s maze at the back of the house?” Damien suddenly asked.

  He lifted his gaze from the rolling green hills in front of them and turned the full power of his intense gaze on her. Sasha quietly caught her breath.

  “No. You haven’t.”

  “I’ve been remiss, indeed,” he said. He took her hand and draped it over his arm. “This way.” He grinned.

  They walked along the paved path of the large house, through a rose garden with a sweet and moist smell, around the side of the tall and massive old stone house that showed signs of its age but stood as firm and strong as ever. They walked for what felt like at least a half a mile, Damien telling her how his mother had loved the maze that his father had built for her. How she always went there whenever she had a lot on her mind. It had been her sanctuary right up until she had to leave the house and move into the city where she could be close to hospitals and her doctor who could see to her fragile health.

  Then, they finally stood at the entrance to the maze. Sasha has expected a box of hedges, cold and English, like she’d often seen on television. Those mazes had never appealed to her and had been frankly a little creepy. But maze was very different. It was colorful and pretty; even welcoming. At the entrance was a babbling fountain, the water trickling down into an artificial stone pond with brightly colored koi swimming lazily under the afternoon sun.

  “They look delicious,” she said to him with laughter in her voice.

  “Sacrilege!” He chuckled. “My mother loves these damn fish.”

  They stepped through the entrance of the maze that, even in the heat of summer, flowered with brilliantly flowering crepe myrtle trees. White. Lavender. Pink. Unlike a traditional English maze, which Sasha had no experience with in real life, the walls of the Taylor maze was made of flowering bushes. Bright purple overflowed into lush blues, exciting yellows interconnected with sensual reds. Not creepy or frightening at all.

  Overhead, flowering trees and vines grew toward each other, forming thin canopies the sun filtered through. The air smelled sweet and an afternoon breeze whispered over them, stirring Sasha’s hair around her shoulders. She drew in a deep breath and smiled.

  “It’s very pretty in here,” she said.

  “You say it like you’re surprised.” He looked down at her smiling. In that moment, Damien seemed as if he belonged among all these beautiful flowers, a fae lord.

  “It’s always a surprise to see beauty in this world,” she said.

  Sasha shrugged, pulled away from him to walk in front of him. The stone path crunched beneath her boots. Up ahead, nearly a dozen butterflies fluttered through the air, landing then winging from a cluster of purple, star shaped blooms. Sasha stopped, watching them. Amazed.

  When had she ever taken the time to appreciate something so small and so beautiful? As a girl growing up in group homes and other compromised environments, she heard other girls talking about going to butterfly gardens or to see flowers in the park or even fireworks, but those things had never interested her. She thought they were stupid, not for people like her who had only gotten harder and uglier things from life. But looking at the butterflies and feeling Damien’s warm presence behind her, she realized that these soft and pretty things were for her too. She could appreciate and love them as well as a pampered princess.

  But, she would never have done this on her own. Sasha turned to face her lover.

  “Thank you for suggesting this,” she said, tilting her face up to him.

  “You’re welcome,” he said softly. “But you know I had an ulterior motive.”

  The corner of her mouth quirked up. “Really? What’s that?”

  Instead of answering, he reached for her. Kissed her. She surrendered to his easy passion and the joy bubbling in her blood. Under the hot sun, his mouth pressed firmly and sweetly against hers. She stood on her tip-toes, twined
her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply in return. Her head spun from the pleasure of his touch.

  Damien lifted his mouth from hers, leaving a breath of space between their lips. “It’s a must, isn’t it? Celebrating our brand new and out in the open relationship with an open air fuck.” His mouth against hers, took the sting of the profanity away. Then his hips pressed into hers and she forgot about everything but his warmth. How she felt. How much more of him she wanted to feel.

  Their kiss built slowly. A leisurely stroke of tongues and lips and breath that grew into heat and passion and fingers clenched desperately into skin. Damien’s cock pressed against her. His hands dropped down to grab her butt through her jeans. She sighed, bit his lips, raked her fingers through his already wild hair. Her nipples hardened under her shirt, rubbing against his chest through the layers of clothes of between them. She wanted his hands on her skin. She wanted his mouth on her. His cock inside her. She drew back from him, her breath coming heavily.

  “Wait,” she said.

  Without rushing, Sasha unbuttoned her shirt, unhooked her bra, and got completely undressed for Damien. His eyes were hot on her body, almost black with desire for her. Suddenly, under the sun and the intensity of his gaze, she felt shy. New to loving. They’d never done this before. Loved in the open where anyone could find them and it would be all right. Here, there was no secret. No one to be careful of. No one to say she couldn’t have Damien, or that he couldn’t have her. They were together and now everyone knew.

  The breath trembled from her mouth. She felt... vulnerable because of this new openness.

  Although she’d been naked before him dozens of time, had had his body inside hers, his mouth kissing her everyone, suddenly she felt shy. A blush climbed into her cheeks and she hunched her shoulders, hiding her nipples, used her hands to cover her mound.