Asking For Trouble (4 page)

For one thing, she decided as she entered the kitchen and
searched for the lights, she would be moving herself and Lucy to a hotel today.
Last night, his reasoning had been sound, when her brain had been so numb. In
the cold light of early morning, she couldn’t justify staying with him. Of
course it made sense not to return to her home until those men were locked up
in jail, but there wasn’t a viable reason she couldn’t go to a hotel or
short-term rental.

Once she found the lights, Natalie spent a few minutes
orienting herself with the gourmet kitchen. It wasn’t like her to take over
someone else’s space, but Lucy needed food, and the industrial appliances
beckoned. One of her passions was cooking, and any chef would feel at home with
the layout of Orion’s kitchen. A quick inventory of his fridge and freezer
revealed Lucy would be eating ultra-gourmet this morning. “Not your usual lean
ground beef, yogurt, rice and peas today, Lucy,” she said as she took a thick
steak from the freezer. “Don’t get used to this.”

While the steak defrosted, Natalie gathered a few crucial
ingredients to make Lucy’s breakfast. As soon as the steak was soft, she cut it
up, combined the other ingredients and popped it all back into the microwave.
Only then did she realize her own stomach was rumbling.

Natalie was in the middle of scrambling eggs with Monterey
Jack when Orion appeared in the kitchen. She turned around for the salt and
nearly jumped out of her skin. “How do you do that?” she asked with a touch of
indignation.

“Do what?” He took a seat at the breakfast bar.

“Sneak up on people. You’re so quiet, we should put a bell
on you.”

He cracked a grin and shrugged. “It’s just the way I move.”

Immediately, her mind conjured up an image of Orion moving
so lithely and gracefully above her, as he surged inside her. A blink cleared
the image, but not the residual trace of arousal it caused. She studied the
eggs. “I’m sorry if we woke you.”

With another shrug, he said, “I’m a light sleeper, and
something smells fabulous. Steak and eggs?” he asked hopefully.

Natalie grinned. “Only if you like your steak with carrots
and oatmeal.” His nonplussed expression made her giggle, and she walked to the
microwave to remove Lucy’s food. It was almost cool, so she showed it to her
boss before setting it on the counter to finish cooling.

“What is that?”

“Breakfast for Lucy.” She returned to the skillet to remove
the eggs onto a waiting plate. “I hope you don’t mind me raiding your fridge,
but she missed dinner. Normally, I wouldn’t feed her steak, but you don’t have
many other options.” What she meant was options that are more economical. There
had been several other cuts and varieties of meat from which to choose, but
nothing of lesser quality.

“I don’t care, though I am almost envious of what she’s
eating.” He eyed the bowl, looking slightly queasy. “I guess we forgot her food
last night. Would you like me to go buy dog food for her? There’s an all-night
store down the road.”

“Eggs?” At his confirming nod, she broke more into the
skillet to scramble. “No, thanks. Lucy doesn’t eat commercially prepared dog
food. A lot of it is unsafe, not to mention filled with fillers and
by-products.”

He seemed equally amused and intrigued. “I remember hearing
about imported tainted dog food. So, do you cook for her every day?”

“No, just a couple of times per week. I make larger batches
and microwave a serving at mealtimes.” The conversation was a strange one to be
having at three a.m., but it was helping her relax. Though she still felt
awkward around Orion, and more than a little embarrassed, their inane chatting
was low-pressure.

“How do you know what to feed her?”

She glanced at him, finding his interest seemed genuine. “I
did some research, bought a couple of dog food cookbooks and went from there. I
have several of my own recipes now.” Natalie’s cheeks warmed when she shared
her secret ambition. “Someday, I hope to have a dog bakery where I can sell the
meals and treats. A lot of people want to feed their pets healthy food, but
don’t have time to fuss with making it at home.”

“How is it you have the time?” As he asked the question,
Orion rose from the stool and came around the bar, approaching the stove. The
hairs on Natalie’s neck rose and her skin tingled as he got closer. When he
stopped just a few inches away, she had to remind herself to breathe. Her heart
forgot how to beat for a second when he brushed strands of hair off her neck.
“You’re so beautiful. There must be a man who takes up a large chunk of your
time.”

“Nuh…” The unintelligible response was all she could offer
when he closed the gap between them by pulling her against him. His mouth touched
her throat lightly. She shivered when he breathed in deeply, as if inhaling and
memorizing her scent. For some reason, the action seemed primal, almost
animalistic, and it stirred her passion to newer heights.

“So, so beautiful.” He growled the words against her throat.
“Smell…heaven…” Orion seemed as incapable of speech as she was.

Natalie’s head spun when he whirled her around to face him.
His mouth came down on hers in a hot, possessive way that made the blood rush
through her veins, spreading heat along the way. Her thighs quivered and cream
filled her pussy as he slanted open her mouth to push his tongue inside it. The
kiss they had shared before was nothing like this. His manner was completely
different. Orion allowed her no time to stroke his tongue with hers, to meet
each thrust of the appendage. Instead, he plundered her mouth completely,
subduing any attempts she made to reciprocate. It was like being taken or
marked. Branded. The word came to mind and fit perfectly.

She curled her fingers into his biceps, kneading his arm
through the thick terrycloth covering his skin. It was all she could do as he
completely ravished her mouth. His tongue moved with swift certainty, allowing
her no secret niches. In seconds, he knew every inch of her mouth and lips.

A whimper escaped her when he broke the kiss. She stared at
him, her body aching for him, while her mind swirled with a jumble of emotions.
“Orion.” What else could she say? Nothing came to mind. It was unusual for her
not to be articulate, but with him, it seemed unnecessary. Their bodies,
rubbing and pressing so close to each other, seemed more than capable of saying
anything that needed communicating.

“Natalie.” His eyes seemed a darker shade of black than they
had before. His breathing was as ragged as hers, and his chest vibrated against
hers with each breath. He bent forward to press his forehead to hers, his hands
holding her cheeks in a tender, yet immobile, grip.

“We shouldn’t do this.” Logic was trying to reassert itself,
despite her body’s urgings to ignore it. “We work together.”

“Fuck it.” The expletive seemed to echo around the kitchen.
“You are mine.”

She shivered at the intensity in his voice. A frisson of
fear skittered down her spine, but a wave of desire swept it away when he
cupped her breast. Looking into his hungry eyes, she knew she had nothing to
fear from him. Her head fell back when he thumbed her nipple through the
well-washed cotton. The material abraded the tender peak in a delightful way
that had her squirming. She arched her hips, rubbing her pussy against his body
in search of stimulation.

Orion surprised her by lifting her around the waist. Shame
flooded her and she wanted to protest. She was too heavy for a man to lift her.
Natalie would never be the heroine swept up by the hero and carried somewhere
romantic. Even as the notion formed, he was lifting her onto the island,
seemingly with no effort. She tamped down the urge to say something, to
apologize for her size. It would only ruin this moment, and she didn’t want that.
Orion was definitely not faking his ardor, so clearly, he didn’t care that she
was full-figured.

Natalie gasped when he forced her down so that she was lying
across the length of the island. His hands were urgent on the buttons of the
pajama top and he seemed on the verge of tearing the garment from her. Excited
by the idea, she rubbed against his stomach, hoping he could feel the wet heat
of her pussy through her panties and the cotton pants.

It seemed like forever before he conquered the buttons and
pushed open the top. Natalie watched his face, searching for a hint of ridicule
or repulsion when he saw her full stomach. His eyes held only appreciation as
he gazed at her large breasts. “Do they please you?” she asked in a breathy
whisper.

“More than anything. I love a woman with generous breasts.”
Orion cupped them, each one in a hand, his thumbs caressing her large nipples.
“So beautiful. I love your nipples, Natalie. They’re so red, like luscious
strawberries. Ripe, sweet berries…” He lowered his head. “Inviting a taste.”
Orion swiped his tongue across one nipple, causing the already rigid bud to
harden even more. “Juicy.”

His mouth sent numerous sensations through her. She clutched
a handful of his dark hair to anchor herself when he sucked the nipple and part
of the areola into his mouth. She arched her back and cried out as he sucked on
her breast. His tongue was delicious torture against the sensitive peak. Each
swirl and thrust made her hips jut higher. As he worked one breast with his
mouth, the other received an equal measure of attention from his hand, tugging
and twirling that nipple until the pleasure was almost unbearable. Relief and
disappointment filled her when he lifted his head.

Both reactions were temporary. He was merely changing
positions. The bud he hadn’t yet tasted received lavish attention while he
cupped and squeezed her other nipple. Orion laved her nipple until she was
arching her hips against him at a frantic pace and begging him to touch her.

“Where?” he asked against her breast, his tongue still
lightly stroking her nipple.

“Please.” It was impossible to form a coherent request.

Orion lifted his head. “Tell me where you want to be
touched.”

Natalie moaned in frustration. “Everywhere.”

A teasing glint made his eyes sparkle. “So, here?” He
lightly poked her in the rib.

“Lower.”

His fingertips were soft pioneers, blazing a trail down her
belly. He paused to dip his index finger shallowly into her bellybutton. “Is
this the spot?”

“No.” Natalie tossed her head, knowing she would have more
appreciation for his teasing if she weren’t so aroused. “Please go lower. To my
pussy,” she amended. “Touch my pussy.”

All trace of humor disappeared from his expression and he
set about the quick task of stripping off her pants. He removed them, and the
panties, in one quick motion. Natalie assisted by lifting her hips so he could
slide them down. When she lay before him in just the pajama top, which provided
minimal coverage, it was unnerving. He was so perfect from what she had seen,
and she wasn’t. Yet he didn’t seem to care.

Orion took a step back. With efficient movements, he
stripped off his robe and let it fall. Natalie was unsurprised to find him nude
underneath, though his erection was almost a shock. Long and thick, with a
bulbous head, his cock was an intimidating specimen. She had expected him to be
blessed, judging from the size of his frame, but not that endowed. Anxiety made
her shiver.

When he took a step back, Orion’s attention seemed homed in
on the curls shielding her pussy. He plunged his fingers through the silky-soft
hair, immediately finding her slit. Natalie clenched her teeth to keep in a cry
of pleasure when he touched her clit. His fingers worked her to a fevered
frenzy with deft strokes. She cried out when he traced a circle around the
swollen nub before venturing lower. Her slit was slick and welcoming, and he
found her opening unerringly. She tightened her thighs instinctively around his
hand when he plunged two of his thick fingers inside her. Natalie’s pussy
provided some resistance, but soon relaxed and embraced his digits. Orion
pushed in and out of her rapidly, seeming to enjoy her squirming and sounds of
ecstasy. “Come on, baby,” he coaxed more than once. “Come for me.”

“Orion, I, oh…” Convulsions swept through her womb, radiating
outward. Her muscles clenched around his fingers and it took her a moment to
realize he was withdrawing from her pussy. “No. I’m right there.”

“I know.” A slow, sensual smile curved his lips. “I want to
taste you as you come.”

Just imagining how it was going to feel nearly made her
orgasm as he lowered his head. In a similar fashion to his possessive kiss, he
tongued her pussy, drawing most of her mound into his mouth. He breathed
against her, making her moan. His tongue invaded her slit, taking the place his
fingers had recently occupied before sweeping outward and upward to swirl
around her clit. Natalie fell apart when he sucked hard on her clit, bringing
her to climax. It swept over her in a millisecond, with no chance to stem the
tide. She arched against his face and each swipe of his tongue increased the
intensity of her release. Before the first orgasm had even faded, he was
wrenching another from her, followed by a third. She had no chance to stop or
think. She could only feel and she surrendered to his ministrations. As he
licked every drop of satisfaction from her, once again it seemed as though he
was marking her as his.

Eventually, he had mercy and let her ravaged flesh have a
break. Orion lifted his head from her pussy and lowered his mouth to hers. “You
taste exquisite, baby.” His mouth tempted hers to open and she kissed him. It
was strange to taste her essence on his tongue when she plunged inside his
mouth, but arousing. She gave herself to instinct and explored his mouth in the
same way he had laid siege to hers, branding him as hers. He didn’t seem to
mind.

She had to break the kiss to take a deep breath.
Lightheaded, it seemed as if she hadn’t breathed for weeks, and she inhaled a
greedy lungful of oxygen before turning back to look at him. Once again, their
bodies seemed to say everything, and as she stared up at the man about to
become her lover, Natalie marveled at how clearly she could understand him
without him saying a word. His expression seemed to be demanding her compliance.
He wanted her to yield. Without knowing what she was agreeing to exactly, she
nodded. “Make love to me. Please.”