Constellation Read online

  “I’m from Denver. I own a marketing firm there.”

  “Portland is one hell of a trek just for some lunch.”

  Ryan laughed before answering, “I’m in town on business. A client of mine invited me here as his guest. I’m not here to spy, but I may borrow an idea or two if you don’t mind.”

  “I won’t tell anyone. I won’t even ask who your client is.”

  We continued to talk as the lunch progressed. In fact, I had to remind myself to address the other table occupants from time to time. I was also pleased when Ryan began to make sure my basic needs were met at the table. He passed me items that were outside my reach and helped me to clear space when needed, all without a single request from me.

  When Robert finished eating, he rose and worked the room as he made his way to a centrally placed podium. My father monitored my interactions with Ryan and gave me a satisfied nod. This was as good as I’d get from him all day.

  When Robert began his post-meal presentation, Ryan leaned in close to me and said, “I see some iced tea over there by the wall. Can I pour you a glass?”

  The air had warmed up with the midday sunshine and numerous bodies in the room, not to mention my own internal heat.

  “Yes. That would be perfect. Thank you.”

  Having attended this event for many years, I tuned out Robert. Instead, I let my new friend’s movements distract me as he prepared two glasses of iced tea. I was having a good time with Ryan and hoped to chat with him again before the lunch wound down.

  I opted not to stare at the man as he returned to our table, and as I attempted to resettle in my seat, I made eye contact with Jack. It was the first time I’d acknowledged him since meeting Ryan. Jack sat a few tables away, staring at me and wearing a slight frown.

  I wanted to reassure him, but flirting with him from across the room wasn’t the way to do it. Instead, I offered Jack a quick smile before Ryan returned to the table with my glass. Ryan raised his glass and I lifted mine, and we clinked them together before each taking a sip. When I returned my glass to the table, I snuck another look at Jack. His attention was on Robert’s speech as he sat back in his chair with his arms crossed.

  At the end of the lunch, Ryan offered me his business card and asked for mine in return. I took one from my small stack of cards on the table and handed it to him. We shook hands once again and he surprised me by kissing both my cheeks while holding my hand.

  It was impulsive, but I walked him to the elevator to say a proper farewell.

  “I’m so glad you accepted your client’s invitation, Ryan.”

  He smiled. “It wasn’t planned, but I’m so pleased to have met you, Kathleen. I enjoyed your company. Meeting you has been a highlight of my week.” When the elevator door opened, he stepped inside.

  “Have a safe trip home, Ryan.”

  We waved to one another as the doors closed.

  I returned to the event room and helped Jack, Robert and the rest of the staff see our guests off with a thank you and an assurance of future meetings.

  Together, Jack and I found ways to linger in the room while the rest of the staff sought escape. The sooner they left, the sooner they could enjoy an afternoon off in the city. Once the crowd departed and Robert left to entertain some of his most valued clients, Jack and I were alone.

  Jack made no pretenses, much to my immediate relief.

  “I’m going back to my hotel now.” He stared down at my high heels. “Can you walk a few blocks in those shoes? Or should I call us a taxi?”

  We were already out in the lobby, and I pressed the button for the elevator. “I don’t want to wait for a cab. I can walk.”

  We stared at one another as we waited for the elevator to arrive, but maintained our physical distance. When we emerged onto the street, we walked without speaking. I didn’t want to think about work and focused on making my way to our destination.

  At the hotel, we took a second elevator ride in anticipatory silence and when we arrived on his floor, I followed Jack down the hallway to his suite. He opened the door and held it open for me to pass through. I began undressing as soon as I cleared the doorway.

  “STOP.”

  I paused the moment Jack’s gruff voice touched my ears. My fantasies of this particular moment had included loving caresses, whispered affections and the slow, erotic removal of one another’s elegant outfits. The reality was much more abrupt.

  Most of my clothes were already off, and although I was afraid to look up, I did anyway. My worries were for nothing.

  Jack was still undressing, having only removed his suit jacket, shoes and socks. I watched without shame as he methodically took off his trousers and then unbuttoned his white dress shirt. He pulled his white undershirt up and over his head with deliberate slowness, and didn’t hesitate to push down his boxer briefs almost as soon as his tee shirt hit the floor.

  Once Jack was naked, he sat on the edge of the king-sized bed. He didn’t even bother to pull back the duvet. I stared at him, having forgotten there wasn’t one part of his body that didn’t fascinate me. With his dark hair and eyes, olive complexion, broad shoulders and toned muscles, Jack was my ideal man.

  “Come here,” he commanded. “Now.”

  Jack’s eyes were intense and his face displayed a rare ruggedness that had me obeying him. Under another set of circumstances, I might have found his tone too aggressive, but this energy had been building between us for weeks. I understood his impatience.

  I still wore my sheer stockings and despite the barest layer of clothing covering me, I felt more exposed to him than I ever had. As soon as I was within arm’s length, Jack grasped my hips. He glanced down at my legs, furrowing his brow, and I ran my fingers through his thick hair.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

  “Nothing.” Jack traced the scarlet paisley and floral designs at the top of my thigh highs. My heart raced as his unhurried touch drifted along my legs. I tried to follow Jack’s lead and took in a controlled breath. I wanted to savor each second with him, to enjoy his caresses, but I found it difficult to relax.

  “Where did you get these?” He rested his warm palm on my bare backside.

  “They came from Paris,” I rasped. “I’ve been saving them for a special occasion.”

  Without another word, Jack pulled me down to the mattress and rolled me onto my back. He lowered his body on top of mine, and the contact of our bare skin was overpowering. Jack brought his lips to my neck. As his sensual mouth traveled across my skin, I tightened my embrace. I’d held him like this once before and had been waiting too long for another chance.

  Jack’s hands roamed over my body, and his thoroughness delighted me. After a time, he rose and knelt back between my legs. He massaged my breasts before trailing his long fingers down my stomach and over my thighs. When his fingertips reached my stockings, he bowed his head over my leg. The pleasurable sensation of his tongue gliding slowly along the scalloped border of my silk stocking followed his warm breath. He moved his mouth from the top of my leg down to my inner thigh before he dropped down to the most sensitive part of my being.

  He had sworn to pleasure me with his mouth. The caress of Jack’s tongue was measured and determined, and I welcomed the sensation. This intimate act required more trust than I was willing to offer any man, and yet with Jack I questioned nothing. I didn’t close my legs to him or try to pull away from his touch.

  I was his. And this realization startled me. The experience was foreign, and almost as soon as I comprehended this, I came. I came hard.

  Once my orgasm subsided, Jack rose back up and lifted my leg from under the knee. He took hold of my stocking, slowly pushed it down my calf and off my foot before releasing my leg. He repeated the gesture with my other leg before lying next to me on the bed.

  I should have been sated by that one incredible act, but it only fueled my desire to have this man once and for all. As soon as I caught my breath, I rolled onto his body and straddled him. We both in
haled sharply when our lower bodies made direct contact.

  “Is this what you want?” I asked with a breathy voice. “Me on top?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to see you. I want you over me.”

  “You want me in control.”

  “Yes.”

  I rubbed against him.

  A groan escaped his lips.

  “Put your hands behind your head,” I instructed, elated in the power I had over him.

  When he did, I eased myself onto him, but just enough to keep my focus. He moaned again, thrilling me to no end. My newfound bravery flourished as I watched this beautiful man surrender to my impulses.

  “Tell me something, Jack.”

  “What?”

  “Before me. When was the last time you had sex?”

  I held my body still as I waited for his answer.

  His face altered, reflecting his apprehension. “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. The question is clear enough.”

  “Is it?”

  “Don’t be evasive, Jack,” I warned him. “No matter what the answer is, this is still going to happen.” I swiveled my hips a little to punctuate my statement. “I just need to know.”

  He scrutinized me. When he didn’t respond, I pulled away from him a bit and asked a more direct question.

  “Have you been with other women since your marriage ended?”

  “No.”

  “Do you miss sex, Jack?”

  “Kathleen …” Jack’s voice was a combination of reprove and surprise. He was shocked by my inquiry in this moment of intimacy, but remained beneath me. Even more important, he hardened.

  “Is this happening because you miss sex?” I pushed my hips forward again, just a bit.

  “No.”

  “You’re an attractive man. You proved that today. Any of those women would’ve slept with you if you asked.”

  Jack blinked at my statement, but kept his silence.

  “Is there more to what’s happening between us?”

  “I don’t know what’s happening,” he said. “All I can think about is being with you again. I want you, Kathleen.”

  “You want sex from me?”

  He pushed up inside me just a bit more as he answered. “Yes. So much.”

  I pulled backward from him once again. “I’m not good with casual, Jack. Is what’s happening between us casual?”

  “No.”

  “But this moment, this is simply about lust. Am I wrong?”

  “No. You’re not wrong.”

  “And you want this from me?”

  Although Jack kept his hands above his head as requested, he stretched his body in anticipation.

  “Only from you, Kathleen. I want you riding me. I want you to enjoy me. I want you to tighten around me, and then I want you to make me come.”

  “You could have chosen some other woman at that lunch.”

  “Maybe. But I choose you. You’re the one I want to please. You’re the one I want to please me.”

  I pushed forward again, emotionally satisfied, when Jack brought down his hands and pressed his fingers into my thighs.

  “What about you, Kathleen?” he challenged. “You had that man wrapped around your finger at lunch. You even followed him out the door.”

  It was now my turn to maintain silence while Jack resisted pushing himself inside me.

  “I’ve never seen that man before,” he told me. “Do you even know who he is?”

  “I do now,” I admitted while tilting my hips toward him again.

  Jack’s hold on my legs tightened, halting my movements. “Are you sure I’m the man you want?”

  “Yes,” I told him. “Only you.”

  “Did you wake up this morning anticipating this?” He pushed inside me just a little bit more. “Did you look forward to seducing me this afternoon?”

  “Yes,” I confessed. “Yes, I did, and I’m not going to waste the opportunity.” I wriggled my hips and this time Jack did not resist. I enjoyed his full and glorious penetration of my body. We both responded loudly, and I arched my back as I pushed my hips forward.

  “We’ll worry about the rest later,” I gasped.

  Jack didn’t object, so I began to move with ambition. My body was still sensitive from my orgasm, and my pleasure overtook me after a few gyrations. As I began to pant, Jack cupped my breasts. His thumbs brushed over my nipples, and they constricted from his contact. He stirred beneath me, and I leaned forward and offered them to his waiting mouth.

  Jack closed his lips around my right breast and halted my movements by firmly placing his hands on my backside. As I brought my hand to the back of his head to encourage his kisses, Jack began thrusting upward. With each ambitious stroke, Jack edged me ever closer to another powerful orgasm.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he rasped. “Incredible. So tight.”

  “I missed this.”

  “Anything for you.”

  “Don’t stop,” I gasped. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  He responded by increasing the speed and depth of his thrusts. The bed began to creak in protest, but we were both beyond caring.

  From where our bodies were joined, warmth and pleasure began to radiate throughout my entire being. A distinctive tingling rippled over my breasts, and I yearned for Jack’s release within me before this tremendous moment ebbed away.

  “Please, Jack,” I begged. “Come with me.”

  My body tightened as the tingling exploded into another orgasm. My mouth dropped open, and I threw my head back and arched my body so far my hair tickled my lower back as I cried out. Jack grunted and somehow managed to push himself deeper into my body with one final, forceful lunge. His release was strong as his body pulsed inside of mine, but even so my ecstasy wasn’t complete until my name tumbled from his lips. As Jack called my name over and over again, a wave of gratitude washed over me.

  Finally.

  After our initial lust-fueled frenzy subsided and Jack withdrew from my body, I moved to his side and lightly dozed while he ran his fingers along my back.

  Sometime later, I stirred awake and turned my head toward him. My eyes met his, and I was happy to see he’d been watching me.

  I couldn’t help myself. I smiled, and Jack returned with a grin of his own. There was little space between our bodies, but even so he moved closer and pulled me into his arms. I settled my cheek over his heart and idly played with the hairs on his chest with my fingers.

  Jack began to drag his fingers through my long tresses.

  My eyes drifted closed as I bathed in the serenity of the moment.

  “Kathleen?” Jack’s voice was quiet. Reflective. Sexy.

  “Yes?”

  “Last time you said birth control was taken care of, but I was wondering if you’d tell me how.”

  In my drowsiness, I was confused. Then I remembered that Jack wasn’t there when it all went to hell.

  “You don’t have to worry,” I mumbled. “Pregnancy is impossible.”

  “Why?”

  I was tempted to sit up and examine his face, to see how interested he was in the details. But I was too sated to move. He’d been married and was the father of a daughter, so I decided he could handle the full explanation.

  “I had trouble with my cycles, even from the beginning. They just got worse over time, and I could never get a doctor to listen to me. One day I was at the office, sick. I stood up from my desk to get a file and everything went dark.”

  “You collapsed?” Jack’s voice was full of concern, but the soothing movements of his fingers in my hair continued.

  I nodded. “The next thing I remember is waking up in a recovery room.”

  “What happened?”

  “An ovary ruptured and I almost bled to death at work. I had to receive a blood transfusion. But that wasn’t the end of my problems. While they were operating on me, my uterus began to bleed, too. They didn’t know why. It’s a mystery.”
r />   “How old were you?”

  “Thirty.” It was the first time I’d talked about the incident in years, and I was compelled to share more.

  “When I was returned to my hospital room, my father was waiting for me. I think he sat with me all evening.”

  “Oh?” Jack was unable to hide his astonishment.

  “I was in and out of it for hours, but Robert was there whenever I woke up. He was holding my hand. The next day I found out I’d had a hysterectomy.”

  “Was that difficult for you?”

  “No. I think in many ways, my mind already knew my body wasn’t capable. I never had the desire to be a mother. Not like my friends. I never was focused on it or excited about it like they all were. It’s just as well. I don’t have a maternal instinct. “

  “That’s not true.”

  I opened my eyes but couldn’t look up at Jack. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a natural with Heide. She likes you.”

  I grinned. “I like her. She’s feisty.”

  “You’d be a wonderful mother, Kathleen.”

  I shrugged. I didn’t believe what he was saying. “It’s not in the cards for me,” I reiterated.

  “You don’t know that. There’s more than one way to become a parent.”

  I opted not to pursue the conversation.

  I was terrified that Jack meant something other than a future with him.

  We had sex a second time that afternoon and experimented with several positions for more than an hour. By the time we climaxed, our bodies were slick with perspiration and one another’s kisses. Afterward, we fell asleep where we had collapsed in a tangle of limbs on the ravaged bed.

  When I roused myself back into consciousness, I was sated, but sore and fatigued. I attempted to straighten my arms and legs, but my body was slow to respond. The room had grown darker during our nap.

  “What time is it?” he asked while reaching for his phone on the bedside table.

  “You tell me,” I responded.

  Jack glanced at it before setting it back down on the mattress. “Late enough. We should think about what to do for dinner.”