“Fuck! Dammit, Ria, why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”
Ria winced and tried to shrug. “I didn’t think it was important, or that you’d noticed.” She bit her lip, quickly blinking away a tear.
Gabriel groaned and closed his eyes. Of course he’d noticed, he just didn’t put all the clues together until it was too late. He silently berated himself for letting desire blind him to the truth.
He opened his eyes when Ria’s small voice asked him, “Are you mad? Do you want to stop?”
The last thing he wanted was for Ria to think that she’d done anything wrong in wanting him. “No, of course not. Does this feel like I want to stop?”
And very gently, he nudged her, his c*ck bumping her cervix.
Ria gasped at the sensation and he could feel her p**sy tighten on him in reaction. He gritted his teeth against his instinct to move again. Only when he was sure he had his unruly body under control could he continue to talk. “I knew you were inexperienced, but there’s a big difference between less experienced and no experience. I could have really hurt you—did I?”
Ria shook her head quickly. “Oh no, it was more like a sting at first, it didn’t really hurt that much. I think it was more surprise than anything else. And what pain there was seems to be getting better already. Besides, you had made me so wet, I truly didn’t think it was going to hurt at all. And I wanted you so much, even if I had known that it would definitely hurt it wouldn’t have made a difference—all that mattered was that I had you inside me.”
He shuddered at her words—they echoed how he felt too, the mindless urgency of getting inside her, no matter what. “God, that really was your first orgasm, wasn’t it?”
She nodded shyly. “I think I had little ones before when I touched myself, but they really can’t compare to what you made me feel.”
He could feel himself swell even bigger inside her at her words. Her cunt was gripping him so tightly all along his shaft—the pleasure was exquisite, and more than anything he wanted to move. But he had to be sure. “How do you feel now?”
Ria slowly smiled and suddenly her vag**al muscles clenched, squeezing him like a vise. He gasped and arched, pushing his c*ck even deeper inside her. She cried out in reaction, her back bowing. She panted heavily for a moment, before saying, “I think it’s safe to say I feel fine.”
And then she clenched down on him again.
Gabriel grunted, his control breaking as his body took over. He thrust slowly, nearly leaving her body before plunging all the back way inside her. Ria whimpered and met him stroke for stroke, arching her h*ps so that their groins rubbed together with each deep inward lunge, her br**sts bouncing enticingly with every thrust.
“Christ, I can’t believe how good you feel. Your p**sy is so hot and tight around my cock, and you’re so soft and silky inside.”
He hooked one leg over his arm and leaned forward, Ria moaning at the new position that opened her up even more. Gabriel braced himself on his arms so that he was now over Ria, caging her with his body. He bent down and found her mouth, licking feverishly at her lips and capturing her little gasping cries. He thrust his tongue in her mouth and she sucked greedily on it as her cunt sucked and squeezed his cock, causing him to break his rhythm and quicken his thrusts. Ria tore her mouth away, nearly sobbing in reaction.
“Oh, yes, please, faster, more!” she begged, frantically bucking up, trying to urge him on, clutching at his shoulders and back.
He wasn’t sure how much more of this mind-blowing pleasure he could take but he didn’t want it to end either, it was so good. Ria was getting close too—her p**sy was getting even hotter and wetter and he reached down and massaged her clit, rolling it between his fingers.
“Come for me again,” he growled. “I need to feel you come all over me.”
It was enough to push her over the edge—she suddenly screamed and her p**sy clamped down on his cock, massaging it rhythmically with her internal muscles.
The pleasure was so sweet, so piercing until it became unbearable and he was helpless to stave off his cli**x any longer. His h*ps pistoning, he finally came with a roar, his orgasm crashing over him in endless, perfect waves. He ground himself against Ria, feeling his c*ck pulse and pulse and he pumped his sem*n into her until his balls were drained; it felt as it all the years of pain, loss and grief drained away as well, into Ria’s soft, welcoming body.
He collapsed on her, trying to keep most of his weight on his arms, utterly exhausted but strangely vitalized too. He let his head rest next to Ria’s and she turned her face toward his. He felt her comb her hand through his hair, petting him, and he relaxed into her touch. Her hand drifted to his cheek, caressing him there and along his jaw and she whispered, “Thank you.”
No, thank you, he thought, savoring the pleasure still coursing lazily through his body. He felt more alive, and at peace, than he had in years.
Welcome back, he thought in sudden whimsy, but it did feel like a homecoming of sorts, as if he’d found himself again. He waited, braced for the guilt and regret to come crashing down but all he felt was extreme physical satisfaction and a startling contentment.
He frowned and carefully brought Elle’s image into his mind’s eye. He saw her warm hazel eyes, her loving smile, her beautiful face. He felt lingering sorrow that she was gone but it was just a faint echo of the debilitating grief he’d lived with for years.
He took an unsteady breath. Was he finally ready to move on? He wasn’t sure how that made him feel, but he knew it was time.
Goodbye, my love. It seems I’m finally ready to let you go now. I know you would say, And about time too! and he could almost see Elle smile at him in return. Again, he was filled with that sense of peace and contentment.
All thanks to a chance encounter with a lovely stranger in a strange city. A chance encounter that would only last for one night, since he was scheduled to go home the next day.
He felt as if he’d been splashed with cold water at the reminder of how temporary this all was—a one-night stand, essentially. But why did it have to be just for one night? He could extend his stay—surely he could convince Ria to see him again. She couldn’t just want a brief hook-up, could she? Not for her first time. He knew he wanted to explore this connection between them—he’d never felt anything quite like this before and so fast too, and she must feel the same way or else she wouldn’t have propositioned him.
In any case, he had all night to convince her that what they had started was worth exploring, he quickly decided. He would spend the rest of the night giving her orgasms, and she’d be so exhausted in the morning that he’d have an easy time convincing her that this was more than a casual summer fling. He’d always been known as a man used to getting his own way and he saw no reason that would change now.
He raised himself up from Ria and gently withdrew from body. He was glad he didn’t see any obvious signs of blood or discomfort from her lost virginity, making a note to wet a towel with hot water from the bathroom to soothe any lingering pain, and turned towards the sitting room.
“Where are you going?” Ria asked sleepily.
“To fetch the condoms from your bag.”
“Oh!” All the sleepiness had vanished from her voice.
He smirked—he really hoped that she only had one condom in there. He couldn’t wait to come in her again.
TWO
December, six months later
“DRAT!” MARIA MUTTERED TO HERSELF, glancing anxiously at the sky. It looked like the meteorologists got it wrong—again. If the ominously heavy looking clouds and a lifetime’s familiarity with New England winters meant anything, the blizzard of the century was about to hit several hours early.
As if in warning, a few large flakes lazily fell against her windshield before melting away. At least she had some time before the snow really started to fall—when the wind picked up and the snowflakes became smaller and heavier, then she’d really be in trouble if she was still on the road.
But—she checked the GPS on her phone—it looked like she should be at the Trentham estate in about twenty more minutes. Thank goodness she’d been assured the final interview was more a formality than anything else—otherwise she’d be stuck in New York during a blizzard with no place to go.
She looked for a radio station with a weather update and to her frustration found instead countless stations playing Christmas music. Maria loved Christmas and Christmas music, but not when she was about to drive into a blizzard.
She sighed in relief when she passed the sign for the closest town, indicating that her trip was nearly over. The Trentham estate was about ten miles further, and at least there wasn’t much traffic to worry about.
She quickly reviewed her mental notes about her new family, whom she had yet to meet. She’d interviewed with Matt Drake, the executive assistant of Mr. Trentham twice, once over the phone and then in person in Boston. She was surprised that Mr. Trentham hadn’t been at the second interview, but Matt assured her that she would meet him and the family at the final interview.
The youngest Trentham, Meggie, technically was her new charge, although she was sure she’d be spending a lot of time with the other children too. Their previous nanny had decided to retire and move out west to be near her oldest daughter who had just given birth to the nanny’s first grandchild. Meggie had just turned five, and aside from attending a private kindergarten in the mornings, Maria would be completely responsible for her care and education until next year, when Meggie was old enough to attend first grade at the nearby exclusive private school her siblings attended.
The older siblings were Elizabeth, age twelve, and twins Sam and Bridget, age nine. Tragically, their mother died four years ago in a car accident and their father was G. C. Trentham, a venture capitalist. Matt had told her in their last conversation that Mr. Trentham had just become engaged, so at least the children would have a new mother shortly.
Although a new mother didn’t mean the children wouldn’t still need a nanny—nannies were highly valued among the affluent, which was why she’d decided to become one after leaving the convent. She still had a mountain of college debts to pay off and with the grim reality of public school budget cuts, she was unlikely to get a teaching job that would pay well enough to make a dent in those debts.
Since she loved children and was trained to work with them, she had decided to become a nanny for a few years, at least until her finances were in better shape. Lucky for her, a certified teacher with both a degree and working experience in childhood education as well as terrific references from the Sisters at the convent school made her a valuable nanny prospect, and the agency hadn’t had any problems finding her well-paying jobs.
Her most recent family, the Scotts, had been her first live-in situation. She’d been hesitant about being a live-in, but the amount of money she’d be able to save since room and board were included had finally decided her.
Sophie had been against her being a live-in—she claimed that her social life would be severely limited and that there would be no opportunities to meet any men. Maria had realized the truth of that, which was why she’d decided to do what she did in the summer. She hadn’t realized what kind of impact that night would have on her, or the regrets she’d have. Maria sighed—it was all in the past now and she’d learned to live with her decision.