Crossing the Line Read online

How can I resist him now? Eight years later and Hercules and I have yet again run into each other at another party. Yet again we’re single. My body shifts into overdrive as I let him guide me to whatever comes next, and anything is possible.

  Our pace is set at a casual stroll. Our walk has just started, and I’m wondering whether I should speak first. In my mind, I can hear Max saying that she who speaks first controls the conversation. That’s my brother, though—he’s all about control. I’m not surprised Hercules noticed how direct I can be. With Max as a brother and Xander as my father, I don’t have the luxury of being frivolous with my words. Nor do I have the patience for it.

  “What are you thinking?” Hercules asks.

  I stop staring at the stained cement and conclude that it’s best that he start the conversation. I want to hear what he has to say about Boston first. “I’m thinking about a lot of things. But you mentioned the last time we saw each other,” I say in an effort to pass the baton back to him.

  Hercules grunts thoughtfully. “Yeah. About that night… why did you leave?”

  I’m surprised he started there. “I don’t know,” I finally say with a sigh. “I was young, embarrassed.”

  “Embarrassed about what?”

  I look up at him. Is he really going to make me say it? He seems to be observing every minuscule change in my expression.

  Hugging myself tightly, I stare at his sexy lips. A strange sensation comes over me. I almost feel as though I’m falling into his mouth. My lips so badly want to mug his. That night we made love, we left the New Year’s Eve party together. Eden almost didn’t let me go off with him, but I assured her that I knew Hercules Lord from high school, so she stopped being a worried friend and let me go. His hired car drove us to his penthouse. We made out in the back seat on the way. I shudder, recalling how Hercules’s cock rubbed me to orgasm several times before we arrived. He was getting off, too, taking himself close to the point of no return and then stopping himself from coming.

  Endorphins pumped through our bodies, and our legs were wobbly as we walked into the building. We stared at each other with hungry eyes as we rode up to his penthouse in his private elevator. We were making out feverishly before the doors opened. Then we kissed all the way to Hercules’s bedroom, where we rolled around on his mattress, touching, petting, squeezing, rubbing, and coiling our tongues deeper into each other’s mouths. It was as though we were making up for all those days during our senior year of high school when we purposely kept our distance from each other.

  There weren’t many opportunities to fill him in about my virgin status before we did it. My panties were soaked, and I was so scared when he pressed the tip of his enormous cock against the entrance of my sex. Tell him, my brain kept shouting.

  “Are you on the pill?” he asked.

  I lied and said I was. I didn’t want anything to stop the forward progression of something that I’d always dreamt of—Hercules Lord being my first.

  Then his heaviness was on top of me and his face close to mine. His scent overpowered my senses. And the taste of his kiss—I was so overstimulated that I had to take deep breaths through my nose to keep from passing out.

  When it happened, it hurt—burned like fire racing through me. But after a few gentle pumps, it wasn’t so bad. Treasure thinks it didn’t hurt as much as it should have with a man Hercules’s size because I was so aroused. I showed her how big he was by pressing my two thumbs and forefingers together to form an O.

  Suddenly, I remember something. Hercules has been frowning at my face for a few seconds. I was clinging to him like a scared kitty. He knew…

  “You knew I was a virgin, didn’t you?” I ask.

  His eyebrows pull together then release as he stares ahead. I wait for him to say something. But now the city is doing all the talking. Car horns, brakes, and the general rumble of indecipherable noises rise like the city’s personal theme song.

  “I thought so, maybe, when we started. I know I’m pretty…” He turns his toothy, alluring smirk on me, and I skip a breath. “Robust.”

  I snicker, blushing, and nod. “I actually woke to pee, and I saw the blood I left on your pristine white sheets and panicked. I mean, obviously, if I was a virgin, then I lied about being on the pill. I was really ashamed about that. I didn’t want you to see me as a liar, I guess.”

  He’s silent for a while, and I feel as I did that night—like I’m about to pass out. Then he graces me with a courteous expression. “It was okay. You know?” His smile makes me simper.

  “Thanks. But I was young and easily embarrassed about those sorts of things. Now I get that I should’ve stayed and dealt. I mean, I was playing with fire. No condom. No pill. I could’ve gotten pregnant.”

  He grunts thoughtfully. “We could’ve dealt with that.”

  I jerk my head back. “Oh yeah? How?”

  “I would’ve been with you every step of the way, PG.”

  Wow, the thought of that… I tilt up my head and take in his gorgeous profile. “You mean through nine months of pregnancy?”

  “And beyond.”

  That makes me feel good, but I scoff anyway. “Our families would’ve torn each other apart.”

  Hercules tosses his head back to laugh. “Maybe, but if we had a child, that might’ve forced them to get along.” He winks at me. “Like we get along.”

  I fold my arms closer to my chest, feeling the tightness in my shoulders. Why do I feel so exposed?

  “So, PG, are you married? You’re not wearing a ring.”

  Oh… he checked. I shake my head.

  He grunts, intrigued. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No.” I grin, preparing him for my impending stab at humor. “Besides what looks like a very incestuous relationship with your cousin, do you have a girlfriend?”

  His eyebrows furrow as he grimaces as if a bitter taste has invaded his mouth. “No,” he finally says.

  I tilt away from him. “Are you sure?”

  He chuckles. “I’m sure. But how are you single? A woman who looks like you, with your credentials.”

  I find that funny. “My credentials?”

  “You’re obviously beautiful—sexy, even. But you’re profoundly smart too. Kind. Down to earth.”

  “What about you?” I ask. “You’re tall, strapping, handsome, insanely rich, and it shows. And you’re also kind, gracious, down to earth…”

  We pass a restaurant. I turn after hearing a table of women giggling. I was right. They’re reacting and admiring Hercules’s assets.

  “See,” I say after we pass.

  I love it when he tosses his head back and laughs. His Adam’s apple and perfect profile make him look so sexy.

  “About that night…” he says after his laughter has simmered into a delightful smile.

  “Yeah,” I sing, feeling happier than I have in a long time.

  “I’ve been with plenty of girls before and after, but none of them were quite like you.”

  I aim my radiant smile at the concrete as my heart does a happy dance. “What do you mean by that?” I ask as we stop at the corner, waiting for the walk light.

  No one else waits with us. No cars are coming, so they all jaywalk. Any other time, I would cross the street with them. However, Hercules and I don’t move. We are obviously trying to delay our arrival.

  Hercules rubs the back of his neck. “It was different with you. All of it. The kissing. The touching.” He cuts a tiny smile. “The rubbing.”

  A knot forms at the back of my throat. Oh my God, he remembers our car ride and how we sort of had dry sex on the way to his place.

  “I wonder…” he whispers.

  It feels like the entire city has disintegrated into black matter, and there’s nobody here except Hercules and me. I swallow nervously as he brings his lower lip into his mouth to moisten it. “Yeah?” I whisper.

  Hercules reaches down and takes my hand in his. The walk light flashes green. But we stay put as he carefully draws me against
his rock-hard body. I put up no resistance, sinking into his embrace.

  “I’ve been wanting to do something since I first saw you.”

  I think I say, “What?” I’m sure I say it. I think.

  Our deepened eye contact is akin to foreplay. My lips ache for what’s to come. And then, slowly but surely, our mouths come closer and closer, savoring the delectable sensation. Our lips push against each other, then his warm tongue rounds mine. Everything feels like I’m surrounded by satin—our kiss, his hand gripping the nape of my neck, and my floaty head. Hercules and I have something in common when it comes to this. I have kissed other guys, but none of them had the ability to take me to where I am now.

  “Um…” The sound escapes me as our relentless tongues make our kissing more fervent. My nipples are on edge. I’m creaming, squeezing him tighter, wanting more, more, and even more.

  “Paisley,” he whispers after he breaks our mouth contact, his eyes closed. “I live there.”

  It takes me a moment to get my bearings and follow his pointing finger. My eyes open a fraction wider when I see my building. “Oh. You’re next to me. Well, my parents.”

  What a crazy coincidence. I am about to tell him that when he asks me over to his place for a drink.

  No Stopping Us

  PAISLEY GROVE

  It happened again. As we walked the rest of the way to his building, my legs felt wobbly. My body is still pumping dopamine like a pumping jack. I vaguely remember the warm lights that surrounded us when we entered Hercules’s building.

  Now my back is against the smooth white stone wall of his private elevator. The atmosphere is erotic with blue light playing against the white. Hercules is gripping my forearms, holding my arms over my head, pressing them against the hard and smooth surface. His solid front is flush against mine. Our molten kissing takes my breath away.

  “Your lips,” he whispers before his tongue dives deeper into my mouth. The delicious sultriness and spiciness of our intense kissing makes my head woozy. I feel as if I’m floating on cloud-nine.

  Then, Hercules’s forehead presses against mine as he whispers, “Sorry.”

  Eyes closed, I swallow, failing at controlling my lust, I whisper, “Sorry for what?”

  “Moving too fast.”

  My eyes flutter open. He’s watching me. Our chests rise and fall in unison.

  He swallows audibly. “I promised you a drink. I think you should have one. We should have one.”

  I nod. “I think so too.”

  Hercules has taken me to what he says is his favorite room in the penthouse, a den with south-facing views. He’s already poured our drinks—a vintage Malbec for me and a Tom Collins for him. We’ve had a couple of sips of our cocktails. We sit comfortably on a white rug that’s as soft as a slinky kitty, at the foot of a white leather L-shaped sectional. I luxuriate in the moment and mull over something Hercules said.

  My eyes caress a scene worth millions of dollars as I behold skyscrapers extending to the edge of Battery Park and then capturing the bay and New Jersey beyond. You miss nothing from being up this high. Even though I see these sorts of views from my parent’s place, Hercules’s views and his penthouse are more stunning. He’s made himself a young, hot bachelor’s paradise. His furniture is modern and sleek, with sharp lines and upholstered with expensive muted fabrics. And the distinctive light fixtures are beyond. I look up at the one hovering above us. It’s cylindrical and emits warm orange light. The wine, the scenery, the lighting, and Hercules all put me in a sultry mood.

  “Well, I wasn’t going to go,” I say, raking a hand through my hair. I’m referring to that fateful New Year’s Eve party where we last ran into each other.

  Hercules raises his knees and sets his forearms on top of his kneecaps as he swirls the ice in his glass. “Humph,” he says thoughtfully. “Me neither. Nero”—he looks at me as if that name should ring a bell—“my cousin, who met your friend at the party. He insisted I get out and do something.”

  I frown, faintly remembering the guy Hercules was with. His name was indeed Nero. The next morning, when I crept back to my dorm, my roommate Eden hadn’t returned yet. When she finally made it home, the new day had bloomed, and she never looked happier. We made ourselves comfortable on my bed as she told me all about the dreamy hours she spent with a guy named Nero. She also said that she hadn’t given him her real name, especially after learning that he was a Lord.

  “Too rich,” she said, squishing her nose like she couldn’t stand the smell of people with that much money.

  “My family’s wealthy,” I said, rightfully feeling defensive. “My family works hard for every penny. That doesn’t make us bad people.”

  She sighed as though my response made her weary. “I know that Pais. But the Lords are pretentious, old money assholes, and you know it,” Eden had said.

  I remained silent long enough to let the line of conversation drop. Because I hadn’t known it. The only Lord that I knew was Hercules, and he was neither pretentious nor an asshole.

  “What are you smiling about?” Hercules’s oh-so-sexy voice brings me back to the moment.

  I exhale softly through my nose. “Did your cousin ever learn my friend’s name?”

  Hercules hangs his head and laughs. He’s in a very breezy mood, just like I am. “No. He wanted me to call you and ask for it. But…” He shrugs.

  I nod. No words are necessary. That night so many years ago was a one-and-done experience. It was bad enough that we were together. If my family ever found out that Hercules was my first, they would go ballistic because he’s a Lord. And of course, there was me lying to him about being on the pill. That haunted me for several days. For a few days, I found myself praying for my period not to come. But I also dreaded what would happen if Hercules had gotten me pregnant. My parents would’ve been disappointed in me. I could see Uncle Leo, my dad’s brother and Treasure’s father, looking at me as if I had betrayed my grandfather and made him turn in his grave. When my period finally came, I was relieved. I don’t think I could’ve borne being the outcast of the family. I wasn’t as strong then as I am now.

  “Her name is Eden Castro.” I take another sip of wine. “You should tell him. She liked him.”

  His thoughtful grunt feels like music to my ears. “Are you still friends?”

  When I nod, my head feels buoyant. “Yes, we are.”

  He hums as if he likes that she and I are still associated with each other. Then he quirks an eyebrow. “Are we still friends?”

  I am officially tipsy as I run a hand through my hair, smoothing my hair away from my flushed face. The wine is not only delicious—it’s fast too. I’m less inhibited than usual as I look into his hypnotic eyes. “Were we ever friends?”

  He snickers softly. “I thought we were.”

  “How so?”

  “You saved my ass in Mr. Northam’s class.”

  I raise the glass close to my lips. “Ah. High school. Yeah, we spent a lot of time together in the computer lab.” I raise a finger pointedly. “Although you pretended to not know me outside of the computer lab.”

  He twists his sexy mouth thoughtfully. “But that went both ways.”

  My head feels so floaty when I nod in agreement that it doesn’t seem as if I’m nodding at all. “But you were more popular than I was. If you’d spoken first, then I would’ve said something back. You, Hercules Lord, had all the power.”

  I close my eyes, easing the back of my head on the sofa as I wait for his response. I appear relaxed but I’m eager to hear his response.

  But Hercules is silent for far too long, so I open one eye to see what’s the delay. He’s watching me with a steady, unreadable expression.

  Now I open both eyes. “What is it?”

  His lips hint at a smile. “Remember our conversations?”

  I’ll never forget them.

  Nodding buoyantly, I set my half-filled glass of wine on a black coffee table that resembles a block of granite. “You said that yo
u didn’t like that your brothers treated you like a teenager. Even though you were a teenager.” I chuckle softly, going with the floaty feeling in my head.

  He winks sexily at me. “I was always a man before my time.”

  I hum, smiling. “I can’t refute that.”

  Our gazes linger appreciatively on each other. He is incredibly handsome. I also relish in the ease of our conversation, and him flirting with me and me flirting back.

  His finger traces my eyebrow and trails down the side of my face. I release the breath I’ve been holding while his finger completes its journey.

  Suddenly he sits back as if he wasn’t aware of what he was doing. “You missed your grandfather,” he whispers and then clears the frog out of his throat. “And you hated New York City, which is why I’m pleasantly surprised you still live here. How did you put it?” He shakes his finger as his eyes taper thoughtfully. “It smells like the city dump.”

  My shoulders shake as I snicker. “It’s an exotic aroma, isn’t it?”

  Hercules chuckles.

  “But…” I sigh. “New York is like a rough and gruff boyfriend you fall in love with over time.”

  He grunts inquisitively. “Then you like your men rough and gruff?”

  Laughing, I shake my head. “Not at all.”

  “Then how do you like us?”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  I sigh energetically as my gaze wanders across the face of the man that I compare every possible love interest I ever meet to. I want to say, “I like them just like you, Hercules.” But I can’t say that. It’s too early in our reassociation to admit that. So I let my body sink low enough that I can once again rest the back of my head on the sofa’s cushion. “Oh, Hercules, I have classic daddy issues. Although I’m pretty sure being attracted to a man who has the qualities of my dad has served me well.”

  “Oh yeah? How so?”

  I shrug. “First of all, my dad treats my mom as though she's made for him, and he for her. He’s also ambitious and strong and knows how to conquer while remaining a good person. Of course he likes things done his way, but he’s fair. He’ll listen attentively to a different point of view and make the necessary adjustments to his tablet of beliefs if he’s been persuaded.” I’m smiling to myself thinking about my dad. “Even though he drives me crazy sometimes and has been prone to overstep my boundaries for my “greater good” there are so many reasons why I admire him.”