Ember in the Heart: A Novella Read online

  Her lips trembled and the wild need took over.

  Foster covered her mouth, swallowing her gasp of excitement. Her perfume, the heat of her beneath his hands, and the taste of her—that taste he’d gotten last night in the pool was an addictive elixir—it all overwhelmed Foster as he gripped the back of Ember’s neck with one hand and slid the other down her stomach… He smoothed it over her round hip and under her thigh.

  She kissed him back harder, her arms circling his waist as she fell against the desk but clung to him, her fingers digging into his back, as he tugged her thigh up so he could press deep between her legs. Her lips parted on a whimper of desire and the sound aroused him beyond bearing.

  His hand tightened around her neck and he groaned, desperate for more, for everything from her. They devoured each other like it was the last time they’d ever kiss. Foster lifted Ember’s thigh and nudged her up onto the desk, grinding his erection against her.

  The feel of her hands sliding up his back and over his shoulders, her fingers sinking into his hair, only made him want more. He wanted her hands on his bare skin.

  “Take off the dress,” he broke the kiss to demand gruffly. Even as he uttered the words, he was shrugging out of his jacket.

  Ember’s eyes were smoky with passion as Foster stepped back to allow her room to undress. She gathered the full skirt in her hands and he absently undid his tie as her long legs were revealed.

  Then her soft stomach and her breasts as she lifted the dress over her head and dumped the fabric on the floor.

  He swallowed hard, eyeing every magnificent detail of her. “Bra and panties too.” He whipped off his shirt and started on his belt.

  Watching her lick her lips as she stared at him was his undoing.

  “Come on, gorgeous.” He pushed down his suit pants and kicked them off. “I want to see every inch of you. I’ve wanted to see every inch of you since I saw you in that pink number at your sister’s engagement party.”

  She flushed with pleasure at his confession and reached around her back to unclip her bra. Slowly she let the straps fall, the cups catching on her taut nipples.

  Then finally it released.

  It had been dark last night in the pool.

  In the warm light of her office, Foster could see her in all her glory.

  “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me,” he muttered, almost stumbling out of his boxer briefs with excitement.

  Her throaty laughter only made him harder and his mouth went dry as she curled her fingers into her panties and pushed them down.

  “Sit on the desk and spread your legs.”

  Ember bit her lip for a second, her eyes on his erection. “Are you always this bossy?”

  “Just with you. You make me very, very impatient. And frustrated,” he growled.

  Chuckling Ember sat on the edge of the desk and spread her thighs.

  “I’ve died and gone to heaven, haven’t I?” He fell to his knees before her, skimming his hands up her legs to push her open to his gaze.

  “I think maybe I hav—ah!” Ember cried out as he licked into her hot depths.

  Foster held back his grin of satisfaction and buried his head between her pearly gates.

  EMBER

  All rational thought left me the moment I saw Foster standing in my store with a look in his eyes I knew too well. He was here for one thing and one thing only.

  And considering I wanted what he wanted just as badly, I’d lost my ever-loving mind.

  Right then, I couldn’t care.

  My head fell back on a groan as he licked at me, his tongue flicking and tormenting my clit. “Foster, please.”

  I could feel it building already, the muscles in my thighs trembling and tightening.

  And then two fingers pushed inside me.

  Foster sucked and licked at me and as his fingers played their part too. My hips undulated off the desk, my fingers tightened in his hair, my senses on overload. Every time I felt the rasp of his unshaven cheeks against my sensitive skin, the tension inside me tightened further.

  He sucked hard on my clit and I exploded, my cries of pleasure so loud I’d worry later people in the spa might have heard.

  Foster stood up, wrapped my legs around his hips, and shoved his hands in my hair to hold me to him for his devasting kiss. I could taste myself on his tongue and I moaned into his mouth in reaction.

  Foster broke the kiss, his hot lips trailing down my neck, the bristle of his stubble scratching at my skin. I arched my back, anticipating what he wanted, and thrust my breasts up for his exploration.

  Quickly the gloriously languid aftermath of my climax was fanned into a flame again. He cupped and stroked and kissed my breasts, learning every inch of them. And then he wrapped his mouth around my nipple and tugged, sucked and licked it until it was so swollen it became overly sensitive. I hissed and, understanding why, Foster moved onto my other nipple until my legs were climbing his hips, and I was writhing against his erection, desperate for him to take me.

  “Come inside me, Foster.”

  He kissed me, one hand under my ass urging me up against his erection as he rubbed its hard heat between my legs, teasing me beyond bearing.

  “Foster!” I broke the kiss, glaring into his dart, lust-filled gaze. “Now.”

  “You’re on the pill, right?”

  The question was almost pleading.

  I nodded and looked down, fire in my belly at the sight of him, ready for me.

  I licked my lips as my gaze traveled up his perfectly honed muscular body. I’d never been with a man as beautiful as him before. Physical perfection was never enough to attract me. I always had to be attracted to some inner beauty.

  And that was the truth.

  Foster wasn’t just beautiful to me because he was a handsome twenty-five-year old.

  He was beautiful to me because he was a wonderful father who was trying to do the best by his daughter and, when he wasn’t being a thoughtless moron, there was a gentle kindness in him.

  Fuck, I should stop this.

  “Ember, I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you,” Foster confessed against my mouth.

  And just like that I was lost to him again.

  I kissed him, my tongue flicking at his lips. I took the silken heat of him in my hands and squeezed and Foster kissed me harder, gasping and panting, as I stroked him with one hand and dug my fingers into his ass with the other, urging him to me.

  I guided his tip to my entrance and smoothed my hand up his rigid stomach.

  My eyes fluttered closed at the satisfying burn that turned to pure relief as he overwhelmed me with fullness.

  “Ember, open your eyes,” Foster demanded.

  I opened my eyes and held his intense gaze.

  “Keep looking at me.” He thrust in deeper, looking almost pained. “Jesus Christ, you’re perfect,” he whispered, “Keep looking at me. It’s me fucking you, it’s me that makes you feel this good.”

  I nodded, holding his gaze, clinging to his shoulders as he tilted my hips up farther to glide slowly in and out of me. I trembled against him as he took pleasure in taking his time.

  “You’re so perfect, so fucking perfect,” he grunted against my lips, his speed increasing.

  I moved against his thrusts, the blood rushing in my ears. “So are you.”

  “Ember.” His grip tightened, his eyes blazing into mine as he kept repeating my name, like a prayer.

  “Foster,” I whimpered back as he thrust at just the right angle to brush my clit with his movements. My nails dug into his shoulders. “Oh god, do that again.”

  Satisfaction made his expression harsh and he started driving into me, harder.

  My climax built, my neck arching, my cries echoing around the office.

  “Come for me, Ember,” Foster commanded. “I want to feel you come around me.”

  Just like that, the tension inside me peaked.

  And peaked HARD.

  I gasped as the first orgasm hit and was
quickly followed by another, bigger, spectacular orgasm that made me lose all sense of self. My cries filled the whole goddamn building. My fingers dug into his skin as I clenched around him and my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

  My pulse was loud in my ears as Foster thrust harder, faster into me. A few seconds later, he buried his face in my neck and muffled his shout of release against my skin. His hips jerked against mine and I felt him throb in pulse after pulse inside me, shuddering in my arms.

  I held onto him as we tried to catch our breath. My skin was slick against his, my breasts crushed against his chest. I caressed his back, soothing him.

  Eventually he lifted his head and stared at me in awe.

  And I knew, no matter how stupid we both understood it would be, that this wasn’t the last time we’d find bliss in each other’s arms.

  7

  Ember

  Foster’s groan was loud.

  I clamped a hand over his mouth as I undulated against. “Shh.”

  His nostrils flared and his grip on my hips tightened. And in revenge he began bucking his own magnificent hips beneath me.

  “Oh fuck,” I huffed, releasing his mouth to brace both hands on his shoulders.

  Suddenly I was flipped on my back, my wrists captured above my head and Foster took over.

  Seconds later he slammed his mouth down on mine as he felt my coming orgasm and he swallowed my cry of release in his kiss. My cry was followed by his groan as he shuddered in climax.

  We panted, tight, low sounds we attempted to keep barely audible and Foster brushed his lips over mine again before withdrawing. This was the moment I usually slid out of his bed, cleaned up in his master bath and tiptoed downstairs to return to my house. For the past month, we’d carried on our secret affair. On weekends, I’d spent more time with Georgie again. The two of us were as close as ever and I was really starting to worry that I wasn’t the only one who would be hurt when this affair ended.

  I had to end it.

  Because I was falling in love with a man eleven years my junior who cared way too much for his parents’ opinion.

  “Don’t go,” Foster whispered, reaching for me as I moved to slide out of his huge bed.

  While we tried to find moments to meet while Georgie was at school, between both our jobs it was almost impossible. We’d instead fallen into a routine of me sneaking into the house once Georgie was asleep.

  “I better,” I whispered back. “We don’t want to wake G.”

  “We won’t.” He rested his head on the pillow near mine and tugged on my hip in a silent demand for me to turn toward him.

  I did. “You okay?”

  Foster grinned. “What? You’re surprised I want to spend time with you not having sex?”

  “We spend time not having sex.” In fact, our weekends with Georgie were the best. I’d never seen Foster so relaxed.

  “I mean alone. Just you and me.” He brushed my hair off my face, his expression tender and affectionate and so very not good for my heart. “Do you want kids? You’re so good with G.”

  Shocked by the question, it took me a minute to answer. “I … yeah, if it’s in the cards for me. I’d love at least one.”

  “You’d make a great mom.” He kissed my nose. “How are your sisters? I mean, I know how Jade is because Colt’s told me.”

  I grimaced. “I feel for her. Jade is so not an elaborate, spectacle kind of person but this wedding planner they hired is going all out and just constantly bombarding Jade with questions. She feels like the wedding has taken over her life.”

  “Colt feels the same. He told Jade to fire her and they’d have a small wedding instead.”

  “Which is sweet and she appreciates it, but they’ve already put money down on deposits and … well … I think she thinks it’s good for your business image. To have a big, lavish wedding.”

  “It is always good to advertise success when you can, as crass as that sounds.” Foster frowned. “But not to the detriment of the wellbeing of someone we love.”

  I reached up to stroke his cheek, enjoying the feel of his stubble prickling my skin. “That is appreciated. Jade, however, is much tougher. than she looks. Schools out for the summer, so she has more time on her hands to deal with it. And it’s not long now. Once it’s done, it’ll be done. Besides, she is looking forward to the honeymoon. A week in Japan followed by a week on some luxury resort in Bali? Uh, yes, please. Lucky duck.”

  “Have you traveled much?”

  “No.” I lowered my gaze. “We traveled around the States with Mom and Dad when we were kids. But I’ve never had the time to travel farther afield. Or the money.”

  “You own your own business.”

  “Yeah … so I could afford to travel, but I like having a nest egg in case something happens.” I met his gaze. “Mom and Dad left us the house. No mortgage. My dad inherited it and then we inherited it. And they left us some money which helped to take care of the costs of living in it. But it was a struggle for a while. We were on a tight budget and couldn’t afford much else besides the essentials. The girls decided not to go to school and I still don’t know if that was based on what they actually wanted or if they just thought we couldn’t afford it. I put myself through my massage therapy qualifications and took out a bunch of loans to make the business work and I’m still paying those off. So … traveling … not so much for me.”

  Foster caressed my waist and hip in a soothing, comforting gesture. “You’re amazing, you know that.”

  I smirked. “If you say so.”

  “No, I’m being serious. You sacrificed so much for you family. I admire that.”

  “It didn’t feel like a sacrifice.”

  “Which makes you all the more magnificent.”

  I grinned. “Magnificent. Ooh I like that word.”

  But Foster didn’t smile, he pressed closer to me, his expression intense. “I want to take you to Bali or wherever it is in the world you want to see.”

  Just like that my humor fled. “Foster…”

  Realization flashed in his eyes and he lowered his gaze, hiding it from me. Yet he didn’t let go. In fact, he banded his arm around my waist as if he didn’t want to let go of me ever.

  Feeling incredibly sad all of a sudden, I leaned in and caressed his lips with mine. “I gotta go.” I wiggled against his hold and instead of releasing me he pushed me onto my back and kissed the breath right out of me. “Foster,” I panted.

  “I want you again,” his voice was gruff, his countenance almost savage with desire.

  Heat flickered low and deep in my belly and I melted into the bed, too eager to let him inside.

  “Thank you so much for being so patient in there,” Jade said as we walked along the hot sidewalk of the city. She knew I wasn’t a fan of the place. The air was too thick with fumes, the smell of waste wafting up from the sewers every now and then, and if I wore sandals on a warm day like today my feet got covered in soot from the traffic.

  Thus I’d chosen to wear a light pair of boots with my dress and my feet were too stuffy inside them.

  Still, I wouldn’t complain.

  Jade rarely asked me to come into the city and this was for the wedding. Anything to relieve her stress. Besides, it worked out. For the first time since our affair began, Foster was busy this Sunday. Georgie’s new nanny, a college graduate named Anne-Marie, who was this sweet, shy young woman Georgie thankfully loved, was working overtime to watch G, since I was busy with Jade.

  “Of course. Dress fittings are necessary for a wedding. And it was good of them to open on a Sunday.”

  “Yeah.” Jade nodded. She shot me a look. “You’re honestly happy with your dress?”

  “Of course.” My Maid of Honor gown was silver. As were the bridesmaid dresses. Moon, Celeste and Luna had joined us for the dress fitting but Moon had hurried home as soon as she was done, and Celeste had gone back to Luna’s to see the kids.

  Jade and I wanted to grab something to eat together before he
ading home. Between work, the wedding, and Colt, we hadn’t seen a lot of each other lately.

  “And your dress is to die for.”

  My sister beamed. “You think?”

  “Colt, is going to lose his—” I cut off abruptly.

  “Ember?”

  My pulse pounded in my throat as I halted in front of a restaurant.

  Inside, clear as day, was Foster and his parents. A young, beautiful blond sat next to Foster, her hand on his shoulder as she leaned into laugh with him about something.

  “Em.” Jade stood at my side.

  His parents smiled at the young couple.

  Were they a couple?

  No.

  Foster wouldn’t—

  The blond kissed his cheek and he lowered his gaze almost shyly.

  Foster?

  “That’s Heather Smyth,” Jade said in my ear. “Colt told me Foster’s parents have been trying to set them up for a while. I only know who she is because I met her at the office last week when I came into the city to have lunch with Colt. Heather works for a bank nearby. Colt told me she’s gotten persistent. I guess Foster finally gave in.”

  He was seeing another woman behind my back?

  “Ember?”

  “He and I have been having sex for over a month.” I looked at my sister, tears in my eyes. “And I stupidly fell for him. Like really, really fell for him, Jade. I’m such a fool.”

  Jade looked heartbroken for me. “Oh God, Em.”

  Her sympathy only made me angry. “No one makes a fool of me.” I glared back at the young couple. “I think we should stop by and say hi. It’s only polite.”

  “Ember…”

  But I was already pushing open the door to the restaurant. I wouldn’t make a scene. But I wanted him to know that I knew. A hostess stepped toward us but I shook my head at her distractedly, focused on the man I currently loathed.

  As if he felt me, Foster turned his head in my direction.

  His eyes rounded in surprise and it was quickly replaced by a flash of something like panic. Then he was pretty much expressionless.