Strung Out Read online

  She sucked in and released a huge breath of air, turning and resting her backside against the granite counter. Her hands lifted, fingers flexing in an imaginary pattern. How long had it been since she’d practiced? Since she’d drawn notes from strings or keys and soothed the ragged emotions inside?

  Turning toward the door, she was torn in two. Half of her longed to be with Erik, to be the person he needed her to be. But the other half had no desire for dinner parties and snobby guests who smiled to your face and stabbed you in the back.

  She reached out and pushed her way back into the dim hallway between the kitchens and the bathrooms. The murmur of the main dining area was to the right, and the subterranean wine cellar to the left. Following a heart that was already committed to Erik despite its doubts, she turned to find the tiny stairwell.

  “Did you call Courteney?”

  Talia ducked into an alcove. While she knew eavesdroppers rarely heard anything pleasant, she didn’t figure announcing her presence to her female dinner partners would have changed much of the conversation anyway. But remaining incognito would at least give her a few more moments of privacy. Pressing her back to the cool brick wall, she leaned around the corner until she could see and hear what they were up to.

  “I’m trying right now, but you know how she is.” Seth and Joshua’s dark-eyed date was furiously punching numbers on her touch screen. “She told me the bitch was hitting on Seth and Josh the night of Courteney’s engagement party. Can you believe that?”

  The strawberry blonde nodded her pale head. “It makes perfect sense. I mean, Josh and Seth make good money. But it’s nothing compared to Erik Aasen.”

  “You’re just jealous because he turned you down before he started dating Courteney.”

  “Screw you! Courteney tried everything to keep him.”

  “Well, apparently this bitch has talent.” There was a pause as the dark-eyed woman fiddled with her phone again. “But it doesn’t have to be some sexy fetish.”

  “Can you think of any other reason a guy like Erik Aasen would take up with the hired help?”

  “Ugh!” She tossed the phone back into her purse. “I’ll have to call Court later. This piece of crap phone never has service when I need it.”

  Their designer heels clicked across the bricks, the sound disappearing as they descended the steps back to the dinner party. Talia slipped her feet out of her own borrowed heels and moved into the shadows at the rear of the alcove until she was hidden from the outside world. Forgotten trolleys of unused dishware and some cleaning supplies were her only company. Slipping to the floor, she put her back against the cold wall and drew her knees up tight. If she was lucky, Erik would miss her and come looking. But if he didn’t, she was happy to stay there until someone threw her back out on the street where she belonged.

  * * *

  Erik cut a piece of medium-rare steak from the filet and savored the complex scent before lifting it to his mouth and placing it on his tongue to enjoy the sweet, peppery taste of the perfectly cooked beef.

  It was a relief to sink into silence and enjoy a good steak after being pushed through the emotional wringer by two men who were far too perceptive for their own good. In fact, after their practically feminine sentiments and observations, Erik had happily distracted himself by talking business with Mark until the waiter brought their steaks.

  He was halfway through his cut of beef before his eyes fell to the untouched portion beside him.

  “Was Talia still in the ladies’ room when you came back to the table, Sara?” He pegged Seth and Josh’s latest plaything with a hard glare.

  She shrugged one slender shoulder. “Naomi and I didn’t see her. Maybe she had someplace else to be.”

  The sweet delivery of the words was ruined by the venomous look in Sara’s dark eyes. He got the feeling she likely knew what had happened to Talia but wouldn’t have helped him if he’d paid her in gold.

  Beside Sara, Joshua set down his silverware. He reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You have no idea what happened to her?”

  Erik wasn’t certain what rankled him more, Talia’s disappearance or Joshua’s obvious concern about it. “I can handle this, Josh.”

  Sara tried and failed to avert her gaze from Josh’s. “She was still in the bathroom when Naomi and I were up there.” She nibbled her lip, obviously trying to decide how much more to say. “She might’ve overheard the two of us talking about Courteney.”

  Erik stood, tossing his napkin onto his plate.

  Sara pulled away from Josh. “She’s a big girl. Either she can handle the truth or she can’t.”

  Seth’s lip curled. “And what’s the truth?”

  Sara’s gaze drifted toward Erik. “Fucking your way to the top has consequences. She needs to know that.”

  He didn’t stay to hear more. Turning his back on the table, he took the steps two at a time until he reached the upstairs level. Most of the kitchen bustle happened farther along. The wine cellar was designed to be a private dining area, with very few employees coming and going and restricted access to the other guests.

  “Talia?” He called out in a low voice as he approached the door to the ladies’ room. “Are you all right in there?”

  A strangled sob caught him by surprise, and he lunged toward the thick wood door. But the sound hadn’t come from within. Between the two lavatories, a narrow arched alcove was hidden in shadows. He could’ve sworn the sob had come from inside.

  He lowered his voice to a gentle rumble. “Talia?”

  A ragged breath in the darkness and then he heard her husky voice. “I’m in here. Come on in. It’s their most private seating yet.”

  He dipped his head in order to step into the small space. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the shape of her body curled up on the floor. Anger, pity, and guilt twisted his gut into knots. He’d done this to her.

  Squatting down, he knelt on the cool bricks and placed his hands on her bare knees. “What are you doing in here, sweetheart?”

  “I was debating on how long I was going to wait before going out and asking someone to call a cab.”

  The catch in her voice cut him to the quick. “How about if we both get the hell out of here?”

  She looked up, her face framed by wispy strands of sable hair that had escaped her sleek hairstyle. “I think I’m stuck down here.”

  He stood and leaned down, tenderly scooping her off the floor and depositing her on her own two feet without letting go. He wrapped his arms snugly about her body, and he held her close for several moments, trying to understand the sense of completion he felt when she was in his arms. Her fingers found purchase in his jacket, and she clung shakily to the fabric.

  “Kiss me, Erik.”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. Her words set him on fire. He lowered his mouth and took her lips. They were soft and pliant, molding against his as if designed for nothing else. He brushed his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and she opened immediately. His tongue slid inside and tasted her sweetness, staking a claim while warring with hers for dominance of a kiss that was quickly spiraling out of control.

  Talia broke away, pressing her face into the hollow of his neck, her breathing ragged. “If we don’t stop, I’m going to beg you to take me right here against the wall.”

  The idea went straight to his cock, bypassing his brain and ignoring reason. He could smell her arousal, the sweet cream he knew he’d find spreading from her pussy to the insides of her thighs.

  He cast a glance to the dimly lit hallway that functioned as a doorway to the rest of the room. Concealed by the shadows inside the alcove, there was nothing to stop him from taking what he needed.

  Talia’s body refused to follow orders. Her brain was screaming at her to step back from Erik and walk out of the alcove and away from the temptation of wild sex tinged with the spice of discovery. But her body had other ideas.

  Erik walked her back until the cool brick was a stark contrast
to the fiery heat of his body pressed against her front. Her arms wound about his neck, holding her upright while his hands reached down and gripped the sides of her skirt. He inched it upward, baring her legs.

  “I need to be inside you.” His lips moved against the column of her throat, pressing damp kisses to the sensitive skin and making her body thrum with excitement.

  The skirt of her dress hovered near her hips, her thighs and part of her ass exposed to the air. Putting one hand on the wall to steady himself, Erik drew back far enough to meet her gaze. The intensity in his green eyes made her shiver. She couldn’t have told him no had she wanted to. He held her in thrall, body and soul.

  His free hand kneaded the soft flesh of her thigh where it met her buttocks, pulling her leg upward and dragging her crotch along his body. The motion pulled her tight against the bulge in his pants. The muffled sensation wasn’t enough. She wanted his hard length between her legs, rubbing against her clit until she gained the friction she needed for climax. Undulating against him, she begged without words for what he could give.

  He took hold of her lace panties. “Not yet.”

  One tug and her pussy was bare against him. Cool air tickled her sensitive flesh, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning and giving them away to anyone who might pass by.

  Two fingers spread her engorged labia while a third dragged an agonizingly slow trail through her slit, pausing just short of her throbbing clit. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulders, and her eyes slid shut. Every fiber waited for one touch, one stroke to bring her what she needed. Never had she been ready to implode this quickly.

  “Touch me, Talia.”

  She picked at the buttons on his dress slacks until she’d freed his cock from the tight fabric. He hissed, his teeth clenched tight as she stroked him from base to tip. Liquid seeped from the plum-shaped head, and she swirled her fingers through the silky fluid, teasing mercilessly and hoping to push him past the point of no return.

  In the shadows she could only just see the tortured expression on his face. Leaning forward, she brushed a kiss across his lips and tasted the longing she saw there. “Erik.” His green eyes slid open at the sound of her voice. Passion made them hazy, his intellect drugged with need. “I need you inside me.”

  Her words pushed him over the edge. His hand dipped down and grasped her leg, stretching it upward until she thought it could go no farther. The position bared her slick opening, spreading her cunt wide and allowing him to press forward. His thick crown pushed at her entrance, the odd angle restricting entry and increasing the friction until she was shaking with anticipation.

  When his hot length finally slid deep, her body convulsed, her muscles welcoming his intrusion and drawing him in farther still until the head of his cock pressed against her womb.

  Her leg buckled, unable to sustain her weight through the onslaught of sensation. Catching her with both arms, Erik lifted her up and pressed her back against the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him tighter still and spreading the sensitive hood of her clit against his pelvis. Flexing his hips, Erik drove into her body. With his cock deep inside and her clit rubbing maddeningly against him, Talia’s orgasm hit hard and fast.

  Contracting muscles bore down on his cock, and still he thrust through the storm. He dug his fingers into her hips and used the wall for leverage as he fucked his way through her shattering climax.

  As the waves began to recede, he stiffened between her legs, every muscle in his body going rigid. A tremor ripped through his cock before he lost control. He gave one final thrust, holding her fast against the cold bricks as semen burst from his body to bathe her depths with his essence.

  He shifted, his arms cradling her body though they remained joined. His lips brushed a gentle kiss over her forehead. “I’m sorry I didn’t come and find you sooner.”

  Talia chuckled. “If this is what you intended to find me for, I’m sorry you didn’t do it sooner too.”

  Shifting back, he allowed his cock to slide free of her pussy. The exit left her empty and longing to have him back inside her where he belonged. But this was real life and not fantasy. And they couldn’t duck real life forever.

  Thoughts of real life brought the dinner party details rushing back. “I don’t want to go back downstairs.”

  Erik sighed and tucked his cock back into his pants, zipping them closed before reaching down to help her settle her dress back into place. “I don’t want to go back either. How about we go someplace else?”

  “Just the two of us?”

  He placed a playful kiss on the tip of her nose. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Oh this is definitely more like it.”

  Erik grinned. He couldn’t see her smile, but he could hear it in her voice. And he loved it that she didn’t mind coming to a place like Jack’s. But it was one thing to hang out at Jack’s, drink with Nicolai, and shoot the breeze. If she was going to exist in his world, she had to be able to command a room in both places.

  He glanced around the dimly lit employee lot stashed behind the bar. He had a long-standing agreement with Nicolai about parking here, but sometimes the Porsche drew an unsavory type of admirer. True to her nature, Talia didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door. She shoved it open and climbed out on her own.

  “Oh wow, the whole no panties thing is weird out here in the free air.” She stood and shook her hips.

  Erik took her hand and tucked it into his arm. “If you’re constantly reminding me of that, you’ll find yourself up against another wall with my cock inside you every five minutes.”

  She jostled her shoulder against him. “Don’t hold back on my account. If you think you can go every five minutes, I’m game.”

  He pulled open the back door and led her inside. “Woman, you’re going to drain me dry.”

  The sound of her laughter was drowned out by the jukebox music drifting back through the kitchen into the narrow hallway. The three cooks manning the line nodded to Erik on his way through.

  She lifted an eyebrow. “They don’t care that you’re back here?”

  He hadn’t yet decided if her keen observations were simply part of a curious nature or a side effect of growing up in a completely different demographic. Courteney had come with him to Jack’s once. And before pronouncing it disgustingly unhygienic and horribly blue collar, she’d expected the staff to treat him with deference without ever wondering why they did. Talia wasn’t Courteney, and he owed her a full explanation of things.

  “Let’s go find Nicolai and get you a drink.”

  She gave him a warning look. “I’ll let you duck my question this time, but only because you just provided me with the mother of all orgasms.”

  “To think that orgasms are the secret to female cooperation.” They emerged from the hallway into the bar. “I could make millions selling that secret.”

  She snorted. “Wouldn’t work for everyone. I know plenty of guys who could try all day without your results.”

  Her cheerfully delivered and yet understated compliment warmed him in ways he wasn’t yet ready to explore. He waved to Nicolai, who promptly cleared two seats at the end of the bar.

  “The one lady I’m actually glad to see again.” Nicolai’s broad smile brought a pretty blush to her cheeks. “It gives me hope for Erik that he has the sense to hang on to you, pretty Talia. What can I get you this evening?”

  She jumped up onto the bar stool. “You chose something fantastic last time. I think I’m going to put myself into your capable hands tonight as well.”

  Nicolai leaned forward and slanted a sly look at Erik. “If you ever want to really make good on that offer, you know where to find me.”

  He threw his head back and laughed at his own joke, and Talia chimed in with her bubbly no-holds-barred laugh. Watching them howling like a couple of rowdy teenagers, Erik was struck by the realization that while the insinuations made earlier that evening abou
t trying out Talia had bothered him coming from Mark and Todd, he had none of the same hang-ups with Nicolai’s jokes. Not because he had a desire to share Talia with Nicolai, but because he trusted his longtime friend.

  Two worlds, two sets of rules, and no sense. Go figure.

  “And how about you, boss man?” Nicolai’s rough voice brought Erik back to the moment. “What are you drinking tonight?”

  “Bring me the usual.”

  Nicolai rubbed his lower lip with the side of his index finger. “You sticking around for a while then?”

  “What do you think, Talia? Should we hang out here for a while?”

  She swung her bar stool around to get a better look at the room. The movement sent one scrap of a sleeve drifting down her shoulder. The creamy tops of her breasts were visible above her dress, and Erik longed to make a thorough sweep of them with his tongue. He’d had no chance to appreciate their soft perfection earlier.

  “You know, I think that sounds like a good idea.” Talia winked at Nicolai. “Bring on the alcohol, Mr. Barman.”

  “You got it, pretty Talia.”

  “So, why here?” She crossed her legs and pegged him with a thoughtful stare.

  “Sometime you’re going to have to tell me your secret.”

  “Which one is that?”

  Erik put both elbows on the bar and leaned back against the worn wood. “You’ll have to explain how you manage to make me tell you all my secrets.”

  Her smile faded. “Oh I doubt I’ll ever know all your secrets, Erik Aasen. But I have been making a study of you lately.”

  Erik looked at the low ceiling, the wood beams stained from years of cigarette smoke. A dozen or more tables were crowded with the typical assortment of people just looking for a place to wind down. It was a weeknight, so the crowd was thinner than a Friday or Saturday. But it didn’t stop them from having a great time.

  He thought about the first time he’d ever walked into this place. A privileged jackass with more balls than brains and a silver spoon stuck up his ass. It’d been nearly ten years since that night, and yet he still remembered it clear as day.