Ice Burns Read online

  We hear another client go into the adjoining cubicle, but we don’t stop. I’m so pigheadedness from holding my breath I have to steady myself on the wall of the dressing room.

  “There’s just one problem with this dress” Aiden whispers into my ear, and his lips on my earlobe send shivers - real pleasure, this time - down my spine. I quirk my eyebrows in question, and he answers, “It creates a panty line” and he traces his fingers on either side along the clear line caused by my lingerie.

  Without breaking eye contact, I lean forward so that my ass cheeks are visible through the thin fabric and press them back into Aiden’s erect member, causing him to audibly inhale deep, staggered breaths. I reach under the skirt and as sensually as I can in a small space, I remove my underwear, bending all the way down to retrieve it from the floor. Aiden grasps my hips tightly and as I come back up he is clenching his jaw in a way I can tell means he is fighting for self-control. Desire rips through me and before either of us can stop me, I’m unbuckling his belt and pulling him out of his briefs. He shudders, and I’m grateful for the music piping quietly, but loudly enough into the changing room.

  I could tell that Aiden was large - not porn star large, but wider and longer than any of the other dicks I’d ever held. This was going to be a two-hands kind of job and if there’d been space without shoving my feet into the changing room next door, I would have gone down on my knees just there. I’ve never wanted a man in my mouth quite as much as I do right now. He just looks, and smells, delicious.

  I make do with my hand though and Aiden’s eyes roll back in his head as his fingers grasp for the bottom of my skirt. I let him touch me, just so he can feel my bare, exposed womanhood, but no further. Right now I want him, and I don’t want to be distracted.

  “I’m not… going to… last… “ and he’s barely finished the words when a groan escapes him, along with spurts of his release that I catch in the lacy thong in my hand. He leans his head against the changing room door, then pulls me towards him, embracing me from behind.

  The woman in the other cubicle leaves and we are alone again. We stand like this for a few minutes, looking at each other in the mirror’s reflection. I’m watching him, watching me, and as our breathing begins to steady I pray to anyone who’s listening that insecure, uncertain, easily frightened and intimidated Amber is gone for good - at least around Aiden. In her place I want the confident, strong, self-aware Amber that’s worthy of him. An Amber I’m going to love being. Meeting Aiden’s eyes in the mirror I grin and say, “Well, that was different,” and we both laugh.

  ~ 7 ~

  *AMBER*

  There are moments that, for the rest of your life, you’ll look back on, knowing they were life-changing. A pinnacle, a high-point where you did something so wholly unexpected that there’s no doubt you’ll never forget it. This afternoon was one. Tonight gave me another.

  The hotel is attached to an up-scale karaoke bar. It’s jazz-night and the bar is known as a hangout for the who’s who of the music industry. I couldn’t imagine being brave enough to willingly get up on that stage knowing that most of the people that do, were, could, or wanted to be professional musicians. This isn’t really my scene at all.

  After everyone else at the table had been on stage twice, the blond next to Jamie shoves the music menu my way and yells across the table, asking what I’m going to sing. I rapidly shake my head - it isn’t happening - but as people do, they all zero in on me, and even Aiden enthusiastically encourages me to take my turn.

  Shaking,I walk up to the stage and give my selection to the DJ.

  Pivotal moments. I know this song well. I know I can sing it. But I’m not a great singer, and in this moment, practically forced onto the stage, my knees shaking and suddenly very aware of my lack of panties, I feel like a mountaineer at the edge of a cliff, about to do the only thing left to do. Throw myself over the edge.

  The recorded piano starts trilling the funky tune of Katie Melua’s My Aphrodisiac is you and the only way out is through.

  Some people say

  That oysters make you come on strong

  But I don’t buy it

  I don’t believe my diet, turns me on

  In the short break between verses I hear a cheer coming up from the small audience, and a quick glance over at Aiden shows him leaning back in his chair, grinning, one hand in the pocket I know my lingerie ended up in and the other… I don’t have time to focus but I could swear his hand is resting over his cock.

  Won’t take no pills

  My hips begin swaying themselves

  That’s the last thing that I need to do

  My hand reaches up to my forehead in a faux-dramatic pose

  I can’t deny it,

  My hand drops down as my fingers twirl in a seductive arc

  my aphrodisiac is you

  Ending in an open handed point to the room at large.

  I sing the chorus with my eyes closed, like I’m imagining sniffing powdered rhino horn and going to bed in rubber gloves, but the words are right, and they’re playing out on my face, and over my body as my hands trace their way down the deep red dress with no panty lines, my hips still swaying seductively and as the chorus fades, I bite my lower lip and hear the room hoot and cheer again.

  I risk a glance at Aiden, but he’s looking at Jamie who is staring slack-jawed at me. I want Aiden looking at me though because I know I’ve got half a song to go and right now I’m pretty sure my lust is as clear as the black kohl eyeliner on my face. I guess I’ll have to up my game.

  Don’t smoke no grass,

  Or opium from Hong Kong

  That Hubble Bubble just makes me see double

  I drop my head so I’m looking down at the floor

  All night long.

  As I sing the words, my hands flit demurely behind my back, genteel-like, but my eyes lift and make contact with the room. I can feel the sensuality of the moment rolling off me and into it.

  The song is winding down, the last couple of verses to go, and I figure I may as well take it all the way, so I raise my hands up above my head, as though I’m bound at the wrists, or like Aiden said a earlier, pinned by my own pencil skirt and I know the movement makes my dress ride up to near-dangerous length.

  Some people like to read the Kama Sutra first

  My hands come down slowly, seeing out the verse with my eyes closed, splaying over my breasts and stomach, but not really touching

  But I don’t need it

  I think if I should read it

  I’ll be worse.

  Shrugging emphatically with both shoulders and raising my hands in an *I don’t know* gesture, I go in for the finale…

  Don’t ask me why

  Cause baby I don’t got a clue

  Turning to where Aiden is, I look over at him. His body is stiff, his eyes glued to me, his face hungry and for a moment my breath catches and a vortex of heat swirls straight through me. I think if he could, he’d bend me over on that stage and take me right there, room full of people be damned.

  Jamie taps Aiden on the shoulder but he doesn’t look away, so Jamie just drops something on the table next to him.

  I just concede it

  I point to him then turn my hand over and beckon him in a come-hither motion.

  My aphrodisiac is you

  The song ends, rowdy applause and catcalls fill the air and the DJ is saying something about taking a break for a quick cold shower, but my eyes are locked on Aiden not walking so much as storming the stage. I walk to the edge, a little nervous as he looks so determined you’d be forgiven for thinking he was angry. I shut my eyes for just a second, taking another snapshot for my mental album.

  Aiden grabs me by the legs and pops my body over his shoulder, my ass next to his head as he makes sure my skirt isn’t showing more than it should be. Still a whole lot of leg, but nothing else. I’m kicking and smacking and simultaneously laughing and shouting at him to put me down, but he doesn’t. He walks out of the bar,
towards the elevator that leads to the hotel above. My insides have turned to liquid, and as the elevator doors open and he steps inside and puts me down, he’s panting, pushing up against me, grinding his cock against a pussy so wet I’m surprised evidence of my desire’s not dripping down my leg. I know what’s going to happen when we reach a room. He knows too. The way he carried me out of that bar, there isn't a soul in the room that doesn’t know.

  *AIDEN*

  When Amber walks onto the stage I spot her rubbing her hands against her thigh and I’ll admit, I feel bad. I know this is way out of her comfort zone and my friends can be pushy. She walks to the microphone at the centre of the stage, and a honky-tonk tune starts playing. I wonder for a moment if the DJ got the song wrong, because this isn’t her musical genre at all. At least, I didn’t think so, but as the song starts and the spotlight shines on her the only thing I can think of is that she’s naked under that form hugging red dress, and I’m the only one that knows it.

  I slip my hand into my pocket fingering her lacy thong, and smirk, but my cock is starting to twitch, so I’m trying to make surreptitious adjustments just as she looks over and catches me in the act. Her eyes register that she knows, and that just makes me harder.

  Amber is swaying her hips to the music, her hands roaming where mine want to be and it’s sexy as hell. Like I might be able to look forward to some lap dancing in the future. I look around and everyone is transfixed, even Jamie’s jaw is hanging open a little, and his blond - Amy? Alice? Whatever - is glaring at him, puckering her mouth in such a way I can see what he meant by blow-job lips.

  I look back at Amber, who has her hands behind her back, alluringly looking up at the room, and I swear to fuck my cock tents in my pants. When she lifts her arms up above her head her skirt rides up just high enough that my tongue twitches to lick what’s just out of sight. I’m pretty sure I’m about to pass out from the lack of blood flow… well, anywhere else, really.

  Someone - probably Jamie - taps me on the shoulder, but I can’t respond right now. I’m incoherent with thoughts of what I’m going to do to this girl. I feel something drop down on the table next to me as a word registers - key. It’s a key. A hotel room key. Jamie. My fucking hero.

  I grab it and head for the stage just as she beckons for me. I hope the song is over. I can’t wait another minute. Slipping the key card into the breast pocket on my shirt, I go caveman on my girl - tonight she will become my girl, in every way, please God, let her be ready too - lifting her off the stage and over my shoulder. Fred Flintstone couldn’t have done it better. She’s kicking and hitting and laughing and shouting, but her ass is next to my face and I catch a whiff of her, of her arousal, of her want, and it’s all I can do not to plunge my fingers into her as we walk through the bar and out through the lobby.

  Never since the advent of electric lifts has one taken so long to arrive. I’m considering putting a complaint in to management first thing tomorrow. Even though we’re not actually guests of the hotel. Still worth a complaint. The woman at reception is glaring at me in a “we don’t rent rooms by the hour, sir!” kind of way, but I ignore her. Right now I can’t think of anything more complex than this moment.

  The lift can’t have taken more than 30 seconds, but they dragged like hours, Amber still writhing against me, but there’s more of a rhythm to it, like she’s grinding against my shoulder and I think she’s panting a little, though if it’s from lust or because her position is cutting off oxygen, I can’t say. The doors finally open, and I step inside, lowering her to the ground. I don’t want to hurt her but fuck knows I’m ready to rip her cocktail dress - what a great name for a dress - off her body and I would too, if I didn’t know how much she loved it.

  Instead I slam her into the wall for the second time today, and her skirt, still riding high from its journey over my shoulder, is barely in my way. Grabbing her by the neck I jerk her to my mouth. Her lips part, and I’m shoving my tongue in like it’s on a desperate search and rescue mission. One hand grabs a perky tit and her erect nipple is there, just waiting to be squeezed, pulled, flicked. I do all three and she groans into my mouth. My hand moves further down her body reaching just under her skirt, skimming her wet lips, and fuck me, she’s dripping.

  There’s a PING as the doors open painfully slowly again. I catch Amber’s hand and practically drag her down the hall. I can’t help it. I’ve lost all my manners.

  “You booked a room?” she squeaks, breathless.

  “No, it’s Jamie’s. He gave me the key round about the time you were singing about the Kama Sutra and pretending to be pinned up in your pencil skirt. I think he wants to avoid me getting arrested.”

  “Arrested?” She knows exactly what I’m talking about, but she’s going to make me say it. I can see it in the self-satisfied smirk she tosses my way as I jam the key card repeatedly into the door of room 812.

  “Yes, arrested. For cracking the skull of every man in the room. Or fucking you on the table in front of them all and then cracking the skull of every man in the room.”

  She giggles at me. She actually giggles at me, takes the key card from my hand, stepping between me and the door and conveniently rubbing her ass against my junk and I’m suddenly worried I’m going to embarrass myself 12-year-old-boy style. I know I just came a couple of hours ago, but I don’t think I’m going to last long at all. I have to do better this time. Damn this woman.

  Amber slowly inserts the key card. The light goes green, the door swings open, and her little red number is on the floor before I hear the click of it closing behind us again.

  ~ 8 ~

  *AMBER*

  I’ve never had a day like this before. It’s like I am actually existing in two places at once. My physical body might be sitting at my desk, and I might be taking calls, and responding to emails, but my mind isn’t here at all. I feel like there’s a movie screen playing behind my eyes, and I’m as much still there in that bed with Aiden as I am here.

  The phone rings and lifting the received to my ear, I move the hair behind it. Words are exchanged but…

  I’m standing in front of Aiden in nothing but my high heels. I’m naked and vulnerable and powerful all at the same time. He touches the side of my face, moving the hair behind my ear before pulling me into a kiss so intense I forget to breathe…

  “No, I’m afraid he’s not in at the moment…. No, I’m currently unsure when he will return. Let me take your name and number and I’ll get him to call you back?... Elizabeth? No problem.“

  His hands running over my shoulders, down my side, circling my lower back, touching every part of me, enveloping me, consuming me in his heat.

  “Not to worry, I’ll drop him an email now to make sure he definitely gets your message”.

  I drop to my knees, my fingers shaking as my entire body quakes in anticipation. The heat of the song, the march through reception, and into the elevator, passion between us a pounding crescendo that roars and clamours until my dress hits the floor. I’m naked and Aiden freezes, the control I’d seen in him this afternoon back, a vacant look in his eyes, he’s holding his breath - like someone has hit an invisible pause button.

  I lean back in my chair. There are so many irate clients wanting to know where Mr Marks has gotten to, and right now, I have no idea what to tell them. I rub my hand over my face, down my neck, and slowly down my chest cupping my own breast as I remember Aiden doing the same.

  “I can’t” he says, his voice barely a whisper.

  My eyes go wide and a sick feeling tickles at my stomach. “Can’t what?” I ask back.

  “I can’t go slow. I can’t stop. Can’t hold back… can’t wait.”

  I look into his eyes and there I see everything I’m feeling. I look down as I start undoing his belt. I’m not a seductress. I don’t know how to be sexy, or to make him want me more. I don’t know the sultry words, and all I can do is be real, be me. I meet his eyes again, nodding my ascent and answer simply, “Then don’t.”
/>   My knees are squeezed together and I’m panting, the sounds of the office fading into the background as I lean back in my chair, allowing my hands to roam freely.

  Before the words have fully left my mouth, I’m on my back on the bed. Aiden’s still half dressed, but he has my left calf over his shoulder and has plunged to the hilt. I groan in surprise and he is breathing out an apology when I start moving under him and he slides out, and in and out again. I’m so wet, so desperate for all of him, I rake my hands down his back and he lets out a low growl, slowing down for a stroke, then two and when I tilt my hips into him he hammers home again, and again and again, and within moments the world around me shatters into a million bursts of light. I’m pushed over the edge, and the clenching of my walls milks him until I feel him spurt his pleasure into me.