Priceless Ch. 01

Marcie hadn't liked Veronica either, and I was beginning to suspect that she was a fairly good barometer for my relationships. Finally, I shook off thoughts of Charlotte and Veronica, smiled to myself, and thought of Kate. If things worked out between us, Marcie would meet her sooner or later. I sincerely hoped they'd like each other. Having a girlfriend and an assistant who don't get along is not something I'd recommend for the faint of heart.

"Well, I hope you two have a good time," Marcie said, breaking my train of thought. "Everyone else has left already, and I'm headed out the door now."

"Thanks, Marcie. Have a great weekend. Say 'hi' to Darren for me."

"You too. I will," she said. With a wave, she was gone.

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I had a few things to buy before Sunday, so I checked my e-mail one last time (nothing from Brad or the Russian team, which was a good sign), shut down the few other programs I had running, and left the office.

It was the Friday before Christmas, and traffic around our building—which is near a major shopping center—was snarled. I merged into it and almost immediately regretted leaving the office. Oh well, I thought to myself, I had to get out sooner or later.

My errands took me the better part of the afternoon, but it was worth it. I bought or borrowed everything I would need for the weekend. I went over my mental list one more time and, satisfied, headed back into traffic.

Friday is one of my normal workout days, so I stopped by the gym on the way home. I prefer free weights, but without a workout partner, I was better off with the machines. An hour and a half later, I was tired, but felt immensely better. I've always enjoyed how I feel after a good, hard workout. I took a quick shower, changed back into my street clothes, and headed home.

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All day Saturday, it took every ounce of willpower I possessed to keep myself from calling Kate. I felt like I was going to my high school prom, all over again. I'd made all my plans, and waited with barely suppressed anticipation.

I tried to keep myself busy, doing things around the house. I did a little work from my home office, but I still thought of her on every occasion.

After a quick lunch, I wrapped all the presents that had arrived the week before, used the computer to print out nice gift tags, and took care of the last of my pre-Christmas shipments. Thank God for FedEx—everything should get to my far-flung family by Christmas Eve. I was planning to spend several days with my brother, Neil, and his family in North Carolina, so I merely had to take their presents with me when I drove to their house.

Once I had all my wrapping and shipping done, I called Neil's house. His wife, Dani, assured me that the kids were looking forward to my visit almost as much as they were looking forward to Santa Claus. I told her that I was still planning to arrive Tuesday evening, and she wished me a safe trip.

When I got off the phone, I settled down to watch a movie on satellite and ordered a pizza. The movie wasn't bad and neither was the pizza. I stuck the leftovers in the refrigerator for… whenever… and headed into my home office. After a desultory check of e-mail (no problems), I shut everything off and headed to bed.

Since I had a big day planned, I wanted to get to sleep early, but found I was wide awake. The anticipation made me tingle. As I stared at the ceiling, I realized I was nervous, a sure sign that I really liked Kate. I grinned to myself, rolled over, and tried once again to fall asleep. I felt like a teenager before his first big date. I got an erection just thinking about her, but I refused to jerk off.

At long last, my erection subsided and I drifted off to sleep.

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My alarm went off Sunday morning and I practically leapt out of bed. I showered and shaved, wrapped my towel around my waist, and then went through the rest of my morning routine. When I was done, I threw on a clean t-shirt and some running shorts. I took a Prada suit out of my closet, picked out shirts and ties, and hung everything together on the bathroom door. I made sure a pair of black dress shoes was shined, and set them out for later. Afterward, I dressed in a comfortable shirt and a pair of blue chinos.

Once I was dressed, I made the bed, tossed a few clothes into my hamper, and generally picked up my bedroom. I had a housekeeper to take care of the regular cleaning. She'd been to the house on Thursday, so nothing really needed to be straightened up. I took a quick walk through the house to make sure it was presentable, and found everything in order. Shortly before eight thirty, I was out the door.

On the way to Kate's house, I stopped by a bakery to pick up several fresh bagels and two small tubs of cream cheese spread, one plain and one lox. I'm not a coffee drinker, and I couldn't remember whether or not Kate had a coffee maker in her kitchen (I'd been a little occupied the last time I'd been there), so I got two bottles of orange juice.

With that, I headed toward her house. When I turned into her subdivision, I noticed that the large steel gate was retracted. In front of the tracks for the gate was a wooden arm with reflectors on it. It wouldn't stop a determined intruder like the metal gate would, but it served its purpose effectively. I pulled up and stopped.

One of the benefits of living in Northshore Terrace was 24-hour security, and the guard came out of his post, bundled to ward off the cold. I lowered my window as he approached.

"Good morning, sir. Who are you here to see today?" he asked.

"Dr. Kirilov."

He made a note on the clipboard he carried. "And her address, sir?" He was polite and well-trained, so his skepticism didn't actually extend to his expression.

I froze for a moment and wracked my brain. Her house number was 108… It was the second street on the right… Then the first cul-de-sac… I struggled to remember the name of her street. I'd been a little preoccupied the only time I'd seen the street sign and I silently cursed myself for not confirming her address when I spoke to her on Friday. Worse, I didn't even have her home phone number, so I couldn't call her and ask.

I ran through the events of Tuesday night in my mind, trying to separate the memories of Kate sucking my cock from the images I'd seen as I turned onto her street. I looked at him sheepishly and…

"108 Lakeview Circle!" I blurted, suddenly picturing the lights of her Lexus sweeping across the reflective green-and-white of her street sign.

He suppressed a grin. "Thank you, sir. And your name?" he asked.

"Ethan Mackenzie"

"Your license plate number?"

I gave him the number and he duly noted it.

"Thank you very much, sir. Let me just get the gate for you. Have a nice day."

"You too. Thanks."

He took a step back, into the warmth of his little building, and pressed a button. The wooden barrier immediately lifted, and I started forward. I drove around to Kate's house and pulled into her driveway at nine o'clock on the nose.

I grabbed the bakery bag and hopped out of the car. I rang her doorbell and almost immediately heard movement behind her front door. When it opened, I found I was holding my breath.

"Hi," Kate said.

She looked… delicious. She was wearing a dark blue silk robe that set off her eyes, and the fabric was so fine that it left little to the imagination. Her hair was pulled up and held with a clip, and it looked like she wasn't wearing makeup. I hadn't thought it possible, but she looked better than I remembered.

"Brrrrr," she said. "It's cold out there. Are you going to come in?"

I grinned and quickly stepped into the warmth of her house. She closed the door behind me, and before I even had a chance to take off my jacket, she put her arms around my midsection and pulled me close. One hand still holding the white bakery bag, I wrapped my arms around her. She tilted her head back in an unmistakable gesture, and I leaned down to kiss her.

When her lips met mine, her tongue darted into my mouth and she pressed her body against me. The kiss heated up, and I ran my hand (the one not holding the bag) down her back. I slid my palm along her thigh and then under her robe to cup her bare ass.

She broke the kiss and giggled. "Your hands are cold!"

I grinned and stepped back. Kate, however, had other ideas. She sank to her knees in front of me and began to work on my zipper. I'd been thinking about her body, and her lips, the entire drive over, and my cock was already semi-erect. She deftly reached into my boxers and withdrew my stiffening manhood. In less than a second, she had her lips wrapped around my glans.

My head swam as she opened her mouth and swallowed more of my length. Soon, I was completely erect, and Kate had more than half my cock in her mouth. She moaned as she sucked me, while I merely watched, enraptured, as she moved her lips back and forth over my shaft.

She sucked me for a few minutes, caressing my sensitive skin with her tongue, and then pulled back. When she looked up at me, she kissed the tip of my dick with shiny red lips, and smiled. I helped her to her feet and she grasped my hard-on, squeezing gently. I pulled her close and she stroked me. When I bent my head down, she lifted her lips to meet mine, and we shared a passionate kiss.

I pulled back and she practically leered at me as she moved toward the stairs, leading me by the most obvious handle. Once in her bedroom, she had me undressed in less than a minute. Before the last of my clothes hit the floor, I stepped toward her, reaching between us for the belt of her robe.

When I seized one end of it, she grinned and backed away from me, untying the loose knot as she did. I almost chuckled when she twirled and shed the robe, leaving me holding the slack end of the belt. In the soft light filtering through her blinds, I admired her nude body.

As I walked toward her, she pulled the clip from her hair and shook out her dark tresses. She tossed the clip aside and turned, pushing me onto her unmade bed. When she straddled my hips, I ran my hands up her flanks and felt her shiver at my touch. My hands had warmed, so I knew it wasn't a chill that made her quiver.

Kate kissed me again, pressing her lips to mine and grinding her pelvis against my stomach. When she pulled back, she looked at me with hungry eyes.

"It's not nice to make me wait," she said.

I grinned shamelessly.

"You wouldn't be smiling if I'd said I had other plans."

I reached around her thighs and ran my hands down the crack of her ass. When my right hand encountered the smooth skin of her pussy, I pushed two fingers between her labia. She was already incredibly wet, and I quickly found her engorged clit.

"You don't have other plans, do you?" I asked.

I moved my finger against the pearl of nerves and she whimpered, clutching my shoulders and holding herself against me. When she didn't answer me, I gently pinched the hooded base of her clit and rubbed my ring finger along her dripping slit.

"Do you have other plans?" I moved my fingers around her clit and back over her labia, causing her to moan deep inside her chest. "Hmmm?" I asked, teasing her.

She only shook her head, her silken hair tickling my shoulder as she did.

"So you want me to stay?" I asked softly.

A nod.

"Do you want me to stop?"

A headshake.

"What do you want me to do?"

A whimper.

I grinned to myself and lay back in bed, pulling her with me. Finally, she seemed to muster some control over her limbs. She shook off her lustful stupor and slid down my body, dragging her smooth pussy over my cock and making me shudder. I felt her kneel between my legs and take my erection back into her mouth.

She put her hands on my thighs and lowered her lips over my shaft, taking me as deep as she could. I felt the ring of muscle at the back of her throat grip me as she swallowed, and I groaned in pleasure at the sensation. She pulled her lips off me, kissed down one side of my shaft and then back up the other.

I heard her fumble at the nightstand, and knew she was reaching for a condom. Her lips briefly left my cock, and I felt her roll the latex sheath over my length. I looked down my torso and watched her climb onto my hips and hover over me, reaching down to aim my dick at her opening. Without preamble, she settled onto my manhood, sighing as I filled her.

I put my hands on her hips and she gripped my arms. Her shiny hair formed a veil around her face as she looked down at me with lust-glazed eyes. I smiled up at her and clenched my PC muscle, making my cock swell within her. She closed her eyes in ecstasy and began to ride me.

As she moved her hips over me, I slid my hands up her torso and cupped her breasts, gently rolling her nipples between my fingers. She moaned and I began to tug on them, twisting and pulling as her arousal mounted.

I've rarely seen a more beautiful sight than Kate, flushed with excitement, gently grinding her hips and pressing her clit against me. Her breath began to whistle through her nostrils as she closed her eyes and concentrated on her orgasm. I continued to pull on her nipples, driving her toward her climax.

I felt a rush of moisture around the base of my cock and her pussy clutched at me. She stopped moving and shuddered, collapsing against my chest, her orgasm crashing over her in a wave. I gripped her ass cheeks and clenched my PC muscle again, making my cock swell and press against her inner muscles. I did it several times in a row, and she moaned, still in the throes of ecstasy.

When her orgasm subsided, she gripped my shoulders fiercely and laid her head on my chest, breathing heavily. I lowered my hips a little and began to thrust into her slowly. Kate trembled, and I knew she was very close to a second release. With short thrusts, I stabbed into her. When my cock swelled with my own climax, she joined me.

Her vaginal muscles clamped down on me and arrested the flow of semen. I gritted my teeth and groaned at the sensation, then clamped my eyes shut as the pressure built. When it released, and I once again began spurting into the condom, I cried out and tried to thrust myself deeper inside her.

Finally, my spurting slowed to a few gushes, and I lowered my hips and relaxed my muscles. We panted from the force of our orgasms and I felt her body go limp. I hugged her to me and reveled in the feeling of her pussy gripping my tumescent cock.

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After we cleaned up a bit, I retrieved the bakery bag. Still nude, we sat in the middle of her bed like sybarites and ate our breakfast. I was ravenously hungry, and practically wolfed down my bagel (with lox spread), washing it down with orange juice. Kate was much more composed as she nibbled at her bagel—tearing off pieces and putting them in her mouth—but we were both infectiously grinning at each other the whole time.

"So," she asked. "What's the plan for today."

"You are relentless, aren't you?"

"Yep," she said with a smug grin.

"Well, as much as I hate keeping you in the dark," I said, practically dripping irony, "I want to keep some of today as a surprise. Let's just say that I've got an 'all about Kate' day planned."

She raised her eyebrows, clearly wanting more information.

"I will tell you we've got reservations for dinner at Marie-Claire's, and the rest of the day is geared toward that."

Marie-Claire's was a four-star French restaurant downtown. It was built in the cellar of an old cooperage, and had a tasteful ambiance, reminiscent of Paris. A few other restaurants in town had more cachet, or higher prices, but none had better cuisine.

I was friends with the owner and executive chef, Marie-Claire herself, and had been since I dated her younger sister, Arianne. Arianne was now married, and we had an easy, friendly relationship. Marie-Claire and I had always gotten along well, and we still talked occasionally.

When I called the restaurant on Friday, I spoke to Marie-Claire, and she reserved a private room for Kate and me. The restaurant had excellent food, top notch service, and an atmosphere of intimacy, so most of the tables were usually booked well in advance. But I knew they always tried to keep a few tables open for important guests and VIPs. I certainly wasn't a VIP, but being friends with the owner always has its advantages.

Kate raised her eyebrows appreciatively. "You got reservations on such short notice?"

I shrugged, in truly Gallic fashion, and smiled coyly.

"Okay," she asked, her eyes shining, "what else do you have planned? Or were you just going to wine and dine me, and then try to get into my panties?"

The fact that we were sitting in the middle of her bed—still nude and with the aroma of sex lingering in the air—was too much for me, and I laughed richly. Kate smirked and arched an eyebrow.

"Actually," I said. "I was hoping you might forego the panties."

Both eyebrows went up.

"It'll make my job easier," I said, as earnestly as I could.

It was her turn to laugh. When she stopped, she moved the bakery bag aside, careful lest she spill any crumbs, and scooted toward me. She hooked her legs over my thighs and slid forward until her smooth pussy was nearly touching my dick. I put my hands on her hips and she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her. We kissed, gently at first, but with increasing enthusiasm. When she pulled back, she stared at me with unfocused eyes.

"I knew you'd be a good kisser," she said softly, and leaned back in.

I pulled her closer to me, pressing my limp member against her sex, and our kiss intensified. Her nipples pressed into my abdomen, and I put my hands against the small of her back, holding her against me.

We stayed like that for a long time, teasing and tasting each other with lips and tongues. I let my hands roam freely over her toned body, tantalizing her with my caresses.

I pulled back from her, and she nipped at my lower lip. I leaned forward and kissed her again, but then broke the kiss.

"We've got a big day planned," I said. "We need to get going." It was already after ten o'clock.

"You're still not going to tell me what you've got planned?"

"Nope. You'll see."

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Continued in Part 2

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Copyright (c) 2003 Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.