His Christmas List: – Naughty Stories For Your Stocking
His Christmas List: THE EXPERT: Chapter 3

My arousal fog instantly dissipates and I pull out of his kiss. “I….” My chest rises and falls as I grapple for air, a vision of the two of us getting hot and heavy and rolling around in the sheets flashes before me. “I just….”

We stare at each other for an extended beat, and then taking my cue he gives me a soft smile. “Good night, Elizabeth.” He kisses my cheek and then turns and walks up the hall. I stare after him, aroused and confused and damn it…why did I let him leave?

Because he’s an escort…that’s why.

I walk into my room and close the door behind me, my ethics slipping firmly back into place. No matter how low I feel or hard things get, or how absolutely gorgeous and charming Thomas Stone is.

I will never pay for sex.

Breakfast…also known as kill me now in the light of day.

I stand in the elevator as I go over last night in my head. Telling Graham the lie about how long Thomas and I were together was definitely the highlight of my life.

The look on his face when he realized that Thomas and I were a thing long before we broke up.

Not that any of it’s true but damn it was satisfying to see that sleazebag squirm.

For the first time I actually feel sorry for Melody, I can’t imagine being stuck with the loser for life. I smile to myself as I chalk up a small victory, progress.

Kerry may have been right, maybe this conference is the way to get the closure I need.

My mind goes to Thomas and the wonderful night we had. Laughing and kissing and dancing around Paris like a couple of lovesick fools.

Drinking…so much drinking.

I’m embarrassed by my prick-teasing behavior; we did not need to practice kissing and yet somehow that’s all we did.

We check into our new hotel at the conference venue today and I’m wearing a new dress, it’s navy blue and fitted with a zipper that runs right down the front of it, and it matches the navy-blue lace underwear I have underneath it…that I’m wearing just for me.

I’ve got cute little navy flats and my blond hair is done again. I do have to admit, I am really loving myself in this new look.

I feel twenty years younger…or maybe it’s just the company that I’m keeping.

I walk into the hotel restaurant and see Thomas sipping coffee by the window, he glances up and sees me and breaks into a breathtaking smile.

My heart skips a beat as I walk over to him. “Hello.”

“Good morning.” He smiles.

Something about the way he purrs good morning should be illegal…or at least taught to all boys in high school. Either or…it sounds perfect.

I sit down opposite him. “Morning.” I force a smile.

Thomas smiles knowingly into his coffee cup. “What is that look?”

“What look?”

“The look you’re giving me.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I look around to change the subject. “We need to check into the new hotel by ten, we should probably get going soon.”

“Let’s eat breakfast first,” he tells me. “Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee.”

He gestures to the waitress and she comes over. “May I order a coffee?” He gestures to me.

“Of course.” The waitress smiles. “What would you like?”

“Cappuccino please.”

She leaves us alone and I glance up to see Thomas staring at me. “What’s wrong?” he asks softly.

“Nothing,” I answer way too fast.

As if reading my mind: “It’s okay, Beth.”

Beth.

Nobody has ever called me Beth; I’ve always been a Liz.

“Look, I just….” I drag my hand down my face as I fidget in my chair. “It’s just… I’m embarrassed about last night. Forgive me.”

“Why would you need forgiving?”

“Because I was kissing and prick teasing and honestly… last night isn’t who I am”

“I disagree.”

“What?”

“The woman I took out last night was fun and spontaneous and hilarious actually. Not to mention absolutely blazing fucking hot.”

“You really don’t need to lie to me. I’m paying you regardless.”

“You’re paying for me to go to a conference and that’s it. What we do off the clock is personal and free. I know I don’t need to say these things, and trust me I wouldn’t say them if I didn’t mean it.”

“Can we drop it?”

“Give yourself permission to have fun…Beth.” He takes my hand over the table. “What are you punishing yourself for?”

“What?” I frown.

“Why do you think you can’t be wild and free?”

“I don’t think that at all.”

“Can we agree that whatever has been programmed into your head up until this point is no longer serving you?”

“Your coffee.” The waitress puts my coffee down.

“Merci.” I smile.

“Beth,” he says. “Look at me.”

I drag my eyes to meet his.

“Just let go of control and this good girl persona that you think you have to hold…and let me lead us through this weekend.”

I sip my coffee as I listen.

“Stop thinking about what is right and wrong and just let life happen.” He gives me a slow sexy smile. “You might just be surprised how much fun it is.”

My shoulders slump in disappointment. “Do you think I’m an uptight frigid mole?”

“What?” He bursts out laughing and it’s deep and rumbly. “Uptight and frigid most definitely. The mole part I’m not so sure.” He laughs again and it’s a wonderful sound.

That statement sounded ridiculous, even to my ears, and I giggle too.

“Now…let’s go get the Reynold’s account.”

The car pulls into the conference hotel and Thomas and I climb out of the cab, the trunk pops and the doorman grabs our bags. “Bonjour.” He smiles. “You may go straight through to reception.”

“Merci.” Thomas smiles as he takes my hand in his, he leads me through to reception and up to the check-in counter. There are a few couples in front of us and Thomas slings his arm around my shoulder as we wait.

I catch sight of us in a full-length mirror and I bite my bottom lip to hide my satisfied smile.

Me in my cute navy dress and Thomas being all…well, Thomasish.

We look good.

The man up the front finishes up and we step forward, there’s one couple in front of us now. “So, what’s on today?” Thomas whispers as I scroll on my phone.

“We have the welcome lunch and then I have a thing on this afternoon that you don’t have to come to and then we have a cocktail party tonight,” I reply, distracted.

“Okay.” He puts his lips on my temple as he looks over my shoulder at Instagram on my phone. He puts his lips to my ear. “What underwear are you wearing?”

I feel my face flush. “Will you behave for just one minute?”

“No.” He nips my ear, goose bumps scatter up my arms and he smiles as he feels them.

“Next,” the woman on the check-in desk calls.

We step forward. “We would like to check in, please.” I slide my passport over to her and she types into her computer.

“Ah yes. We have you in two rooms.”

“No,” Thomas interrupts. “We only booked one room.”

I glance over my shoulder to him and see that Graham and Melody are in the line behind us, Thomas subtly widens his eyes at me.

Oh crap….

“One king room,” Thomas asserts.

“My apologies, sir, I’m not sure what happened. That’s an error.” She types again and prints up the keys and slides them across the counter. “One king room. Breakfast is included and located in the garden terrace out the doors and to the right every morning from six.”

“Thank you.” Thomas still has his arm firmly around my shoulders, then turns and pretends to see Graham and Melody for the first time. “Oh, hello.”

“Hello.” Melody smiles.

“Hi,” Graham grunts.

“Lovely day.” Thomas smiles as he takes my hand in his. “I guess we’ll see you guys later.” He leads me into the elevator and we turn to face the doors and I drop his hand like a hot potato.

One room.

Oh my god, what a fucking nightmare, I haven’t shared a room with anyone in years. What happens if I want to burp or crap or eat cake at midnight?

I feel myself begin to sweat; this is a disaster.

The doors open onto our floor and I walk up the corridor. “I’m going to get my own room, don’t worry.”

“I’m happy to share a room.” He raises his eyebrow playfully.

“Will you cut it out,” I whisper as we get to our door.

He holds up his two hands in surrender.

Damn it, I make a mental note that I need to kill Kerry as soon as I get home.

This is all her fault.

I open the door and am pleasantly surprised, the room is huge with a giant size king bed. It has a couch at the end of the bed and an armchair with an ottoman in the corner. There is a window seat in a bay window overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

“Wow.” I smile as I look around.

The bathroom is beautiful apricot marble and has a big circular bath in the center.

“Gorgeous,” Thomas says. “This will do us nicely.”

“Oh….” I shrug. “You can have this room, I’ll get another.”

Thomas’s eyes hold mine, “What is it?”

“What’s what?” I cross my arms.

“Last night….” Thomas takes me into his arms as he looks down at me. “You were….”

“Flirty.” I cut him off. “And…I apologize for giving you the wrong idea.”

His eyes hold mine. “It’s okay to enjoy yourself, you know?”

“I know.”

“Do you?” He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “So why do I get the feeling that you want to keep punishing yourself.”

“Why would I want to punish myself?” I whisper.

“Because your marriage didn’t work out, because on some level you blame yourself for its demise.”

“Don’t….”

“I think you’ve forgotten how to be happy, Beth.”

I know I have.

Hearing the truth is overwhelming and my eyes fill with tears.

“Hey,” he whispers softly, he puts his finger under my chin and brings my face up to his. “I’m not trying to upset you.”

I nod, unable to push a word past the lump in my throat.

“You know what I see when I look at you?” he whispers. “I see this beautiful woman who has so much happiness waiting for her…but she needs to be brave enough to try it.”

“How do I try it?” I whisper shamefully. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“You live life like it’s your last day on earth.”

I frown.

“No yesterdays, no tomorrows.” He kisses me softly, like a magician his words cast a spell over me. I feel myself begin to float away on a sea of dreams. “Today is all that matters. If you live in the today you will always be happy.”

“Is that what you do?”

“Yes.” His hand cups my face, “If you knew today was your last day on earth, would you stay in this room with me tonight?”

“Maybe….” I whisper.

“Would you let me kiss you?” He takes my face in his hands and tenderly kisses me, his lips lingering over mine. “Would you let me please you?”

Yes….

He slowly slides down the front zipper of my dress as my heart hammers in my chest. He kisses me again and my eyes close as he slides it all the way down, my dress falls completely open.

With his eyes locked on mine he trails his hand down my jaw and then slowly across my décolletage, over my breasts and dusts the backs of it over my stomach. “Would you let me touch you here?” His four fingertips slide over my sex through my panties. He puts his mouth to my ear. “Deep inside.” He bites my earlobe and goose bumps scatter up my arms. “I can make you feel so good…. Beautiful Beth.”

Beautiful Beth.

My breath quivers as I try to control myself, every cell in my body aches to feel his touch.

I get a vision of his thick body over mine, my legs up around his waist as he rides me hard.

Oh….

From the darkest depraved part of my psyche a little voice whispers, You’re paying him to act like he wants you.

No.

“We have to get going.” I step back from him.

His eyes hold mine. “Why are you fighting this attraction?”

“This wasn’t in our arrangement.” I turn my back to him and with shaky hands I do my dress up. “You have your fifty thousand dollars, leave me be.”

“This has nothing to do with the fucking money and you know it.”

“I hired you for a conference not a fuckfest…and—” I throw my hands up, “—and I’m sure all of your clients fall into your welcoming arms but I can assure you that won’t be me. So get it out of your head. Right. Now.” I walk into the bathroom and close the door and I lean up against the back of it as my body screams for me to go back in and face my demons.

To beg him for more.

Twenty Minutes Later.

“You ready to go down?” I ask as I walk out of the bathroom.

“Yep.” He stands, he’s changed his suit. He’s in a navy one now with a crisp white shirt…how does he know that navy suits are my kryptonite? His dark hair is just messed to perfection and damn it…I hate that he’s this good looking. It’s really complicating what should be a simple situation.

He holds the door open and I walk past him and into the corridor, we walk in silence to the elevator and I get the feeling that he’s pissed with me.

Well good…because I’m pissed at him.

He pushes the button and we wait for the elevator in silence, it dings as it arrives and we walk in and face the front. I glance over at him. “Are you angry at me?”

“Nope.” He straightens his tie as he looks straight ahead.

“Well…you’re acting angry.”

“Just doing my job.” His jaw clenches as he stares at the back of the doors.

I inwardly roll my eyes; this day could be a legitimate fucking disaster.

What was I thinking?

I take out my phone and text Kerry.

I get a text back.

She thinks this is funny.

Bitch.

The elevator dings as we arrive to the conference floor and he takes my hand and smiles sweetly. “Let’s go, my beloved.” He sneers.

“What are you doing?” I whisper angrily.

“You want a puppet…. So I’m being a fucking puppet.” He steps out of the elevator dragging me with him, and smiles broadly at everyone in the room like the performer he is. “It’s show time.”