Brazen Ivy, page 8
“I don’t–”
His words cut off when I cupped him. I glanced up at him, but he’d squeezed his eyes tight and his neck muscles stiffened. “You were going to say something?”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
I tapped his shaft with my index finger. “You sure? I wouldn’t want you to not express yourself.”
“Ivy, if you don’t touch me again it will probably kill me.”
I bit back a giggle. I’d tortured him enough. I’d planned for this blowjob to relax him, not make him suffer. “The only dying will be from pleasure.”
His muscles tightened when I reached for him again. That he was so sensitive, so responsive to my touch drenched my panties, but this moment was all about Graham. I swirled my tongue around the crown of his dick, loving the taste of his skin. His breath shuddered as I licked his shaft, drawing out his anticipation. I’d decided to make a rule right now, Graham must be fully loaded before I’d suck him off.
Until I’d met Graham, Elliott, Julio and Archer, blowjobs had always been just that–a job. But Graham’s raw reaction to my touch challenged me to rock his world. No more race to the finish. I stroked and teased until this man quaked, and with each passing graze of my tongue, he hardened.
I cupped his shaft. “You feeling relaxed yet?”
“Hardly,” he groaned, his voice harsh and strained.
“Want to bet I can change that status?” I asked, opening wide.
His fingers sunk into my hair when I finally dragged him into my mouth. “Oh, fuuuuck, Ivy.”
I bobbed my head up and down his cock, a simple technique that made him moan, but I wasn’t letting him off that easy. No, Graham Draper would receive the full Ivy Ford experience and like it. I began to suck, forming a light vacuum, while teasing the underside of him with my tongue.
“Ivy...” he said. I heard his swallow. “Ivy...” he tried again.
“Save your strength,” I told him. Above me, his breath came out in pants that made me mad with power. Breaking the suction, I gripped him at the base of his staff and added a roll of my head as I moved along the length of his cock. A total porn star move.
His hips jolted forward, thrusting his dick deeper into my mouth. I doubted the man realized his actions. Pure animal instinct took over. I sensed how desperate Graham needed to come. I felt it in the tight way he held his body, the raggedness of his breathing and the sexy groans that tore from his chest. Now was time to finish him. Still bobbing my head, I reached and gave his balls a caress.
His hands tightened against my scalp, wrapping the blonde strands of my hair around his fingers. Graham’s cock throbbed and twitched against my tongue. With a deep growl he erupted, pumping his dick until spent. Game over.
Graham’s shoulders slumped. His fingers slid from my tresses as I licked away the rest of his cum. He slipped from between my lips and I stared up at him. The lines across his face had faded, and I might have caught a hint of a smile playing around his mouth.
Yes, that was a grin, because his eyelids flickered open and I spotted the peace flowing through his body mirrored in the clear emerald green of his eyes. “That was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I rose to my feet. “You have a full ride through college.”
His full-throated laugh thrilled me like nothing else could. “That how good that was.”
I licked my lips. “The feel of your cock in my mouth drives me crazy.”
Graham’s nostrils flared. “Ah, babe. You can’t say stuff like that to me. In fact, let’s blow off this whole cocktail party thing, and spend the night in bed. I know you want to. Tomorrow we can shower and–”
I dodged out of his grasp while shaking my head. “Not on your life, Mister. Now I’m leaving for the bathroom to make myself look pretty. Then we’re heading downstairs for the reason we came here–to schmooze the hell out of those people. That great future will be yours.”
He lifted his palms out to me in a sign of surrender. “I give up.”
After grabbing my garment bag, I crossed to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I didn’t need distractions from Graham. Even though he said he’d given in, I suspected he’d try to divert me back to bed if he believed he could get away with it.
I’d bought an outfit special for tonight. The saleslady scolded me, insisting it was long past the time I owned a little black dress, and she was right. I fell in love with the simple halter dress the moment I saw it. I adored the mesh that stretched above the swell of my breasts to the collar. More mesh formed the sleeves and trimmed in lace. The cute little keyhole button in the back sealed the deal. Although the attendant had brought me six others to try on in the changing room, my gaze returned to this one. A bit more expensive than the others, I chose to consider the cost as an investment.
Someday I hoped to be schmoozing for my own job.
I added light makeup, a little more attention to my eyes than my usual mascara only look, and finished it off with a bronzer and red lip. I piled my hair into a sleek bun and was done. Well, except for the shoes. The saleslady had suggested stunning high heels, but with abundant restaurant experience, I’d lost my ability to balance on anything other than flats. I opted for something with a low, modest heel.
Graham’s eyebrows rose as I emerged from the bathroom. He gave me a slow wolf whistle as I slipped into my pumps. “That offer of ditching the thing downstairs is still open.”
“I’m not wasting this dress.”
His hungry gaze raked up and down my frame. “Oh, believe me. It won’t be wasted.”
“C’mon.” I attempted to sound firm, but I loved his appreciation for my new look. And my body.
With a show of reluctance, Graham offered me his elbow, and we left our hotel room to walk down the flight of steps that led to the lobby below us. A server proffered glasses of wine, and we followed his instruction out to the verandah.
Dozens of people mingled outside talking in small groups. Several more stood in line at a buffet and another in front of a bar. Other than the snacks during our cart ride, neither of us had eaten since breakfast. I’d need more food in my stomach before I attempted to finish my wine.
“I was afraid it might be hot, but this is perfect.” The overhang provided shade over the entire porch and large ceiling fans made lazy revolutions above our head, cooling the air.
Graham didn’t respond, so I glanced his way. Once again lines formed across his forehead. “We should have strategized a game plan.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” I hadn’t worked so hard upstairs just for him to lose his chill now. “Look around. Which one of these executives supervises your scholarship?”
He pointed to a smartly dressed lady in her early forties. She laughed as she spoke with a guy near our age, who I assumed also benefitted from LZF Gaming’s grant program. She wore a sleek and sophisticated red sheath dress, an easy smile and finished her chin-length bob with fashionable strands of gray tucked into her light brown hair.
“That’s Tanya Jackson,” Graham informed me.
“Let’s go.”
But Graham had dug in his heels. I couldn’t make him budge. “What do I say to her?”
That’s when I realized Graham created a lot of noise about his disdain for “mandatory fun” but his worry and stress came from the fact he cared too much. The man wanted a future with LZF Gaming so bad it clouded his judgment. His fear of saying the wrong thing paralyzed him. So, he opted to do nothing. If I were a psychology major, I’d say he presented as the perfect case study for self-sabotage.
Well, I was not having it. I stroked his forearm to grab his attention. “You got this, Graham. For conversation, just remember who, what, where and why.”
A line of concentration formed between his eyes.
“Don’t memorize that. The technique doesn’t have to be done in order. You will walk up to her, smile and say hello. Then you’ll introduce us–that’s the who. Next you casually look around. Remark on the verandah, like how nice it is to be outside, or the food smells great–that’s the where. Later you can move onto how you’ve looked forward to this event. Make it personal.”
“Personal?” he asked.
“Mention how you’ve never participated in a team building retreat before, and voilà–now you have your why. Top it off with how much you appreciate LZF Gaming and the opportunity the company gave you. Always finish with you’re what.”
He flashed me a lopsided grin that made my heart skip a beat. “You make it sound so easy.”
“That’s because it is. Once you understand the blueprint.”
He rubbed at his chin. “We should have practiced.”
“Then it might sound rehearsed. After you speak with her, we can reward ourselves for a job well done by a trip to the buffet. Always give yourself a little reward for tackling the hard stuff. Let’s go.”
Graham sucked in a deep breath and then crossed toward Ms. Jackson with no further nudging from me. The woman turned to him as he approached, giving us a friendly smile, which put my date at ease. I’ll forever be grateful to her for making this moment less awkward. She’s probably used to shy interns. “Good afternoon,” she said, including us both.
“Hello, Ms. Jackson. I’m Graham Draper.”
Recognition fluttered into her gray eyes. “It’s nice to see you again. I guess the last time we spoke it was at your high school senior scholarship night.”
He nodded. “Yes, and once again, thanks to you and everyone at LZF Gaming.”
His eyes widened as if he’d just realized he’d gotten the what done first, but then he turned to me. “This is Ivy Ford.”
I smiled up at him, letting him know he’d rocked that smooth transition. I offered my hand to Ms. Jackson. “Thank you for having me.”
“It’s our pleasure. We have exciting new game ideas on the horizon, and we couldn’t think of a better way to introduce them than at our retreat.”
“I’ve been looking forward to tonight, and that’s before I realized you’d be sharing new games with us,” Graham said, genuine enthusiasm laced his words. The stiff way he’d held his body when we’d first approached Ms. Jackson faded the longer we stood. Hot damn, he got the why in there, and he probably didn’t even need the where.
“And what a great place,” he added, looking around.
Ding! Ding! Ding! He nailed every part.
“It is,” Ms. Jackson agreed, “and just the perfect facility to showcase our products. You’ll see why in a bit. Oh, there’s Mr. Ferguson, let me introduce you to him.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Graham said, and he mouthed the word CEO to me. I gave him a wink, and we dutifully followed Ms. Jackson to a handsome man sporting black slacks and a red polo with the LZF Gaming logo embroidered on the expensive knitted cloth.
After introductions, we spent the next five minutes in casual chitchat, the weather, our drive up to the conference center and how much Graham looked forward to tonight’s event. I do believe he meant it too.
“Thanks again, Mr. Ferguson. The scholarship means everything to me.”
The man shook his head, his dark brown eyes kind. “Call me Lamont. You know, it was just a few years ago someone gave me a chance. Keep up the good work, your grades have been excellent and your game field reports topnotch.”
After a final handshake with the both of them, we left to stand in the buffet line.
“Oh Ivy, that worked out better than I ever thought.” His fingers grazed the back of my hand. “And I owe it to you.”
I shook my head. “You owe it to yourself. A minute in you were blowing them away. Just like you’ve done to me.”
Heat sparked in his green eyes. “Have I, Ivy?”
My cheeks warmed with desire. “You know you have. Tonight I’ll be thinking of you in that big old bed upstairs when I’m all alone.”
His playful groan in reply made me laugh. We filled our plates, and I allowed myself to finish that first glass of wine, even though it was beyond warm now. Good wine is good wine. Mingling with the other attendees proved much easier for Graham after he’d spoken to Ms. Jackson and the CEO. We met department heads, several designers and other scholarship recipients.
At five on the dot, Lamont Ferguson was introduced, and he stepped up to the podium to welcome everyone. “When I began this company twenty years ago, there was no Facebook, no iPhone and we were years away from the interactive gaming that has become the bread and butter for LZF Gaming. I expect the next twenty years will be just as groundbreaking. With such an innovative team, our future is bright.”
Spontaneous applause erupted and even a few hoots.
“As we’ve grown and added new departments, the business gained many new faces. But we’ve also lost the closeness that stood as the very foundation of our company. When Tanya suggested this team building retreat, I jumped at the chance. As great as you look, it’s time to change out of our finery and get ready for the course activities. You’ll find an official LZF Gaming T-shirt in your gift bag. We’ll meet here in thirty minutes. Spouses and friends, thank you for joining us.”
I clapped along with the rest of the group as Mr. Ferguson left the podium. We searched the row of identical purple gift bags for the one with Graham’s name on it. Tanya stood near the table with pursed lips as she scrolled through the messages on her phone. Her earlier polish gone.
“Ivy, I have a favor to ask. Taylor was supposed to be Graham’s partner for the team activities for tonight. Unfortunately, he got into a fender bender backing out of his driveway. No worries, Taylor is fine, but he won’t make it this evening and many of the challenges require an exact number. I hate asking, but would you join us?”
My mouth dropped. Tagging along tonight had never even crossed my mind. Man, I’d been so geared up for a little me time alone in my incredible hotel room, but I wasn’t about to let down Graham. Or LZF Gaming. Everyone had been too kind and welcoming.
“Of course. I’m happy to.”
She sighed in relief. “I just knew you were a good sport.” She thrust a gift bag into my arms. “The shirt will be big on you. Do you have any leggings or yoga pants?”
Did I have leggings? “I should have something in my suitcase,” I assured her before leaving the verandah.
Graham held my hand as we ascended the stairs so we could change in our room. “You don’t have to do this.”
I patted his arm. “I know.”
“But I’m so glad you are,” he added.
I gave his hand a squeeze. “I know that too.”
Once inside our suite, I presented him my back to help me out of my dress. He released the button at my neck, then slid down the zipper with a groan. “This is torture. If I’m taking off your clothes, I should at least get to enjoy it.”
The garment fell and pooled at my feet. I turned to face him, standing before him in nothing but my panties, demi bra and low heels. He groaned again. “How about I cop a quick feel?”
At my nod, Graham cupped my breasts, his thumbs tweaking my nipples through the black satin of my bra. When one of his hands lowered, aiming for the area between my legs, I stepped away from him. “The last thing we need is to go downstairs with a boner for you and my tits hard enough to cut glass.”
He laughed and began to unbutton his dress shirt so he could replace it with the one LZF Gaming provided. He shrugged out of the cotton button-down revealing his drool-worthy abs and a set of pecs so defined and powerful I wanted to lick every inch of his skin.
“Ivy.” Warning filled his voice. “I can’t be strong when you’re looking at me like that.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll be good. Just promise me I’ll get to gaze upon such male beauty again,” I said, running my tongue along my lips.
“I know you’re exaggerating, but I love it,” he confessed.
Five minutes later we returned to the group downstairs on the verandah, now made up of LZF Gaming employees, scholarship recipients and me.
Once everyone had assembled, Mr. Ferguson raised his arms, and we quieted. “Welcome back. You’re looking pretty great in that LZF Gaming T-shirt. As you know, we will expand our available merch in the fall. The merchandizing concept sprang from one of our brainstorming sessions. Last quarter that division accounted for over ten percent of our revenue and looks to be stronger this year.”
The group around me clapped, so I followed suit. “After our initial team-building exercises, we’ll divide into two groups. The first will file into the conference center and brainstorm our next two-year strategic plan. The gaming staff will beta test our latest component to Remnants, where we mesh MMO and LARP.”
Gasps came from the crowd. The initials meant nothing to me, but based on how Graham bristled with excitement beside me, this project must be the real deal.
“Ms. Jackson, please introduce us to the first exercise for tonight.”
“Okay folks, our first game is minefield. We have placed dozens of bright cones on the playing field. Leaders, your job is to get your blindfolded partner across the field and to the other side without touching a mine or running into another player. This is not a race, and there is no winner. Remember, at LZF Gaming we’re a team, and the game isn’t over until every participant has crossed. Once your partner enters the safe zone, then you may help other players as well. The only race is against the clock. You have thirty seconds to strategize.”
I turned toward Graham. “I guess I’m the one with the blindfold.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’ll be beside you every step.”
Warmth flooded me, because I trusted him to make sure I’d get to the other side. I faced away from him so he could tuck the covering around my eyes, tying it carefully, so the knot wouldn’t catch my hair.
“Okay teams, from this moment on, you can’t touch your partner. Your words are their only guide. The playing field is now open,” Ms. Jackson said.
“Ivy, you ready?” Graham asked, his gruff voice surprisingly gentle. “Can you see anything?”
