"Just act like a normal person. You threw down the big L word. Though you're crazy, you have a lot of positives in your favor," Archer said, waving his arms around. "She'll talk to her friends. She'll tell them she's freaked out that some guy she only met six weeks ago says he loves her and wants her to move into his creepy compound out in rural New York. Her friends will of course tell her she's crazy for thinking that's a good idea and tell her to dump you."
"What?" I shouted, jumping up.
Archer held up a hand.
"Then one friend will be like, 'But he's so handsome!' and another will say, 'But he's rich!' and Josie will say, 'You're right. Also he's not a serial killer, and he's good with children!' and then her friends will all be like, 'Yeah, you should totally move to his compound!'"
"I don't have a compound!" I yelled.
"Bro, it's totally a compound," Archer said, finishing off the whiskey in my glass. "But I mean, it's like a high-end, glam compound."
* * *
Josie didn't actlike she was getting ready to flee when we drove back to Harrogate that night. She kept up a stream of ideas about a general marketing direction for Svensson PharmaTech.
When I pulled the car in front of the house, I cut her off.
"Josie," I said. She looked up at me; she was chewing on her lip. I leaned in to press my mouth to hers. "I didn't mean to put a lot of pressure you," I told her.
"I know," she said. She looked down at her lap. "You're a wonderful man."
"But," I said, more forcefully than I intended. "There's always a but, isn't there?"
"But nothing," she said and shrugged unhappily. "You're amazing and perfect, and I'm not."
"You are," I insisted. She shook her head.
"So this is the, 'It's not you, it's me'?" I said sharply.
"No," she countered. "It's the, 'You have a lot on your plate with your family and your business.'" She looked sad, but maybe it was just the shadows from the moonlight.
"I really like you, and I do want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I'm afraid that you don't actually know me, and when you do really get to know me, you won't like me anymore." Josie pushed the car door open and hurried out.
I let her go and pulled the suitcases out of the trunk. I took them up to my bedroom, but when I looked out through the windows to the backyard, I saw the lights on in her tiny house.
I set my bag down and took hers to the house. I knocked on the door.
"Josie?" I called. She didn't answer. "I have your bag."
I waited a beat, and when the door didn't open, I turned to go back to the main house. But I heard the door creak, and she called out to me.
"Thanks," she said. I could see tears in her eyes. I went to her, ducking under the doorway, picking her up, and pushing her back against the small couch.
"I love you, Josie," I told her. "I already know you, and I know you're perfect for me."
Our hands were all over each other. I ripped at her shirt, and she gasped as several of the buttons popped off and I pulled her breast out of the lace bra. Suckling on a nipple, I rolled it over my tongue. She moaned as I pushed up her skirt, my fingers pressed against her soaking-wet panties.
"Still have a hankering for raw meat?" I joked. Josie laughed then whimpered as my fingers slipped under her panties to tease her clit and stroke down to her opening. "You like that, don't you?" I whispered to her as she ground against my hand.
"I want you to fuck me," she whispered back. The sadness in her face was thankfully gone. I was pleased to see it replaced by wanton desire. I pulled her panties down and threw them to the floor. Not bothering to take off her skirt, I pushed it up around her waist. She spread her legs, begging me to fuck her, as I undid my tie.
"Not yet," I told her. I grabbed her hand, licking her fingers, then I took them and pressed them to the hot, wet flesh between her legs. "I want to see you touch yourself," I growled. "Give me a good show."
Her hand moved slowly as the other stroked her breast, circling and pinching the nipple.
"I want your cock," she said breathlessly as her hand moved in the silky warmth. I slowly undid my shirt, letting it fall to the floor as her fingers dipped into her opening. Her legs spread wider, and she moaned slightly. "I want your big, thick cock thrusting in me, making me scream," she said, her voice throaty. I kicked off my shoes and grabbed Josie's hips, pressing my face to her, licking her clit, sucking on the flesh. I slipped two fingers in her opening. She was already halfway gone, and she bucked against me as I stroked her and sucked her, making her come.
"Shit," she said, panting as she watched me take my pants off. Free of the constraints of the boxer briefs, my cock was erect and stuck straight out. Josie's hands shook as she took off her skirt. She half turned to throw it up on the loft along with her bra. I grabbed her from behind and pushed inside her. She was hot and wet and so tight. She hung onto the ladder as I fucked her.
