Swiss Time - Chapter Twenty-Two
**We’re finally here … thanks for your patience with this one. It’s nsfw and very, very fluffy. I tried to polish it, but I know it’s not perfect. Like I’ve said before, sometimes you just gotta let ‘em go. Hope you enjoy it - thanks for reading! <3**
Natalie kicked off her boots, draping her coat over the back of the living room sofa as Robert did the same. She felt giddy and high. Being with him was like sailing through a smile, and she didn’t want the night to end. Even with a pink nose and damp ringlets from the snow, he was her golden god. “I was thinking that a fire would be great. Can you make one? I’m not really good at it.”
Robert’s brow lifted. “Kind of like your ice skating?”
Her mouth curved sheepishly, and she gestured toward the stacked maple piled neatly on the hearth. “There’s plenty of wood but more outside if you need it.”
He pecked her wind-chapped cheek. “At your service, Princess Natalia.”
Her lips extended their curve. She adored the nickname and knew that he knew it, too. “I’ll turn on the radio and make some drinks. Any requests?”
“Whatever you fancy, love. I’m easy.” Robert winked, padding toward the fireplace.
By the time Natalie returned, libations in hand, candles abounded, and a fire blazed. Robert had taken up residence on the plush rug in front of it, his back to her, seemingly engrossed in something. As she rounded the sofa, she stopped in her tracks. Duchess was snuggled in his lap, basking in the adulation as he scratched behind her ears. He smirked as their eyes met. “Told you I have a way with the ladies.”
“How the hell did you get her to come out?”
Robert shrugged, his dimple deepening. “Girls love me. All kinds, it seems.” He patted the spot beside him. “Come, sit down. I do believe it’s time to collect.”
“I think you know on what. Our little wager.”
Nat settled onto the heavy throw and large fluffy pillows that Robert had arranged as a makeshift nest. “Have you decided the location of said collection?”
Robert raised his lowball, clinking it against hers. “I’ve got some ideas.” He took a lengthy gulp, grimacing mightily. “Jesus Christ, what’s in this?’
“Mostly bourbon. I’m a bit of a heavy pourer,” she replied with a snicker. “Although, after last night, I should probably be sticking to tea and water.”
“I’m not so sure … I quite liked the glimpse I got of, shall we say, a different side of Natalie.”
Nat rolled her eyes. “Oh, God. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Well, I know what I was thinking.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “What I’m still thinking, as a matter of fact.”
The intimacy of the gesture sent ripples through her tummy. His hands were so big, so strong, yet capable of such a lithe, tender act. She was no match for him. She glanced to the fire, taking a shaky sip of her cocktail as the opening strains of Lay Lady Lay filled the air. “Aunt Sue said Duchess prefers jazz in the evenings, but I suppose Dylan will have to do, huh?”
Recognizing the first brick being laid of the all too familiar wall, Robert reclined onto a pillow. “Bloody good song. Wish we had a station like this back home.”
“It’s Christian’s. He built it from the ground up. Created everything … the playlists, all of it. Sometimes he broadcasts concerts from the Pavillon or the casino.” Natalie straightened the kitten’s powder blue collar. “Well, I guess not the casino anymore.”
“They’re going to rebuild it, though, right?”
“Yeah, it’s just … it won’t be the same. There were a lot of memories there. It’s the first place I ever saw you live.” She set down her drink, toying with the rim of the glass. “I’ll never forget it. So powerful.” She cut her eyes at him. “Even though you fucked up What Is And What Should Never Be.”
Robert chuckled. “Christ, I was bloody nervous. When I looked at you, my mind went blank.”
“You were nervous? What for?”
“I wanted you to like it. So much.”
“I didn’t like it. I loved it.”
Robert held her gaze for a beat, and then another. “I was scared yesterday, Natalie. Really scared. When Bonzo told me about the fire, and I couldn’t reach you … and then when I heard your voice. That’s when I realized that …” the singer trailed off as Duchess jumped from his lap, scampering away.
He nibbled his lip, finally clearing his throat. “I’m, ah, just happy you’re safe. And that nobody got hurt.”
Natalie could sense things unsaid but didn’t pursue it. The moment was too precious. The afternoon and evening had played out like a fairy tale, her knight in shining armor arriving to save the day. Well, perhaps not exactly shining armor, but she’d take a well worn sweater and tight pair of jeans. As long as it was him ensconced in them. Robert looped his fingers through hers, and they sat in comfortable silence as Dylan implored his lady to stay. She cocked her head, covertly canvassing him. Something felt different about his demeanor. Dare she use the term safe?
“I remember the first time I heard this. I was on a beach in Hawaii. I thought it was such a beautiful song of seduction.” Robert began to quietly sing along, “Lay, lady, lay … Lay across my big brass bed … Stay, lady, stay … Stay while the night is still ahead. I long to see you in the morning light. I long to reach for you in the night. Stay, lady, stay … Stay while the night is still ahead.”
A smile graced Natalie’s lips as she marveled at what Robert could do with his voice, from his ear-shattering, spine-tingling wail in Immigrant Song to the hushed strains of Dylan. It was a song of seduction … and she was the one being seduced.
“Is it working?” Robert murmured, expecting a barbed retort and the frown he adored so much, but she just looked back at him, her face impassive. “You’ve not a clue, have you?”
“What you do to me. How you make me feel. How you make me need you. So badly.” His gaze drifted over her delicate features. “I know you have to have more time, but-” he was silenced as she shook her head, placing her hand on his cheek.
“No, I don’t need more time.”
Shock raced through Robert’s body, followed quickly by a surge of adrenaline. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, but there was no trace of teasing. There was something else entirely. “What are you saying?”
“Are you sure?” he asked, hoping like hell that the answer was yes.
Natalie nodded. “Yes, but …”
His heart jumped to his throat. “But what?”
“I know we’ve done things, but nothing like this, and, well, I’m just … I’m a little-”
“Oh, baby.” Robert drew her onto his lap and leaned into her ear, his voice a warm hum. “I’ve got you, girl. I’m not going to hurt you, Natalie. I’ll be very gentle.”
She grasped his shoulders, her eyes widening. “What do I do?”
Robert’s mouth curled up. She was completely unguarded, the wall she’d begun to construct now nowhere to be seen. He tamped his emotion, relishing the trust that she’d given him. Not just her body, but maybe her heart, too. She shifted in his lap, inadvertently rubbing against his burgeoning erection, and his breath hitched as she tentatively glided a finger across it. She’d touched him before, but this was altogether different. He’d always kept a wall of his own, knowing that he could never let it get too far. It had been self-preservation, really, and her simple action decimated it.
“Why are you so quiet? Does that not feel good?”
The quizzical look on her face destroyed the rest of him. “Christ, fuck, yes, it does.” He skimmed his thumb along her bottom lip. “Oh, my sweet girl. Let’s go downstairs.”
“No, I want to stay by the fire. You made it comfy here.”
Robert cupped her jaw. “Okay, but I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you absolutely positive this is what you want?”
“I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Robert coaxed her on her back, fanning her hair around her face. She was so beautiful, so precious, and his, at least for the night. He dusted her lips with a kiss, and then another, playful and teasing, until she tightened her fingers in his curls, pitching against him. It deepened, their tongues entwining as he clasped the bottom of her sweater. Little by little, he bunched it up, the camisole underneath it silky against his fingertips. She broke the kiss, her chest rapidly rising and falling. “You make me crazy, Natalie. You make me feel things I’ve never felt.” His eyes flickered over her, drinking in every nuance, every last detail. “I’m going to undress you now. Is that okay?”
Nat’s heart pounded. “No.”
“What? Why?” Robert swept a tendril from her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
She bit her lip, hesitating. “I want to … undress for you.” As he expelled a muted sigh, she rolled away from him and stood, their gazes locking as she slowly tugged off her sweater, tossing it on the sofa. She unbuttoned her jeans, peeling them down and stepping out of them. Clad in only her cami, panties and sheer, black thigh highs, she watched him watching her. He was transfixed as he rose to his knees, gliding his palms along the arc of her waist. Natalie swallowed at the warmth of his touch. They’d fooled around in all kinds of ways, but she’d always maintained some form of dress, however slight. Tonight, that was going to change. He kissed her tummy, cupping her breasts, and she closed her eyes as a wave of need ripped through her. Oh, God, she was wet. More so than she’d ever been before.
Robert caressed her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. Christ, they were so fucking hard, the thin fabric encasing them essentially an afterthought. “Is this alright, Natalie? Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She hooked her fingers under the bottom of the camisole and pulled it off.
Unable to resist the temptation, Robert lavished each taut bud with a sweet kiss. “You are so bloody perfect.”
Natalie moaned as he suckled her slightly, shuddering from the jolt of it shooting straight between her legs. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he did it again before plying more kisses under her breasts, then below that, gradually trekking across her belly button, his pace excruciating. His hand snaked down her backside and around her hip, widening her stance as he grazed the insides of her thighs. She gasped as it slipped in between them.
Fucking hell, she was wet. It was soaking through her knickers already. Keeping his eyes on hers, he stroked back and forth. He could see the reflexive flutter at her throat as she nodded, and he eased his fingers underneath the fabric.
“Oh, my God.” Natalie could barely move, stunned by the feel of him probing her, finding and massaging her clit. She tossed her head back as he maintained the motion, her hips beginning to sway. Oh, fuck, she was going to come, and they’d just gotten started. Her core quivered, a decadent shimmer, and another … she was on the precipice. Then she fell, tumbling down the other side. She latched onto his shoulders for support as her knees buckled. When she finally opened her eyes, he was holding her, a soft smile on his face as he offered her an even softer kiss.
“You are incredible. Everything about you. You need to come again, though. And then again after that.” Her eyes flashed to his, and he grinned. “You need to be very, very wet. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Robert pressed her back into the pillows, brushing his lips against hers. He cradled her head with one hand, the other slipping down her side as he gently tugged the band of her panties. Natalie froze. This was it. It was happening.
She’d never been completely bare in front of a man, save for the towel incident hours before. But that was a million miles from this.
“Natalie? Are you with me?”
Nat blinked, reading the concern in his voice and etched on his face. She was safe. He would take care of her. “Yes. Do it.”
Robert obliged, sliding them off and dropping them behind him as he took in the curves of her body. “Christ, you are a goddess, a deity … my Natalia.” His eyes rested in between her thighs, and he gingerly skimmed his hands across them. “I’m going to spread your legs now.” They tensed as he tried to push them further apart. “Natalie, you need to relax, girl. Let me do this.” The tension faded away as she acquiesced, and he spread her wide, settling in between them. He started with a kiss right below her belly button, and she clutched the throw as he inched closer and closer to her center. She gasped as his fingers found the delicate, damp skin, opening her. “You’re beautiful here, too. I knew you would be.”
Natalie cried out as his tongue made contact, her hips jerking. She moaned as he did it again, bucking into him. His broad arm covered her, immobilizing her as he went to work, licking and sucking, conjuring a wicked pressure in her lower abdomen. Oh, fuck, it was like nothing before. So soft and wet and delicious. “What are you … oh, God-”
“Do you like it? Does it feel good?”
It felt better than good. It was molten magic swirling inside. Warmth invaded her eyes as it whirled and spun faster and faster. She balled up her hands, her breathing shallow as he carefully worked a finger inside of her.
Nat shook her head, nearly incoherent. “Oh, Robert, I think … oh, my God, I-”
“Just enjoy, girl.” Goddamn, she was tight. But she was also very wet. And getting wetter, which she needed to be. He was absolutely throbbing but wasn’t going to rush. He would take his time. Until he couldn’t. He alternated lashes and laps, working a second finger in. Her wild cries echoed through the room, nearly crumbling his resolve, until she exploded as another orgasm rocked her. She was soaked, as was his face, and he licked his lips, continuing his sweet assault.
Natalie clawed the pillow beside her. “I can’t take it. It’s too much.”
“Shhh, yes you can. Trust me, Natalie.” Robert smiled as he felt the tell-tale tremor. “That’s a good girl. Come for me, baby. You need it.”
Nat collapsed as he tightened his grip across her tummy. She stared mesmerized by his golden waves spilling across her thighs as the coiling heat returned. And then the braiding tension and the tingles at the tips of her toes. “Oh, fuck, please, I-”
“Do it, darlin’, you’re almost there.” A strangled cry escaped her throat as she gave in, clenching him over and over. She was covered in a sheen of sweat, dripping onto the blanket beneath her. Jesus Christ. The hazy, sated look in her eyes nearly drove him to distraction, and he felt his cock twitch. He couldn’t wait another second.
“I’m going to make love to you now. Is that okay?” She nodded, still dazed from the rush of the releases. “You’ll need to be on top of me, Natalie. That way you can control-”
“I trust you. And I want you to make love to me.”
He nuzzled her thigh. “Oh, my girl. Alright, but you have to tell me if I’m hurting you. I won’t necessarily know, okay, baby?”
“Okay.” Time seemed to slow as he yanked off his sweater, his hands gliding to his belt. He unbuckled it, the clang of the act bringing home to her where the evening was headed. He dispensed with his jeans with ease, revealing the long, toned limbs of an athlete. She’d never seen a man in his state, naked, aroused, and completely confident. The sight of him simply took her breath away. “Can I …”
“Can you what, love?” Robert could barely hear her halted response.
The singer barked a hushed laugh as he lay next to her. “Darlin’, you can touch me anytime and anywhere you want.”
His dimple faded as Natalie ran her finger across the glistening tip, pressing her lips against it and offering him a timid swipe of her tongue. “Is that right?”
“Christ, it’s not wrong.”
There was a hum in the back of his throat as she repeated the action. “You taste salty.”
Amused, Robert tilted his head. “Well, you taste fantastic.”
Natalie continued her exploration, sliding her finger down the length of him. His cock was so hard, jutting out, impossibly thick. There was just no way. “Robert, I want to, so badly, but I’m not sure this is going to work.”
The singer smiled, falling over her. “It will, I promise. I’ll go slow at first. I’ll take care of you.” He kissed her breast, delighting in her little mewl as his tongue flicked her nipple. He drifted back up her neck, delivering another kiss to her chin, then her lips. “You really are so perfect for me. Every inch of you, your hair, your eyes, your smile.” He met her gaze. “Are you ready?” She nodded, and he wrapped her legs around his waist. “Relax for me. Right here,” he added, pressing his palm across her tummy, and she nodded again. Her mouth fell open as he positioned himself. “Alright, honey, here I go.” He pushed into her, just the tip, pursing his lips at the luscious heat enveloping him and her tiny groan. She was burning up and so tight. Fuck. He swallowed, gritting his teeth to combat the primal urge to thrust hard. “You doing good, baby?” Her lids dropped a fraction, her silent affirmation. Another kiss, another inch, back and forth, slow and easy until he felt her wall. She’d taken all of him. Good, good girl. “You feel amazing, Natalie, just beautiful. Are you hurting?”
It didn’t hurt exactly, just felt different, full and strange, but in a good way. “I’m not hurting. It’s just … I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Yes. I like that it’s you.”
“Oh, sweet girl, you’ve ruined me.” Robert framed her face with his hands. “I’m going to move now. Try to move with me. You’ll understand.”
Nat gasped as he swiveled his hips, thrusting cautiously. He kept the angle just so, the friction of his pelvis on her clit ushering in a new warmth. The vague soreness made way for something else, something deep, being filled in a way she never knew existed. She began to rock against him, clutching his broad shoulders as he leaned in for another kiss. Their tongues matched the sultry rhythm of their bodies, giving and taking, lost in each other.
With a groan, Robert broke the embrace, the tender gleam in his eye morphing into one more carnal, more urgent. “You still okay, honey?” The words were winded and tense.
“Yes,” she whispered, pulling him close, surrendering to him completely. He tilted her hips to meet his thrusts, and the fire inside rekindled. Over and over, eyes solely on each other as their tension wound tighter and tighter, their connection stronger, more profound. Her head dropped back as she closed her eyes, her fingers diving into his hair.
“Don’t close your eyes. I want to see them.” Robert grazed her cheeks with his thumbs, clenching his jaw as the aching pressure between his legs threatened to break. “Come with me, Natalie. You’re almost there. I can feel it. And so am I.”
She moaned as she felt the anticipant flutter inside. “Fuck, Robert, I’m going to … it’s-” she broke off, stilling as she teetered on the edge.
He kissed the spot right below her ear. “I’ve got you, baby. Let me take you there.” Her brow wrinkled as he pushed deeper, grinding his pelvis against her clit. Another flutter and her chest heaved, her body trembling. “Come for me, Natalie, while I’m so deep. I want to feel you fall apart in my arms.”
And she did, giving in to the searing need, their groans intertwining as the blessed release captured them. Nat crumpled into the blanket, exhausted, overwhelmed, and satisfied. Robert didn’t make love. He worshipped.
The singer rested his forehead against hers, his breath gradually coming back to him. He expected relief but found only a hunger for more. The gentle smile that lit up her face stole his soul, and he rolled onto his side, tracing the lines of it with the tip of his finger. “I’m lost, Natalie. Completely lost. There wasn’t an hour that went by that I didn’t dream about this.” He drew her hand to his lips. “Making love to you as dawn paints the sky. I could hear every murmur, every whisper, every sated sigh.” The corner of his mouth curved slightly. “You called my name a lot.”
Natalie grinned, swept up in his magical melange of contradictions. Arrogant, certainly, virile, without a doubt, but kind and good and silly and sweet. Her grin vanished as he cupped her chin, his eyes narrowing. His intention was obvious, and electricity flooded her body. He wasn’t the one who was lost. She was.