She asked me to be assertive and dominant, so here we go. “More…” I insist as I reach out and cradle her head, running my fingers through her hair. I guide her towards me until I’m back in her mouth.

She hums with delight, before she pulls me in deeper.

I’m mesmerized, watching her. Her eyes are half-mast, heavy with pleasure, and she moans each time I rock my hips. I reach over and brush her hair away from her face, but my hands remain and I give in to the temptation of pulling her even closer.

I could’ve never imagined being like this with her, but at this rate I’m not going to last much longer. Something primal flares in me. I need to be buried inside of her, and I need it now. “Wait, I need you to stop,” I warn her as I ease her back. “Can you get up?” I ask, as I think of what we should do next. “Can we…?”

“Yes?” she asks, watching me carefully.

“I want you bent over the table,” I answer, more sure of myself.

She looks intrigued as she lifts up. I put my hands on her hips, and she playfully pushes them off. “You have to tell me what you’re going to do.” She insists.

“I think you know,” I put my hands back on her hips and turn her around. “I sure as hell won’t be pitching a show or conducting a storyboard meeting.”

“Glad to hear it,” she teases.

It just confirms my earlier thought; she needed to know I could take control. I rise and step right behind her, so that my erection presses heavy against her. I see her fingers spread flat against the wood grain of the oversized table as she waits for me, legs spread wide.

I lean over her so that my chest brushes her back, and speak low into her ear. “Is this what you fantasized about?”

She turns her face slightly towards me. “Yes,” she sighs. “This is exactly what I fantasized about.” I push her skirt up and see that she’s naked underneath.

I swallow hard. “Wow…where are your panties?”

“In my purse,” she whispers. “I wanted to be ready for you.”

“Thank you.” I moan as I run my hand over her soft skin.

I press her down towards the table with a firm hand. “Okay then. I’m going to take you now, Brooke.”

“Yes,” she whispers with a ragged breath.

She lies with her left cheek pressed against the table and her eyes closed as I push into her. I start really slow, focusing on every sensation but when she starts to touch herself I’m overcome . The harder I thrust, the louder she moans until I realize we’ve forgotten where we are. This is way hotter than I could have ever dreamed.

There’s a haunting eroticism about being in this public place in our most private moment. As I move against her, the images of our week fill my mind and fuel my fire. She’s Wonder Woman, my enchantress willing to sink to her knees to please me.

She belongs to neither the monkey nor the lumberjack. She belongs to me, and she’s so much more than I could’ve ever hoped for.

My thrusts build hard and fast, as I try to consume her. When she starts to climax, she sparks the Looney Tunes fuse on my ACME bomb. My heart’s thundering, my breath a gasp, as I arc back…and then…Kaboom! For a moment, the room fades to black and I see swirling stars in my eyes.

“Nathan?” she squeaks.

I open my eyes and gasp for air. I think I blacked out for a moment. She calls out again, more urgency in her voice.

“Nathan…you’re too heavy. I’m having trouble breathing!”

I quickly lift myself up. I must have collapsed on top of her. “I’m so sorry, Brooke. Are you alright?”

“I am now!” she sighs as she pushes up. “And I was more than alright a few moments ago.”

I slowly pull out of her and lower her skirt, suddenly feeling very decadent. I can’t believe we just did that in a public conference room. “Wow,” I say awestruck, as I pull her upright. “I sorta lost control.” I adjust my glasses that are askew.

She nods. “I’ll say. That was even hotter than my fantasy.”

“Really?” I ask, grinning.

“See…you showed me you can be bold and get what you want,” she assures me with a happy, dazed expression.

“It wasn’t too rough? You liked it…really?” I ask uncertainly, as I tuck myself away and pull my jeans closed. I feel the old Nathan in me returning and I’m a little nervous. That dominant stuff is hot, but it really isn’t me.

She pushes me playfully and gives me a mock stern look. “How can you even ask that? Wasn’t my pleasure pretty self-evident?”

I nod, with a sheepish look. “I guess so.”

“You know, this has been the best week ever,” she says.

“I agree.” Suddenly the idea of going back to work is pointless. “Hey, can we just take off now? I’m starving!” I announce, as we work our way out of the room, and approach the elevators.

“Sure,” she agrees. “How about burgers at In-N-Out?”

“Animal style?”

“Is there any other way,” she asks grinning.

Animate Me / Chapter Twenty-Four / The End of the Woo

“They can’t order me to stop dreaming.” Cinderella^xxiii

The next morning, Brooke wakes up and looks troubled.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, stroking her cheek.

“It’s our last day of woo week,” she says sadly.

She has no idea how the dread of tomorrow is creeping up my spine.

“Don’t remind me. I don’t want it to end. Let’s not end it…let’s just keep it going,” I reply, trying to sound upbeat.

She smiles softly. I can tell there’s nothing she’d like more. “By the way, I’m making dinner for you tonight,” she informs me.

“Really? You’re cooking?” I guess the look of disbelief on my face is a bit off-putting.

“Watch it!” she warns me. “I can cook…I can bring home the bacon and fry it in the pan, you know.”

I smile at her. “And I love that I’m learning that about you.”

“Besides,” she continues. “I haven’t wooed you enough. You deserve a lot of woo, world-class woo.”

My girl wants to woo me. I reach over and gently squeeze her hand.

“Okay, Ms. Woo, dazzle me.”

When I leave her place it hurts to drive away. It’s a physical pain, like I’m being pulled apart. Everything feels wrong the whole way home.

So I spend my afternoon with B-Girl, doing the digital color work over the inked lines for the new issue. I’m going to hate when I get so busy that I’ll have to give up this part of the process, because every time I color in a page, I feel like I’m bringing B-Girl to life.

It’s not long now before Brooke meets her. However nervous that makes me, I know in my heart she’ll adore her just as I do. B-Girl is the physical manifestation of my love and admiration for her. I think Brooke also understands by now that with her strength, kind heart and goodness she’ll always be a super hero to me.

• • •

Incredibly impatient to be with her again, I break Curtis’s dating law and show up early for our dinner. Instead of peonies, I’ve brought roses from my garden, and a bottle of red wine. When she opens the door she’s barefoot and wearing an apron, her cheeks flushed.

“I thought I’d come a little early and help,” I offer as I step inside.

“I bet it’s because you missed me so much you couldn’t stay away,” she teases.

“Am I that obvious?”

She turns and kisses me.

“Yeah,” she acknowledges laughing. “It’s one of the things I’ve always loved about you.”

She directs me to open the wine while she stirs and fusses over the stove. The salad and garlic bread require her attention as well. After I pour the Chianti, she lets me taste the Bolognese sauce. It’s so good that I moan happily, and she grins. My girl can cook…damn.

For a moment I glance around and wonder if she’ll let me move in…like, tonight. With Brooke, wherever she is, is where I want to be.