Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem Ch. 03

If you haven't read Chapters 1 and 2, I highly recommend you do so to get the full context. Thanks to Lil_kitty for her editing and encouragement. Check out her stories on Lit!

At 7am, the alarm on Josh's phone blared its familiar if obnoxious tone.

Barely opening his eyes, he reached over and silenced it, rubbed his face, and got his bearings.

• Zürich

• Executive suite

• Day 2 of our launch event

• Amanda sleeping next to me

He still had a hard time processing that last bit.

Here he was -- on a critically-important business trip, and in the middle of a torrid affair with the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.

He barely knew the first thing about her a few days ago. And now, he felt like he'd known her all his life.

His mind flashed with images from the past 48 hours. Their close encounter on the plane. The first time he saw her in her micro bikini. The full body massage she'd given him. Having passionate doggy style sex in his suite.

This was completely out of character for him. He usually had the good sense to avoid office romances. But this was different.

She

was different. Brilliant, capable, fun to be with. And unbelievably hot.

God, she was hot! He had never been with a woman like her. So sexual. So responsive.

He looked over at her lying on the bed, her naked body half-covered by the cotton sheet. Her beautiful auburn hair. Her tawny skin. The graceful arch of her back. Her beautifully shaped ass.

He slid in next to her, grazing her arms with his fingertips.

She stirred.

He gently removed the hair from her face. What a face! He could get used to waking up next to that face.

He pressed his body against her back, spooning her. His lengthening cock was nestling in the crack of her ass.

She let out a soft moan.

He gently grazed her cheek with his fingertips.

She turned her head slightly toward him. Her eyes still closed.

"Time to get up?" she whispered.

"We have a few minutes," he whispered back.

"Good," she smiled, her hand finding his thigh and pulling him closer.

He nuzzled her neck, planting the soft kisses that he knew she loved.

Her hand drifted to his ass and caressed his cheek.

He cupped her breast, gently fondling it. She arched her back, rubbing her ass against his cock.

Then, she seemed to slip back into a light sleep.

He gently grazed the skin on her hips. And her thighs. Her breathing responded to his touch.

He reached his hand between her legs and softly slid his fingers along her inner thighs.

He did it again, using a feathery touch.

He ever so slightly grazed the lips of her pussy.

She moaned, half asleep and half awake, drifting in an in between state.

Again, he grazed the lips of her pussy, this time letting his middle finger dip slightly into her folds, feeling her wetness.

She let out a moan, slightly louder this time, as his fingertip slowly penetrated her.

He could feel her pussy getting wetter.

She started to slowly rock her pelvis, as if dreaming about making love.

He slipped his finger in deeper, as she rocked back and forth, her breathing becoming more rapid.

He could feel her pussy growing wetter, aroused by his touch despite her dreamy state.

He lifted her top leg and guided his cock between her thighs, gently touching her pussy lips with his cockhead.

She smiled appreciatively, her hand finding his hard dick and caressing it.

Her fingers felt warm and soft on his tender skin, sending electricity through his body.

He pressed his pelvis forward, sliding his thick cock along her pussy.

Her fingers gently held the underside of his cockhead as she pressed it against her pussy and began to rub, back and forth. Slowly.

To Josh, the sensation of her fingertips tickling his frenulum, and her warm, wet pussy against his cockhead was absolute heaven.

His body shuddered as his excitement grew.

To Amanda, this was exactly how she remembered falling asleep. Using him as her toy.

She picked up right where she left off.

Josh's hand caressed her breast, rolling the hard nipple in his palm.

Her pussy was soon dripping wet, her body aching with desire.

She guided the tip of his cock to her opening. He rocked his pelvis and slowly pressed the head against her velvety folds. The head popped inside her pussy.

She gasped, and he groaned, at the exact same time.

No words were spoken. Just the sound of their soft moans and ragged breath in the morning stillness.

Amanda let herself drift in and out of a dream state, feeling his hardness slowly penetrate her pussy.

Josh closed his eyes and pressed his body against hers. He wanted to be as close to her as he could possibly be.

They were lying on their sides, spooning, just as they had slept. Only now, they were connected. He was inside her. They were one.

He was rocking his pelvis now. Slowly. Rhythmically. Sliding his cock into her warm wet pussy. Going deeper with every stroke.

It felt so wonderful. For both of them.

To Josh, he couldn't believe how warm and wet her pussy felt. Laying on their sides made her pussy feel even tighter than usual. Like she was squeezing his cock. It made him want to cum so badly!

For Amanda, she loved feeling of his body pressed against hers, feeling his soft skin against her back and butt, his warm breath on her neck. And, most of all, the feeling his cock penetrating her, filling her pussy.

It was like she was having one of those wonderful dreams. The kind you wish would never end.

He reached down with his hand and found her clit, and started to show it some attention. He began by massaging the area above it first, taking his time.

She reached down and placed her hand on his, guiding it to her clit. She held his fingers in hers and started to rub herself, showing him exactly how she liked it. What would make her cum.

To feel her using his hand as a toy was such a turn on for him. She was getting herself off while at the same time teaching him about her body.

He felt like she was saying 'I want you to know everything about my body, so we can have the best sex possible. Because I want you to be my favorite lover. My only lover.'

That made him so hot. To think that she wanted to impact this secret to him. Only to him. He felt his cock surge with excitement.

He started stroking her faster. Deeper. Every thrust felt like an expression of his feelings for her.

In his early morning sleepiness, all his defenses were gone. He nestled his face in her hair, breathing her scent, pressing himself into her. As if he wanted to lose himself in her beauty.

She could feel it too. She could feel how deep he was going, yes, but she could feel his passion too. She reached her hand up and cradled the back of his head.

And she arched her back to take him deeper.

She was moaning louder now. With each and every stroke.

He was pumping her faster now, pushing the full length of his cock into her wetness. All the way in, bottoming out, and all the way out. Over and over.

He pressed her onto her stomach, his hand still under her, playing with her clit. She felt the weight of his body, pressing her into the bed.

For a moment, she felt he was taking her but, at the same time, she felt safe and protected. It was a mix of loss of control and a willing surrender.

He was thrusting into her backside now. Harder. Faster. Her soft ass felt so good under him. It wouldn't be long now.

She arched her back, raising her butt to meet his, wanting to take him as deep as possible.

His fingers were rubbing her clit as he undulated his body, driving himself into her, again and again.

Her body shook, and she let out a loud moan. Her orgasm approaching, about to flow over her.

He gave one big thrust and held it. She cried out. He was spreading her, filling her so much. She was so close.

He kept vibrating her clit with the pad of his fingertip. Just like that, she thought. Just like that.

He gave her another big thrust, bottoming out, and then rotated his hips to grind her pussy.

She cried out again. He could feel her body shake, her pussy start to clench.

He bottomed out a third time and felt the electricity gather in his limbs, in his torso, and converge in his cock.

He exploded just as she cried, "Cum with me, Josh! Cum with me!"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned.

He was spraying her insides with cum, shooting his semen deep inside her pussy.

Her eyes were squeezed shut, her body shaking, as her orgasm crested over her.

He felt his cock explode again, filling her with his cum.

Finally, he collapsed on top of her, his chest heaving, breathing her scent, wanting to preserve this moment in time forever.

After their morning romp, Josh and Amanda had little time to get ready. Fortunately, they didn't have far to go. Day 2 of the launch event was downstairs in the large meeting room in the hotel.

They were standing at separate sinks in the bathroom. He was shaving and she was finishing putting on her makeup.

"We should probably dress up for our meeting with Armani," Josh said. "I kinda dressed down last time and I felt like they dinged me for it."

"Well, they

are

the top luxury fashion house in the world," Amanda said, putting the finishing touches on her mascara. "So, there's

that

."

Josh turned to her, his palms raised.

"But they were my best jeans!" he said.

"And you look damn good in them too," she said, grabbing his ass as she left the bathroom.

"I'm going to wear my silk jacket," she said from the other room. "It's vintage, I think it'll work."

"I think I'll wear my grey suit," he said, rinsing his face.

She came back into the bathroom holding her jacket on a hanger in one hand and two blouses in the other.

"Which blouse should I wear with this?" she asked. "For Armani."

Josh looked at the two blouses, considering them.

"They're all about luxurious simplicity, right? I say the solid. It's sexier too."

"That's what I thought too," she said, turning on her heels.

Walking across the lobby to the meeting area, Josh and Amanda were looking very good. She wore linen pants and a collared popover silk blouse with a vintage silk jacket. She had on the high heels she'd worn with her satin dress the night before.

It was a professional look, but decidedly sexy as well. The sheer stretch tulle bra and panties she wore underneath made her look, and feel, supremely confident.

Josh was also decked out, sporting a tailored charcoal gray suit and an elegant Patek Phillipe wristwatch with a black leather band. His dark curly hair was swept back, giving him a dashing look right out of a men's fashion magazine.

When they entered the conference room, the attendees were milling about, clustered in groups chatting. Amanda could feel the eyes of the room on her, with both men and women taking notice of her appearance.

She strode to the front of the room and started unpacking her laptop and power supply from her bag. Three attendees, all men, quickly approached her, smiling.

It seemed they all just had to say good morning to her. Or, they had some random question they just had to ask her before the day's sessions began.

Josh smiled to see how Amanda affected people. She had the presence and charisma of a true leader. And, she was particularly radiant today.

Maybe their morning sex had something to do with that.

The day's sessions went smoothly with Josh taking the lead in the morning and Amanda taking point in the afternoon. His topics were related to business model, revenue sharing, and marketing. Her topics were fulfillment, customer service, and how they would tailor the service to meet the needs of European consumers.

When it was Amanda's turn to present, she killed it. She was on top of the material, delivering it with authority and confidence. For every question, she provided an informed and nuanced answer.

Joshed smiled as he watched her in action. She was completely commanding the room, inspiring confidence. He felt she'd grown in both poise and confidence in the last 48 hours.

And, she looked so good doing it too. Josh was riveted. So was the rest of the audience.

The day ended with Josh and Amanda standing at the front of the room together, taking questions from attendees in an open Q+A session. The questions, challenging at times, were fielded by the both of them with equal aplomb. No matter who fielded the question, their answers were incisive and on point.

Josh noticed Amanda did a great job

listening

to what the attendees had to say, and asking clarifying questions. Her answers had an undercurrent of humility that Josh sometimes lacked. Her message was 'this is what we learned in the US, but it may not be appropriate in Europe. We want to learn from

you

.'

I could learn a thing or two from her, Josh thought to himself.

The pièce de resistance came when she promised to return to Europe to personally attend user research sessions to understand the unique needs of European users. The attendees nodded to each other approvingly and some even broke out in applause.

After the session ended, and they had said goodbye to the attendees, Josh and Amanda dashed out to make their 5pm meeting with Armani.

"That went well," Josh said as they crossed the lobby. "You were on fire today."

"I think it's the way you woke me up this morning," she said, with a wink. "You put a smile on my face."

He discreetly touched her hand with his as they walked to the street.

They were scheduled to meet the Armani execs for drinks at Orsini, an elegant Italian restaurant near the Paradeplatz downtown.

They got there a few minutes ahead of the Armani team.

When the Italians arrived, Josh and Amanda rose to meet them. There was a distinguished middle-aged man, in an elegant suit, with salt-and-pepper hair. With him, a woman in her 30s, tall and elegant, wearing a beautiful tailored suit.

She could have been a former model -- she was that striking.

Josh made introductions -- Signor Lorenzo Mancini and his assistant, Isabella Corigliano. Josh knew them both from their meeting the day before. Amanda met them both warmly. He was cordial but the woman seemed a bit aloof.

The maître-d showed them to a table in the corner by the window.

Isabella, it turned out, was also Mr. Mancini's translator. Everything Josh said, she would turn and recite it in Italian to the older man. He would nod, respond in Italian, and she would translate it into English.

After exchanging pleasantries, Josh respectfully waited for Mancini to initiate the business discussion. Only after he had finished his espresso, did they broach the matter at hand.

Would Armani agree to be a regular supplier of seconded and discontinued clothing for ReSale's e-commerce platform?

Through his translator, Mancini asked that Josh present his rationale for the deal.

Josh began by summarizing the benefits a partnership would bring to both their companies. Armani was in the process of restructuring, in part to finance their expansion into the hotel and resort businesses. Creating a new revenue stream, from clothing that wasn't generating any return currently, could be a boon.

Mancini listened, his face expressionless. He rarely looked at Josh, leaning to listen to Isabella as she translated.

When it came time for Mancini to respond, it was clear he had concerns. He kept raising questions about the impact on the Armani brand. Their prestige, he explained, stemmed from their position at the very top of haute couture. It must not be diluted.

Josh countered by explaining they could focus on Armani's ready-to-wear inventory, from

Emporio Armani

and

Armani Exchange

, and by emphasizing the financial benefits.

But it just wasn't landing.

No matter how persuasively Josh articulated his points, or how charismatically he delivered them, Isabella would translate them to Mancini in her understated way and the old man would simply shrug.

It became increasingly clear, despite their best efforts, that the Armani partnership just wasn't in the cards.

Some deals are just not meant to be. And this was one of them.

Just then, Amanda reached over and lightly touched Josh on the arm.

"Could I say something?" Amanda asked.

"Of course," Josh said, turning to her.

Amanda looked at Isabella.

"I'd like to speak to Signor Mancini directly, if I may. In Italian."

Isabella said something to Mancini. He looked at Amanda with a look of mild surprise.

Isabella leaned back, her expression one of mild condescension.

Amanda leaned forward, looking Mancini straight in the eyes. When she spoke, her voice was clear and confident.

"Signor Mancini, per favore scusi il mio Italiano, non lo parlo da molto tempo."

Josh looked at Isabella who, after pausing for just a moment, resumed her role as translator.

"Please excuse my Italian as I haven't spoken it in a long time," Isabella said in a quiet voice.

"Vorrei raccontarLe una storia su mio padre. Per molti aspetti Lei mi ricorda lui."

"I want to tell you a story about my father. In many ways, you remind me of him."

The old man's eyes softened, a small smile creased his lips.

"Era un uomo d'affari, come Lei, e un uomo che amava l'ambiente."

"He was a businessman, like you, and a man who loved the environment."

Mancini gave a slight nod. He was looking directly at her, listening intently.

"Era anche un uomo di grande moralità-cercava sempre di fare la cosa giusta."

"He was also a moral man -- he always tried to do the

right

thing."

Mancini nodded and sat up a bit taller.

"Mio padre mi ha insegnato il concetto di 'economia circolare' l'idea che si possa adeguare la produzione e il consumo alla sostenibilità."

"My father taught me about "the circular economy" the idea that you could align production and consumption with sustainability."

"Mi ha insegnato delle Tre Erre- Ridurre, Riutilizzare, Riciclare. Diceva: 'questi sono i principi della sostenibilità. Sono come le tre gambe di uno sgabello, se ne manca una, lo sgabello non può stare in piedi.'"

"He taught me about the 'Three R's' -- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. He said 'these are the principles of sustainability. They are like the three legs of a stool -- without one leg, the stool cannot stand.'"

"La Sua compagnia ha fatto un eccellente lavoro adottando due di questi principi. Avete migliorato il vostro processo produttivo al fine di ridurre la quantità di acqua e sostanze chimiche tossiche usate."

"Your company has done an outstanding job embracing two of these principles. You have improved your manufacturing processes to reduce the amount of water and toxic chemicals used."

Mancini nodded.

"E avete un programma di riciclo dei tessuti che è alla guida del settore."

"And you have a textile recycling program that leads the industry."

Mancini nodded again, vigorously.

"Ma potete fare di più per riutilizzare i vostri prodotti. E qui è dove possiamo aiutarvi. Dove possiamo aiutarci a vicenda."

"But there's more you can do to

reuse

your products. And that's where we can help you. Where we can help each other."

Amanda leaned forward, her gaze fixed on Mancini's.

"Lavorando insieme possiamo fare la cosa giusta, possiamo abbracciare i tre principi di sostenibilità e costruire uno sgabello che stia in piedi."

"Working together, we can do the

right

thing, we can embrace the three principles of sustainability and build a stool that will

stand

."

At the word "stand," she emphatically placed the palm of her hand on the table between them.

After staring at Amanda for several seconds, Mancini leaned in and placed his hand gently on hers.

Then, for the first time, he spoke to them -- in English. His voice was quiet, halting.