by Tl Reeve
“Uh,” she licked her lips, “thank you, Daddy?”
A hum of satisfaction passed Thomas’ lips. “You’re welcome.”
There’d been a little bit of everything on her plate, allowing her to sample a portion of all the dishes, minus the seafood, of course. After the whole contract thing and finding out the hard way about Thomas’ allergy, she opened up about what she liked to eat and what she’d never touch. Seafood was on her never list and Thomas remembered. Where there might not have been whatever the crustaceans Luca placed on the menu, Thomas added an extra portion of vegetables and steak. She also had two homemade tortillas and some homemade salsa to use with her meal.
It all smelled heavenly.
AJ waited patiently for everyone to fill their plates before digging in. If the food smelled divine, then it tasted marvelous. The steak melted on her tongue and she made a ravenous sound as the flavors exploded on her taste buds. She took a bite of the rice next and sighed. So good. She dug into her meal with gusto, excited to try everything Thomas placed on her plate.
“Good?” Thomas glanced at her with heavy-lidded eyes.
“So much yes,” AJ said.
He chuckled and arousal spilled through her, settling low in her belly. He kept his eyes on her while she ate. The man fucked her with his gaze. She hadn’t understood the expression when Scotty said it once. But, watching Thomas, the way he lifted his glass, while keeping his focus on her every time she took a bite, she now understood the expression. It was as if he was a starved predator and food wouldn’t quench his hunger.
He made her hot and bothered.
Twitchy.
Murray jerked beside her again. She slid her gaze between him and Jaqueline. The woman wore a serene expression while she continued to eat. Murray’s lips were parted. His eyes were closed. Then, as if realizing where he’d been, he cleared his throat and dug into his meal. What am I missing? If she thought Thomas would help her, he appeared content to play oblivious as he ate. The same could be said about Luca.
A moan fell from Murray’s lips as he took a bite. “So good.”
AJ didn’t think he’d been talking about the food. If her time with Thomas taught her anything, it’d been to see the signs of someone’s arousal. Murray was pinging out on them. His cheeks were a beautiful shade of pink. The muscle at his jaw throbbed as though he’d been clench too hard. Yet, when his eyes fluttered shut, his whole body radiated pleasure.
The clank of her fork hitting the floor startled her. Embarrassment flared to life inside her. She’d concentrated so hard on Murray; she hadn’t paid herself any mind. AJ licked her lips and glanced at Thomas whose eyes sparkled with humor. He lifted his chin at her, and she slid her chair back, so she could kneel down to grab the utensil. When she looked under the table, her breath hitched. A whimper of need passed her lips. It all made sense now. The sudden jerks. The fiery passionate expressions floating across Jaqueline’s features. The way Murray’s cheeks were flushed a deep shade of crimson. The heel of Jaqueline’s foot pressed into Murray’s crotch before she rubbed upward.
AJ couldn’t move. She’d been transfixed by the scene. Maybe the awkward silence hadn’t been because they couldn’t work out their differences, but due to the sexual heat building between them. As much as Jaqueline said she might not be able to do ‘it,’ from where AJ knelt, the woman was good at it.
The scene was hot.
Thomas cleared his throat, drawing her attention. She’d been so consumed by what she’d been watching unfold, she hadn’t realized how long she’d been down. Oops. She peered out from under the table and found Thomas standing over her chair. Heat filled her cheeks. She’d been caught red-handed. AJ extricated herself from where she’d knelt and rejoined the rest of them. She gave a nervous chuckle before clearing her throat. “Sorry.”
She picked up a clean fork near her plate and went back to eating. The tension between all four of them morphed into an angsty anticipation. It crawled across her flesh leaving goosebumps in its wake and twisted her insides with an excited expectancy. Her hands trembled and her heart pounded.
Jaqueline’s gaze bore into Murray while he, too, tried to eat the remainder of his meal. His hands were clenched into fists on the table while his whole body was pulled tighter than a bow. His breath came in shallow pants.
He groaned.
“Jaqueline,” Murray muttered, his tone gritty and filled with sexual ardor.
“Si, esclavo?”
This is so hot. AJ looked to Thomas who sat back and watched. When she caught his gaze, he raised a brow. She dipped her chin as arousal engulfed her body. Fuck, he’s hot. Thomas had a panty-melting presence about him. With one look, he could make a woman become a simpering, salivating puppy, her included. Her clit throbbed, and her panties dampened. Watching them aroused her. It was then she understood why Thomas liked to watch. She couldn’t even say it was like watching porn, because there was a removed intimacy watching a video or movie. It was also different than the scene at the club.
Shit.
AJ rubbed her thighs together to alleviate some of the ache building there. She bit the corner of her lip as pleasure surged through her. How far would they go in public? All the way? Would Murray clear the table like they do in those romance books AJ liked to read, sending the dishes crashing to the floor, and fuck Jaqueline right there.
“I believe,” Murray grunted, “I believe we should go to our room. Now.”
“Are you telling me what to do?” Jaqueline arched a brow as she crossed her arms, pushing her boobs higher.
Murray ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Please?”
“Better,” Jaqueline answered. “You’re right. We should.” She stood and started for the exit. When she’d gotten halfway, she did a half turn and motioned for Murray to follow.
Like a lovesick puppy, he clambered out of his seat and followed after her. The door slammed shut behind them, and Luca laughed. Had the man planned for this the whole time? She glanced at Murray’s plate then Jaqueline’s. Had Luca spiked the food? She wouldn’t put it past him if he did.
“You’re thinking awfully hard,” Luca murmured.
“What did you spike?” It’d been the only plausible explanation she could come up with for the change in Jaqueline and Murray’s disposition.
He held up his hands. “Nothing. They have this current about them. They tapped into it earlier while I was helping them. Looks like they’ve figured out their places.”
A shout of pleasure drew AJ’s attention toward the door and was followed by a feminine cry. Her eyes went wide. “Oh, my God. I don’t need to hear this.”
Thomas chuckled. “It’s only sex, Amelia.”
AJ glared at him. “What did I say about using my name in front of people?”
Luca sat forward. “Oh, Amelia is it?”
“AJ to you,” she snapped then glared at Thomas. “My name is mine, and I’ll decide who gets to use it and who doesn’t.”
Thomas narrowed his eyes. “AJ...”
“No, don’t ‘AJ’ me.” She stood. “I’m going back to my room.”
“I’d wait a moment if I were you.” Thomas cut his gaze toward the door. “Wouldn’t want to cockblock, Jaq, would you?”
AJ slumped back into her chair. “No.”
“Are you always so defensive?” Luca grabbed his wine glass. He swirled the red liquid inside of it before taking a sip. “It’s almost as if you’re constantly on alert.”
She had been. For a long time. When she met Scotty, it became worse. With Scotty not being able to hear anything, she had to protect him, too. Her therapist called it, being hyperaware and hypervigilant, when she didn’t have to be. Not everyone was out to get her or Scotty, even if, at the time, it seemed that way.
Scotty called it being paranoid. Maybe she was. Didn’t she have a right to be? “What about you, Luca?” She crossed her arms. “You gallivant around here, living a millionaire’s lifestyle on a state department’s salary.”
<
br /> He shrugged. “Exchange rate makes me a millionaire. I preform my job. I do what I’m supposed to, sometimes not by the book, and I get shit done. Can you say the same?”
“I do what needs to be done,” she answered.
Luca tilted his head. “Prove it.”
“I don’t have to listen to this,” she said, pushing back her chair. “And, I don’t care if I interrupt anyone. Fucking in a hallway where anyone can see it, is their fault.”
“Amelia,” Thomas said, his voice filled with censure.
“And, you.” She pointed at Thomas. “Broke one of the main rules I had. Never say my name in public.”
“You’re acting like a spoiled child,” Thomas said.
“You’re acting like an insufferable asshole.” She stomped out of the dining room, grateful that when she started down the hall, no one was there.
AJ pushed into her room and went to slam the door behind her, when an arm snaked around her middle, stilling her. The only person who had the guts to touch her in such a manner was also the same person she didn’t want to talk to, Thomas. She squirmed against his hold, trying to break it.
She should have known better.
“Stop,” Thomas murmured.
She did and she hated herself for obeying him.
“What do you want?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Didn’t you do enough damage?”
His rough chuckle skirted down her spine. “Damage? You mean saying your name?”
“Yes. I told you, I don’t trust him. With my first name, Luca can find out everything about me.”
“You’re under the impression he hasn’t already.” He frog-marched her into the room and closed the door behind him.
“My point exactly.”
“Why don’t you tell me what this is really about?” He let her go.
AJ crossed to the window overlooking Luca’s property. “It’s nothing. I told you.”
“You’re lying. Which means, you’ve broken one of my rules, several times now. I thought we were working past this wall.”
She turned and faced him. “No, I haven’t, and we were until you said my name.”
He cocked a brow.
“It’s an excuse for you.”
He chuckled again and it’d been devoid of humor. “I thought with our little conversation, you’d have realized we’re in this together, but I see all you gave me was lip service.”
Confused, she stared at him. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You are, but you’re throwing every wall you have, up, and I have no clue why. Was it the idea of Jaqueline and Murray having sex in the open? Was it hearing them? Last night didn’t seem to bother you.”
She shook her head. “I mean, it’s a little embarrassing.”
“Why?”
She rolled her eyes. How did she explain it? “It’s like watching my brother or whatever having sex. It’s not something I want to see. Or worse, it’s like walking in on your parents. There are some things I shouldn’t see. It’s... It’s too intimate.”
Thomas smirked. “It was very intimate. I happened to enjoy the little show.”
“You would,” she said. “You like watching. You like being watched.”
“I do. So do you. Or, did you forget?”
No, she hadn’t. “It’s different.”
“Why? Because it wasn’t you or because Luca was there?”
Both. Maybe. She didn’t understand her reaction. Sure, it aroused her. It made her achy and a bit needy, but having Luca there... It put her on alert. “Yes.”
“Yes, to which part?”
“I think both,” she answered.
He nodded and closed the distance between them. “Are you still achy, Amelia?”
“No,” she lied.
“If I made your strip, here and now, would your body tell me the truth?” Thomas cocked a brow and his green eyes swirled with determination.
“Thomas I—”
“What’s my name, Amelia?” he murmured.
The rumble of his voice vibrated through her body and she shivered. “Daddy.”
“Exactly. Who are you to me?”
“Baby girl,” she replied.
“My baby girl.” He took a step back. “Strip and present yourself to me. I believe you and I need to be reacquainted.”
“But, I... What if someone hears us?”
“I suppose turnabout is fair play, don’t you think? Murray and Jaq gave us a little show, too.”
Oh, God.
“Well, I—”
Thomas opened the door and grinned as the cries of passion from Jaqueline and Murray’s room filtered out into the hall. “As a matter of fact, I think they’re still giving us quite the show.”
“This isn’t a competition,” she said, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth.
“No, it’s not. You’re right there. However, it is erotic, isn’t it, baby girl?” Thomas joined her. He placed his hands on her hips then skimmed his thumbs along the exposed flesh where her shirt didn’t meet the waist of her jeans. Goosebumps formed along her sides and arms. The way he stared down at her with heavy-lidded eyes, had arousal coursing through her veins.
“Yes,” she whispered, bowing her head.
Thomas tipped her chin up. “Never be embarrassed by what arouses you. Never feel shame because you like the curious or the odd. Your sexual tastes are your own. You’re allowed to have them.”
“Even if they don’t match up with everyone else?”
“Your sexual appetite isn’t some cookie-cutter thing. No one ever matches up exactly. We all like what we like for specific reasons.” He tugged her closer. “How about this; why don’t you tell me what you liked about seeing and hearing Jaq and Murray?”
She licked her bottom lip. Tell him why? She wasn’t sure she could, because she didn’t understand it. For her, the sight of them together, was the turn on. The freedom of expressing their sexuality. The sounds they made... Did it make her weird if she’d been turned on by the noises they made?
“You’re thinking too hard. I’ll go first.” Thomas guided her over to the bed and had her sit. “I enjoyed the fact they threw their inhibition and caution to the wind. They took pleasure in one another without caring others were around them. It made my dick hard to hear their excitement. It also turned me on knowing you were sitting beside Murray while Jaqueline teased him.” He tilted his head. “What did you see when you retrieved your fork from under the table?”
AJ swallowed hard. “J-Jaqueline was, uh, rubbing Murray’s crotch with her foot.”
“Show me.” Thomas stood then grabbed the only chair in the room. He placed it close enough to the bed where she could touch him and sat down. “Take off your shoe first, though. Don’t need any accidents.”
Her cheeks burned. “Oh, my God.”
“What?” He shrugged. “It’s true. My dick and balls are precious, baby girl. I don’t need to be put out of commission because of a slipped heel.”
AJ pulled off her boots and placed them beside the bed while Thomas removed his shirt and sat back in the chair. He was glorious. Since the moment they’d begun this journey, she’d admired his body up close and from afar. She often wondered if he knew how to wear a regular t-shirt and jeans or if suits were his mainstay. Hell, if she was honest with herself, he was sexy no matter what he wore, and he knew it, too.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked.
“Do you own any denim or screen shirts? Like, do you have a relaxed look?”
Thomas laughed. “You think of the weirdest things.”
“Not an answer,” she said, extending her leg and placing her foot on the edge of the chair.
“I do,” he said, spreading his legs while relaxing into the chair. “Polo shirts and pants.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not the same.” AJ placed her foot against his groin and bit the inside of her cheek. He was already hard. She ran her foot up and down like she’d seen Jaqueline do.
“Will y
ou take me shopping to update my wardrobe to your specifications?”
“I might after all of this is done.” She pressed a little hard as she drew her foot down his bulge.
“Fuck, baby girl,” Thomas murmured. “Is this how Jaqueline did it?”
She paused. “I guess. I mean, she had stockings on, so it might have been slicker or something.”
Thomas covered her in an instant, knocking her for a loop. “You’re perfect at it. You got me ready to explode, naughty girl.” He pressed his lips to hers he positioned her onto the bed.
The kiss took her breath away. It left her lightheaded and seeking more from him. She curled her tongue with his, desperation filled her. Thomas groaned, spreading her legs with his thick thigh. The outline of his erection rubbed the seam of her jeans, stimulating her clit. She cried out, arching to him. It was all too much and not enough at the same time.
“Thomas... Daddy, please,” she mewled.
“I like it when you call me, Daddy,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck. “Didn’t I ask you to get undressed for me?”
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“Yet, you’re still fully dressed. This won’t do.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out Scotty’s pocketknife. “Remember this?” He flicked it open and the blade caught the glint of the setting sun.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“You have one minute to disrobe and present yourself to me or else I cut everything from your body.”
She sucked in a breath. “Daddy...”
“Don’t tell me it doesn’t turn you on. Your pussy went creamy the minute Scotty cut your skirt off.”
She had, too. It’d been erotic and arousing for her. The cold, hard steel pressed to her warm flesh—one wrong move and it could slice her skin—held her transfixed on where the knife touched her. The way it cut through the material, leaving her bare. The fact she trusted Scotty implicitly to not cut her... “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.” He slipped off of the bed and reclaimed the chair where he’d been sitting before pouncing on her. His expression was serene, and the front of his pants were tented by his erection. Crimson tinged his chest and spread along his jaw.
How does he make disheveled look so good? She scrambled off the bed and pulled off her shirt first and folded it then removed her jeans. Thomas hummed in approval when she bent down to place her clothes at the foot of the bed and her heart gave a heavy thud of excitement.
