by Ella Frank
Rachel couldn’t control the shiver that racked her body.
“I’m only asking you out of common courtesy. I figured I owed you that since your first agreement was given in the midst of an ear-blistering climax. So, what will it be, Rachel? Will you stick to your original decision? Or will you renege?”
Rachel’s brain was screaming, Renege, renege, renege! That did not, however, have any impact on the way her thighs tightened as Cole bent his head and licked the shell of her ear.
“Plus, there is one promise I haven’t kept tonight, and it goes hand in hand with my hands on your body.”
Turning her head up, Rachel looked into eyes that seemed to see and know everything. “And what would that be?”
The look on his face was so devious and alarmingly sexy that Rachel felt her nipples harden.
He revealed, “I promised you’d scream my name.”
Rachel didn’t remember that promise, and surely, that wasn’t something she would forget. “I don’t remember you promising me that.”
“Who said I promised you? I promised myself. Now, tell me what I want to hear, Rachel.”
Slowly, he moved his free hand toward her, and his index finger touched the satin ribbon around her neck. When she offered no complaint, he continued to stroke it.
“I want to take this and every other piece of material off you and start fresh. I want a blank canvas to play with. I want you to play with. I have from the moment I saw you. So, was that yes real, or should I go back out there and find a willing participant?”
Rachel considered all the erotic possibilities as his words began to tempt her, but before she could offer up an answer, Cole removed his finger from her throat and stood to his full towering height. He crossed his arms and took a step back from her, allowing his eyes to run down her body, and Rachel felt them like they were his hands touching her.
Hell, who do I think I’m kidding? I want his hands on me, his tongue in me, and that body naked and covering me. ASAP.
Rachel finally decided. “Don’t go anywhere. Stay here, and let’s negotiate.”
Cole wouldn’t have left if the building were on fire, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “Okay, let’s negotiate. Well, obviously, you have issues with men—”
“I don’t have issues with men.”
Cole lifted his right arm and index finger in the universal hang-on sign. “For this to work, you need to listen until I am finished, or you will jump to the wrong conclusion. So, do you think you can hold your tongue for a minute? Or would you like me to?”
He watched her carefully as she pouted her lips.
“Thank you. Being interrupted isn’t something I enjoy. It would be a smart thing to remember.”
Re-crossing his arms, he remained silent as she straightened up against the wall. He could tell she was annoyed by his tone and getting ready to leave, but the look in her eyes belied her internal conflict. This was a woman who wanted the same thing he did. She was just too scared to admit it or chase it.
Good thing for her that I’m not.
“Now, as I was saying, obviously, you have issues with men controlling you or touching you. As I’m sure you know, I want to do a lot more than just touch you, Rachel, so maybe we can start slow. One hand, and if I prove to you that you can trust me, we’ll renegotiate.”
As she stood there, headstrong as ever, Cole stepped forward to her.
“Being petulant won’t help your case either. Tell me, Rachel, do you really want this? Because I need to know that you are in all the way before we go any further here.”
When her tongue came out to moisten her lips, Cole couldn’t help but reach out his hand, allowing his finger to follow the path it took.
“What exactly is it that you want from me?” she finally asked as she raised her eyes to his.
Cole re-crossed his arms and bent at the waist, so his face was hovering over hers. “I want you to give yourself to me.”
As he watched her pupils dilate, he knew the idea was as appealing to her as it was to him.
“For how long?”
“See? Now, you’re negotiating. Let’s start with a week.”
“A week? So, we meet here?”
“No.” He shifted, pressing his mouth to the corner of hers. “You come with me for the week. You stay with me, sleep with me, eat with me. You be with me.”
When a moan slipped free from her lips, Cole couldn’t help himself from kissing her hard and quick.
Then, quietly, he demanded, “Say yes.”
Yes, yes, yes! Rachel’s body was screaming, but nothing was coming out. Her stupid brain had to make sure this was a choice, not a takeover. So, of course, it had demands of its own. “I don’t think this is a negotiation right now. It feels a lot like coercion.”
She experienced a small slither of delight in the humor that tugged at the corner of his serious mouth.
“Very good, Rachel. You are right. I’m trying my hardest to coerce you without becoming physical. So, in my book, I am not actually stooping as low as I could.”
“This isn’t physical? It feels pretty physical to me.” Time to give him some of his own medicine. “My nipples are hard, and the ache between my thighs—”
“Could all be taken care of with one word.”
Raising her hand, she recklessly pressed her index finger to his lips. She was starting to fantasize about those lips that had just sent a jolt of pure lust through her. “Shh, it’s rude to interrupt during negotiations.”
“Rachel,” he cautioned.
“Yes?”
She watched him close his eyes for a moment, almost as if trying to calm himself physically.
“Nothing. Continue. Your terms?” he asked.
“You said one hand. As in, you will only touch me with one hand?”
“Yes. If you agree and come with me, I will not touch you with more than one hand. When I prove to you I can be trusted, we will renegotiate.”
Rachel shivered at the thought. “Will you use your mouth?”
Cole gave her a look filled with so many hot, dirty promises that it melted away any resistance she thought she had left. That was the moment their two lives became soldered together by mutual desire and understanding. Whether it would go beyond a week was anyone’s bet, but it was one she wanted to take.
“If you agree, I will use my mouth, tongue, and anything else I need to make you whisper, groan, and scream my name.”
“Okay. I agree, but no straps and no…” She paused, looking away. “Handcuffs?”
A strong hand lifted her chin, so her eyes were directly on his.
Sincerely, he replied, “There will be no physical restraint, just your free will.”
“No pain?”
“Rachel, I don’t know who hurt you in the past or what kind of relationship you were in, but with me, no pain, no humiliaton, and no harm will come to you. I want to please you as much as I want you to please me. I want to use my body and yours to bring you the most pleasure you have ever felt, and after it’s through, I want to start all over again.”
Rachel felt her body shake at everything he was saying. She finally realized it was everything she had ever wanted, and she could have it for a week.
One week of perfection.
“Why me?” she asked.
She felt him remove the hand he had at her chin, and slowly, he wrapped it around her waist as he tugged her forward. She could feel the full length of his muscular body pressed tightly against hers.
“From the minute you walked in, it was you. I’d been coming to this place for months, looking for someone—not someone who wants gimmicks, not someone who wants to act a part in the bedroom. This is me and my life, Rachel. I’m bossy, I’m arrogant, and I can be an asshole at times, but I also crave the power to control my surroundings. So, that is what I ask of you. Will you let go and give me the power to make you happy? To make you scream when your body finally explodes around mine? I want the power to make you smile and curse at m
e, so if you want to try that, then come with me. Say yes, and come home with me.”
Really, it’s a no-brainer, she thought as she said, “Yes.”
One silent cab ride later, Cole found himself staring at the woman standing opposite him in the elevator as it ascended to his condo’s floor. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him the whole ride up. He liked that about her. She was daring, just like her bright red hair and tattooed spine He might want someone to let him hold the reins, but he’d be damned if he wanted someone meek and mild who wouldn’t give him a challenge.
This woman is definitely going to be a challenge, he thought, and I can’t fucking wait.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as she shifted against the opposite wall and crossed her legs.
He had discovered that once she made up her mind, she was the kind of woman who didn’t back down. It was the moments in between, the uncertainty, that made her the most vulnerable.
“I was wondering what else is hiding under your clothes.”
Cole admired her blunt no-nonsense response.
“Amazing. I was just thinking the exact same thing. What will I find when I unzip that skirt, Rachel?”
“Guess you’ll find out in…” She looked at the lights on the panel above the doors as they lit one at a time with each floor they passed. “Six floors.”
Cole pushed his hands into his pockets as their eyes met once more. “Yes, I will.”
Silence filled the space between them as the elevator passed the final four floors.
When it came to a smooth stop, Cole pushed away from the wall and gestured with his hand. “After you.”
Rachel moved away from the other side and stepped out into the hallway. She stopped when her black heels hit the cream carpet. Cole got off the elevator and came up behind her. He ran one finger down her neck and along her shoulder and felt her shiver.
She looked back at him. “Which way?”
“Left. It’s the last door on your right.”
She pivoted to the left and made her way down the hall. He watched her take in the paintings on the walls. When she reached the last door, she turned, so she was facing him as he walked toward her. Her eyes devoured him as he came closer, and when he pulled the keys from his pocket, she parted her lips and licked them as if she were ready to take a bite.
“Ready?” he asked, looking directly at her, as he inserted the key.
“For?”
He turned the key, and the snick of the lock was as effective as a starting gun.
With absolute certainty, he said, “Me.”
Rachel was absolutely positive she was not ready for him, but she wanted him anyway, so she conveniently pushed that thought aside. She turned to where he was now waiting for her in the doorway. Stepping into the entryway, she felt a strong hand firmly grip her upper right arm from behind her.
“Let’s see how well you follow direction.”
As his breath ghosted over her spine, she allowed herself a moment of reflection.
How long has it been since I’ve given in to this side of myself? Years? Four at least.
She was pulled from her thoughts when his tongue touched the base of her neck where her tattoo began.
“Be sure this is what you want. Walk all the way to the door at the far end of the hall. Do not look around. When you get there, go inside, and you will see a large wooden trunk at the end of my bed. When I get there, I want you to be standing on it, facing my headboard, minus this sexy fucking skirt.”
Rachel swallowed and nodded once.
“Good. Oh, Rachel, leave the stockings and heels on. I’ll be in shortly. Now, go,” he instructed.
She felt a slight pressure from one of his hands on the curve of her back, urging her forward. Straightening her spine, she decided that she might as well give him a show, so she strutted down the hall of his very impressive condo. She wished she had a moment to look around, but she knew if she did, he would see. Rachel could feel his eyes on her, watching her closely, and she still didn’t know him well enough to try and play him.
Her heels clicked as she moved farther along the hardwood floors. From what she could see out of the corner of her eye, she passed two closed doors. When she reached the one at the end of the hall, she extended a trembling hand and gripped the silver knob. Turning it, she stepped inside, and she was immediately surrounded by the dark masculine vibe that was all Cole.
On one side of the room was a large bureau made from a deep cherry hardwood. It perfectly matched the enormous bed pushed against the wall on the other side of the room. A wooden clothes valet sat in the far corner, and just as he had told her, there was a large wooden trunk at the end of his bed.
Rachel didn’t know how much time she had until he joined her, so she quit gaping at her surroundings and kicked her ass into gear. She unzipped her skirt, and with a smirk, she moved to the clothes valet where he had a perfectly pressed suit all neatly laid out. She draped her leather over it with a little chuckle.
Walking back to the end of the bed, she noticed a small cream rug on the floor in front of the trunk. She bet that rug would feel good under her slightly achy feet right now. The room was so lush and rich, all cream and dark woods, yet it was so extremely manly at the same time. It smelled amazing, and then she realized it smelled liked him.
Stopping in front of the trunk, she removed her heels and placed them on top. Then, she hitched herself up onto it. While standing on the trunk, she put the heels back on. Facing the headboard, Rachel shifted her legs a little bit apart, so she was steady, and then she took several deep breaths. Just as she had her nerves almost under control, she heard the handle of the door turn. Closing her eyes, she told herself to let go.
Just let go. Surrender.
Cole turned the doorknob to his room and pushed the door open slowly. He had been curious about what he would find when he walked in, and what greeted him couldn’t have pleased him more. She had done exactly as he’d asked, and what had been hiding under that little skirt was definitely worth the fucking torture of waiting outside.
After walking through the door, he shut it with a resounding thump, and when she didn’t look over her shoulder, he felt a moment of pride for her. He knew she had to be dying to turn around. Moving into the room, he looked around. He did a double take when he saw her skirt lying over the suit that was hanging on his valet.
Mischievous woman.
As he walked toward her, he rolled up his sleeves to his forearms and glanced down at the writing on each arm: Tålmodighet av en saint. Sinnet til en synder.
How very appropriate it is tonight, he thought. Patience of a saint. The mind of a sinner.
As he looked at the long legs slightly spread and wrapped in those fantasy-inducing thigh-high stockings, he found he was praying for patience as he was definitely thinking like a sinner. No question about it.
He stopped directly behind her, and with her perched in her heels, she was the exact right height for what he had in mind. Her smooth pale ass, separated by a tiny strip of black lace, was at eye-level and calling to him.
“Very nice, Rachel,” he finally said. “Your legs should always be in these stockings. This seam…” he murmured, reaching out a finger and touching the black line that began at the back of her right ankle. “It makes me want to trace it…” He ran his finger up the seam and then leaned in to the opposite leg. “With my tongue.”
Rachel clenched her hands in front of her as Cole’s hot, wet tongue ran a line from the back of her left knee up to the lace surrounding her upper thigh. When his mouth continued to the curve of her bare cheek, she bit down on her bottom lip to avoid making a sound as his teeth nipped at her. His finger made its way up her other leg and crossed over to the lace separating her ass before he slid it down and pushed it between her thighs.
“You’re so quiet up there.”
His voice traveled like a hot caress from her legs up to her burning ears.
“I didn’t realize I could talk.�
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As he stroked his finger along her embarrassingly wet panties, his voice permitted, “Oh, you can talk if you like, but I’d prefer you to sigh, moan, and perhaps scream.”
With that, he licked her bare rounded flesh, and then he removed his hand and mouth from her body. “Turn around, Rachel,” he instructed in a voice that demanded she obey.
Is he naked? Will I get to touch him?
Slowly, she turned, wondering what she would find. When she was facing him, she looked down to see him staring up at her with eyes that were focused, determined, and burning. He hadn’t removed one item of clothing, and although she thought that would disappoint her, she was so mesmerized by the look in his eyes that she couldn’t find any disappointment whatsoever.
All she found was intense desire. Desire, lust, and want.
“You’re exactly the way I imagined…only better. I could stare at you all day.” He lifted his left hand to trace the lace at the top of her right thigh. “Take a step forward. Come closer to me.”
Rachel moved as requested. His jaw ticked as he took a deep breath, and she knew he could smell her arousal. Hell, at this stage, she could smell her arousal, and his nose was much closer.
“One hand. That was the deal,” his sensual voice promised.
He ran his fingers up to the crease between her legs, stopping at her throbbing hot mound. His eyes wouldn’t release hers as his fingers crept under the lace and pulled it aside. Knowing what he was about to do was driving her insane, but what he said next just about made her entire body combust.
“One hand and my mouth. That was the negotiated arrangement, I believe.”
Cole finally tore his eyes away from the blue ones that were making it hard for him to think. When his eyes landed on what he had just bared, he almost fell to his knees to thank whichever god had sent him a woman like Rachel fucking Langley.
There, shining at him like a prize, were two sterling silver studs in a wicked vertical hood piercing.
It seems someone else is keeping a few dirty little secrets.
