by Suzanne Rock
“I can’t believe you did that,” Ari said.
Jason took her hand. “Let’s get out of here.” There were too many vultures in this place. The sooner they got away, the better.
Ari dug in her heels. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
“Trust me, I know that reporter better than you do. She had no intention of talking about your charity. She wanted to know the real reason why you left your wedding,” Jason explained.
Ari made a disgusted sound. “We didn’t even talk about the wedding until you brought it up.” She crossed her arms. “You can’t coddle me like this forever, you know. Eventually you and my brother will have to see that I’m capable of handling the media on my own.”
“I’m not saying to stay away from the media forever, just … for now.”
“Why?”
“Think about it, Ari. If Leo knew what we have been doing for the past year, how is that going to make him feel?” When she didn’t respond, he inched closer and framed her face with his hands. “We’re in the middle of negotiating a business deal, remember? Something like this could cause him to renege on his offer for those Asian hotels.”
“That’s all this is about—business?”
“Of course.”
He could tell she didn’t believe his lies. Damn, this manipulation used to be so easy. He was losing his touch.
Or perhaps, Ari knew him so well that she could read him better than most.
She studied his face for a moment. “Don’t you think it’s time you told me what’s really going on?”
Jason glanced over his shoulder at Camille, who was talking to some hospital staff. “Can we discuss this later?”
Ari glanced at her friend. “Camille, can you give us a moment?”
The older woman shrugged. “I need to get back, anyway. Seems as if the latest order of wigs we placed has been delayed.” She rolled her eyes. “Call me later?”
“Sure thing.” Ari waited until she left before she continued. “Okay, now we’re alone. What’s going on?”
He took a deep breath and then let it out. “Things have been rough with the hotel lately.”
“I can see that.”
He flashed her an irritated look. “Sales have been stagnant ever since your brother announced his merger with Blake Corporation.”
“But that’s not happening now.”
“No, but that reporter has a way of uncovering information. I’d rather not have my financials broadcasted in tomorrow’s tabloid headline.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why is the hotel business so important to you anyway? You’re a venture capitalist, an opportunist.”
“That’s true.”
“So if Stone Suites isn’t turning a profit, then why not just jettison it and focus on your other investments?”
Jason let out a long breath and wandered back over to the windows. “It’s complicated.”
She followed him and leaned up against the wall beside him. “Tell me.”
He glanced at her, then refocused on the Boston skyline. “I told you why I like sports cars…”
“For the freedom, yes.”
“It’s the same with hotels. I like them because of the freedom they represent.” When she furrowed her brow in confusion, he crossed his arms, considering how much to tell her. “When I was a kid, I used to pass by a ritzy hotel on the way to school and watch the elite go in and out of the building. I used to dream about being a part of that life.” A life where he wasn’t picked on, and people wanted to be around him.
“The people who stayed at that hotel seemed to have lives that were trouble-free and innocent. I wanted a part of that for myself. So that was why when an opportunity came up to invest in a hotel chain, I took it.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
He turned to face her. “The building I had passed on my way to school was Stone Suites.”
“Your flagship hotel?” Ari asked. “I had no idea.” She lowered her arms. “So you purchased the same hotel that inspired you to dream big.”
He nodded. “So you see how important it is to me to keep that hotel not only functioning, but thriving. When Stone Suites does well, not only am I keeping my own dream alive, but the dreams of other boys out there who are just like me.”
“Was your childhood really so bad?” she asked. “I know you didn’t have as much money—”
“We didn’t have any money. There’s a difference.” He pressed his lips together in thought. “Our parents gave up both Deacon and me shortly after I was born.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea, and I don’t care. Growing up, Deacon and I were passed around from foster family to foster family before we finally settled with a couple who already had three children of their own.”
“I didn’t know you had a nice, big family—”
“They only took us in for the money. They didn’t really care what happened to us. And the other children resented having Deacon and me around.”
“That must have been awful.”
He shrugged away from her touch. “I know you feel your brothers can be rather overbearing at times, but they really have your best interests at heart. You’re lucky to have people care about you.”
“You have people who care about you, too.” She placed her hand on his arm.
He covered her fingers with his own and smiled. “I wish that were true.” He removed her hand. “Unfortunately, Deacon and I only had each other.”
“You still have Deacon.”
“Not really.”
“But he’s your brother.”
“By blood yes, but our family is different than yours. Just because he’s my sibling, doesn’t mean we’re close. Deacon and I … we have very different views on life.”
“Such as?”
He tugged her toward the door. “Come on.”
They went down the elevator and into the parking garage in silence, but Jason could see that she was thinking about what he had said. She had that determined look about her that meant she wasn’t going to let the subject drop. It was only a matter of time before she started asking questions.
“If you and Deacon don’t get along anymore, then why is he at Stone Suites?” she asked once they were in the car and heading back to his apartment.
“Long story.” He held up his hand before she could ask any more questions. “And I don’t want to talk about it.”
She seemed to think about his words for a few moments before responding. “So you had no one help you with your business, no one to lean on when times got tough?”
“No.”
“No one to celebrate your milestones?”
“It’s okay. Really.”
“No, it isn’t.” When he flashed her a confused look, she continued. “No one should have to go through life alone.”
He shrugged and kept his gaze focused on the road. “You get used to it.”
“But you don’t have to live that way anymore. You have me.”
He shook his head. “I’m not one of your charity cases, Ari.”
“I’m not saying you are.”
“Talking is overrated.” He took her hand and placed it on his leg. “What we have between us is all I need.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me.”
She looked as if she was going to press the issue, and Jason silently prayed she wouldn’t. He didn’t like talking about his past, not when there were much more pleasant things to think about—like her hand on his leg.
She chewed her lower lip as she curled her fingers into his flesh. “That thing between us—is that what you need now? Is that why you’ve been acting all weird?” Her voice was quiet, but he caught the hint of mischief in her words.
It was hard keeping the smile from his lips. This was the Ari he knew—and the one he appreciated. “What do you think?”
“In that case…” Ari eased her fingers up and rubbed his shaft. Desire surged throug
h his bloodstream, making him instantly hard.
“Oh God, Ari,” he whispered. “That feels good.”
“Yeah?” she asked as she started to undo his zipper. “It can feel even better.”
He inched back from her touch, even though every muscle in his body screamed to let her be. “Ari, I’m driving. Wait until I can pull over.”
“Since when has the great Jason Stone backed down from a little challenge?” She reached in and freed his cock from his restrictive clothing. Jason shivered as she stroked him from root to tip. “Game on, Mr. Stone.”
Jason pulled up to a stoplight and watched as Ari bent over and placed her lips around his cock.
“Holy hell.” Jason put his hand on the top of her head as she moved up and down his shaft. Ari felt good, too good. Jason widened his legs and pushed his hips up toward her eager mouth.
“You like that?” she asked as she flicked her tongue over the tip of his erection.
“Yes.” Fuck, yes. The woman was reckless. If someone saw them, they could be arrested. Worse, if he didn’t concentrate on driving, they could get into an accident.
The light changed to green and Jason eased onto the gas. Ari slid her delicious tongue along the underside of his shaft, causing pleasure to bloom throughout his body.
“Jesus, Ari…” He curled his fingers into her hair, intending to pull her away from his cock. He needed to concentrate, and the longer she tongued him, the more difficult that became.
“Just focus on driving.” She resumed her sweet torture by wrapping her lips around his head and pushing him deep inside her mouth.
Baseball, spreadsheets, lost puppies … Jason tried to think of anything that would keep him focused on the road. It wasn’t working.
With shaking hands, he pulled off of the busy street and onto a side street. As he stepped on the gas, Ari doubled her efforts, moving up and down his shaft with an intoxicating rhythm.
“God, Ari. Don’t stop.”
She made soft, feminine sounds of pleasure against his cock, heightening his arousal. Jason bit his lips and drove with one hand, keeping the other on her head so she wouldn’t hit the steering wheel. Pressure built through his bloodstream, winding his muscles tight. Fuck, the woman had an amazing mouth. He had forgotten just how good she could be.
She cupped his balls, tugging slightly as she worked over his shaft. Jason pressed a little heavily on the gas and quickly adjusted. Adrenaline shot through his bloodstream, fueling his desire to new levels.
“Ari.” This was too dangerous. Dangerous, but oh so fucking good. Normally he was the one orchestrating the sex, bringing them both to the brink of adrenaline-fueled pleasure. Now, Ari was in complete and total control, and he was loving every second of it.
Ari lightly scraped her teeth over his shaft, causing pain to mix with his pleasure. Jason groaned and stepped on the gas some more, enjoying the heady mixture of adrenaline and desire. With each stroke of her smooth, pouty lips, he was losing more and more control. The woman was nothing short of magical, and as the familiar tingling rippled along his spine, he knew that in this moment, he was lost completely.
“Jason, look out,” Ari said as she lifted her head. “The lamppost.”
Jason straightened in his seat and realized that in his euphoria, he was drifting off the road. He straightened and quickly turned the wheel. They avoided the pole, but not the sidewalk. Ari yelped as the car leapt up onto the curb and came to a stop inches from a mailbox.
“Fuck. My car.” Jason quickly tucked his cock into his pants and got out to inspect the damage. He walked carefully around, looking for any dents or scrapes. Thankfully, there were none, but the situation could have turned out so differently. If Ari hadn’t said anything, the car could have been totaled, or worse, they could have gotten hurt.
Jason imagined himself trying to explain how they had gotten injured to a doctor and frowned. He strode around to the passenger seat and threw open the door. “Get out.”
“What?”
“Get out.”
“I’m not hurt, in case you were wondering.”
Not yet. They were lucky, incredibly lucky. As the horrible possibilities of what could have happened crossed through Jason’s mind, he became more and more angry. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She widened her eyes, then lifted her chin and crossed her arms. “You weren’t exactly complaining.”
He fisted his hands. “You could have gotten us both killed.”
“We’re not dead. We’re not even hurt, and the car is fine. No harm done.”
No harm…? “That was reckless, Ari.”
“So was having sex on a painter’s plank.”
He ground his teeth. “That was different.”
“How? It was still dangerous.”
Back in the suite, he was in complete control. There was an illusion of danger, but no real danger. This … “You could have gotten us killed,” he said again.
“I was in complete control.” She tilted her head to the side and gave him that intoxicating pout. “That’s what this is, isn’t it? You didn’t like what I did in the McLaren for the same reason you don’t want us talking about anything outside this exact moment. Both things force you out of the driver’s seat in this relationship, and you can’t stand not being in control.”
She was right, of course, and knowing she was right just irritated him more. Ari was pushing both him and this relationship to a place he didn’t want to go.
“Just stop it,” he said, closing the distance between them. He felt dirty and used. She was behaving just like those rich women had behaved during his gigolo days. Each one of them had tried to dig around into his past, looking for something they could control him with. When that didn’t work, they used sex to get what they wanted from him. He had left that life long ago and he wasn’t going back to that place—for anyone.
He needed to get this relationship back to familiar ground. No more questions, no more manipulation. Just pure physical fun, no strings attached.
“Stop what?”
“Stop trying to use me to feed your need for independence.” He hooked his finger under her chin. “I’m not some stick shift you can switch into high gear whenever you want something.”
“You shared a part of your past with me at the hospital.” Her eyes shone brightly with tears. “I thought we were bonding.”
“No, we weren’t bonding,” he said. “You asked a question and I answered it, nothing more.” He tightened his grip on her chin. “I now I see that talking about my past was a mistake. It led you to believe that you could control and manipulate me, just like the rest of them did.”
“Rest of them?”
“What we share is special, Ari. But don’t make it out to be more than it is.”
“And what is it?” she asked. “What exactly do we have, Jason?”
“We have sex, Ari. Nothing more.”
Chapter 12
“What are you doing?” Ari asked as she stumbled back to the car. Instead of answering, he snaked his arm around her waist, pinning her between the hood of the car and himself.
“You and I—we don’t do feelings, and we sure as hell don’t try to fix things in each other’s lives. All we have is fun, Ari. That’s all there is.”
“Jason—”
“That’s all that matters.” He kissed her, quickly tilting his head and swooping inside of her mouth with confidence. Ari’s pulse raced as he slipped his fingers down her waist and curled them into her backside.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she pulled away.
He shook his head. “You have no idea,” he whispered.
Her heartbeat quickened. “No idea of what?”
He tugged her close until his erection rubbed up against her lower abdomen. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. All you see is the hotelier. The billionaire playboy. That man is a façade¸ princess. An act used to cover up the monster underneath.”
Before she coul
d ask what he meant, he crashed his lips against hers once more. Ari became light-headed as desire surged through her bloodstream and a dull ache formed between her thighs. Jason shifted his hands, palming her ass and holding her close. He rubbed his erection into her lower abdomen, sending tingles of pleasure racing through her core.
Ari gasped as he broke away from the kiss and ran his tongue along her jaw. “Everyone loves a billionaire adrenaline junkie,” he murmured against her skin. “But if you knew who I really am, and the things I used to do, you’d run back to your brothers at the first opportunity.”
“I’d never do such a thing.”
He turned and nudge her against the car. Ari yelped and fell forward on the hood. The cool metal pressed up against her torso as he slid his fingers up under her skirt.
“I use people to get what I want. I manipulate women into thinking that I care, when all I want is what they can give me.” He squeezed her ass and slid one hand down between her thighs. “I never gave a second thought to anyone’s feelings or needs. It was take or be taken. Fuck or be fucked.”
As Ari heard the tear of a condom wrapper behind her, she sensed something inside of him breaking. Once again she tried to push herself up, but Jason pressed his hips against hers and bent over her back.
“Then you came along, princess.” He leaned over her back until Ari felt his warm breath rush against her ear. “And you’re like a drug. A wonderful, intoxicating drug that is better than any adrenaline rush.” Jason rubbed the tip of his cock against her slit. “Instead of manipulating, I feel as if I’m the one being manipulated. Each time we come together, I feel as if I’m losing a little bit more control.” With one hard thrust, he pushed himself balls-deep into her body.
Ari groaned as her muscles stretched to accommodate the intrusion. Jason placed his hands on either side of her hips and pushed her up farther on the hood, angling her so that he could penetrate deeper. They both moaned as he pushed forward, filling her to the point of breaking.
“God, Ari…” He began to thrust. Quick, rapid movements of a man lost in his emotions. With each push, Ari slid up on the hood of the sports car, and her breasts rubbed against the metal. She tried to widen her legs, but her position didn’t allow for much movement. She felt trapped beneath him, and the sensation made her skin tingle with need.
