by Ana Fawkes
Silence came.
At first, all I heard was the sound of the water running, but then I heard the sound of my heart pounding. I couldn’t tell if Jonathan was silent or if he left the bathroom. Finally, I had to know. I had to see. I pulled the edge of the shower curtain back just enough to see Jonathan Black standing over the sink, staring at the fogged mirror at a reflection of nothing.
“Jonathan,” I said.
He spun around, not looking surprised, but looking damaged and sexy. A man capable of anything and yes, in that moment, I realized that capability included murder.
“Isabella Grace,” he whispered. “Finish up and come sleep with me, in bed. It’s been a long day.”
Nothing sounded better. Sleeping with Jonathan in the comfort of his bed and his arms was like a dream come true.
I waited for him to leave the bathroom before I shut the water off. I tore the shower curtain open and grabbed a towel, hurrying to dry myself off. Hearing that precious word – sleep – had me finally thinking about it. The day seemed like it should have been over a long time ago. If I took the time to actually think about what had happened and the change of time zones, plus being held at gunpoint and attacked, twice, I would have probably fallen asleep on the spot.
After leaving the bathroom, I walked back to Jonathan’s room wearing nothing but a towel.
I wore the towel not to turn him on but because it was all I had.
I stood in the doorway, my wet hair touching my skin. Jonathan lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, still sexy as ever.
He looked at me.
“I’m sorry Oliver Rush took your money too,” he said. “There’s plenty more. You can get what you need soon enough.”
“For now?” I asked.
“There’s clothes for you in the closet.”
“How…”
“You were watching me as I watched you. I know more than you would believe.”
I left it at that, trusting Jonathan as he commanded me to do hours upon hours ago.
I walked along the bed towards the closet. As I started to reach for the closet, Jonathan reached for me. This time when he touched my wrist, he was gentle but still had a grip that stopped me.
“I didn’t say you were getting dressed tonight.”
I turned to face Jonathan as he sat up on the bed. His other hand came forward and pulled at the towel, loosening it. It fell and I was naked, again, for Jonathan Black. His fingertips touched just below my breasts and he continued down, moving from my stomach to my smooth skin. As he started to test near my sex, my legs opened. Part of my body wanted sleep but all of my body wanted him. I wanted what he wanted. He turned his hand at the last second, letting his pinky just barely touch my slit and then he was on the move again, back up. He grazed past by breasts and reached up to my face and neck.
He pulled and I collapsed towards him and on him. He leaned back on the bed and caught me, turning me to my side, facing him. I put one of my legs to him, wrapping around him, pulling at him, wanting to feel him hard again.
Jonathan was just there, his eyes upon my face and not my body. I could see him relaxing, almost melting into me and us together. The heat coming from my body soon changed to a soothing heat, my heart calming but still thudding. I wanted to keep my eyes open and stare at him all night, maybe even forever, but the battle with time was lost. I felt my eyes closing and I fought to open them. I won three times, each time seeing Jonathan Black staring back at me.
Finally, I closed my eyes and that’s all I remembered.
Closing my eyes.
Picturing Jonathan.
My mind changed and now wished nothing more than everything to not be a dream. I wanted to wake up next to Jonathan, in his arms, and face another day with him. His command made me want to live and be alive.
When I woke, I wasn’t in his arms.
-6-
I rolled to my right hoping to feel Jonathan next to me.
He wasn’t.
He was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his elbows on his legs, his tie hanging down, his chin resting on his hands. His eyes looked a tad weary but still focused, still confident. The way he stared at me paralyzed me and shook my body in a way that made me think it was the night before and I was cuffed and tied to the bed again.
I somehow made it under the covers during the night and the sheets were just above my nipples, leaving most of my breasts visible for Jonathan’s eyes.
“Were you up all night?” I asked.
“You can’t be hurt again,” Jonathan said.
He appeared as rampant as the evening before, just a little more rested, maybe.
“I won’t be hurt,” I said. “I’m with you.”
Jonathan shook his head. He pushed off himself and stood. He looked fifty feet tall as he looked down at me. The wheels were turning in his mind and had been turning for a while now. Before I could think it, Jonathan said it.
“I have a plan.”
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. I needed him in bed with me, controlling me. I needed him to have me, focus on me, and leave it all outside. But that wasn’t his mindset. It wouldn’t be his mindset today and it wouldn’t be his mindset tomorrow.
“I’m going to kill Oliver Rush,” he said, “and you’re going to be the one to help me.”
“Help you…”
“It’s a command,” Jonathan said.
That statement made my lips quiver, my heart race, and I rolled to my back and pushed back, sitting up. I held the sheet to my chest even though I wanted to drop my it.
“I know where he is, right now.”
“Oliver?”
“Oliver Rush.”
That made me swallow hard and shiver. The talk of killing was one thing, but actually knowing where the man was that Jonathan Black intended to kill was another.
“He’s only five miles from here, his childhood home. I knew that’s where he would go. I knew it. He can steal, but he always goes back home to reflect to make it seem right. That’s how his mind works.”
“How…”
“I made some calls. I saw him myself.”
“You saw him?”
Jonathan brooded at me.
How dare I question him?
“He’s here and he needs to be here, with us, with you.”
Jonathan took a breath and moved from the bed. He walked to the window in the room and looked out.
“I can only make this happen in the heat the moment requires. The passion. The desire. The fierce lust to protect a life…” Jonathan made a fist and held it up. He looked at it and then looked away. His hand returned to his side. “He said stuff to you, Isabella Grace. He can’t stop thinking about you either. He wants what I have and you would be the ultimate prize. First he’d have my money and then he’d have you.”
I hoped Jonathan would have said something else. I wanted to know what I was to him.
Jonathan put his hand into his pocket and took out a black cell phone. He tossed it to the bed and then turned to face the window again.
“That’s your phone,” he said. “There’s only one number programmed into it. Oliver Rush’s phone number. You’re going to call him and tell him you stole my car and that you’re at a hotel, waiting for him. He’s going to be flustered but he’ll come because you’re going to cry if you have to. You’re going to meet him at the hotel and he’ll want to leave. But you’re not going to leave, are you?”
“No,” I said.
“You’re going to stay there and lure him in. You’re going to have him so… he’s going to need you so bad he’ll forget everything else around him.”
Jonathan paused and slowly turned. He pointed to the phone. I leaned forward and grabbed the phone. I put it on the nightstand next to me and tried to hold my face straight. I knew my cheeks were ten shades of red and I’m sure everything else looked pale and shaky.
I’ll be honest, the last person I ever wanted to see again was Oliver Rush. He didn’t look big o
r strong, more of a blood sucking weasel, but when I was cuffed to chair, he seemed a lot more dangerous. Especially with a gun.
“You need to be confident,” Jonathan said. “Beautiful, like you are now. And sexy. You need to take over his mind and body. I want to see it happen.”
“Can’t you just kill him now?” I blurted out. I had to put my hand to my mouth and I gasped, almost breaking into tears. I couldn’t believe I said something like that.
“I refuse,” Jonathan bellowed. “I know what I want.” He hurried to the bed again and put his hand to my shoulder. “You’re going to do this, Isabella Grace, and you’re going to do it right.”
I nodded.
Jonathan looked tense. My right hand moved towards him, my finger sliding between the small piece of cloth and his zipper. I pushed my finger to him and slid down. I stared at him and bit my lip, feeling horny and innocent, desperate to be allowed to savor Jonathan again.
“Of course,” Jonathan said. “But, we have work to do.” He stepped back out of reach. “You’re going to show me what you’ll do to Oliver Rush. I want you to dance for me, strip for me, and touch me like you’d touch him.”
“I don’t want to touch him,” I said.
Jonathan came at me and his hand was against my face, turning my head. His grip fierce again and his eyes tired of me speaking back to him. I almost felt guilty for being like this but I couldn’t help it. I was in the right to feel fear at that time.
“If I want him to touch you or you to touch him,” Jonathan said in a calm, deep voice, “then it will happen.”
His hand moved from my face to the sheet, pushing it out of my gentle grip. I opened my hands and the sheet fell, exposing my breasts to Jonathan. He slid down and cupped my breast and I put my hand back to him, feeling him grow. As he thickened I squeezed, wanting permission to unzip his pants and touch his bare, hard skin.
“Now stand up and show me. Show me what you’d do to Oliver Rush.”
I hesitated but Jonathan didn’t. He kept pulling the sheet from me until it was balled up at the bottom of the bed. I sat there naked just as I had fallen into bed with Jonathan the night before. My legs were together, so they showed the obvious fold of what waited between my legs.
“Am I getting dressed?” I asked.
Jonathan thought for a second and then shook his head. “Don’t bother. Oliver Rush doesn’t have the ability to undress a woman with the right touch. When the time comes you’ll just undress yourself for him.”
The more Jonathan talked about it, the more it seemed like I’d end up in bed with Oliver Rush. The last thing I wanted was that man to touch me, in any shape or form. I wasn’t sure how I’d control myself near him. The urge to attack him would be too great… and the innocent side of me would want to warn Oliver Rush to run. I couldn’t think that thought while looking at Jonathan so I did when I turned and climbed from the bed. I stood with my backside to Jonathan trying to fight the image of me whispering to Oliver Rush that Jonathan was going to kill him. It would be the ultimate betrayal, the ultimate loss of trust. Then it occurred to me… would Jonathan Black kill me?
I looked over my shoulder and saw him walking around the bed again towards me. I turned to keep my backside at him. I was almost afraid that if he saw my face, he’d read my eyes and then know the thoughts that ran through my head.
He touched my shoulders, one hand per shoulder, and pulled me towards him. I crashed against his clothed body and his lips kissed where my neck met my shoulders. I shuddered and moaned and then felt his lips come to my ear.
“What would you do?” he whispered. “Show me. Touch me. Undress me. Isabella Grace.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Jonathan Black wanted me to pretend I was with Oliver Rush. That’s what he commanded.
And that’s what I would do.
-7-
I started with my hips, moving them left to right against Jonathan. I felt his hardness and no matter what Jonathan commanded, I wouldn’t imagine it was Oliver Rush. We could pretend… but my mind and heart knew who I was touching and who touched me.
I thrust myself back, making Jonathan jump.
His grip on my shoulders increased and he started to push, wanting me to bend over. I bent over a little and moved harder and faster at him. His hands slid down my bare back and then to my sides. As he started to cup my breasts, I stood back up and placed my head to his shoulder. I closed my eyes and turned my head and began to kiss his neck.
As his fingers moved to my nipples, teasing them, I moaned and then bit at his ear. He shook me away but I smiled. We were pretending after all and I needed to do all I could to keep Oliver Rush confused, right?
Jonathan started to move his hands past my breasts to my stomach and I finally turned. I left him hanging, wanting to get between my legs. The small change in power felt exciting and it certainly felt wrong. I stared at Jonathan and he remained still, giving me the chance to do what I wanted to do.
The first thing I did was go for the tie. Just below the knot I pulled, forcing him to my level. Our lips were a few inches apart and I stuck my tongue out. I flicked at his lips a few times, keeping my eyes wide open. When I finally did kiss him, I was aggressive and he had to match me. I forced his lips open and I forced my tongue into his mouth. My hands moved even faster, pulling at the knot of his tie, undoing it. All those times I fantasized about tearing Jonathan Black’s tie off his neck and here it was. I pulled the tie from his neck and threw it to the floor. That hand then went to the back of Jonathan’s neck and I held him tight to my mouth, kissing him wildly. When I broke the kiss, it was wet and made a loud pop sound.
I pushed him to the bed, forcing him to sit before me. My hands were then in his hair, wrapping around to the back of his head, interlocking my fingers. I put my knees to the bed and climbed up on Jonathan. As I stared down at him, my hair fell all around. My breasts were in his face. His hands went to my lower back, trying to push down. I welcomed it, grinding on his erection as his tongue began to taste my creamy breasts.
His teeth joined in on the fun and I quickly pulled away, leaving him with his mouth half open, his nostrils flared. His grip on my back told me he wanted to snap… he wanted to lift me and throw me to the bed. He wanted to command I let him nibble my nipples – and more. He wanted to cuff me, tie me, and have me.
But he couldn’t.
He had to hold back.
It was something new and something so powerful that as I climbed from his lap, I let out a long moan. My body was fully engaged… everything working. Places wet that were supposed to. My skin tingled and burned at the same time. I surprised myself by not being nervous, even as I started to unbutton Jonathan’s shirt. Four buttons down, I placed my hands flat to his chest, feeling the lines of his muscles all the way to his shoulders. I pushed the shirt off his shoulders and then admired him.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t.
I was in control.
For now.
I lowered myself to my knees, my eyes not leaving his for a moment. I leaned forward and kissed just above where his stomach muscles began. My hands now had his entire shirt unbuttoned and it with a quick push, it was down. I forgot about his cufflinks and when I looked at Jonathan wondering why his shirt wasn’t off he just shrugged his shoulders.
Fuck, I was supposed to keep my confidence.
I took care of the cufflinks and his shirt finally came off. I wasted no time going for his pants, but I only opened them, I didn’t take them off. As I reached around the back of him, he lifted himself, but again, I didn’t take his pants off. I pulled them down, along with his boxers, just enough to show me a small portion of his pubic hair. The lines of his ab muscles cut in at a sexy angle and my tongue wanted to follow those lines. One at a time.
My lips were back to his stomach and I kissed down him in a hurry. I licked down his left side first then cut across, following the top of his boxers. I came up the other
line and as I pulled away from him I looked up. I swear, for the first time I could remember, it looked like Jonathan Black wanted to smile. He didn’t, of course, but the look of it alone made me feel great. Until I remembered we were pretending. I had to question everything we were doing.
Was any of this real?
Did any of it matter?
The passion I felt, the desire I collected, did it mean anything at all?
Whatever the case, I couldn’t stop so I went to the top of his boxers. My teeth bit at them and I pulled. My hand was there a second later and I reached into his boxers, finding his thickness, my hand wrapping around him and tightening. I pulled him from his boxers and held him at the thick base of his erection. I pumped him a few times, watching the way he reacted to my touch.
He throbbed. He thickened.
My tongue came forward and I licked the bottom of his hard sex. I licked a straight line up to his fleshy tip and my lips came over and down on him. I welcomed him into my mouth and then quickly pulled back, making sure my lips were moving along the most sensitive part of him.
Jonathan moaned and then thrust himself.
He went deep into my mouth and we both moaned at the same time.
I pulled up again and in a shocking move, I felt Jonathan’s hand crash against the back of my head. It didn’t appear there was intent to cause pain but Jonathan’s strength was just too much. His fingers wrapped tight around my hair and he pulled.
I started to moan and cry and his tongue slipped from my mouth. When I could take a breath, I did, and I was forced to stare at him.
“That’s what you intend to do?” he asked in a calm voice.
“If that’s what you command me to do…”
“To Oliver Rush?”
“For you.”
He growled as his lip curled. Something snapped again as he pulled at my hair. I was moving by then, going with the motion, both expecting it and wanting it.
I was standing a few seconds later.
He let my hair go and put both hands directly on my ass. He squeezed and pulled, forcing me forward on the bed. I straddled him and when I realized I was just hovering inches above his erection, I cried out his name and started to lose my breath.
