The door shut behind him, and he walked into the building. The elevator dinged when he entered the passcode and rode up to the top floor. Hunt was quiet for a while before he said something else. “What other skeletons do you have?”
The elevator doors opened and revealed him standing in the center. I looked directly at him, seeing his mocha-colored eyes staring back at me. He stepped inside with the phone still pressed to his ear.
I continued to hold mine. “You don’t want to know.” I hung up and set the phone on the table.
Hunt slid his into his pocket. He was in a suit, obviously skipping the gym and coming here instead. He walked up to me and cupped my face before he kissed me on the mouth. His soft lips brushed against mine before his tongue moved into my mouth. His fingers yanked on my hair slightly as he moved farther into me. The kiss seemed to last only ten seconds even though it was minutes. Then he pulled away. “I do want to know.”
I didn’t understand his statement at all because all I’d been thinking about was that kiss. After a few seconds of thinking, I remembered the last thing we were talking about. “The less you know, the better.” My hand ran down his chest before I walked into the kitchen. “How’s sweet butternut stew?”
He followed behind me and joined me at the counter. “No idea what that is.”
“It’s a vegan stew I make. It’s pretty good. It’s got sweet potatoes and butternut squash, mixed with red lentils and white rice.”
“Actually, that doesn’t sound bad.”
“You want to help me?”
Any other guy would rather park his ass on the couch and turn on football, but he smiled in response. “I’d love to.”
“Do you know how to peel potatoes?”
“I can make you come three times in a row,” he said sarcastically. “Yes, I can peel a potato.”
“Sex is much easier when you look like that.” I patted his ass on the way to the fridge.
He gave me that rugged smile that was mixed with boyish charm. “You like my ass, baby?”
He called me baby again. And again, I said nothing. “I wanted to dig my teeth into it the first time I saw it.”
“There’s still time.” He smacked his own ass playfully.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
We diced the vegetables and prepared them in the hot pans. We added ingredients, prepared the rice, and sautéed vegetables to go with it. Working in comfortable unison, it was like we’d done this several times.
“Do you think your dad knows by now?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “The guys at Megaland must have given him the courtesy of canceling.”
“But they may not have given up your identity.”
“They wouldn’t have to. He’ll figure it out.”
We combined the rice and the stew together into big bowls, making more than enough for both of us. We carried them to the kitchen table along with two Old Fashioneds. We sat down and ate, picking up the conversation.
“Have you been in the same room together since you last spoke?” I asked.
“A few times. He doesn’t look at me. I don’t look at him.”
I understood Hunt’s decision, but I thought the situation was terribly sad at the same time. Hunt still had his father around, but the man was pretty much dead to him. I didn’t have any either of my parents anymore. I’d made a great life for myself and I didn’t need anyone, but any son or daughter would always need their parents—or at least want them. “He’s never contacted you?”
“No.”
“Have you ever considered calling him?”
He kept eating, taking his time as he chewed his bites. “No.”
“What about your brother?”
“Jax and I don’t talk either. We don’t have any beef. We’re just on different sides of the same war.”
“That’s too bad.”
“But I don’t respect him,” Hunt said. “Brett is our brother, even if only half his blood is the same as ours. Jax turned the other cheek while my father treated him like garbage. That’s not okay to me.”
I always respected those who rooted for the underdog. If people hadn’t done the same to me, I wouldn’t be here now. A lot of people tried to undercut me, but a lot of people lifted me up too. “I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I think that’s really sweet. Your mom would be proud of you.”
He flinched slightly at the mention of his mother. His hand halted as he gripped the spoon. Then he scooped up another bite like nothing had happened. “I don’t know what my mother would think of me. But I know she would be disappointed in my father for dividing us like this.”
“I know she wouldn’t be disappointed in you. If you weren’t divided, then Brett would be an outcast. That’s the last thing she would have wanted.”
“Maybe.” He kept eating without looking at me, his exterior cold.
I assumed he didn’t want to talk about his mom anymore, but there was one more thing I wanted to say. “Brett told me about her accident. I know it was a long time ago, and this doesn’t help at all, but I’m sorry.”
He turned his gaze slowly back on to me, his brown eyes darker than they were before. He seemed angry and touched at the same time. “Thanks…I’m surprised he told you that.”
I didn’t reveal the rest he told me. “I can’t remember how it came up.”
He finished his food, wiping the bowl clean. “That was great. Thank you.”
“And thank you. You helped me.”
“Team effort.” He pushed his bowl aside and took a drink of his Old Fashioned. He stirred the ice cubes before he took another sip. “We’ve been talking about me all night. What about you?”
“What about me?” I crossed my legs and plucked the cherry out of my drink. I popped it into my mouth and yanked the stem out, dropping it onto the napkin.
“How was your day?”
“The same as all the others.”
“You seem bored.”
“Quite the opposite. I have to fly to California for a meeting next week. Not looking forward to that.”
“Why? You have a place there, right?”
“I just have so much to do here.”
She might have to reschedule that meeting. I wasn’t giving up a single day during my six weeks.
“And then Thorn wants to take a trip to visit his parents in Chicago.”
She just saw them. That was something else that would have to change during our six weeks.
“My assistant is getting better. She was terrible in the beginning, but now she owns it.”
“It was nice of you to be patient with her.”
“People were patient with me, once upon a time.”
“I can’t picture a version of you that’s anything other than perfect at everything.”
Both corners of her mouth rose in a smile. “Oh, she definitely exists.”
He glanced at my private wet bar before he turned back to me. “How many does it take to knock you over?”
“Nothing knocks me over.”
“You’ve never been drunk?” he asked incredulously.
“No. I don’t like losing control of my faculties. A buzz is nice, but nothing more than that.”
“And how many do you drink a day to get there?”
“Hmm…” I stirred my glass as I thought about his question. “Ten.”
He couldn’t hide his skeptical look. “You can drink ten of these a day?”
“I could, but I don’t.”
“How many do you usually have?”
I shrugged as I thought about it. “Probably five.”
He still seemed surprised by that. “I drink a lot, but you do laps around me.”
“I hardly believe that.”
“Well, I don’t drink during the week. I can only take in so many calories.”
“I can because I just don’t eat.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” he said darkly.
I was done with the chitchat, our stomachs full and our
conversation over. “You still want to see one of my secrets?” I pushed my empty glass away and stood up, my fingertips still resting on the surface of the table.
His face shifted up to look at me, his eyes greedy for knowledge. “Yes.”
My hand went to his shoulder, and I gave it a tight squeeze. “Then follow me.” I led the way, leaving the living room and moving into the hallway. My feet clapped against the hardwood floor, and I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me. I turned right down a different hallway, leading him to a side of my penthouse he’d never seen before.
The door was white like all the others. To anybody passing by, it would seem uninteresting, a door that led to another bathroom or closet. But it led to somewhere truly spectacular.
I walked inside first, stepping into the dark room with chains, whips, and ropes. I flicked on the lights, revealing the display cases with tools I mostly collected, never used. Unlike other playrooms I’d seen, mine was in tones of white and gray, matching the rest of my fortress. It was feminine but powerful.
Hunt stepped inside and swept across the room with his eyes. He examined the chains in the ceiling, the gray mat in the center of the floor, and the case full of whips in various sizes. His hands sat in the pockets of his slacks. His jaw was harder than usual, and his eyes weren’t burning with anger like they sometimes did.
Indifference.
He wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
Not even slightly annoyed.
He brushed his fingers along one of the whips before he walked onto the soft pad on the floor. His eyes found mine as he moved his hands to his neck and yanked his tie off. Then he unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall open little by little.
It took a lot to get my heart beating in this room. I’d seen it all. I’d done everything. But watching Hunt undress himself, not recoiling in disgust, was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. He not only accepted my challenge—but he raised it with his own.
I licked my lips.
My throat went dry.
My entire body ached for this man.
This fearless man.
He moved to his pants next and kicked off his shoes. He stripped down to his black boxers, muscular thighs leading to toned legs. His thin waist had a sharp V from the indents of muscles. He looked just like a muscle car, full of masculine curves and a powerful engine.
His back was tight against his waist and extended to a powerful pair of shoulders. Muscles etched in stone were across his skin, an endless array of power all along his back. His triceps were cut, his biceps jutting out in the opposite direction.
The look he wore was sexier than the rest of him. His jaw had a slight shadow, but it was enough to darken his features. His brown eyes contrasted against his fair skin, his brown hair still perfectly styled because I hadn’t dug my fingers into it yet.
I was the one who owned this room, but he quickly hijacked it. “I’m ready, Boss Lady.”
My spine tightened then shivered.
He was obedient, but only in his own way. He gave me the floor, but he determined the timetable. I was the one in charge, but he was still pulling the strings. It was discreet, subtle enough that I may not have noticed.
But I did notice.
“I’m not. On your knees.” I stood in front of him, my arms resting by my sides.
Hunt stared at me without blinking, his muscular arms tight as they hung by his hips.
I kept my harsh gaze, commanding him without speaking.
He still didn’t move.
“Don’t make me ask you again.”
“Four days.”
I heard what he said and knew exactly what it meant. In four days, all of this would be over. I would be the one who was ordered around. I might as well enjoy this moment as much as I could—because it was about to be a memory.
Before I could ask him again, he lowered himself to his knees.
And I experienced a high like I’d never known before. I’d never been with a man who challenged me so much, who earned my respect so quickly. I’d never been with a man and cared about his life outside my bed. Now Hunt and I had lives that were intricately intertwined. “Stay.” I walked out of the playroom and raided my closet. I found the teddy and garters I wanted to wear, along with the sky-high black heels that made my ass look plump. I walked back into the playroom a moment later.
Hunt was still on his knees, and his eyes roamed over me greedily. His jaw started to tighten, the same reaction he gave when he was either angry or lustful. Right now, I knew which emotion it was.
I walked to the display case and grabbed one of my crops, one of the soft and slender ones. I felt the leather against my palm before I turned back to him.
Hunt stared at the implement. “Are you going to hit me with that?”
I smacked the end against my own palm, making a quiet snapping noise. “Yes.”
“You’re going to have to use something bigger than that.”
I couldn’t control the shock on my face. Hunt continued to surprise me, to catch me off-balance without even trying. I returned the crop and grabbed a flogger instead.
Hunt shook his head. “Grab a whip, baby.”
I ran the tips of the flogger over my hand, humbled once again. I tossed the flogger on the floor and grabbed one of my bullwhips. It was long with an incredible snap. “This is going to hurt, Hunt.”
“I hope it does.”
I didn’t see a hint of fear on his face.
“Do your worst, baby. In four days, I’ll do mine.”
If I lingered on that sentence too long, I would lose my nerve. I looked forward to doing whatever I wanted to him, but I feared the unknown. I feared being the one to obey, to be at the mercy of this man. No matter how bad it was, I couldn’t walk away. He committed to everything I asked. It would be unfair for me to bow out.
I walked behind him and brushed the whip across his back, teasing him. He didn’t flinch at the touch. His breathing didn’t even increase. Everything stayed exactly the same. If he was anxious for the pain, he didn’t show it. “It won’t scar you.”
“Doesn’t matter if it does.”
No matter what I said, he challenged me. He gave me the control, but in a very small form. I pulled my whip back, preparing to strike him. “I’m gonna hit you ten times, Hunt. And when I’m finished—”
“Make it twenty.”
I was turned on by his eagerness but also dismayed. “Don’t interrupt me.”
Silence.
“When I’m done, we’re going to have even more fun.” I struck the whip across his back, immediately reddening the skin at the impact. “Count with me.”
His deep voice was steady. His body didn’t sway with the momentum of the hit. “One.”
Hearing that masculine voice sent shivers all down my body. He asked for twenty lashes, but I wasn’t sure I could wait that long. My thighs ached to wrap around his waist, to feel his thick cock pound me until he hit my trigger. I whipped again, a little harder.
“Two.”
I’d never been whipped, but I knew it hurt. His lack of response was impressive. I usually got a moan or a cringe from my other lovers. I’d never been greeted with silence. I struck him a few more times, bringing our total up to ten.
We were halfway there, but he hadn’t broken a sweat. He hadn’t changed his position despite the strain on his knees. His arms remained directly at his sides, his hands open and not tight in a fist.
I slashed the whip across his back.
“Eleven.” His voice was exactly the same as it was before. I suspected it would be the same until we finished.
Every single slash was greeted with the same reaction. Like the bite of the leather had no effect on him at all, he held his body perfectly straight and didn’t lean forward with the heat. His breathing never escalated. If anything, it slowed down. His back was marked with red lines, marks that would fade in a few days.
I continued on, finally getting to twenty.
And he didn’t
move.
I threw the whip down, hot and covered in sweat from striking him. My body ached for his in the most powerful way I’d ever known. This man was immune to pain, untouched by any stimuli that he didn’t want to be affected by. He had complete control over his mind, over his body. “Up.”
He rose to his feet, not turning around.
I grabbed a chair from the wall and pulled it to the center of the room. “Sit.”
He took a seat, his expression stoic.
With a single rope, I secured his legs to the chair and tied his arms together in the back. When he couldn’t move at all, even thrust his hips upward, I yanked down his boxers, unfastened my crotch, and straddled his hips.
I lowered myself onto his length, my warm cream sheathing him all the way to the base.
He immediately tugged on the ropes as he released an angry growl. His eyebrow ridges came together, and he grinded his teeth. His dark eyes matched the color of the chair, deep with a violent flare.
I sank all the way down, taking in his length until I could feel him stretch my walls apart. His skin was reddened from the aggressive thickness of the leather, and I liked seeing his body marked up. I dragged my tongue across his shoulder then kissed his neck.
His hands yanked on the ropes again.
I gripped the back of the chair and positioned myself on my feet. His cock was long enough that I could pull it off, rise up and sheathe his dick again. The first time I met him, I suspected he was packing.
And he definitely was.
“Jesus, I already want to come…” He leaned his face forward and kissed my tits, his tongue catching the hard tip and running through the valley between my breasts. Sometimes he sucked the skin into his mouth, brushing it against the hardness of his teeth. He breathed across my skin, the excitement in his voice loud.
“Better not.” I bounced up and down, gripping his shoulders for balance.
He looked past me and stared into the mirror on the opposite wall, having a great view of my ass as it moved up and down. He watched me move, his breathing deep and shaky. His shoulders shifted forward as he tried to break through the tight ropes.
“You aren’t going anywhere.” I sat on his dick and gave him a slow kiss. “Not until I’m finished.”
He breathed into my mouth. “I never want to go anywhere, Boss Lady.”
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