by Brooks, Abby
“Oh my God,” Juliet said around her first bite of oyster, one hand covering her mouth. “This is amazing.”
Ian knew she would love it, but not because he was foolish enough to think he knew her tastes after a handful of hours spent together. That particular dish was his brother’s specialty and there wasn’t a single person in all of Bliss who didn’t crave it. “I was right?” he asked.
Juliet nodded emphatically. “This might be my new favorite meal of all time.”
Ian smiled and watched her close her eyes and moan over the next few bites.
I’ll give you something else to moan about.
The thought jumped into his head, and suddenly he was picturing her stretched out on that bed he’d brought her, naked and open to him, her wrists captured in his hands…
“What?” she asked, catching him staring.
Ian took a breath and shook his head. “Just like watching you is all.”
Juliet dropped her eyes to her plate as a blush flared across her cheeks.
And I’ll give you something to blush about, too.
“Okay, I’ve got a question for you.” She raised her gaze and smiled as if she had a wicked secret. “What did you find when you Googled me?” She shrugged and flared her hands as if to say she wasn’t offended, only curious.
Ian put down his fork. The whole point of the Get to Know You Game was to eventually circle around to Peter Vox and find out what he could discover. He’d almost talked himself out of going there because he was enjoying himself and didn’t want to alienate her. And yet, there she was, bringing it up herself. Juliet was not a woman to underestimate.
If she wasn’t going to pull any punches, then neither would he. “I found a bunch of pictures with you and that guy from the Tech Lord commercials.”
“You just won major bonus points for not trying to pass it off like you didn’t look me up. I’d have Googled you if I had a phone that could do it.” She winked slyly and took another bite of oyster. “So,” she said, swallowing, “your turn. I’m sure you have questions. Hit me with them.”
“Is he the guy you’re running from?”
“He is.” She looked concerned for a fraction of a second and that damned flash of fear darkened her eyes and tightened her jaw again. “Does that bother you?”
“Not at all.” Ian took a long drink of wine, fighting back a surge of protectiveness he wasn’t sure he’d earned.
Juliet Lane was not his woman to protect.
Yet.
“Why are you running?”
Biting her bottom lip, she lowered her fork. It clinked against the plate and Juliet took a breath. “I signed a non-disclosure agreement.” She studied his expression, looking for any signs of judgement.
Ian did his damndest to make sure none of the questions bouncing around his skull showed on his face.
A non-disclosure agreement?
What could have warranted something like that?
Corporate espionage?
He reached across the table and took her hand. “Juliet, are you in trouble?”
“I think I was. But I don’t think he knows where I am. I went to a lot of trouble to make sure he couldn’t find me. I think I’m finally safe.” She brought out that forced smile again, a clear sign she was uncomfortable and trying to put him at ease.
“I promise you,” he said, running his finger along her hand. “You’re safe.”
Not because Peter Vox didn’t know where she was.
And not because he wasn’t looking for her.
But because anything that would get to Juliet, would have to go through Ian first.
Chapter Twenty
Juliet
Well, at least the Peter Vox thing was out in the open.
Kind of.
Ian was far from knowing the whole sordid story, but that was probably for the best.
What would he think of her if he knew she signed a BDSM contract? That Peter had whipped her? Tied her up and hurt her while she cried big, ugly tears? That even when she begged him to stop, he hadn’t?
Not even after she used her safe word…
What would Ian think of her? That answer was easy. Not much.
He’d either think she was crazy, a fool, or damaged goods.
She wasn’t offended that Ian Googled her. Who didn’t need that extra layer of protection in this day and age? She’d done her own low-tech version of it by gossiping about him with Ellie at Good Beginnings the day before.
By bringing her past up herself, she could get it out in the open. Well, as in the open as she was able, considering the non-disclosure agreement. But it gave Ian a chance to ask questions and her a chance to provide some answers.
She’d been afraid mentioning the non-disclosure would bring their conversation to an awkward halt, all flirtation screeching to a stop and shattering any hope of the actual bliss Julz hoped to find in Bliss. But Ian handled the revelation gracefully and guided the conversation in a lighter direction.
Outside, the sun set. The lighting in the restaurant cast soft pools of intimacy on each table. Candles flickered and light music mingled with conversation as mouth-watering scents wafted from the kitchen. Wine flowed, the rich burgundy liquid coating the evening with a layer of warmth. Juliet found herself leaning in toward Ian and Ian leaning in toward her, their voices lowering, fingers grazing skin.
Eye contact simmering.
Heat growing between them.
He asked her simple things. Her favorite color. Her favorite song. Her favorite flower.
He amazed her with all the places he’d traveled while in the Navy. He spoke more about his family. The love he felt for them—and more importantly from them—was so clear, so evident in the words he chose and the expressions on his face, that Juliet felt a twinge of regret that she couldn’t reciprocate with stories of her family. But she talked about Willow and that felt close enough.
The day had been a long one. A four o’clock alarm. Lots of physical work in the hot sun. A passionate kiss. A delicious dinner filled with electric chemistry.
Juliet knew she was exhausted, but she either didn’t feel it or didn’t care. She watched the corners of Ian’s eyes crinkle with his smile. Studied his lips as they formed his words. Appreciated the way he took in everything around them. The way he noticed and remembered even the smallest detail.
When he caught her stifling a yawn for the third or fourth time, he sat back and sighed. “I bet you’re regretting that four o’clock wake up call. Wishing you’d slept in till six-thirty like me, yet?”
“Uh-uh. No way. First of all, I’m having way too much fun to be tired. And second of all, I have this feeling if I’d gotten up later and not been ready when you showed up, I never would have lived it down.”
“Well, now, that’s probably true.” Having paid the bill long ago, Ian slid back in his chair and lifted his hands in a questioning gesture. “Shall we?” he asked, tilting his head toward the door.
“Sure,” she replied without really meaning it. Truth was, she wasn’t ready for the evening to end.
Ian stood and placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the exit. Juliet wanted to lean into him, to press her body against his. Would that make her seem too eager? How fast was too fast?
Considering the heat in the kiss they shared that afternoon, her fears had to be unfounded. The way he wrapped his fist into her ponytail and pulled, tilting her head back so he could kiss along her neckline.
Good lord, yes please!
She spent the car ride back to her house thinking about sliding her hands up his thigh and rubbing him until he got hard, then unzipping his pants and freeing him, unbuckling herself and leaning over, swirling her tongue around the head of his dick, and listening to him gasp as he tried to focus on driving.
“Juliet?” Ian glanced between her and the road, a question on his face. “You weren’t even paying attention to me, were you?”
Oh, I was paying attention to you.
&nbs
p; “Sorry, my mind must’ve wandered.”
“Oh yeah? To what?”
Somehow, she got the feeling he knew just where her mind had been.
Oh, no! Did he really just catch me staring at his dick, almost drooling?
She figured she’d go with the truth. Kind of. “You. I was thinking about you.”
“But I’m right here.” The smirk twisting his lips, the glint in his eyes, they confirmed Juliet’s thoughts. Ian knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
She returned the look. “Yep. And I like being right here with you.”
“Yeah?” Ian smiled and returned his eyes to the road. “Good.”
Long before she was ready, they pulled up next to her Hyundai in her new driveway. “Would you like to come in for a drink?” she asked before she remembered just how sparse her drink selection was. “I mean, I’ve got water—in your very own glass if you remember, coffee, and, well, that’s about it.”
Ian turned to her. “I’d love to come in.”
It wasn’t lost on Juliet that he hadn’t said anything about a drink. She unfastened her seatbelt and slid out of the car, suddenly very nervous.
What the hell was she doing?
Seducing her landlord?
What good could possibly come of something so stupid?
All kinds of good, her heart told her head.
She fumbled in her purse for the keys, and just as she found them Ian took her face in his hands and kissed her, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth, tasting sweet and rich, like wine. Her body responded urgently, a fire building deep in her center. She slid her hands up his hard chest and around his shoulders, her keys jingling lightly with the movement as she pulled herself closer to him. She needed more contact.
More of him.
Just…more.
“On second thought,” he murmured against her lips. “I’m not really thirsty.”
He took the keys and let them into her house. The moment the door closed, he had her in his arms again, trailing kisses over her mouth and jaw, nuzzling into her hair and biting lightly on her earlobe. He walked her backward until his firm body pressed her against the door. Gathering both her wrists in his hands, he pinned them over her head.
Juliet gasped, and tried to pull them free, but Ian held tight.
Strong.
Unrelenting.
In complete control.
She wasn’t supposed to like the feeling of being held by someone stronger than her. Wasn’t supposed to let him restrain her, but her body clenched with need, and a moan escaped her parted lips.
“You like that, don’t you?” he asked against her mouth, while his free hand cupped her breast and squeezed. “You like it when I take control.”
“Yes.” She bit her lip against the ‘Sir’ that was almost instinctive at that point.
“And what about this?” he asked as he used his knee to spread her legs and slid a hand under her dress, stopping at the edge of her panties. “Do you like this?”
“Yes. Oh God, yes.”
He tugged the edge of her underwear aside and traced her crease with one finger. “You’re so wet,” he said, plunging his finger inside. Testing her. Teasing her. She pressed her hips forward, desperate for more friction, and cried out when he circled his thumb over her clit.
“Please,” she managed between hitching breaths.
“Please what?”
“I need more.”
Ian released her wrists and her hands flew to his zipper, desperate to free his hard cock, to run her hands over his length, to get down on her knees and put him in her mouth. “Greedy girl,” he murmured.
“Damn right I’m greedy,” she said as she wrestled with the button on his pants, finally managing to lower the zipper. Juliet pulled his boxer briefs down with his pants until they gathered at his feet. She gasped as he sprang free. “So big!”
He growled at her words, a low sound that soaked her panties even more than they already were. “Upstairs,” he said. “Now.”
She didn’t obey his order. Her days of obeying men were over. Instead, she dropped to her knees in front of him and ran her tongue over his tip, tasting the saltiness of his desire. Her heart raced when he groaned, exhilarated to feel in control for the first time in a long time. In control of his pleasure, in control over whether she went upstairs like a good girl or got down on her knees and put him in her mouth like she wanted.
“You’re being so bad, Juliet,” Ian grunted, throwing his head back when she took him all the way to the back of her throat. “But it feels so good.” He threaded his fingers into her hair, pulling just a little. When she looked up, he was watching her, his mouth open, his eyes burning with desire.
“That’s enough,” he said. “I need to see you.” Ian helped Juliet to her feet and unzipped her dress, then pulled it down her shoulders, stepping back when it hit the ground. “Fucking black lace,” he muttered, eyeing her hungrily.
Juliet began to unbutton his shirt, her deft fingers working slowly, drawing out the pleasure. “Your turn.”
“Upstairs,” he growled, and Juliet obeyed, turning slowly. “Nope,” he clarified when she turned, revealing that her panties were actually a thong. “Changed my mind. It’s too far.”
He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. Carried her to the couch while she squealed and laughed and then lowered her carefully. “So beautiful,” he said. “But so bad.” And with that, he flipped her over and slapped her ass. Not hard, but Juliet yelped just the same.
She cringed in anticipation of the next slap, one that was sure to be harder, and the one after that, when she’d start to cry. But, instead of pain came pleasure as Ian slid her panties to the side and dipped his fingers into her again. Instead of crying out, she moaned. He knew just how to touch her. She pushed her hips toward his hand, in search of more.
He slapped her ass again, and then his fingers were right back inside her, moving so deliciously she could feel an orgasm building. “Oh, Ian! You’re gonna make me come!”
“Do it. Come for me, baby.” And, as if all her body needed was his permission, her muscles clenched around his fingers and she rode wave after wave of pleasure as he continued to move inside her. When her breathing slowed, Ian pulled away and flipped her over. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. But he wasn’t in the mood to show off. He stretched out over top of her and pressed the tip of his dick against her folds, and then stopped.
“Shit. Let me get a condom.”
He started to move away, but Juliet grabbed his hips and held him in place. “I’m on the pill. And I’m clean. Had to get checked as part of the contract I signed with Peter.” Oh shit, that might have been the worst thing to say right now. Juliet turned her face to the side and swallowed, afraid he’d pull away, utterly turned off.
“Look at me, baby,” he said. “Don’t ever be afraid to look me in the eyes.” He waited until she turned her head and met his gaze and then he pushed forward, slowly sheathing himself deep within her, inch by decadent inch. Her mouth opened as he filled her, and it truly felt as if he was everything she’d been missing her whole life. He hit a place deep inside, a place that no one had ever touched before and as he plunged in again and again, intense pleasure began to build until it was so big, she didn’t know how she’d contain it. She called out, unable to stay silent as he hit the spot over and over, and her muscles clenched tighter and tighter until she gasped his name.
“Ian!”
And it was like her soul called to his and he answered with a yell of his own, his eyes rolling back as he released.
Chapter Twenty-One
Juliet
Juliet woke to find herself in a tangle of sheets and a pool of sunshine streaming through the window. At some point during the night—or maybe it was late enough in the evening to be morning—she and Ian made it upstairs to her bed, although it took a while before they actually fell asleep. Stretching, she pulled herself into a sitting position and smiled at the view
of the ocean.
This. She could definitely wake up like this every morning.
Her body limp from pleasure, aching with the memory of Ian inside her.
The sun rising over the water outside her window.
That was, until she noticed she was alone. Instead of waking up in a tangle of arms and legs, she’d woken as the sole occupant of her bed. Had he left?
Oh God! Was that a one-night stand?
See, said her head to her heart, I told you not to get involved with your landlord.
And then she heard the opening and closing of cabinet doors, the hiss of the coffee pot, and the ever-so-welcome scent of coffee wafting up the stairs. Stopping to slide on a pair of panties and a T-shirt, Juliet padded down to the kitchen.
“Morning,” she said, and Ian smiled, looking absolutely tasty in his dress pants and bare chest, his hair rumpled from sleep. At his feet, Lulu worked on the food he’d poured into her bowl.
“I was gonna surprise you with breakfast, but…” He gestured around the kitchen and all the open, empty cabinets. “You don’t have anything to make breakfast with.”
“That’s not totally true.” Julz bent and picked out her small egg pan from underneath the stove. “I have this.”
“I suppose that would work, if we wanted to eat at noon.” He took the pan from her and set it down, then pulled her into his arms, nuzzling her nose with his. “You should have to walk around like that all the time, just a T-shirt and miles of leg on display.” He kissed her, his hands sliding up her back, raising goose bumps at the contact. “I did make coffee,” he said, his lips brushing hers. “But you only have one mug.”
“Yeah, but it’s a damn good mug.”
“It is a fine mug.”
Juliet beamed. She loved that thing. She had no idea why. It was just a chunky cup she’d picked up from a street vendor, but it was one of the first things she’d ever bought herself. “It’d be too much to hope that you like your coffee with cream and sugar so we could share, right?”
