“I heard what he said. And he won’t bother you again,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “He’s a useless fuck, but he won’t dare cross me. At least not here.”
“You know him, away from this place, I mean?” Grace asked, biting her lip. She had a tendency to do that, and I found it… distracting.
“He holds office in my home state,” I answered slowly. “And heads up a policy committee. We’ve been at odds for a while now, over a neighborhood my company has interests in.” I shifted and looked away. “He’s got a reputation for treating people badly. Especially women.” I stood up and looked down at Grace. She was nervous. Even more nervous than she’d been at the auction. I lifted her to her feet and tilted her chin up to me.
“I won’t leave you alone again, Grace. You won’t leave this room without me from now on.”
I held her chin, watching her green eyes. They were beautiful. She was beautiful. The color was coming back to her pale cheeks, but I could see there was still something wrong. Something was very wrong.
I sat, pulling her down onto my lap. I was hard, and shifted so that my cock wasn’t right under her perfect ass. “What is it, Grace. I can see it in your eyes. Was there more between you than what I saw?” I bristled at the thought.
“He was rude, is all,” she began. “But I know who he is…” She shifted and so did I. “I don’t know if he recognized me, too. But I remembered where I’ve seen him. It’s… well, it’s… complicated.” She looked away.
“And you’d rather not talk about it?”
She shook her head. I dropped a kiss on her mouth and felt her bottom lip, slightly swollen against mine. “Just know, you won’t see him again, not while we’re here together. Put it out of your mind, Grace.”
I rubbed her back as I spoke, and felt her relax in my hands. I slipped the fabric aside, baring her back. The skin was perfect, unmarked. I ran my fingers across, feeling the silken texture. Then I pushed her hair up and put my mouth to the back of her neck. I felt her shudder and catch her breath.
“Come with me.” I put her on her feet and took her hand. “I have one more lesson for you tonight.”
I took her to my favorite room in the Citadel. It was just off the bedroom, and equipped for every imaginable kind of sexual need. There were chains attached to the walls and hanging from the ceiling. A long, narrow table held everything from whips to vibrators. There was even a table that resembled a medieval torture device used for spreading limbs apart. But those weren’t the reasons I used this room. It was the sunken pool that I liked. And the surprisingly gentle lighting.
I led her inside and watched her eyes widen and her mouth drop open. Her lip was full, slack. I had a sudden urge to take it in between my own teeth…
“It’s okay,” I soothed, closing the door behind us. “Although it can be used for many things, for me… for us, this room is not about pain. At least, not in the way you think.”
The room was already warm, as I’d asked. The water in the pool even warmer. I took the blanket and robe from her shoulders. “Look around,” I ordered. “There’s nothing here you can’t explore, that you can’t touch.”
I watched her as she took in the room. She looked from the table of tools and toys, and then back at me. I could see a combination of fear and curiosity in her eyes and I smiled reassuringly. “They’re not necessary,” I said gently. “Unless you want them to be.”
Her expression shifted slightly. I felt like a starving man sitting in front of a gourmet meal. I watched her, trying to sense her feelings. Trying to feel them for myself.
She walked to the steps leading down into the pool and I felt my raging cock throb in response. “Get in,” I ordered, my voice sharper than I’d intended. I leaned back against a padded bench a few feet away. “There’s bath gel on the tray,” I said, gesturing with a nod. “I want to watch you bathe.”
She was awkward, not fully understanding. But she did as I asked. She was self-conscious at first, but the warmth of the water and the familiar movements of bathing were accomplishing what I wanted. She relaxed as she moved, almost seeming to forget my presence. Almost.
She worked silky lather through her hair, her breasts running with the stream of water and suds. They were round and perfect. The movements of her arms lifted them and made them sway. She saw my eyes on her, and squared her shoulders to me, letting me see her fully. She was standing in the hip deep water. A little wave left a white froth of lather behind on her pussy. My cock was painful. Raging hard…
I stepped toward her and squeezed some soap into my hands. I knelt at the side of the pool. I didn’t want to frighten her by getting in just yet.
I worked my hands together, the lather slippery. “Come here.”
I ran my hands over her breasts, down the velvet of her belly. I watched her nipples go from flat and wide, to tight and hard. She leaned toward me, her breathing getting faster. Her body responded to me so easily.
“I want you to touch yourself, Grace. Like this…” I let my hand trail down and found her clit already starting to harden. Sweet, hot, girl…
I took her nub in my thick fingertips and rolled it gently. The response was incredible. Her head dropped forward and she gasped. She rocked her hips into me and rubbed herself into my hand. This was better than I’d dared to hope for. I caught her hand and pulled it down too, pressing her fingers with mine into her folds. Rubbing together in small, hard circles. I could feel my cock already leaking with need.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” I said against her ear. “I’m going to watch you touch yourself. I want to see what you do.” I pulled back and stood up, looking down at her in the water. Her eyes were enormous, but she didn’t look away. And her hand didn’t stop…
I want you to bring yourself to the edge, Grace. I want you so fucking close to the edge. I want to watch it. I want to see what you feel…”
I took a few steps back and leaned against my bench. She could see my entire length as I watched her and she never looked away.
I unzipped and released my cock. It was huge. Thick and heavy, dripping in anticipation.
9
Grace
It was too much. All too much. I stood with my mouth hanging open, watching him take out his cock. It was too much. Too big to ever fit inside me. Shit, I’d never had anything inside me…
But I couldn’t look anywhere else. He held it in his hand, the head round and dark. Then he stroked it, from base to tip and it got even darker. The whole time his eyes never left mine. And I never stopped touching myself. I couldn’t stop.
I felt my pussy clench as I worked myself. I should be embarrassed, I thought crazily. But I’m here letting a man watch me masturbate. And I think I like it.
The whole evening had been charged with sex. At first it had just terrified me, and I’d never have imagined it would arouse me. But the truth was that it had.
I flashed to the man who’d drunk brandy from a girl’s body and my hand sped up on its own. I could feel my breasts bouncing with the motion of my arm. They were sensitive as hell, needy too, from my own touch. And from Kaine’s.
“Remember…” I watched his mouth form the words, and could almost feel them on mine. I wanted to feel them. I wanted to feel all of him… What would his cock feel like in my hand… or inside me?
“Take yourself only to the edge, sweetheart. You will stop before you let yourself climax.”
I bit into my lip, determined to do what he told me. Maybe he was going to fuck me then… when I was right there… so ready… I could feel myself lengthening inside, preparing to take him. I felt my walls clench against emptiness and was suddenly eager to lose that feeling. I wanted to be filled. And I wanted Kaine to be the man who filled me.
I watched his body, rocking with the movement of his own hand. It was almost violent. I loved the feeling that I was responsible. That he could be so turned on just by watching me. I felt my clit throb in response as the electricity started at the base of my spine. I close
d my eyes and sucked a sudden breath…
“No.”
I heard him say the word. It seemed to come from far away. But the shock of his hand catching mine and pulling it away brought me back. My eyes shot open. He was next to me in the water, my hand a prisoner in his grip. I felt dizzy, the blood pounding in my head, a rushing sound in my ears. Every nerve was alive and tingling. It was like being on fire… without burning.
“Put your hands on me,” he said, his voice deep and harsh. “But don’t stroke me, sweetheart. Just hold me… while I touch you…”
I reached out, gasping as I took him. He was still dressed, his clothes soaking wet. Only his naked cock stood upright, waiting for me. I wrapped my hands around his length and felt him pulsing, his cock brutally hard but the skin shocking smooth and velvety. I watched as a thick drop of fluid formed at the tip. I was holding hard proof in my hands… of this man’s desire for me.
Kaine dropped his lips to mine, opening my mouth to his. His tongue explored as he kissed me and his fingers pressed against my aching clit, wet from the pool and slick with need. He slipped his finger between my folds and I moved my legs apart willingly. It was big, but nothing like the size of his cock. Oh, god, if his finger felt this good…
He worked me with his thumb as he plunged his finger deep inside, over and over. I could feel his cock pounding in my hands, but it was his hands on me that I was lost in. They had become my entire world… He was pushing and pulling, stroking and kneading. He took my bottom lip in his teeth…
And just as I thought I couldn’t bear it, I felt everything shatter around me, and inside me. I exploded in a rush of color and sound, my heart pounding, my clit swelling hard against his fingers. It washed over me in hot, wet waves and I heard him say my name, cradling me in his arms. His fingers never stopped, and they pulled sensation from me relentlessly. He was thrusting in deep and pulling back. He’s fucking me with his hand, I thought, giving up to him. I was helpless and my body moved with a mind all its own. I fell back, utterly lost…
“Ahhh, sweetheart…” I heard him close to me. “My beautiful sweet girl.”
I opened my eyes to him. He was holding me on his lap. We were still in the water and I was limp in his arms. He reached for a towel.
“Can you stand?” he asked softly, helping me toward the edge of the pool. I nodded and climbed the stairs, grateful for the warmth of the room.
“Here,” he said, rising out of the water to stand next to me. He wrapped the towel around me and reached for another, wrapping it around his own shoulders. “Let’s get you dry and into bed.”
He led me into the adjoining bedroom and toweled me dry. He disappeared for a moment, into the bathroom, and came back wrapped on a thick cotton robe. I felt warm and strange inside. Nothing about this night was like I imagined it would be.
This man was kind to me. Kind and giving. And in spite of the fact that I was still reeling from my orgasm, I knew deep down that it had only heightened my desire, not released it. Kaine still hadn’t come. I could see he was still huge under the robe and I felt myself grow wet inside all over again, knowing what was going to happen next. When we climbed under the sheets together… What we’d already done had only been a taste. These were feelings I’d never had in my life… and I wanted more…
Kaine pulled the covers back, lifted me in his arms and slid me under. Then he pulled them back up around my chin, smiling strangely as he tucked me in.
“I want you to sleep, Grace,” he said softly. “Tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us.”
I watched in disbelief as he walked to the door and switched off the lights. He closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the enormous bed.
10
Grace
What the hell?
Kaine had paid a hundred grand for me, and he’s leaving me here alone?
I turned on my side and curled into a ball. My body was still tingling all over, and I felt tender inside. My mind was racing. Had I done something wrong?
I’d touched him… but he’d told me to. And I hadn’t climaxed, not until he made me. I’d followed his orders, yet here I was, alone in a bed more than big enough for two… And I’d thought it would all be over by now. I felt so young… and naive. I’d never thought I’d still be a virgin at the end of the night.
Of course, I also hadn’t expected to feel this… this… frustration. The hell of it was, that in the few short hours I’d known Kaine, everything had changed. Before, this had all just been the means to an end. I needed money, and wanted to help Evelyn. Now, I wanted Kaine, and I needed him to climb into bed beside me… I wasn’t a child anymore, after all. I was a full-grown woman… finally discovering very grown up needs…
I rolled onto my back and stared up at the fancy tiles that decorated the ceiling. He’d wanted me because I was a virgin. Maybe he just wanted me to stay one a little while longer. Maybe it was part of the fantasy or something.
Or maybe he was being kind? I was a little sore inside, just from the size of his thick finger. Could it be he was being considerate, getting me ready slowly? Was that something that even happened in a place like this?
I imagined him, out on the sofa in the living room. Was he jerking off alone? Surely he couldn’t have gotten that close himself, without needing a release…
I must have tossed and turned for hours, irritated with myself for caring. And irritated with Kaine too. He’d clearly wanted me. Pretty damn bad, I flattered myself. And I couldn’t deny that I wanted him, more and more, the longer I had to wait. Maybe that was part of his deal. Maybe that’s what he’d meant when he said we’d both suffer. I threw the covers back and stomped into the bathroom for a drink of water. I filled a glass and swallowed, amazed at the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday morning I’d been afraid, really afraid. And I’d nearly backed out, ready to leave Evelyn to face the consequences on her own. And now, here I was, mad at the man who’d bought me, because he hadn’t fucked me yet.
I sat back down on the edge of the bed and shifted my thoughts to the encounter with Bastien Cole.
How the fuck had he ended up here? On the same night I’d been up for auction. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold in spite of the warm room. Was it just a coincidence? Or could he have known that Evelyn’s daughter would be up for sale…
I shook myself, irritated. I didn’t even know for sure that he’d recognized me. After all, I’d only been in court with Mom a few times, and I’d been back in the second or third row. He might have never made the connection. After all, I wasn’t the one up on charges…
But I didn’t like it. There was something about the man… something in those black eyes that made me afraid. Deeply afraid. For a moment, I wondered if I really should tell Kaine.
I dismissed the idea almost as fast as it formed. That was personal stuff. And whatever happened in the next week between Kaine and me was not. Besides, I hated the idea of telling family secrets. Even though it wasn’t my secret exactly, I felt ashamed just the same. Besides, Kaine had promised I wouldn’t see Cole again. I’d be gone in a week, and that would be the end of it.
I tried to sleep again, but soon the early morning light was already starting to come through the blinds. I pushed my hair back, tucking it behind my ears, curious to see if Kaine had slept out on the sofa. Somehow he struck me as a man who didn’t sleep much. Maybe he didn’t need to. Maybe he couldn’t. He was clearly very wealthy and had that casual air of the privileged. I guessed that his kind of success didn’t allow much down time. And he was a man who was always in control. Of the people around him. Of himself.
I found a cotton robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door and shrugged it on. I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts anymore. And, ironic as it was, I’d felt more vulnerable alone in this room last night than I’d felt naked in Kaine’s arms.
I opened the door and peeked out. The hall was empty and it was quiet. It was still so early, he was probably asleep. I’d feel better just t
o sit in a chair and wait for him to wake up. My stomach rumbled and I wondered when I’d eaten last.
I crept down the hall, unsure if this was a mistake. Maybe he’d wanted me to wait in bed, until he came to me? But I kept going and turned the corner, the hall widening out into the oversized living room. A fast glance and the room seemed empty. I took a few more steps, and peeked over the back of the long sofa.
Kaine was sound asleep, lying on his back, his robe bunched at his waist, long muscular legs extending from beneath. His arms and chest were bare and I ran my eyes greedily over him. I hadn’t seen his skin before. He was sleek, dark and perfect.
He was broad and powerfully built, his skin browned by the sun. Even relaxed in sleep, his muscles looked sculpted. A fine sprinkling of dark hair shaded his chest and formed a line that disappeared under his robe. I flashed back to him holding his cock, moving his hand and felt a drip of moisture on the inside of my thigh. My hand ached to reach out and touch him, but I held still, just watching, not wanting to do anything that would displease him. He drew in a loud breath and flung one arm up over his head. Then, still asleep, he rolled, shifting and turning until he was on his stomach. He stretched and was still.
I took a step back, but couldn’t tear my eyes away. I had to bite my lip to keep myself silent.
While the skin on his chest had been perfect, unmarked… his entire back was lined with a pattern of healed scars. Tiny little x shapes, all in neat columns and rows. They’d been cut deep… and intentionally… I stood, barely breathing.
Who in hell had done all this to Kaine…
And, for god’s sake… why?
11
The Baby Contract Page 22
