"And you believe that lie?" His hands slide down from my waist until he cups my ass. I bite off a moan. Given where we’re standing in the restaurant, my back is facing a wall, his faces the room. Basically, unless you're paying attention, you wouldn’t know what's going on between us.
"What are you doing?" I choke.
"I told you, I missed you." He takes a step closer to me and presses his hard cock against my stomach. Shit. To the naked eye, it's just a hug, but my pulsating pussy knows better.
"We’re in the middle of a restaurant," I scold softly. My voice is shaky.
"And it would be the first time?" he whispers back.
"No, but…" Honestly, I'm not sure I have a good enough argument here. We’ve done far more than just a little hugging and exchange a few naughty words in a restaurant in the past.
"The way you talk about the clothing I bought you, it sounds like I'm forcing you to wear them. Or worse, I'm pointing a gun to your head.” I'm grateful for the change of subject. “You made it clear yesterday when you wore that newly acquired cock-hardening yellow dress that Charlotte always has the final say—well, unless we’re behind closed doors where I hold all the power," he reminds me. Bloody hell. "If you really didn't want to wear the pieces I bought you, you would've burnt through Groove Renegade’s money on the second day you got here. Stop kidding yourself, kitten, you're enjoying this as much as I am."
I can't deny it. He's right.
With the intimate tone of this conversation, you’d think we were in a private room, but no, we’re right smack in the middle of the restaurant. This fact alone makes me wet.
"You have good taste." That's all I can come up with.
"You're repeating yourself, Charlotte. You’ve said that before." That's because you make me lose all my senses. I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. "But thank you, I have a great canvas to work with," he grins from ear to ear. "Shall we sit?"
Thank God.
"Yes," I pant. My legs are trembling as much as my voice.
Even though my chair is already pulled out, Barrett stands right behind it and waits for me to be seated before circling the table to sit across from me.
"You like the bag?" He nods in the direction of the Gucci Dionysus top handle bag sitting on the table.
"I may bitch and moan about it, but I can't complain about anything you bought me. The bag is gorgeous."
"Good. I'm happy." His eyes drop. "You're still wearing the bracelet," he comments.
"I don't have a choice. It's either that or I’ll walk around looking like a BDSM poster child," I laugh.
"Is that all there is to it?" His eyebrow quirks.
"That and the fact that I absolutely love it. I always have. Since the first day you gave it to me."
He considers me for a few beats before pulling his lips up in a warm smile. "I like the clever way you use a scarf around the other wrist," he says. "Did you buy a collection of these?" he chuckles. "The one you wore yesterday matched your yellow dress, whereas this one matches the one you're wearing now."
"I bought this one today at the boutique in the lobby. The marks are still too fresh and might raise questioning eyebrows."
"Smart girl."
“I do my best," I tease.
Secretly I love how Barrett brands me with his insatiable desire. That encounter we had Saturday in his hotel room was explosive. We’re talking five-alarm fire here. It felt like he craved me so much, that this uncontrollable force drove him to fuck my ass in the most unrepentant and pleasurable way. He was possessed, and I was the soul looking to be corrupted. Although hidden, the red marks he left on my wrists are like warnings on my flesh. A way of telling others to stay away.
“Speaking of you doing your best, how's the bratty teenager?"
His uncanny ability to change subjects at the drop of a hat always catches me off guard.
"Predictably annoying and incessantly ungrateful," I roll my eyes. "I still can't get over the fact that Jason was bitching about not being able to get his favorite cup of coffee three times a day—”
"Let me guess. One of those nauseatingly complicated drinks?" Barrett sneers. "It would match his personality to a T."
"It seems he can't function without his daily dosage of skim, extra shot, extra-hot, extra-whip, sugar-free venti caramel macchiato. As if I looked like a barista from Starbucks. Obnoxious idiot. That was his biggest concern."
"Why am I not surprised," Barrett shakes his head.
"Exactly. Finding himself locked up in a Greek prison didn't seem to be as much of a concern. Go figure."
"With his pretty little young ass, I'd be worried," Barrett chuckles. "He's lucky I’m his lawyer and Ricker is one of my clients."
"So, the information Ricker shared with you was helpful?" I ask.
"It was a break we needed, Charlotte. Christos knows the Chief of Police. With one phone call, we were able to meet with him at his home this afternoon. On a Sunday. That tells you how much pull Christos has. Ricker was right, this is much bigger than Jason. I can't reveal too much because this has become a fully-fledged investigation, but needless to say that Jason's ass will have been spared by a hair."
"Wow.”
"Yeah, this is so monumental, the Chief of Police will be sending undercover officers to get to the bottom of this."
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely," Barrett nods. "Bibi’s narcissistic fifteen minutes of fame has opened the door to a very seedy prostitution ring. Bibi wasn't acting alone. And the Virgin Mary wasn't the one responsible for taking those photos and leaking them to the media. This is part of a much bigger plan."
I shake my head in amazement. “The situation with Jason is getting messier by the day.”
"It is. Until Ricker called, this case was giving me heartburn because I couldn't put all the pieces together. Even Christos was stumped and he's from here. And he's one of the best. At least now we have a handle on things."
"Thank God. My job now is just to make sure Jason shuts the hell up and stops talking to the press without my knowledge."
"Good luck with that," Barrett chuckles. “Did you work with Ilis?”
I laugh. “Yes, I did."
"How was it?"
"Yesterday, he loved me. I could walk on water. He was a breath away from asking for my hand in marriage," I laugh.
"And today?" Barrett is relishing this.
I let out a long melodramatic sigh. "Alas, I've fallen out of his good books. I'm just a common colleague now. He kept everything strictly business. Not even a hint of a flirt." I lean in against the table and Barrett mirrors me. "It's as if he could smell your scent on me so he stayed away."
"Well, I did a pretty damn good job marking you last night," he winks.
That, he did.
We both grin at each other.
Barrett gets up and pulls out the chair to my left. He slides my handbag across the table and takes a seat next to me. He scoots his chair closer and only leaves an intimate distance between the two of us. An amused smile paints my lips as I observe him in action.
What is he up to?
He leans in and asks, "Are you wearing my gift?"
I bite down against my lip and scour the room to see if anyone is watching. Everyone seems to be more preoccupied by their meals than they are by us. "Yes, I am."
"Are you wearing the panties?"
"Yes, sir."
"I love it when you're this docile," he smiles wide. “Did you obey me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you do a search on the Internet?"
I pull my lower lip between my teeth. "Although I was dying to figure out what this was, I didn't."
"So, you're still in the dark?"
"Very much so."
"Good girl."
"Where in the world did you find this toy? I consider myself an aficionado on the subject, and I've never seen anything like this before," I tell him.
It's Barrett's turn to scour the room. “Believe it o
r not, I found your gift on the first night I was here. I was so fucking horny—and so bloody frustrated—after our brief chat in the sauna, that I turned to the Internet for relief. There isn't a porn star in the world that can come close to you, so I nixed that idea and ended up wanking in the shower and coming, wishing I was marking your skin with my cum." He whispers every word. Blood rushes through my veins as fast as a torpedo, making my heart beat like crazy. “After which, I returned to my laptop and that's how I landed on a very interesting website. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there’s a shop which sells this fun little toy right here in Athens. When Christo suggested we take a lunch break, I had the chauffeur rush me to the shop. Your little toy is called the Lush."
"Well, the Lush is broken," I laugh.
"What do you mean?"
"Since I wasn't allowed to go on the Internet to do any searches, I took it upon myself to figure out what this toy was all about. I bent it in all sorts of directions to see if it would respond. Nope. It’s too rigid. I then tapped the damn thing against the desk. Still nothing. Frustrated, I followed your instructions and inserted it inside me."
"And?"
"And, I was hoping for something to happen, but still nothing. I put on the panties and it's only when I was walking towards the bathroom to apply my makeup that things started to make sense."
"What do you mean?" He bites off a smile.
"The small head caressed my clit," I whisper. "Needing more, I sat down on the bed and…" For some reason, I hesitate to continue.
"I'm listening, kitten," Barrett says in a low voice.
"I gyrated my hips until the Lush did its thing."
“You came?” Lust fills his green eyes.
“Yes.”
“Was it good?"
I give him a one-shoulder shrug. “There are better ways of going about it, but I'm always happy to try a new toy," I say. "It’s just that the Lush is a bit one-dimensional."
"So, you think that's all there is to it?"
"What else is there?"
Barrett opens his mouth to respond but refrains when he notices the waiter approaching our table.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, madame, sir. Are you ready to place your drink orders?"
"Nicos, my friend and I have so much to catch up on we haven't even taken a look at the wine list. Can we ask for a few more minutes?"
Smooth.
"Of course. I just want to make sure that you're well taken care of."
"You’ve already gone above and beyond," Barrett says.
"Thank you for the compliment, sir. Wave when you're ready."
"Absolutely." Barrett waits for Nicos to disappear before he turns his attention back to me, where he slides a strong hand up my thighs until his middle finger is pressed between my legs. I gasp in surprise. "Can you feel that?" he asks.
I'm sure it wouldn’t be this difficult to speak if his eyes weren't boring into mine like they are right now.
"Blimey," is all I manage.
"Tsk." He shakes his head. “That wasn’t the answer I was looking for. Try again."
"Yes, I can feel it."
"Do you want more?"
"Here?" I hiss.
"Kitten, keep answering my questions with a question and you can rest assured that you’ll be punished. Now let me repeat myself one more time. Do. You. Want. More?"
I don't answer immediately. I can't. My eyes bounce around every corner of this room. I haven't got a clue what Barrett has in mind, but if history serves me as a lesson, we might be joining Jason at the precinct. "I'm not sure how to answer that," I tell him.
"It's very simple. You tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you. If you’re content with what you experienced earlier, so be it. Let’s get Nicos back so we can order our drinks." There isn’t a trace of humor in his voice.
Damn him for being this evil. Of course he's piqued my curiosity and of course I want to know what else the Lush can do.
"I want more.”
“So you want to play?”
“Yes.”
“I knew you’d say yes.” That cocksure grin again. “I want you to shimmy that fine ass of yours to the restroom.”
“A repeat of last night?” I ask excitedly.
“No. Not quite. Come on, off you go.”
“Barrett, can I at least ask—”
“You trust me, or you don’t, Charlotte. Let me know when you decide," he says.
"You’re such a hardball tonight," I tell him.
He leans even closer, sweeps my hair behind my shoulder and drops a kiss on my neck. I shiver at the contact of his lips against my skin. It's all soft and tender until he bites me. The sensation of his teeth digging into my skin is sublime. He bites me again. Harder this time, making me whimper in pain.
“Shit,” I hiss, closing my eyes.
I don't even have time to recover than he says in a whisper, "You have no idea how hard my balls are right now, kitten. None whatsoever. And as much as they’re begging for relief inside your sweet pussy or your perfect ass, I'll have to wait a little longer.”
Jesus.
Fucking.
Christ.
And just like that I'm dripping like a waterfall. In fact, my panties are so soaking wet I could probably wring out my juices in a glass.
The sexual tension between us is off the scale. Just breathing makes my pussy clench with anticipation. As I shift against my seat, the Lush rubs against my clit. Mother of God.
I clear my throat. “All right." My voice trembles. “I guess I'll head to the loo."
"You do that."
I hesitate. "Okay, I'm going now."
"See you." He even waves at me.
Bastard.
I stand up and pull at my dress to hide the fact that my arousal might have trickled down my legs. I glance down at Barrett, but he looks away. Fine. I search the room for accusatory stares, but once again, everybody seems oblivious to what Barrett and I just exchanged. I hold my head up high and make my way to the ladies’—one shaky step at a time.
When I reach the edge of the dining room my pulse is racing at the idea that Barrett and I might be walking the fine line of decency. I take a step forward but freeze when I realize I haven't got a clue where the loos are located. Luckily, Nicos happens to be walking by.
"Excuse me," I say.
"Madame, how can I be of service?"
"I'm looking for the restroom."
"There are three private ones, down that corridor past the host's desk, but I know for a fact they're occupied right now. You can wait, or you can go upstairs. Since we don't have any private functions tonight, they should be free.”
"It’s best if I don't wait," I say.
True that I'm not privy to Barrett's master plan, but the glint in his eyes was quite telling.
"If you head up the stairs and make a left, you can't miss them," Nicos says.
"Thank you so much."
"It's my pleasure," Nicos responds before walking away.
Walking around with the Lush is no mean feat because it teasingly rubs against my clit, but climbing the stairs turns out to be even crueler. Since I took care of business before leaving the hotel, the ride to the restaurant was no big deal. Now that Barrett has me all riled up, it's a completely different story. With each step I take, the Lush flickers against my clit. It's so unbearable—and I mean that in the best possible way—that I have to grab onto the railing to make my way to the top of the stairs.
I hate you, Barrett!
When I find the loo, I push the door open and scan the room. It isn't a private restroom, but as expected it’s a posh and swanky room with gleaming white marble everywhere I look except for the long black counter. It even comes with its own elegant gray velvet chaise with silver studs adorning its side. Needless to say, that in a place like this, you get proper white towels as opposed to paper.
"I guess it'll have to do,” I say to myself as I step inside.
I'm tempted to lock the door behind
me, but I resist. It might just end up drawing more attention. Not to mention that if it isn't a repeat of last night, there's no danger of anyone walking in on me as I get my brains fucked.
For some unexplainable reason, I head straight to the large mirror. To say that I'm shocked by my reflection would be an understatement. I still look prim and proper, but the unmistakable hint of color taking over my cheeks is shocking. Ditto for the veil of lust covering my eyes. I look like a woman desperate for release.
I step away from the mirror, troubled by the woman who is looking back at me, and I start pacing the room as I wait for something to happen with this stupid Lush. Just like earlier, one end is stuck just inside my pussy, while the other is resting against my clit—doing absolutely nothing. Now that I’ve come down from my momentary high, my clit isn't buzzing like it was before I walked in here.
The bathroom is silent except for the sound of my heels against the marble floor.
“I must’ve been here for at least ten minutes. What kind of game is he playing?”
I pace some more until I run out of patience.
“What the hell?” I look down at my watch and realize that two more minutes have ticked away and still, nothing is happening with this stupid toy.
“Damn him," I mutter. I head towards to the door determined to give Barrett a piece of my mind.
When I swing open the door, I freeze. A tall debonair man is standing there with an iPhone in one hand and my small handbag in the other.
"What the hell are you doing up here?" I ask.
Piercing green eyes squint at me. He looks down at me through long, perfect eyelashes. Dear God, is there any part of him that’s flawed? “I told Nicos that I needed to check up on my friend who left the table with a slight malaise. He's the one who told me you were up here," he explains. "Our table is on standby. I told him it could be a few minutes before I’m sure you’re okay."
He’s so proud of himself.
"I'm fine. You know it and I know it," I snap. "You’re making me waste my time. You asked me if I wanted to play and I agreed. FYI, this is the most boring game on the face of the planet," I blurt out, trying to step out of the bathroom.
His large frame blocks me. “Where do you think you’re going, kitten?” Annoyance and lust are burning inside those fiery green eyes. What an unsettling—and arousing—combination.
You're All I Think About_Second Chance Romance Page 22
