“Now, now, Mrs. Andrews. You know the rules. No touching until I say so,” he whispered in my ear.
I whimpered, need already clawing beyond my control.
“Hands down by your side,” he commanded.
He loved to deliberately torment me, carrying me to the very brink of desire, then prohibiting me from jumping over the ledge. I didn’t mind, though a part of me screamed for release. The torture was deliciously wicked, making my body quiver with sensations I had never felt before. He continued his descent down my body with his lips, sucking and licking every inch of me. When his lips reached my neck, I threw my head back to give him more access. Moving me toward the wall, he glided his hand to my apex. I moaned incoherently.
“Bend over.” I obeyed, ready to be filled by him. Leaning over the bench seat, I steadied myself on my arms. Feeling the tip of his hard manhood at my entrance, I begged, unashamed by my wanton desire.
“Please, Sam.”
He pounded into me aggressively, claiming me from behind, tugging my hair back while teasing the side of my neck with his lips. I let out a low growl. Releasing my hair, he moved his fingers to find my nub, pinching and flicking it with his fingers. I moved closer to the edge.
“Sam—” I cried out breathlessly.
With him taunting me with his fingers, his motions rapid, I couldn’t hold on any longer. I exploded beneath him. Shudders of pure ecstasy escaped my body. I could feel the pulse of his shaft inside me, alerting me that he was close. Pushing back against him, I heard a low groan escape him. I pushed back again, feeling the fullness of him inside me. He pumped harder, then suddenly pulled out of me, and I felt his warm liquid spatter across my back. His arms wrapped around me, he turned to sit, bringing me with him so I sat on his lap, my back pressed against his chest. He trailed kisses over my neck, and I sighed with pleasure, draping my arms over his. We stayed there for a few minutes, quiet and comfortable, our heartbeats in sync.
“We should get ready for dinner,” he finally acknowledged.
“I’m not getting out,” I teased, not wanting to disentangle myself from his embrace.
“You’ll starve. We both know how much you love food. You wouldn’t last a day.”
“Touché, Mr. Andrews.” I giggled.
Unwrapping his arms from around me, I stood up, my back still to him. I felt him stand behind me, turning me slowly toward him.
“You’re stunning, Mrs. Andrews.”
My cheeks turn a soft pink. “You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Andrews.”
Leaning up, I kissed him tenderly on the lips, stroking the side of his face softly.
Chapter Fourteen
The week in Antigua flew by in lazy days spent boating, snorkeling, swimming, and relaxing. My body was sun-kissed, warm, and smooth from the Caribbean sun. Sam looked like a bronzed Adonis, his light features even more striking with his tanned skin. Our ease with each other grew by the day, both of us relaxed and comfortable in each other’s presence. To the outside world, we definitely looked like the love-struck newlyweds we were pretending to be—well, at least one of us was pretending.
I often wondered if Sam felt anything for me. We shared so much, emotionally and physically, but he never gave any indication of any feelings for me, other than the friendship he promised at the end of all of this. I found it fascinating that he could compartmentalize and not let his heart feel. I mean, I knew he liked me, and we had amazing chemistry, but he wasn’t willing to let his guard down. I wished he hadn’t given up on love. Perhaps then, there would be a chance for us. I had to keep reminding myself that he had been completely honest with me from the beginning—he wasn’t looking for it and didn’t want it. He enjoyed being a bachelor and planned to stay that way for the rest of his life. It made me sad to think he had been so badly broken, he was unwilling to let anyone else into his heart again.
The day finally came to leave, and I boarded our flight with mixed emotions. A part of me loved the anticipation of the week to come, even though I had no idea what was planned. The other part swung between sadness and regret, along with an almost desperate longing to hold onto what had been an all-consuming adventure crammed into the briefest moment in time. Sam took my hand in his, a gesture I had come to love and depend on. It seemed to keep us connected, somehow, even in the reality of ordinary things. “I think you’ll love our next destination, Mrs. Andrews.”
“I don’t know what could top a week on Jumby Island, Sam. That was paradise.”
“Just wait and see.”
Sheri and the crew were back with us, preparing for takeoff. The luxurious lifestyle was something out of a movie for me. I’d never envisioned anything remotely close to that for my life, had never really thought about luxury the way Sam accepted it as the norm. I guessed it was all relative to how much money one had. Relaxing my head against the back of the seat, I closed my eyes, letting my mind sift over the amazing week we just had. Jumby Island was paradise, every experience was magical—from the snorkeling to dinners out, pure magic.
But my favorite parts were the nights and days in Sam’s arms. Our sex life was incredible. The new experiences he taught me in the bedroom—well, all rooms, really—had opened up pieces of me I hadn’t known existed. Handcuffs, nipple clamps, and hair pulling were things I would never have thought about before, but with Sam, they added to our sexual experiences, and honestly, I liked them.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, lounging comfortably in his seat with a confidence that reminded me how at home he really was in that world of wealth.
“I was thinking about our week in paradise. I’m not ready for reality yet.”
“Well, that’s good, because reality won’t enter for another week. You have another seven days of paradise coming up.”
“I have no idea where we are going. Honestly, I don’t care. I know you’ve picked some place dreamy.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, Mrs. Andrews.” His sexy smile spread across his face. Anticipation began to outweigh the sense of something lost, and I decided not to look back except to treasure a memory that would remain with me forever.
Hours later, the plane descended to our next destination. Looking out the window, I gasped.
“We’re in Paris?”
Sam cocked his head to the side, a Cheshire grin on his face. “Yes, Mrs. Andrews, we’re in Paris.”
“How did you know I’ve always wanted to go to Paris? This is number one on my bucket list. I wanted to honeymoon here when I got married,” I blabbed, not caring that I sounded more like a kid than a grown-up married woman.
“I had some help with this one. Your sister let me know this has been a dream of yours since you were a little girl. I wanted to make that dream come true,” he admitted.
I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek.
“I feel as though I’m living someone else’s life, Sam. This is incredible! Thank you.”
“I told you, you’d be happy with our next destination.”
“Happy? I’m ecstatic. This is a dream come true.”
We arrived at our hotel, The Shangri-La. Sam had booked us a suite that overlooked the Eiffel Tower.
I squealed with delight. “I can’t believe I’m here.”
“We have dinner reservations at seven thirty. Sheri brought another suitcase for you since you’ll need different clothing for Paris. Loretta packed it, so I know you will have everything you need.”
“I still can’t believe you did all this, Sam.”
“I enjoy making you happy, Sydney. My fear, though, is that after all this is over, you won’t be as happy as you are now.”
I stepped toward him and took his hands in mine. “Let’s not talk about that right now. Here and now is all that matters. The future will come but I promise you, I will be okay. For right now, playing pretend and living in the moment is right for me.”
“I just don’t want to hurt you. I know I’m going to, and that worries me.”
He leaned down, kissing my forehead.
“Okay”—he let out a slow breath—“let’s go honeymoon.”
Sam had made reservations at Le Jules Verne inside the Eiffel Tower. Walking to our destination, we talked easily, my excitement increasing by the minute.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” I exclaimed for the hundredth time.
Sam squeezed my hand. “Believe it, you have a week in Paris. I’ve planned some amazing adventures for us.”
Arriving at the base of the Eiffel Tower, I stood for a few minutes in awe of the magnificent structure before me. We climbed to the second floor, Sam humoring me as I had to stop every few steps to exclaim over the view. The atmosphere in the restaurant was sensual, almost seductive. He held my hand as we approached the maître d, and my pulse quickened as the ambiance drew different emotions from me. I vacillated between feeling out of my league and bursting with excitement. I held on to Sam’s hand more tightly to steady my mix of emotions.
“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. How wonderful for you to join us. Please follow me,” said Phillipe, introducing himself in his beautiful French accent.
Our table overlooked Paris, and the shimmering lights of the city danced and glistened below us as far as the eye could see.
“I can’t believe I’m really here.”
“Believe it, Mrs. Andrews.”
I felt a gentle flush of pink rise in my cheeks as I looked up at him. “Thank you.” The words didn’t seem like they were enough, but they were all I had at the moment.
`Sam arranged the dinner gift box, which was a six-course meal followed by a tour of the inner workings of the restaurant, ending with meeting the chef. Champagne flowed, followed by different wine pairings with each course of our meal. My favorite part of the evening was how attentive Sam was. His focus and attention made me feel as though I was the only woman in the world when I was with him. Women across the globe vied for his attention, and it was no different there, yet his focus never shifted from me. His gaze never wandered to the others ogling him—in fact, it was as if he didn’t even know they were there. He was a magnificent sight to behold. Light stubble shadowed his jaw, his piercing emerald-green eyes shimmered with glints of gold, and his ash-blond hair, just a little long on top, gave him a GQ model look. He was delicious and all mine for the time being.
Full of delectable food and plenty of wine, we strolled hand in hand back to our hotel.
“Happy?” he asked.
“Yes. Very. This trip is an absolute dream come true.”
“We have a full day of sight-seeing tomorrow. I’ve booked a private tour guide for us. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“You think I’ll enjoy it?” I squeezed his hand, grinning up at him. “I know I’ll enjoy it. I don’t know how I’ll ever go back to reality.”
“How about a night cap, Mrs. Andrews?”
“I’d love one.”
Finding a private table in the corner of the bar, Le Bar Botaniste—complete with absinthe fountains—Sam ordered for the both of us. Our waiter arrived with our drinks, setting mine on fire before serving it to me. I was captivated by the sight in front of me.
“It’s fun to see you experience all of this, Sydney,” he acknowledged, taking a long, slow sip of his drink.
“It’s beyond fun to experience. I never thought I’d actually get to Paris in my lifetime.”
His gaze held mine for a long time, neither of us saying a word. The electricity between us snapped and sizzled, as though a live wire had detached from its energy source and released its current into us.
Cautiously, Sam confessed, “I’ve experienced a lot of firsts with you over these last few weeks, Sydney. It’s been quite eye-opening for me, actually.”
“How so?” I asked, my eye contact never wavering.
“Let’s see, where should I begin? For one, I’ve not laughed this much or felt this relaxed with another person in my life. I constantly live with my guard up, knowing most people only want to get close to me for their own personal gain, but it’s different with you. Second, I haven’t spent this much one on one time with another person in a very long time. My norm is to keep boundaries around my personal space, but I have somehow come to enjoy the time we’re together. Third, the sex has been a phenomenal bonus to our agreement.” His mouth edged slyly up at the corners.
I swept my tongue across my bottom lip, and from the sudden darkening of his eyes, I knew he found it as seductive as it felt to me.
“I could say the same about you,” I replied huskily.
We sat staring at one another while desire and need sizzled around us. My heart raced with anticipation, wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on my body. He didn’t touch me, which only increased my need. Instead, he sat, sipping his cocktail, his eyes on mine, with a small smirk on his face—as if he was reading my mind, knowing exactly what I wanted.
“Mrs. Andrews, is there something you’d like me to do for you?” he asked seductively.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean, Mr. Andrews,” I replied innocently.
“Tell me what you want, Sydney.” He reached out a hand and stroked my face lightly.
My face turned immediately to his touch.
“You. I always want you,” I murmured truthfully.
His smile told me he already knew that.
“How do you want me, Mrs. Andrews?”
I ran my hand over the rim of my glass, my eyes lowered.
“Tell me how you want me, Sydney. What things do you want me to do to you? I want to hear you say the things you want from me.”
Maybe it was the wine speaking, or perhaps it was the way Sam was looking at me—how he gave me a strength and empowered me sexually, like no other man had—or maybe it was a combination of both. I wasn’t sure, but I felt bold and free in that moment, all my inhibitions gone.
“I want you to capture my nipples in your mouth, sucking and licking each one until they ache and throb,” I revealed, all hesitation gone.
Sam’s left eye brow raised. I could tell he was intrigued, though, because he leaned forward slightly, enough to confirm his interest. “Go on, Mrs. Andrews.”
“I liked when you used nipple clamps on me. The mixture of pain and pleasure was almost more than I could bear, yet I didn’t want it to end.”
He nodded his head for me to continue, and I quivered with expectation and the sheer release of speaking my desires out loud.
“When you take control of my body, commanding me to do things, I ache. My entire body is yours to do with as you please. I love when you lick between my folds and bite my aching nub, bringing me to the brink but controlling when I actually get to surrender.”
He slid his hand between my legs, resting it ever so close to my apex but intentionally not touching me there to keep me wanting.
“Let’s get you upstairs, Mrs. Andrews,” he whispered, his voice all promise and invitation and challenge rolled into one.
I didn’t think I’d be able to walk. Stumbling a little as I rose from my seat, I let him take my hand in his and guide me out of the bar. Once we were alone in the elevator, he claimed my lips with his, and his tongue swept through my mouth slowly, enticing me, drawing a moan from deep within me. He cupped my breast, and his fingers found my erect nipple, pinching it hard. Both nipples stood at attention, like sharp dagger points. Groaning into his mouth, I slid my arms around his neck.
“Hands down by your side, Mrs. Andrews,” he ordered.
I complied.
“That’s a good girl.”
Our embrace was broken when the elevator doors open, and we spilled out into the corridor in silence. I bit my lip, fighting to keep my rising passion from verbalizing itself before we’d even begun. He opened the door to our
suite, and he let me in first, commanding me to keep my back to him. I heard him close the door quietly and sensed him behind me.
“Undress,” he instructed me.
Trembling slightly, I unhooked the halter of my dress. The soft fabric slithered to fall around my feet. I heard Sam inhale swiftly as I stood there naked with nothing but my heels on.
“Aren’t you a lovely sight, Mrs. Andrews. So brazen.”
I felt his breath along the back of my neck as his hands cupped my buttocks, massaging slowly. I groaned, not only from his delicious touch but also because I wanted to touch him and knew he wouldn’t let me just yet. Circling me, he caressed me lightly with his hand as he turned, making his way to my front.
“Tell me again what you want me to do to you, Mrs. Andrews.”
I drew in a ragged breath as his long fingers caressed the soft mound of hair between my legs.
“I’m waiting…”
“I want you to bite my nipples.” My breath was shallow, almost panting and husky with need.
Full of anticipation, I arched my hips forward as he eased his fingers between my folds. Leaning his head down to my breasts, he blew softly on each nipple before taking one into his mouth.
“Ah.” A loud moan escaped me.
His teeth clamped down gently, slowly evoking both pleasure and pain within me. As his bite became firmer, I felt myself become wetter.
“You taste divine, Mrs. Andrews,” he murmured against my breast as he moved his mouth to the other.
I cried out as he clamped down on my other nipple with a little more power.
Arranged Page 13
