My attention switched to a lock of her hair blowing in the breeze, and I caught it between my fingers, toying with the silky strands. “Both are pretty messed up, in my opinion.”
“Hmm, I agree. If your father didn't exist, what would you want out of life?”
“The exact same shit I have now, but more.” I rubbed her hair over my lips. It smelled of her lemon scent. “I want more buildings, more money, more power.”
Allie looked troubled by my answer. “When will you decide you have enough?”
“Fuck if I know,” I shrugged, reluctantly letting go of her hair. “When I close a contract or run a successful quarter, I'll have this satisfaction for a day, sometimes shorter than that, then it's back to the grind.”
I narrowed my eyes at the city beyond us. “Maybe once I've bought over all of Manhattan…?”
“You're kidding. When will that be, forty years later? Fifty?” Allie folded her arms. “You wanna know what I think?”
“No.”
“I think you're chasing down the wrong thing entirely. You're not after power or money, you're after approval. Specifically, your father's approval.”
My brows snapped together. “The hell I am, I surpassed him long ago. Profits during my years are record-breaking figures.”
“And you want him to admit it, don't you?” Allie countered.
“I want everyone to admit it.”
“And if they don't? Then what?”
“Then I'll just do so fucking well that they’ll have no choice but to admit it.”
“See?” Allie raised her brows pointedly. “He's got a hold on you, whether or not you realize it. And to quote your own words back at you, the sooner you come to terms with that, the better off you'll be.”
“Are you done armchair-diagnosing my psyche?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Sometimes I think you say shit just to get a reaction from me.”
“Don't take it out on me, hot shot, I'm just delivering the truth.”
“Bullshit, you just like being right.”
“So…I was right?”
“No,” I ground out.
“It's okay.” Allie patted my arm. “Take your time to wrap your thick head around it.”
“You’re so fucking dead Allie cat.”
Her eyes widened as I advanced on her.
“What are you—” She broke off in a scream as I lunged and grabbed her, pressing my fingers into her side.
“Nonono,” she gasped as she thrashed in my arms, her voice high from laughter. “Stop!”
Then her ass dragged against the front of my pants, getting me hard in seconds.
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Say you're sorry.”
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry!”
I eased off the tickling but kept my hands on her waist.
Damn it, she was so small in my hands. I could pick her up and take her anywhere. Do anything she wanted me to do to her.
“Ryland.” Allie licked her lips then, and my gaze caught the small movement hungrily. “Are you going to kiss me?”
My gaze snapped up to her eyes in surprise.
She was watching me with that wide, silver gaze that seemed to see me in a way that no one else ever had.
I tipped her chin up and leaned down until my lips were a whisper away from hers. “Do you want me to?”
Allie darted out a tongue to briefly touch my lips. I inhaled sharply at the contact but forced myself to remain still, letting her make her decision.
“I…” She swallowed. “I need to know something. Do you really, truly want me? Or am I just a convenient body to you?”
I stared at her, both aroused and exasperated.
I wanted her, with her sweet-smelling hair and large grey eyes, her sarcastic smile, her loyalty, and stubbornness.
I wanted her, and if she knew how close I was to bending her over the parapet and fucking her raw, she wouldn't be going on about how I didn't truly want her.
My knuckles ghosted over her cheeks, teasing her, never making full contact. I gazed at her through heavy-lidded eyes, taking a wild kind of pleasure from the color in her cheeks.
Allie looked up at me through her dark lashes. “I just thought, maybe—”
“Stop.”
She bit her lip.
“I want you,” I told her.
I didn't have the right to, but every lungful of her sweet lemon scent made me lose grip of that fact.
This didn't have to mean anything. It was just meaningless pleasure, nothing more.
I just needed to keep telling myself that.
I let my hand trail leisurely down her neck, running my fingertips across her soft skin. She gasped softly, and the sweet sound went straight to my cock.
“Yes or no, Allie?”
I forced myself to give her only a light touch, holding myself back. I wouldn't give her what she wanted, not until she surrendered and said my name on her lips and gave herself over to me.
Allie held her breath as my hands came to the slight swells of her breasts.
I cupped my hands over them, so lightly that there was barely any pressure on her body. I could feel my heat seeping through the fabric of her dress, into her skin. My thumbs gently stroked back and forth over where her nipples were, and I felt them harden to stiff buds under the fabric, jutting against the pads of my fingers.
I was instantly hard as a rock, and images of me tearing the lace away from her breasts and sucking on her nipples filled my mind.
“Ryland,” Allie breathed, her eyes sliding shut in pleasure.
“Yes or no?” I murmured again, pressing my advantage.
But Allie clamped her lips shut, even as her breathing grew shallower.
“What do you want from me?” I thumbed her nipples in small, circular motions. “Name your price.”
“I can't be bought, remember?” She gritted her teeth, even though her body arched into my hands. “And it's also what I don't want. I don't want a fling. I want more.”
The fuck?
I snatched my hands back like she was hot metal. “You want commitment,” I stated bluntly.
“I didn't say that,” she protested.
“You don’t need to, it's written all over your face. And flash news, Allie cat. I don't do commitment.”
Especially not with the daughter of Horace Beckett. It would be a nine-point-magnitude disaster, and I'd be left with nothing after it was over.
“Then I guess we're at an impasse,” she said tightly. “You want mindless sex, and I can't do flings. We're incompatible, end of story.”
“The hell we are,” I gritted. “A thousand bucks says you're already wet for me.”
Allie lifted her chin stubbornly, but she didn't deny it.
Called it.
“I want you,” I growled, “and you want me. It's that simple, so don't overthink and don’t complicate it. After this shit with Estelle is over, you'll pack your bags and get out of my life, so let's make this fucking explosive while it lasts.”
“Thanks, that makes me really want to jump into bed with you,” she threw back.
Alright.
Fine.
After years of negotiating contracts, I knew the one thing to do when faced with such a situation.
“Let's compromise,” I gritted.
Allie glowered at me warily. “How?”
“I'll give you a taste of what it's like to fuck me. We won't have sex,” I said just as she opened her mouth to protest. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but we won't have sex. For now,” I added swiftly. “But tonight, I'll just pleasure you. And then we’ll see if your decision still stands.”
Allie stared at me, the slim column of her throat working.
“Yes or no, Allie cat?”
She bit her lip. “No sex at all?”
I scowled. “Try not to look so hopeful about it. But yeah, no fucking. Just touching.”
Lots of touching.
“I…” she swallowed, and the longest ten seconds passed before she dipped her
head in the smallest of nods.
Dark triumph shot through me.
Allie may not know it yet, but after tonight, she would be ruined for any other guy.
I was going to make sure of that.
Taking her hand, I led her back into the orangery where it was warmer, taking her to an area concealed behind a collection of potted trees. The scent of citrus was stronger with my heightened senses, making it seem like Allie's lemon scent was all around me.
Damn it, now I wouldn't be able to smell lemons without getting hard.
I brushed my jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Allie looked everywhere but at me, her fingers twisting themselves again.
“Nervous?” I murmured as I swept her hair behind her shoulders.
“A little,” she admitted, her gaze darting in the direction of the entrance of the greenhouse. “What if someone comes in?”
“Unlikely. But even if they do,” I smiled at her, “we’ll let them watch.”
Allie's breath caught at that. She was excited at the thought, and that made me excited.
My fingers tightened on her breasts. “Tell me you want this,” I said, surprising myself with the need to hear it from her.
She licked her lips. “I want this,” she whispered.
Her breath caught as my hands went around her. The sound of her back zipper slowly coming undone was loud in the stillness of the greenhouse. As it descended, the bodice of her dress fell to her waist, exposing her bare breasts.
“Christ,” I said hoarsely, my cock hardening even more.
Ever since that day in my office, I'd fantasized about doing all kinds of things to her.
And now here she was.
Allie released a shaky breath, and under my gaze, her dusky nipples turned into hard buds.
I moved to cup her, and she jerked as the heat of my hands touched her skin. I kneaded her flesh reverently, squeezing and testing their weight. They had looked good in my office, but here, under the weak moonlight streaming through the glass above us, they looked downright delicious.
As I teased her, Allie arched into my hands, biting her lip as I let the roughness of my calloused palms graze over her protruding nipples.
“Yes,” she breathed.
Groaning in surrender, I bent down to take a swollen bud into my mouth, lashing it with my tongue.
Allie gasped, her hands sinking into my hair to pull me closer. My vision went hazy with lust as I lapped at her breast, swirling my tongue around the peak.
Then I took her nipple between my teeth and sucked hard.
Allie cried out helplessly, grabbing my head closer and arching her back to push her breast deeper into my mouth. I obliged her, suckling for long moments in greedy pulls.
Her legs buckled.
“Please,” she whispered. “I want…”
I knew what she wanted. The ache in my own cock was driving me crazy, but unfortunately, only one of us would be getting any pleasure tonight.
And I was going to make her suffer before I let her taste any of it.
Releasing her nipple, I spun her around so she faced away from me.
“Hands on the wall,” I commanded in a roughened voice.
Allie obeyed with a whimper, and I unzipped the rest of her dress and let it fall to the floor around her legs.
Christ, but her ass did amazing things to black lace panties.
Unable to hold myself back, I grabbed her cheeks and squeezed roughly, making her cry out in pleasure-pain. Then I kicked her legs apart and reached around to play with her breasts again, but this time, one of my hands slid down to the juncture between her thighs, making its way to the spot where I knew she was already wet and ready for me.
Allie jerked as my fingers ran over her swollen pussy through her damp panties. “Ryland.”
Fuck, I loved the sound of my name on her lips.
“Not yet,” I murmured. “First you will pay.”
For denying us what we both wanted.
For making me hard for her with just a glance in my direction.
For looking so damned hot with her hands against the wall and her body at my mercy.
My fingers traced the seams of her panties in a feather-light touch, teasing and tickling her. I pressed my hard erection between her cheeks, letting her know how much she was turning me on.
“This is what you're doing to me,” I murmured against her ear. “This is how bad I want to fuck you.”
Allie moaned softly, her hips undulating against my fingers, pressing her ass up against my cock. Her thighs trembled as I trailed my fingers around her pussy, never giving her what she truly wanted.
“Where do you want me? Say it.”
“There.”
“Where?”
She drew a shaky breath, a sob. “T-there. At my p-pussy.”
“Dirty girl,” I murmured in approval.
Allie gasped in relief when I hooked my finger around the elastic band of her panties and yanked the damp lace scrap down to her ankles. I probably broke the elastic band, but fuck it, I’d just buy her a hundred more.
I reached between her thighs and ran a finger up her slick cleft, slipping against the swollen bud of her clit.
Allie panted as her head fell back against my shoulder. Her hands left the wall to reach back and circle around my neck, hanging on to me as I stroked her.
I ached to sink my cock into her, but I bit the sensitive skin at her shoulder instead. My other hand played with her breasts, squeezing and kneading, pleasuring her from all points.
“Oh, yes.” Allie moaned softly, rocking against my hands, grinding her ass over and over my raging erection.
My balls tightened against my body as I began to thrust in uncontrolled jerks. I gritted my teeth against the pleasure.
I was supposed to be in charge, but as Allie's walls slowly crumbled, so did my control. My breathing was becoming unsteady, and harsh groans escaped me before I even knew it.
But apparently I liked to torture myself.
“More?” I asked hoarsely.
“Yes.”
“Beg me.”
“Please, Ryland,” she whispered, without hesitation this time.
I rewarded her with one finger in her slick pussy, letting her get used to the intrusion. Then I added another, both fingers sliding into the swollen flesh. Allie moaned at the pressure, and her inner muscles clamped around my fingers greedily as I thrust them in all the way, glided out wetly, then slammed deep into her again.
From her glazed eyes and parted lips, I knew she was imagining that it was my cock sliding into her, filling her up completely. I was imagining the same thing.
“So tight.” My words were dragged through my clenched teeth. “So damned wet for me.”
Sweat dotted my forehead as I pumped my fingers, milking her pleasure. Allie was so aroused that my fingers made a wet sound as they slipped in and out of her pussy, the musky scent of her mingling with the citrus in the air.
It drove me fucking wild.
“Yes,” she moaned as she threw back her head, rolling her hips over and over. “Oh, Ryland…”
Christ. Allie using my fingers to get herself off was the hottest thing I had ever seen.
I added a third finger inside her, thrusting harder this time.
“Oh god.” Her hips rocked helplessly as she whimpered incoherent pleas, begging me for more.
“You like this, Allie cat?” I ruthlessly masturbated her pussy, at the same time pinching and rolling her nipples with my other hand. “You like it rough?” I punctuated that with a hard thrust inside her.
“Yes! Don't stop. Oh god, don't stop.”
In Allie's books, it should have been obscene standing here naked with her dress on the floor, letting a fully-dressed man finger-fuck her.
But I knew that her mind had gone dark, registering only the pleasure my hands were wringing from her body. Her last shred of control had been annihilated.
Just the way I wanted.
&nbs
p; I dragged the pad of my thumb against her swollen clit.
Her body arched as if electrified. “Ryland!” She rode my hand, snapping her hips again and again.
It made me want to throw her over my body and make her ride me.
I worked her pussy with one hand, the other tipping her chin up to kiss her.
Allie was wild, biting my lip hard enough to draw blood. Her hand snaked down to cup my aching cock, squeezing firmly.
“Fuck!”
I thrust into her hand, once, twice, then over and over, chasing the pleasure as she kneaded me. I was already tight from the show she gave me, but this did me in. I was going to come right in my fucking pants if this went on.
Shit.
My hand left her breasts to undo my belt and pants and free my cock.
Allie's soft hand wrapped around it the moment it sprang free, holding onto the thick shaft and pumping up and down.
“Fuck yeah,” I groaned, thrusting into her hand. “Good girl.”
It was a thousand times better than I’d imagined. Allie’s hand was so damned soft around my cock, and she gripped me with such perfect firmness that I couldn’t help the groans from my throat.
My control was completely wrecked by now, but this time, I didn't care.
All that mattered to me now was pleasuring Allie, and letting her pleasure me.
Because it felt so fucking good.
Pre-cum beaded on the head of my cock, and Allie rubbed a thumb over it, spreading the moisture all over. My eyes rolled back in my head as she worked me.
“Are you clean?” she suddenly panted, her voice raw from her moans.
Was she worried about touching me?
“Never gone without a condom,” I assured her, eager for her hand to move again.
“Me too.”
Then without warning, she tiptoed and angled her ass, arching her back in a way that slid my cock between her thighs and across her hot pussy.
“Fuck!” My vision blacked for a split second, and I grabbed her hips and held her still. “Fuck, you’re gonna make me come like this.”
Allie tipped her chin back and gave me a heavy-lidded look that was sexy as hell. “Then come.”
My cock jerked at that.
“You asked for it, love.” Taking her arms from my neck, I placed her hands against the wall again. “Hold on tight.”
Arrogant Page 14
