“You’re incredible,” I said. “Absolutely incredible.”
“Well. An artist is only as good as her canvas.” Charlotte patted my cheek. “You wear the clothes, dear, the clothes don’t wear you.”
While I turned to further admire her work, she started packing all the clothing I had tried on into bags. I looked at her quizzically.
“Take these as a gift from me,” she said.
“Oh no, I couldn’t do that.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Amy, come on. These clothes were made for you. Trust me. It would be a sin if you didn’t have them.”
I bit my lip. “If you’re sure. I couldn’t thank you enough. Your clothes are beautiful.”
“I’m very sure. And thank you. It is my greatest passion in life, so for you to say that means a lot. Now, are you ready to hit the city?”
I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror, confidence surging through me. “I think so.”
* * *
It was nearly ten o’clock at night when Charlotte dropped me back at the mansion. She helped me carry in the many bags I had gotten that day, before saying we had to do this again soon and bidding me goodnight.
One of the butlers helped me carry my things upstairs to Derek’s bedroom. When I went in, he was sitting on the bed, reading a book. I noticed that he wore reading glasses, which were charming and sexy on him. When I came in, he looked up, took the glasses off, and stood.
“Wow. I love your hair. Looks like you had quite the day,” he said, nodding to the piles around me.
“I might have gotten a little carried away,” I said sheepishly. “And Charlotte gave me a make-over.”
Derek chuckled, “I can’t wait to see what you got. Did you have a good time?”
“Oh, absolutely. Pretty sure we’re best friends now.”
“Good, good. It makes me happy that you two got along so well.”
I studied him, a question lingering on my lips. He must have noticed the expression on my face, as he reached out and took my hands.
“What’s up?”
“Was there… was there ever something between you?” I asked, then immediately shook my head. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Derek lifted an eyebrow. “You’re not jealous, Amy, are you?” he teased.
I crossed my arms, sitting down on the bed. “No!”
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
“Why would I be jealous? I’m just curious. She talks about you a lot.”
Derek sighed thoughtfully, and sat down next to me. “We’re just friends. Good friends. But we’ve never been more than that, and never will be.” He shrugged. “It’s one of those things. We were never interested in each other at the same time, and then our lives took such drastically different turns. That’s just how it is, sometimes.”
“Ah,” I said, wishing I hadn’t been nosy. Of course there wasn’t anything between them. I was just being anxious and paranoid.
“In any case,” Derek said. “Show me what you got!”
“Well,” I said, a playful smile on my lips. “Charlotte gave me a bunch of beautiful outfits she made. And we went to more designer stores than I knew existed. Some of the stuff was absolutely wild. We went to one store that was just underwear. But not like, normal underwear. Crazy underwear. Underwear that shouldn’t be called underwear. Negative space underwear.”
Derek laughed. “Did you get anything from there? I’m intrigued.”
“Well, nothing crazy like that. Just a few things. They had some really pretty stuff too that I liked.”
“Well, let me see.”
I dug through my bags until I found the one from that store, and handed it to him.
“Amy,” he said. “I want to see it on you.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Put on a little fashion show for me.” Derek reclined back in the bed, putting his hands behind his head.
I brought the bag to the bathroom, lined up the different panties and bras I’d bought, and gave the man what he wanted. I was still running off the morning’s confidence after Charlotte worked her magic on me.
I’d purchased a menagerie of items—silky cream boy-shorts, a black thong with pink polka-dots, another seamless red thong, and a cheeky, lacy pair with a bow on the front. There was even one set that had bells. I saved the most risqué for last. There was a large cutout in the fabric, and Charlotte had giggled when she handed them to me, pronouncing them, “for easy access.”
As I tried all the underwear on for him, I could see how aroused Derek was getting. There was a very visible bulge in his pants that he wasn’t bothering to hide. His desire only raised my confidence.
“This is the last one,” I said, as I came out wearing the pair with the hole.
Derek’s eyebrows lifted. “I like those. You should come here and give me a closer look.”
I bit my lip, leaning forward. “Actually, I was thinking. I also got a swimsuit. Is that hot tub I saw on the roof last night running?”
“I like how you think.” Derek got up, taking one last look as I disappeared into the bathroom again.
I slipped into the brand new white and blue striped bikini. I’d never owned a two-piece suit before, even one-piece swimsuits made me feel self-conscious. But when I looked in the mirror, I found myself smiling, without a trace of judgement.
After putting on the white robe, I came back out. Derek was waiting for me, wearing black swim shorts. We hurried out of the room, giggling like teenagers.
Once we reached the roof, Derek lifted the lid off of the hot-tub, and turned on the jets. The water started to bubble and steam.
“Mmm.” I sighed happily as I stuck my feet into the water, then slid the rest of my body in. The heat washed over me, relaxing every one of my muscles.
“Mmm indeed.” Derek slid into the water behind me. I glanced back at him, and realized he’d taken off his shorts.
“Skinny dipping, huh?”
“You should try it,” he teased. “It’s liberating.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Alright.”
My bikini soon joined the small pile of clothes on the ground.
I sank into the water, entranced by the reflection of the night sky in the water. The hot tub had blue lights in the interior, illuminating our naked bodies in an ethereal glow. I found a jet to sit in front of, and dipped my head back into the water.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that Derek was watching me, a strange expression on his face.
“What?”
“You’re beautiful,” he said, without hesitating. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
“Derek…”
He swam toward me, his body gliding smoothly in the water. When he reached me, he pulled me toward him, so our faces were only inches apart.
“Every time I even look at you, I forget how to breathe,” he said. “I forget my own name. You’ve rendered me a brainless amnesiac, Amy, and I don’t mind.”
I was having a hard time remembering how to speak myself. So he continued.
“The first time I saw you, I knew immediately that you were significant. With that shy sparkle in your eye, that hairpin curl in your smile—you are uncommonly uncommon. And you don’t seem to understand that. If I could have you walk away from this week with just one thing from me, it would be the knowledge that you are worth more than any amount of money. Any man who gets a spare moment of your time is the richest man in the world.”
I kissed him hard, because that was the only way I could imagine responding to such a sincere declaration. My hand felt down his torso until I reached his already hard cock, then started to stroke him under the water.
His eyes fluttering, Derek moaned. His hands wrapped around me, massaging my hips, grazing my ass.
“God, I missed you today,” he mumbled into my lips. He started to kiss down my neck, nestling his face into my skin.
“How much?” I teased.
In response, he sud
denly moved one hand between my thighs and started to finger me.
Bubbles from the jets surrounded us, obstructing the view of our bodies. We didn’t need to see; we knew each other’s bodies well, knew where to touch one another, how to drive the other crazy. It was just a matter of who would take the lead, take control, and who would submit. I was determined.
Pushing Derek onto one of the edges in the water so that he was sitting, I crawled onto his lap, mounting him. I could feel his hardness pressing against me, practically begging for entrance. It turned me on like nothing else, feeling how much he wanted to be inside me.
“You’re so fucking hard for me, aren’t you?” I smiled, nipping at the tip of his nose.
His eyebrows lifted in surprise. Usually, he was the one talking dirty to me, but I was feeling spectacularly aroused and especially provocative. It was like my new-found confidence had granted me a superpower.
The steam that radiated off our bodies was like our lust had materialized and created a barrier around us, locking out the rest of the world. It was just him and I, the heat of the water, and the cool breeze against our wet skin. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed.
He lifted me from his lap and held me up against one of the jets of the hot tub. The jet was flowing directly onto my clit and the sensation was immensely arousing.
“Ooh, that feels so good,” I cooed.
“You feel so good,” he said, and got behind me.
He pressed me up against the jet, the water massaging my pussy, and I reached around behind me and found his erect cock. I guided the tip to my opening and eased him inside me.
As the burning sensation of his girth filled me, both of our heads tilted back, and we moaned together.
Beginning to rock my hips, I wrapped my arms behind me around his neck to steady myself. He took one of my nipples in his hand while his mouth found my ear, nibbling on it. His fingers found my clit and spread me open more widely, so that the jet of water could have better access to every sensitive inch of my pussy.
I thrust back into him and every time I slid down his cock, his tip hit a spot inside me that had me squirming in pleasure.
“You feel so good,” he whispered, his breathing cool on my wet neck. “Mmm. Oh, baby. Just like that.”
Hearing his pleasure amplified my own. I sped up, bouncing on his cock, the water teasing my clit with excruciating pleasure.
“I think I’m gonna come,” I cried, biting my lips. My legs shook with satisfaction and effort. Squeezing my legs and grinding harder in a need to heighten the friction and pressure, I felt the desperate urge building in my core.
I came faster and harder than I ever had before, the orgasm bursting through me, submerging me, drowning me, in overwhelming pleasure.
As I came down from the high, I turned and looked at Derek, who was smirking, having watched the pleasure roll through me.
“Fuck, beautiful.” His fingers tightened on my hips and he pulled me very close to his face. He looked me directly in the eyes.
“Can I cum on your pretty face?”
“Mmm.” I got to my knees in the water, tilting my chin up toward him, wordlessly giving him my eager permission.
Derek stood up so he was towering over me. I took his cock in my hands and stroked him, my mouth playing with his tip. His hands tangled in my hair, guiding my head. His thighs started to tremble, signaling to me that he was close.
“Oh, shit,” Derek groaned, his head rolling back. “I’m gonna cum. Don’t stop.”
I listened, speeding up my hands and closing my eyes. Within moments, Derek let out a string of groans and curses, and I felt his hot cum splash onto my face and drip down my skin. His cock found my lips, and I sucked the last bit of cum out of him, savoring the taste of him.
I heard him sinking back into the water with a long, satisfied sigh. I dunked my head under the water for a few moments, washing my face off, before returning to the surface and moving to sit beside him. He wrapped his arm around me, kissing my lips passionately.
The water bubbled and steamed around us, keeping us still locked in our own world. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity, enjoying the solitude.
Chapter 14
Derek
When I woke up on Tuesday morning, Amy wasn’t beside me. I had learned quickly that she was an early riser, so I wasn’t worried. I took my time in the shower and getting dressed, reliving last night in my mind. God, she was angelic. The memory of her in the water… fuck.
I resolved to go find her and make love to her again.
I wandered through the mansion, checking the seemingly endless rooms, trying to guess where she’d be. Finally, I heard her voice coming from one of the sitting rooms, accompanied by my father’s. I peeked through the crack in the door. They were facing away from me, sitting in armchairs, drinking coffee, and chatting.
Smiling to myself, I decided to leave them alone. It made me happy to see how fond of Amy my father was, how much joy she had brought him. I couldn’t recall a time when he had been more cheerful than he had been this week.
I made my way to the kitchen and made some toast with raspberry jam. While I leaned against the counter eating, I thought about how fortunate I was to have stumbled upon Amy at the bar last week—which, now, seemed like years ago. Without that single twist of fate, I might have been watching her from my lonely office for months, even years, while she worked at the firm, unaware.
I tried to imagine a world in which I’d never become better acquainted with Amy, but I couldn’t picture it. In a short amount of time, she had become such a central part of my world.
There was definitely something different about her. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Sure, she had plenty of desirable traits—besides being wickedly attractive, she was sweet, unassuming, intelligent beyond her years, and witty. She was someone who I could not only hold a conversation with, but I could also challenge myself to keep up with her. She wasn’t arrogant either. If anything, she was too humble. But all of these things didn’t quite capture what made her so extraordinary.
Something about her was changing something inside of me. And, I had noticed, she was changing too. I wasn’t sure if it was simply that she was becoming more comfortable with me, but she had started to take the lead more, especially in bed. She knew what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid to take it. Her confidence turned me on in the best possible way.
Maybe it was everything combined. I’d known women with this or that, but Amy seemed to come with everything. She was the whole package. I’d never believed in the concept of perfection, but Amy came damn close to changing my mind.
This week couldn’t last long enough. I dreaded it being over, unaware of what would happen next. Our deal would be over. Amy might walk away, move on to bigger and better things. I was sure that she would have no problem finding someone else. I was so lucky to have her for these past few days, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t think I could ever get enough of this woman.
After I finished my breakfast, I decided to return to my bedroom and wait for Amy there. But, on my way through the hall, I saw her leave the sitting room and walking toward me.
She stopped in her tracks, staring at me. To my surprise, her face was a mask of heartbroken anger. I stepped toward her, frowning in confusion, but she turned away from me.
“Amy?” I called, but she ignored me. I quickened my pace, calling her name again. “Amy, what’s the matter? Did something happen? I—”
When I got to her I reached out to take her arm, but she swung toward me. Now that I was close, I could see her eyes were tear-filled and wild with fury.
“Amy?” I felt my chest cave, seeing her so upset.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I glanced over my shoulder, trying to keep my voice calm. “Maybe we should take this somewhere more private.”
She grabbed my sleeve and slammed open the
door to the nearest guest bedroom, dragging me in. She shut the door firmly behind us, crossed her arms, and looked at me.
“This works, I guess.” I tried to joke to dispel the tension, but in reality I was troubled by her sudden anger.
“I talked with your father this morning,” Amy stated, as if that cleared up any of my confusion. At my silence, she continued. “He explained the situation to me, exactly.”
“The… the situation? Amy, if I’ve done something wrong, I’m sorry. I promise you that it was unintentional.”
“Well, this sure has a lot of intent behind it,” she practically snarled. I never would have imagined that sweet, shy Amy could be like this—fierce, raging. “He told me that if you hadn’t presented him with an heir, you wouldn’t have received a penny from him. So that’s what this has been about?”
Shit. “No.” I lifted up a finger. “I can explain.”
“Oh, can you? See, to me, it seems pretty obvious what is going on here. You found out that you were getting zilch from your father, and couldn’t let that stand. Then along comes me, poor, naive Amy, who would do anything to help you, the only man who ever made her feel something. You used me, Derek. For money. You lied to me.”
“I…” My mouth was open, my lips were open, but I couldn’t find the words. Every biting sound of betrayal that left her lips was a knife in my heart.
“All I am to you is a way to get rich. Fuck, you were so convincing. I was so stupid to think that you put together this whole shitty plan just to, what? Make your father happy? Bullshit. Absolute, utter bullshit. And I fell for it.”
“Amy,” I said, my voice rising in distress. “Amy, please… calm down and listen to me. You’ve got it all wrong.”
“Don’t talk to me like that. You listen to me.” There were unrestrained tears rolling down her cheeks now. “I know you run an investment firm, but I’m not fucking stock. You can’t put a little money into me, and get a shit ton out. What, did you think, oh, I guess I can spend one week with this girl, if it means I can have my dad’s fortune when he dies? Don’t you see how fucked up that is?”
Stranded Page 57
