With only a taxi journey in which to prepare, and desperate not to ruin her chance to impress, Sasha had tried to find out about the interviewee from her employer. However, Kelly’s response as she’d bustled her out the door was, “There’s only one thing you need to know about Thomas Lloyd. His ego’s as big as his dick.”
That was it. No more information.
Daunted, Sasha had arrived at the interview in the honeymoon suite of Chicago’s Hilton Hotel with little more than a sheet of questions with the word dick scrawled at the top.
She squirmed in her seat under Thomas Lloyd’s relentless glare. “Something like that.”
Thomas threw his head back and laughed, shaking his dark, Hollywood-glossy hair. “How refreshing to hear,” he chuckled. Then he regained his composure and fixed his gaze on her again. “Now tell me…”—he paused and read the name tag above her right breast—“…Sasha, where is Alicia? Whenever I’m interviewed by Atomic, she’s usually the one to do it. I’d been looking forward to...seeing her again.” He adjusted his pants as he spoke, revealing a large bulge and confirming, in one motion, the truth of Kelly’s statement.
“She’s not well,” Sasha said, grimacing as she remembered Alicia’s cascading pink vomit at lunch caused by a dodgy prawn cocktail sandwich.
“And they sent the intern?” Thomas scoffed. As he spoke, his eyes roved over the electric blue dress she was wearing.
Sasha felt suddenly very hot. “Yes…I hope that’s okay?”
He smirked. “Okay?” He muttered under his breath, “It’s a bloody miracle.”
Sasha’s heart galloped beneath the thin material. “I’m sorry?”
The man just smiled slyly and pursed his lips. They were plump, almost perfectly symmetrical. There was a thin layer of stubble surrounding them. Thomas Lloyd was impossibly handsome. Handsome in a way that made Sasha want things she’d never realized she wanted.
“Don’t you have a question to ask me?” Thomas said playfully, breaking her from her reverie.
Sasha straightened up in her chair and cleared her throat. “Yes…yes, of course.” She scanned the questions on the page, trying to focus, to clear her fuzzy head. “Your new movie—”
“Film,” he interrupted. “We call them films in England.”
Boy, Sasha thought, Kelly was right.
“Film then,” she said, trying to smile cordially. “It’s a bit of a departure from your usual roles.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Do you think so, intern?” he said smoothly, folding his arms. “In what way?”
Heat crept into Sasha’s neck. “Well, I… um…”
“...haven’t even watched it.” Thomas finished for her.
Uh-oh.
Sasha dropped her gaze, too nervous to make eye contact with the English actor. “I was told to do the interview at very short notice and didn’t have as much time to prepare as I would have liked, and—”
“You don’t know who I am, do you?” Thomas interrupted.
Sasha picked up on a cruel accusation in his tone. Her gaze travelled up. When she finally made eye contact with Thomas, her breath stuck in her lungs. The look he was giving her was so intense it made bolts of electricity race through her.
“Well?” he snapped. “You’ve never seen a single film of mine, have you?”
Sasha’s stomach plummeted. She’d blown it. All those years of hard work to get to this position and it was all going up in smoke. She couldn’t help the tears from creeping up.
“Well… I…I...”
Thomas suddenly tipped his head back and moaned. He grasped his knees, making the fabric bunch up. It was such a bizarre thing to do; Sasha snapped her notebook shut immediately and stood so fast her chair almost tipped backwards.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve clearly offended you. I’ll go.”
She bolted for the hotel door. But before she had a chance to haul it open, Thomas had leaped up and was right there beside her.
“Offended me?” he cried, grasping her arm and swirling her to face him. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve met someone who didn’t already know every detail about me? Who hasn’t already Googled my entire life?”
His face was contorted with emotion, and his fingers were squeezing her wrist, causing a sensation to pulse through her veins, travelling down the length of her body and settling deep within her. Her heartbeat was racing, and not just because of Thomas’s fit of passion.
Her gaze fell to her thin, pale wrist wrapped in his thick, strong fingers. He followed her gaze and let go quickly, then turned and paced away.
Sasha let out the breath she’d been holding. As the space lengthened between them, she became suddenly overly aware of their hotel room setting, of the plush, cream-colored silk sheets on the four-poster bed. An image flashed into her mind of a naked Thomas flinging her onto the bed, pressing his mouth against her breasts, and running the length of his enormous erection along her thigh.
“You don’t want me to leave?” she said, trying not to sound too desperate.
Thomas turned back to face her quickly. “No. I want to give you an opportunity.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Thomas consulted his watch. “You have almost an hour before the next journalist arrives. One hour to get the material to write the article that will make your career.”
Sasha’s hand hovered over the door handle. “You want to help me?”
“Don’t question it,” Thomas said abruptly. “I’m giving you the opportunity of your career. Use it, intern.” He sat back in his chair and motioned for her to do the same. “Come on. Sit. Let’s start from the top.”
Sasha shifted uncomfortably, as Thomas stared at her intently. Without even knowing why, she paced back to the chair. Something was compelling her to sit, something more than the promise of a career boost. There was a magnetism about Thomas Lloyd, a pull that made her want to be in his company for as long as possible. It was more than just attraction; it was something primal.
He’s an actor, she reminded herself as she took her chair again. He’s meant to make you feel like that.
As she cleared her throat, Sasha glanced down at the list of questions provided by Kelly. “So, in this film, you’re playing a recovering alcoholic…”
But before she had a chance to fully ask the question, Thomas ripped the paper from her hands.
“None of this rubbish!” he cried, throwing it to the floor. “After you, I have three more interviews. They’re all going to ask the same thing. What are you going to ask me? What do you want to know? How are you going to impress your boss back in the office? Huh? Tell me.”
Sasha shrunk back, alarmed by Thomas’s passionate outburst. However, something about it exhilarated her at the same time.
“Don’t shy away from me!” he cried, grasping her shoulders.
Sasha felt the bite of his fingernails in her flesh and bit her lip. The sensation of his touch against her was even more powerful the second time. It was as if a switch had been flicked inside her. She didn’t just want Thomas to touch her, she needed him to.
“You’re sitting in front of one of Hollywood’s finest actors!” he shouted at her, his voice oozing with arrogance. “You, a nobody, an unknown, unpaid intern!”
Sasha wrenched herself away. “How dare you?”
“How dare I what?” Thomas spat.
“Call me a nobody. I’m more than just an intern!”
“Are you? Prove it!” He jabbed a finger aggressively against the notepad resting in her lap. “Be a journalist. Do it. Be more than just a lackey!”
“Fine!” Sasha snapped. “Tell me how a man with an ego as large as yours is ever truly satisfied?” She panted, feeling the anger thrumming in her chest.
Thomas fell silent. The passionate expression on his face melted away. He slumped back into his chair. After a long pause, he turned a mischievous gaze to meet hers.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you break the rules
?” he said finally.
Sasha’s gaze snapped up with surprise. “What?”
Thomas leaned forward. “Didn’t it make you feel good? Just for a second?” His voice had changed to a whisper, hot against her skin. “To not be a suck up? To say what you wanted to? To demand what you felt you deserved?”
Sasha’s throat went suddenly dry as Thomas’s eyes bore into her. This was not how she’d expected the interview to go at all. Yet, she knew she didn’t want it to stop. She never wanted his intense gaze to leave her. She never wanted to stop squirming under his scrutiny. She was caught somewhere between discomfort and excitement...and she loved it.
Then, all at once, Thomas leaned back, lengthening the space between them in a way that made Sasha gasp.
“‘How is a man with an ego as large as mine ever truly satisfied?’” he repeated, as if she’d only just asked the question, as if he hadn’t just told her she was sexy. Then he flapped a dismissive hand. “The answer is rarely. People never live up to my expectations. They bore me. They’re predictable. Always trying to please.” His eyes flashed with mischief.
Sasha coughed. Did he really just say that? If this man’s ego could get any bigger he’d explode. But then, what was it that made him so compelling to her? So fascinating? Maybe it was his candor. There was something uncomplicated about a man who just told it as he saw it. No mind games. Just take it or leave it.
And she realized then that she wanted to take it.
“Well,” she said, straightening up confidently. “You said people bore you. What about women?”
If Thomas Lloyd didn’t want sugarcoated questions or a giggling interviewer fawning over him, she sure as hell wasn’t going to be one. He wanted her to challenge him, and she wanted to challenge him in turn.
Thomas let out one of his bark-laughs. “Women. Women. Do they bore me? The women I end up in bed with do.”
Sasha narrowed her eyes. “You do realize I’m going to write an article about what a misogynist you are?”
“Why don’t you spend the night with me so I can prove you wrong?”
The question caught her off guard. “What?”
“You heard me, intern. Let me show you how I really feel about women.”
Sasha felt her body grow hot. Had Kelly planned this? Did she know that Thomas Lloyd would come on to her? Was she sent as bait, a way to get an interesting article for the magazine?
“I…,” she began, but her voice disappeared.
“I want you to fuck me,” Thomas said.
Sasha was so shocked she couldn’t speak.
She’d only ever had sex with one man, her boyfriend before college, Chris. They’d had a soppy sort of love, a cutesy romance. Something told her that sex with Thomas would be anything but. The idea scared and thrilled her in equal measure.
But Sasha wasn’t that kind of girl, was she? She was the sort of girl who’d break up with a boyfriend who adored her to focus on her studies, the sort of girl who’d move away from all her family and friends to make sure she got in the best journalism program in America. She was the girl who never went to parties, never missed a class, and never had a one-night stand. There was no way she could act dirty or play a sexy dominatrix! Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t go from three years of chastity to sex with a Hollywood heartthrob!
And even if she could, how would she satisfy a well-experienced man like Thomas Lloyd? He’d probably bedded a thousand women, beautiful women, accomplished women. Sleeping with him would put her job in jeopardy, leave her embarrassed...and leave him disappointed.
“I’m leaving now,” she said, standing.
“Why?” Thomas challenged her, the passion she’d glimpsed before returning to his voice. “I’m offering myself to you. I want to give you a career-defining interview! A life-changing orgasm!”
She laughed and slung her notepad into her satchel. “How very generous of you. But I don’t need to sleep with you to progress in my career.”
She strode to the door, but Thomas was suddenly on his feet. He wedged his hand against the door to stop her from opening it. “You don’t think you deserve it. You don’t think you’re good enough.”
Sasha sighed with irritation. “Deserve what?”
“To be the one to do the interview. To be the one who gets the orgasm.”
She scoffed. “Yes, well done, you’ve read me like a book, Mr. Lloyd.”
“You don’t see what I see. A beautiful, accomplished woman turning down the offer of her life! This isn’t an offer I make for everyone.”
“Oh really?” she said, her voice oozing with sarcasm. She’d seen how he referred to Alicia earlier. Surely sleeping with journalists came with the territory. “Am I supposed to thank you?”
Thomas leaned in close. “You’re supposed to let me kiss you passionately against the door,” he whispered into her ear. The hair of her neck stirred, and she couldn’t help but draw a breath. “You’re supposed to let me run my fingers up your inner thigh until I reach…”
“That’s enough,” Sasha said, snapping back to her senses. “Please move out of the way, Mr. Lloyd. I’d like to leave now.”
“I’ve gone about this all wrong,” Thomas said, his voice suddenly soft. He reached out and touched her hand gently with his fingertips. She paused, letting the warmth from his skin radiate into her.
“Has your usual routine failed you?” she sniped. But when she glimpsed into his eyes, he looked deeply sincere. Could he actually be serious?
“Perhaps we could have a drink?” he said.
Sasha felt her resolve disappearing. Thomas Lloyd may have been a player, but he was damn good at it. Where was the harm really? She wanted him. He, apparently, wanted her. Why not take the interview and the orgasm? If she did embarrass herself and disappoint him, it wasn’t like she’d ever have to see him again....
“Fine,” she said, startled by her own bravery.
Thomas smiled in a way that made her pulse quicken. Feeling somewhat dazed, she watched as he walked over to the minibar. He was so gorgeous, even from behind, his tight ass on display as he bent over to fetch the wine. Her heart was beating so hard. She could hardly believe that she was staying, that she was in a hotel room with a Hollywood actor who wanted to—what had he said?—run his fingers up her inner thigh….
Sasha gasped just thinking about it.
Thomas returned and held a glass towards her. As she reached out to take it, he moved it from her grasp. “Let’s drink on the bed. It’s more comfortable.”
Sasha paused and licked her dry lips. “Okay,” she heard herself say.
Thomas guided her to the plush, King-sized bed with one hand on the small of her back. Heat radiated from the spot he touched. It was as though he was made of fire, and she of ice. Just the smallest of touches made her melt.
“You’d better kick off your heels,” he said, nodding to the five-inch monsters she’d bought specifically for the job.
Once again, Sasha felt herself doing as he instructed. Her heels plonked to the floor, and she sank into the silky material.
Thomas handed her a glass and sloshed white wine into it. “Dutch courage, as they say.”
He watched as Sasha tipped the glass to her lips, his gaze steely and unflinching. There was a deep hunger in his eyes, and Sasha could hardly believe that she was the one to have caused it.
Once she removed the glass from her lips, Thomas wrapped his hand around it and took it from her. “May I have a taste?”
“Of course,” Sasha said.
But instead of sipping from her glass, he placed it lightly on the bedside table. Then he leaned towards her, took her face between his hands, and licked her bottom lip slowly with his tongue.
“Hmm,” he said. “Just as I thought. Delicious.”
Sasha sat stock still, unable to move, barely able to breathe. The feel of Thomas’s tongue running along her lip had sent a spasm of desire through her entire body. She felt as though her limbs were turning to putty.
<
br /> “You’ve never had an encounter like this, have you?” Thomas said.
“With a famous actor?” Sasha said. “No.”
“With anyone,” Thomas countered.
She glared at him. “I’m not a virgin if that’s what you were hoping for.”
Thomas threw his head back and laughed. “That wasn’t what I meant.” He traced his fingers across her collarbone. “I meant no one’s ever made you scream with pleasure. No one’s ever made love to you for hours on end, giving you orgasm after orgasm after orgasm. No one’s ever taken you to such heights of pleasure that you’ve begged them not to stop.”
Thomas pressed his lips against her neck. Sasha couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to. She wanted to feel everything that Thomas was offering to her.
But the interview…
There was no way she could succumb to her desire. Thomas had promised her a life-changing interview. If she went back to the Atomic boardroom with nothing, then it would all be over. Surely, she’d lose her internship. She couldn’t throw that all away on Thomas Lloyd, no matter how much she wanted to.
“We need to talk,” she said, pushing his head back and away from her.
His breath was heavy. “After…” he gasped.
She could see his erection straining against his pants. “No,” she said. “Now.”
He paused, then smiled. “I love it when you boss me around,” he said. Then he reared back and flopped against the pillow with a sigh. “Fine. Let’s do it.” He turned his head to face her. “The interview, I mean.”
Sasha tried to compose herself. She took a deep sip of the wine to give herself time to collect her thoughts. “What story is it that you want me to tell?” she said.
JACE (Lane Brothers Book 3) Page 89
