by Tia Siren
And to be honest, I kind of wanted to show her off. I wasn't sure where the desire for that came from. After all, it wasn't as though she was my girlfriend. But very soon, she could be the mother of my child. And beyond that, she was interesting.
And funny, I was starting to realize.
When we reentered the ballroom, I could practically see Paige's transformation, and I wondered what was behind it. As I introduced her to a few people, she stood there confidently and charmed them all. She was getting businessmen to laugh, guys who I had never even seen smile before.
I was in dangerous territory, I knew. I was starting to realize how amazing she really was, and that wasn't what our relationship was supposed to be. She wasn't my girlfriend. I had never really had a serious relationship before. I had never wanted one. But now, I was picturing it. What if I could introduce her to all these people as my girlfriend, rather than as just a friend?
I didn't like the way the other men were looking at her, that was part of it. I mean, I did; they were eyeing her up like she was the hottest woman in the room. And she was, that was the thing. In that dress, god. I just wanted to bring her upstairs to one of the rooms, strip her down, and have my way with her. But I couldn't do that, not when she was acting so aloof toward me.
I wanted to stake a claim on her, tell everyone that she was mine and that they could look all they wanted, but they couldn't touch.
Except I didn't know how she was feeling, that was the problem. It was as though the more she pulled away from me, the more I wanted her. And she kept pulling away from me. No matter how charming she was that evening, no matter how confident and outgoing, it didn't escape me that none of those smiles were directed at me. She hadn't even wanted to come there that evening, hadn't wanted to go to dinner with me at all.
I sighed minutely and steered her towards Chris when I saw him appear at the far end of the room. “Hey man, what are you doing here?” I asked.
Chris raised an eyebrow at me. “I have a couple investment opportunities that I'm researching,” he said. “Or rather, a couple people that I'm schmoozing with.”
I laughed. “All right, that makes sense.”
“What are you doing here, though? You usually avoid these things like the plague.” His eyes skimmed over Paige, and suddenly, his eyes got comically wide. “You must be Paige,” he said, holding out his hand. “Nice to formally meet you.”
Paige blushed and shook his hand. “You're the friend,” she said.
“Chris,” I introduced. Now that we were standing and talking to him, it seemed so stupid for me to have brought Paige with me. I only hoped that Chris didn't say anything I would regret.
“You're looking lovely tonight,” Chris said, smiling at Paige. “Michael must have really wanted you to make a good impression on everyone.” He winked, and although I expected Paige to be upset, she merely smiled at him.
“I think it's time that we made our exit, actually,” I said smoothly. Was that disappointment on Paige's face? I shook my head; it couldn't have been.
We said our goodbyes, and I led Paige back out into the hallway. “I'll call my driver and ask him to meet us around front with the limo,” I told her.
Paige was quiet for a moment. “You don't want to show me around this place first?” she asked.
I blinked over at her, surprised. If I didn't know better, it sounded as though she was reluctant for the evening to end. “Sure,” I said, taking her hand and leading her aimlessly down the halls, watching as she picked out different details with her eyes. I knew exactly where I wanted to take her, but I was afraid that if I tried to take her in an elevator, she would think that I had something else planned.
“Tonight was actually fun,” Paige said suddenly. “I've never been to an event like this before.”
“You handled it really well,” I said. “If I didn't know this was your first one of these, I wouldn't have guessed it. You were perfect. Everyone loved you.”
Paige blushed demurely, and the urge to kiss her coursed through me. But I held myself in check. I needed her to make the first move. An obvious first move, not one that I guessed at. I didn't want to screw things up irreparably if she really was trying to pull away from me.
But finally, I made a decision. “All right, I know a cool place in this building, but it's up on the top floor,” I said. “And no, it's not the penthouse suite. It's a public space, but I doubt anyone's up there at this hour.” It wouldn't hurt to take her up there. Even though the surroundings would be undeniably romantic, it would be up to her to make the first move, if she wanted to. Otherwise, we'd take a peek at the room and then head home for the night.
“All right,” Paige said showing no emotion, heedless of my inner turmoil.
I pressed the button for the elevator, and escorted her inside. I felt almost nervous, having her so close to me, in light of the feelings I realized I had for her. It would have been easier if I had known whether she felt the same, but she was giving me no clues.
“Are we supposed to be up here?” Paige asked.
I laughed and shrugged. “Probably not,” I admitted. “It's supposed to be for guests, but we're kind of guests since we were here for the banquet.”
“And since you own the place,” Paige said, a hint of a smile on her face. “It just reminds me of this one other time, that's all.”
“This one other time?” I prompted.
Paige blushed. “It's nothing,” she said.
“Come on, tell me about it,” I said, turning toward her. “You started it.”
Paige grinned. “I snuck into the Empire State Building,” she admitted. “It was the first time I ever went there. And I haven't been back since; I've been too worried that someone would somehow recognize me, even though that was years ago now. I was so interested in seeing what the place was like.”
I laughed. “You little rascal.”
Paige grinned. “I mean, it was stupidly easy, so I doubt I'm the only person who's ever done it. I did my research ahead of time. Picked a random name off the internet and said that I had a package to deliver to him. I pretended I was from one of those special couriers, the ones with the flowers and the chocolates. And I told the guy at the desk that I was bringing them from his mistress but because everyone had to think they were coming from his wife, I wasn't allowed to entrust the delivery to anyone else. The guy totally bought it.” She laughed. “I have to wonder if the man at the desk had a mistress that he was worried about people finding out about.”
I chuckled. “I don't know, that sounds like a clever plan,” I said. “It must have taken a bit of thought to come up with it. I doubt just anyone would have been able to pull it off.”
Paige blushed again and ducked her head. “It wasn't that big of a deal,” she said.
Just then, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. “Come on,” I said, taking her hand and leading her down the hall.
The solarium, when we reached it, was just like I remembered it. And just as empty as I had hoped it would be. Through the glass ceiling, the stars were twinkling merrily, and the thin crescent of the moon was visible just at the edge of the glass.
Paige gasped and walked towards the center of the room, her eyes glued to the ceiling. “All right, this is really, wow,” she said, the exact words failing her. She grinned at me. “I would love to have a place like this in my apartment,” she said. “I'd sleep in there every night.”
I smiled indulgently. “Well, I don't think we should sleep in here, but we could probably sit on the couches for a little while if you wanted.”
Paige stared at me, and I wondered if the romance of the location was getting to her. “I'm not going to try anything,” I promised, holding up both hands.
At that, she visibly relaxed, and I felt bitterness flow through me. Still, I tried to mask it, moving impassively over to the couches and taking a seat. Paige sat down next to me, close enough to still appear friendly, but far enough away to give the signal she didn't want to do
anything with me tonight.
I wanted her. I sat there watching her almost as intently as she was watching the stars. I couldn't help cataloging her cute, upturned nose, the faint shimmer of starlight on her silky hair, the way the little lights reflected in her eyes. As I traced the patterns of moonlight across her skin, my eyes were drawn lower, to her full breasts, which the dress did nothing to disguise. Suddenly, I realized exactly how dangerous it had been, bringing her up here. As much as I might want this to lead to something else between us, I had to respect the fact that she wanted nothing more to do with me.
I stood up abruptly. “Well, I should probably get you home.”
Paige gave me a quizzical look but stood slowly as well. “All right,” she said. She lingered there for a moment, and I couldn't deny the energy sizzling in between us. I wanted to reach out, to pull her close to me and hold her. I had to restrain myself.
It was like she was reading my mind, though. She moved toward me, her confidence from before evident in her posture and her gaze. She moved slowly, giving me plenty of time to take a step back or to stop her. And I wondered if maybe I should. We ought to talk before we did anything else. I could tell we were both having reservations about the contract. I knew what mine were, but I didn't understand what hers were.
With this much attraction between us, though, I was powerless to stop her. Instead, I let her move into my personal space, and I brought my hands up to rest on her hips. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward me, a questioning tilt to her head.
Our lips met, moving gently against one another's. It was as though neither of us wanted to deepen the kiss, as though we were both still waiting for a sign from the other. Suddenly, I wondered whether Paige was as uncaring as she had pretended to be. Maybe when she said she didn't want to be friends with me, she meant that she didn't want to be just friends with me.
Maybe she was developing feelings, as much as I was.
The thought scared me more than anything else. But there was still time to enjoy this, and I didn't want to cut it short.
As we broke the kiss, I stared down at her, our breaths mingling beneath the starlight.
“Do you want to come back to my place for a drink?” I asked, my voice husky with lust.
Paige stared at me for a long moment and then nodded slowly. “All right,” she agreed breathlessly.
When we kissed again, it was deeper, more passionate, and my hands traveled to the curve of her back. This time as we broke apart, we were both breathless, and Paige giggled a little. I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and led her back to the elevator, almost forgetting to message my driver.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Paige
I wasn't sure what was going through Michael's head. He didn't seem like the same man he had been when we’d first met, but I didn't know how to describe the difference. When we got back to his apartment, he seemed almost nervous as he led me inside. He looked like he wanted to kiss me right there in the hallway again, but he held back. “Do you want a drink?” he asked.
I stared at him and hesitated. A drink would put both of us more at ease, I realized, and I nodded. We probably needed to talk as well, because the contract wasn't working. Or at least, it wasn't working for me. I had no idea what Michael was thinking. I couldn't understand why he had brought me to such a fancy event, a work event. He had introduced me to some of his colleagues, and although he hadn't told any of them I was his girlfriend (or worse, his prostitute), I could see them all assessing me.
And when he had introduced me to Chris, even though there had been nothing said about our arrangement and Chris probably just recognized me from the bar, I had a feeling he knew about the peculiar nature of Michael's and my relationship.
To be fair, I had told Erica, so it only made sense that Michael would tell one of his good friends too. But still, it made me wonder.
I accepted the glass of wine Michael handed me and took a sip. I could barely taste it, however. I felt as though my body was thrumming with energy. I wanted him badly, to the point where even though I knew I shouldn't be here, that I had meant to be keeping my distance, I wanted to throw myself at him nonetheless.
I couldn't help it; he had been eyeing me hungrily for the entire night, and giving me these little touches that were practically designed to drive me mad. I had spent the whole night cursing the fact that my dress was backless. Every time he brushed his hand against my bare skin, I felt a shudder run through me, and I wondered if he had noticed, if that was why he kept doing it.
I had to wonder if he knew what he was doing to me. If he had intended to drive me wild with desire before the end of it.
He'd seemed so hesitant, though, and I could tell, in the beautiful solarium, if I hadn't made the first move, he wouldn't have either. For some reason, he was intent on giving me my space.
And I had ended up here anyway. I hadn't been able to help it.
Michael led me toward the couch, and we sat there wordlessly staring out over the city, each sipping our wine. I could tell we both wanted to say something, but still, neither of us spoke.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I set down my wine glass even though it was still half-full. “Would you mind if I took a shower?” I asked. “Between the makeup and the hairspray, I'm feeling a little icky right now. You know I don't usually dress up this fancy.”
Michael jolted and turned to stare at me. “No problem,” he said. I stood up, and he did as well. When I gave him a quizzical look, he quickly said, “You'll need a towel, but I don't think there are any left in the bathroom. They were all supposed to go through the laundry yesterday.”
“Okay,” I said easily. I purposefully left the bathroom open as I stripped out of the dress, letting it fall to the floor. When I looked back over my shoulder, Michael was standing there in the doorway, the towel forgotten in his hands as his eyes roamed over my naked skin.
I grinned at him and reached back to unclasp my bra. Then, I slowly shimmied out of my panties.
When I turned back towards him, giving him a full view of my naked body, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. And even though I knew I shouldn't be doing this, I didn't want to send him away. “You could join me, if you wanted to,” I told him. “I'm sure your shower can fit two people.”
Michael jolted. He looked uncertain, but then he took a step forward, the decision made. He stripped quickly and efficiently while I adjusted the water temperature and climbed in. A minute later, Michael joined me.
He stood and looked at me for a moment, watching the water droplets trace lines across my body. For my part, I was just as enthralled by the water dripping down his chest, flowing past his growing erection. Michael leaned toward me and traced a water droplet with his tongue, following its path from my collarbone down to my breast. There, he paused, sucking at the tender skin, making me arch towards him. I moaned, and the sound echoed through the tiled bathroom.
Michael grinned and caught my hips, drawing me in closer to him. His hands slipped along my skin, from my hips up to my breasts and on up to my shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head, tilting my face up toward him so he could kiss me deeply.
Despite the heat of the water, I started to shiver. Michael pulled back, looking surprised and almost nervous. “Is this all right?” he whispered, his hands gentle and soothing against my skin.
I nodded, unable to find the words to tell him just how “all right” this was. Instead, I leaned into him again and tilted my face up for a kiss. He gladly obliged, kissing me thoroughly, until I felt as though I might combust.
Michael slid his fingers between my legs, encountering the wetness of my desire. Between the water and the slick dampness surrounding my entrance, he easily slid his fingers inside me. I sighed, my whole body relaxing against him already. His eyes were on my face, watching my reactions, as though he was filing them away for the next time we did this like there was some future in this relationship.
<
br /> I felt the sudden urge to cry, and I hid it by burying my face in the crook of his neck, kissing the skin there. The tears disappeared as my lust took over.
I reached down in between us and wrapped my hand around his member, giving him a few pumps, feeling how thick and hard he already was. His dick curved upwards, throbbing with the need for release, and I bit my lower lip. I had never done this before, and I wasn't sure how exactly he wanted me. He could probably lift me easily, but with the water sliding over our skin, I wondered if maybe I would be too slippery for that.
Fortunately, Michael knew what he was doing. He turned me around and bent me over, just like he had in the alleyway outside The Shift. I shivered, thinking back to that lust-filled meeting. I still could hardly believe I'd let him have me there, in public like that. Right outside my place of work.
But then again, I couldn't seem to quit surprising myself, with the way that I responded to him.
Right now, I could hardly think about that, though. Could hardly think about anything. I was so deep in my pleasure and passion it was all I could do to focus on the things he was doing to me. I moaned loudly as he lined himself up against my hole and slowly pressed inside. The water made it even easier than normal. As he began to pump into me, there was hardly any friction.
I gasped and reached around to grab his hips, trying to hurry his movements along.
“Easy,” he murmured, a gentle rebuke. He was in charge here, and he would set the pace.
Come to think of it, he was in charge of every part of our relationship. He was the one calling all the shots. He was the one who had drawn up the contract, and even though I'd convinced him to make some changes to it, the underlying fabric of it was all his. He was the one who had decided that we would meet up tonight. He was the one who had brought me up to the solarium, even though he must have known how romantic it would be, how helpless I would be to avoid him, after that.
