“You keep forgetting you’re in America? Where are you from?”
I never quite know how to answer that question. My father has homes in five different countries. I went to various boarding schools all over Europe. “Well, Trent, where do you think I’m from?” Avoidance works best by pretending to be coy.
Even through the darkness, I could see his smirk. “Give me time, I’ll figure it out.”
I wondered how a mechanic in the middle of Nowhere, Illinois could be familiar with European accents. I realized it would appear quite haughty of me to express that sentiment. I did hate when my upper class upbringing snuck into my thoughts. This guy stopped to help me. I needed to be as sweet and demure as I could. Even though I knew this persona couldn’t be more opposite of how I often appeared to people.
“I’ll go get a flashlight,” Trent added as he walked back to his truck.
Even as he strode away, I couldn’t help but stare. I wondered if he used to be a football player. His body mirrored the pickup truck he sauntered over to. Huge…Intimidating…Sexy as hell. Wait? What? Don’t tell me I’m getting turned on by a complete stranger!
A few cold tickles on my nose forced me to look up. “It’s snowing!” I exclaimed.
“Yep, didn’t you check the forecast?” Trent answered as he passed me by to walk to the hood of my car without a second glance.
“Why would I check the forecast?”
Trent opened the hood in such a way that I got tingles going up and down my spine. Really Raisa? Watching a man bring up a car hood gets me all hot and bothered? Swift-like, my mind raced with the last time I experienced sex. Then, frustration rapidly set in. No wonder I felt so horny. I couldn’t remember the last time a man touched me. An unfortunate consequence of acting so cold and indifferent to people all the time.
“Well Raisa, I can tell you’re not from around here.” The deep rumble of Trent’s voice broke into my thoughts. “If you were, you’d know there’s a blizzard warning expected for tonight. It shocked me to see anyone on the roads right now.”
Then, the realization hit me. Dee saying something like we had to end early, so I could get back to the city before the snow hit. “My friend is from around here. She did mention some sort of storm.”
“Storm? I hate to be the bearer of bad news. We’re expecting over a foot of snow in these parts.”
It was as if the clouds were listening. Right at that moment, the flurries picked up speed. Now, all thoughts of sexual bliss zoomed out of my brain. “Do you think you could get my car started?” I asked nervously.
“What did the car do right before it broke down?”
“First, the radio cut out. I figured it had to be because of lack of reception in this area. Then, it looked like the dashboard began to dim but I thought I was imagining it. Until both the radio and the headlights quit altogether, then I knew there was a problem. One of the lights on the dashboard lit up and—”
“What light came on?”
“I, uh—don’t remember.” God, I felt stupid. “I actually don’t have a lot of experience driving. I grew up in the city.”
He nodded at that, so I felt somewhat better. I wasn’t used to feeling so powerless. I took a deep breath and continued, “I did notice that the steering wheel felt tighter and the car seemed to slow. Then, everything happened at once. Several lights on the dashboard came on. I couldn’t turn the steering wheel. I slammed on the anchors.”
“Anchors?”
“I mean—brakes.” Gratitude filled me that we were standing outside the glare of his truck’s headlights. I know my face was beet red.
“Okay then, I’m afraid it might be the alternator. I’ll know once I try to jump it.”
“Jump it?”
“You really don’t know much about cars…or the danger of going out in snowstorms.” He chuckled.
I wanted to say that I may not know about cars but I had a degree in business administration from Cambridge. I reviewed budget and expenditures of companies who had revenues in the billions. I’ve assessed principal risks and monitored internal controls…and yes, I knew Jack shit about jumping a car.
“I’m going to move my truck to the front of your car,” Trent explained. “Then, I’ll attach cables from my battery to your car’s battery and see if your cars starts up. Okay?”
I nodded just as the image of him attaching his cable to my battery flashed in my brain. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Why am I so turned on by this man? He’s a mechanic who pulled over the side of the road. Not my usual type. The men I’ve fucked in the past wore designer suits, drove luxury cars, and probably didn’t have a single callous on their hands. Unless it was from swinging a polo club. Trent drives a pickup truck for Christ sake!
I watched in slow motion as Trent sauntered back to his pickup. Even in the dark silhouette, my insides quivered while I stared at the way his hulking body loped into his truck. It had to be the sexiest sight I’d ever seen. Stop it Raisa! I screamed at myself in my head. It has been way too long since you last got fucked. Now that I think about, it’s probably been over two years. Ever since I came to America, I haven’t had the desire or the inclination for sex. That’s why I’m lusting after a complete stranger.
Maybe these strange feelings could be the result of my conversation with Dee at the wine bar. I knew beforehand that Dee seemed to teeter on the wild side. She has dropped the funniest one-liners about men and sex. However, our time alone at the bar showed me she has more than a casual sense of humor about fucking. Apparently, she fell in love at her best friend’s wedding in New York. This guy, Anthony, brought her to such heights of passion, she still hasn’t come down.
I felt like Dee might actually be discussing me when she confessed how unsatisfied she found sex before she met Anthony. She talked about her struggle to even orgasm at first with a man.
I don’t know if it was the glass of wine in me but I blurted out, “I’m not sure if I’ve ever had an orgasm.” Then I realized what I just said. “I—I mean, I’ve had sex so I must have, right?”
Instead of laughing at what had to be the most pathetic sentence to ever come out of my mouth, Dee gazed at me with sympathy. She took my hand in hers, glanced around the room once, and spoke softly, “Queenie, I’m going to let you in on a secret. Most men have no idea how to pleasure a woman. My three best friends and I have discovered this the hard way. There’s nothing more depressing than fucking a guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
I downed my glass of wine and signaled to the bartender for another. “Well, that does seem to sum up my sexual experience. The men that I’ve been with have definitely been all mouth and trousers.”
“All mouth and trousers? Is that another British saying, Queenie? You really need to stop confusing people.”
“I don’t even like to talk to people,” I muttered.
“If you’re going to be a public defender, you’ll need to discuss your client’s case,” Dee reprimanded.
“That’s different. That’s business. I can handle that.”
“Oh Queenie, you love to come across so distant. Yet, you’ve become my closest friend in law school, you bitch.” Dee chuckled.
“Right back at you…even with the bollocking.”
Dee laughed even harder. “Okay, this is scary but I’m starting to get well versed in British slang. I remember what bollocking is. I don’t know what all mouth and trousers means.”
“It’s a man that is all talk and no action. Kind of like a sexual braggart.”
“Oh yes, even with crossing cultural lines, I can definitely relate—that is until I met Anthony.” Dee sighed when she mentioned Anthony’s name and seemed to stare off in space.
“How did you know?” I practically whispered.
Dee’s smile turned into a lascivious smirk. “How did I know what? Now Queenie, what exactly are you asking? Do you want to know how I knew Anthony would finally be the man who could give me mind bending orgasms?”
Mind b
ending orgasms? I gulped and nodded.
Dee laughed. “Damn girl, you are turning red. I didn’t think the cold hearted English Queen was capable of blushing.” Dee lowered your voice. “Yes, I do believe you are in need of a long night of rough powerful fucking. How about a man to make you come so hard, you see stars? Have you ever had a man get you so out of control, it feels like your body entered another dimension?”
“I don’t lose control with a man,” I stated bluntly.
“Yep, that was me.” Dee giggles and then finishes off her beer. “My friend Eve told me this story of her roommate, Cora. One night when Eve’s boyfriend was out of town, Cora and her boyfriend borrowed his place. The next day, Eve found a bag they accidentally left. Handcuffs, ropes, a paddle. Eve made Cora explain…okay, get that look off your face! Cora didn’t give the actual details. What got passed down to me became the story of Cora’s introduction to her Domme side.”
“Domme?”
“Female dominatrix. The woman takes the lead in dominating a man sexually. I thought that was what I wanted. I do love to put a man in his place. But then I tried it. It was horrible, Queenie! I didn’t get any satisfaction at all. I felt so frustrated.”
“How is Anthony different?”
“Oh, my god, different isn’t the word to describe that man! I don’t know how to explain.” Dee’s voice came out breathless.
“Dee, the smart ass, is at a loss for words. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day,” I point out dryly.
“That’s what I’m trying to say! Just talking about the man gets me so worked up, I lose all train of thought.”
“Damn,” I say without even realizing that I said it aloud.
“You can say that again. Anthony isn’t even my type. He is SO full of himself. I couldn’t wait to tell him off when he cornered me. But then…” Dee stared off into space.
“But then?” I practically bark, because I’m dying to know what happened next.
“He stared right into my eyes with this intensity that held me in place. Oh Queenie, it felt like the strangest sensation. I couldn’t move. He had me transfixed just by looking at me. Then he told me to go into the ladies room, take off my panties and give them to him. I’m thinking to myself, ‘What an asshole. I’m not doing that! Who does this guy think he is?’ But then, I found myself doing it. The part that freaked me out the most, became when I realized that I wanted to do it. No matter what the smart girl in me says, I have this overriding desire for him to tell me what to do. I get off on it, like I never imagined.“ Dee shook her head. “I’m probably not making any sense.”
“No, Dee. You’re making perfect sense.” I couldn’t believe how turned on I felt by just this description. The roar of Trent’s massive pickup truck broke me out of my daydreams.
Trent parked his truck facing my car. I felt confused at first but then remembered him saying something that the engines needed to be facing each other. The glare of the pickup truck’s headlights now shone on me harshly. I sheltered my eyes as Trent got out of the truck.
Dee’s words kept ringing back and forth in my head. He isn’t even my type. I have this overriding desire for him to tell me what to do. I watched Trent holding the car cables. I felt this bizarre emotion overtake me. I found it didn’t bother me in the least to feel helpless around this man. All of a sudden, I got this yearning for him to notice me.
As if we had some sort of psychic connection, he looked up and his eyes met mine.
I shivered.
“Raisa? Are you cold?”
“What? Oh, uh—no.” Geez, did I even sound coherent?
“The flurries have picked up. You’ve been standing in a snowstorm wearing a short skirt. I’m sure the wetness of the snow is getting uncomfortable. Why don’t you wait in my truck? I’ve got the heater on.”
So, he’s noticed my short skirt? I practically skipped over to his truck. Then, I fell on my arse.
Holy shit! This. Is. Embarrassing! I laid there on the snow. I wasn’t sure if I couldn’t move from humiliation or total shock. The irony set in that I just said seconds ago, how I wasn’t cold. Now the snow on the ground saturated my clothes and a chill seeped into every pore of my body.
“Raisa? Are you okay?” Trent had gone down on his knees while he seemed to examine me.
With the light from his truck so vivid and clear, I finally got a clear view of Trent’s face. No fucking way! Of course, he had to be gorgeous. I had to fall in the most ungraceful way in front of a stunning sexy man.
With his face hovering above mine, I gazed at the most perfect features. Yes, I mean perfect. I couldn’t tell the color of his eyes but his lashes were thick and long. He had a masculine narrow nose with just the slightest pointed tip, which I found adorable. What got me though, had to be the slight hollow in his high cheekbones. When I turned sixteen, I practically spent the entire summer at my father’s country club in England. I carried a total crush on my golf instructor who possessed those same cheekbones. To top off the total package with Trent, I just stared at the fullest, most kissable lips ever.
“Raisa? You’re not talking?” Now Trent seemed to panic.
“Oh, uh, I—I’m fine.” My teeth began to chatter. “J-Just c-cold.”
“That’s it. You’re going to sit in my truck right now!” He scooped me up like a rag doll.
His arms felt solid and powerful. I immediately warmed up as I pressed up against his hard strapping chest. I realized it must be the first time I allowed a man to tell me what to do. Independent, strong willed Raisa, would have insisted on walking to his truck herself. Instead, elation seemed to surge through my shivering body at the idea of this man carrying me.
He opened the door of his truck with one hand while the other kept a firm grip under my arse. Damn, he’s strong! As soon as the door opened, I felt a wave of warmth from the heater. Instantly, I realized how cold I’d become as hotness spread through me.
“You should warm up soon. Now, let me see if I can get your car started.” Trent smiled at me.
Immediately, electricity went up and down my spine. Really Raisa? I was acting like a giddy teenager. Maybe I hit my head when I fell.
The hood of Trent’s pickup blocked my view of what he was doing. He came back into his truck after a few minutes. “I’ve got both cables attached. I’m going to start my truck and let it run for a few minutes. Then I’ll start your car up. Where are your keys?”
My keys? I could feel myself obsessing on his lips. He really expected me to think?
“Raisa? Are your keys still in the ignition? I didn’t check when I popped your hood?”
Okay, why did the phrase, ‘popped your hood’ sound so incredibly erotic? I’m going to have to run that one by Dee. Somehow, I found the will power to concentrate. “My keys? Yes, they’re still in the car, what did you call it?”
“Ignition?” He smiled again.
I couldn’t believe his face could get any more handsome. I nodded because I really couldn’t form words. Me, Raisa Hughes, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the world. Destined to take over a company worth billions and a mechanic has me utterly speechless.
Trent got out of his pickup again and I felt a tad guilty that he had to continually go out in the snow. I heard the sound of him trying to start my car. I say trying because even in my limited mechanical experience, I could tell the car’s engine wasn’t turning over.
After a few minutes, I heard the sound of a hood being dropped closed. Then, Trent closed the hood of his pickup. This wasn’t looking good.
He got back into his truck, wearing a serious look. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Raisa, but I believe I was correct. I think it’s the alternator.”
“Alternator?”
“The alternator works with the battery to generate power for the vehicle. It channels the electricity into the battery. I’m afraid I can’t fix an alternator on the side of the road.”
“So, I’m stranded.” That word became sexually charged in
my head. I’m stranded with a hot looking guy. I shouldn’t get my hopes up. He hasn’t shown any inclination that he’s attracted to me. He might have a girlfriend or he might be gay. I really shouldn’t get my hopes up.
“Yeah, I’d definitely say you’re not going anywhere until this storm lets up. I can take you back to my place until it’s safe for someone to come and get you. I only live a half of mile up the road.”
“I don’t want to be a bother. Especially with your family.”
“I live alone.”
Tingles went straight to the area between my thighs. All of a sudden, I definitely got my hopes up.
Chapter Three
The snow began to pick up rapidly. Sitting in Trent’s truck, I felt warm and surprisingly safe. “I hate to admit this because my car broke down and I’m stranded but the snow is actually beautiful.”
Trent smiled.
Damn, he had a nice smile. “
How long have you lived here?”
“Almost two years but I’ve rarely ventured out of the city. There have been some intense snowstorms. I’ve never driven in it though. I don’t think I will again. The snow is pretty but I think I’d be nervous to drive in this.”
“It’s not that scary if you have the right type of vehicle.”
“Well, obviously this truck is the one to be in. You’re driving all billyo and we’re not sliding at all.”
“Billyo?”
Dee kept warning me about my British slang. “It means to travel quickly.”
“You said you lived in the city?”
“Yes, I go to law school at the University of Chicago.”
“A lawyer, huh?” Trent made a scared face but then laughed, so I could tell he was joking.
“We’re not all bad.” I grinned.
“It definitely depends on what kind.”
“I want to be a public defender.”
“Well now…that is the best kind.”
So, he did have an empathetic streak to him. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He just helped me off the side of the road. After growing up around some of the most selfish people in the world, just his presence seemed comforting.
Stranded With a Billionaire Boxed Set Page 9
