Dazzle her: Laws of Seduction Book 3

by Ava Hayworth

  “I’m on my way.”

  I give James’s open office door a few brief knocks to alert him to my presence before walking in. James, who had been looking out the window, swivels his chair around to watch as I walk toward his desk. The coldness in his eyes and his utter stillness set off alarms in my head. A volley of words come rushing out of my mouth. “James, I am so sorry I didn’t respond to your texts and calls.” His lack of response unnerves me. “I had something important to take care of, and I lost track of time. By the time I got home, I was so exhausted that I just fell into bed.”

  “So it was a late night, was it?” James’s clipped tone makes me jump. For some reason I had expected him to warm up after my apology.

  “Y-y-y-es, I was out until about midnight.”

  “Who were you out with?”

  The moment had come when I had to decide. Feeling a little too much like a miscreant child standing in front of his desk, I walk around to the other side. James turns and rolls back in his chair so he can look up into my face. “It doesn’t matter who I was with. If you don’’t trust me, this isn’t going to work.”

  “That’s your answer?”

  “Yes, James. That is my answer.”

  “I have a conference call right now. We can talk about this more later.”

  Resentment floods me at his cool dismissal. “No, James. We don’t need to talk about this later. You either trust me or you don’t. It’’s a two-way street, you know.”

  James does not respond to my heated tone. “Close the door on your way out. I don’t want to be interrupted.”

  Infuriated by his indifferent response, I turn and walk out the door, closing it softly behind me, although it takes all of my willpower not to slam it. I fume all the way back to my desk. He is back to blowing hot and cold. It’s like he has a switch for his emotions that he can turn on and off. Realizing that I am falling behind in my work, I force all thoughts of our argument out of my head and return to the brief glaring out at me from the computer screen.

  CHAPTER 13

  I am pushing myself hard as I run down the pedestrian path along the West Side Highway. By the time I reach James’s apartment building, I am drenched in perspiration. I wipe the sweat off my face with my t-shirt before entering the lobby of his building. The concierge waves me on towards the elevators. My trepidation rises the closer I get to James’s floor. When the elevator opens, James is not standing there to greet me. I walk further into his apartment and find him sitting on his couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. Catching sight of me, I watch as his eyes run up and down my sweaty form. I hear the clink of ice as he waves his scotch tumbler in my direction in a mocking toast before throwing back the contents. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

  James’s high-handedness in dismissing me from his office in such a cavalier way had begun to irritate me more and more. Finally, deciding that I wasn’t going to wait around until James deemed it was time to continue our discussion, I left the office without telling him. I had begun to regret the decision almost immediately. If I want James’s understanding about last night, I am going to have to control my temper. My decision to run from my apartment to see James had been a good one. A lot of the tension from earlier in the day had evaporated. “Can I take a shower?””

  “By all means. Mi casa es tu casa.”

  “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  I strip off my clothes and rinse off under the spray of warm water before stepping out and drying off with one of James’s fluffy towels. I wrap myself in the robe that is hanging on the back of the bathroom door and pop my phone in its pocket before going back to the living room, where James is scrolling down his phone in the same spot I left him in.

  Eyeing him warily, I walk over and sit down on the coffee table across from him. The hand holding his tumbler rests on the arm of the couch, and he taps one finger on the rim while regarding me intently. I refuse to be intimidated by this. I shift and the robe falls to the side, revealing more of my leg. The burning look in James’s eyes reminds me that I have nothing on underneath my robe. I shift again as a course of unexpected desire shoots through me, making my nipples tighten in anticipation. James stops his finger-tapping and leans forward, setting his glass onto the coffee table next to me. I get a whiff of spicy cologne and the scent that is pure James before he returns to his relaxed position on the couch. I know that if he were to touch me in this moment, I would light up in flames.

  The sound of an incoming text on my phone interrupts the charged moment. “Are you going to get that?”

  “No, I don’t need to.”

  “Why won’t you tell me where you were last night?”

  “Why is it so important that I tell you?”

  “Lainey, don’t answer my question with a question. I want an answer.” Once again my phone pings with an incoming text. ““Maybe you should respond to that.”

  “It’s not important. It can wait.”

  “No, I insist. Check your texts, Lainey.”

  I note the impeccable set of James’s jaw and decide that it is not worth arguing about. Taking my phone from the pocket of the robe, I see that Nick has sent me several texts.

  Lainey, what are you up to??

  Then the second text. Have you been a naughty girl?

  Grimacing at Nick’s assumptions, I am about to turn my phone off when James unexpectedly jerks the phone out of my hand. My eyes widen in horror as he scrolls through my latest messages with Nick. I jump up and lunge for my phone, but it is too late. James has already seen the incriminating texts. Why did I have to send that stupid message to Nick this morning. I realized almost immediately after sending it that it would be wrong to lie to James. For our relationship to succeed, he needed to trust me.

  I frantically try to grab my phone, but James holds it out of my reach and at the same time manages to wrestle me down onto the couch. My own ire ignites, and I ignore the fury blazing down at me. “What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just grab my phone and read my personal messages.”

  “From someone asking for my trust, you sure do seem to have a lot to hide.” James manages to get out around clenched teeth.

  “Some women may find this possessive, domineering bullshit sexy, but let me tell you, I do not. Let me up.” During our tussle my robe had fallen open, and I feel exposed.

  I watch as James’s eyes fall away from my face to take in the wide expanses of bared skin. Raising his eyes back to mine, he smiles with cold calculation. “Oh baby, I like you right where you are.” A shiver of apprehension rolls over me. “Tell me, Lainey. Have you been naughty?”

  Looking up at him with wide eyes, I shake my head back and forth. “That’s not what your friend Nick seems to think.” I feel his fingers playing lightly against the back of my knee. Little prickles of desire shoot through all of my nerve endings. He trails his fingers up my thigh and over my core, which is beginning to throb with wanting. My breath hitches as he continues by making light circles on my abdomen before cupping my breast and brushing his thumb across my hardened nipple. I bite back a moan as he leans down and nuzzles my ear and neck. In a low, gravelly voice, James demands, “Who were you with last night?”

  His question reminds me that I am angry with him. My body is on fire for him, but drawing on all of my self-control, I buck my hips, trying to throw him off of me. “Using sex as a weapon isn’t fair.”

  James grabs my wrists and pulls them over my head, holding them securely with one hand. “If I have to, I will use every weapon at my disposal to find out who you were with last night.” Bending down, he licks and bites my lower lip before plunging his tongue into my mouth and kissing me thoroughly.

  When he finally pulls back to look down at me, I am breathless. I try reasoning with him. “James, stop this. I will tell you. I was with a friend, and it was completely innocent. I am only interested in you. You have to believe me. If you don’t, we might as well end this relationship
right now.”

  “What friend?”

  “Argh, you are like a dog with a bone. Haven’t you been listening to me at all?”

  “What friend, Lainey?”

  We stare stubbornly at each other until I relent. “Fine. I will tell you, but the answer will not make you happier. I was with Davis.”

  I watch the alarm dance across James’s face as he sits bolt upright. “What the fuck?”

  I pull the ends of the robe together over me. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you would be upset.”

  “Upset is the least of what I am feeling right now. You blew me off yesterday so you could hang out with that douchebag?” he asks incredulously.

  “Hey, Davis is a nice guy. We are actually becoming pretty good friends.”

  This is apparently not what James wants to hear. He stands up and starts pacing back and forth, raking one hand through his hair. Stopping momentarily to glare at me, he lets out a pained groan before resuming his pacing. After watching him walk back and forth a few times, I forge on. “This is where the trust comes in. Now you have the answer to your question, and now you have to trust me when I tell you that nothing happened. It was an innocent meeting between friends.”

  James finally stops his pacing and looks at me. I make an effort to reassure him. “You are the only person I am interested in. There is no one else.”

  James reaches out and cups my face, smoothing his thumb along my cheek and over my lips. “He didn’t touch you here?”

  I shake my head no.

  “Say it,” he demands.

  “He didn’t touch me here.” I say obediently, reaching up to touch my fingertips to my lips.

  Running his hand further down along my throat, James parts the robe with his hand so that he can cup my breast. “Did he touch you here?”

  I stare into his eyes, and place my hand over his on my breast. “No, he didn’t touch me here.” Relief surges through me when I see the belief in his eyes.

  James nudges the robe off of my shoulders, and it falls in a heap on the floor. His hands seem to be everywhere touching my bare skin. I am on fire. Longing to feel his skin against mine, I reach up and start undoing the buttons on his shirt. When I am done, I push it back over his broad shoulders. Bending down, I inhale the scent of his warm skin and spread tiny little kisses across his chest. James groans in response. He leans over and scoops me up, carrying me off to the bedroom. James lays me across the bed before stripping out of the rest of his clothes. His cock stands boldly upright as he looks down at me. Extending my hand, I run it up and down his hard shaft. James closes his eyes and lets out a moan.

  When his eyes pop open, my breath stutters in my throat at the raw possessiveness radiating from his gaze. “Are you ready, baby? Because I can’t wait.” Gripping the back of my thighs, he pulls me down the bed towards him. He moves one hand up and presses his thumb against my clit before moving it in a gentle circle. My hips buck up and I hear a strangled cry escape my lips. James clutches the back of my thighs, pulling me towards him as he thrusts into me in one hard stroke. I let out a cry that combines with James’s grunt of pleasure and echoes around the room. “Are you alright?” James asks.

  “Yes,” I gasp, “don’t stop.”” James pounds into me over and over. His hands touch me everywhere. I feel myself right on the edge, but just as I am about to catapult into ecstasy, James slows his pace. He builds me up over and over again until I am about to scream out my frustration. “Please, James.”

  “What do you want baby?”

  “Please, James. Make… me… come.” I gasp between his pounding drives.

  “You are fucking mine. Do you hear me? Mine.”

  “Yes, yours.” Once again I am about to come when he slows his movements.

  “James,” I sob, “please, make me feel good.”

  “I am going to fuck you so hard that you will never, ever think of anyone else.”

  “Yes, James. Only you.” James grips my hips tightly and builds me up once again with his hard thrusts. I scream his name, and then I am shattering into a million pieces, no longer capable of forming a coherent thought.

  I return to reality with the feel of light little kisses traveling up my body. When they reach my neck, I turn and open my eyes to see a satisfied smile spread across James’s face. “Who would have thought that James McAllister would have such a possessive streak?””

  James give an almost imperceptible shrug and eyes me cockily. “It’s news to me too, baby.”

  “You mean you weren’t always this possessive?”

  “Just with you.”

  For some reason this admission makes me feel all warm inside. I put my arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss that makes me melt all over again. My stomach rumbles with hunger, and I feel James’s laughter against my lips. He raises up. “Let’’s get something to eat.” Since I am undeniably hungry, I enthusiastically agree.

  James orders burgers that he swears are the best in the city from a Tribeca steakhouse. While we wait for them, he explains that the restaurant only makes a limited number of these burgers, and the owner tweets the number available for that day. When they arrive, I am famished. Just as James promised, they are juicy and bursting with flavor. “How did you find out about this place?”” I ask between bites.

  After taking a swig of his beer, James shrugs one shoulder. “Don’t know. Word just gets around about these kind of things.”

  I bite into my lone French fry. “Isn’t it kind of odd that they serve it with a single fry?”

  “I guess they think of it as garnish.”

  There isn’t much to clean up after we eat, and it is still fairly early. James asks, “Do you have to go back to your apartment tonight or can you stay here?”

  “I can stay here. Maybe I’ll get up early and run back up to my apartment in the morning.”

  “Yeah, okay. Is there anything you would like to do now?” James asks solicitously. I glance up at him shyly. “Now I’’m intrigued. What has you blushing like that?” he continues.

  “I couldn’t help noticing earlier that your bathtub doesn’t look like it gets much use.”

  “It doesn’t. I’m more of a shower man. Do you want to take a bath?”

  “Only if you join me,” I say provocatively.

  “Come on.” He leads me into the master bath, where a huge oval bathtub sits in the corner.

  “Do you have any bubbles?”

  “Let me see.” After rummaging around in a cabinet, James returns with a gift basket filled with bath salts, flowery soaps, and bubble bath.

  I laugh. “Where did you get that?”

  “I think it was a housewarming gift from my mother.” I raise my brow at him in disbelief. “I know. She’s a little out of touch,” he explains.

  James turns on the water and adjusts the temperature. I choose the “Cherry Blossom Vanilla” scented bubbles out of the basket and pour a dollop into the tub. The swirling jets make the bubbles foam up nicely. I pull my hair up and fix it on top of my head with a hair tie before dropping my robe and slipping into the inviting warmth. James removes his clothes and steps in behind me. I close my eyes and lean back against his firm chest as the water laps around us. James nuzzles my ear and trails kisses down my neck to my shoulder. “This reminds me of skinny-dipping in the Hamptons.”

  I smile at the memory. “That seems like ages ago, but it’s been just a few weeks.”

  We sit in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then James asks, “How long were you and Mark together?”

  “We were together for most of law school.”

  “But you never lived together?”

  “We had a sort of understanding that we would wait until after law school and see where our jobs took us. Besides, I liked living with Sam.”

  “Huh,” James grunts in response.

  Needing him to understand my relationship with Mark, I continue. “I should have brok
en up with him much sooner, but it was easier to let things keep drifting along. Every time I would work up the courage to break it off, he would convince me to give it another try. In the end I put my foot down and wouldn’t let him talk me into staying in the relationship.”

  “When did you break it off with him?”

  “The beginning of last March.”

  “And before Mark? Was there anyone before that?”

  My thoughts turn to my dismal undergraduate years. Most people were having the time of their lives, but I spent the entire time buried in books. The only highlight of those years had been my friendship with Nick. “No, at college I was very studious. I spent a lot of time in therapy and coming to grips with the accident.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It wasn’t all bad. I did meet Nick, and we helped each other a lot. I just didn’t date. I couldn’t. For a long time, I felt like no one could With Seth.”

  James’s hand makes comforting strokes down my side. “He was your first?”

  Leaning my head back against his hard chest, I close my eyes and let the memories wash over me. “Yea, we were together all through high school. There was a lot of breaking up and getting back together though.”

  “Why would anyone ever break up with you?”

  I smile at the sincerity in James’s voice. He could be so sweet sometimes. “We were both pretty immature. He would cheat on me, or I would cheat on him. It was a kind of game, but I knew we would always get back together. Of course, it didn’’t feel like a game at the time.”

  “You loved him.”

  James says it as a statement not a question, but I answer anyway. “Yea, I did.” Memories of Seth play through my mind. “It’s funny. Seth, Chelsea, and I were so wild in high school. When I think back to the partying and some of the crazy things we did, I’m amazed we survived. I almost think it would have been easier to live with if they had died doing something stupid or crazy. It just makes no sense to me that they died because of something as commonplace as running off the road.”