Bartered

by Pamela Ann

  I had never been in this situation where I despised someone while my heart would thump ever so loudly when he was near. Was this what they called love-hate? Craving someone you didn’t even like? Or was that lunacy?

  The thought of what might happen tonight terrified me, although I couldn’t seem to stop myself. There was simply something about him. Maybe it was the air of mystery he had around him, or the way he looked at me. I mean, really looked at me like I was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. Or maybe because he’d been teasing me from the start, building this need, this palpable tension from the ground up until I was pouring out desperation and curiosity.

  What did I really know? Hugo was the kind of man who always got what he wished for, and he had admitted he wanted me.

  All of me.

  When he had declared that earlier, whatever decisions I hadn’t been sure about before had all gone down the drain. The answer had dawned on me, causing me to feel helpless from not being able to stop this wild ride I was embarking on with Hugo Xavier, playboy extraordinaire. This was it. After tonight, I would have to own up to my mistakes.

  Taking a peek at his profile, I knew there was no way out of this without getting hurt, one way or the other. Undeterred, I rested my head against the headrest and continued watching him as he drove… breathed… lived.

  “Why can’t I resist you?” I finally whispered, breaking his concentration.

  He made an arresting smile. “Think, long and hard,” he said, giving me a quick glance. “Three years ago. London, winter of 2011.”

  I frowned, confused about what he’d just said. London? In 2011?

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The first time we met.”

  “I’ve never met you until I went into that office in The Riviera.” It couldn’t be. I had perpetually been busy with Damen. I had wondered if there was something truly familiar about Hugo, but I hadn’t been able to come up with anything.

  “If you say so,” he easily dismissed his claim, making me a little mad.

  I made a strangled, groaning sound. “Dammit, Hugo. Now’s not the time to mess with my mind.”

  Releasing a breath, he concentrated on the road before he responded to me. “I didn’t remember, actually, until a few days ago. There was something familiar about you, yet I couldn’t seem to grasp where and how it came about.”

  2011… I pondered as the villa came into view. I continued trying to recall, but nothing came to light. Frustrated, I didn’t ask him again until we were parked and out of the car.

  “You know I won’t stop asking until you tell me the truth,” I said as I watched him close my door.

  He leaned me against the Bugatti, trapping me with his body as both of his hands situated against the top of the car, giving me only a small amount of breathing space. “If you don’t remember, then I don’t see the point of it.”

  “You aren’t being fair.”

  The back of his knuckles softly brushed against my jaw as he stared at my lips. “With you, I am being more than fair. My appetites are ravenous, but I’ve sacrificed my pleasures to pursue you.”

  Sacrificed? What did he mean by that?

  “You could take me, but you always seem hesitant.”

  “I could,” he breezily said without hesitation. “But I don’t want to steal that, ma belle. I want you to give it to me, willingly. No contract or obligations, but free will.”

  This truly made sense, and at the same time, it was troubling because he wanted so much more from me.

  “What if you’re unable to make me give it to you, willingly? What then?”

  “I’m man enough to know when to admit defeat,” he murmured before teasing his lip against my ear. “But you must know I won’t give up until I know there’s no hope for me.”

  “You seem very determined,” I quietly observed, admiring his perseverance a little.

  No man had made it a mission to pursue me like this. I wouldn’t lie, either; I felt special. Though I should know better than to feel that, especially since the man was known for being a playboy. Yet here I was, letting his words affect me.

  “Meet me on the shore, at the bottom of the stairs in five minutes.” His kiss on my nose made me blush like I was on my first date. “Stay there and don’t even think of going anywhere else.”

  Oh my, what did he have planned?

  “Okay.” I felt shy and virginal all of a sudden, which was truly ridiculous because I was far from one.

  His eyes glimmered before striding into the villa, while I, on the other hand, took the route towards the garden where the stairs going to the beach were located.

  I didn’t take off my shoes until I reached the stairs. One by one, I pulled off my strappy heels and sighed with pleasurable relief when my soles were greeted by the cold cement. Before descending, I stared ahead at the dark sea with the moon appearing to be big and yellow on the horizon. Stars usually littered above, but tonight, the moon was the sole provider of light.

  I took my time going all the way to the bottom, smiling when my feet touched the sand. The waves rolled with a soft hush and the air was still.

  “You’re smiling.”

  Swiftly spinning around to face him, I felt my cheeks burn at the sight of him. Except for the trousers, he was gloriously and deliciously bare. My eyes devoured him, itching to trace his wonderfully chiseled chest.

  “I didn’t hear you come.”

  “It’s one of my many gifts,” he teased.

  I wonder what other gifts he has, I thought cheekily. He was playful and charming and quite irresistible. No sane woman could go unaffected, myself included.

  “Come sit with me and help me enjoy this vintage champagne.” He lifted his left hand that held the bottle in a silver wine cooler before he chose a spot to sit.

  Strolling towards him, I tried to sit with my small dress as graciously as it allowed, showing more thigh as it rode up almost to my butt.

  “That dress is criminal on you.” His eyes scrutinized every inch of my body.

  It was merely a piece of cloth; however, the power it exuded was limitless.

  “Is that why you acted like a complete arse earlier?”

  He shrugged, looking away as he took a bottle opener that had been stabbed in the ice from the bucket.

  Peeling off the top seal of the bottle, he gave me a knowing look. “I desire you,” he professed for the second time tonight. “I don’t share, nor do I want other men to see what’s intended for my eyes only.”

  My throat ran dry. If the possessiveness in his tone didn’t bother me a little, I would’ve appreciated the poetic tone of his words.

  “You’re quite a possessive man. How do women tolerate you?”

  “You’ll know soon enough,” he murmured as I looked away.

  The cork popped from the bottle before the white foam oozed out of it. He then handed me the bottle. “Ladies first.”

  I smirked at his random show of being less chic and grand before taking a swig.

  “Drinking champagne from the bottle,” I observed with a hint of teasing, handing him the bottle. “Are you sure you won’t be booted out of Monaco’s elite circle?”

  “My lifestyle’s answer enough to tell you I don’t follow the rules. I bend them however I see fit.” He toasted the bottle before me. “Cheers to you and your irresistible beauty. May you bless me with thee.”

  I barked out a laugh. “You’re mad.”

  “What can I say? A woman who’s beautiful, catty, sharp with eyes so blue they sometimes turn purple, who’s also unafraid to speak her mind and constantly likes to push my limits is a true weakness of mine.”

  That was me, summed into a paragraph.

  Feeling as if the mood had shifted to something more, I opted to change the subject, delaying the inevitable. “Since you’re being honest tonight, mind telling me about London, 2011?”

  “I’d rather you figure that mystery out all by yourself.”

  Well, I wasn’t
giving up just yet. I’d try again tomorrow.

  “I’ll eventually drag it out of you.”

  “We shall see.”

  “We shall.” I took the bottle from him because it was my turn to drink. Staring at my toes digging into the cool sand, I took a sip, wondering loudly, “Where did Chantel and Sherry go? I mean, I know you said they went to travel somewhere because of your aunt, but where is that exactly?”

  “Sherry actually ended up going to Bali. Chantel chose the Caribbean. The penthouse was too confiding for them.” Hugo shifted himself. Instead of facing the sea, he chose to face my profile. “When they arrive in two weeks time, I’m letting them both go.”

  The pin dropped. Instantly, I snapped my neck to gaze at him, horrified. “What are you trying to say?” I asked, aghast, hoping he’d say something that made sense because he’d been revealing far more than I was prepared for.

  “I want you,” he stated without hesitation. “So in my plan of pursuit, I’m going on abstinence until you’re ready for me.” He was absolutely cavalier about it.

  Huh. Well, he was in for a long haul. Kissing was one thing, sex was a whole other complicated matter entirely—one I wasn’t ready to share with anyone other than Damen. Hugo simply was stuck at believing he could attain whatever he wanted because women probably had the trouble of saying no to his wishes. His desire for me could also be used as a weapon; if I manipulated it right, it could be my leverage.

  “Really? And when was the last time you went without sex?” There was no doubt the man didn’t go without. From what I had seen in the library that one afternoon, he was as insatiable and hot blooded as they came.

  He made a smirk, lighting his face up while his eyes danced with amusement. “Never.”

  “You won’t survive it.” Exactly. He wouldn’t last a day. “Why even put yourself in that predicament?”

  “Because you’ll be worth it,” he said in a casual manner, as if it was already a given.

  “Hmmm… you shouldn’t be too confident about that because I’m going to crush that little hope you’re challenging yourself in attaining. Besides, even if you proved me wrong, I’m not really skilled in that department, so you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

  He was changing the game—the agreement—and it was startling how quickly the tide was shifting between us. He was moving fast with no signs of slowing down.

  “I’ve never been denied of anything until you came along. I’m more than willing to put a pause to my sexual endeavors to pursue a much more satisfying one.” His finger caressed the base of my neck, trailing it along my shoulder blade, all the way down to my fingertips before hooking his forefinger with my own. “You’re trying to make me change my mind, and I’m telling you now, that’s very much unlikely.”

  How did I counter that? Not only was I having an inner battle with myself, but I was also getting less and less confident my mind and reason would be enough to fight against my body’s urges. Damen was in my heart; however, he also wasn’t here and wouldn’t be in my life for the next months to come.

  “Fancy a quick swim?” he broke into my thoughts, looking mighty wicked before adding, “Naked.” He then stood up before me, offering his hand.

  His hand was strong, big and masculine, and the thought of having those hands all over me didn’t help with my struggle. “You’re not subtle in your intentions, are you?”

  “I have indecent motives, true, but I won’t touch you until you grant me the permission to,” he swore just as I raised my brow, doubting him, before he made a dashing, panty-dropping smile. “I give you my word.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  Chapter 17

  Hugo

  Just as I was about to pull my pants down, Isobel started to have second thoughts, rattled at the notion of going au naturel.

  “What if there’s a speed boat passing through? What then?”

  “Then they see us naked. Who cares?” Her shyness was something I wasn’t used to from women. It was refreshing to see. “Live a little. Consider this a hiatus from your regular life; a free pass to indulge in things you usually wouldn’t consider.” Also the fact I was a selfish man who loved to torture himself by staring at her body like a true pervert, imagining what it would be like to sheath myself inside her moist tunnel.

  “Be reckless, you mean? But that’s just not me—”

  She tried to argue, but I cut her off, proving it with an example. “Signing that contract wasn’t like you either, but you did it anyway.” It was fate when she’d happened to be the daughter of the man who just so happened to owe the casino money.

  Isobel shook her head, adamant about making a point. “That’s different.”

  “Not entirely. What you did was risky. I could’ve been a man who gets pleasures from hurting women, or a man with serial killer capabilities, yet you took a chance, trusting I would take care of you.”

  “I didn’t really have that much choice… My father isn’t an easy man to deal with,” she insisted with vehemence before chugging another gulp from the bottle.

  “We always have a choice, Isobel.” She needed to know that in case her father kept using her to pay off his gambling habit. “Whether it’s right or wrong, you always have an option.”

  She broke into a beaming smile, looking up at me with pure sincerity.

  “Thank you for taking a chance with me. I know it’s odd to be thanking you, but now that you’ve revealed that you won’t do anything until I allow you to… well, not a lot of men would be that noble.” Pressing her lips together, she whispered another gratitude, “So, thank you.”

  “I did tell you I have a weakness for beautiful, catty, sharp women, with eyes so blue they sometimes turned purple, who’s also unafraid to speak her mind and constantly likes to push my limits.”

  Her smile was pure beauty. I wished she’d do so more often. I’d give her whatever she wanted when she looked at me that way—serene and impressionable.

  The catty and feisty attitude turned me on like a raging lunatic, yet this, too, had the power to drive my lust to epic proportions. One way or the other, I wanted her with a passion. Like a flip of a switch, so did my objective.

  “You know, you could further thank me by swimming with me.”

  Rolling her eyes, she feigned an exasperated sigh. “All right, but I’m leaving my underwear on.” She sharpened her eyes at me, as if in warning of some sort.

  I’ll take whatever she’d throw at me.

  “Whatever you feel comfortable in.” I was a rabid dog with an unfathomable hunger that only burned for one particular person. It was as if my nature and my senses came together when with her.

  Pulling the zipper down on the side of her chest, she eyed me warily. “It’s weird that I feel shy doing this even though you’ve seen me naked before.”

  I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, awaiting the striptease, but her hesitation made me concede to giving her a little space. Emphasis on little. “I’ll pretend like I’m a gentleman and go in first.”

  Walking into the water until it was around my hips, I dove into the dark sea before I came up for air and swam farther out. The water was cool, a refreshing change for my heated body. The summer heat was crucial earlier today, and in those times, a dip in the sea was mandatory.

  Taking a gulping breath, I spun around towards the beach as I pedaled to stay afloat. The beach was empty. Where had she gone?

  “Isobel?” I called out, keeping still as I tried to adjust my eyesight. I was about a little over a kilometer out in the sea; therefore, my vision wasn’t as clear as I’d hoped. “Isobel!” I bellowed again, but this time, I heard a small reply.

  “I’m right over here.” Her voice was a great distance away. “Where are you?”

  Scouring the dark sea as I swam with slight, silvery rays of the moon to lighten my sight, there was still a vast area that was shaded, and I desperately needed to make sure of where she was.

  “St
ay where you are and keep talk—”

  She made a startling yelp, almost stopping my heart. “Oh, fuck! Something touched my leg!” She made an alarming screech. “Hugo, something’s out there!”

  “Don’t move.” I swam towards her, following the echo of her voice. “I’m coming.”

  “Hugo, please hurry!” she screamed, but this time with pure terror. “I just saw a fin! Oh my God, I saw a bloody fin! I’m going to die. I’m going to die!” She kept chanting that she was dying.

  Her alarmed voice sent a chill all over my body, making me feel truly frightened for the first time in over a decade. The small splashes of water done by her panicky arms made me halt for a second as I noticed the dorsal fin slicing briskly about her before it disappeared again.

  Then, I barked out a laugh as I reached for her, wrapping my arms around her as I held her close. “Relax. It’s only a dolphin.” I kissed her forehead as relief spread all over me. “The Rissos dolphin feeds at night, and they have a long dorsal fin, so I guess it’s easy to assume it’s a shark circling about you for its next meal.”

  “That’s not funny. I truly, really was frightened.” She sobbed, a little frazzled.

  Pauvre bébé. (Poor baby.) She looked so scared she had tears in her eyes. Wiping them away, I kissed her nose while trying to reassure her. “Even if it were a shark, you can’t blame it for wanting to have a taste; you’re quite a delectable treat,” I teased, watching as the fright slowly ebbed away from her eyes.

  She lightly tapped my chest before resting her head against it. “I almost had a heart attack. Be nice.” Then she pulled her head back, taking a peek at me. “Since when did you know so much about dolphins anyway?”

  “I swim a lot at night during the summer months.”

  “This is actually nice,” she murmured, as she unknowingly sought for more warmth from my chest. “But do you mind if we’re closer to the shore? I don’t like being all the way out here in the open. It’s like baiting ourselves to be eaten alive for the next hungry predator that happens to be nearby.”