by L. J. Dee
“Nothing, but we get on. We have the same sense of humour,” she said as Lucas raised his eyebrows. Either she was really loud on the phone or he had phenomenal hearing.
“Besides, he wants to screw around. He told me he’s looking for no-strings fun and you know me,” she said as I shook my head.
“Eye on the prize,” I laughed.
“Exactly, Sis and for all he’s a dickwad, Lucas Hunter is a fucking great prize,” she said as I felt Lucas’s overblown ego further inflate right next to me.
“By the way is Charlie into all that weird sex stuff?” she asked as I cringed, looking up at Lucas who was frowning deeply before grabbing the phone in a manner than suggested he wasn’t entirely happy that I’d shared that with my sister.
“No he isn’t and I would prefer it if you didn’t discuss it with him,” Lucas said firmly.
“He doesn’t know?” Chas gasped down the phone as I realised it was her that was loud and nothing spectacular about Lucas’s hearing.
“No and I’d like to keep it that way,” he said firmly and I knew Chas wouldn’t leave it there.
“Why haven’t you told him?” she asked as Lucas rolled his eyes.
“Goodbye, Chastity” he said, ending the call as I gaped at him open mouthed.
“You can’t just cut my sister off,” I said as he laughed, pulling me on top of him and enveloping me in a wonderful deep kiss that almost made me forget what had just happened until my phone beeped with an incoming text.
Told you he’s a dickwad! Happy birthday, Sis x
CHAPTER 16
“Chas, just watch Dex while I’m having a bath” I shouted through to her bedroom while she was getting ready, easing into the orange scented water and relaxing my limbs and muscles that were still aching from last night’s exertions with Lucas. I revelled in the sensations, laughing at just how suddenly aches and pains had turned into a good thing. There wasn’t one I’d regretted yet.
I was glad he’d rescued my birthday and in some ways relieved that the secret was out. No doubt it would have got increasingly difficult to hide it, and his shock and dismay had been short lived. At least now I wouldn’t have to wander around fretting about how to broach the subject.
The evening had been incredible. Lucas’s bedroom felt more intimate and special than the club, but we were compartmentalising and I didn’t expect it would happen again in a hurry. Last night was unique, a time for desperate measures and he’d said those very words himself.
I lay there, relaxing and radiating in the warmth of the soft bubbles popping gently against my skin and thinking about the chat we’d had after the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ experiment. We were starting slowly, taking things easy, but I knew without question it wouldn’t be long until those whips came out and I’d asked the question directly.
I was reassured with the explanation that he would get to know my body inch by inch first; every reaction, need and desire, and by the time he was tying me up and whipping me I’d be begging him to do it. He was probably right. Sexually he seemed to be right about everything, although I’d told him just how much an exercise in futility the damn questionnaire had been for someone with no experience.
He’d agreed, especially as I’d given him almost nothing to go on. It had just been designed to give him a basic idea of any absolute ‘no-no’s’ apparently. The rest he would look forward to finding out for himself. ‘So would I’, I thought, as an involuntary little shiver burst across my warm skin and I curled my feet around the taps.
The power exchange was intoxicating and I was already addicted, revelling in the feeling that Lucas Hunter had complete control over my body and could do with me what he wanted. It felt naughty and strangely liberating, any shame and guilt removed along with my power. I had my safe word, my harness, my knowledge that Lucas would stop. I lowered my pink skin further into the liquid heat and wondered if I’d ever have started something like this with anyone else as my head shot up at the racket outside.
“Whoa!” I heard, followed by Chas screeching something at the top of her lungs. I climbed out of the bath, wrapping myself in a small pink towel and marched out of the bathroom to find out what the hell was going on. All I’d wanted was five damn minutes of relaxation, betting that my sister had stood on a piece of stray Lego with her bare feet. Standing in the doorway, freezing and dripping, I gasped out loud. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Oh God. Why now?
“Mummy, mummy, look what Lucas got me,” Dex was shrieking excitedly as I looked up at Lucas who was smiling broadly.
“Lucas” I barked, suddenly annoyed that he hadn’t consulted me and barged into my home with what looked like a top of the range BMX and other supporting paraphernalia. This wasn’t part of our deal and I’d be having some extremely strong words with him about it. At least I would if I could make myself heard over the five year old who was screaming and bouncing over the furniture landing firmly in Lucas’s arms as Charlie looked on. He was as surprised as he was amused.
It wasn’t the only thing annoying me. The room looked like the apocalypse after an explosion in a plastics factory. There was barely an inch of carpet left untouched. Lucas’s place was impeccable and right now, mine was a dump. “I see you let him run riot, Chas,” I scalded as she rolled her eyes.
“I had to get ready,” she replied, casting a little smirk at Charlie as I got a good look at her for the first time. I was wearing a towel barely bigger than a face cloth and she was wearing even less. Two miniscule gold triangles and a skirt so short it would be better described as a belt.
I looked her up and down slowly; ignoring Lucas who I knew was trying not to laugh. I’d deal with him in a second.
“It can’t have taken you very long to put that on,” I huffed as she raised her eyebrows at me.
“Oh you’d be surprised where I have to put tape to keep this little number in place,” she laughed, beckoning Charlie across to the kitchen as I heard him mutter “I wouldn’t mind finding out.”
“Come on, squirt, grumpy Mummy wants a chat with Lucas,” she laughed as Dex kissed him on the cheek, jumped down and followed her, still wildly excited.
Lucas just stood there, smirking and quirking his eyebrow before raking his gaze seductively over my entire body and sending my insides into overdrive. I took a deep breath as he walked towards me, putting my hand up to stop him and taking a step back. I skidded slightly on my wet feet, almost losing the towel and my dignity, straightening myself quickly and staring at him hard.
“Let’s get something straight, Lucas. Anything to do with Dexter, you run it by me first,” I snapped angrily. He’d dropped the smirk, but the eyes were dancing mischievously, twinkling brightly as he stepped even closer.
“Lucas, I am not joking,” I said seriously as he pouted and I tried not to laugh. It was the first time I’d ever seen it and it just didn’t fit his face, but this was important and he needed to understand. “I mean it. I’m not playing around here. I am seriously not happy about this,” I said, shaking my head as he titled his, pulling an apologetic smile which appeased me slightly.
“I promised the boy a bike. You know I’m a man of my word, Jess, and I assumed you’d realise I’d follow through on that promise,” he said. Had I thought about it I probably would have, but with everything else that had happened last night I’d had other things on my mind.
Dex came barging through from the kitchen, grabbing the designer fabric on Lucas’s legs. “Will you take me to ride it, Lucas?” he asked, rolling his sweet little lisp around the word and my heart clenched as Lucas looked across at me for guidance. It was possibly the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
“He’s probably too busy,” I said, looking from Lucas to Dex and now he was the one pouting. Lucas shook his head. I wasn’t going to win this one. “There’s a park at the end of the street. You can take him there. I’ll join you when I’m dressed” I huffed, still trying to calm down as Chas came back through, followed by Charlie.
“I’ll go with them, Sis,” she grinned.
“I thought you were working,” I frowned as she cast a cheeky glance at Charlie before looking back at me.
“Patrick won’t mind if I blow him off for the first hour or so, he’ll have it under control. Give me a minute,” she said before looking at Charlie again and disappearing into the bedroom, no doubt to make herself decent. I could guarantee it wouldn’t take as long to get off as it had to get on, still shaking my head at the mess and stomping through to my bedroom to dry myself off.
The text came through seconds later.
‘I like you wet’
I laughed; knowing I couldn’t stay mad at him and hearing Chas race back through to the lounge before the four of them disappeared off to the park.
I got ready as quickly as I could, pulling on my jeans and a sweater, raking the brush through my tangled wet locks and applying the bare minimum of make-up I could get away with. I still wasn’t comfortable with the whole situation, but after being caught mid-bath, I needed to make a bit of an effort. This was Lucas Hunter after all and fifteen minutes ago I had looked a frigging state. Had the man never heard of calling ahead?
As I walked through the huge iron gates I saw them in the distance. Dexter was padded up to the nines in protective gear and a Superman helmet, and Charlie was running behind him holding onto the back of the bike. He let go as Dex wobbled all over the place, crashing to the floor as he tried to make it to Lucas who was standing a few yards in front of him, egging him on. Jesus Christ.
I wondered where Chas had got to as I sprinted over in a panic, throwing her a narrow glare as I noticed her lounging sultrily up against an oak tree. She never took her eyes off Charlie and was seemingly oblivious to the fact that her nephew was on the floor.
“He’s never ridden a bike before, where the hell are the stabilisers?” I shouted, panicking as I grabbed Dex. He struggled away, shook himself off and stood there smiling and looking at me as though I were clinically insane.
“Lucas said stabilisers are for wimps,” he said, challenging me with his narrow blue eyes as I turned my head slowly, glowering at Lucas who simply shrugged his shoulders.
“He’s five, Jess, he should be able to ride a bike without stabilisers,” he announced as a fact while I stood up, brushing the stray leaves from my knees.
“Should he now?” I spat back, hands on hips and sending him an icy stare as Dex picked the bike up and pushed it back to Charlie, ready to set off again.
“Yes he should. It’s not as though he’s going to get injured, he’s pretty well protected,” Lucas laughed as I stared at him in disbelief.
“He just fell off,” I gasped incredulously.
“Yeah, and he’s fine, aren’t you, Dex?” Lucas shouted as he nodded and I had to jump back as he rode past me, almost clattering into my legs, and all the way to Lucas who picked him up and spun him around.
“Way to go, Buddy,” he said, high fiving him and the pride on Dexter’s face instantly thawed my icy exterior and I couldn’t help but smile. “Come on now. All the way back to Charlie,” Lucas said as Dex set off again. He was doing so well and having so much fun that I decided not to intervene, still trying to quell the annoyance that was simmering internally.
I moved away, leaning up against the old oak tree with my sister and watching the scenes unfolding in front of me.
“Doesn’t that sight just melt your heart,” she smiled, looking at the two gorgeous men teaching my son to ride his first bike and I nodded, swallowing hard. Whether I liked it or not, it did, and sent the most wonderful, warm feeling searing up inside me.
Lucas smiled and winked and I knew then I’d have to slow this down. As incredible as he was, Lucas Hunter was a cyclone – powerful and dynamic with a strong will and a cyclone could suck you in and leave a trail of destruction in its wake. I looked at my little boys face, wondering if he hadn’t succumbed already and knowing I couldn’t allow that to happen.
“What’s really going on with you and Charlie?” I asked, turning to my sister as she grinned.
“I told you, we’re mates,” she laughed as Charlie glanced over, throwing her a huge white smile as she returned the gesture.
“Hmmm. I don’t look at my mates like that,” I said as she laughed gently.
“Well none of your mates are that fit. Anyway I told you, he wants a fuck, not a future,” she said as a sudden awkward thought crossed my mind.
“It could make things weird for me and Lucas if you hooked up with Charlie and it’s really early days for us,” I said, biting my lip and knowing that was pretty selfish.
“Message understood,” she laughed, but I doubted Charlie would hear the same message from the smouldering look she just sent him, turning to me and shrugging as through she’d read my mind.
“That is not to say I won’t be enjoying a little flirting,” she winked as I laughed, watching Dexter who looked to be doing pretty well for his first time on two wheels.
“He’s a natural,” shouted Lucas with a giant grin as my heart melted again and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing this on purpose.
We spent another hour watching them as Dexter gained more and more confidence, riding his bike between the brothers, a little bit further and faster each time and I swallowed hard, feeling the curious gaze of my sister all over me.
“You need to be careful where Dex is concerned,” she said quietly as I turned to face her, trying to conceal the wave of emotions that were washing over me as I observed them together.
“I know,” I said as we stared at each other for a few moments. She said nothing else, but I knew from the look on her face that she realised it would be easier said than done.
“I don’t envy you,” she winked, gazing at Lucas and then back at me. “That’s a lie, Jess, actually I do,” she laughed, pulling me into a hug. “I’d better get to work. I’ll just go and say goodbye to the boys.”
She headed off in the direction of Charlie, kissing him on the cheek as he grasped her waist and took the opportunity to land a lingering kiss of his own.
I raised my eyebrows as she glanced across at me, laughing and shrugging her shoulders and I couldn’t help but notice that Charlie watched her all the way to the iron gates.
“We’d better head home too. It’s almost your bedtime, Dex,” I smiled as he pouted.
“Will you come again?” he asked hopefully, looking between the two handsome men who were standing beside him and there was no way I would risk letting Lucas answer this one.
“Lucas and Charlie are very busy men, Dex,” I said, grabbing his hand and his bike and setting off home before they could argue. If Lucas made promises to Dexter I would never hear the end of it, and the whole compartmentalisation piece would come crashing in around me. It was the last thing I could afford to happen. I needed this space and to maintain control. I had given Lucas so much of that already.
I could hear them talking in low hushed tones as we reached the steps of the apartment and Lucas went to grab the bike from me to carry it upstairs. I strengthened my grip. “Thanks, but I can take it from here,” I said firmly as he frowned down at me. Perhaps it was a little ungracious, but my independence was hardwired when it came to my son.
“Thank you for tonight. It was very kind of you to get Dex the bike, he really enjoyed himself,” I smiled broadly as Charlie ruffled Dexter’s mop of blond curls.
“It was great fun and you were awesome,” he grinned as Lucas held out his hand.
“You are one mean cyclist, kid,” he smiled at Dex before planting a soft kiss on my lips, turning and walking back to his car with Charlie. I wanted him to stop and say something else, but he didn’t, and I made my way back to the apartment with Dex and started to clean up the unholy mess.
“I really like Lucas, Mummy,” Dex smiled broadly as I tucked him up in his duvet, kissing him goodnight.
“I know, Sweetheart, so do I,” I said, taking a very deep breath. If only he knew just how true t
hat was.
CHAPTER 17
I hadn’t heard from Lucas for two days, apart from a text which had simply informed me to be at Tuscany for one thirty which was exactly where the cab pulled up as I leaned forward and paid the driver. I was definitely giddier than I should be. This was business, he’d made that crystal clear, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t be thrilled to see him. My stomach swirled in anticipation, walking inside as I felt the familiar hand on the base of my spine, igniting my skin and doing nothing to quell my disproportionate excitement.
I turned my head, smiling up at him, trying to quash all thoughts of dominance and bike riding and focus on the job in hand.
“Hey,” he winked, sending my heart soaring as he guided me through another set of glass double doors and I realised just how much I’d missed him. It was difficult not to contact him. Every day I thought about it, but there were only so many business ‘problems’ I could invent when we had so few clients. Up to now I’d decided against it, trying to stick to the rules, but it wasn’t easy. He affected my thoughts just as powerfully as he affected my body.
I was instantly aware of the eyes in the restaurant trained on me as I walked beside Lucas. I could practically hear them mentally assessing my shortcomings and wondering what the hell he was doing with me as he led me towards the rear of the upmarket Italian restaurant.
It was a business lunch, not a date and I was trying to maintain my professionalism, but it wasn’t easy under the intense stare of every woman in the damn place.
Lucas was probably used to it, but I wasn’t, and found it more than a little intimidating, wishing I had worn something other than the machine washable suit I’d bought on sale from the bloody supermarket. I looked nervously up at Lucas as he glanced down, a curious frown etched on his face as I swallowed back my lack of confidence. He wouldn’t appreciate it.
I needed to forget it. He was my partner in the boardroom and the bedroom and I deserved to be here I thought, not really believing that as I heard a familiar voice call his name. I turned at the same time as Lucas, only to see Charlie and an older gentleman occupying one of the private booths to the right.
