by Opal Carew
“You know Everly? Did you tell her about… what happened?”
“I’ve had some dealings with her and we’re on a friendly basis. And, no, I didn’t say a word. I just told her I’ve seen you around the building and the doorman told me you’re a friend of hers.” He smiled. “She wasn’t in the least uncomfortable when I asked her about you, so either she doesn’t know anything about you coming into my apartment or she’s a first class actress.”
She turned her beautiful blue eyes to his. “Thank you for not telling her.”
“I wouldn’t want to do anything to embarrass you.”
He would never want to hurt her in any way. And he knew deep in his soul that he would do everything he could to protect her from anyone else who tried to hurt her in any way.
Good God, this woman had gotten under his skin far more than he ever could have imagined. And in only two short encounters.
Elle could still feel the heat in her cheeks. Everything about this embarrassed her.
But at least he was being very gentlemanly about the whole thing.
She sighed and nodded. “I appreciate that. And my books… Actually, they’re erotic romance.”
Of course Everly had told him about them.
“Everly loves telling people what I write,” she said. “Every time Everly introduces me to someone, she beams as she explains how I write explicitly sexual romance stories. She doesn’t care that I’m just getting started and no one knows my name.”
And if it shocked people, all the better. Because what Everly seemed to admire most about Elle was her courage. Or so Everly called it. Elle just chose not to let other people’s view of the world define her own. If she wanted to write hot, sexy books, she didn’t worry about other people’s approval.
That didn’t mean that when faced with a gorgeous, sexy man talking about her stories, she wouldn’t get embarrassed, though.
But as far as Everly’s view of her as courageous… She felt like something of a fraud. Because the whole reason she’d turned to writing erotic romance… was based on fear.
After what happened with Giorgio… Her stomach clenched. She’d lost a part of herself. A part she could still connect with in her writing, but was too afraid to explore in real life.
“She seems very proud of you.” Avi sipped his drink. “Was I right? Did you want to see the penthouse because of one of your stories?”
“Yes, I wanted an elegant setting. The hero is a wealthy playboy.”
“Do you like wealthy playboys?” His dark chocolate brown eyes glittered.
“In a story, yes. The reader likes to watch him get turned around and fall in love with the heroine. To see him drop his carousing ways and realize she is the most important woman in the world to him.”
His eyes turned serious.
“Because he falls for her hard.”
She shifted under his intense masculine scrutiny.
“That’s right. It’s romantic.”
Her heart thudded in her chest as he watched her a few moments longer. God, he was a handsome man. She remembered the well-sculpted body beneath his expensive tailored suit, throwing her hormones into a spin. Just being this close to him, with his sexy male aura, made her long to slide into his arms. And his bed.
Then his lips turned up in a smile. “So you write romantic stories. And they have explicit sex scenes.”
“That’s right.”
He smiled. “I would think what happened between us would be an interesting scene for one of your books.”
Despite the awkwardness, her lips turned up in a smile.
“Yeah, except no one would believe it. Having the characters—two strangers—have sex in the first scene like that.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you could make it work.”
She laughed. “I appreciate your confidence in me.”
He leaned back and sipped his drink.
“It’s too bad you’re embarrassed about what you write. Or are you just embarrassed because I know?”
She frowned. “I just don’t want you to get the idea that…” Oh, God. She trailed off, her breath catching in her throat, as she remembered him naked in the chair. And how she’d responded.
He grinned. “That you’ll jump into bed with me?”
Annoyance surged through her.
“Of course, that’s exactly what you think.” Especially after yesterday. Her cheeks heated. “That’s why you invited me out tonight.” She grabbed her purse from the chair beside her. “I’m going to go now.”
She rose to her feet, but he caught her wrist.
“Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, her arm stiff in his grasp. She drew in a breath and set her purse on the chair beside her again.
“Elle, I don’t have any expectations. If we start seeing each other,”—he squeezed her arm gently—“and I hope we do, it’s not just because of the strong chemistry between us.” He smiled. “It’s because I really want to get to know you. I think there could be something deeper between us.”
The way he looked at her with those deep brown eyes made butterflies flutter through her stomach. But she knew better than to dream of romance.
“If by something deeper you mean love, then I’m out. I think love is highly over-rated. I don’t want you to think I jump into bed with any man… despite what happened between us. But I’m not looking for happily-ever-after. I leave that for my characters. In real life, people get divorced. Cheat on each other. Hurt each other.”
His gaze never faltered. It was as if he could see right past her bravado to the vulnerable woman hiding inside.
“So you think it’s better to keep things casual? Sex is okay if you like the person?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, I like you. And I think you like me. And I’m sure I could help you come up with some great scenes for your stories.
“So you’re suggesting that we go back to your place now and get started.”
“No. I’m suggesting that you think about it. That we get to know each other a little better. Then, when you’re ready, you come back to my place.”
“I do like you, Avi. But after what happened between us… it would be too weird. I wouldn’t know how to… proceed. In the bedroom.”
“You could just leave that up to me.”
“No. Thank you, Avi.”
“But—”
“If you don’t respect ‘no’ as an answer, then it would never work between us.”
Avi dropped Elle off at her building. She didn’t want him to walk her to her apartment, so he watched from the car as she unlocked the glass door at the entrance then went inside. He could see her through the large glass window as she walked across the lobby, then disappeared around a corner.
He signaled his driver to take him home.
As the lights of passing traffic flashed by, he thought about the conversation with Elle. It hadn’t gone at all the way he’d expected. Knowing she wrote erotic romance had biased him a bit. He’d thought it would make it easier to convince her to try a relationship with him, especially after their wild and unexpected beginning. He’d hoped she’d be open to trying a Dominant-submissive relationship, with him being open to variations, of course. He also thought it meant she’d be looking for true love. That she would be a romantic at heart.
He was tired of superficial relationships with women he didn’t care deeply for. And women who only had shallow feelings for him, too. He wanted to fall in love. To have something deep and meaningful. Like he’d seen blossom between Kent and Christina.
He’d been telling Kent for the past year that he wanted a real relationship. One that would go somewhere. And Kent called him on it every time he broke up with a woman. Avi kept thinking it shouldn’t be so hard, and finally had convinced himself that maybe that was the problem. That he wasn’t working hard enough at a relationship to make it work. Everyone said that a real relationship took effort. That’s
why he’d decided to give the relationship with Charlotte another try.
That’s why he’d arranged to be tied up in that chair. To let her be in control for a change. To show her he was willing to try new things. To be open to what she wanted.
But then Elle had shown up.
It had been exciting at first when he’d thought it was Charlotte. Then when he realized it was a stranger in the room with him… When he had heard her taking off her clothes… Fuck, his heart had pounded in exhilaration and his cock had pulsed with need.
Just as it was swelling now at the memory.
It had been a huge turn on to feel her hands on him. Tentative. Exploring. Then when she’d surprised him by pushing her pussy… so wet and needy… onto his hands, he’d nearly come on the spot.
He shifted in the soft leather seat and adjusted his stiff cock.
He couldn’t help remembering how warm and wet she’d been when she’d lowered herself onto him.
Fuck, he had to think of other things, or he’d come just remembering their tryst.
All he knew was he had to be with her again. What they’d experienced was too special to ignore. He’d never experienced this intense need to be with a woman before. To get to know her better.
He knew in his heart that she was the one.
To say it was love at first sight… or more at first touch… wasn’t really it. Love took time to grow. It was based on knowing each other. Shared interests. A shared view of the world. And a very real and deep caring.
What he experienced was more an intuitive thing. After meeting her tonight and getting to know her, he knew there was much more than physical chemistry between them. She was a woman he could grow to love.
With her, he believed it wouldn’t be difficult. Not in the same way as it was with the other women he’d been with. With them, he always seemed to get bored. It never seemed worth the effort to push past the problems that cropped up. Because there was nothing deeper there.
But with Elle, he knew deep down that he would work as hard as it took to win her heart. And to keep it. Because he truly believed that with her, he could find love.
It would be a difficult journey. He could see that. Because, clearly, she’d been hurt.
He believed she wanted to fall in love, but was afraid. Hiding behind her stories. Hiding behind her laisser-faire attitude about love.
He wasn’t going to give up on her.
She was clearly open to new experiences, given how she’d embraced the opportunity she’d found when she’d come into his apartment. He’d been tied up and blindfolded, which made it a safe situation for her. That’s why she’d been able to let go and follow her adventurous spirit.
That gave him an idea.
Chapter 3
The next evening, Elle sat on her couch doing her nails. She’d just put the fast dry topcoat on when a knock sounded at the door. It was probably her next-door neighbor, Sue, coming over to return the eggs she’d borrowed this morning. She’d said she’d be shopping this evening and would drop them over.
Elle stood up and walked to the door, then gingerly turned the knob, being careful not to ding her nails. To her shock, on the other side stood Avi.
Tall, muscular, dreamy-looking Avi.
“Hello,” he said.
His smile lit up his face. And her heart.
“Oh, hi. Uh… what are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to invite you out again. And I don’t expect you to invite me in. I just think that what happened between us was pretty special and I’d hate to just walk away from what we might share without another shot.”
“What do you think we might share?”
“A great sexual chemistry, for one. I think that you’re very adventurous at heart. That you want to try new things. To push the boundaries. I promise you’ll be safe doing that with me.” He grinned. “And that can only help your writing.”
“So you’re offering to be my sexual mentor?”
“Yes, I think I can offer you some interesting experiences. And I also think I can help you past the first hurdle.”
“And that is?”
“The awkwardness you mentioned.”
He pulled something from his pocket. “So I want to give you this.”
He handed her a small, black flash drive.
“What is it?”
“It’s something I want you to listen to. An audio I made just for you.”
She stared at the small drive in her hand.
“I could have emailed it,” he said, “but I was afraid you’d ignore it. So I wanted to ask you personally to listen to it. If after that you still want things to end between us, then I’ll respect that and walk away.”
She drew in a deep breath. She should say no and hand it back to him.
But the solemn look in his brown eyes as he gazed deeply into hers softened her heart. And the sexy masculine aura emanating from him, reminded her of his muscular body beneath the casual shirt and long, lean jeans he wore, swayed her.
Because, of course, she couldn’t forget how exciting the sex had been with him. Her nipples swelled with need at the memory of his mouth gliding over them. Her body heated as she remembered his thick cock pushing inside her. Stretching her as it filled her deeper and deeper.
God, she couldn’t help longing to be with him again.
The simple and unrelenting fact was she wanted him.
So she nodded.
Elle hurried to her computer, the small drive clutched in her hand.
What was in this audio he’d made for her?
Anticipation coursed through her as she sat down in the desk chair. He’d made it for her to help her get past her issues of being with him. Of having sex with him.
She didn’t know what it would be, but she found herself hoping he was successful because she yearned to feel him inside her again.
She pushed the drive into the slot. Even that small action made her think of Avi’s big penis pushing into her.
The drive opened and a list of files appeared on the monitor. One was a file labeled READ_ME_FIRST. She clicked it open.
This audio plays out a scenario that could happen between us. Let yourself get caught up in the fantasy and imagine we’re doing the things I say. Start by imagining that you’re in my bedroom right now. Alone. When you play the audio, close your eyes and allow yourself to be swept away.
She clicked on the audio file and heard his deep, velvety voice. She leaned back in the chair. At first, she was resistant to what he was saying, but slowly his calm yet sexy words curled through her, drawing her into the fantasy.
He told her to do things. To touch herself in intimate places. To stroke herself.
As she sat in the chair and listened, her hands firmly gripping the armrests, she found herself wanting to do what he said.
He described touching himself, telling her how much she was turning him on doing the things he described. The hairs on the back of her neck rose to attention and excitement crackled along her nerved endings.
Oh, God, she wanted to stroke herself right now. She could feel the wetness between her legs. Feel her nipples tighten and pucker.
Then when he made deep, masculine sounds of need… of release… Oh, God, she couldn’t help herself. She unzipped her jeans and slid her hand inside, then stroked herself to climax. Which only took seconds since he’d brought her so close to the brink already with his words. His sexy, arousing words that made her feel more desirable than she’d ever felt in her life.
Oh, God, this man knew how to talk to a woman.
She slumped back in the chair, catching her breath as he spoke his last words.
That’s what it’ll be like to be with me, baby. Are you ready for the real thing?
Elle hurried to Avi’s building, her heart racing in a staccato beat.
After she’d listened to his audio, she’d viewed the other readme file, which had told her if she wanted to live out the fantasy that she could come to his apartme
nt that Friday after she finished work.
He’d given her the combination to his apartment door and told her he’d instructed the doorman to let her into the building.
It had been hell waiting the two days. She’d had dreams of his sexy voice instructing her to do things. Of his big, warm hands caressing her breasts, the nipples taut and sensitive. Of his thick cock pushing inside her wet pussy.
She drew in a breath as she approached the front door.
“Mr. Avi Reinhold is expecting me,” she said to the uniformed doorman. “My name is Elle Sinclair.”
“Of course, Ms. Sinclair.” He opened the door for her and directed her to the elevators.
As she walked across the lobby, the two heart-stoppingly sexy men from the seventh floor that she’d been crushing over stepped from one of the elevators and walked toward the front door. Her breath caught as their masculine gazes turned to her and glided over her body. They smiled and said hello as they passed by, more than a little interest in their eyes.
On any other day, she’d be thrilled that they’d even noticed her, but today all she could think about was getting up to Avi’s apartment, anticipation quivering through her.
She stepped into the elevator and rode to the top floor, then walked down the carpeted hallway to his door. She tapped in the combination and turned the handle. It opened.
She drew in a deep breath, then stepped inside.
She glanced around the spectacular, two-story high living area. Her gaze flicked to where Avi had been sitting blindfolded and bound… and completely naked… the first time she’d seen him. Her eyes widened when she saw that the plain chair, so out of place in the elegant décor, sat in the same spot.
On the chair was a bouquet of flowers and an envelope with Elle written on it. She walked to the chair and plucked the envelope from the flowers, then opened it. The note told her to go up the stairs to the open door at the end of the hallway and to wait there for him.
She walked to the curved staircase and went up. The view of the setting sun over the cityscape out the huge two-story window was stunning. She walked down the hall and into the room. There was a large bed, neatly turned down, revealing crisp white sheets. A shiver of anticipation… and nervousness… hummed through her.
