Bargaining for the Billionaire

by JM Stewart

  She swallowed hard. He was right, of course. Nothing in or around the bed even resembled posts. His bed had no headboard, save the long—and flat—bookshelves. She objected more to the term he’d chosen. “Tie me up? I’m not into BDSM, Gray.”

  “Neither am I. Have I ever hurt you? Have I ever even made you fear me?” He lifted his brows and waited.

  She relaxed her shoulders with a relenting sigh. She had to give him that one. “No. I’m sorry. You’re just unsettling me.”

  “It’s okay. I know I’m asking a lot from you. I’m not into that stuff either. Blindfolded with my hands tied, I’d be at your mercy, to do with as you please. You have no idea how much that turns me on. I told you once. You don’t remember?”

  A whisper of a conversation flitted through her thoughts, but the memory wouldn’t fully form. Instinct told her he’d mentioned it during one of their late night chats, but that she was busy at the time he’d told her. The thought of those chats had heat pooling between her thighs.

  “Now what?”

  He nodded at the bed. “Lie down. On your back.”

  She looked at him again. “And I can do this to you when I’m done?”

  “Baby, I’m hoping you will.” He winked.

  She did as he bade—crawled up onto the bed, laid down in the center, and waited. Every limb shook. People did this voluntarily? Let someone else tie them up and have their way with them? It didn’t feel good, or like fun. Her heart hammered and every limb seemed to be shaking. Her only saving grace was that she did trust him.

  He followed, crawling on his hands and knees, then bent to brush a soft kiss across her mouth. “Relax. I promise you’ll feel good by the time I’m done. Limp noodle good.”

  He rose up on his knees and swung a leg over her, straddling her body. Maddie inhaled sharply as a memory pushed its way into her mind. It was hazy, more of a feeling than a visual, but there all the same. Matt’s large body pinning her to the bed. In the kitchen downstairs, having him so near had been different: Grayson hadn’t pinned her. Like this, she couldn’t move easily.

  “You’re shaking.” Grayson stroked his fingertips along her cheek. “I’m sorry. I suppose I should have warned you about this. Are you okay?”

  The gentleness in his eyes and the warm familiarity of his voice had the memory evaporating. The panic caging her chest ebbed. She nodded. “It’s fine. You just startled me.”

  “Don’t be afraid to tell me if I’ve pushed too far, okay?” When she nodded again, he brushed another soft kiss across her mouth then pulled back again. Sitting upright, straddling her stomach, his cock jutted before her like a luscious treat. Grayson grinned, his eyes gleaming with wicked pleasure. “I have rules.”

  She rolled her eyes, letting his playfulness pull her back in. “Paybacks, Gray. You just remember that. What are your rules?”

  He leaned over her, braced one hand on the bed beside her head, and arched his hips, rubbing himself against her stomach. “I’m the only one who gets to touch. Since I have nothing to actually restrain you, we’re going on the honor system. If you touch, I stop.”

  She let out a quiet laugh, trying desperately to ignore the lusciousness of him so close. “That’s your punishment? You stop your torture?”

  He seemed to take pleasure in this remark, for humor danced in his eyes and he leaned down further, pressing his body to hers. The feel of his length fully on top of her, his erection caught between them, set her heart hammering again, but as he leaned his mouth beside her ear, his scent—of soap and man—swirled around her, soothing the anxiety before it fully formed.

  His hot breath teased the skin on her neck; his voice was a husky rumble. “I’m going to make you moan my name, baby. I’m going to make you beg me to let you come. Believe me, stopping will be punishment.”

  Her breathing hitched. When he sat upright again, meeting her gaze, she couldn’t stifle a frustrated groan. “You are so full of yourself, you know that?”

  Grayson grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “Your rapid breathing and the way your gaze continues to drop to my cock would suggest you’re enjoying it.” He reached behind his back, slipped his hand between her legs and eased two fingers into her. “Mmm. I’m right. You’re sopping.”

  She gasped at the sweet invasion. Her eyes rolled back in her head as pleasure burst from the point of contact to every trembling limb.

  “Arrogant, cocky bastard.” She’d meant the words as a tease, but they came out on a breathless whisper.

  He chuckled as he swiped his tongue over her lower lip. “Stubborn redhead.”

  A heated shiver ran through her, all of it pooling between her slippery thighs. That he even noticed she couldn’t stop staring at his cock and she was, indeed, aroused, only made her that much wetter. He was so damn sexy like this, taking charge.

  He stroked her bare belly with the tip of a finger. “Open your eyes, Maddie.” When she obeyed, he furrowed his brow. “You okay?”

  She nodded, her heart swelling. She wanted to kiss him for his worry. It was working. That gentleness she loved so much about him only served to remind her that she really was safe. “I’m okay.”

  “Good. Lift your head.”

  She arched a brow. “Why the blindfold?”

  “It makes all the rest of your senses take over. You’ll feel more.”

  “And what, exactly, do you plan to do to me?”

  Heat flared in his gaze. “Make you see stars. Eventually.”

  The exact conversation he was referencing flitted through her mind. Her first orgasm with him, when she’d thought he was Dave, just a sexy stranger, had been incredible, and he hadn’t even touched her. Her orgasm, when he’d fucked her on the vanity in the hotel bathroom, had left her breathless. Knowing the pleasure he could bring her had her clit begging for his touch.

  She moaned and squeezed her thighs together to ease the ache he already built.

  “Oh, God.” She closed her eyes and did as he bade, lifting her head.

  He put one of the ties over her eyes, securing the back tightly enough that she couldn’t see, but didn’t appear to knot it. “All right. Now your hands. Hold them up in front of you, please.”

  She did. This time, he tied the silk tight enough she couldn’t pull her hands apart, then took her wrists and gently placed her arms over her head.

  “Is this okay?” His voice came as a murmur beside her ear, his breath hot against the lobe.

  She groaned, frustration and need winding through her. “No. I can’t see you. I can’t touch you. This is driving me crazy.”

  “That’s the whole idea. But what I meant was, does the position hurt your arms at all?”

  She sighed. “No. I’m comfortable with the position.”

  “Good. Now don’t move. Pretend you are tied to the bed, that your wrists are restrained. And remember. If you touch, I’ll stop, and believe me, I’ll make sure you don’t want me to.” His mouth brushed hers, his voice a low hum between them. “I promise you’ll enjoy it. Do you trust me, Maddie?”

  She nodded, once again breathless. “I trust you.”

  “Good.” He kissed her again, a tender tangle of his lips with hers, then pulled away.

  His fingers caressed the tip of her right breast first, circling the nipple, his touch so light goose bumps shivered across her skin. No sooner had he touched her, though, than he retreated. He shifted, moving off her, and the bed dipped. His fingers skimmed her belly next, running down the center, then retreated. Next, he caressed his warm palms up her thighs, grazing her nether lips with his thumbs.

  Maddie sucked in a sharp breath. Desire tore through her, and her hips arched off the bed. Barely a minute and already he had her panting. When he retreated again, she moaned, lifted her arms and reached out in the direction she swore he was in.

  “Ah, ah, ah.” His voice held a tease and, damn him, seemed to come from across the room.

  She let her arms drop back over her head with a frustrated sigh. “I hate
not touching you.”

  He chuckled and as suddenly as he seemed to disappear, he came close and his hot tongue flicked over her earlobe. “Am I driving you crazy?”

  His husky rumble in her ear sent shivers down her spine that all settled between her thighs.

  She rolled her head back and forth, thrusting her chin and her breasts out with the frustration winding through her. “Yes!”

  “Do you remember what I said? It’ll be worth it. Trust me?”

  She sighed, allowing her muscles to relax. “Yes.”

  Time passed slowly after that. He seemed constantly on the move around her, keeping her disoriented enough she couldn’t pinpoint where he’d touch next. A light caress over her nipples. A firm stroke of his palms over her belly. A fingertip skimming her ankle. Occasionally, he’d touch her in intimate places, stroking his fingers over her mound, inserting a digit inside her, but as soon as she arched into the touch and began to enjoy it, he’d take it away.

  He stroked the tip of his cock across her lips once. Across the tips of her breasts. He rubbed his erection against her mound as his body hovered over hers. Every touch made her yearn, and each one stoked the fire within her, sending it racing across her skin. Not once did her bad memories invade her thoughts nor did anxiety creep over her, because he kept her focused on him, on the ache he created low in her belly. He had her panting. Every nerve ending had come alive, and her body vibrated with a need so keen she was sure she’d come the next time he touched her.

  The bed dipped, his warm, soft skin pressing against her side. His hip? He confirmed the thought when he rocked his erection against her thigh. His warm palm skimmed down her belly to settle over her mound.

  His long fingers rested along her slit. “How you doing?”

  His voice rumbled beside her ear again, and she squirmed, her heels slipping over the sheets as she shifted her legs. She longed to press them together, to open them and arch into his hand, but once again he retreated.

  She finally gave in, going still on the bed. “I ache. Please, Gray, enough. Touch me.”

  And then he did. His palm slid over her mound again, one long finger sliding between her lips to stroke her engorged clit. Her back arched off the bed with the pleasure that roared through her. A quiet, desperate moan escaped her.

  He didn’t tease this time, though. That delicious finger stroked and circled, and her orgasm slammed into her. Every muscle tightened and loosened in a white hot rush of juices, leaving her gasping and shaking and sighing. Grayson didn’t stop there. He continued to stroke her sensitive clit, and one orgasm rolled into two, then three. He caressed her until she was breathless, her body taut as a bowstring with the unbelievable pleasure gripping her.

  When the quaking finally subsided, he eased his fingers from her. Panting and spent, she collapsed back into the softness of the quilt. She lay there stunned and boneless.

  Grayson stretched out beside her, his cock once again hot and hard against her thigh, and pressed a soft kiss to her neck, below her earlobe. “You okay?”

  Maddie let out a breathless laugh. He’d made good on this threat. To come that hard and still want him amazed her, but she did. She wanted him buried deep inside of her. “I’m not sure I can move, but yeah. I am sooo good.”

  He laughed, turned her head toward him with one finger, and brushed a tender kiss across her mouth. Then reached over her head and pulled off the blindfold before doing the same to her wrists. He tossed both ties onto the bed beside her and stroked his fingers over her lips. “Worth it?”

  Was it? Hands down, but now that she’d calmed down enough to catch her breath, his cock against her thigh became her focus. It was his turn now.

  Deciding to show him rather than answer, she sat up and moved over him, rolling him onto his back. She braced her hands on his chest and settled on top of him, rubbing her slippery slit along the length of his erection. “You tell me.”

  He groaned, his eyes heavy-lidded and blazing, and gripped her thighs, fingers digging hard into her skin. “Is this your idea of payback? Because it’s working. When you came, I damn near came with you.”

  He was as breathless as she was, and another slide over his length had his eyes rolling back and closing. She grinned, heart full and light. To be with him this way was gloriously freeing and as easy as breathing. Knowing she had power over him was the ultimate lure. He’d indeed made her see stars, and she intended to repay the debt.

  “Your no sex rule? I’m vetoing it, because I want you. I want this cock inside me.” She reached behind her, stroking as much of him as she could reach, then leaned down and caught his bottom lip between her teeth. “Condoms, Gray. Tell me you have more condoms.”

  He groaned again, his body beginning to shake in earnest now, and opened his eyes. “Top shelf.” He went still and his features sobered. “We forgot that first time.”

  She stilled, remembering, and nodded. “Yeah.”

  His thumbs stroked her skin, his gaze searching hers anxiously. “You do know, if you end up pregnant…”

  “I know, but thank you for saying it.” She leaned down and brushed a kiss over his mouth. The thought of a baby was a double-edged sword. Things were so up in the air between them. They weren’t quite right yet. A baby would only complicate their relationship. It hadn’t occurred to her until he said the words, though, how much she needed to hear him say them. She was grateful.

  She rose up on her knees, stretching to reach the top shelf. Her fingers found a rather large box, and she grinned as she pulled it down. He’d bought a twelve pack.

  She glanced at him as she resettled herself on his hips and opened one end of the box. “Sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “No. Just hopeful.” He winked and nodded at the box in her hands. “Condom. I’m dying here.”

  She couldn’t resist teasing, sliding her slickness along his length again as she moved down his body. “Is this killing you?”

  As hoped, his eyes fluttered closed and his jaw clenched. “And you damn well know it. Baby, I’m on my knees.” His hands slid up her stomach, closing over her breasts, thumbs sweeping her nipples. “I’m probably going to embarrass myself and come as soon as you sink onto me. For the love of God, woman, have mercy. I need you. Badly.”

  The need in his voice had the same feeling rising within her and the desire to tease again fled as quickly as it came. His little torture routine had made her feel closer to him, and for tonight at least she wanted to relish it.

  She drew out a row of condoms, ripped one off, and set the box back on the shelf. Then she leaned down, whispering against his mouth. “I need you, too.”

  His eyes opened. Something hot and needy moved between them in that tiny space and his arms came around her, holding her close. He lifted his head, brushing his mouth over hers. “Condom, baby.”

  She nodded and tore open the packet, slid the rubber down his length, then moved up and rose over him. As she took him inch by inch, he sat upright, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She was desperate—for relief, for the connection. Her body came alive all over again, fire racing along her skin. His shaking told her he was in a similar place, but she wanted this to last as long as possible. She didn’t want to think of tomorrow or regrets. Only of the intimacy flowing between them.

  With his gaze locked on hers, she lost herself in his eyes, and that connection rose between them. They rocked against each other, the extended movements luxurious and slow. Despite his emphatic plea to put him out of his misery, he didn’t seem in any hurry. Rather, he held her tightly, taking every erratic, hot breath with her.

  His cock filled her, and every inch hit the exact right spot. If she rolled her hips forward, her clit rubbed his pelvis, charging her up all over again. In minutes she was trembling from head to toe, ready to combust. Every thrust propelled her closer to the edge, and she fell into a desperate, jerky rhythm as she lost herself in the unbelievable pleasure.

  She wasn’t alone in that, either. Grayson’s
body trembled against hers, his breathing gaining an erratic huff, his eyes heavy-lidded. His hands slid down her back to her buttocks, and as she sank and ground against him, his large, warm hands yanked her to him faster and harder. They gained a frantic gait, bodies shoving together, the sound of skin slapping skin in the otherwise quiet room.

  She couldn’t be sure who tipped first, but mid-thrust her orgasm rushed over her, this one a flood of wetness, luxurious and bone-melting. She dropped her head back, sighing and shaking helplessly in his arms.

  Grayson groaned in her ear, a desperate, relieved sound. His belly quivered against hers as he found his own release.

  When the spasms released her, she lifted her head, breathless and in awe. He watched her, tenderness in his eyes. His hands stroked her body, up and down her back, over the curve of her buttocks and down her thighs. In his intense gaze, the reality of exactly where she’d ended up slammed into her. How would she ever summon the courage to let him go now?

  Tears pricked at her eyes. She couldn’t. Right or wrong, good or bad, her heart was invested in him. It was a moment of absolute clarity and desperate surrender all rolled into one tangle of emotion that caught in her throat and wanted to rip her chest open. She needed him, whether she wanted to or not. His strength, his gentle presence, the way he made her feel safe, truly safe, for the first time in four years—however long their relationship lasted, she’d take it, because she couldn’t let him go.

  Shaking and overwhelmed by the moment and the man, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his throat. The tears refused to be held back anymore and leaked down her cheeks onto his shoulder as she surrendered.

  Grayson stroked her back. “What’s wrong?”

  She snuggled deeper into him, wrapping as much of herself around him as she could. They were as close as two people could get, but she couldn’t seem to get close enough. Not by half.

  “Just don’t let go.” She murmured against his throat, letting his scent wash over her and soothe the panic gripping her chest. “Don’t ever let go.”

  If he did, she might come apart at the seams.