There was a flash of approval in his eyes. “Good girl.” He closed in on me, and he reached out to trace one of the lace strips crisscrossing my breasts. Goosebumps rose on my skin at his touch. “As sexy as this is,” he said softly, “I prefer you naked.” He reached around my back and unclasped my bra, tossing it on the floor.
“Hey,” I protested. “That was very expensive.”
“No talking,” he reminded me. “I have plans for you tonight, Zoe. I don’t want to have to stop and punish you, but I will if you don’t behave.”
I shivered. I was tempted to disobey and see what kind of punishment was in store for me, but a larger part of me wanted to please Ryder. When he’d said ‘good girl’ to me, with warmth in his tone, I’d been filled with delight. “I understand.”
“Good.” His hands slid over my naked breasts, then down to my waist, before tugging at my panties. “I’m assuming,” his voice was rich with humor, “that tearing these aren’t really an option either.”
“I have lots of plain cotton panties,” I said. “Next time, I’ll wear one of those, and I promise you, you can do whatever you like to them.”
“It’s a date,” he responded with a grin. He knelt in front of my body, rolling the lacy garment down past my knees to my ankles. “Step out of them,” he instructed, and I complied. His hands urged my legs apart, and his fingers dipped into my pussy. “Wet already, Zoe.”
“I’m turned on by the way you are bossing me around,” I admitted, my cheeks crimson.
“Yes, you are.” His voice was rich with satisfaction as he rose to his feet. “Lie down on the bed, Zoe, face down, legs spread.”
“Okay.” I padded over to Ryder’s massive king-size bed and positioned myself as he’d asked, glad that Ryder couldn’t see my face. This was a ridiculously embarrassing position, putting my pussy and my ass on display for him. Then again, that was probably the point.
Ryder moved to the dresser at the side of the bed and pulled four of his ties from a drawer. My eyes widened as I realized what he was going to use them for, and my lust amplified. I’d never been tied up before, but if there was anyone I’d trust to do it, it was Ryder.
I frowned as I processed that thought. When had the antagonism I’d felt for Ryder changed into liking? At his party, we’d traded barbs and insults, not compliments. But there’d always been an underlying attraction. After all, I had ended up kissing him that night.
Ryder’s fingers skillfully wound a tie around my ankle, tying it to one end of the bed before repeating the process with my other leg. He then moved to my wrists, offering them the same treatment. In minutes, I was spread-eagled on the bed, the ties limiting my range of movement. I could flex my arms and legs a little, but that was it.
“Going somewhere?” His voice was amused as he watched me test my bonds.
“It would appear not,” I said ruefully. “That damn ice cube better not be making a reappearance.”
He laughed out loud. “No ice cube,” he promised. Then he brought his palm down sharply on my naked ass. “That’s for talking, Zoe.”
“Sorry.” I was only a little abashed. That spank had sent heat rushing to all the right spots of my body, and I liked it.
“Liar,” he smirked. “I think you enjoyed that far too much.” He climbed onto the bed and knelt in the space between my legs. “I like this view.” His nails scraped lightly at the warm spot where his hand had made contact. “There are so many things I can do with you in this position, Zoe.” His fingers skittered up, stroking my ass and feathering over my thighs and my calves.
I moaned. I was tied up, unable to squirm away from his touch, and unbelievably turned on. Unfortunately, from the wicked tone in his voice, I didn’t think I was going to find release anytime soon.
“You’re so beautiful, Zoe.” His fingers spread my butt cheeks. “And so very responsive. You like this, don’t you? You like being helpless and tied up.”
My face heated. I didn’t reply. It wasn’t as if I could conceal the evidence of my desire. “I could do anything I want to you in this position,” he said, his breath warm against my pussy. His tongue lapped at my slit, and I moaned again. “I could,” he muttered, “do this.” He pushed two fingers inside me and twisted, finding my g-spot expertly. “Or,” his teeth nipped at my butt cheeks, “I could bite you.” He paused, and I felt him shift around on the bed as he reached for something. “Or,” a cool trickle hit my exposed asshole, “I could take you here.”
“Anal?” There was a definite squeak in my voice.
“You sound nervous, Zoe.” His fingers massaged the lube into my ass, one finger at a time, stretching me out.
“I’m a little nervous,” I admitted.
“Is that a no?” He kissed a trail down my spine, soft light kisses that lit a fire of lust in me.
Was it? I couldn’t lie - I’d felt a distinct twinge of trepidation when he’d suggested it. At the same time, I was curious, and I trusted Ryder to take it slow and make it good for me. “That’s a yes.”
He growled, all of his earlier patience evaporating. Clothes flew across the room as he undressed, and punishment or not, I couldn’t hold back my giggles. “Ryder, this is such a cliché,” I teased him.
“I don’t care.” He trickled some more lube between my crack and slicked it into me. “I’m adding a third finger,” he warned.
I inhaled sharply at the sudden burn, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Ryder added more lube and twisted his fingers in me. His thumb circled my clitoris. “Relax.” His voice was soothing, calm. “Breathe. Don’t tense up.”
I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax. The discomfort was fading, replaced by an odd, strange feeling of arousal. I felt naughty and kinky, and the slow circles of his thumb over my clit were causing all kinds of tingling in my body.
He pulled out his fingers and replaced them with the head of his dick. “Breathe,” he ordered, slowly pushing into me.
I caught my breath as my tight hole stretched to accommodate his thickness. “Ryder,” I groaned. “This feels so…”
“So..?”
Slutty. Wanton. Different. Hot. I couldn’t think of a single word to describe how I was feeling. “So intense,” I gasped out as he slid in some more. His head pushed past my ring, and I hissed at the sharp stab of pain. Relax, I told myself, unclenching my muscles. Ryder’s not going to hurt you.
“Fuck,” he groaned as he pushed all the way in. “Zoe. You are so tight. I’m not going to last.”
Neither was I. His touch on my clitoris was causing my climax to build, and the strangeness of his dick in my ass was doing some very interesting things to me. I felt completely dominated by him, and my pussy liked that feeling. I was dripping wet.
He started to thrust, and I mewled as shivers of lust coursed through me. This felt so different, yet so good. My earlier discomfort faded, and my fingers dug into his Egyptian cotton sheets. “Ryder,” I gasped. “I’m going to come.”
My entire body stiffened as I climaxed. My orgasm was powerful, intense, greater and deeper than any I’d ever experienced. “Fuck Zoe,” Ryder ground out. “I can feel your muscles clench around me.” His voice sounded ragged, and he came, hard.
“Are you okay?” he asked me, once he caught his breath. He slumped at my side, and his clever fingers undid the knots around my ankles and wrists.
I rolled on my back, moaning as my muscles shrieked in protest. My body felt well and truly fucked. “That was great,” I sighed. “There’s just one little problem.”
His eyes widened in alarm. “What’s the matter, Zoe?” he asked.
“I have to clean up, Ryder,” I said plaintively. “And I can’t. My bones have turned to jelly.”
He chuckled, pressing a kiss on my lips, before swinging to his feet. “Stay where you are,” he said. “I’ll get you a washcloth.”
I watched him leave the room, a silly smile on my face, feeling uncharacteristically tender toward Ryder. Then I realized what
I was doing.
No. This couldn’t happen. I couldn’t start having emotions for Ryder. That wasn’t part of the plan.
16
Ryder
For a brief second, as I watched Zoe walk up the aisle in her white lace wedding dress, I’d wished this marriage was real.
Gigi had wiped away a tear, leaning on Leo’s shoulder. Zoe’s grandmother had looked so proud and so happy that it nearly made me choke up.
My mother would have cried at the wedding too. She would have also welcomed Zoe into the family with open arms, the same way she’d welcomed Gigi. She’d had a big heart, my mother, and I missed her terribly.
I was being foolish.
Zoe and I barely knew each other. Our marriage was one of convenience. I’d needed a way to turn Bianca down gracefully and get Drake Towers built, and Zoe needed to save her grandmother’s home. That was the only reason we were together.
The fact that the chemistry between us was explosive?
Oh God, the sex.
The way she’d let me tie her down, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. The way she sighed my name when I touched her. The way she caught her breath when my fingers found her clitoris.
She’d been so responsive, so perfect. She’d parted her legs when I pushed her back on the bed. She’d let me tie her up and take her ass. Ryder, she’d begged. Please.
I’d felt like a fucking Emperor when she let go of her tightly held control. When she trusted me to please her and pleasure her, spank her and take her hard, fast, deep…
Fuck. My dick stirred at the direction my thoughts were going. Next to me, Zoe sighed in her sleep and snuggled into me, and without really being aware of it, I tucked my arm around her body and pulled her close.
Shit. What was I doing? Were we cuddling? I didn’t cuddle, damn it. Was I actually nuzzling her neck, inhaling her clean scent, resting my cheek against her skin? Were we spooning?
Last month, I would have laughed at the idea of Ryder Drake spooning.
Now, I held her tight, and I didn’t want to let go.
Damn it. I was blurring the line between us. I was playing with fire.
I needed to remember that when it came to fire, someone would always get burned.
17
Zoe
For about the millionth time in the last twelve hours, I turned to Ryder, almost bouncing with excitement. “This is amazing.”
This was our hotel room. No, not room. The aptly named Love Pavillion in the Saint James hotel was far too large and romantic to be a mere hotel room. It was a small independent cottage nestled in the hotel gardens. It contained a lounge, a bedroom and a hot tub for two, and it was bigger than most Toronto apartments. The wallpaper was toile, and the furnishings were pink and gray, and it exuded sophistication. I’d never stayed anywhere so fancy in my life.
Ryder smiled indulgently at me, the same way he had when I’d squealed with excitement seeing his private plane. “I’m glad you like it,” he said. “You hungry? Want dinner?”
I nodded. “Can we do something low-key though?” I asked. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I’m kind of wiped.”
He grinned wickedly. “We can, but I’m not guaranteeing you’ll get much sleep tonight either. You’re far too tempting…”
I blushed. We’d made love on the plane, but it had just served to whet my appetite. Every time I looked at Ryder, my entire body came alive with desire. Every time his gaze held mine, his smoldering expression promising pleasure, my pussy purred with anticipation. It was as if I’d been frozen and I’d suddenly come alive, and I couldn’t get enough of Ryder. “I’m okay with that, especially if some part of the plan involves the hot tub.”
He laughed. “Tell you what,” he suggested. “Why don’t I order room service? Wine, cheese, and fruit? And we can drink wine in the hot tub, and I’ll soap your back?”
“My hero. That is a brilliant idea.”
His eyes twinkled at me. “Was it the wine or the cheese?” he asked. “Just in case I need to get into your good books in a hurry.”
I gave him a lofty look, but I couldn’t contain my giggles. “Both, silly,” I told him over my shoulder, adding an exaggerated sway to my hips as I made my way to the hot tub. “As if it wasn’t obvious.”
I had to be honest, Ryder had really grown on me. My first impression of him was that he was kind of an asshole, a man who used his money and power to get what he wanted, without much thought of anything else. But over the weeks, I’d seen a different side of his personality. Ryder adored his sister Gigi, and he was genuinely nice toward my grandmother. Not too long after I’d told her about our engagement, she’d invited him to dinner. After we’d eaten, he’d sat patiently in our living room while she pulled out every single baby picture of me, and he’d cooed at all the appropriate bits while shooting me teasing glances.
“Don’t be too long,” I called out to him, as I fiddled with the taps, getting the water to the perfect temperature and adding some bath salts to it. “My back won’t soap itself.”
“No, it won’t,” he agreed from the doorway. He held a bottle of white wine in his left hand, and two glasses dangled from his fingers. “Your wine is here, ma’am.”
“So fast,” I marveled.
He chuckled. “It’s the honeymoon suite,” he said. “They probably had the wine and cheese waiting for us.” He poured me a glass and handed it to me. “Want the cheese now or later?”
“Later.” I clinked my glass against his and took a sip of the deliciously cold, tart liquid. “Join me in the tub?”
We both stepped in, with identical sighs of pleasure. Ryder positioned himself against the tile, and I leaned on him, my back against his chest. “This is nice. Thank you, Ryder.”
His lips kissed my neck. “You don’t have to keep thanking me, Zoe.”
“Yes I do,” I insisted. “Our agreement was for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and college tuition. This is going above and beyond.” I didn’t know if I brought up our arrangement to remind him, or to remind myself. I did know that if I wasn’t careful, it would be far too easy to believe the fantasy.
“Yes, the agreement.” There was a tone of exasperation in his voice. “I know it was a business arrangement, Zoe, but let’s not fool ourselves, shall we? This,” his lips pressed against my skin, “isn’t only about business. We are both treading on some dangerous ground.”
His kisses filled my body with pleasure, but his words filled my soul with fear. “What are you suggesting?” I asked, my voice quiet. “Should we stop fooling around?”
“No.” His fingers skittered a path over my chest, teasing my nipples. “Not at all. We’re both consenting adults. I just don’t want either of us getting the wrong idea.”
“The marriage ends in six months.” I sipped at my wine and blinked back the tears from my eyes. I didn’t know why Ryder’s words were upsetting me. He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. It had to be because of the jet lag. That was all.
“I don’t want to upset you, Zoe.” There was a note of regret in his voice. “I also don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“You aren’t.” My voice came out steady. “I can take care of myself, Ryder. I have my entire life. I’m grateful for this vacation, but you don’t have to worry about me.”
He put his arms around my waist. “Zoe,” he said, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’ve completely ruined the mood.”
“You haven’t.” Yeah, he had. I wanted to get out of the hot tub, curl up under the sheets, and fall asleep.
“You’re a bad liar.” He refilled my empty glass. “Let’s talk about something else. How are the college applications going?”
“Good.” I seized on his change of topic with relief. “I’m applying to U of T, York, and Ryerson.”
“I just realized I never asked you what you want to major in.” His voice was wry. “Do you know?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “I do. I want to bec
ome a financial planner.”
“Really? How come?”
“The situation my grandmother found herself in, that would have never happened if she’d had a competent advisor,” I explained. Every time I thought about it, it made me angry. “They invested her pension really badly, which is why she fell behind on her taxes. My grandmother worked hard her entire life. She brought up a daughter, and then a granddaughter. She deserves an easy retirement.”
“What about you? What do you deserve, Zoe?”
“Nothing,” I said automatically. “No one deserves anything. Life doesn’t hand you things. You work for it.”
“So self-sufficient,” he teased. “I think you deserve a fantastic vacation in Paris. And I think…” He tweaked my nipples between his fingers, and my breath caught in my throat. “... that you deserve to have your back soaped. Don’t you?”
“It isn’t my back that you are soaping at the moment,” I said archly.
“True.” His voice was amused. “Should I stop?”
Only a few minutes earlier, I had wanted to be left alone. Now, my body ached for him. I turned around, straddling him. “No,” I said. “You shouldn’t.” Then I lowered my mouth onto his.
Last night had been intense and a little dark. Today was softer, gentler. His lips trailed kisses on my jawline, my shoulder. His tongue caressed the seam of my lips, and I shivered in pleasure. My heart beat faster in my chest, and heat coalesced between my legs. I wrapped my arms around him, and kissed him back, shamelessly rubbing my hardened nipples against his chest.
“I think,” he murmured, nibbling a path toward my breasts, that I should pay very careful attention to these…” His thumb grazed at a nipple. “Make sure they’re clean?”
“With your mouth?” I was definitely on board with that idea.
His chuckle resonated against my skin. He tugged one nipple between his teeth while his fingers worked at the other one. I moaned and squirmed and ground against him. I changed my mind - I didn’t want slow and gentle. “I think you should get a condom.” I frowned. “Will it work in the bathtub?”
Temporary Wife : A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance Page 7
