Rachel’s eyes closed, her face pinching in concentration. She was completely focused on what she was doing, on her own pleasure and it was so damn hot Andre couldn’t even breathe. His chest squeezed painfully, his cock punching out in front of him. God he wanted her. He wanted her so badly he could hardly stop himself from taking her right that minute.
Moaning, Rachel shifted on the bed, her back lifting off the mattress slightly. Andre’s blood boiled at the sound. Her breathing became shallow until it stopped all together. She held her breath and then she cried out, still touching herself. She writhed on the bed, her back and chest jacking up even higher. Her body trembled and shivered as she came apart.
Andre could stand it no longer. He tore off his boxers and in one swift motion he was on top of her. He positioned himself at her entrance. He thought she was probably a virgin. He knew he was going to hurt her but he would make sure it was a sweet pain.
He plunged in and then paused. He had felt the thin barrier and thought it best to do it quickly. Rachel gasped but she rose up to meet him, pulling his face down, covering his lips with hers, kissing him passionately. She was a quick study. Her tongue tangled with his, her hands wrapping around his neck. Her hips rose up to meet him, her legs curling around his waist. Her heels dug painfully into his bottom as he pistoned her.
Andre knew he should slow down or he was going to explode. How could he have so little control? He couldn’t count how many women he’d had over the years. Rachel was barely finished college and he was over forty. He was far more experienced than she was but in that moment it felt as though he were the one discovering pleasure for the first time, not the other way around.
To cool himself down, Andre pulled out. Rachel looked at him questioningly. “Don’t worry, I’m not nearly half finished,” he promised, his voice ragged.
Rachel said nothing. She looked to him to guide her. He moved away then placed his hands on her waist, turning her gently. He positioned her so she was on all fours. The sight of her rounded bottom nearly undid him. Damn it anyway, this was no better. Andre cursed himself for his utter lack of self-control.
He grabbed Rachel’s hips, digging his hands in as he took her from behind. His cock slipped into her wet heat and he sighed in satisfaction. He pumped a few times, sinking in deeply. Rachel moaned, her hips rocking back and forth with his motions. He closed his eyes, trying to think about something that would stop him from coming. He could think of nothing so he opened his eyes. The sight of his cock sinking into Rachel’s body threw him over the edge. He couldn’t contain himself any longer.
With a cry, Andre pulled out, hot jets spraying over Rachel’s hips and bottom. His body trembled with the force of his release. He was a little embarrassed that it had been so quick. Rachel hadn’t even orgasmed. God, he felt like a horny teenager again.
Rachel turned, completely ignoring the mess he had made of her. She smiled at him and the hunger in her eyes almost undid him. He was still hard. Pulsing. Aching. Which was crazy, even for him.
Without saying a word, Rachel pushed Andre back into a sitting positon. She opened her legs and straddled him, lowering herself down onto his cock inch by inch. She rocked against him, riding him, moaning deep in her throat. Andre’s hands rested on her hips and he watched her as she found her own rhythm, set her own pace, stoked her own fires. She used him, took him deep inside of her, ground herself against him until she finally threw back her head, crying his name.
His own body ached for release. He guided her, helping her pump him until his whole body vibrated. He moved her off of him just in time. This time he came on her stomach, soaking her nightgown.
When Andre could finally breathe and think rational thoughts again he realized they should have a shower. And probably change the sheets, if there were any fresh ones.
Rachel had other ideas. She stretched out in the bed, completely sated. She closed her eyes, already half asleep.
Andre’s mouth fell open. He made it a personal mission to make sure he didn’t sleep next to another woman. He had tried that once… dating… love… when he was young and all he had got for it was a whole lot less cash in his bank account. He had figured out early that most of the women who dated him, even if they didn’t know who he was in the beginning, quickly figured it out. He became little more than an ATM.
Would it be different with Rachel? Andre sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep, her deep, even breaths lifting her chest and shoulders. The thought struck him as ridiculous and alarming. They were together because of a contract. A paper she had signed to keep her father’s body in one piece. There was nothing between them. No feeling.
And yet… that wasn’t quite true. Rachel McMaster was innocent. She was genuine. She was intelligent and charming and so incredibly sexy. She had asked Andre for nothing but that was only because he had made it clear she was in position to make demands.
She was the kind of woman that someone like Andre could never have. Maybe if he wasn’t so much older… maybe if he didn’t have a fortune… he was too busy working, too busy making money. Money that he wanted to keep to ensure he had a good life, not just now, but always. He’d given up on a wife and children long ago when he realized that the very money he worked so hard to make conspired against him.
Rachel was dangerous. Andre felt a longing, a stirring in his heart that he hadn’t felt in over a decade. What would she be like? Taking her on dates? Enjoying life with her, laughing with her, sharing his day with her?
Andre scoffed at himself. She was the first person who had been genuine with him in a very long time and it turned him into a pile of mush. It was absolutely ridiculous.
He would return her back to her father’s. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t keep pretending because the more this charade went on, that stupid contract, the more Andre wanted Rachel. He was only harming himself by keeping her there with him. He couldn’t make the two weeks. He would set her free. And give her a bonus to stay the hell away and start a new life. She would have a promising career in nursing. He would give her enough to find her own place to live. She shouldn’t have to go back to her father’s home.
Then he could forget about her.
Andre cursed himself for a fool as he lay down on the narrow strip of bed that was still left. He moved Rachel so he could get in. Instead of pushing her away Andre held her in his arms, cradled her against his chest. He smelled the sweet smell of arousal, perspiration and his scent on her. It only served to turn him and heighten his guilt all at once.
He’d taken her virginity. All because of some stupid contract. She didn’t deserve that to happen. He had never intended that things get this far, no matter what he’d led her to believe. He had completely lost control of himself. It was another reason he couldn’t keep Rachel with him. He couldn’t keep her near him just because a piece of paper said she had to be there. He couldn’t keep taking her body, whether she offered it to him or not because he knew that it wold never be completely her choice if that contract was in place.
God why had he ever come up with this? It was just so damn wrong. He should know better. He had planned to have a bit of fun, enjoy himself with a beautiful woman for two weeks but it had gone so much further than that. Somewhere along the way his emotions had become involved and that was the most dangerous thing of all.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Andre tried to find sleep but it wouldn’t come. He knew what he was going to do in the morning and for some reason it hurt him far more than it should have.
Chapter 15
When Rachel cracked her eyes the next morning the cabin was bright. She looked around, confused for a second before she realized she was in Andre’s room. She had fallen asleep in his bed right after…
She blushed even thinking about what they had done together the night before. She had begged him to take her and he finally had and it had been utterly glorious. She wanted more. She would find him and ask him to pleasure her again. But first she needed a shower.
&
nbsp; She was crusty from the night before. Rachel’s face heated up. She was glad Andre wasn’t in bed with her. Where was he?
Creeping silently into the bathroom, Rachel paused and glanced around the cabin. She realized Andre wasn’t there. He must be outside. She couldn’t look for him now. Not when she looked like she did.
A shower fixed everything. Rachel emerged in a towel. Andre still wasn’t in the cabin. She walked to the sliding glass door and opened it, stepping out onto the small porch. She finally spotted him down at the water’s edge.
Rachel let the towel fall to the ground. She walked out to the pond, completely naked. The day was warm and the sun heated her skin. When Andre finally turned his eyes widened.
He was freshly dressed and had obviously showered. He looked amazing, sexy, alluring. Her body cried out for him.
“Rachel…” Andre whispered. “This isn’t… uh… there’s something… I have to…”
“Shhhh,” Rachel whispered, putting her fingers up to Andre’s lips. “Just take me again Andre. Out here on the grass. I want you. I need you so badly.”
Andre’s whole body trembled. He couldn’t deny her request. He stripped off his clothes, taking Rachel down to the grass with him. He took her roughly, slamming their bodies together. She rode him hard, grinding herself into him until she came in an explosive climax. He wasn’t far behind. He pulled out, covering her stomach so they were both wet and sticky.
Andre pulled away after, a distant look in his eyes. “Rachel… you need to go shower. And get dressed… I’m taking you back home.”
“Okay…”
“Back to your father’s I mean.”
“What?” The news should have made her happy but it didn’t. “But why Andre? Did I do something wrong? I don’t understand…”
“You didn’t do anything wrong Rachel.” Andre’s face was stormy as he gathered up his clothing. “It’s me. I realized how wrong this all is. I should never have written up such a ridiculous contract. God, I’ve taken everything from you and you let me because it was written on a piece of paper that you had to. It wasn’t right. I’m sorry. I’ll write you a separate paper cancelling the debt.”
Andre stormed off towards the cabin and Rachel stood, a strange numbness filling her chest. She was ashamed to admit that she had almost forgotten about the stupid contract until now. The night before, it just felt like her and Andre. Like they were two normal people who were attracted to each other. Who were together not because they were forced to but because they wanted to be.
“Andre!” Rachel called, running after him. There was something he wasn’t telling her. Something that just wasn’t right. Something that went far beyond that contract.
Andre paused by the sliding door. She was still naked and he tried to look anywhere but at her. “Please Rachel,” Andre whispered. His eyes seemed sad and she didn’t know what on earth she had done to make him look that way. “Please just shower and get dressed.”
“Andre! Not until you tell me what’s truly wrong! I can tell there’s something else!”
Andre just shook his head. His face took on a hard look Rachel hadn’t seen before. “Nothing Rachel. There’s nothing wrong. Just please… go get ready.”
He turned and went into the cabin, quickly entering his room and shutting the door.
Rachel got into the shower for the second time that morning. She tried to ignore the fact that for some unfathomable reason, her chest ached.
The hot water pounded over her. She’d made it uncomfortably hot and made no move to turn on the cold. She liked that it hurt. Perhaps if she could focus on something physical instead of the emotional distress she felt everything would be fine.
Why did she feel this way? She’d known Andre for less than a week. He’d paid for her time with a contract and three hundred thousand of his own money. Surely she should feel nothing for such a man.
Rachel tried to tell herself she was being silly. That she was just enthralled with Andre because he had been the first man to touch her, the first man to have her. He’d taken her virginity and introduced her to a world of pleasure. A world he promised that would be just the beginning if she let him in. And she had, only to be turned away and shut down.
Stepping from the shower, Rachel turned off the spray. She wrapped herself in a towel, scrubbing at her skin angrily. It must be her. Andre must have decided that he didn’t like her. He’d had her and perhaps he had lost interest. The contract was his after all, to do with what he wanted. Perhaps he was already bored of her, looking to move onto the next flavour. Perhaps it was only her surrender that he wanted and nothing more.
Rachel could have sworn Andre wasn’t like that. Despite the brief time she’d know him she felt that he was, deep down, a kind person. That there was something deeper buried just below the surface.
Perhaps she’d been wrong.
Rachel stomped to her room and dressed slowly. She didn’t want to give Andre the satisfaction of rushing. She packed her backpack and made the bed. She heard no sound coming from his room.
When she could delay no longer, Rachel opened the door. Andre was sitting on the couch, silently, his back ramrod straight, his bag on the ground in front of him. It was tipped over on the side. His blue eyes stared unseeingly out the window.
“Andre?”
He started, those deep blue eyes turning towards Rachel. She was actually going to miss seeing them. She had slept beside him for one night, her small form curled into his strength. She was not going to get another. It shouldn’t have hurt but it did. The sting of his sudden rejection cut her deeply.
“Rachel. Are you ready?”
“Yes. But Andre are you sure you want to do this? We could have another week!”
Andre shook his head slowly. “It’s not right Rachel. I’m sorry.”
“So you’re just going to bring me back to my father’s house like nothing ever happened. Like you didn’t just steal my virginity!”
Andre winced. “That was wrong. I never intended that to happen.”
“Well it did happen!” Rachel threw down her backpack and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. “Come on Andre, aren’t you going to tell me what the real issue is?”
“I already have Rachel. There’s nothing else to say. We’ll stop at my house and collect your other things and then I’ll bring you back to your father’s.”
“I don’t want to go back there!”
Andre looked at her strangely. “Then don’t.”
“I have no choice! I have nowhere else to do.” It was on the tip of her tongue to add, if you don’t want me, but she didn’t. This wasn’t a relationship after all, this was a stupid piece of paper demanding that she be with him. Except, oddly enough, it had never really felt like that.
Andre stood. He walked outside and Rachel followed him, watching as he locked the cabin door. He walked wordlessly to his truck and she had no choice but to follow. This was really how it was going to end. Her time with Andre was over. She should been elated. She should have been counting down the days.
Rachel looked sidelong at Andre as he drove back to the city. He was focused on the road and if he knew that she was studying him he never let on. Rachel couldn’t stop herself from memorizing every detail of his face. Despite everything, despite how illogical it all was, she was going to miss Andre DiAntonio.
Chapter 16
Rachel’s hands shook as she sorted through her mail. She opened an envelope from one of the hospitals she’d applied at. Her heart sank when she realized it was a rejection letter. She’d gone for one interview and hadn’t heard back. She never thought it would be so hard to get a job.
Maybe she should start looking at nursing homes. Although Rachel had always seen herself working in the hospital, hopefully in the ER, she liked seniors and wouldn’t mind a slower paced environment. Ultimately she just wanted to make a difference to someone.
Thinking about making a difference made Rachel think of her father which made her think o
f Andre. What a generous gift he’d surprised her with when he dropped her off. A cheque for ten thousand dollars. She had been so confused as to why he would give it to her but he said that she shouldn’t have to go back home and depend on her father any longer. It was his gift to her. He made her promise to deposit that cheque or he wouldn’t sign off on their contract being complete.
Rachel almost hadn’t wanted him to. As the weeks dragged on and a month went by she found herself thinking constantly about Andre. He was always on her mind, hovering in the background. She thought of his face before falling sleep and when she woke up it was always his touch she craved.
He had returned her home in such a hurry. It was so very strange. Rachel was sure she had done something wrong. She went over and over their days together but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
There had definitely been something wrong. And it was far more than any guilt Andre claimed he felt over the contract.
Rachel sat down at the kitchen table of her new apartment. Andre had been right. She hadn’t wanted to go back home to her father. It was better for her that she remained here and she and her dad worked things out on her terms.
What was Andre doing now? Was he thinking about her? Did he ever think of her? Rachel rubbed her fists over her eyes and forced herself to stare at her laptop screen. She’d brought up a job site and was firing off resumes. At least that’s what she was supposed to be doing. Not staring at the screen, crying.
Rachel’s cell rang. She grabbed it up off the table and stared at the screen. Not that she expected Andre to call. Why would he? It was a blocked number. She almost didn’t answer it but then at the last second she hit the button to receive the call.
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