by Lexie Ray
Jai shifted his fingers to dance them around her opening. “Do you want me to help you with that?”
“Yes.” She thrust forward as he began to remove his fingers, hastily adding, “Please.”
“What do you think it will take, my astonishing lady? My fingers, maybe? My tongue? I would love to taste you.” He paused only to nudge her head to her side, licking a long strip over the exposed skin. “Maybe my cock?”
Well past the ability to form words, she nodded against his grip.
“My cock?” He smiled against her shoulder. “I can do that. Get back into position for me, love.”
With boneless limbs, Natalie flopped back down against the blanket. It took her two tries to get her arms repositioned behind her back, and she felt chilled by the time Jai returned.
“Magnificent,” he breathed as he took her wrists in one hand. His grip tightened as he thrust himself inside. She rocked forward with the force, the last traces of her doubt drifting off like leaves in a breeze. “Exquisite.”
His free hand traced a path along her spine until it tangled in her hair. For a moment, he remained still, stroking her hair with tender reverence.
“God, I didn’t think anything could feel better than your mouth. Are you ever going to stop surprising me?”
Her hips twitched, but caught between his body and the floor; with the corset holding her taut, there was little she could do. Still, the pitiful attempt was enough to provoke him into tightening his grip on her hair. It seemed as if there was a string that connected her hair to the throbbing ache between her legs, a path that allowed a sheer slice of pleasure to pulse through her.
“Do you want more, my lady?”
Unable to move enough to nod, Natalie attempted to speak. It was only a gasp, but he seemed to understand her well enough. Finally, he pulled his hips back. The slow slide was pleasant, but his sharp thrust forward was ecstasy. She could almost feel his smile as she gasped and moaned, her fingers gripping at themselves when they could find nothing else.
He set a brutal pace, his grip on her hair and wrists holding her steady, a shackle and a lifeline. Natalie felt like she was floating in an electric field, touched by the sparks but never feeling the pain. Pleasure flooded over her and through her, and she was helpless to do anything but experience it.
Encouraged by Jai’s complete lack of shame, she didn’t try to hide a single sound. His movements grew faster, harder, pushing her past anything she had experienced before. But even as his grip tightened, his touch was gentle, his flood of praise spoken like worship. The combination had her insides twisting like a spiral, growing tighter, the tension strumming through her every cell.
Without warning, he was gone. Her arms sagged to the side as she shrieked. She had been so close. Release had been only a few minutes away, and he was done? Her fingers clawed at the stone. At least with the others, it wasn’t such a disappointment.
“None of that,” Jai laughed as his fingers curled around her shoulder.
He rolled her over, and she was too exhausted to fight it. She yelped with surprise as he pulled her toward him by her ankles. His heavy cock brushed against her folds as he loomed over her, ducking down long enough to kiss her scowl away.
“We’re not done yet,” he spoke as he turned his lips to her nipples. “But you’re going to look at me when you cum. I think it’s sort of appropriate, don’t you? Since your work is littered across my skin. And nothing ever pleased you more than your work.”
This time, he kissed her deeply as he pushed inside of her, swallowing her screams even as he milked more from her. Finally free to touch, Natalie grabbed at him. The shift and pull of his muscles danced across her fingertips. She could almost believe that she could feel her writing. He broke the kiss only to rear back and lap at her hardened nipple, the bud flicking across his tongue with every solid thrust.
The coil pulled and twisted. Her heart hammered. Every muscle clenched until her toes curled in her boots. She tangled her hands into his mass of curls, pulling him up for another kiss, searching for that extra moment that would make her sore. He looked up at her and smiled. A sudden sense of possessiveness floored her, making her tremble and shake.
He pulled back, crawling up to meet her mouth. Black ink covered almost every inch of him, glistening with his sweat. Her thoughts. Her words. Hers.
In unison, every inch of her being shattered, an explosion was felt under her skin, and she took flight with only her screams and Jai’s voice to reach her.
Chapter Fourteen
Jai closed his eyes and relished the flutter of Natalie’s heartbeat against his cheek. His body shivered with the aftershocks of his orgasm, and he let himself float in the glow. He didn’t know how long she would allow him to remain this way, so he made sure to secure every moment in his memory.
Her nails scraped lightly across his scalp as she ran her fingers through his hair. Every so often, he would feel the press of her lips as she kissed along the top of his head. But her heartbeat steadily slowed, and they were both forced back to earth.
As if only now realizing what she was doing, her fingers froze in place. Jai arched his neck slightly so he could kiss the breast he wasn’t currently using as a pillow.
“You don’t have to stop,” he said. “I like you being affectionate.”
While her fingers began to move again, there wasn’t the same carelessness in the action. He planted another kiss against the side of her breast in appreciation as he searched for her other hand. She didn’t protest as he lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a few tender kisses to her knuckles.
“You don’t have to worry, Natalie. I don’t have any expectations. If you decide that this was a one-time thing, then that’s what it was.” He smiled as he memorized the feel and shape of her hands. “I know I might be about to lose my dignity, but it’s worth the risk to say that you were right. I am infatuated with you. I’m fascinated and mystified and awestruck and, yes, also in love.”
Shifting slightly, he studied her face. It didn’t help him to have any idea of what she was thinking, but he rarely knew that anyway. “I’m not trying to sway your decision, I swear. It’s just that, well,” he chuckled and shook his head. “The point I’m babbling toward is, I love you, Natalie, and I think I could make you happy. So, if you’re ever inclined to give me a go, I’m here.”
Natalie let go of his hand to grab his jaw. He rolled onto his back as she shoved him backward. The second his shoulders hit the floor, she was straddling his hips. Still, the kiss caught him off guard. It took him a second before his brain caught up with the situation, and he returned her attention.
Blindly, he groped for the edge of the blanket and threw it over her bare shoulders. She settled down on top of him, but there was no way for him to know if it was for contact or warmth. They only separated when their bodies reminded them that air was a necessity.
“Is that your way of saying you’re fond of me, too?” he smiled.
She blushed slightly.
“Maybe more?” he prompted.
“If you make me say it, I’m going to change my mind.”
His smile widened as he wrapped her more securely to him, “Understood. But how would you feel about maybe expressing your emotions a little more?”
As much as she tried, she couldn’t bite down her smile for long as she reached up for another kiss. She pushed him back with one hand against his chest.
“How did you know I would be receptive to bondage?”
“That hardly passes for bondage,” he chuckled, quickly sobering up to add, “but if you’re open to that sort of thing, I’d be happy to give it a go.”
“Jai–”
“I had an idea because I actually know you, Natalie Vladimirovich. There’s always something going on in that brilliant brain of yours. I figured that you would normally go into sex trying to calculating the best angles for stimulation, duration, length, and probably a dozen other things. Sex is one of the few times you should
n’t be thinking about other things. I figured you might enjoy it more if you just–”
“Relaxed,” she finished for him.
“And there was no way you would do that if you were in control.” He drifted his knuckles over her cheek. “But all that is a side point to the main issue. Do you need any more attention?”
“You are incapable of determining that from my reaction?”
“There was a lot of noise, and you seemed pretty content. But I don’t want to guess. I want to be certain.”
“And if I was not quite there?” she said with a significant look down their bodies. “It does not feel like you are in any state right now to deal with it.”
“Luckily, I still have a talented tongue and rather nimble fingers. And for the record, I’m all in favor of you showing me how it is done.”
She laughed and ducked down to bury her face against his shoulder.
“Is that a sign that I should get started?”
Shaking her head, she only surfaced for another kiss. “I am quite content.” She sighed. “This is why I did not want to mention it.”
“What?”
“You look far too proud of yourself.”
“I look the right amount of proud,” he defended. “And you should be downright smug.”
“This seems to have the makings of a contest.”
“I’m okay with that.”
She laughed again, cutting off only to give him a quick kiss. “I take it you are not too concerned with Mads anymore.” He froze, and she heaved a sigh. “I am capable of making my own decision.”
“No, that I get,” he rushed to say as he checked his watch. “I just remembered that we were supposed to be at dinner…wow, three hours ago.”
Natalie’s eyes grew wide a second before they both began scrambling to make themselves presentable, hoping that their clothes would cover the ink that now was smudged liberally across their skin.
***
“Stop that,” Natalie said as they hurried down the hallways.
Jai didn’t stop wringing his hands, trying to wipe the ink away.
“I’m telling you that I should wash my hands. People will have questions about this.”
“And as I have stated, you cannot. I have yet to document it.”
“Well, next time you want to see me naked, just ask.”
“I did not want–”
“There were eight notebooks on your desk,” he cut in.
Natalie staggered, unable to find anything she could say that would help her save face. “Shut up.”
Jai turned to her, a broad, amused smile on his lips. It was tough to decide if she wanted to kiss him or slap him. Before she could come to a conclusion one way or another, Mads and the others appeared in the hallway before them. Dwayne even had Daren and Rebecca displayed on the phone, apparently bringing them up to speed with recent events.
“She’s fine,” Jai rushed to say. “We just got held up a bit.”
Mads’ eyes flicked between them before settling on Natalie. “Finally. I had to converse with Filip for hours. You owe me, Natalie, and I will be calling in the favor. For now, however, I am going to bed with this glass of wine. Send more up.”
Natalie stopped short at his tone. It was completely devoid of any trace of concern. The others noticed it, too, and locked their eyes on him.
“Um, Mads,” Dwayne asked. “You sound way too calm right now.”
“Why would I not be?”
“Because she was missing for hours while people are trying to kill her,” Willow noted.
He turned to her before licking his lips and shifting his glass. “Yes. Right. Perhaps it is time to mention that I know who wrote those letters.”
“Who?” Jai said.
Mads spoke his answer a second before taking in a mouthful of wine. “Me.”
“What?” Jamie snapped.
“Of course, you will all be given another week off, and I will cover all expenses during this time as a thank you for your loyalty.”
“Expenses as in a mini bar, or expenses as in Andrea and I add Paris to our itinerary?” Dwayne asked.
“Both.”
Dwayne did a slight hop and went in for a high five. Mads offered one reluctantly. Andrea gave hers far more quickly.
“That’s why you haven’t been checking in,” Daren said.
Jamie glanced around at the group. “Okay, I’ll be the one to ask. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“In my defense, this all got out of hand because of Natalie’s stubbornness.”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“If you had simply given Jai a chance when I introduced you, such deception would not have been necessary.”
“You didn’t introduce us,” Jai said. “We met at a conference…that you gave me tickets for…after I mentioned that I was a fan. Damn it.”
“But Natalie had to be difficult. Honestly, I did not intend for it to go this far.”
“You wrote death threats to your cousin!” Jamie snapped.
“Yes. I knew that if Natalie were to spend some time alone with Jai, she would realize how perfectly suited they were. But she would not allow the contact without probable cause. So once again, I find myself mentioning that this is her fault. I cannot stress that enough.”
“You brought us to Scotland because you were trying to set them up?” Andrea said with a hint of annoyance.
“That actually was Jai’s fault,” he said before he took another sip. “I had anticipated that she would tell him about the events, but I had not considered that he would read it out in the middle of the bullpen. If I had not asked for each of your help, Jai would have grown suspicious.”
“You threatened you cousin.” Andrea over-enunciated each word.
“She never took the threats seriously,” he dismissed.
Natalie shook her head. “I am still reconciling myself with the fact that you manipulated me.”
“I prompted you to consider the options available.”
“Do you ‘prompt’ people often?” Willow asked.
Mads took a long sip of his wine. In his silence, Daren’s voice sounded like a shout.
“Are you kidding me?”
“What is it?” Andrea asked.
“Us. He set us up.”
“There is no cause for that tone,” Mads said. “After careful consideration, I came to the conclusion that you two were well matched and would have a happy life in each other’s company.”
“That’s why you left us alone,” Daren said. “I’m going to hit you again when you get back here.”
“Says the man in the most fulfilling relationship of his life,” Mads noted, more to his wine glass than the crowd.
“Well, at least we know he didn’t pull that with us,” Dwayne said as he swung his arm over Andrea’s shoulders. Mads remained silent. “What? Come on, man!”
“No, wait,” Andrea said. “We met before I was at the office.”
“Yes. Quite a coincidence,” Mads said.
Jai looked to Jamie. “Mads isn’t this bad of a liar. How many glasses of wine has he had?”
“More than a few,” Mads whispered to him. “As I said, I was forced to acknowledge Filip’s existence.”
“I want to get back to how you think you set us up,” Andrea said.
“Yeah. We met at a coffee shop.”
“Yes,” Mads nodded. “A coffee shop a few blocks from our office.”
“You couldn’t have known that I would have dropped in there before our meeting.”
Again, Mads nodded, his eyes fixed on his glass, and his expression slightly slack. “Quite right. Who could have known that a driven woman a day off her first fashion launch would spend her free time before a morning meeting working. Or that the coffee shop would be the only thing open at such a morning hour that would allow you to spread out your work. Or that stress would leave you with a lack of sleep, prompting you to stay for a full coffee instead of getting something to go. No one could foresee t
hat.”
“But how would you know I would go there?” Dwayne asked.
“Because you go there every morning,” Daren said.
“Not always. I had only just started going there.”
Jamie rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Yeah, after Mads brought cupcakes from the store into work.”
“You got me addicted to the sugar a month in advance,” Dwayne accused.
“You were already addicted to sugar. I just told you of another supplier.”
“But how did you know I would stop in that day?” Dwayne said. “I was running late.”
“You always run late,” Mads smiled. “Mostly because you keep stopping for coffee. Once again, this is not my fault. If Andrea had met you first at her office, she would have seen your carefree and childlike manner as unprofessional and would have attempted to distance herself. For her to give you a fair chance, the first impression had to be made elsewhere.”
“How did you know he would even talk to me?” Andrea asked.
Mads actually snorted. “Have you seen yourself?”
“Do you normally use your clients as a dating pool?” Rebecca asked, without much heat in her words.
“Neither of you were ever our clients,” Mads was quick to say. He snapped his head up and swayed a little at the sudden motion. It seemed like he was waiting for the world to stop spinning before he continued. “I could not have made that any clearer. I said numerous times that your daughter was our client. And your employees, Andrea. I stressed the point. Daren and Dwayne would not have been tempted if I had not.” Satisfied that he had cleared up that issue, he took another mouthful of wine like it was a victory sip.
“What about why you asked me to come?” Willow asked.
“Oh, that is all true. I despise my uncle, and he often brings out the worst in me.” Mads downed the rest of his wine like it was a shot. “Case in point. Now, if you will all excuse me, I believe I will retire. Congratulations, and about time to both of you. If Filip talks to me again at any point during this stay, I will burn this place to the ground.”
He saluted them all with his empty glass and headed down the hall, a slight stagger in his step.
