“It’s never been more beautiful than now that you’re standing in it,” he says, his hands reaching for my ass. “God – I’ve missed you.” He walks backwards guiding me into the bedroom. He doesn’t stop until he bumps into the bed. He collapses into the sheets and I fall on top of him.
I hold his face in my hands. “I’ve missed you, too.” He smiles up at me in the candlelit room and he’s more gorgeous than I remembered. The stars shine down on us, peeking in through the windows surrounding the room on three sides.
“I’m gonna take advantage of you, tonight,” he announces as he grabs a handful of my satin dress and pulls me closer to him.
“Is that right?” I ask with a laugh just before his lips conquer mine.
He kisses me until we’re both breathless. When he pulls back, he nods up at me. “I’m gonna get you drunk,” his chin points towards the bottle of champagne on the bedside table, “and then, I’ll shackle you up.” I glance at the handcuffs lying next to the champagne, “and then, I’ll fuck you all night long.”
I moan. “Mmm. That sounds perfect.” I slide my tongue against his again and allow him to hold me close. He flips us over so that he’s on top, looking down at me.
I feel my tension melting away as I lay there with his body pressing into mine. Being with this man has a greater effect on my body than any sedative known to mankind.
When my back arches off of the bed, he slips his hands under my ass and squeezes. I lift up his shirt and heat radiates from his flesh. “Your body is so gorgeous,” I mumble through our kiss.
I feel him smile. “And you’re perfect. Every inch of you.” His hand wanders under the skirt of my dress and he pushes my panties to the side. His fingers glide across my slick cleft.
“Jesus,” I moan. I tilt my hips off of the bed and wrap my legs around his waist. He strips away his pants before ripping the panties off of my body in one fluid motion. I hold his thick cock in my hand, rubbing it along the entrance to my slit. With one jerk, he slides himself deep inside of me. I faintly register the fact that he’s not wearing a condom but it feels too good to protest.
“Fuck – this is the best pussy I’ve ever had,” Michael grunts low as he thrusts slowly into my core. “I can fuck you all night, Ruthie.”
I hold him so tight that my fingernails sink into his flesh. “Please do that, Michael. I need that.”
I do.
I need it so that I can forget the monsters lurking in my past.
Chapter 4
“This cocktail goes straight to the head, doesn’t it?” A tall, olive-skinned brunette joins me at the snack table as I pour my second glass of rum punch.
It’s Michael’s birthday and he’s holding a small get-together for a few close friends on a luxurious 40-foot yacht. After cruising through the wide ocean for most of the afternoon, he’s docked the ship in the marina so his 20 or so guests can enjoy the evening drinking and socializing – it’s the perfect way to spend this Saturday evening. The breeze is warm as the sun sets on the horizon.
I watch as the brunette pours herself a refill. “It’s really delicious,” I say with a laugh as she takes a small sip. She’s freaking gorgeous with her almond-shaped eyes, her dark wavy hair and those razor-sharp cheekbones.
She flashes me a mega-watt smile and pushes her wind-blown hair over her shoulder. And suddenly, she looks very, very familiar.
“Have we met before?” I ask studying her face. “You look so familiar.”
A slight blush colors her cheeks. “I’m Olivia. I don’t think we’ve met. But maybe you’ve seen my Tommy Hilfiger ad.”
“Or, her Prada billboards or that Taylor Swift music video she was in.” A stunning and lean Ken-doll unabashedly enters our conversation. “Olivia Hunter-Wiley is runway royalty. Has she told you she’ll be in the Victoria’s Secret show in a few weeks?” He gives her ass a light tap.
“Stop it, Craig. You’re embarrassing me,” she says burying her face in his shoulder. Her words say that she’s bashful, but her mannerisms tell me that she loves being the center of attention. And I instantly know that I can’t trust this girl.
Craig turns to me. “So, you’re a model, too?” he asks, diverting the conversation away from Olivia’s career. Her facial expression displays that she doesn’t like losing the spotlight.
I shake my head vigorously. “I’m no model. I’m Michael’s…friend.”
For an instant, jealousy flashes across Olivia’s face. “I used to be Michael’s friend, too, if you know what I mean.” She winks at me. “But god knows that man can’t even settle down for long enough to let his dick dry.”
I cringe inwardly. “Good to know. Thanks for the information.” I can already see that this conversation is heading nowhere good. I’ve got to get away from this self-centered pair. “I should go mingle. If you’ll excuse me.” I don’t wait for them to answer. I slip away, heading towards the upper deck.
I find Michael leaning over the railing, talking and laughing with a group of men. I recognize them as some of the partners who were at the New York office a few weeks ago. Michael looks so handsome and laidback standing there with a beer bottle dangling between his fingers. He looks up and my eyes catch his. He smiles at me, then excuses himself from the group.
He walks up close to me. “You having a good time, Beautiful?” he asks, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger.
I smile at him. “Yeah – I’ve met some very interesting people,” I say with a small giggle thinking about Olivia and Craig.
His eyes rake over my body, lingering for a long moment over my ample cleavage and a wicked glint lights up his face. He leans in to my ear. “You look fantastic in that damn dress.”
I glance down at my floaty yellow, knee-length summer dress before I return his mischievous gaze. It’s my turn to whisper in his ear. “We both know that I look better without it.”
He takes a quick peek at his watch before glancing around at his guests. “Well, Ms. Salvador, it looks like it’s time to get rid of these interesting guests of mine. I need you naked sooner rather than later.”
Chapter 5
It feels like so long since he’s touched me. I’m quivering with anticipation. I approach him slowly. My body is still damp from my shower. My skin is eager to press against his.
He sits in a plush armchair in the corner of the elegantly decorated room tucked beneath the yacht’s deck. A massive bed, decorated with luxurious pillows and silky linens is pushed against the wall. The rich Persian rug is cushiony around my bare feet. And there’s no ignoring the gleaming stripper pole sitting right in the middle of the room.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I say, unable to ignore the lust burning in Michael’s eyes. There’s a cigar in his hand and his shirt is unbuttoned, revealing his sculpted chest.
His laugh is deep and throaty. “You know why I’m looking at you like that. You’re fucking captivating, Ruth.”
“Oh, you find me captivating, huh?” I ask feigning innocence as I run my finger along the chrome pole.
“You know that I do,” he says huskily. “Don’t play with me.”
I just laugh as I lean back against the pole and fiddle with the sash of the plush white robe that I’m wearing. “I’m not playing with you, Michael. I would never do that.”
He brings the cigar to his lips and takes a long drag. “You know exactly what I want, don’t you?”
Of course I know what he wants. He wants what every man who ever walked through the doors of Club Evade wanted – to see me naked, legs spread as I slide down the pole. I recognize that look on his face. I saw it a million times when I danced around in my underwear to make my living.
I know what he wants…but I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to give it to him.
Despite the façade of strength that I’ve thrown up, he senses my hesitation. “You don’t want to do it?” There’s restrained disappointment on his face.
It’s not that I don’t want to do it. It’s
just that I don’t know if I can bring myself to the place that I need to be in to swing around naked like I’m the most confident woman in the world. I left that part of me behind so long ago. I’m not sure that I can go back there.
Michael sets down the cigar, stands to his feet and comes to me. “I’m sorry, Ruth. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot. I don’t know what I was thinking.” His eyes are full of remorse. “I don’t want you to think that I see you as just some stripper. I really care about you. You know that, right? You know that I respect you, right?”
I muster all the strength in me and whisper, “Shut up, Michael.” I push on his chest and he walks backwards with a confused look on his face. When he bumps into the chair, he falls down into the cushions.
“’No Angel’ – that’s the song I want to hear.” I turn my back to him and walk to the corner of the room. I slip into my stilettos.
“Huh?” He looks more confused than ever.
“Play ‘No Angel’. Now.” I demand.
He looks reluctant as he picks up his smartphone and cues up the song. I bite down on my quivering lip as I dim the lights in the room. My heart thumps against my ribcage as the first notes of the song fill the room. I danced to this song on countless nights when I was trapped back at Evade. Moving my body to this music should be second nature to me. But I’m just realizing that I was never really afraid of being judged when I was just ‘Angel’ doing her set at ‘Evade’. I’ve borne the deepest parts of my soul to Michael and I’m just afraid that after tonight, he’ll see me as nothing more than a stripper trying to escape her past.
I take slow, hesitant steps towards Michael who’s sitting in the chair with anxious anticipation on his face. He gives me a smile. There’s a flash of admiration in his eyes. And in that moment, I just know that I’m more than a stripper to him. And it gives me the validation I need to continue with more confidence than I’ve ever felt before.
I yank suddenly on the sash and rip the robe open, taking a wide step to the right in time with the music. I can tell from Michael’s expression that the element of surprise has worked to my advantage. I hold my robe open as I sway my naked body from side to side, completely lost in the lyrics of the song.
My hesitation melts away as I approach the pole. The robe slips from my hands as I swirl around the pole and drop seductively into a squat position, giving him an unrestricted view of my perfectly round ass. The chrome is cold against my flesh but it doesn’t break my stride. I continue to churn my hips in time with the music. I slowly grind my hips until I’m back in standing position and turn to face Michael again. Seeing the desire blazing in his eyes, I’ve never felt so empowered in my life.
I feel like, in this moment, as I twirl my body around this pole, I have him wrapped around my little finger. He’s all mine. And I feel beautiful. Strong. Not ashamed like I did when I first realized that he wanted me to dance for him tonight. I feel like a powerfully sexual being and I want to own the moment. I want to take back what Sergei and Club Evade stole from me.
I run my hands over my skin and I feel proud to be a woman. I feel proud of my curves. I feel proud of my body’s ability to stir a primal desire in the man sitting in front of me. I feel proud to be me. Just the way I am. It’s like I’ve finally taken my power back.
I drop to the floor and crawl to him slowly on my hands and knees in tune with the music. I pull down his pants hungry to taste the beads of precum that I know are waiting for my warm lips. He slides his fingers through my hair and I bring my eyes to his right before I guide his cock into my mouth.
“You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, Ruth Salvador.”
Chapter 6
“Hey! How was your trip?” Jasmine asks pushing her long dark hair over her shoulders as she sinks into her seat on Monday morning. We’re the first two interns here at the office.
I look up at her and smile. “It was amazing. I had a really good time.” I glance at the clock just past her head. It’s 7:52 a.m. I didn’t drag myself out of bed this early and get to the office at this hour so I could make small talk with Jasmine. I have work to do. I turn my attention back to my computer screen and continue to scan my emails. “How was your weekend?” I ask distractedly.
She ignores my question and inches closer to me with an excited gleam in her eye. “C’mon. Gimme some details. I spent my weekend cleaning my apartment and waiting by the phone for some guy to call me. Please – indulge me.”
I throw my head back and laugh at the puppy dog look in her eyes. “It was fun. Really fun. On Saturday afternoon, we went out on Michael’s yacht for a small birthday gathering. And then, we spent most of Sunday hanging out on the beach. It was a nice laidback weekend. It was…nice.”
I see her shrug out of the corner of my eye. “You’re totally downplaying it. No fair,” she says as she returns to her seat.
I feel myself blushing as I remember the highlights of the weekend – especially the parts that involved Michael’s sexy, naked body. There’s no way I’d share that with my coworker. I’ve barely known her for a few weeks. “It was a nice, laidback weekend in the sun. It doesn’t get any better than that,” I say.
“I can only imagine,” she groans. “It was freezing here in New York over the weekend. Awful.”
Just then I hear the hurried clanging of high-heels pounding down the hall. I look up and see Hailey rushing towards us, hair disheveled and mascara running down her face. I jump to my feet immediately. “Hails!”
“I was mugged. I was fucking mugged. I can’t fucking believe it.” She throws her right arm into the air, displaying the broken strap of her oversized Phillip Lim satchel. “He ruined my purse,” she wails. “I saved for six months to be able to afford this purse. So I could wear it on my first day here at the law firm.”
“Shit – are you okay?” I rush over to meet her, smoothing her hair out of her face before bracing her by the shoulders.
“No!” she pouts before collapsing into a heap of tears in my arms. I want to tell her that she’s being melodramatic about the purse. That as long as she’s physically fine, then she can always get the purse fixed. That it’s not a big deal.
But then…“Oh – you’re bleeding, Hailey,” Jasmine gasps as she snatches a wad of tissues and heads in our direction.
Hailey steps away from me and takes a look down at her battered knee. Blood pours out of a gash peering out from the ripped nylon of her stockings. I take the tissues from Jasmine and press them to Hailey’s knee as she continues to whimper. “Jazz – run down to human resources and try to locate a first-aid kit. Then, meet me and Hails in the ladies’ room.”
Jasmine nods vigorously and wastes no time dashing towards the elevator. I drape an arm around my roommate’s shoulder and escort her down the hall to the washroom.
Chapter 7
“What’s this?” Hailey asks, a small smile stretching the corners of her lips as Amber sets down a foil tin of in front of her.
“Lentil-walnut burritos…I think,” Amber says, holding her growing baby bump as she sinks back into her seat.
“You think?” Hailey asks with an arched eyebrow and a frown on her lips.
Amber shrugs disinterestedly. “I don’t know. Spencer made it.”
“Honey, are you sure it’s vegan?” I interject. Hailey’s on a strict animal-product-free diet so it’s important to be sure.
Amber rolls her eyes as she pushes to her feet again. “I’ll go call him to double-check.” I suppress a laugh as she waddles out of the kitchen with her phone in hand.
“See – that’s why I just stuck to salad,” Nadia says matter-of-factly as she gestures towards the bowl that she showed up with. “Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes. Simple. And very vegan.”
“Ugh – you’re just lazy, Nadia. No effort whatsoever,” Hailey teases.
It’s great to see my roommate in good spirits after what happened to her this morning. You hear stories about people getting mugged all the time, but when it actually ha
ppens to someone close to you, it really shakes you up. Still, Hailey’s a trooper and she’s doing great aside from her bruised knee and her beloved Phillip Lim handbag which is now with the shoemaker down the street for repair.
Given the trauma that Hailey experienced this morning, Madison had suggested a vegan potluck dinner tonight to cheer her up. To me, it was a great idea. Hailey is a sweetheart and we all want to do everything in our power to make her feel better. Amber, Nadia and Jasmine are already here with vegan dishes and Madison just texted me to say that she’ll be here any minute now. For now, we’re sipping on mojitos and hanging out and Hailey seems to be back to her old self.
Just then, there’s a knock at the door. I rush over to answer it but Amber is already letting Madison in by the time I get there. I witness the awkward greeting between them as Madison steps over the threshold. The two of them never really got to know each other before Amber quit her job at Cartwright Moretti Stevenson. Still, Amber helps Madison by taking the paper bag in her hands and bringing it to the table while Madison slips out of her jacket and boots.
Ruthie's Desire - The Esquire Girls Series - Ruthie's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set Page 13
