Chapter 5
Darius
When I breathlessly break the kiss, Taylor’s dark, hooded eyes suck me in, caging me in their warm depths. I’m not thinking repercussions when I brush my hands across her cheeks. I want to own her body for a little while. It’s selfishness, but it’s a truth I cannot turn off.
“If you’re hoping I’m the guy who will stop this because you might not be ready, I am not that guy.” I want to touch her now. Badly. I need to make her feel better. Or at least feel something pleasurable instead of something painful.
“Well, that’s good,” she rasps, stepping in closer, “because I don’t want that guy. I want you.”
I grasp her chin, locking her in my sights. “This is all I can give you.” With her, there can’t be misunderstandings. I can’t hurt her again.
“Darius, stop talking”—the way she wants me and needs me is written all over her flushed face—“and kiss me.” Then she removes her shirt, delighting me with a perfect view of cleavage and black lace.
I’m teased by her offer, her flowery scent, her available flesh, and her dark eyes. I don’t know this brave woman. She’d been shy when I was with her before, but I didn’t doubt that was because I had taken her virginity. Obviously the years apart have made her more uninhibited. Though as I look deeper, silently staring at her and watching her eyes widening, I still see my Taylor. Slight nervousness is speeding up her breath, and she’s standing unnaturally still.
I tuck my fingers into the front of her jeans, yanking her forward, relishing her gasp. “That’s your offer, then? I can have all of you?”
“Yes,” she rasps, licking her lips. “You can have whatever you want.”
I step in closer now, pressing the length of my hard cock against her soft belly. “Hmm…enticing.” I lean down, running my nose along her neck, feeling her shiver. “All the things I could do to you.” I let my voice lower into a rumble. Her breathing speeds up, responding to my deep voice. “All the dirty, dirty things.” And I enjoy watching the way she melts for me.
Tempted by all the wicked things I want to do to her, I slide my hand over the curve of her hip. I like that she’s not fragile, or too thin, like she once was. I’d been very careful with her before. Now she’s a woman fully capable of handling a man like me, and I’m thinking of things I probably shouldn’t do with her…a spanking, a flogging, hot wax, a rough, passionate fuck…oh, how she tempts me.
I drag my hand up the curve of her hip to her rib cage, enjoying the energy bouncing between us, as if no time has gone by since I last touched her intimately. I note her tremble a little, knowing that’s my power affecting her.
Taylor had a taste of the Dominant I would become when we dated, though I had only begun to realize that kinky, commanding, and demanding side of myself. She’d never met the man who trained and practiced his kinks to ensure any woman playing with him got exactly what she needed and more. I want to introduce her to that man, I decide, running my finger across her parted lips. “What do you want, Taylor?” I ask.
“You.”
“Why?” I need a clear reason. I need to know she wants just sex.
She makes her move then and untucks my shirt from my pants. Her eyes are on my face as she’s boldly undoing each button until the fabric hangs open.
When her hands slide underneath the fabric, up my abs and over my chest, my muscles are flexing, and my dick is throbbing, desperate to enter her. But as she begins to tug on my leather belt, my mind snaps back to my question. “Stop.” I grab her hands, my body flushing unnaturally. “Answer me. Why do you want this?”
Eyes on me, she yanks her hands out from under mine and keeps loosening my belt until she’s undoing the button of my slacks. Her confidence and the control she’s trying to take from me is wreaking havoc on my logic. No one dominates me. Not ever. And as she begins to call out to the base instinct of my soul to take control, threading her hands in my hair, yanking tight, she’s awoken the beast.
I’ve already decided that I’m taking her even before she answers me. “Darius, I want you.” She wiggles against my rock-hard cock. “And I know you want this, too.” Then she’s unhooking her bra, opening her jeans and thrusting them down, as if she owns this moment.
I smile at her, knowing it likely looks devilish, and I take her up on her offer, brazenly glancing at her body. The memory of her figure has always remained burned into my mind, though as I look from her head down to her toes, I see differences in her body from her nineteen-year-old self to her twenty-five-year-old self.
Good differences.
Differences that harden my dick to steel.
I glance over her curves, rounded stomach, and her fleshy hips. Her breasts aren’t as perky as I remember, hanging in more of a teardrop shape now. I lick my lips, salivating to suck her small, dark nipples up to the roof of my mouth, remembering how much she liked that. I slowly look back at her face, all the while deciding which way I intend to make her squirm.
Her mouth is parted, her breath is harsh. I know why. She’s both excited and unsure. She thought she had the power, and now I see, in the widening of her eyes, she realizes she doesn’t.
But that’s what I want. That’s what feeds my soul. I like the intensity and revel in her harsh gasp as I grab her head, bringing my mouth to hers. Growling against her mouth, I allow all the things I’ve been fighting to overcome me and I so very easily take back the control that she’s trying to strip from me. I feel her melt into my hold, softening in the way I like her to be soft. I gather her in my arms, slamming her back against the wall, kissing her roughly.
A release. An escape. That I can give her, and that I will give her.
Her legs are squeezing my waist tight when I sprawl my hands across her buttocks, grabbing her fleshy ass and shifting her hips. I rub her against my cock, feeling the moisture of precum sticky in my boxer briefs. Her soft moans spill over me in a hot wave as I grind against her clit, knowing from experience she’s hypersensitive. The hitch of her breath tells me that’s another thing about her that hasn’t changed.
I can’t look away from her now, not with all that heat blazing through her eyes. I like it so much, I lean in and seal my lips over hers again to increase her arousal. Her tongue tangles with mine perfectly, and I notice when I kiss her a little harder, she gives me that sweet little wiggle I like. Taylor’s not a naturally submissive woman, but her body is submissive to me. Every damn time. I like how I can make her strong mind shut off and how her body bends to my will. I fucking love how I make her melt, as if my touch is the only thing she needs in the world to satisfy her.
When her moans turn into panting, I release one of her legs, letting her foot lower to the floor, and hook her other leg around my hip. Doing what I know gets her hotter, I nudge her neck to the side and kiss her in the way she deserves to be kissed. Ravishingly. Adoringly. Fiercely. I thread my fingers into her hair, being the man she needs me to be. Touching her in the way she needs to be touched, as if no other woman compares to her. And we both know that’s very true.
Taylor is, and has always been, my woman.
The thought echoes across my mind and a low, possessive groan rises from my throat as I gyrate my hips, using my hardened length as I would my fingertips, bringing her rapidly to the release I know she is desperate for.
My hands are in all the places that make her burn; one yanks the strands of her hair, and the other runs over her warm thigh until I’m squeezing her buttocks. I keep her pinned to the wall and circle my hips, pressing harder, rubbing my shaft over her clit, faster and faster. I lick her neck, suck her earlobe, and I swirl my tongue across her flesh to tease her into thinking I’m licking her soft, wet folds. But we both know that it’s not my cock getting her there, it’s me. It’s the passion. It’s the intensity. It’s us together. It’s magic.
I hear the hitch of her breath, feel the quiver of her body against mine, then I give Taylor what she needs from me. I slid my tongue back down her neck to the b
ase, where I bite, hard. She gasps loudly, but I don’t look up, not yet. I squeeze my jaws together, flooding her with pain, until I feel her tense. Only then do I act, pressing my erection harder against her and moving from left to right, over and over again, as fast as I can, like two fingers working wildly over her bundle of nerves.
When her eager moan spills over me, I decide that’s enough and open my mouth, dragging my tongue across the marks I’ve given her. As the rush of endorphins floods her, her voice cuts off and her body strains in my arms. I smile to myself, running my tongue back up her neck, until I’m at her mouth. Her lips are a perfect O and her eyes are closed, so lost in pleasure. She’s hanging there waiting for my order, without even knowing how much I control her now.
I slide my tongue across her bottom lip and order, “Come for me, baby.”
And just like that, she does.
My cock is hard, throbbing for release as she quivers and screams in my arms.
By the time she’s quiet again, her rough breaths are brushing across my face. And when her whimpers grow silent, I stare into her dark, hooded eyes and whisper across her mouth, “I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” she breathes.
I nip her lip. “I forgot how much I like to watch you unravel.”
Taylor
An hour later, I’m lying in bed next to Darius, with his fingers trailing over my arm. His clothed body to my naked. I like it here. It feels safe. I know there are thoughts to be had about what we’ve done, but they’re thoughts I don’t care to deal with now. This feels good. I feel happy for the first time in a long time. And that’s where I’m leaving it.
I have no idea how long we’ve been lying here in bed together, while I’m staring up at the smooth white ceiling, but I like the comfortable silence. It’s been far too long since I’ve had it with anyone.
Shawn and I had been over before we’d begun. He was an escape for me to try to forget about Darius…as were the others. But neither my body nor my mind has forgotten what Darius and I shared. And the reminder of how it feels to be touched by him brings my addiction back in full force.
Even now, I want more of him.
“I’d like you to come and work for me,” he finally says, breaking our silence.
I sigh, shifting on his arm to see him better. “And how did you come to that idea?”
“It’s logical,” he explains, continuing to stroke my arm. “You’ll be protected at Bennett. No reporters get in or out of my building, and we have underground parking.”
I consider his proposal. “Let me guess, this conversation falls under the this-is-saving-me-not-saving-you umbrella?”
He grins and arches a brow. “Yes, so don’t argue with me.”
“Believe me, I know better than to argue with you.” If Darius has mastered one thing during his lifetime it’s being charming as well as persuasive.
“I’ll need a couple days to find the right position for you at Bennett,” he continues, brushing my hair off my shoulder. “But I’ll have a job lined up and an office for you on Wednesday. All right?”
I stay silent, nibbling my lip, thinking his offer over.
He flips onto his side, facing me, and I part my lips to answer him, but he stops me by placing a finger on top of them. “You’re strong. You don’t need me—especially a man—to help you. But you’re going to accept working for me because you know that I know you are strong and you don’t need me to help you.”
Sometimes this guy is too good to be true. “It’s just…I really wanted to do this on my own.”
“Yes, I know that.” He smiles sweetly. “But things have changed now. If you aren’t going to use the notoriety to benefit you, then why go through it? If you come and work for me, you won’t have to deal with the paps at all. And it’s not like I’m just handing you a job, Taylor. You can stay in HR, doing exactly what you’re trained to do. You deserve the job. You’ve worked hard for it.”
Okay, so I kinda see his point. I know the paparazzi are going to be a huge pain in my ass. And I can only imagine Bennett, Inc. is locked up tight where it comes to secrets. Logically, I know that I really don’t want to be looking over my shoulder every minute of the day to ensure none of my co-workers photograph me. Of course, emotionally I don’t want to lean on anyone. But things have changed, and I can’t ignore that either. I really don’t want my secrets on a cover of a grocery-store magazine. “Okay, and thank you. I’ll be there Wednesday morning. Happy?”
“Very.” He places his arm behind his head, his dress shirt sliding off his side, showing off tanned abs. “Now, tell me exactly how much your ex has gotten you into debt.”
My mood instantly takes a downward turn. “And just how did you know that it’s my ex’s debt and not my debt?” I don’t put it past Darius to look into my financial situation, inside and out, if he feels he needs to do so to protect me.
His eyes dance, amused, as his fingers tap my nose. “Before you start thinking of all the ways to kill me for looking into your life, it might be best to remember that I know you well. And the last thing you would do is bury yourself in debt.”
“Oh,” I say.
“Oh.” He grins, watching his finger stroke my arm. “So, tell me: How much debt has he left you with?”
The ex-boyfriend in question is a guy I dated before Shawn, who ended up going to jail for check fraud. Which still shocks me. The guy didn’t seem the type at all; even Allie loved him, which was exactly why I had agreed to loan him money. I really hate admitting this. It makes me feel irresponsible. But I also know the debt isn’t mine. “Ten thousand on a loan.” I look at Darius’s chin, unable to look into his eyes when I add, “My ex before Shawn borrowed it from me to buy a truck.”
“And he never paid it back?”
“No.”
“Hrmph,” Darius grumbles.
I don’t know what he’s thinking, until he tucks a finger under my chin, commanding my gaze. He’s staring at me in exasperation. “Ten grand is not a lot of money.”
“To me it is,” I fire back. Hell, for the past three years, I’ve been trying to pay off the loan but only seemed to be paying down the interest. I tried to get it from my ex’s parents but they were as useless as he was.
“It might be a lot of money to you right now, but it’s not a lot of money to me,” Darius counters gently, leaning on his arm, resting his head in his hand. “I can lose that much money in a minute on the stock market on any given day.”
Wow. What would that be like? I can’t even imagine, and I guess it makes me really proud of Darius, too. He’s not arrogant about his money, even though he loves having it. Being rich for him seems more of a fact than something he shoves in people’s faces.
He draws in a long, deep breath before speaking again. “Besides, it’s not your debt, anyway. Therefore, there’s no reason why you should care if I pay this off for you.”
I see the tightness in his eyes. There’s a determination there that I know well. I know there is no changing his mind. And I also know that if I say no now, he will likely use his connections to find out what bank holds the loan and will pay it off regardless of what I want, because that’s what Darius does. “I can’t take the money as a gift. It has to be a loan.”
“That’s absurd,” he says with a snort, frowning down at me. “I don’t need to loan you ten thousand dollars.”
His hair is dangling off his face, and right now, he looks like the carefree guy I fell in love with. So relaxed. So free. “Regardless of whether that might be true, it’s still my debt.”
“No,” he retorts, voice hard. “It’s a douchebag’s debt.”
I laugh softly. “Okay, I’ll give you that, but I gave that douchebag the money. This is the result of my bad choice.” Darius’s brows begin to furrow, so I give the one answer I know will get him on my side. “While I’m so grateful you want to swoop in and rescue me, I need to look at myself in the mirror every day and feel good about me. This has to be a loan; it just has to be.”
He hesitates. “Fine,” he eventually concedes. “It’s a loan without interest so you can pay it off, and it’s a ridiculous loan at that.”
I ignore that comment and sit up a little bit, looking him in the eye. “And since we’re on this topic about finances, this job you’re arranging for me, I want to be paid a fair amount, not an inflated amount that you feel I deserve.”
He shakes his head in frustration, drops back onto the bed, and shuts his eyes. Obviously I thwarted his plan. “You’re a strange woman,” he grumbles.
I know I should fire off a reply to that statement, but seeing him on his back, with his dress shirt open, I cannot speak. God, he’s such a man. In the years it’s been since I’ve seen Darius naked, his body has changed. He’s thicker, his muscles more defined, and I run my hand over his sculpted abs. With a guy like this in my bed, there’s no way I can keep my hands to myself.
He peeks open an eye and murmurs, “Already wanting more?”
I chuckle, sliding on top of him until I’m straddling his waist. “You say that like it’s a bad thing?”
“It is a bad thing.” He growls when I shift my hips, rubbing against his already hard length. “You’re making it incredibly difficult for me to remember why I shouldn’t be touching you.”
I grin, wiggling my hips in the way I know he likes. “Well, that’s because you should be touching me.”
He wraps his arms around me then, switching our position, sliding in between my thighs. Hovering over me, I’m not feeling the length of him, I’m feeling his fingers stroking my hot and wet sex. “Is this what you want, princess?”
I arch my back, heat flooding me. “Yes. I want you. Inside me.”
He leans his head into my neck and slides a finger in deep. “I am inside you.”
“That’s not what I meant.” But God, he feels so good.
“Oh, this isn’t what you want?” He slides another finger inside me, stroking slowly, dragging out my pleasure. His sexy chuckle brushes against my ear. “You seem to like the way I’m inside you.” He’s pumping his fingers now, the palm of his hand pressing against my clit. “Don’t you like how I touch you?”
Tied to His Betrayal Page 6
