by Susan Arden
“I’m not judging you based on anyone. It’s just I don’t want to stress my sister out right before she has her baby.” And of course there were the million questions floating around my mind with no answers.
As if reading my thoughts, he whispered, “No matter what anyone says, you can trust me. But do you?”
There was no hesitation when I answered. “I do. But you were right about the press. For you. For my family. And us. How much would a reference be worth if everyone knew I was the girl you were sleeping with? Not cool, unless I was looking for another client and another contracted service agreement.” It was my turn to arch a brow, and he unleashed a harsh guttural sound as if he’d been punched in the stomach.
“You won’t have any other clients. I think I covered this, I don’t share well. Don’t even play like that,” he said roughly.
“How can you say that? You don’t own me.” I inhaled a shaky breath. For the first time, I let go of the mask that forever seemed in place. The nighttime darkness surrounded us, and his eyes looked like black pools of erupting fire. I wanted to melt into him but held off.
“Baby, don’t challenge me.” His jaw scraped over my cheekbone again as if to prove I wanted him beyond everything that made sense. Which I was starting to realize…I did.
Ridiculous. I pushed aside that worry. This was going to be a ride to remember, either for one night or six months. That’s what I needed to focus on, instead of becoming consumed with the thought of the future and giving up this moment.
He’d said to celebrate tonight. I sure as heck wanted a chance to enjoy our time, but I also wanted to learn what I could about control and power. I might never become what he was, yet an iota would help.
I eased away from his chest, and he softly hissed of my name, “Eliza. Don’t.”
Keeping an inch or two between us, I met his blistering stare. “You’re an astute businessman, amazing dancer, and lover. Is there anything you’re not master of?”
“Little dove, you come to mind,” he groaned, his hands running down the sides of my body, teasing another shiver from my core that only he knew how to produce.
I refrained from pressing my forehead to his neck, envisioning the masculine scent of his skin and inhaled, seeking to find a whiff his fragrance. I glanced at his carved jaw, and tempting as it was, I refused to run my fingers along his sandpaper skin.
“I’m serious. I want to get to know you. The person inside.”
“There’s one way. Come with me and you will. We’ll be better than good together. We’ll be fucking fantastic. The way you fight yourself, this stubborn streak of yours is driving me to the edge. Just agree to coming with me on Sunday.”
“You’re tenacious. I’ll give you that.” My body buzzed being near him. Why didn’t I just say yes? I was only playing games with myself. I hungered to be next to him, wrapped around him. Thank God the song ended—I was a thread away from caving. “I want to, but it isn’t that easy.”
“Hillwood,” he growled playfully. “No way around it. You’re a hard sell.” He led me off the dance floor, and I waved to Val who appeared up ahead.
“This way.” I took him by the hand then dropped his fingers, back in public privacy mode. “Hey, girl, I wanted to check in,” I said to Val.
It wasn’t uncommon for any of us to get lost and reappear while clubbing. Usually, it was Carmen, Mario, or Val who showed up with a new friend.
“Mmm. I see you have been busy.” Val eyed me and then shifted her focus to Graham with a slight widening of her eyes. I could see her assessing him from behind half lids.
Unprepared to make an introduction of Graham that included any sort of description as my future employer or current lover, I introduced him as a vague acquaintance. So far, I hadn’t mentioned my gorgeous student by name, and I hoped the level of alcohol would staunch my friend from putting two and two together. Eventually, this all was going to come out. Right now was not the moment.
“Val, pleasure to meet you.” Graham stuck out his hand.
On taking hold of his palm, Val’s head whipped up as though she’d been whacked on the back of the skull. Holy shit.
“I know you. Graham Gordon. Am I right?” Her eyes narrowed. She was one for always succinctly connecting dots in her police way of working details into a whole. “Future New York employer I take it?”
“You’re something,” I muttered, at a loss to say something intelligent, and without meaning to, I glanced over my shoulder up at him. “Don’t mind Val. She’s a cop.” His fingers caressed over my lower back, squeezing at the edge of my spine. Was he giving me courage to openly admit, discuss, celebrate, or was he silently applying pressure to sidestep a potential booby-trap?
Clearly I was at a loss and struggled to form a coherent response. But he wasn’t and spoke up, “Yes. I’m located in New York. And as to employer, Miss Hillwood is considering her options. For now, I’m here enjoying South Beach on a Friday.” His attention was on me and only me. “Would you care to join me upstairs for a drink with your friends?”
He didn’t give me the chance to respond before he brushed my bangs away from my eyes. I wilted knowing Val observed our exchange, and shifted my attention from his all-too-consuming gaze. Scanning the crowd, I wondered who the hell else might have seen that exchange. Val’s face blanked in what could only be described as shock.
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging, then faced Val. She nudged me and widened her eyes, staring me down with an overt you’re a certified kook glare. My friends and I had vocalized our collective desire to see the upper deck on more than one occasion. The only time I’d been upstairs was when he’d taken me. The memory speared low in my belly, not to mention my still-stinging backside.
Val shook my arm and exclaimed, “Eliza, I think this is the point where you say ‘yes’ and we finally get to see what the heck goes on in the VIP section of heaven. I, for one, want a taste.”
“Well?” Graham’s breath caressed my skin and had me struggling to stay put. The more I leaned away, the closer he inched next to me.
“Yes. We’d like to join you,” I replied, scowling at him.
“Personally, I’m going to love it,” Val gushed. “I’ll go find Carmen and Mario. Give me a second.”
“Take this,” Graham said, pulling a card from his jean pocket. “Show it to the security at the top. No rush. We’ll meet you upstairs.”
“Segall Tech Industries,” Val remarked, reading from the card. “I should frame this. We’ll be along shortly. Nice going away party.” She poked me in the ribs as she passed me.
“Controlling as ever,” I whispered to Graham, moving my hip away from his groin.
He curled his fingers around my wrist, tightening the pressure of his fingers as he drew me back to him. “Stop fighting me. I’m simply managing our time. I see no reason to stand around when we could be seated with drink in hand. Unless you’d like my hand between your legs. Again, it’s about what works. Time efficiency. Control. And you.”
The space between us crackled as though static electricity were building, and the daring smile returned to his eyes in spades.
“Do you keep an arsenal of practical rationalities on hand? Memorized.”
He laughed—the deep, assured kind. “You caught me. I admit, I do. Thousands. Ready to use, whenever needed. Feel better?” He smirked, skimming his hand over mine, and then tugged on my fingers.
I shook my head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And I’ll grow on you. Just you wait. This is all about teaching a lesson. And so far, you must admit, I have been correct. So we can argue the point or enjoy the bottle of champagne waiting for us.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Standing on the beach, I let go of Eliza’s hand. The whitecaps broke apart each time a wave crashed on the shore. I moved a step or two backward, the sand slipping between my toes, and watched her undress. Last night was supposed to be a quick stop to retrieve one wayward woman. Well, I was learning¸ but not
quick enough. Around Eliza plans had a tendency to come apart at the seams.
Confronting Eliza’s flushed face last night, I’d felt trapped by the structure of my intentions and suddenly tossed aside my plan to get her, take her home, and return to my world of work.
Her untamed nature was a drug in my veins—the more I denied her effect, the stronger the pull eviscerated my self-control. Since meeting Eliza, her image refused to fade from my thoughts. At Solarium, I put aside any idea of leaving her to return to my apartment alone, and I let her decide where we should go in the early morning hours. It was a first in my highly organized world.
The moonlight caressed her body, and the breeze stirred the ends of her hair as she lowered her dress, and I choked from the effect of seeing the belly chain she wore. How the hell had I missed that while fucking her? My fingers fumbled at the zipper of my pants. She smiled over at me as her dress hit the beach, undoing my thoughts the way my trousers should’ve been. I shed my clothes, fully turned on. I was fucking hard as a lead pipe.
“Are you impressed?” she asked, softly.
“Can’t you tell?” I mocked her and then shot a glance to my dick.
She laughed, covering her mouth and shaking her head. “No silly. The beach.” She waved her arm to indicate the shore. “You said you wanted to know my secrets. Well?”
I inhaled, nodding. “It’s picturesque. The whole view.” I held up my thumbs and index fingers to form a viewing box with her in the center. But really, my gut tightened. “Tell me the truth, when was the last you were here? Alone at night.”
“A few days ago. Why?” she asked, lifting her arms and braiding her hair. I wanted to stop her from tying up her silky mane, but the roiling in my blood kept me focused on getting her to open up to me. Last night while fucking her on the sofa, something had happened. Something made me want to protect her. My deep-seated reaction confused, if not shocked, the shit out of me. This wasn’t something I did with the women I fucked. Being their knight in shining armor was a polar opposite to what I sought. I didn’t do that game.
“It’s pretty isolated. I can see why. I bet a coral reef is just beyond that marker.” I pointed toward the middle of the inlet area, yards offshore where several fish jumped out of the water, their bodies silver arcing arrows in the night. “Is it artificial? Yeah, I bet it’s one of those sunken barges.”
“Correct as usual Professor Know-it-All. This one didn’t get the usual press, and a friend gave me the heads up. U Miami funds it, hence the chain-link fence. It helps keep people out.” She smiled her incredible smile, framing her fingers on either side of her hips. “It’s pretty spectacular by day or night. And off the so-called beaten path.”
“You dive?” I asked, wanting to know more about her interests. Hell, I wanted to sniff out every crumb of information she’d let go. If only she’d trust me.
“Yes. I prefer free diving if it means not having to plan and lug around equipment. I don’t have a boat, so I’m landlocked until I score an invitation.”
“And school—is this an area of interest for you?” She’d never said where she went to school or what she wanted to study. Christ, she was so closemouthed.
“Why the twenty questions?” She sent me a teasing smile, twisting the end of her belly chain around her fingers.
I crossed the sand, coming close to her and brushing my hand along her jaw, raising her face to me. “Eliza, I want to get to know you.”
She stared up at me with her mercurial green eyes, and I returned her unblinking stare, drowning in those depths. Our lips were close and the air around us was charged. Her sweet breath lingered on my mouth. I leaned over, closing the distance between us to sample her lips, and got a mouthful of air. She sprinted away, down the beach and laughing that I’d missed my mark.
“Forever inquisitive. No wonder you do so well in the business world.” Her tone sharpened.
“I am. Very interested where you’re concerned.” I cleared my throat, watching her movement as she walked along the shore, teasing me as she gingerly stepped into the breaking waves. “I hope that isn’t a problem.”
It better not fucking be, since inquisitive didn’t even cover half of how interested I was in her. Each second I spent in her company, I hungered to know what made her tick. What prompted each nuance played out in her body or prompted the smile on her incredible face, and the time she’d flinched. Had to find out everything about her. And for the first time in fucking forever, I wanted a woman—her—to get to know me.
Her eyes widened. “Not a problem for me. I’m not your competition.” She stepped closer to me, following the flow of the seawater on the shore, then as the waves receded, she repelled away. Out of my reach. Watching her walk away had me grinding my molars—fuck, she was blowing my mind.
I focused on her, trying to read the truth through her body while not giving full credence to words she chose, meant to cover and hide her thoughts. I wasn’t the enemy, and I wasn’t letting her go. No matter how hard she resisted granting me admittance into her world, I was gaining entrance, my own exclusive pass inside her beautiful body and head.
“You may not be my competition, but you’re on my radar. Don’t blame me if I’m forced to cyberstalk you.”
“Did you?” she asked with an arched brow.
“Stalk you? We just met.” What would she do if she found out I fully planned on doing more than plug her name into an online search engine?
“It’s a fair question considering you tracked me down without a problem.”
“Quid pro quo. I’ll answer you, if you answer one of my questions.”
She seemed to weigh my offer. “After showing up tonight, I’ll never underestimate your sleuthing abilities. Okay, answer me, and then ask away.”
I wasn’t stupid enough to admit I was currently having her investigated. That would land like a ton of unwelcomed bricks. “Your sister suggested I take a look at the studio website about expertise. I saw you were featured in the City Scene last year as one of the up and coming yoga teachers to watch. I’m surprised you don’t have more private clients.”
“Don’t be too impressed. One of the journalists from the Scene is a student of the studio. It was publicity to get people to try one of my classes. Nothing more.”
Her answer took me aback. The photographs of her balancing on her hands were more than impressive. And now, the more she attempted to dissuade me, the higher I was willing to up the ante. But instead of charging after the prize in front of me, I fully comprehended that it might not work here. She’s so different—a blazing truth and here was another: I wanted her with a craving that sunk down inside me, bone deep.
Holding her gaze, it was like I was seeing the future, my future, materialize. “I don’t know too many people who hang out in Scorpion like that,” I countered.
“Maybe you don’t know the right kind of people.” She looked down and frowned. “It’s nothing. I’m an idiot savant when it comes to some positions.”
I ate up the space between us, expecting any second she’d dart away, but she stayed. I reached out and lifted her chin. I wanted to tell her about me, crazy shit I never shared. Hell, what Eliza and I had going on had explosive written all over it. I met her, we fucked—fuck did we fuck! And now—she was disassembling my entire word.
I stuck to yoga—neutral territory. “Don’t downplay your skills. How’d you learn to do arm balances like that? No one is born with that type of skill.”
“Hours of practice. So much…too much.” She let go a hesitant smile, exhaling a breath as if she’d been holding it. “Really? Is that the extent of your sleuthing skills?”
“Maybe.” I squeezed her hand.
Laughing, she leaned into me and whispered, “You’re full of it.”
“Are you about to go back on your word? Tell me about doing balances,” I demanded, pulling her fully against me. I ached to slide inside her and forget the world around us. What did any of it matter? Except, I detected something in h
er surroundings bothered her. I needed to find out what had her unable to just be present with me. That’s what I came away with from Eliza. Her mind, or focus, seemed directed elsewhere every so often. Selfish prick that I was, I wanted her attention on me. Only me.
“Do I look like I’m backpedaling?” she asked, grinding her hips against me and riding up the length of my hard-on. I stood there, my cock twitching with the urge to wrap her around me and continue our discussion.
“In a manner,” I murmured before I cupped her tits, trying to stop my cock from owning all my thoughts. I dipped my head downward, closing my lips around one of her rose-colored nipples that beaded against my tongue. I sucked her tip deeper into my mouth and bit down, grazing my teeth over her silky flesh and making her whimper. The sound of her voice made my cock harden and I paused. “Do you have any idea how amazing you taste?”
As I switched between her supple nipples and sucked my way into heaven, she threaded her fingers in my hair, yanking hard.
“Graham. Please.” She sounded excited, rising up on her toes, and tugging me closer. “More. Now.”
“Talk to me, or I’ll stop.” The image of her spread on the sand flashed through my mind, and I scraped the beard stubble under my lip across her peak, before sucking her breast deeper into my mouth.
“Practice at the studio with my sister and her husband. I took classes. Like anything, the poses evolved. Some are easier than others,” she said, digging her fingers into my hair, but her voice came out flat and pierced my awareness.
I lifted my head and met her gaze, curling my fingers along her incredible hips. “Why do you speak about your practice with such distance?”
“Do I?” she asked, her eyelashes fluttering and her lips parted.
