Seduced

by Susan Arden

  “You mentioned your stepfather financed your sister’s business. Is that why?”

  She jerked at the mention of her stepfather, and the look that crossed her eyes before she closed them snared my attention. Her chest heaved, her stomach muscles tensed, and she clamped her jaw shut. I scrambled, wanting to reach out to her as well as get inside her. “Eliza, I can help.”

  “No,” she gasped and shook her head. “It’s family business stuff. Let’s drop it. Now who’s backpedaling?” She arched a brow, her nostrils flaring, and she leveled a fierce look at me.

  Unabashed, I fingered her braid and decided which route to take. I couldn’t help this inclination I harbored to search out and uncover clues about her. I’d ask questions as long as she kept answering.

  “Is there an issue with getting to know you?” I asked. “I gather things aren’t good between you and your stepfather. My family isn’t easy to get along with either. What happened?”

  Again, her whole body tensed in my arms. “Simple rebellion crap,” she said, a look of confusion and anger spreading over her face before dissolving as if a curtain had been shut. “Nothing to tell. O-okay?”

  She removed her hands from my shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice was quiet but she’d stammered. No way to miss the note of veiled revulsion mixed with fear she tried to hide. I hesitated, scrubbing a hand over my face to quiet the storm of frustration about to unleash inside me. What had the motherfucker done to her? I could feel my heartbeat in my temple pulsing faster. I became a pressure cooker, hungry to get her to tell me every detail so I could act on this instinct I had to protect her. Do something. Fuck, I didn’t have a clue as to what, and it only irritated me more when I couldn’t do shit. Yet.

  “Come here.” I wrapped my arms around her body and moved my mouth to the side of her face, skimming lower until I was kissing the skin at her neck. “Baby, tell me what happened.”

  She shook her head that was pressed to my cheek, then lowered her forehead against my shoulder. “It’s a good thing you don’t run a detective agency; you’d be dirt poor. Are you ready to go for a dip?”

  “Eliza, maybe you don’t want to talk about it tonight or tomorrow, but I’m ready for whatever you’re willing to share. Whatever you’re willing to trust me with. Believe me when I say, I will safeguard you.”

  I was asking for her trust, but I’d have to wait. I was insane, if I thought for a second she’d tell me her secrets this early, especially about something—or someone—who frightened her. Fine. Without a choice, I’d put this aside. Not forget. My mind spun with a game plan as I sought to control my erratic breathing and heart rate.

  What had her stepfather done? I didn’t know; but by tomorrow, I’d have a file on the fucker. No way would I ever share her with anyone, least of all a man who filled her with fear.

  Since the moment I met her, my concentration had been shredded to hell. I might as well as own what I felt and figure out what to do to recoup my sanity. I hugged her to me, preparing to go as unconventional as was required to untangle the binds keeping her chained to anything that wasn’t my bed. Pretty warped, but that was the summary version of my vision for the next few days. I clenched my jaw as the back of my neck knotted in tension. For her, I’d shelve this one for now.

  I spread my hand over her breast, skimmed my mouth down to her pointy tip, and sucked her nipple into my mouth. Spreading my hands over her hips, I teased her tits with my tongue and teeth. I reached down, slipping my finger in between her legs and swirled my finger around the bar in her clit. I’d fucked her, sucked her, and fingered her, and I wanted to do it all over again. God, I was close to hauling her legs up around my waist and taking her standing on the shore.

  “Graham,” she moaned into my ear.

  “How does sand feel?” I mused aloud. We were about to fuck each other into one more frenzied orgasm, and I had less than five second to figure out the logistics.

  Alone on a secluded cut of land where she’d brought me to swim naked, all I could think about was getting inside her. I wanted to fuck her here, fuck her tomorrow, throw in the next day, and the day after. Eliza was intoxicating me on several levels, addictive to the point of making me insane. Fucking unbelievable.

  I wasn’t coming apart over how I’d allowed her to creep under my skin; I was nervous I’d wake up the day after tomorrow and she’d stay here while I boarded a plane alone. I risked boring a hole into her, I stared at her so hard under the realization. On about a million levels, I craved her so much my chest hurt.

  “We’d better take that dip before we don’t have the chance,” she reminded me, tugging on my fingers.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be, unless you’d let me fuck you senseless on the sand.”

  The smile returned to her lips, and this time heated her eyes as she said, “First, we swim.”

  I followed her, inhaling her dizzying scent and growled, “Then we fuck.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  God, my head was going to explode. Was Graham seriously asking questions that required a shovel to dig through all the heaps of crap piled a mile high? He wasn’t supposed to really, truly care. In getting to know you chitchat, people asked about college majors, hobbies, vacations…not about asshole stepparents. He had no right!

  Earlier tonight, Graham had made good on his invitation to my friends, ordering whatever they wished and introducing them to Petrov, the owner of Solarium, who supplied them with special VIP admit cards good until eternity came. If Graham had wanted to earn points, he ended stashing enough to win them over. My friends kept whispering they’d strangle me if I didn’t take his job offer. Would they still be so eager if they knew the truth?

  Graham had instructed his driver to take Carmen, Mario, and Val wherever they desired while he and I drove off in the Porsche that had ratted me out, thanks to a high tech navigation system. But I managed to see the ends justified the means, given tonight was way off the charts and nearing fantasy in stature.

  Then Graham came at me in a round of questioning that was nothing like what Laura did to unearth information. Oh hell no.

  The man, true to form, didn’t do anything ordinary when he blindsided me with the most enticing tone—warm as melted caramel and twice as sweet—asking me about my stepfather. Trailing my fingers over the contours of the muscles running along his forearms and him nuzzling my neck, I froze. The moment turned bittersweet. Seconds spun by. I don’t know how many as we stood locked together. Me, a lump of clay, trying to figure out what not to say, and him staring at me as though he could see inside my soul.

  We’d stood on the shore, the breeze swishing around us, the water breaking in front of us, and time unfolding all around us and everything, everything, everything in the world got a million times more mesmerizing…a gazillion times more gut-wrenching when he’d asked, “Baby, tell me what happened.”

  I didn’t know what to say when he asked pointblank about Abe and then circled back around, and dammit if Graham didn’t ask again. He picked up on clues and silly me, I gave him a whopper. A spasm shot had through my chest thinking about my stepfather when Graham had first asked about the jerk. Too late, I realized my error in not concealing my reaction in front of the all-seeing Graham Gordon. I’d revealed way too much to a man who reveled in overcoming challenges. I recognized a fishing trip for info, and he was trolling in deep water with me on this issue.

  Swimming along this shore was nothing compared to the risk I was taking in letting Graham into that part of my world. I shivered, imagining the look on his face if I ever came clean. What man wanted to hear that a girl’s stepfather tried to rape her? Abe hated me so much he wanted to destroy me—something in me. From what I gathered, he’d only agreed to raise me as some sick pathological way of getting back at my mother for walking out on him.

  With Graham, there was no point in telling him anything about that part of my life. We’d be over in six months. He was only supposed to ask the easy questions, like I’d done i
nside his condo. I could have asked a few whoppers, but no. Leave it up to Graham to want to know every stinking detail.

  “What about you?” I waded into the ocean and decided the best defense was to start asking him questions. “Anything you’d like to share?”

  “Don’t be upset. I don’t want to ruffle your beautiful feathers.” Of course with any countermoves I tried, he displayed his knack for being charming at just the right moment.

  “Do you ever come at someone with less than one hundred and fifty percent?” I returned, recognizing this was why I’d been attracted to him when we first talked.

  “Not lately. And not around you.” He grinned at me with predatory satisfaction.

  It was impossible to be around him and remain unaffected. “Oh brother! Let’s go before the ocean dries up. You’re not exactly transparent yourself.”

  “I’ll try to be if you ask me something specific. Do you swim here often?” he asked, letting me take the lead into the surf but not in the interrogation department.

  I shivered, but now the goose bumps erupting were from the cool morning air and the feel of his finger gliding along my collarbone. I acted like was I was going to lean back, and then I dove into a breaking wave. When I came up, I laughed at his expression. “I come here mostly at night when I want to swim and think. Escape.”

  “All alone at night?” A note of disbelief hiked in his voice. “Ever see Jaws?”

  “Sorry, I’m not a child of the seventies.” I swam back to Graham, and pulled him further into the surf. “Please don’t launch into a lecture. Soon, I’ll be scared of my own shadow.”

  We swam and sometimes floated, swept along by the warm waves farther and farther from shore. Glittering stars swarmed overhead, twinkling in back of streaks of wispy clouds, and then there was the moon. Ah, she kissed silver shadows to the surface of the water and his face without shame.

  Graham’s eyes followed me, but this time I didn’t make any fast dashes to get out of the way. In his gaze, I wrapped myself within the delicious feeling that he was coming for me. Silently, softly I ran my fingers along his cheekbones, water droplets running between my fingers, and he let me explore without his usual instructions, nothing more than his breath. A hot caress beckoning me closer. With his hair slick against his head, his chiseled features prominent, beautiful to touch, I gave in, and closed my eyes as though blind and he were a seductive form of braille.

  His masculine laughter floated in the air. “What are you doing?”

  Opening my eyes, our gazes fused, and once more I felt our connection deepen. “Seeing with my fingertips,” I replied, pressing my forehead to his. “I have 20-20 just so you know. Scared?”

  His exotic good looks and his over-the-top personality prompted me to question who his parents were. Makers to made. Whose lips did he have? The shape of his eyes? The hint of a cleft in his chin…who could I thank? Or curse, I blustered, for this man who’d haunt my thoughts from here on out.

  He smiled as though I’d said the funniest thing and shook his head. “Of you? Not in the least. So, what did you find out?” he asked, kissing my fingertips.

  “Tell me about your parents.” I began to slowly swim back for shore and watched his expression alter. He dove into the surf, coming up for air next to me. For several seconds we swam, a race of sorts, and then I slowed. I wanted him to answer me. “Tell me, Mr. Gordon. Or is that a hard limit?”

  “My parents divorced when I was young. I lived with my mother in Boston for part of the year and traveled back to London until I was old enough for boarding school. My father was out of the picture until I was in high school. Typical detached parental upbringing,” he replied, and I noticed he treaded water, coming up next to me. “Like you I prefer to keep my family on a shelf. But if you want to discuss mine, then I’d like the same freedom with you.”

  Ah, so here he had me. Did he really have something he didn’t want to share or did he just want something to bargain with? He arched his brow and stared back at me, his face unreadable. “Fair enough,” I retorted, wearing an expression just as placid as the one he wore.

  He kissed me, not rough or demanding, but all-consuming. His hands roamed over my skin, imparting a silky tingle along my skin, and I couldn’t help but wrap my legs around his waist. “God,” he murmured. “I want to fuck you.”

  “I’m not on birth control,” I whispered. I licked the salty water droplets from his lips, drawing them into my mouth and nipping. When I released his lips, I asked, “Any dangerous sports I should know about? You seem to have a thing for safety.”

  “Yours, yes. This is very much a do as I say situation, Eliza.”

  “So that means yes.”

  “I play rugby with friends on a team. Nothing major and nothing regular. When I’m here. I go skiing when I can. I can hold my own on a motorcycle.”

  “Do you ride?” My heartbeat picked up as I held my breath. Holy fuck, Graham on bike would be so utterly hot.

  “Not enough. I’m not talking about a street bike. Motocross.”

  “Oh,” I gasped. “That’s pretty extreme.”

  “Extreme and an insurance nightmare. Not something my corporate board enjoys hearing about.”

  The warm water swirled around our waists as we waded back to shore. I was about to dunk my head when he touched my shoulder, his hands moving aside my braid. “So far, you’ve managed to convince me you’re not going to succumb to fear anytime soon,” he remarked.

  “What’s to be afraid of?” I had to take care and refrain from giving away that I’d already seen the face of evil and that face didn’t dwell in the ocean. Winding my arms around his neck, I pulled his head down and turned my face as our cheeks met. “I’m just comfortable outside in the world apart from people. Maybe I have more faith in life. Would you be concerned if I told you about traipsing off to the Everglades alone?” He picked me up and carried me back to the beach, depositing me so we stood just where the waves broke on the shore.

  “There’s a definite line between disregard and faith,” he replied, running his fingers down the center of my back. He took hold of my elbows, removing my hands from around his neck. He captured my wrists in his hands before he swung each behind my back as I arched against him. “There are so many other ways to experience the edge of excitement, Eliza. Let me teach you? Don’t fight me on every point.”

  “Am I shying away from anything you have offered?”

  “No. In that regard, I don’t have any complaints,” Graham whispered, his body hard against me. He had me pinned with his thigh between my legs. One of his hands enfolded my wrists, and the other threaded into my hair.

  I rode his leg as he bent my body, the waves caressing our calves. He moved his arm, encircling my waist, hoisting my hips against him. “Not one.” I moaned. “Yummy. So I rank okay in your book so far?”

  “You’re prime, Eliza. Fuck, come away with me and I’ll show you how to experience life to the fullest. Every detail. Whatever you desire.” His mouth latched onto my neck, sucking then biting down along my skin until he had me throbbing. Graham was ready to do anything under the stars. He bit my neck harder and drove his cock in between my legs, pumping his full length against my clit. Flashing lights skittered across my field of vision.

  “You tempt me sorely.” I grabbed his shoulders, rocking over his dick.

  “That’s it. Give in to me, baby. All the way.” There was no stopping him in his delivery of pain-laced ecstasy.

  “Anything.” I pleaded. “Just get me there.”

  He released me and lowered himself into the shallow waves rushing between his knees as he sunk into the surf. Kneeling before me at the shoreline, he lifted my leg, hoisted it over his shoulder, and positioned my foot at his back.

  “How flexible are you?” he asked before blowing across my sex.

  I shivered at the sight of his mouth and lifted my leg into a standing split. “Very. But that’s not what we’re about right now.” My voice came out husky as he sp
read my folds, grazing his fingers over me.

  “Eliza. I can’t wait to fuck you in every yoga pose you know.” He moved his head until his mouth touched me, and I shuddered, grasping his head with both of my hands.

  I couldn’t hold back, not when he sucked my piercing into his mouth. He expertly tongued me until I hollered his name across the waves. We were out on the beach, and this man had me falling faster than a shooting star. He groaned incoherent words against my flesh, his tongue spearing into my pussy and melting my response right out of my head.

  “Oh. God!” I groaned.

  He glanced up and our gazes locked at the moment he clamped down on my pussy, unleashing searing jolts of electricity throughout my body. The sound of the ocean roared in my ears along with the hammer of my heartbeat. He had me riding on the cusp of an expanding ache, consuming me. Graham pulled me to his face, sucking my clit before he nipped my flesh between his teeth. He fucked me, driving his tongue into my pussy between hard sucks and slow, wet licks to my folds. Bliss knifed me, cutting a path through my body. Graham didn’t tease me this time, he ate me. Whole.

  “I’m falling,” I rasped, my legs wobbling beneath me as my need for him rocketed. Graham face fucking me felt too good to stop. “And I’m going to come.”

  He didn’t stop eating me, but he got my meaning. I couldn’t stand up another second and came unglued from his gorgeous face.

  “I have you,” he assured me.

  I didn’t mind the fall as much as I missed what he was doing to me. In my descent, his hands found me and helped reduce my helpless tumble into the shallow water, lapping at the shore. I landed with a splash, cradled up against him, water droplets coating my face and body…and his. Now his bare sculpted chest, smooth golden skin was speckled with water and sand.

  “Your mouth is very talented,” I murmured. “I bet you’ve heard that before.”

  “Are you all right?” he asked, climbing over my hips, pulling on my hand.