by Sky Corgan
“Thank you.” My voice was soft.
Jack shed his clothing as he walked towards the dungeon, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow. I could only assume that was what Jack wanted—for me to follow him.
Once inside, he turned to look at me. “Get undressed,” he commanded icily.
It was the first time I felt uncomfortable disrobing in front of Jack. What Liam had said about me being an expensive whore played in my mind as the sleeves of my gown slid over my shoulders and onto the floor. Jack was looking at me like I was an object, something that he could own and dominate, not like I was a person. The knot in my stomach grew.
“I sent him away,” I whispered, trying to knock some of the tension out of the air.
“Don't speak unless you're spoken to,” he ordered in a more authoritative manner than I had ever heard before.
Displeased with how slowly I was undressing, Jack came to me, practically ripping my clothing off in jerking motions. For the first time, I was frightened of him. There was no gentleness in his touch, no kindness to his words, only anger.
“Jack, please calm down,” I begged.
He grabbed one of my nipples, twisting it to the point that I let out a cry of pain. Then he tangled his fingers in my hair, pulling me to him so that his face was only inches away. “If you're going to keep being disobedient, then I'm going to have to punish you.” He threw me to the floor, and I gasped as my fear of him grew ten fold. “You knew I didn't want you to go with him, but you went anyway. You disrespected me.”
“I told you I had to go.” I turned back to him with venom on my lips.
He pulled me to my feet, shaking me before I had even gained my footing. “Do you want this to work, Melita? Do you?”
Slap! It had happened so fast that I could hardly believe my own actions. In an instant, I was gathering up my clothes and running out the door, leaving Jack standing there holding his face in shock.
I locked myself in the guest bathroom, pulling my dress back on while I dialed Liam's cell number. Fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I put on only what I needed to make it out of the house without getting a public indecency violation. No bra. No underwear. Just the dress.
“Come get me, now!” I told Liam. Then I rattled off the address and hung up, wanting to get out of Jack's mansion as quickly as possible.
When I opened the door, my breath hitched as I saw Jack standing there, his eyes full of remorse. “Melita, I'm sorry.”
I brushed past him, heading down the hall towards the front door. Jack gave chase, but he didn't lay a hand on me.
“I got a bit out of control. I was angry. I'm sorry. Please forgive me,” he begged.
There was nothing left to say. Whether he had acted out of anger or just gotten too far into his dominant character, I didn't care.
“Melita, stop,” Jack commanded, but I wasn't listening.
“Goodbye, Jack.” I turned to him for a moment before disappearing out the front door. Thankfully, he didn't follow me, perhaps knowing that I needed space to think.
I walked barefoot to the end of the driveway to wait for Liam, wondering if Jack realized the grave mistake he had just made. His foolish actions had once more pushed me into Liam's arms, and this time, I wasn't sure if I would return to him.
Liam had a concerned look on his face as I stepped into his rental car. I must have looked a mess, I realized, thinking about how my dress was ripped and my hair was tangled from Jack's rough actions.
“Did he hurt you?” were the first words from Liam's mouth.
“No.”
“Because if he did, I'll go beat his pretentious ass into a bloody pump. I don't give a shit who he thinks he is.”
“Just drive,” I told him, trying to keep the tears at bay.
We pulled into the parking lot of the Broadway Hotel, and Liam escorted me up to his room where he sat me down on the bed, sitting beside me and taking my hand into his. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“Jack was mad at me because I met you for lunch,” I said between sniffles. “He ignored me all afternoon. He was just so cold,” I purposely omitted the part about him jostling me around in the dungeon, and I knew Liam could tell I was hiding something, though he thankfully didn't press me about it.
“I'm sorry, sweetie.” Liam pulled me into his arms, holding me while I sobbed uncontrollably. His hands were soothing, smoothing out the tangles in my hair as they petted over me. I listened to his heartbeat. It was faster than normal, but still steady and familiar. In his strong arms, I felt like nothing could harm me.
When I pulled away finally, there was a different look in Liam's eyes. He caressed my cheek, moving loose tendrils of hair from my face, and I didn't move when he leaned in to kiss me, though I didn't return the affection either. Liam's lips were soft and gentle against mine, a world of difference from the harshness I had felt all afternoon. Despite myself, I allowed his kisses to overtake me, demanding my reciprocation and carrying me off to heaven.
He pushed the straps of my gown down over my shoulders, and I was reminded of Jack's touch. I was far removed from Jack now, though, being held by careful hands—loving hands.
The dress slipped down over my breasts, exposing them to Liam's eyes for the first time. Instead of gaping at them in wonder, he looked at me as if he had seen them a thousand times before, more interested in my lips and my eyes than the perversions of my body.
“Oh Liam,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck only to be met with fluttering kisses across my collarbone.
He laid me on the bed, pulling my dress down the rest of the way until I was naked beneath him. My heart pounded as I watched him unbutton his shirt. Liam was the definition of masculinity, heavily muscled and gruff looking with his long dirty blonde hair and dark chin stubble.
It was as if my eyes were seeing him for the first time, not as the boy who had been my best friend growing up, but as the man who loved me. The thought caused warm feelings inside my heart, and darker yearnings between my thighs. I realized at that moment that I wanted him more than anything in the world—would sacrifice everything to have him, if only for one night.
My eyes flitted down to Liam's cock as he shed his slacks and boxers, and I couldn't suppress a lecherous grin as I realized that he had been right about being bigger than Jack. Liam was larger, in all areas.
He glided effortlessly between my legs, demanding me to part my thighs so that he could lay between them while lavishing affection upon me. I moaned as his lips covered every inch of my neck, then worked their way down to my breasts.
His touch was incredibly loving, all about pleasing me. I ran my fingers through his long silky hair while he sucked and teased my nipples. My muscles down below fired off deliciously from the stimulation, begging for more.
One of his hands slipped between my legs, and he gently fingered my pussy, probing slowly. I clenched around the finger, giving him a taste of what was to come.
He pulled out, inching himself up as he forced my leg around his hip. My breath hitched as I felt the tip of his dick pressing against my opening, forcing its way inside.
“Oh,” I groaned as he filled my passageway, spreading me wider than ever before.
“I love you so much,” Liam breathed lustily.
My hands wrapped around his broad shoulders when he began thrusting, and I dug my nails into hard muscle as he took me with slow passionate strides. It felt like heaven lying beneath Liam's protective body, being pleasured by his massive cock.
“Oh God, Liam,” I cried out, arching my back and bucking my hips up into him.
“Does it hurt?”
“No. It feels amazing. Don't stop.”
He paused, gently moving my arms away from his back. At first, I thought I might be hurting him, but then he curled his fingers into mine, holding my hands above my head as he leaned in to kiss me and thrust home.
Soon, Liam's breathing was ragged, and he was forced to pull away from my lips. I wh
ispered pleasured encouragements into his ear as he picked up the pace. The friction from Liam's love-making quickly drove me over the edge, and I squeezed myself around him as my orgasm played out.
“Oh yes,” I whispered.
Within seconds, he was pulling out, panting as he let loose onto my stomach. I watched Liam's abs contract and relax as he came in spurts.
“Are you alright?” he asked when he was finished, and I had to grin at his overbearing concern.
“I'm better than alright,” I replied, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms.
“Sorry about that. It happened—”
“Shh. Come here.” I beckoned to him, not caring about anything but having him by my side.
Liam smiled, easing onto the bed beside me and pulling me into his arms, causing the mess he had made to run down between us. I cuddled up against his chest, feeling more fulfilled than I ever had after sex.
“I will marry you,” I said, and I could distinctly hear his heart skip a beat in reaction. His arm squeezed me tighter.
“Your parents are going to be furious.”
“You care about that now?” I laughed incredulously.
“No, but I'm sure that you do.” He remained calm, running his fingers through my hair.
“I only care about being happy right now.”
“Are you happy?”
“Happier than I've ever been in this wretched city.”
“Our wedding probably won't be as extravagant as you'd like. No ice swans or pony rides.” I could hear the grin in his voice.
“As long as you're there, that's all that I need.”
I realized that now. All the money in the world could buy a lot of things, but it couldn't buy love. And, in the end, that's all that I needed to get me through life. My one true love.
Bonus Book Two
Resisting the Billionaire
CHAPTER ONE
I needed a job, and it didn't matter where. Going home everyday was like walking into a never-ending nagfest thanks to my portion of the rent being overdue. Of course, I couldn't blame my roommate for being mad. We had gone through this time and time again. I'd get a job, screw something up, and be back out looking for another one within a few weeks. More often than not, I'd barely have scrounged up enough money for my portion of the rent.
“I don't understand why you can't just stick with one thing,” Mandy complained. She'd been my roommate for the past two years, but I was beginning to fear that arrangement was coming to a close. I could see the weariness on her pale face, the same look I'd seen on my previous roommate's face before she gave me the boot in lieu of a more stable friend. It hurt to think the same thing might happen again, but I really didn't know what to do about it. “If jobs were supposed to be fun, they wouldn't call it a job. They'd call it happy eight hours of the day,” Mandy continued.
“I know,” I sighed, resting my head between my arms on the table, so I wouldn't have to look at the disappointment on her face anymore.
“I don't know how much longer my Dad is going to help flip for your part of the rent. He's getting really agitated with this whole thing.”
“I just need a little more time.”
“Where all did you go today?”
Now the interrogations began. I knew what she was getting at. Mandy thought I really wasn't looking for a job, that while she went to school and work, I moped around the house or went out with friends. She'd caught me lying before. It was an isolated incident where I had gotten fed up with the search and decided to go have a beer with our friend Eric instead. Eric had paid, so I couldn't see what the big deal was. Besides, I had needed a break. Job hunting is exhausting.
I groaned, feeling my anxiety levels rising. To keep the peace, I needed to keep my cool. If Mandy kicked me out, I'd be screwed. I wasn't on good terms with my parents, and none of our other friends were dumb enough to room with me. None of them, except for Eric.
It was a thought, but I definitely didn't want to go there. Eric had a crush on me from the moment we met in college. He pursued me relentlessly for about a year, but he eventually gave up when he realized it wasn't going to happen. Occasionally, Eric would drop a hint or two, but I'd quickly dash his dreams by turning it into a joke. Living in close quarters with him wasn't a comfortable thought.
“I went to a few restaurants and gas stations,” I finally responded.
“How many is a few?”
My jaw clenched involuntarily. “Two restaurants and a gas station. Would you like to know the addresses and the times I went as well? Perhaps you'd like the phone numbers so you can call and find out if I was actually there?”
“Jen, stop.” She rolled her eyes, quickly blowing off my bad attitude. “When you go to one gas station, it's not gas stations plural. Three places aren't enough. I hate to tell you this, but you have until the end of the month to get a job, and if you don't stick with the next one, I don't think we can do this anymore.”
My heart sank. Damn. I knew this was coming. What am I going to do now?
“Listen,” Mandy's voice softened as she watched depression flood my face. “I don't want to lose you as a roommate. You're a really cool girl; you just need . . . Maybe you're not applying for the right kind of jobs. Maybe you should try something out of the public eye.”
“I'm not qualified for anything better than restaurants, gas stations, or retail,” I grumbled, now wishing I had stayed in college. It was too late to go back though. My parents had cut off my funding long ago, and I couldn't afford to send myself. Besides, so many years had passed that I'd feel old compared to everyone else there. It made me cringe to think thirty was just around the corner. Where had the time gone? Wasn't life supposed to be getting better by your thirties? Not for me, apparently. I had managed to screw that up too.
“There are other jobs that don't require a degree. Better jobs,” Mandy gave encouragement. I looked up into her small blue eyes, made even beadier behind coke-bottle glasses. She was not a looker, but what she hadn't been blessed with in attractiveness she made up for with intelligence. While I had dropped out of college after one semester, Mandy was only one semester away from graduating Summa Cum Laude with an MBA in Business from New York University.
For all the nagging that she did about me getting a job, I couldn't understand why she hadn't gotten a better one. Mandy had worked at the bowling alley since we were teenagers, and she showed no signs of giving it up until her college education was complete. I suppose that was all well and good if you had wealthy parents to leech off in your times of need, but I couldn't help but think life could be better for both of us if Mandy put the degree she already had to good use. That was just me being selfish though.
“Well, if you find one, let me know,” I said.
“Actually, that's kind of what I was thinking of doing,” she replied hesitantly, and I could tell she was afraid I wouldn't like where she was going with this. I arched an eyebrow quizzically. “I could get online and see if I could find something for you.”
“You don't think I've been looking online?” I huffed.
“I just . . . think you've probably passed up a few opportunities that might have been good for you. I mean, this restaurant thing obviously isn't working out. How many restaurant jobs have you had this past year? Three?”
“Five,” I corrected Mandy, cringing at my own answer. It sounded a lot worse when I put it in perspective. Five restaurant jobs, two gas-station jobs, and one job at a car wash, which was the most miserable of the eight, though it made the most money. Having a nice body and a wet T-shirt helped me get tips, but it was also horribly degrading.
“Just, let me see if I can find something I think you'll be better suited for.”
“How do you know what kind of job I'll want?” I asked incredulously.
“I'm your closest friend, right?”
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly.
“I know you better than you know yourself. Trust me.”
“Fine.�
�� I gave in with a sigh. If this got her off my back for a while, then it would be worth it. Besides, I didn't have to accept anything she picked out for me.
“Good. It's settled then.” Mandy's face brightened in triumph.
By the following day, my phone was ringing off the hook with people wanting to interview me. Whatever Mandy had done, it had worked, and while I was glad, I was also a bit apprehensive. It felt strange having to act excited about jobs that I knew nothing about.
Keeping up with my part, I went out to meet every prospective employer who called. The jobs Mandy had applied me for varied, as if she had literally gone down a list and put me in for anything she thought might take me. I did countless interviews for custodial work, mail room positions, retail stocking, and even a traveling inventory position. No one seemed very interested in hiring me though once they began going over my resume of jobs past.
After a week of no luck, Mandy gave me a pep talk about how to interview. The moral of the story was lie lie lie. Tell the employer what they wanted to hear, not the truth. Play up your strengths. Avoid talking about your weaknesses, and when you're forced to, try to twist them into a positive light.
Despite all my effort, the end of the month was quickly approaching, and I was still jobless. Tension was rising between Mandy and I since she grilled me every night about where I had gone and what I had said during my interviews. It was getting to the point I was just about ready to walk out on my own.
“What do you have lined up for tomorrow?” she asked with a hint of agitation in her voice.
“I've got an interview to be a bather at Poppy's Pet Grooming at nine, and then in the afternoon I have an interview to be an office assistant at Syngex Incorporated.”
“You probably won't get the Syngex job,” Mandy commented dryly.
“Then why did you apply me for it?” I gritted my teeth.
