“I can’t help it. You make being bad too much fun.”
He chuckled, and it made his cock quiver inside her.
“Mmm . . . just fuck me already!”
“Is this what you want?” He pulled almost all the way out, then slammed into her, his body forcing hers to take his ferocity, jarring her back against the rock. She cried out, then complained as he slowly withdrew. He paused for so long she thought he’d decided to stop, but then he plunged into her again. She waited in desperate anticipation for the next thrust, but it didn’t come until she begged for it. The cruel intimacy of being held down while he pounded into her, of him watching her expression with sadistic bliss while he waited for her to plead for more, brought her quickly to the brink again, her brain hazed with need and a strange floaty euphoria.
He stopped just as she was about to come. Beneath him, she went wild, screaming and fighting to wrest control from him. Patiently, he held her down, waiting out her tantrum with savage amusement.
“You don’t like me,” she accused.
It startled a laugh from him. “Oh, I like you far too much.” He was panting. Thank god he wasn’t as calm as he’d seemed to be. It wouldn’t be fair at all. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“If you really liked me, you’d let me come!” She yanked ineffectively at the hand that trapped her wrists, and when that didn’t succeed in doing anything, she focused on trying to grind her clit against his pelvis.
So fucking close.
“You’re a spoiled little girl, aren’t you? Maybe I should stop now and not let you get off.”
“Why would you do that!”
“Maybe it’ll help you remember me.”
They watched each other for a long moment, neither of them moving.
“Like I’m going to forget.” Her throat felt thick and tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away, feeling like an idiot.
This time when he kissed her it was long and sweet. He let go of her wrists and laced his fingers through hers, holding her down with affection rather than force. Now he followed her lead, reading what her body wanted and giving it to her. As her orgasm built again, she tried to hold off, not wanting it to be over, but he knew just what she needed and used it against her, bringing her to the edge of climax and balancing her there, letting it drive her mad before finally giving her firm, hard thrusts. The hissing sibilance of his ragged breathing was mesmerizing. Her body tightened, the tension deep and needy.
“Please let me come,” she begged, sure he was going to be cruel and stop again.
“Are you going to come all over my cock, princess?”
Unable to tear her gaze from his, she choked on a sob. Her pleasure teetered on the edge, overwhelming, almost frightening. She came, her body seizing under his, clenching around him in waves she couldn’t control.
“Fuck.” He grunted and his thrusts became erratic, the unpredictability spurring her orgasm on until she was sobbing and writhing, helpless to make it stop. He pummeled into her, their bodies slapping together, louder than his curses.
“I want to rip this condom off and come in you so hard you choke on it.”
She mewled, struggling weakly beneath him, her clit so sensitive that his every brush against it extended her orgasm.
“Your pretty cunt makes me so fucking crazy,” he hissed. “You’re mine, Ophelia. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she sobbed. There was no denying it. Not when he could do this to her—make her so needy and helpless beneath him.
He grunted. The tendons in his neck stood out and his face became a mask of agonized pleasure. Deep in her pussy, his cock twitched, quivered, throbbed. Then he was pounding into her, his body viciously taking everything it wanted. He bellowed, swore, came, his eyes wild, more beast than man.
He came back to himself gradually, as the storm passed, his thrusts less powerful, his kisses less hungry.
“Such a good girl, my girl,” he said, his gaze lazy and affectionate. He stroked her skin, held her, murmured sweet words, kissed her face. “Did I hurt you?”
“Yes,” she whimpered. She was so sore, but it felt so good. It was exactly what she’d needed.
He frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I liked it too much.”
With a groan, he lowered his mouth to her and left a hickey on the sensitive spot between shoulder and neck. “Mine.”
Eventually, he pulled out, got rid of the condom, and fastened his jeans, staying close enough to touch, watching her and petting her while he did so.
As perfect and lovely as he was, though, they both knew he was lying. She wasn’t his. Not really. It was no secret this was the end.
She rolled onto her side, pulling her legs up to her chest. This feeling of the two of them being a couple was done.
She was alone again. When she got home, the house would be as empty as her life. Sure, she had friends who cared, but they preferred talking about fun things, rather than things that were real. She’d been the same, before her father had died, but everything changed after that. Being with Luke had changed her even more.
“Did I hurt you a lot, baby?” Luke picked her up off the rock and sat with her in his lap, cradling her like she was a child.
“No.” Yes, but not in the way he meant. And not on purpose.
She allowed herself to lean her head against his chest, feeling safe and protected in the moment, even with profound regret dragging her toward the abyss she’d so recently crawled from. She was too sad to cry.
Knowing she was in love with him and there was nothing she could do about it.
***
About an hour from home, Ophelia’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing in her purse on the floor by her feet. She’d been avoiding numerous text message alerts for the last couple of hours, but now someone was calling her—over and over again. She halfheartedly kicked her purse, willing it to shut up, but it didn’t work.
Luke glanced at the floor and said, “What do you have in there? A vibrator?”
She sighed, knowing the inevitable was coming. “It’s my phone.”
“Aren’t you gonna answer it?”
Her response was to grunt and look out the window. Avoiding. She was good at that. She’d been doing it for months now.
“Sounds like someone really wants to reach you,” he said. “Are you sure it’s not an emergency?”
Pretty sure, but now she’d look like a bitch for not checking. With an eye roll, she leaned down and wrestled the phone from her purse. It was her mother, as she’d expected. Mentally, she braced herself, then accepted the call.
“I’m almost home,” she snapped. “Will you stop calling me please?”
“Well, it’s about bloody time!” her mom yelled back. “We have one day, Ophelia. One day to make the biggest decision of your life.”
Like she needed that reminder. Pressure swelled in her chest, making it hard to breathe. “I know.”
“We need to go over the accounts. Don’t go home. Meet me at the office. Daniel is already there waiting.”
Daniel was their accountant—a sweet man who’d always taken time to talk to her when she was a child instead of just breezing by like the rest of the company staff.
“I’m not . . .” Ophelia rubbed her forehead and eyed Luke, wondering how much she should let on. “I’m not ready to make this decision yet. Can they give us a few more days?”
“Ophelia . . .” Her mom’s voice tightened and Ophelia pictured her lips pressing together, her red lipstick a thin line, as they always did when she was losing her temper. “There is no decision to make. We are selling the company. Tonight. You’re acting like a child, which is exactly why you have no business running things.”
Ophelia winced. Had she been childish? Was that what this road trip was about? Running away? Maybe her mom was right for once. Maybe she was
too immature to run a company. But selling it, especially tonight, made her want to throw up.
No. She wasn’t ready.
Her vision swam with tears. “I’ll meet you at the office in just over an hour. I’m not promising anything.”
At her mom’s stuttered reply, she hung up before she could change her mind.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. What was she going to do? Having to make a decision eventually was very different from having to make one in an hour. Of course there would be other offers, but her mother would never forgive her if she turned down this one for something smaller.
Confusion mixed with anger. It felt like a boulder was sitting on her chest, slowly crushing her to death. She tried to hold it together. Just one more hour, then she could drop Luke off and freak out in private. But it was getting harder and harder each minute.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Luke said, finally breaking the silence.
At that, the dam broke and she burst into tears. Covering her face with her hands, she tried to do it quietly but soon she was gasping deep breaths and close to hyperventilating. She felt the car swerve, then come to a stop. A second later, she was up against Luke’s chest, his big hand covering her head as he crooned in her ear.
“What’s wrong with my girl?”
His girl? How she wished it were true. If things were different, if she really was his, he could help her. She wouldn’t feel so goddamn lonely. All she wanted to do was crawl into his lap and have him pet her.
“Shh.” He stroked her hair. “What happened? Who was that?”
Part of her wanted to tell him everything—just to have someone to confide in—but the wiser part of her held back. She trusted him—it wasn’t about that—but he didn’t need this burden. And what would he think of her? Here she had the biggest decision of her entire life to make and she’d been out gallivanting in the forest like she hadn’t a care in the world.
He’d think she was an irresponsible idiot.
Childish. Just like her mother had said.
“It’s okay,” he said. “You can tell me when you’re ready. Or not at all.”
God. Why did he have to be so nice about it too?
Oh, fuck it. She pushed from his chest and inhaled a shaky breath. “I’ll tell you.”
“Okay,” he said and turned toward her seat. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I need to. But . . . just don’t judge me, okay?”
His brow quirked. “Did you kill someone and hide the body?”
That won him a chuckle, then she shook her head. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, she tried to pull herself together. Luke handed her a tissue and she used it to blow her nose.
Once she was calmed down, she finally looked at him. Concern made a crease above his brow. Such a sweet man. It was hard to believe this was the same person who’d whispered dirty things in her ear and made her beg for anal.
She shook her head to clear that from her mind.
Folding her hands on her lap, she began. “When my dad died, he left me the company. All of it. Millions of dollars’ worth of hotels and stocks and . . . I don’t even know what else! He didn’t give me any direction. All he did was write in his will that it’s mine.”
Luke nodded solemnly. “That’s a big responsibility for one person.”
“My mom wants me to sell it. The newest bid is a lot of money, and my mom is pushing. But I still don’t know what my dad would’ve wanted. I wish he’d left me some instructions but his death was so sudden . . . I think he just ran out of time.”
“How did he die?”
“Heart attack.” She paused. “We didn’t even know he had heart problems. He was home alone. I was . . .” Her throat closed up. “At some dumb party . . .”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother trying to hide them this time. It’d been months. She shouldn’t be struggling to talk about it still, should she? God, she was such a baby.
Luke grasped her hand and squeezed it. “You know it wasn’t your fault, right?”
Did she? If she’d been home, she could’ve called an ambulance. Maybe he’d have recovered. Maybe he’d still be alive right now.
“We can’t guard the people we love from bad things twenty-four/seven,” Luke said. “That’s impossible.”
She nodded. “I know that. In my head I know that.” After a deep breath, she went on. “I just don’t know what to do. This is too much pressure. My mom thinks I’d be an idiot not to sell it but the thought of someone erasing his legacy breaks my heart. At the same time, what business do I have running a company? I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
Luke listened patiently as she rambled.
“Everyone will laugh at me. Spoiled little rich girl thinks she can fill her father’s shoes.” She laughed humorlessly. “I’ll probably run it into the ground trying.”
A finger came under her chin, lifting her face to meet Luke’s eyes. “You are not a spoiled little rich girl.”
She averted her gaze and he pinched her chin.
“You are so much more than that. You’re clever, and kind, and witty. You figure things out fast, and you’re far too good at reading people and situations. And they’re stupid if they can’t see that.”
Her cheeks heated. “Everyone else thinks I’m a piece of fluff.”
He let go of her chin and brushed her cheek with his fingers before putting his hand back over hers. “Your dad didn’t, or he wouldn’t have left you the company.”
No, her dad had never thought of her as fluff. But he hadn’t exactly treated her like his protégé either. Had he been planning to, really? Or had the internship been a joke? Maybe he’d been waiting for her to show more interest, or to show him she’d matured.
Sure, she could’ve shopped less and paid attention more, but how was she supposed to know his time was running out? Fuck. So many things she would’ve done differently if she could go back.
“I was hoping our road trip would give me some answers but . . .” She shook her head. “I’m more confused than ever. And my mom wants me to decide tonight. There’s a buyer. The offer is expiring. I have to meet them when I drop you off . . .” Pressure built in her chest again, squeezing and cutting off oxygen. Her breath came out in short gasps and she felt like throwing up. “I . . . I don’t know what to do.”
“Shhh.” Luke grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Listen to me. Offers like that don’t expire. Not legally. They’re trying to rush you on purpose so you cave under the pressure. If they’re that seriously interested, taking some extra time won’t deter them. You don’t have to make a decision tonight. Call your mom and tell her you’re not going.”
He sounded so confident, so final. She nearly laughed. “Is that an order?”
It’d been a joke but he didn’t smile. “I don’t want to control your life, but I care about you. It’s obvious you’re not ready to make this decision. So don’t.”
“I can’t keep running away.”
“No, but you can’t decide the fate of your father’s company just to please your mother.”
The offer wasn’t going to expire? Was that true? He’d mentioned a degree in business, but how much did he really know about stuff like this? Was he just trying to make her feel better?
Well, what was the worst-case scenario here? Even if the offer did expire, there’d be others. It wasn’t the end of the world, even though her mother apparently thought otherwise.
“Take your time,” Luke said again, dropping his hands from her shoulders. “Follow your gut.”
Easier said than done. Her gut was a mess of nerves and fear. What if she made the wrong choice? What if she destroyed everything her father had worked so hard for? What if she tried to do the right thing and ended up a giant failure?
“If you ever need someone to talk to about this,” Luke said, �
��You have my number. I mean it. Even if it’s two in the morning and you’re freaking out, call me.”
She smiled regretfully. “Thanks, but this isn’t your problem.”
“So?” He shrugged. “No one should have to go through something like this alone.”
Alone. When she returned home, she’d be surrounded by people—her friends who no doubt had gossip to share, relatives who pretended to like her to get at her money, her own mother trying to get at her money. Sometimes the more people were around her, the lonelier she felt. Only because it reminded her of what she didn’t have. Love. Acceptance. Happiness.
But Luke was fun and amazing and made her feel good, and he was the one thing in the world untouched by grief and stress. She didn’t want that to change.
“Promise me you’ll call me when you need to talk,” he pushed.
“And when I need a spanking?” she joked, but it didn’t come out funny.
“Yes. That too.”
Wow. He really meant it. But what was she supposed to do? Text him to meet her somewhere inconspicuous for a beating and a good fuck? No. That was too weird.
“I thought you didn’t want to be a sentient dildo,” she pointed out.
He snorted. “It’s not exactly a hardship. Besides, I’d rather see you get your needs met than suffer alone. In more ways than one.” When she didn’t respond, he reached out grabbed a lock of her hair then wound it around his finger. “Are we clear?”
She looked deep into his eyes, studying the dark brown, putting it to memory. How awesome would it be if she could keep him in some way? Like a sex toy slash confidante? Someone neutral to talk things out with and someone who could give her what she needed in bed. Like a boyfriend but . . . without the emotional attachment.
Well, she’d have to work on that part.
On an exhale, she whispered, “Yes, Luke.”
He kissed her sweetly then pulled back onto the highway. She was too chicken to call her mom so she texted her instead. Borrowing Luke’s confidence, she told her she was going home and would talk with her and Daniel in the morning and that if the bidders wanted to rescind the offer, that was their problem.
Fueling His Hunger Page 18
