by M. S. Parker
Alix raised an eyebrow. “Bullshit.”
I scowled. “Like hell it is.”
“I saw the way the two of you looked at each other,” he persisted.
“Look,” I said with a sigh, “I don’t know what you think you saw, but it’s not there. Sure, she’s attractive, but I’m not looking to get involved with anyone. Not after what happened the last time.”
“For all you know, she could be into the same stuff,” Jace offered. “You’ll never know until you at least try.”
“She’s a virgin,” I snapped. “That’s the last thing I need.”
Erik closed his eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t do something stupid. Tanya really likes her.”
Shit. The last thing I needed was them getting on my case. They were supposed to be on my side. “We fooled around, but when I found out she was a virgin, it didn’t go any further.”
“That’s not the stupid I meant,” he said. He opened his eyes, a disapproving expression on his face. “You acted like an ass, didn’t you? You found out she was a virgin, and instead of talking to her about it, you freaked out and either said something asinine, or you said nothing at all.”
Okay, he had me there. The ice queen comment hadn’t been meant cruelly, but it wasn’t a nice thing to say.
“So what?” I said sullenly.
Erik looked at Jace, then Alix, who both gave him a half-hearted shrug as if to say go ahead. “If any of you tell anyone what I’m about to say, I’ll kill you.” He paused a moment to let his threat sink in. “When Tanya and I first had sex, I didn’t know she was a virgin until…well, you get the idea. And I freaked out, accusing her of intentionally hiding things from me, telling her that I didn’t want that responsibility. I almost lost the best thing that’s ever happened to me because I didn’t just talk to her.”
“Communication is key,” Jace added his two cents. “Erik’s right about that.”
“Hell, yes,” Alix agreed. “You saw how miserable I was when Sine was gone, and it all could’ve been avoided if I’d just talked to her, given her the benefit of the doubt.”
I sighed and leaned back. “I don’t know. Seems like a big risk.”
“It is,” Erik admitted. “But I know that all three of us would agree that it’s worth it.”
“Hell, yes,” Alix and Jace chorused.
I’d brought them over here to keep myself from drinking, but now, alcohol was looking even better than ever.
What the hell was I supposed to do now?
Sixteen
Paige
If I thought about it, I probably could have come up with a time where I’d been more mortified than I had been Saturday night, but I couldn’t think of anything off the top of my head. I told myself that wasn’t because a memory didn’t exist, but rather because I’d long since buried it.
I wished I could do the same with what happened in the limo. The tension between us at the show had been bearable, but the moment he’d kissed me, everything had turned upside-down.
I should have remembered that no matter how good-looking Reb was, no matter how much I might be attracted to him, he would never be the sort of man I could trust. Not to that extent anyway.
I would do my job, and I would do it well. I’d give Sybil no cause to regret giving it to me. Once I could claim Reb’s new, good image as a product of my hard work, Sybil could feel confident giving me more. I could see it all ahead of me. Lots of nights working late. No social life. No men. No friends.
It was everything I’d ever wanted.
And if I kept telling myself that, I might believe it one day.
I looked down at the message I’d gotten from Reb twenty minutes ago. Late start. Let yourself in.
I didn’t want to think about why Reb’d had a late night. He’d looked so horrified at the realization that I was a virgin that I suspected he’d gone out yesterday to find someone more experienced to fuck. Someone who didn’t come across as so desperate and needy.
A flush of shame colored my cheeks, and I pushed those thoughts down as far as I could. I was done thinking about him that way. From here on out, he was only going to be a client. Mr. Union. Nothing else.
I knocked first, just in case Reb was within earshot of the door, but when he didn’t answer, I let myself in as he’d instructed. I supposed he felt safe enough with the security doors downstairs, the doorman, security detail, and the keycard necessary to get to his floor. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere in New York City where I could leave the door unlocked like that.
“Re – Mr. Union?” I called as I entered the apartment. No answer. I walked a bit farther in, wondering if I’d find him passed out on the couch. The place was clean, which surprised me. I hoped that meant he was still sober.
I suddenly realized that I could hear the shower running, and a flood of heat hit me along with the memories of what his skin looked like wet. Those tattoos. That skin. Those muscles.
“Dammit,” I cursed softly.
I needed to find a distraction.
Fortunately, fate seemed to take some sympathy on me, and I spotted something on the end table next to the couch. The Muse by Ericka Summers. I knew that name, but couldn’t quite place why. Not that it mattered, I would’ve read pretty much anything at the moment if it meant I could stop thinking about the fact that Reb was naked and wet only a few yards away.
I sat down and picked up the manuscript, making a mental note to ask how Reb ended up with it in the first place…then I remembered that this was a distraction so I could stay professional. It was none of my business how he’d gotten this from Ms. Summers.
I flipped it open to the acknowledgment page. To my one and only muse. You are my life.
It was simple, and even more beautiful for the simplicity.
I turned to the first place and started to read.
The sound of the whip came a split second before it struck, a sharp crack that echoed off the walls. Her whimper was a softer sound, but it still made his cock even harder. It was art, what he did, though most wouldn’t see it that way. Art could be sensual, even bordering on sexual, but once erotic was the word used to describe it, people started getting twitchy.
He frowned. The people here appreciated his talents, but if he couldn’t concentrate, he couldn’t deliver, and they’d start looking elsewhere. Not that he needed the job, per se, but having him here was mutually beneficial. He drew a crowd for the club and was able to create his art in a safe environment. He could never let anyone see his face. His identity had to remain a secret, and this was the best way for that to happen…
It didn’t take me long to get caught up in the world of Maximillian von Strauss, the Dominant billionaire recluse, and the object of his obsession and affection, reluctant club hostess Chastity Powell. Sure, her name was a bit on-the-nose, and alpha billionaire romances weren’t usually my preferred genre, but the writing was amazing, the characters likable even with their flaws. Despite my preconceived notions of the romance genre – particularly the erotic vein – The Muse had substance.
And the sex…one scene was hotter than the next.
Max had told her when they’d first come together that he intended to have all of her, and she was now starting to realize exactly what that meant.
She was naked and face-down, head turned to the side, silk sheets cool beneath her body. Her arms and legs were spread wide, each bound to the four corners of the bed. The restraints were soft, which she had learned meant whatever he had planned for her would make her try to break free. The thought didn’t frighten her though, not beyond the small bite of anticipatory fear. She knew she had only to say the word, and he’d release her.
She heard the door open but didn’t speak. Over the past few days, she had learned what he expected of her. He liked to talk, but only wanted her to answer questions, not give voice to anything else unless it was to stop the scene. And she didn’t want that.
She felt the bed dip as he climbed between her legs. She shuddered as his
finger slid inside her. She was wet, of course. She was always wet around him.
Something cool and smooth brushed against her entrance, and she sucked in a breath as a thin dildo slid inside her. It wasn’t nearly as large around as he was, barely larger than his finger, but every nerve in her body was on edge, ready for whatever he had planned. She suspected what it would be, but it wasn’t until he removed the toy from her pussy and spread her cheeks that she knew she was right.
“I’m going to take your ass tonight, Chastity,” he said quietly. “There will be times when it will hurt, but if you can bear it, I promise you an experience more intense than anything you’ve had before.”
She nodded, but it was an acknowledgment rather than permission. By not saying her safe word, she gave consent.
“Ahhh…” It was half a moan, half some other sound entirely, but it wasn’t a conscious choice she made, simply the noise that escaped as Max eased the slick plastic shaft into her ass. She felt a faint burn, but nothing painful. More uncomfortable than anything else.
And then his fingers were in her pussy, relentlessly stroking her to an orgasm even as he fucked her ass with the dildo. She whimpered and gasped, closing her eyes to allow the sensations to wash over her. For an eternity, he stretched her ass even as he took her to the edge again and again, never letting her fall over it. She didn’t beg, knowing he’d tell her if he wanted her to, but it was almost impossible not to plead with him to let her come.
Without warning, her ass and pussy were both empty, and she felt the heat of him as he leaned over her back and put his mouth against her ear.
“Once my cock starts filling your ass, you can come as much as you want, say whatever you want. I want you to come apart underneath me, holding nothing back.”
She nodded again, body trembling with its need for release. When the head of his cock pressed against her anus, she knew she’d come the moment he penetrated her, pain or not. She needed it. Needed him.
He leaned forward and–
“Find anything interesting to read?”
Seventeen
Reb
I wished I had a camera. Not just because seeing Paige jump and look guilty when I spoke was one of the funniest things I’d seen in a long time, but because I wanted to lock in the memory of finding her like this.
Her cheeks were flushed, pupils dilated so wide that only a thin ring of blue-green was visible. She was embarrassed now, but I doubted that was the only reason she couldn’t look at me.
She was turned on. For a moment, I thought it was because she’d been thinking about me being in the shower, but then she set something on the table as she stood and I realized what she’d been doing.
Dammit, Erik.
If she hadn’t been reading that book, I probably could have let it go. I still should have let it go. We had to keep things professional. That was the only way this was going to work. We had to ignore any lingering chemistry between us. If there was even any left after the way I’d put her off the other night.
But my ability to say no to temptation was part of the reason I was in this mess in the first place.
“Like it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I can let the author know if there was anything in particular you thought was…stimulating.”
“You know her?” Paige asked, glancing toward the manuscript. She frowned, as if her question bothered her. “Never mind. It’s not important. I was just bored waiting for you, and it was there.”
“You looked like you were enjoying it.” I couldn’t resist. “I could come back later if you want to be alone…”
“Don’t be an asshole,” she snapped.
Damn, she was hot when she was pissed. Made me want to push her even more, see just how much she could take. That was the part of BDSM that attracted me the most. Testing limits. Not necessarily pain, but comfort levels.
Like going down on her in the back of a limo.
“Come on, Paige, no need to be embarrassed. I had it for a reason.” I walked toward her, knowing every step was a worse idea than the last.
But I didn’t stop.
“Because you…know Erika Summers?”
I grinned. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
She glared at me, crossing her arms, as if that would offer any sort of deterrent. If anything, it made matters worse because it drew my attention to her full breasts. I hadn’t gotten nearly enough of my fill of them.
“We already went down this road, Mr. Union,” she said, lifting her chin. “And I know you don’t want to go there again, so let’s just stick with business.”
“And if I’d rather focus on pleasure?” The words just popped out, but when I saw her blush again, I didn’t regret them. My friends’ words echoed in my head, louder than they’d been all day. I wanted her, despite what I knew, and despite all the reasons I’d given myself why I shouldn’t.
“Reb…”
My name was a warning, but the fact that she’d called me Reb instead of Mr. Union made me think that she wasn’t as opposed to the connection as she tried to seem.
“How far did you get? I’m sure Erik has all sorts of new ideas in there for you to think about.”
“Erik?” Her eyes widened.
Shit.
“As in your friend, one of the wealthiest men under thirty, Erik Sanders?”
I could tell by her face that she’d put it all together before she even finished the question.
He was going to kick my ass.
“He’s Erika Summers?” She looked down at the manuscript again. “That’s how he and Tanya met, isn’t it? The book deal wasn’t for some memoir or how to succeed in business thing. It was for Heat of the Sun.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” I said, making my face as serious as possible. “The only people who know are us guys, Sine, Savannah, Tanya obviously, and one or two other people at Branch Publishing. Even Erik’s sisters don’t know.”
“I won’t,” she promised. A flare of understanding lit in her eyes. “Is he into…I mean, him and Tanya…” Her cheeks flamed red. “You said Alix and Sine…”
“It’s not as uncommon as a lot of people think,” I said, the muscles in my shoulders tensing. “Does it make you think less of them?”
My question sounded like a natural follow up, but tension hummed through my body as I waited for her answer.
“No,” she said, giving me a steady look. “I may be a virgin, but I’m not a prude. I believe that, as long as things are between consenting adults, it’s not anyone else’s business what goes on, and certainly not anyone’s place to judge.”
I could see that she believed every word she said, but I knew all too well how words were easy enough to say when nothing was on the line. When I’d first talked to Mitzi about it, she’d acted like she was fine with it, but later, things changed.
“So, your opinion is that it’s fine for other people, but nothing you’d want to explore?” I mentally cursed myself as soon as the question was out of my mouth. That sounded like I was propositioning her.
She drew herself up to her full height and gave me the sort of look that said I’d gone too far. “I think we should stick with business-related conversation.”
I nodded even as my head agreed with my treacherous cock that they were more interested in getting an answer than talking business. I might have been trying all weekend to convince myself that I didn’t want to sleep with a virgin, but I’d also been coming up with some pretty good arguments about why it just might be more appealing than I realized.
Like the fact that I’d never have to wonder if another man had been able to make her come the same way, or if she was comparing me to some previous lover. For whatever amount of time we were together, I’d be able to know that I was the only man she’d ever given herself to. I’d be her first in every sense, the one to show her all the different ways she could find pleasure, to teach her the ways to please me.
I could implant myself so firmly in her mind that every other man who came after
me would never be able to live up to the standard I’d set. She’d be completely and indelibly mine.
Eighteen
Paige
How had I thought I’d be able to talk to him like nothing had happened? Every time I looked at him, all I could think of was what it had felt like to kiss him, to touch him. The memory of his hands on my body, his mouth…it made every cell heat up, every nerve buzz with electricity.
Maybe coming here hadn’t been a complete mistake, but reading that book had been. The moment I realized what I’d been reading, I should have stopped. Not because there was something wrong with it, but because being turned on right now was making things even more difficult than usual.
“I talked to some people from work about forty minutes ago, and they’ve been analyzing the coverage of you and the kids. You’re trending in the right direction, but that alone isn’t going to turn things completely around. What we need to do is show people that the negative press is the fluke, not this. They need to see that you’re a good guy who did something stupid.”
“And you have some ideas of how to make me a good guy?”
The question should have been flippant, especially considering he’d essentially been teasing me from the moment he’d come into the living room, but something under his words told me he wasn’t being as glib as he tried to sound.
Despite the fact that looking at him made me feel things I didn’t want to feel, I turned toward him. He needed to know this. “I don’t need to make you into a good guy. You already are one. I just need to get others to see it.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “You think I’m a good person? Even after–”
I sighed, my resolve to keep things professional already being put to the test. “You made some bad choices after your break-up, and did some stupid things, but that doesn’t make you a bad guy.”
“Yeah, but the other night–”
I held up a hand to stop him. “We don’t need to talk about that. It was impulsive, and the result of spending time together in a…charged environment. Neither of which will be happening again anytime soon.”
