by Lan LLP
“I never said that, Miss Lucy,” he corrects with a clever smirk while running his hand subtly between my thighs under the bar. The only thing keeping him from touching my bare skin is the thin lace material of my dress. “I can be persuaded, but it’ll require much effort on your end,” he continues his trifling in that rich, seasoned voice that my body submits to so easily.
Uh, I pant silently when his fingers brush against my wet sex. Leaning back into my bar stool, I grip the edge of my seat and cross my legs to stop his taunting. His hand is trapped between my thighs. I can’t take much more of his torment or I’ll have to straddle his lap and grind myself against him right here.
“Playing hard to get, Miss Lucy?” he whispers into my ear and then gently nips my lobe with his lips. “It’ll take more than this to stop me,” he spurs as he grips the inside of my thigh with pressure that shoots straight to my deprived, pulsing clit. Oh god, I want his fingers deep inside me.
I give up. I can’t resist him any longer. “I’m ready to go. Are you?” I finally surrender after taking a gulp of my wine to help soothe me.
“So soon? But you just got here,” he replies with a triumphant grin.
“Yes…I’m ready,” I exhale in a whisper.
After paying the bartender, who’s been eyeing my interaction with Carson since he sat down, Carson gestures for me to go first. He follows behind with his hand splayed on the lowest part of my naked back—an inch away from the top of my buttocks—he continues his torment. With a sly turn of his head over his shoulder, he gives the gawking bartender a proud wink.
Men.
__________
I reach over for Carson, but his warm body isn’t on his side of the bed. Mr. Bright-and-Early Bradley is up, showered and dressed for his business meeting. He’s calmly sitting in a chair across the room reading his tablet. The sunshine passing through the enormous windows casts a radiant glow that wraps all around him. How many times can I say he’s so good-looking? Never enough.
“Will I need to come with you this morning, boss?” I attempt to grab his attention with my quirky humor.
Darting his smiling hazel eyes over to me, he asks, “Are you my personal assistant?” I nod my head in response. “Then yes, you’ll be attending the meeting with me, Miss Lucy.”
“I didn’t like my promotion last night,” I complain.
“Then maybe you’ll adhere to my rules next time, Miss Ly,” he replies with a mischievous smile. I narrow my eyes to give him the real Lillian attitude.
__________
After he apprehended me at the bar, I was taken back to his room. He stripped me down to just my stilettos. My heart raced with eagerness, hoping he would give into my needs, but he didn’t. He tossed my naked body on the bed, undressed his delicious muscular frame and caged over me.
“I’m going to punish you,” he murmured along my neck while his one hand held my arms captive above my head. “Your first offense was sneaking out. For that I’m going to lick the tip of your nipples and then suck on them until they’re tender.”
“Don’t,” I whimpered. “I want to touch you.”
“Not tonight, baby. I’ll be doing all the touching,” he clarified. “Your second and more serious offense was wearing that revealing dress without a bra and me by your side. For that, I will cover your entire body with kisses and bring you to the edge of an orgasm with my tongue, but I won’t allow you to cum.”
“I’m sorry. Please, Carson. Don’t do this to me. I want you so badly,” I begged, my tone desperate and pitiful.
Ignoring my plea, he cupped my breast with his free hand and lapped his tongue ravenously over it. My body squirmed under his control. I panted and moaned without shame. “Believe me. I hate doing this to you, babe. But you were really naughty tonight,” he regretted with a smirk and then slid down between my thighs.
“Carson. No. You’re not being fair,” I objected and then lost myself when his tongue delved into my sex. “Oh, god!” I screamed. Each lick brought me closer. I wanted him inside me. “Please. I need you,” I whimpered again. The sensation bounded. My clit wanted to be released. My mind was going mad. His tongue was merciless. I felt my body separating and floating into paradise, but then it crashed back down soon after. Carson stopped his magic. He slipped my stilettos off, pulled the sheets back and slid my body underneath it while he lay on top, holding me.
“Sleep, Angel. I think I’ve made my point,” he whispered against my temple with tiny kisses.
Disgruntled and unsatisfied, I replied, “Yes, you did,” and rolled my back to him. Where does he find his will power? It would’ve been impossible for me to stop midstream like he did.
“Don’t be upset. Your body is still healing. I didn’t want to disregard the doctor’s recommendation a second time,” he explained. “You should know I would never deprive your body of anything it wants.” My heart smiled against my chest after hearing his explanation. Selflessly, he pushed his needs aside for me, and I thought he was being a control freak.
Carson Bradley
Dinner with Bridgette wasn’t as unbearable as I anticipated. From her rigid exterior alone, she came across as a cold-hearted businesswoman with no leniency. She reminded me a lot of myself. Bridgette probably runs her company with an iron fist, and I doubt that anyone dares to challenge her decisions. Was I ever wrong to imply I could extract information from her with my charm? She is a closed book. Though after a few drinks, she did loosen up a little, but not much. That woman can definitely handle her liquor, unlike my innocent Lillian.
Bridgette mentioned several times that I reminded her so much of one of the Montgomery men. Wesley is his name. It almost made me think they might’ve had a fling of some sort from the fond way she described his features and physique. Wesley is the same age as me with darker brown hair and a goatee, according to Bridgette. It didn’t take a real genius to notice her cold eyes turned warm when she spoke of him. Bridgette admitted Marcus has never trusted the Montgomerys, even after conducting business with them for more than twenty-two years. I’m sure it probably has something to do with his youngest daughter marrying one of them and then she ended up dead in a plane crash. Personally, I know I would hold a grudge.
Just when I was so close to getting Bridgette to open up, Luke texted me an alert message. Lil had snuck down to the bar. He asked how he should handle it. I replied I’d take care of it myself. Luckily, I chose to stay at the hotel for dinner and drinks so that I could be accessible to Lily. I excused myself mid-conversation to rush over to the bar. My timing couldn’t have been better. She was cautiously making her way to the bartender as I appreciated her sexy profile from behind. Those heels probably added an additional three inches to her slender legs. I caught her by surprise when I gave the flirty bartender her drink preference. My heart leaped through several rings of fire when she turned to face me. Her mesmerizing light brown eyes rimmed with thick black lashes gazed nervously at me while she bit down on her lower lip, which was the color of a tart cherry. Immediately, I wanted them on mine, but I had to wait until I brought her back to my room.
The door to my suite was kicked shut behind me. Lil proceeded to remove her heels, but I told her, “Don’t you dare take them off.” I clasped her hand and led her up the stairs to the bedroom. “Someone was being very defiant tonight,” I stressed and then unzipped her dress down her right side past her slender hip. I peeled the lacy material off her body to reveal her bare breasts and just a black thong. “Fuck! You’re not wearing a bra, Lil. No wonder that bartender was raping you with his eyes,” I griped before I tossed her onto the bed. “I’m going to punish you,” I warned along the crook of her neck. I taunted her to satisfy my frustration, but forced myself to stop before I lost all control. There was no way in hell I was going to go against the doctor’s recommendation a second time. One was already too many times in my book.
__________
“Lil, are you ready to get dressed? We have to leave in about an hour,” I inform h
er. She nods her sleepy head at me and then rolls out of bed. I walk over to meet her when her feet hit the floor.
“Good morning, sunshine. Juice, coffee or my lips?” I offer.
She tilts her chin up to answer while trying to push back a growing smile. “I guess I’ll take a kiss,” she replies.
I circle my arms around her shoulders and squeeze her against me before pressing my lips into hers. “What did you do with Luke yesterday?” I inquire.
Excitedly, she tells me, “I have something for you that might bring you luck for this meeting.” Breaking away from my hold, Lil walks over to the end of the bed to grab a red gift bag on the bench. She pulls out a jade figurine. “It’s a laughing Buddha!” she exclaims. Her jovial expression wipes any signs of my stress and worries away. “Rub his belly and make a wish,” she urges me like an eager child, reminding me of her innocence and tender age.
“Thanks, Angel. I’ll be sure to find a special spot for him,” I promise her. “So you did some shopping. Did you buy anything for yourself?”
“I bought a few small jade bracelets for my friends.” She pulls out cheap little trinkets to show me. With all the money that’s allotted to her for usage, she spends about twenty dollars for an entire evening of shopping. This frugal girl will have to learn how to spend more money.
“Let’s get you dressed and fed. We can’t be late for this meeting,” I stress.
Chapter 10
Carson Bradley
Lillian descends from the bedroom in a Chinese inspired red business suit. With craving eyes, I admire my exotic beauty. I honestly believe she doesn’t know how gorgeous she really is. Her silky black hair is most definitely growing on me even though she doesn’t care for it.
“I have your breakfast ready, babe,” I inform from below.
She makes her way toward me. “More kisses?” she asks with a sly grin.
“I think you need something with more sustenance.”
“All I need is you to be full for the rest of my life,” she flirts.
“Really?” I ask with one brow arched. “Well Miss Lucy, you better come here and get some breakfast then.” I detain her in my arms and help myself to her sweet lips. “I know I can live on your kisses alone as well,” I confess. Peeling her away from me so just our hands are entwined, I appreciate her loveliness up close. “You look very smart and stunning.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bradley,” she replies as she adjusts my tie. “You look powerfully handsome yourself,” she repays me a compliment as flattering as mine.
I lean into her ear and confess, “But you make me weak for you.” The erection between my legs demands immediate attention. I’ve been depriving it of a long and fulfilling fuck. I want to rip her clothes off and have my way with her—right here, right now. Her jade necklace is revealed after I undo several buttons on her blouse. Like a splash of ice water to my face, her lotus pendant reminds me of my meeting with Marcus Ly and my desires are forced to go dormant again. “We better get going, Lil. If this man is anything like me, he won’t tolerate tardiness.” I button her blouse up, but keep her pendant out so it can be appreciated instead of hidden underneath.
__________
The same man who led us to our room yesterday is the same man who comes to pick us up for the meeting. Lily rides in the black limo with Luke, following my white one. Surprisingly, she’s been quite understanding throughout this trip even after one of Ly’s men disrespected her. Luke told me she set him straight without batting an eye. That’s my girl. I knew from the first time we met that she isn’t one to take shit from anybody, not even me. I love that fire in her.
I thought Boston’s traffic jams were bad, but Hong Kong’s are ten times more congested. The drivers make it seem like smooth sailing through rough water as they weave effortlessly past cars, trucks and motorcycles. I have to fight the urge to turn my head back to Lil’s limo every time we pass a light and theirs doesn’t. Confidence equals respect here. Regardless of how uneasy I really feel on the inside, I can’t project it outwardly.
Just one more day of pretending.
My list of making up to Lil is growing exponentially. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to catch up.
Finally, my limo comes to a complete stop. I’m in the business district of Hong Kong, also known as Central. The driver rounds the vehicle to open the door on my side and welcomes me to Ly Fenghuang, which is the Chinese word for phoenix. The regal building is impressively tall and constructed of glass in geometrical shapes. Two men dressed in black Tang suits approach me from the grand entrance. I look subtly over my shoulder to check for Lil’s black limo, but it’s still not here yet. I know she’ll be upset when she arrives, and I’m nowhere to be found. I’m shit out of luck. These two men will insist I follow them, and I won’t have a choice in the matter.
“Good morning, Mr. Bradley. I’m Kevin,” the younger man greets me with a firm handshake. He appears to be about mid-twenties with a platinum blonde strip down the middle of his black hair. His eyes are dark, narrowed and intuitive. He looks at me like he’s attempting to memorize every detail of our interaction. His muscular build tells he’s paid to look tough. If I have to guess, he is probably part of Marcus’ security team.
“Nice to meet you, Kevin.”
“Mr. Ly would like for me to escort you to his office.”
“Yes, of course, but first, can you tell me where my personal assistant is?” I ask while hiding my concerns.
“She will meet us upstairs. Assistants don’t enter through the front doors with the CEO,” he replies respectfully, but with a hint of haughtiness.
Lillian Ly
My limo is following closely behind Carson’s until this light. Out of the blue, the driver decides to make a left turn into an underground parking garage, triggering panic to consume me. My startled eyes search for Luke’s, and I’m offered encouragement through his unaffected demeanor. Nothing fazes this fearless man—thank god.
Luke will keep me safe.
The limo stops in front of a rounded glass entrance that leads to four sets of elevators. The driver comes around to open my door and welcomes me out. I see two men approach us, dressed in black Tang suits and security ear buds.
“Welcome, Miss Lucy,” the older of the two gentlemen greets me. “We will escort you up to Mr. Bradley. He just arrived through the main entrance.” Oh, I see now. I’m just the lowly helper, so I don’t get to go through the same entrance as the CEO. My eyes want to roll so badly, but I plead them not to.
“Thank you,” I reply with an even tone as I try to suppress my annoyance with all these stupid stipulations.
I follow their lead through the circular entrance to face the dreaded elevators. Drawing in a deep breath, I cross over the safe threshold of solid ground into a box that’ll lift me up several hundred feet.
You can do this.
Everything is going well until the lights shut off and the upward motion stops. I’m trapped.
“Luke, where are you?” I panic in a frightened voice.
My hands pat frantically around in the dark, searching for him. My chest feels like it’s caving in and suffocating me. Tears start to gather, but I can’t cry. I mustn’t. What will these men think of a grown woman being scared of the dark? They’ll lose the little respect they barely have for me. I can’t let that happen. I know there’s no fire, but the smell of smoke begins to choke me. I’m reliving my real life nightmare—the reason I’m so terrified of heights and tight spaces. When I was four, my mom and I were stuck on the eighth floor of our burning apartment building with nowhere to go but out the window. A brave fireman climbed up the side of the building to help us escape, but lost his grip of the ladder and fell backward. I saw the fear of death paralyzing his eyes as he dropped to the ground. He didn’t die, but that frightful vision resonated with me to this day.
“I’m here, Miss Lucy. Stay calm. The emergency lights will kick on soon,” he pacifies and then shines a flashlight in my direction. My dilated e
yes blink and attempt to adjust to the brightness. The two men in the elevator with us remain still and offer me no consoling words. I can generalize I don’t like Marcus Ly’s men. They’re all chauvinistic jerks.
Just as Luke assured me, the lights revive and the elevator continues its ascension. I place my hands over my pendant and thoughts of my mom pour in generously. I miss her so much. The stress and anxiety I’ve caused her are my source of guilt that nibbles at my heart each and every day. The sound of her sad and desperate voice from our last phone call still lingers with me. I feel like I’ve failed her on so many levels. As soon as we get back to Boston, I’ll demand Carson to let me go. This is my mom—I’d do anything for her. I’m done with all his protective rules, especially since he won’t open up to me or give me real answers.
__________
Freedom at last. I’m no longer in the grips of that dreadful elevator. Luke and I follow the two silent men into a reception area as grand as some hotel lobbies. “Please have a seat here,” the older man instructs. I can’t wait until we leave this place and all the disparity crap I’ve had to deal with. I sit while Luke remains standing next to me. The receptionist offers us coffee or tea. I deny both and tell her I’m fine. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking how Carson is processing all of this. He doesn’t have the upper hand like he’s accustomed to, and I’m out of his reach. All I know is he better be feeling tremendous guilt for putting me through this.
As Luke and I wait, an attractive woman with long dark hair, wearing a red suit similar to mine, strides past us. Her expression is arrogant. She doesn’t even wait for the receptionist to approve her entrance. I notice she glances back in my direction for a quick second before disappearing behind two massive doors with exotic bird carvings.
