But after last night, Ari wasn’t so sure he’d like that. He’d left her alone in his bed, an odd tension lingering between them that had tied her stomach into nervous knots, despite the sincerity of his goodnight kiss.
It didn’t help that she’d been feeding him a steady diet of lies and half-truths since their very first encounter, and then the whole thing with Vincent…. She was lucky he didn’t blow her cover. Ari knew he was carrying a gun, and more than once she sensed he wanted to pull it. He was careless that way, a victim of his own testosterone. Thankfully he left before things escalated, but the whole interaction was way too close for Ari’s comfort. It was bad enough she was lying to Jared, planning to rob his home. She wasn’t about to get him hurt… or worse.
Let it go. It’s over. You’ve got the whole weekend ahead of you.
Ari slipped out from beneath the covers and rose, stretching the tension from her body as she made her way to the master bath. After a quick shower, she wrapped herself in the big, fluffy man-robe Jared had left on the bathroom hook, feeling rejuvenated and excited for the day. She had no idea what Jared had planned, but judging from the smells wafting up from the kitchen, they’d be starting off with a huge breakfast—the surest way to her heart.
Ari’s stomach grumbled in anticipation. Despite her nerves, it was going to be a great day—she could feel it. She opened up all the window tapestries, basking in the golden-white sunlight that streamed into the bedroom, certain that nothing could dampen her spirits.
But a quick glance at her phone sucked away her hopeful energy.
Can’t he leave me alone for one damn day?
This time she didn’t bother reading Davidson’s texts or playing his voicemails. She just punched her thumb into his name on the screen and flopped down on the bed, ready to get it over with. There was bacon sizzling in the kitchen, something in the oven that smelled like cinnamon rolls, and a hot, sexy man nearby whom Ari was desperate to find and kiss. She did not have time for her boss’s mind games today.
“Good morning,” she said over Davidson’s snarling hello, keeping her voice low. She didn’t know how thin the walls were, but after Vincent’s chest-thumping idiocy last night, she wasn’t taking any chances. Still, she couldn’t resist forcing a little over-the-top cheer. “You guys must really miss me down there. All these calls and texts really make a girl feel loved.”
“What the hell is going on?” Davidson barked. “Why haven’t you checked in? Where are you?”
“I’m still here,” she said, immediately falling back into line. “I’m sorry… I assumed Vincent told you.”
“You assumed wrong. Why did you stop taking my calls last night?”
“You were making me look suspicious,” she said. “I was trying to mingle with the guests, not become a nuisance to them.”
After an uncomfortable silence, he said, “This was supposed to be an in-and-out job, not a sleepover. Do you realize what kind of insane risk you’re taking? What are you doing?”
“Gathering intel.” Ari rolled her eyes. For such calculating bastards, the men in her present line of work had very little imagination. “Please relax, Davidson. Everything is fine.”
“You’re not convincing me.”
Since when is it my job to convince you?
Ari let the question go unasked. She already knew the answers, anyway: Since her father died, and Davidson declared himself boss. Since she’d become so unreliable in his eyes, taking too many risks, showing up empty-handed more often than not. Since he’d started dropping Tasha’s name in casual conversation, making sure Ari knew exactly how far he’d go to protect his interests.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, hating the whine in her voice but unable to stop it. “Just… just don’t worry. I’m checking things out, figuring out the details… I promise everything’s totally under control.”
Davidson sighed. “I’m not comfortable with this. You’re supposed to be following my lead, not undermining it. How many times do we have to have this conversation?”
Ari focused on her breathing, in and out for a full minute as Davidson ranted about her lack of judgment and poor decision-making skills.
She was about to interrupt him with another string of reassurances, but there was no time—someone was coming up the stairs.
Quickly, she promised to update Davidson the moment she got back to the city, and then said a hasty goodbye, hoping it was enough to calm him for now.
She hung up just in time to catch Jared’s voice on the other side of the door, preceded by a soft knock. “Arianne? Are you up, love?”
She stashed the phone in her purse and leaned back against the pillows, rearranging her face into a mask of calm serenity.
Jared entered the room like the best kind of wake-up call, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt that clung to every muscle, his hair a beautiful morning mess.
He was carrying a tray of covered dishes that smelled even better than her favorite Manhattan diner breakfasts, and when he met her eyes, a smile stretched warmly across his face.
“You’re wearing my robe,” he said, setting the breakfast tray on the bedside table and leaning down for a too-short kiss. “It suits you. Rather, seeing you in it, knowing that you’re naked underneath, suits me.”
Jared slipped a hand inside the front of the robe, but Ari gave him a playful smack. Now that he’d shown up with a tray of hot breakfast, sex lost a few points on the priority scale.
“What’s on the menu?” she asked, her mouth watering.
Jared removed the dish coverings, revealing a buffet’s worth of food—poached eggs over sautéed spinach, Belgian waffles, fresh berry salad, bacon, sausage, and the cinnamon buns she’d smelled earlier.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said, “so there’s a bit of everything.”
Ari beamed. “What a coincidence. A bit of everything is exactly what I like.” The food looked and smelled divine—Ari didn’t even know where to start. “This is amazing. The cook must hate me.”
“I can assure you,” Jared said, “the cook—meaning me—was happy to do it.”
“You made all this?”
“Guilty.” Jared flipped over two mugs and set them upright on the tray, filling them with coffee from a silver carafe. “And here you thought I was just a pretty face with a big—”
“Waffle iron, by the looks of things.” Without waiting for an invitation, Ari grabbed a plate, unwrapped a set of silverware from a cloth napkin, and carved off a slice of waffle. She took a bit of everything, loading up her plate until it threatened to topple over. She’d wanted a few of those juicy-looking strawberries, but there was no room.
“Here, allow me.” Jared plucked a strawberry from the bowl and slipped it between Ari’s lips, watching intently as she bit into it. A trickle of sweet, red juice ran down her chin, and Jared leaned forward to catch it with his tongue, tracing a line back up to her lips. “Hmm. I could eat this kind of breakfast all day.”
“Mr. Blackwell,” she teased. “Do you mind? I’m trying to enjoy my meal.”
“Maybe I was a bit overzealous in my preparations,” he said. “You’re choosing breakfast over sex. Can’t be a good sign.”
“Don’t take it personal. Breakfast is my favorite.” She took a bite of waffle, her eyes widening in response. It practically melted on her tongue, buttery and sweet, just the right amount of crisp on the outside.
“Good?” he asked.
“Divine.” How is this man still single?
Jared served himself and sat across from her on the bed, their knees touching. Just like their hot dog dinner in Central Park last weekend, they ate together with the kind of familiarity and comfort Ari once thought was reserved for the closest of couples, the kind who knew each other so deeply, so intimately, words were no longer required.
The kind of couple she could never be part of.
It wasn’t self-pity; it was simply part of the territory for Ari and the rest of the crew:
Don’t get too close, too involved, too attached, too hopeful.
It hadn’t been a problem before.
But now, Jared Blackwell was giving Ari a taste of what she’d been missing out on her entire life.
And she wanted it. Wanted him.
Wordlessly, before they’d even finished their meals, Ari set her dishes on the night table and untied Jared’s robe, letting it fall open before him, an invitation to a better place for both of them.
Jared’s eyes widened, a smile tugging the corner of his mouth.
Ari’s nipples tightened under his watchful gaze. God, she loved being naked before him, knowing that the mere sight of her nude breasts in the bright morning light affected him so strongly. His presence had the same unraveling effect on her, heightened further by the glint in his eyes as he looked her over.
It wasn’t leering, it wasn’t some twisted power trip he’d use against her later.
It was desire.
It was appreciation.
And it made Ari feel like a fucking queen.
“You left me high and dry last night,” she teased, leaning forward to remove Jared’s dishes and stack them with the others. “You’ve got some lost time to make up for, Mr. Blackwell.”
His hands now free, he crawled forward, pinning Ari beneath him, the new position doing nothing to hide the thick outline of his cock bulging against his sweatpants.
“I’m a rotten host,” he said, placing a tender kiss at the corner of her mouth. She was mesmerized by the softness of his lips, the taste of warm maple syrup still lingering. “How can I possibly make it up to you?”
In a sexy whisper, Ari said, “I believe you mentioned something about being tied up and spanked?”
“I may have mentioned something about that, yes.” Jared cupped her breast, running his thumb gently over her pebbled nipple. “But now that I’ve got you naked in my bed, I’m not sure that’s what I want to do to you.”
Ari closed her eyes as his touch sent ripples of pleasure across her skin.
Yes. This is exactly what I need. Forget everything else….
“Jared,” she breathed. “What are you—”
“Shh.” He silenced her with a deep kiss, one that started at her mouth and then moved slowly downward. As gently as he’d caressed her breast, Jared kissed her neck, her collarbone, making his way toward her engorged nipple. He grazed it with his lips, then moved on to the other, his kisses tender and delicious.
“Open your eyes, love,” Jared whispered against the bare flesh of her belly, still working his way lower. “I want you to watch.”
She did as he asked, but as he left a trail of kisses blazing down her abdomen and slowly guided her thighs apart, Ari could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted to shut out the world, to focus only on the sensation of his mouth against her flesh, the heat of his tongue melting away her troubles.
Still, there was something so sexy—almost voyeuristic—about the idea of watching Jared go down on her. The idea flooded her core with a surge of heat. She didn’t dare look away.
“Arianne,” he said, his voice almost a warning. “Don’t take those beautiful eyes off me.”
She nodded her promise just as he pressed his face between her thighs, inhaling her scent. She let out a soft moan, urging him closer with her hips, her body aching to get closer to Jared’s full, gorgeous mouth.
“What do you want, Arianne?” he asked, his lips close but not touching her aching flesh. “Tell me how to make you come.”
“Suck me,” she whispered. “Please.”
With the heels of his hands he pressed her thighs farther apart, leaving her fully open and exposed. He blew a soft breath between her legs, a cool caress against her throbbing clit. But it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t handle the slow teasing today, the gentle touches building up to a delayed crescendo.
No. She wanted him inside her. His tongue, his lips, his mouth… those hot, wet kisses devouring her with deep, commanding strokes.
“I didn’t quite catch that,” Jared breathed, sighing against her wet flesh. He loved teasing her, priming her up as he took his time.
Ari couldn’t take it.
“Suck me,” she said, a little louder this time. Hearing the words out loud emboldened her, sending another heat wave to her core. With a firmness that surprised her, Ari said, “Eat my pussy, Jared. Suck on me until I beg you to stop.”
With a growl he leaned forward, pressing his mouth against her superheated flesh, slipping his tongue deep inside her. The sensation was so intense, Ari nearly sat up in bed, but she didn’t dare disturb his rhythm. Forcing herself to be still, she watched his head dip lower, bobbing slowly as he stroked her with his lips and tongue.
Jared’s soft, messy head of hair tickled her thighs, inviting her touch. Grateful that he’d decided against tying her up, she slid her hands into his thick hair and tugged, guiding him deeper between her thighs, not daring to look away.
She was so turned on, so fucking wet at the sight of this man, at his masterful attention to her body. When he slid his thumb across her swollen clit, she trembled and tensed, much too close to the edge. She hadn’t wanted to be teased, but suddenly it was too soon to come; she wanted this to last all morning.
But Jared was relentless, his expert touch making her writhe.
“Oh my God,” Ari moaned. Jared’s tongue drew a slow, hot circle around the nub of her clit, sending another shudder through her body. Instinctively she arched her hips, grabbing his head to drive him in deeper, unable to stop the inevitable…
Without warning Jared pulled away, kissing his way down her thigh, the inside edge of her knee, her ankle. Every kiss took him farther away from where she most needed him to be.
“Jared, I’m so close,” she begged. “Please don’t tease me!”
“So demanding,” he taunted, sitting up. His thumb grazed her clit again, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted all of him, right now.
“Come back,” she breathed.
“I’ve decided I don’t want you to come yet,” he said. “Not until I’m inside you, fucking that pussy hard and deep.”
Ari nodded, her mouth watering as Jared stripped off his clothes and revealed his beautifully sculpted body. Despite his commanding words, a smile spread across his face as he watched her, the sun lighting up his eyes.
“Don’t make me wait too long,” Ari said.
Jared leaned forward, brushing her lips with a kiss. “Or else what?”
“Or else I’ll… just… God! I give up!”
Jared laughed, tickling her with a teasing bite on the neck. “Arianne Holbrook giving up? Never thought I’d see the day.”
She relaxed beneath the weight of him, threading her hands through his hair again and gazing into his honey-brown eyes. For a long but comfortably charged moment, they did nothing but drink in each other’s presence.
“Arianne,” Jared finally whispered. “You’re beautiful.”
When he cupped her face and leaned forward for another deep kiss, Ari nearly melted, her entire body filling with a sensation of utter rightness.
Until this moment, all of their interludes had been at night, under cover of darkness: The first thrilling adventure in the closet at the auction. All of the late-night phone calls, Ari bathed in the neon glow of the city lights through her window as Jared commanded her to touch herself. Last night, their tryst in the garden house, and the brief interlude in the basement, when he’d once again caught her snooping.
But this? This was so much more than a few stolen moments in the dark. This was morning sex, touching and tasting each other, rolling around in the bright sunlight that streamed in through the windows, nowhere to hide.
Despite all the obstacles and warning bells and risks, Ari was here in Jared Blackwell’s home, in his bed, lying on top of his bathrobe on a beautiful sunny Saturday, and she never wanted it to end.
When neither of them could wait another moment, Jared put on a condom from the nightstand drawer and settle
d back between her legs, stroking her bare thigh with his strong, warm hand.
Without further prompting she opened her legs, guiding him slowly inside her and finally giving in to the urge to close her eyes, losing herself in the rhythm of Jared’s deep, delicious thrusts.
This time, she didn’t have to tell him what she wanted, how hard she wanted it. He anticipated her every desire, driving harder and faster into her wet, willing flesh. Ari matched the rhythm of his fevered pace, arching her back to meet his every stroke, their bodies warm from exertion and sunshine, their skin slick with sweat, breakfast dishes clattering on the tray next to them.
It was so hot, so decadent, Ari didn’t want it to end. She wanted to be devoured, to be marked. And more than that, she wanted every weekend to be like this; breakfast in bed, Jared’s searing touch setting her nerves aflame as her hands roamed his body, feeling every firm, perfect inch of him.
Heat coiled low in her belly, spreading down through her thighs. Jared captured her mouth in a sensuous kiss, their hot breath mingling as he sucked her lower lip. The instant his tongue slid into her mouth, Ari’s pussy clenched, and Jared thrust in deep, rolling his hips, his hot flesh rubbing her clit and bringing her to bliss as she let out a shuddering moan, completely losing herself in the perfect heat of his thick, demanding cock, the long moment of ecstasy like something out of a dream.
If this is a dream, please don’t ever wake me.
Chapter Six
With a sudden surge of energy Ari didn’t think was possible for a man who’d just finished having extremely hot, extremely intense sex, Jared bolted out of bed and headed for the shower.
“What’s the rush?” Ari asked.
“I’ve got big plans for us today.”
“I kind of like how the plans are working out so far.” She patted the bed next to her, but Jared shook his head.
When she didn’t respond, he came back and sat next to her, gathering her naked body into his arms and nuzzling her neck.
“I didn’t invite you here solely for the sex,” he said, “as exquisite as it is.”
Bared to the Billionaire: The Complete Series Page 15
