by M. S. Parker
“Vincent came in before it got too bad. He must have radar because he mentioned how he’d spoken with you and how 'Mr. Snow' thought I’d be better off at a different store. The shopkeeper looked like she’d swallowed a lemon when she realized I wasn’t some little match girl off the streets. So, I left. That's it.” She held the two pieces up and looked at me, her eyes blazing as she changed the subject. “What do you think?”
I stood there, staring at her and feeling the weight of the love I felt for her washing over me. What had I done to deserve her?
“I think,” I spoke slowly as I walked towards her. “That you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.”
“Ah…” She blinked and then looked down at the outfit she held in front of her. “Well, if that’s your reaction, I should go shopping—”
I caught her face and kissed her, slipping one arm around her to tug her up against me, trapping her clothes between us as I backed her up against her bed. The sheets were cotton, a high thread count but nothing like the silk I used. The bed was nice and sweet, and solely hers.
I’d never made love to her in here.
This was her space. Being with her in here would have felt like it would cross an unseen line. But those lines had been blurring for some time and lately, I couldn’t even sense the lines.
The only thing I could sense was that I had to touch her, had to kiss her, had to hold her.
I needed her.
Needed her in a way I'd never needed anyone before.
As I brushed a kiss across her lips, she sighed, my name escaping her in a whisper.
I swallowed the soft sound before kissing my way along the elegant line of her throat, easing her back until she was stretched out on the bed, staring up at me. She still clutched the clothes even as the robe she’d been wearing rode high on her thighs.
I crawled up to kneel across her hips, reaching for the belt and tugging it free, baring her to my eyes. Full breasts rose and fell with each breath, her nipples tight, begging for me to take them into my mouth. But I held back.
I put the blouse against her bare chest, smoothing it into place as though she was wearing it. She watched without a word as I smoothed it down, from her shoulders to her waist, pausing to mold the shape of her breasts through the material, circling her tight nipples. I watched as her pupils dilated and her lips parted. Her lashes fluttered. I dipped my head and kissed the line of her jaw, up to her ear.
“Beautiful.”
“It would look better if I were wearing it,” she said, the words breathless.
I reached up and traced her bottom lip. “I wasn’t talking about the clothes.”
Leaving the blouse in place, I reached over and picked up her skirt. I smoothed it over her hips, from her thighs to her knees. It would end just a few inches higher once she had it on, thanks to her amazing hips and ass. It would fit her like a glove, clinging to her and highlighting every beautiful curve, drawing the eye of every straight man in the club.
They would look at her and they would want her.
And she was mine.
I stretched out on top of her, needing to feel her body under mine. With the clothes crushed between us, I caught her mouth. I tugged on her hair, angling her lips toward mine. She opened for me and we shared one long kiss after another, exploring each other’s mouths as if memorizing every inch. She caught my tongue between her teeth and bit down.
Fuck me.
Lust shot straight through me and I snarled, the urge to take her driving everything else from me.
I wanted her and I wanted her now.
I reached down and tore at my belt, one-handed, clawing it open and then doing the same with my button and zipper. As she sucked on my tongue, I somehow managed to free myself from my trousers and wrap my hand around my cock, groaning at the cool brush of air against my burning skin.
I needed her so badly.
I tossed her clothes aside, not caring where they landed, thinking only of burying myself in her wet heat. She opened her legs, her eyes boring into me as I pushed inside. She was impossibly tight around me and I tried to go slow. She lifted her hips to take me inside, shoving up to meet me, her hands tearing at my shirt until she was able to dig her nails into flesh. I hissed. Her greed, her hunger matching mine, feeding mine.
Desperate, so desperate for her, I growled and withdrew. I held her there for a moment, then slammed into her, driving deeper.
More. I needed more. More of her. All of her. I needed her to be mine. Body, heart and soul.
And I knew what I needed to do.
The words burned inside me, a fire hotter than anything I'd ever known.
I tore my mouth from hers and she tried to bring me back, tried to kiss me.
Curving my hand against her jaw, my palm against the delicate skin of her throat, I stared into her eyes. I shook my head. I could feel the mad flutter of her pulse under my fingertips, feel each and every breath. She started to lift her head and I squeezed, waited until she relaxed back against the bed.
“Do you see me?” I demanded as I thrust into her.
“I see you.” Her voice was rough, ragged. Raw. Her nails bit into my chest again and I knew I'd be marked. Knew that's what she wanted.
She wanted to mark me. Claim me. She was mine, but I was hers. I twisted my hips and drove deep inside her yet again. Her pussy clutched at me and the muscles that gripped my cock clenched tighter and tighter. I hissed out a breath, I pulled out and then surged deeper and held there, lodged so deep inside of her, I couldn’t have gone any deeper. There was only one thing I needed to do.
“I love you.” I stared into her eyes as I said the words. The first time I’d ever said them to a woman. The first time I’d said the words to anybody in a very, very long time.
Her eyes went wide.
I pulled out and thrust deep, said the words again.
This time, she reached for me and I let her. She curled her hands around my neck, plunging her fingers into my hair. When she pulled my mouth to hers, I didn’t resist. I let her kiss me and there was more than just hunger to her kiss this time. There was love and laughter and a promise of something I'd never known before.
We’d had sex before, and we'd made love before, but this was something different entirely. I couldn’t put a name to it and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I wasn't sure I could handle it.
My climax welled up and I couldn’t fight it, just as I couldn’t fight the desperate way Aleena pushed me closer to it, her body moving with mine.
This wasn’t about the need to control anything.
This was…claiming.
Me claiming her. Her accepting it.
Her claiming me. Me accepting it.
“I love you,” she breathed as her body tightened around me. She arched up against me, crying out as she came.
“Mine,” I ground out the word as I followed her.
I collapsed on her. Despite having come, my cock was still hard and throbbing. I wanted more, wanted a lot more, but my muscles had gone to putty. Her pussy fluttered around me, sending the most delicious sensations through me. Her body twitched underneath me and I rolled us until she was on top of me, our bodies still joined. I never wanted to leave her.
“Tell me again,” she murmured, the words a bare whisper in the quiet room.
I slid my hand up her naked thigh and smiled. Her pretty new clothes were a twisted mess next to us and mine were in even worse shape. I was pretty sure she'd been grabbing her clothes instead of the bedspread. My pants were tangled around my knees, my shirt open. I was also pretty sure some of the buttons had been torn off.
And I didn’t give a damn.
I said the words as firmly as I could manage, wanting there to be no mistake. “I love you.”
She hummed under her breath, a low pleased sound. “I thought that was what you said.”
A moment later, she stretched and rolled off of me, hissing as my cock slid out of her. She snuggled up against me and I groaned as that
long, lazy movement had her rubbing up against me.
“I should move.” She sighed. “Get up, clean up. Going to take me forever to get ready. I think we kind of trashed my clothes.”
I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll go another night. I think I just want to stay here, holding you tonight.”
She didn’t argue. She just wiggled closer and murmured, “I like the sound of that.”
So did I.
Chapter 8
Dominic
I left the penthouse earlier than normal the next morning. It was Wednesday and since we normally went to the office together, I left Aleena a note. I'd send Vincent back to get her after I'd taken care of some business.
This wouldn’t wait. I should have already done it, I knew, but I'd kept hoping the woman would show some of the intelligence I knew was buried inside that shallow, vapid brain.
The Rittenours, like so many of the families I’d known most of my life, owned a lovely house in the Hamptons, but they also owned a residence inside the city. Traveling to and from the city could be a nuisance, and having an apartment or townhouse, any kind of second residence, was common.
Penelope’s townhouse was only a block away from the penthouse. It wasn’t unusual for us to see each other on the street or bump into each other at a local restaurant or club. It wasn’t any wonder I felt like I'd had her in my back pocket half my life.
Vincent came to a stop just outside the townhouse. “Keep the car running. This won’t take long,” I said.
I glanced at Vincent and I stopped with my hand on the door.
“She upset her,” Vincent said.
The words struck me as out of place. We were friendly, Vincent and I, but not friends. Not like Maxwell, who'd been more like family than employee over the years. Suddenly, it hit me that, with as much as he'd been driving her around, Aleena might consider Vincent a friend and jealousy stirred inside me. It was stupid, but I wanted all of her tenderness, all of her heart. I wouldn’t demand it though. Not from her. I wanted her love more than her obedience.
“Penelope upset Aleena, you mean.”
Vincent nodded and glanced up at the townhouse. “Penelope made her angry at first, then she was just…sad, sir.”
“I know.” I climbed out of the car, but didn’t shut the door. He didn't say anything, but I felt the need to make sure he knew why I was here. I bent over and met his eyes in the mirror for another moment. “I’m taking care of it. It shouldn’t happen again. Not after today.”
To my surprise, he climbed out of the car and studied me, but the look on his face wasn’t that of an employee addressing his employer. His gaze was steady, as if taking a measure of me. I wasn't sure I liked it, but I waited to see what he planned to say.
“It will happen again,” he said bluntly. “As long as she’s dealing with sharks like Penelope Rittenour, it’s going to happen.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Vincent, you’d do well to remember your place.”
“I know my place, sir.” He nodded, stiffly. “But I care for Aleena.”
Not Miss Davison now. Not Miss Aleena.
I scowled, possessiveness washing through me. She was mine.
Vincent's stance stiffened. “She’s a friend, Mr. Snow. Nothing more. But she’s a sweet woman. A kind one. If all you’re doing is…” His face reddened. “There are plenty of woman who can offer you anything you need and they can handle the sharks. But Aleena…” His voice softened now. “Sir, she’s a tough girl. Solid and smart and strong. She might even have a skin thick enough to withstand the attacks. But she doesn't deserve it, sir. If she's going to have to deal with people like that, I hope it’s only because you plan on staying with her.”
There was only one reason I gave him the truth. Only one reason I didn’t fire him right there. It had nothing to do with the fact that he’d spent ten years working for me and it had everything to do with the fact that I could see the loyalty in his eyes. Loyalty to the woman I loved. Strange, I realized. That loyalty mattered to me now more than loyalty he should owe me.
“I love her,” I said softly. “Does that help, Vincent?”
After a moment, he nodded. “Yes. Yes, Mr. Snow, it does.” He gave me a stiff nod. “I’ve overstepped my bounds and I apologize.”
“No. You spoke your mind and shown me that you will always stand by her. That means a lot to me.” I brushed an imaginary speck of lint from my shirt. “I think I’ll reassign you, effective today. You’re her driver now. Permanently. I'll find another driver to cover opposite Maxwell, but I want you with Aleena.”
“Sir?” Vincent blinked, looking stunned.
“You’re not fired,” I said mildly. “Like you said, she’ll end up around a lot of sharks and I’m not always with her. You know those people well enough because you’ve been around them for years. I'll expect you to watch out for her when I’m not able to. Are we clear?”
The stunned look left his eyes and slowly, he nodded.
“Excellent.” I turned to look at the townhouse. “I want a list of names you think would be a good secondary driver for me. You’ve got seventy-two hours. Is it doable?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Excellent.” I started toward the townhouse. The brick walk way was patterned in a diamond design and my shoes rang on it hollowly as I strode up toward the door. The flowers were perfect, a brilliant spray of color and something in them made me want to sneeze. I stifled the urge and rang the doorbell. Only a few seconds passed before the door swung open.
The butler was young, polished and pretty. Exactly the way Penelope liked them.
“Hello. Is Penelope available?” I asked.
He gave me a polite nod. “May I asked whom is calling?”
She’d gone for a Frenchman this time. Last summer, it had been an Italian.
“Dominic Snow.” I checked my watch. “I’ve got ten minutes.”
“Of course. Please come in, Mr. Snow.”
As I stepped inside, a maid disappeared into a room, her head bowed so she wasn’t looking at me. She wasn’t young or pretty or polished—again, just as Penelope liked them. All the men were expected to be pictures of masculine perfection, but she deliberately hired women who were as physically flawed as she could find them. And then she spent a great deal of time mocking them. I’d seen it more than once. It had always been enough to turn my stomach, how cruel she could be, but it hadn't been until she'd started directing her barbs at Aleena that I'd felt compelled to say something.
I frowned. Had I really been any better than her or my mother? Just being silent? Well, that was over now. I was through just keeping my mouth shut. I was going to be a better man. For her.
“Ms. Rittenour needs a few moments, sir.” The young blond stood in the doorway, an apologetic smile on his face. “She would love to see you, if you can wait a bit.”
I checked my watch again. “Seven minutes.”
He paled slightly. Then disappeared.
Penelope waited another five minutes. It didn’t surprise me. She wouldn't risk me getting impatient and leaving early, but she'd want to make me wait as long as possible.
There were any number of outcomes to this encounter, and none of them were going to end with us on pleasant terms, but considering everything she'd done, I didn't care.
Her heels clacked on the stairs, deliberately slow.
I could count an intake of breath between each languorous step and I wondered if she was doing the same thing, taking a breath before she descended. I smiled at the thought and continued to stare into the fireplace. If she wanted to play games, who was I to ruin the fun for her?
I’d be doing that soon enough.
I didn't know what would piss her off more, telling her that she’s better back off with her digs at Aleena, or telling her that the services of Trouver L’Amour would no longer be available to her. She didn’t particularly need the company, but Penelope didn’t handle being dismissed well. As she'd proven more
than once.
A delicate yawn behind me signified Penelope’s entrance. I deliberated the empty hearth a few moments longer and then slowly turned to face her.
She'd had taken the time to groom herself, giving the appearance of artful disarray. A silk robe open over one shoulder, as if she'd recklessly pulled it on. Long, blonde hair hung loose and tousled down her back as if she'd just climbed out of bed, though she was wearing make-up. Oddly enough, she seemed to have forgotten her clothes in her hurry to dress. All she wore was a silk robe and the heels I’d heard on the steps. A pair of fuck-me shoes were visible, thanks to the long slit in her robe that ran high on her thigh.
Typical Penelope.
I smiled to myself, amused at the absurdity of it.
The smile must have caught her off guard, because her own lips curved up and she started toward me, a hand outstretched, as if we were friends. “Dominic, how good to see you. You’ll have to excuse how I look. I wasn’t expecting company.”
I waved her comment off and effectively evaded having to respond to her outstretched fingers as I moved around the couch. “It’s not a problem. This won’t take long.”
I chose to sit down in a narrow, wingback chair near the entryway, watching as she draped herself across the settee.
The robe’s slit parted more. Much more and I’d be able to get an idea of her personal grooming habits. That was the last thing I wanted to see.
She rubbed one thigh against the other and chuckled. “Dominic, darling. You are always in a rush.” Now her gaze turned sly. “I hope your…what’s her name? Adriana? Leena? She’s probably so grateful for your attention that rushing doesn’t concern her. If she even notices.”
If she’d meant to annoy me, she needed to do better than that. I laughed and hooked one ankle over my knee.
The amusement in her eyes faded and she glared over her shoulder. “Andre!”
The blond appeared so fast, I knew he had to have been hovering just outside the door. “Mademoiselle?”
“Coffee, Andre. My head is pounding.” She rubbed at her temple while the boy gazed at her adoringly.
