Chapter Eleven

While pushing Jewell’s chair in, Blake brushed her shoulder with his hand, and desire shot through him. He moved his seat closer to hers. None of that across-the-table nonsense of civilized dining for two. He needed her to be next to him, needed to feel the softness of her skin against his fingers.

The buildup, the anticipation, the hunger of playing these games with her — this was the greatest he’d felt in a long time. He needed to see how far he could push her, how far he could push himself. He’d never before had so much enjoyment with the preliminaries and actualities of sex. He would never have waited so long to possess any woman other than this one. Sure, the buildup always had its charms, but if Jewell were someone else, he would have bedded her the night before, and several times today as well, and he’d already be tiring of her.

This woman had him thinking twice, though. The way she held herself, the burning in her eyes, the confusion. She was a mystery and he swore he couldn’t stand any mysteries involving women — why waste the time solving them? — but he wanted to know her, wanted to learn her story. He also wanted to get as far away as possible from her, but he couldn’t make himself do that.

Jewell responded so well to him. And though he could see she wanted to hate him — if she were smart, she would — whenever he touched her, she went up in flames. Her body was a canvas for him to paint, and paint it he would. She intrigued him, made him think that a week wouldn’t be nearly enough with her, but that’s all he could allow himself to have. He had a feeling that if he tried to extend his time with her, it would be too hard to ever let her go.

When Sunday morning came around, he’d have her delivered back to her brothel, and he’d never think of her again. He knew he could do this — he was strong. She was just one more woman in a long line of women. It didn’t matter to him that another man would touch her, do the sorts of things he was doing with her and more.

Then why did you bring her home?

Dammit! He didn’t want his own brain arguing with him. He didn’t know why he’d brought her to his place instead of a hotel room, didn’t know why he liked the idea of her staying here among his possessions while he worked.

He’d never had the desire to bring another woman through his front door, and he strongly suspected that he’d never feel that way again. He refused to analyze the thought, however. Tonight was about sex, it was about pleasure, it was about taking from Jewell what he wanted, and giving her only what he felt like giving.

What made it so frustrating, though, was that he wanted to give her so much. Yes, he’d pleasured her because he’d wanted to, but he knew he’d gotten even more joy from her orgasm than she’d received. That’s what this woman, this stranger, did to him.

She made him feel alive and excited. She made him forget about his past, made him forget why he’d gone in search of her. She made him think only of her. He would have to do better at keeping the walls he’d built up around him intact, because if he wasn’t careful, she would have a hold on him, and that just wasn’t acceptable.

“You’ll have to do better at obeying me tomorrow,” he said as he served up her dinner, making sure that he brushed against her again in the process.

“I did everything you asked today.” Her voice was quiet, subdued, and he noticed how she shifted position on her chair. Ah, the toy had been getting to her the entire day, and he planned to use it while they were at the table. He loved the control he had over her body…and it wasn’t just from those good vibrations.

“I saw your defiance, and I will force that attitude from you. Go get that bag there in the corner and bring it me.”

She looked in the direction he indicated with his eyes, and then stood up obediently. He saw the tension in her shoulders, and he could tell she hated his commands, knew that it irked her to follow his orders like a well-trained puppy. She also knew that if she didn’t do it, he would remove her instantly from his life.

He pushed that uncomfortable thought aside. So what if he had to fire her? He had no use for a willful woman. He’d chosen Jewell so he could be the one to train her, break her. He liked that he got to be the first man to take her from the escort agency.

As she picked up the bag, a shudder passed through her, making him smile. Every time she shifted, the toy moved, sending shock waves through her. He also controlled the remote that set it to vibration any time he was in the mood to give her a good jolt.

Wriggling in his seat, he welcomed the pulsing of his arousal, the hard state he’d been in all day. Because when he finally sheathed himself inside her, it would be like coming home.

She brought the bag over and stood next to him, waiting to see what he wanted her to do with it. When he did nothing but look at her, she shifted on her feet and then winced.

“Place the bag on the floor and then straddle my lap, but don’t sit down entirely,” he said, then cleared his throat. Desire was heavy in his voice.

“Like this?”

“Oh yes,” he said as she stretched her legs wide, her breasts now perfectly level with his face, her nipples peeking out at him — and peaking, too! — above the corset.

He trailed his hands up the outside of her thighs, over her hips, and along the alluring indent of her waist, then ran them over the fullness of her beautiful breasts. The passion shining in her eyes was more than enough thanks for his attentions.

“Dance for me, Jewell.”

She froze as she looked down at him. “I…I don’t know how.”

“Yes, you do. Move your body against mine. Make me want no woman but you.” He gripped her hips and guided her.

She started slowly, her hips swaying as her feet stayed firmly planted. Then, after a moment, her eyes closed and she lifted her hands above her head, her upper body swaying as her knees dipped and she lowered herself, resting her backside on his thighs for only an instant, an instant that had him going from hard to complete steel.

When she stepped back from him, pressing her hand briefly against his chest for balance and then letting go, he nearly protested until she turned around, showing him her delicious derrière as she undulated before him, her sweet curves screaming at him, almost ordering him to take her.

When she bent forward, sticking her ass high in the air while spreading her legs and swinging her hips again, he felt himself begin to rise involuntarily from his seat. He needed to take her right this very minute. He somehow forced himself to sit back down, but he had to grip the bottom of his chair just to hold himself in place. He did have a motive for waiting — he needed to see how far she would take this dance.

Standing back up, she turned her head and looked back at him, desire a blinding light in her eyes, her expression one of both arousal and innocence. Yeah, right. He shook that off. It was an act, and she was very good at it. Still, by going along with her pretense of being untouched, he found himself wanting her even more. But before he could say a word, she turned her head away.

Don’t be a fool, he said to himself. He’d discovered her at what was basically a brothel, and he’d bought her services. She was far from innocent — no woman was, when it came down to it. And he really wanted to come down to it.

“Strip for me,” he commanded, hating the slight edge of weakness she was causing him to feel.

She ceased her dance for a second, and a shudder passed down her spine. Good. This was better. He needed to keep her guessing what he would ask her to do next. With her back still toward him, she lifted her hands. And he watched her loosen her bustier and let it fall to the floor.

His arousal throbbed painfully.

“Turn around.”

She did as he asked, her hands up, covering her beautiful breasts as she swung her hips, continuing the dance that was just for him.

“Come here.”

She stepped forward, standing in front of his opened thighs, her minuscule skirt hiding nothing from him.

“Closer.”

She was shaking as she stepped up flush against his body, her breasts right by his mouth but still covered by her hands. Nearly shaking too, he gripped those hands, and pulled them away. He barely stopped a moan from escaping his mouth as he took in the sight of her hardened nipples. He needed a taste.

“I’m going to take you long and slow, and all through the night. I’m going to pleasure us both, but don’t ever forget why you’re here. Your pleasure is mine. I own it.”

Her gasp of arousal was his reward. As he pulled her down onto his lap, he knew that he was done playing. He needed her, and he needed her now.