* * *
Lila finished rinsing the dishes and filling up the dishwasher before she turned away from the sink. She caught sight of the stack of bills sitting on the island and promptly turned back again, gathering up more dishes. The next hour was spent cleaning up, her mind forbidden from thinking about what had just happened in her kitchen.
When the last load was in the dishwasher and the counters sparkled around her, she considered the bills sitting there, staring at her. She hadn't even spent close to half of his deposit preparing for tonight. Why did he leave so much more, without her estimate and without her even asking for it?
Maybe it was for a job well done?
She wouldn't let herself consider that, since it wasn't her cooking she was thinking of. No, Drake wouldn't have left her a stack of money like a common...well, you know. It had to be intended to add to her deposit, she convinced herself.
Leaving the money on the island, she headed upstairs and into the shower. Memories of Drake's body pressed against hers had her nipples hardening under the hot spray, and she quickly pushed those memories away and hopped out, briskly toweling herself dry. Then she wandered out of the bathroom and into her small room.
Boxes still lined the walls, but at least her bed was made. She climbed into it now, foregoing pajamas as usual and sliding between the cool sheets. The smooth jersey knit against her still-raw body was stimulating, and she tossed and turned, trying to settle down.
Her cheeks burned as she remembered her eagerness. And embarrassment at the aftermath. She couldn't talk to him, couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't awkward. Lila was supposed to be a professional, and instead she'd acted like anything but.
She'd gone down on Drake without hesitation, attacking his cock like a starving woman. But then, in a way she was. Lila hadn't allowed her body such freedom since...well, since Damien.
His name conjured up a whole new tangle of anxiety, a tangle that pulled her down into sleep and uneasy dreams.
Damien had returned, again and again, during those couple weeks before school started. They had never talked, instead letting their bodies go where words could not.
A few days after that morning, when Lila had seen up close and personal what a man's climax was like, a knock had sounded at her door. Damien stood there, shirtless as always, and she'd let him in without a word. He'd taken her hand and pulled her down the hall and into her bedroom, closing the door behind him.
"No interruptions today, I hope," he'd mumbled, then attached his hands to her chest, kneading her breasts, pulling at her tank top and bra until he'd exposed her to his touch. She was moaning in desire while he tugged on her nipples, turning them into hard, aching points.
Then he'd abandoned her breasts and gone to sit on the edge of her bed, crooking a finger at her to follow. But when she made to sit beside him, he tugged her into position between his knees.
"Kneel down," he'd whispered, putting pressure on her shoulders until she went to her knees before him.
Damien had tugged his shorts down, exposing the fact that he wasn't wearing underwear as his hard cock sprang out. He kicked off his shorts, then wrapped a hand around himself, tugging on his dick.
"Taste me," he'd said, lifting his cock toward her mouth.
Lila had knelt there, wordless, her eyes flying up in alarm to meet his gaze.
"It will feel so good," he coaxed, now rubbing his cock against her closed lips. "Stick out your tongue."
Lila wasn't sure what to do. Damien was hot, no denying that, and the sight of his dick poised right outside her mouth was causing moisture to pool in her panties. But this...this seemed so...intimate.
Damien traced the outline of her lips with his cock, a hand going to the back of her head to push her forward. She'd finally given in to the pressure and stuck out her tongue, just a little bit. It hit the underside of his cock and he moaned.
"That's it," he sighed, pressing his dick inward, encouraging her to open her mouth wider. "Good, just lick around the head...yesssss...."
His moans were driving her crazy, as was the knowledge that it was her tongue that was making him feel this way. An intense feeling of power arose in her and she opened her mouth wide, drawing the tip inside and sucking.
"Oh yeah, that's it." His words were the only encouragement she needed. She sucked harder, pulling more of him into her mouth, her tongue swirling around him even as she took him deeper.
"Don't stop," he said, the hand on the back of her head becoming more insistent, so she picked up her pace. Damien's thighs tensed under her hands, and she knew he was getting close to his climax. But he didn't let up on the pressure, and so she took him deeper, all the way to the back of her mouth and then farther, until he pressed against the back of his throat.
"Fuck yes," he said, just as she began to gag. Lila tried to pull away, but another hand joined the first and both pushed on the back of her head, keeping her in place. Then she felt it, the proof of his orgasm, as it filled her mouth.
At last the pressure relented and Lila fell backwards on her heels, coughing. She was forced to swallow his release, then coughed again. She stood up and rushed into the bathroom, rinsing her mouth out and catching her breath.
When she returned to her room, it was empty. Lila crept into the hallway, just in time to see Damien opening the front door. "Thanks," he said with a wave. "See you tomorrow." Then he was gone, out the door and down the front walk.
Lila had slid down the hallway wall and sat there. Her breath was heaving in her chest. He'd done it again, come and gone. Shaky hands covered her face where she could feel the flush of shame staining her cheeks. Damien, the hottest boy in school, was using her for sex. And she was letting him.
Not anymore. She'd rallied herself, ignoring the unfulfilled ache that was throbbing in her lower region. She wasn't a toy to be played with and then ignored. Tomorrow things would be different.
Only the next day things had gone much the same. Damien had come over, had lured her back to her room, and before long he'd had his cock in her mouth again. And that wasn't the last time. Why Lila allowed it, why she kept sucking him, growing to like it more and more, was something she preferred not to think about. Instead she reveled in his attention, in the ripple of his abs, in the straining of his thigh muscles, in the twitches of his cock when it exploded on her tongue. Those sensations alone were worth the price of admission.
Even if every day the scene ended with Damien's brief expression of gratitude and then his exit.
When the alarm went off, bringing her back into the present, she realized that was exactly what had happened with Alex Drake. She'd grown shy afterwards, silent, unsure of how to behave. Lila realized it was because she didn't know what to do or say after. There'd never been an after with Damien. And now, she'd made sure there was no after with Drake.
Lila sat up with a sigh. It didn't matter. That stuff with Damien was long in the past, and whatever she had with Alexander Drake was over too. Now, if she could just make it through the party without dropping to her knees to inhale his sexy cock, things should turn out fine.
She was downstairs, staring at the pile of money on her island, when her cell phone rang.
"Lila Johnstone."
"Ms. Johnstone, this is Alexander Drake's office calling. Do you have a moment to discuss the upcoming party plans?"
"Of course." Lila scrambled to grab a pen and pad, then sat down at the table to listen. She breathed deep, straining to hear over the pounding of her heart.
"Mr. Drake has informed you that there will be around fifty guests attending. He would like your organization to handle the food and wine list, as well as a non-alcoholic option for those who won't be drinking. He's said not to bother with champagne, as he'll be dealing with that separately."
"Not a problem," Lila replied, even as her mind balked at picking out suitable wines for the occasion.
"Mr. Drake also asks that you hire serving staff for the event. Valet parking will be handled separately."
"Of course." Another thing she had no experience at. How many servers would she need, and where would she find them? She'd gotten some members of the waitstaff from the restaurant to work the Masterson reception, but they lived in another city and she couldn't rely on them for everything. Good thing you think on your feet! she told herself. Keep positive, or collapse into an indecisive mess and give up on your dream now.
No way.
She tuned back into the phone call, praying she hadn't missed anything vital. The capable-sounding woman continued. "Finally, he asks if you'll be needing additional funds before the event. He's authorized me to send over a check by courier today if you'll let me know the amount."
Lila swallowed. He was ready to send her more money, and she hadn't even spent the entire first deposit, let alone touched the pile on the island. "That won't be necessary at the moment. If I need a larger deposit, I'll call the office."
"Great. One more thing."
Lila held her breath. Didn't she have enough on her plate already?
"As the event is only about a week away, Mr. Drake asks that you meet him at his house in the next few days so that he can show you around the space and discuss any last-minute arrangements. Which evening are you free?"
Lila almost sighed but held back so as to not sound unprofessional. "Let's see," she thought, considering how late she could push back a meeting before the party. Even though part of her wanted to scream "Tonight!" just for the chance to spend a little more private time with the seductive Mr. Drake. "I'm free this Sunday."
"I'll pencil you in for seven o'clock." She gave Lila the address.
"Great."
"Thank you for your assistance, Ms. Johnstone."
Lila hung up, her thoughts a jumble. She would see him again. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous. And he had no idea just how dangerous he was to her calm, quiet life. How dangerous were the passions he brought to her surface, passions she'd kept hidden since high school.
She'd have to push those passions back down, bury them deep, if she was to have any hope of getting through the party unscathed.